I agree that $20 for a Svengali Deck & DVD combo would be a tough impulse sale.

My guess is that you can get that price for the wire strippers because they are actually "good for something"; people probably buy a pair, keep one for themselves and give the other as a present. SETH

A weekend or so ago, I saw people carrying around million dollar bills. They looked pretty real until you read the back side. It was an advertising ploy for one of the vendors but I thot it would be neat for my magic paper clip bit. So I got one, scanned it on both sides and printed out 30 of them, with the instructions for the magic clips on the reverse side instead of the other guy’s blurb.

My printer printed them out bigger than the original so even tho they look similar to real money, they are bigger and I printed these on yellow paper. When put together the “magical” way, (like a reversed “S”) all I have to do is say after the 2-card Monte, “But that’s not all. Have you ever seen a magic paper clip?....”blah blah…In order to make this work, you DO need a MILLION DOLLAR BILL. Did you bring one?” And since I already have the thing folded, all I have to do is tell them to pull it apart and say the magic words “Presto-Linko” and voila! Once they are linked, I don’t take them apart, just clip them back on the million dollar bill and go thru my spiel—“So you get the magic cards, 10 tricks,……”

At the show I did yesterday, I didn’t miss a single demo, using them. Was it BECAUSE of them? Dunno….but I did sell a bunch of cards. And including the printing, may have cost me 2 cents per sale.

Jon

Hey Jon, that was some good creative thinking there!

I believe the public is always looking out for something new and interesting, so if you can supply that demand, you will be rewarded!

It's amazing that two paper clips and a fake bill will help to move a Svengali Deck, but if you pique the crowd's curiosity, that could just push them from watchers to buyers. SETH

"Hey, you buy 'em right now, I'll even thro in the Million Dollar Bill for FREE! Where else can you get a deal like that?" Of course I have the instructions printed on the reverse side.

If anyone would like, PM me with your e-mail address and I'll send the scan of the bill plus the instructions. Did $225 in cards today (plus strippers) and missed very few. Even did a couple of doubles--2 to a family or 2 different individuals per demo--a rarity for me. In fact, if you count the doubles, I probably sold almost 1 per demo. I hesitate to say it's the paper clips--but it SEEMS biz has picked up since I started using them. Of course, maybe I'M getting better, too. You'd THINK I would!

Jon

Hey Jon, sounds like you are tearing up the fleas real good!

I have found that there are two critical points in the pitch, at least for me. The first one is getting people to stop. That's not hard for me once I get warmed up and am demoing the cards or the worm, I can "roll the tips" pretty well. The tougher part for me is "turning the tip," which is getting them to buy. I get lots of watchers, but also have plenty of walkers, too.

But I have found that if I can just get ONE person to buy, then other people who are apparently "on the line" will go ahead and buy as well. It's almost as if they are waiting for someone to say that it's OK to spend money on this. I guess once they see someone else buying, they figure it must be all right, sort of a crowd/herd mentality.

I know about Don's advice (or was it S. David Walker?) to pretend that there are buyers in the back of the crowd, but I have never had the guts to pull that off. I do "ask for the sale," as many salesmen are trained to do, but that's as far as I've gone. Maybe I should invest in a shill and "stick the joint," as they say? SETH

Seth,

You HAVE to say "one sold back there" etc.to get the tip moving.Another thing I used to say was "Don't wait for the guy next to you...he might be broke"

Once you get the timing down on this you could double your total sales.

Later,Don

Don, you are right about this -- with proper technique I probably could double my sales. I like your line about "the guy next to you" and will see about "one sold back there" (I'm just afraid that someone will challenge me on it).

I do know the tip needs a little push to get moving. And I hate to spend all that time and effort gathering a good tip, and then not be able to take some of them across the finish line to the cash register!

But I have worked out a good "push" line for the Magic Worms. When I see that a child is definitely interested in a worm, I just ask him/her "What color do you like?" [I usually have two or three different colors of worms on the table.] Now they are picking out their color and it seems to help push the sale over the top. Notice that I didn't ask whether they wanted to buy one, just which color they liked! But it seems to help do the trick. SETH

Sometime I'll say "pick out your color" as I hand them a bag.

If I have a lot of purple ones (they don't seem to sell as much) I'll say "the purple ones are the fastest,but don't tell anybody"

Than look at the parent and say..."that's just $6.00...tax and all.I can make change"Than I pull bills out with my left hand and out streach my right hand.(as if I'm waiting for their money and ready to make change)

That line "I can make change" really seems to push them over the edge to make the sale.

