This is a subject I have not seen much dicussed on any website.

I went to school for graphic deign, so used some of my education to deign my promo stuff, and have been complimented by several of the agents that I work for on my material.

It is important to have one page of promo material. If an agent or a potential client says; "Can you send me some info?" I say; "Sure". And the next day it goes out. I send a brochure and a promo piece.

My promo piece is done sort of like a newspaper. It has a headshot on there and lists of my biggest clients, a bio, some quotes, and a catchy headline, to bring their attention to who the heck I am.

It is designed in a way that the focus is me, so basically there is balnce to the page. Let me explain a little better. When we read things, our minds eye will focus to a particular point of the page. Look at advertisements for instance. You will almost always see the product at the left of the person selling, it because we read from left to right. The advertisers want us to keep our focus on the product.

I feel it is important to do the same thing in out promo material. Anyway, before I expound on this subject, I will let you guys decide if we should discuss this more in detail. Let me know, I am here this week to share my experiences with you.

This is one area that I'm always looking for 'new' ideas on...

Please share...

Well I am not claiming to be a genius on this sort of thing, but whatever I am doing seems to be working more then when I first started.

I think everything should coincide with everything. first, the theme of your look or image. Once you have established this, your business cards should display this.

Once the cards are done, I recommend a 1 page promo piece, (see first post on this,) a brochure, which matches your card and promo piece, eveything should be simple, direct, and to the point.

I know where I live, the agents do not seem to have time to read about everything I have done, so I have condensed everything, just emphasizing my six biggest accomplishments. Six biggest clients, a brief description of who I am, a picture.

I believe you should have a very catchy headline. On top of the promo piece, I use one my friend Steve Dobson came up with, it says pick a magician not just any magician.

The idea is to hook a client in and make them go, wow, I have got to get this guy to perform for me, where do I sign up to get him.

I believe less is more. For instance Channel number five perfume, look at the design of this product, there is absolutely nothing to it, yet it is very expensive, and very classy.

Look at my personal favorite logo, the Federal Express logo, it is very straight forward, literally, how many of you ever noticed the arrow in between the e and the x? The arrow is pointing forward, very subtle and says what they do.

So coming up with a logo, I think, is nice, also, some guys prefer caricatures, I prefer a logo this fits my style.

These are a few things I would think about.

Image is truly everything in entertainment.

Everything that you put out with your name on it represents you, if it's schlocked together, this tells people what they are getting. But please keep in mind if you don't do these things, it's fine, I am just stating what works for me, and if any of these ideas help you then it's a bonus.

Colors are also a very important thing to think about. Orange and green seem to be the only colors ever left on a shelf after all of the other things like it of different colors are gone.
There are colors that sell, find the colors that sell your personality.

Same thing with a font are you a seriff person, or a sanseriff person, I know it sounds kind of petty but it really, in my mind makes a big difference.
Details, details, details.

You wouldn't do a retention pass and not close the hand after the sleight, unless you do my version of Rubensteins rops move, you work out all of the details.

You have time on your side, just start one project at a time. I also have a folder with a complete client list, a page of quotes to give you an idea.

My website is still being put together and it is not tip top yet, I have not told any of my agents to send their clients to it yet, but, so you can see a work in progress check it out.
http://www.reedmcclintock.com
Like I said designing something takes time and precision. It is all details. This thing will probably be finished and complete in about 2 months we are putting together a demo video of me performing and a screen saver for my clients to download.
An interactive magic trick of my own design. But this just gives you an idea of what I am going for.

I just feel like I have heard so many others that have said, we are in show business, and the second word, is more important than anything else.

Corporate people are generally not artistic, they are business oriented, I believe it is up to you to build that world of involvment and mystery around them.
We have the upper hand becuase we are smart and creative.

Reed,

For people who are just starting out in the business, what can you put on your brochure? I don't have a list of clients, unless you count the barmitzvas I did.
I know there was a time when you were just starting out and nobody knew who you were, so how did you promote yourself?

I went to them. It may sound bold, but that is what you do if you want to work.

I would literally go to a place and perform for free. I would hand out cards, and then get calls. I went out to several bars where I knew people of the clientel were relaxing. I would strike up a conversation with the bartender, show him a couple of tricks, then ask if I could try out some new material on the guests.

He inevitably said; "Sure...go for it". I would make some tips and I would before I left, kick some money down to the bartender. I would get a couple of business cards and give a ton of cards away, and eventually it worked.

