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Leo B. Domapias Loyal user 297 Posts |
Hi Everyone,
Pardon me for asking this question, which maybe simplistic to seasoned marketers here. This is regarding handing out promotional materials (coloring sheets, activity books, etc.) at children or family shows. When is the right time to distribute them? After the show or during the show? If during the show, is the distribution done toward the end of the program (say, second to the last trick) or earlier? Appreciate any help to enlighten. Ben Benjay Manila, Philippines |
Dennis Michael Inner circle Southern, NJ 5821 Posts |
Ben,
Some promotional material can be handed out during the show, such as Assistant Certificates, Fake Bills, Large Bills, Mystery Dollars which are incorporated in the show. (See Eric Paul' CD for MAgicians $27) Magic Books, like CJ Johnson Amazing Tricks for Kids are given out when showing appreaciation to the birthday child. If others are interested, in this booket, see me after the show. Coloring sheets can be mailed ahead of time, given to local restaurants with small boxes of crayons. Make it a contest sheet so you can get their birthdate and address and offer a decent prize like a free birthday party show. After the party, in a supplied goodie bag, you have additional promotional material, offer cheap autographed photos, and simple activity books. Make them educational if doing schools and focus on the school educational message theme. Large activity books can be sold for a few dollars, like the kids magic book. Offer two versions a free mini booklet, (2-pages plus cover total 4 (5-1/2 x 8) pages with advertising a fan club, membership club on the back cover, and additional items for sale such as magic kits. After the show many moms and dads will ask for your card so have pleny available. Get an evaluation report (to be mailed) from the client. Ask if they know of anyone else giving a party. If you don't ask you may not find a show. They do pop up every now and then. Most importanly, buy Eric Pauls "How To Become Your Area’s TOP Children’s Entertainer" which is loaded with great stuff. Get other marketing books and study this so you can get lots of ideas.
Dennis Michael
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magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
I give out a magician's assistant certificate to each of my helpers that come up to help me work the magic. This is about the only item, in regards to promotional materials, I actually give out during the actual performance. I want to give them something for helping me out, but not delay the flow of the show.
The last effect I do at my birthday party shows is to float the birthday child using the chair suspension. I have a polaroid picture taken at the moment the child is floating. Afterwards, since it is the end of the show, I give the polaroid to the b-day child as well as a magic wand, a coloring flyer and a certificate. This makes them feel special and also allows me a great opportunity to say that is the other children would also like a certificate or a flyer, that I will habd them out if they form a single file line behind the birthday child. This way I give out my promotional material, do not disrupt the performance and also keep control of the children.
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
Neale Bacon Inner circle Burnaby BC Canada 1775 Posts |
I give out certificates to each helper after the show, as well as my colouring book for the birthday child.
I also supply the mom with colouring sheets to put in the goodie bags.
Neale Bacon and his Crazy Critters
Burnaby BC Canada's Favourite Family Ventriloquist www.baconandfriends.com |
Leo B. Domapias Loyal user 297 Posts |
Honestly, the sophistication of my marketing tactics has not yet gone beyond giving out business cards. Though I have not yet used the various promo materials mentioned by Den above, I can see their power to generate leads. Thanks, Den, Kyle and Neale for your suggestions and ideas.
