Recently I am hearing this a lot, clients try to convince me to lower my price; the justification is that they just need a brief show of 20-30 minutes.

my answer is that I charge for an event, it does not matter if the show last 10 minutes or 50 minutes.

I feel that my preparation for any show is almost the same: the transportation, laundry and any booking of show means that I might have to reject future calls for shows for the same date.

what do you think and say in these situations?

A good way to avoid this is:
When quoting your client say up to 40 minutes,
or
For a 20, 30 or 40 minute show its $xxxxxx

Also, most clients are sending you a message... Meaning that they want you, but you are a bit out of the budget.....

You might want to say oh my 20 minutes show is $xxx -- take off a few dollars.

This is why you must always educate potential clients and inquiries as most have never booked or hired an entertainer before so therefore they use conventional thinking, approaches and mentalities. This often works against entertainers.

I've always said entertainment business is different in many ways from conventional business and one of the differences is since potentials customers don't typically buy entertainment, you have to educate them to the intricacies and the differences. This allows you a great opportunity to not only educate and inform them, but position yourself properly often to your benefit.

This is part of the foundational business system I often speak about.

Mindpro,

Your statement recalls times when clients had hangups on certain things like times, fee's contract riders etc, then I simply state something like; this is typical for the entertainment business.... The client usually ends up booking. Now they fill comfortable and more educated.

My show has very little monitory value. My fee is what I will charge you to get up off the couch and drive to your house.

Sounds like a plumber Al!! LOL

B

Blair
Very few people understand that my 15 minute show cost the same price as my 60 minute show. So I gotta talk plumber to them. LOL

My show is a flat rate, and lasts anywhere from 20-75 minutes at your request. You're paying for my time, which includes packing, traveling, setting up, doing the performance, taking down again. The difference between 20 min and 75 minutes of performance time is trivial at that point. Flat rate. Period.

Dimitri,

What can you do to educate them more before they call? Depending on the market a free report or white paper may work.

Personally I charge an appearance fee whether it is 2 minutes or 2 hours the price is the same.

Educating the customer and providing value before they book are extremly important in this business.


Jesse

I charge different rates (provided there isn't significant travel involved) for 20, 30, 45, 60 and 90 minute shows. The rate changes if I am doing close-up or a combination. I think it's perfectly reasonable to have different prices for different shows. You pay more for a BIG box of cereal, right?

It also helps me fit into a variety of client budgets.

David

Go for it. That is what I did. Have a "small" difference between the full and the half show. When your prospects see the value, it will convince them to take the full show. The customer will be saying in their mind, "Wow, I am getting a lot more by taking the full show." It is about psychology.

I offer a "Deluxe" program for my birthday shows, and one of the value-added benefits is a longer length. So, that can work in reverse: if I expect them to pay MORE for a longer show, I can see how they might expect to pay LESS for a shorter show. It ain't gonna happen, but I can see how they might expect it.

Cheers!

Mark

I believe Mark's idea of offering a Deluxe show of a longer length is a good one. If your "standard" show was 45 minutes, maybe it would help to make your standard offering of "any shows up to 45 minutes."

There are certainly a lot of similarities to a plumber's service call and a birthday as far as preparation, travel, cost of equipment, etc. But I think the biggest argument for not giving price concessions for a shorter show was mentioned by the OP. If you book a 20 minute show for less, you are giving up the opportunity to book that same time spot at full price. The only time I would consider giving a discount would be if they would agree to book a time (such as during the week, at the last minute, after hours, etc.) that I normally don't solicit bookings.

I sell my talent by the show. You can have as many neighbors as you want crash your back your BBQ, and I would love to do a 60 minute show with an extra encore trick for an appreciative audience at no additional cost, but my price is my price.

You are all going about this the wrong way.
First I have a set fee for my shows. Let's deal with birthdays for an example.
My set fee is say $300. The client ask if I can do a shorter show for $200.
Instead of trying to figure out how to do that as others stated you do need to educate the client BUt
You have to decide if you want to work for $200. That's the real question.

I do explain to the client that my show whether it be my 50-55 minute show or shorter still has the same amount of travel, set up such as sound and curtains and of course all the magic toto create the spectacular show I will provide forum and your family and guest!

Presenting a shorter show means that I would only present the best of the show as possible and therefore the fee would be the same.

However I could offer a one time new customer discount of $25. Or what ever you feel the client would go for.
The other option is to get something in return for the discount. Maybe contacts for their company they work for or barter with them. Some times I can barter free meals at their restaurant they are having the party at or if they work for a car rental place maybe get a free day rental. Use ur imagination

But the deal is in this economy you have to ask do I want $200 guaranteed or hope some one calls for a show same day and time for full fee.

This brings me to my other plan that has served me very well over the years. When they ask for a discount and you can tell they are not here for the best show they only want to spend X dollars I go with this plan. I explain,as above the reasons why I can't really discount but then offer a discount (less then what they are asking for) but tell them that in order to do so I would need them to have the show at 10am or 10:30am thus leaving prime time open. I explain my show is popular that's why you called me and I know others will call me for that date so to offer the discount I need unto have this show earlier

Hope that helps but stick to your guns most clients don't have a clue as to what is involved with putting on one of our shows

Sam

Education? I'll agree with that.

The danger here is that what we think is "education" on our end of the line often sounds like "justification" on the other.

Trying to "justify" anything is a weak sales position to come from.

In my experience education works best when the prospect doesn't realize they're being educated.

I could go on, but I'll leave it at that. My sales theory isn't right or wrong. It's just what works for me... :-/

(BTW, I don't negotiate, but that's just my personal preference.)

I offer 2 or 3 magic show options to my (non-birthday show) customers. Usually, they are 30 minute, 45 minute, and 60 minute shows. The 30 minute show typically has no stage illusion, but I include 1 stage illusion in the 45 minute show, and 2 stage illusions in the 60 minute show.

This satisfies those who want a shorter show, or those who have a smaller budget.

A few months ago, I had a customer who wanted a 20 minute show, but wanted me to include the illusion from my 45 minute show. I explained that the fee was the same as the 45 minute show, because the illusion is a lot of work to set up and perform. I was paid the fee I asked for, and I performed a 20 minute show with 1 stage illusion.

- Donald

You're thinking is correct
You have to encourage the client to see the value of having you there. It's got to be about you and not just a magician