At the end of my card demo, I say, “You get the cards, the 25 trick, the TCM, the whole thing, out the door, 10 American dollars, no pesos!”

I’m usually demoing to 2-3 kids or one family, so there is no “One over here, one over there….” And I stand there. Sometimes will say, “This is where I make 10 bucks disappear”….pause….”Give it to me…..” pause…”I’ll show you….” pause…”It’ll be gone…” pause…”forever….” pause….

But the people are just standing there, looking at me, mesmirized. Frankly, if they are gonna buy, they usually buy BEFORE I say that.

Yesterday, one family had a blond girl, maybe 10. After the demo, just looked up pleadingly into her Dad’s eyes….didn’t say anything. Finally the Dad said, “We’ll think about it.” And turned to walk away.

I’ve had sooo many people give me the same excuses for not buying (over 20 years!) I printed up a sheet in a page protector, “25 Stupid Excuses I’m Not Going to Buy Now” with, obviously, a list. After they tell me, “Oh, I just got here” or “I’ll be back’, I pull out the list, point to the word "STUPID" and say, “Wait just a minute, I’ll see if that is on my list.” Of course, it doesn’t sell anything, but it makes ME feel better. So yesterday, I grabbed the sheet and said to the Dad, “Are you a magician?”

“Nope”

“Have you ever seen this page before?”

“Nope”

To the blond girl, “How did he know # 2 on this list—look here—and pointed to #2: I’m gonna think about it….”

The family cracked up, laughing—but they STILL didn’t buy. About 15 minutes before the show was over, here came the blond girl with $10.

“Remember, Dad said he’d think about it—well, he did. Can I have a deck?”

I’d had many come back and buy, but never after I insult them with that page. First time for everything, I guess.

Jon

I used a line when after the pitch everyone looked like deer in headlights and nobody would say anything let alone move...even move away.

"O.K.O.K. Don't everybody push and shove and grab... I promise I have enough decks so everybody will be able to buy one.Please back off a bit...thank you."

Don

"Back off"??? I never thot of THAT one!

Jon