My concern is the timing of the distribution of these materials. Here in the Philippines, parents are willing to go to debts just so they could throw lavish parties for their children. It is, therefore, a normal occurrence that the number of kids who would show up in a birthday party could be as many as 20 and 30 or even more. Now since these children come with their parents (it’s not a practice here for parents to just drop off their kids at the door and fetch them later), a birthday party program can easily turn into a family show. Now if I distribute my promo materials to that many kids and parents during the show, that will force me to pause or stop the show. Pausing or stopping the show to do my marketing is, of course, not good showmanship. On the other hand, if I don’t distribute those promo materials, I’d lose by default some potential clients. That’s why I’m on a quandary on this issue. Thanks for the ideas of the seasoned marketers and performers. I’m now beginning to see the light. Ben Benjay Manila, Philippines |
Ricky B Regular user Northern California 172 Posts |
"Pausing or stopping the show to do my marketing is, of course, not good showmanship"
It's also not good marketing. Keep in mind that the party is not about the magician and how the magician can increase his (or her) business. That doesn't mean one can't market. But one must be sensitive to the perception that he is overstepping the proper bounds if he creates the impression that he is there to market. The coloring sheets, while cheap and not offensive, is ineffective from my perspective, which is that of someone who has hired a children's magician. I picked them off the floor of my living room and threw them out. The Polaroid photo sounds the best because the parent is not going to throw that out (of course, you have mounted it in an appropriate cardboard frame with your name and number imprinted on the back--or tastefully on the front--right?). The assistant's certificate and wand (name and phone number imprinted on it) sound good also, but that only keeps your name in front of the child, who is not the one hiring you. Moms talk to other moms, not their kids, about parties. Try for things that the parents would keep on hand. Refrigerator magnets might work well. --Rick |
Lee Darrow V.I.P. Chicago, IL USA 3588 Posts |
At family events, I usually don't hand out anything until AFTER the show. Nothing kills a show's flow as stopping to hand out certificates, etc. Unless you produce them magically, of course.
Remember, you are there to entertain the people at the event, not sell your services to the kids. Kids don't hire magicians. Parents do. Market to them, quietly, after the show. A business card will do and always ask for theirs as well. If they don't have one (often the case), have them jot down their contact info on one of YOUR cards. And make sure they print - so you will be able to READ them! But do this on the side, quietly, and only if your host(ess) approves before the show. Otherwise, just tell them you're in the book and to call you for information. Manners DO count! Also, since no one has mentioned it, a good, clean web site is becoming as essential to having a professional appearance as a good business card and a Yellow Pages/Book listing. Make sure it's professionally done. Puh-LEEZ!! Lee Darrow, C.Ht.
http://www.leedarrow.com
<BR>"Because NICE Matters!" |
mplegare Veteran user Forest Grove, Oregon 310 Posts |
Since I do a lot of 'faire' and 'festival' stuff, I've taken the liberty of printing up "Certified Audience Member" certificates to give out after the show.
Each one is uniquely numbered (thanks to some computational legerdemain) and points to a page on my website where folks can to to register as 'Certified Audience Members'. Because anyone who sits through *my* show... ought to be Certified. By registering, it gets folks onto my mailing (opt-in) list quite handily. When I'm doing pass-the-hat, I also have this in the "Cheap Tricks" I give out as a premium (a 5 cent trick for a dollar in the hat, and it does indeed increase the number of dollars that go in there), and I've also started printing the certificates on the back of my business cards. Saves paper, saves a little time (some folks want both), and it's a nice 'hook' to get people interested in signing on. (A note: Avery makes a free version of their DesignPro printing program - it makes business cards, labels and so forth. One of the niftiest features is the 'Serial Number' feature, and that's what I used to make each certificate unique.)
Matthew Legare aka Tobias the Adequate! - http://www.adequateblog.today.com - you know you want to.
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Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
In the show, I will give a balloon animal and an activity book to the child who has just helped me (volunteer), as a gesture of thank you.
The children who do not get to come up to the front to help, are given the souvenirs after the show is done, so as not to disrupt the flow. The Gr8 DonaldD.
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
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magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
This is how I handle it.
I usually give out a magician's assistant certificate to the helpers that come up to help me perform during the show. That is the only thing I hand out during the performance. The last effect I do in most b-day shows is my chair suspension of the b-day child. I then take a photo of the child as they are floating. After the effect, and when he receives is applause, it is a perfect opportunity for me to lead into my after sales activity. I present the picture to the child along with a certificate, coloring flyer, magic wand and a magic kit. then every kid there gets into a single file line and they all receive certificates and coloring lfyers to take home with them. After I clean and pack up my show, I go over to the client and give them my "thank you packet". This is a packet that has a gift just for the parent, a thank you letter that thanks then, has my evalutaion sheet in it and talks about my referral rewards program. This is all in a nice little packet for them along with several businesscards. I then send a follow up thank you postcard the next day and have that addressed to the b-day child. The child always likes to receive mail addressed to them and makes them feel special. This is how I handle it at most of my events and gigs and I hope it may give you some ideas. If anyone would like more ideas or details about what I discussed above, please just PM me.
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
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