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Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
Makes sense to me
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
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MagicbyCarlo Inner circle has squandered his time making 1062 Posts |
A magician that suggests that his or her presence will increase revenue of a retaurant is brewing a recipe for failure. What if business drops off because the highway the restaurant is on that also runs to the area's main attraction is closed for repairs and business is negatively affected? Do you really want to have that discussion? Why create an expectation that you may not be able to live up to?
What you might suggest is: That in your experience guests tend to enjoy interactive (versus passive) entertainment. Your style of performance is suitable for this establishment (You won't be showing up in an upscale restaurant in big red pants, loud suspenders and a tee shirt) You will promote the restaurant in your public and private shows (no guarantee of results, just that you will mention the days you work at the place) Your presence can cover for a slow service (something to take the customers mind off of the fact that it's taking too long) You provide a way for the establishment to show that they value their guests and want to provide an enjoyable overall experience. You provide a unique opportunity for the establishment to set themselves apart from other restaurants in the area. In sales there is a concept of presenting features and benefits. While it would be nice to say that one of the benfits of hiring you is increased revenue, the bottom line is that it's a bad idea. Instead talk about how you're their to help the restaurant please it's customers. Anyone with a lick of sense will equate happy customers with repeat customers and infer that it's a good thing. I feel Danny has been on the money about avoiding the money issue. As far as your fee goes you also have to considder the intangibles that the restaurant offers regarding client contact etc. If I were breaking in, I would rather work in a place that has upscale clientelle for $75 a night and come in contact with people who spend $1500 - $5000 on a catered party at their homes than make $200 a shift at the local Friendly's. Considder where you will be making your money in the long run.
Carlo DeBlasio
<BR>Entertainment specialist <BR>and all around fun guy! |
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
Any entertainer who claims that he is going to make money for a restaurant had better have some way of proving it, or he will be out the door.
Before I went to magic fulltime, I was a musician, and I worked the pizza parlor circuit in Houston. Now, this was a very specialized thing. There were about 2 dozen pizza parlors in Houston that had entertainment, and we were being paid very good money. Each of our bands had regular customers that would come in just to see us. Back in the days of cheap gas, people would drive a long way. I had a following. There was a lot of money for those days coming in to these places. And we could demonstrate that it was US and not the pizza that was bringing in the crowds. Our band got moved into places where they weren't making any money at all, just to boost revenues, and it worked! But some of the bean counters reverse engineered the bottom line on these things and started figuring out how much of a percentage a place could afford for entertainment. It was the opposite of what they should have done, because if a place had no income, they couldn't pay for entertainment. One manager bucked the system and told the honchos that if she put my duo into her pizza parlor, that within 2 months her cash register would prove that they were wrong. We did it in six weeks. They were so convinced she was right that they fired her! She learned that you never buck the powers that be. They kept us on, but they did what they could to make us not like working there. So, one by one, the places started closing. And pretty soon they were gone. The Shakey's Pizza Parlor chain cratered from the top down, and so did their biggest competitors. The funny thing was that as along as all of them did it, all of them made money. But when they began to cut corners on their entertainment, they all began to lose money. Danny's figures are rlght about what you have to bring in to pay for entertainment, though. You have to sell a whole lot of pizza, salad, beer and soft drinks to afford a band -- even more than you have to sell to pay a magician. So, how does this relate to doing magic in restaurants? Well, you have to figure where your pay is going to come from. A couple of well-known magicians worked for very low fees, with the agreement that when they got a real gig, such as a trade show or a big expensive party in someone's home, they would be able to send in a substitute or take a night off. Neither one of the ones I am thinking of does that now, but that's how they got started. Nowadays, that would be roughly like $100 a night.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
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Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
You guys hit the business end of this thing right on the head. These things have been my contention from the beginning, which caused the problems. Nice to see it put in other words than just the few of us speaking them.
Thanks guys! Centering on what you can ADD that you can prove, great way to go.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
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SoCalPro Inner circle Southern California 1634 Posts |
What you CAN guarantee is to make their guests happy which will result in more frequent visits. I've written a whole page in my promo kit (for my restaurant managers) that list all the benefits of having a restaurant magician. Not one reason on my list says that I'll increase business or make them rich.
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sullivanl Loyal user 277 Posts |
I work at one of Hong Kong's top club/bar/restaurants. The owner loves my magic and I have been working there for 2 years.
After a while, he mentioned to me the reason he hired me is to make sure his venue is seen as one of the top places to be in Hong Kong, and stays that way. Whether or not I increased his revenue, he didn't care, as long as the image of his establishment remained very high and the guests were happy. Who knows if I increase revenue, perhaps I do, perhaps not. I do, however, try my best to act professional, to keep people entertained, and also promote the venue. All considered, I think this is what any astute manager/owner would want. Reputation can mean more for the establishment in the long run than a simple profit/loss analysis. |
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Victor Ian Smith New user Los Angeles 61 Posts |
It's all about the customer experience and providing a value that makes them come back or tell others.
"Do what you love...
...and you will never work a day of your life" - Confucius |
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Mezzini New user 20 Posts |
Wow! I waited almost 4 years for another response...
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