NICE. NOT calling to confirm.... nice nice nice. Did I mention nice? Very subtle touch and a darn fine one sir. NEVER OCCURED TO ME!!!! Should have but didn't.

Yep eat there be a good customer and such. All great advice.

I have made a career of having ideas and making people think that they were the ones who came up with them. Why you might ask? Because once that happens they take OWNERSHIP of the idea. They back it and you don't have to sell it! As a matter of fact they are selling you. Now you have to admit this approach takes far longer to enact, but the rewards are much better relationships in my view.

Exactly right! Nothing like convincing the owner/manager that they had the idea the entire time hahaha.

But seriously...sometimes I would come in for 6 months and just say hi to the manager and build a relationship as a customer Danny. I remember booking a gig once that took a year and 16 visits. Only because I never tried to ask for the sale. When he would ask how I was doing I was usually working on my laptop either sending out invoices or scheduling other meetings. Once he saw that I was a serious business person and not just another guy who did "card tricks", HE was the one that suggested we try it out. Sometimes you just have to be patient. Of course I had other ways of approaching different places but the ones that were really nice I would create the desire and make them want to try it.

You have just described the past 20 years of my life LOL!!!

Patient hunters are the most successful.

You said the key words. He took you serious as a professional. Hard to get that when you ambush guys or trick them into meetings or never know when to put away the cards.

In general I think most magicians read too much sales crap and ask for the sale too much.

Michael just blew me away with that post. It should be a sticky.

Haha...you know, a LOT of this is staright out of "The Game" by Neil Strauss. He uses it in the context on how to approach and pick up women but the same rules apply in everyday life and especially business. The "take away" is a very deadly strategy when used correctly ; ) I could go into other examples of how magic and flirting go hand and hand. For instance when approaching a set (two girls or in this case patrons). Little subtle psychological points such as always addressing the man first before the lady. Eases the conversation. In dealing with women you would approach the "not so prettier" as the obvious choice to invoke some jealousy. For some reason they always hang out in either two's or three's and there's generally, what I like to call, the "10" scenario. I'll let you think about that one ; )

There you go. It's not about the magic, it's not about the marketing, but it's how you operate as a business and a professional. Very well said. This is exactly what I mean when I say it's about the business of being an entertainer. So many miss this or do not have a clue about this.

There's been some great information in this thread but in case you haven't seen Christopher Lyle's sticky in the Table Hopper's section, here it is.


http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......rum=5&65

Yes. Christopher has some terrific ideas.

About a great many things.