Plus I could go back to the bar and the bartender would ask If I could do some more tricks for people, I would say sure why not, get a free drink and he would introduce me to regulars. It starts a whole cycle.

What you put into it, you can get more out. Granted, this may look like begging, it really is. I didn't mind because I knew this is what I am supposed to do with my life, and it seems to be working out fairly well.

I know this probably won't work for everyone, But I am sharing with you what worked for me.

I agree with your approach, Reed. I have two jobs: my first as a copywriter/ PR writer and my second as a juggler. In both cases I run my own business and the approach to both is the same.

When you first start you need to go to clients. Of course any client will need to see what you can do, so do some stuff for free. Don't think of it as a waste of your work, though, as in the medium to long term you will get people looking to pay you. Once you do some stuff for free, ask the client to write a brief testimonial that you can use. Do that a few times and you soon have a list of clients in your posession. This will make finding new, and paid, business much easier.

Also - get a well written and well designed website (I would say that since I do copywriting!). Whatever your business, clients expect service providers (which is what you are) to have one.

I've written various bits and pieces elsewhere about business promotion and have undertaken copywriting for various people in the entertainment industry. If anyone wants some more ideas, feel free to email me.

Cool...you did bring up something also very important that I forgot to say, and that is always whenever possble try to get a letter from a client or at least a quote. Quotes are very helpful. It is easier to take the word of someone else, than to listen to you tell them how great you are.

Because this is what we tell a potential client, when trying to get the event. It's easy once we have proven our selves to them but if they haven't seen you perform before, quotes help (aka testimonials) Don't worry, I had to clap my hands to see how many syllibles that last word was, it's five. I believe that to be the biggest word I know. Darn, I have got 4 more days here, and I used my biggest word already.

I have to laugh at Missing_Link's post. Not that he said anything wrong but because it reminds me of the irony of my own situation. I'm a writer myself, with a strong background in copywriting -- although much of my work lately has been in other areas. I've written for several small and large web sites, including clients like Netscape and eBay. But have I ever gotten around to producing my OWN site? HAH!

Yeah, yeah, shame on me.

Read what Missing_Link wrote, folks, and do as I say, not as I do.

(Hey, M-L, I assume you've noticed how much harder it is to write copy for yourself than for others. How do you work through that problem of being too close to the product? Me, I just write a lot of sheer crud for starters and revise like crazy.)

Writing our own press is not that easy, though we are full of ideas for others. But when it comes to ourselves things seem to change a bit.

This is why I am taking some time with my website. I look at it once a day, and have it in the back of mind to think about. What is easier for the client to look at? Can I simplify it anymore? etc...
A lot of other elements come into play as well, but I am by no means a writer.

The bio is something I would recommend having a pro do, if you are not a writer, I did, the bio I wrote myself, was awful. Structure wise, grammatically... do those two things mean the same thing? Anyway, yeah I felt that to be the best thing.

Yeah, writing when you are too close to the product (whatever it is) is difficult. Can't complain though as that's how I market my services to clients

It does come down, as you say, Saglaser, to writing and revising. If you are fortunate to have a gap of a few days between writing drafts, all the better. It's amazing, (as I'm sure you'll know) what a difference this makes. How often have I looked at a piece of copy written for myself and thought "you wrote this"?!

Taking a break and coming back to it, is always a wise decision. You get a sort of fresh perspective on it, whatever it is.

That is why I am taking my time with the website. I want it to be the best that it can be, because this is what is selling me to clients.

Well really it goes back to the earlier discussion, about being a salesman. You have to have product people want.

Yup, time and gaining distance are wonderful things. I'm sure it's the same with those of you who've done magic for many years -- going back to look at, or even think about, your performances of some time ago only to realize now that either a) it sucked but you can do so much better now, or b) you'd developed something really cool back then.

I know one of my greatest pleasures is going back and finding old work of mine that I'd forgotten about and impressing the heck out of myself. Especially when I can crack myself up with my old humorous work. Of course, there are also the times I find old material and cringe that I ever had the gall to turn that c**p loose with my name on it.

Your not kiddin man, I have a video of when I had just started doing magic. I turn red with embarrassment, Just to think how bad I did tricks and think how many nice people would say that was cool, or good, just to keep me happy, Otherwise, I would have stopped a long time ago.

But, to see that video is also priceless to me, because, I can see the progress too, that is also priceless, and this applies to anything.