Later,Don

Frankly, my demos don't draw what I would consider to be a crowd (I wish they did!)--or if there are several people there, they are in a kind of semi-circle, max 2-deep, so there is no "back there" to have a sale. Everyone sees every one. But handing them an empty bag seems like a good idea. You could tell the kid, "OK, put 'em in the bag and get the money from Dad..." Never tried it.

As for "watchers" and "walkers", I guess I get as many of each as anyone else. What irks me is when I have done the 1st trick and the parents drag the kid away. If there is someone else there, I'll continue. But with only tha t kid--bye bye sale.

I DON’T have a problem getting kids to stop. I just hold up the deck and ask ‘em, “Have you seen the magic cards?” 99% say “No.” and stop. And sometimes others, seeing the demo, will stop too. Zig Ziglar says that almost all people walking by are thinking NO, so if you can get them to say “NO”, not only does it get the NO out of their system, it gets the answer you want. I use it in my strippers too… ”Have you squeezed one yet?” (You oughta see the looks THAT one gets! But it’s worked for 15 years!)

I’m sure it’s just me but when I attempt to do Don’s “Were gonna do a little magic here…..” frankly, I get very few “stoppers”. But I have a sign on my table using Don’s “IT’S MAGIC.” Since I have both strippers and cards on my table, people may ask, “What’s magic.” If they do, I got ‘em! At least for the demo.

Jon

When I have a parent drag their kid away(and its always the mother) I'll say in a loud voice "do you ever let your kids have any fun or buy them anything...I bet she is heading to the avon table and spend all the money on herself"

Not once has a parent stopped and told me off.They actually walk faster because they are so embarrassed.It dosen't help with that sale but it makes me feel better.

One thing it does do,if another mother happens to be in the tip with their kid...they don't leave.

Later,Don

I think that is just wrong. Would you like to get treated like that? I am from New York, and if you were to try that out here most of the women would tear you a new one. Maybe that works down south, but not here.

I've said this in N.Y and most other states as I travel all over the U.S.

I say it when I know parents just don't want their kids to have any fun.It dosen't bother me when they don't buy,It bothers me when they won't let their kid see a few card tricks and pulls them out in the middle of a pitch.

I think its sad.

Besides until you have pitched for 30 years and have been the the trenches so to speak,you haven't earn the right for an opinon on the matter.

Later,Don

I have been selling @ open air markets for the past 20 years. So I don't care if you think I am not entitled to my own opinion. This is America, which means I am entitled to my opinion. I also have dealt with the public since I was 15 and to me that is a bad case of customer service.

Mike

Sitting and working a market dosen't even come close to pitching.

I think you need to look up the word customer.You said: "to me that is a bad case of customer service" I believe a person has to SPEND MONEY before they are a customer.Running away and pulling their kid behind them before they even hear a price dosen't sound like a customer to me.


I made a good living for over 30 years pitching.I must have been doing something right.

Later,Don

Yes but when you are rude to that person who tells 10 people and they tell their friends it could give you a bad name. No one is disputing you made a living for 30 years at it, but like in any job you get burnt out and can be very short with people.
Anyone that comes by my booth is a potential cutomer wheather they buy now or come back and purchase. I have had the same situation happen plenty of times where the child came back and purchased items. If I had insulted them as you stated above then there is no way they would have even thought of coming back.

Mike

P.S.
I never said I was sitting and working a market. I pitch items as well.

" I pitch items as well" You aren't a hardcore pitchman or we wouldn't be having this disagreement.

Real pitchman don't even think about "be backs" because they NEVER do BE BACK.A pitchman gets one shot at them.After they walk away they are history.Besides I'm down the road to the next fair.

Chef I'm retired and TIRED...so please just take this for what its worth.I really don't want to go on with this anymore....SMILE !

Later,Don

Chef, that is the difference. You have a booth at a flea market. Don, and some of pitch products (svengali decks) on the street. We set up at festivals or on a street corner and pitch. our objective is to feed our family, your objective is to serve customers. You don't understand the difference and probably wouldn't make it as a pitch man. It's just a different state of mind.

Paddy

I also do street festivals and fairs. The flea market that I do brings in about 15 thousand people and is onece a month. I also have a full time job while still pitching every weekend! I don't care if you think I wont make it , because like with the times everything changes even the pitching. I don't know how you do at events but I do just fine. If that's not making it, well I will take the money instead of your props!!

Mike

I have to agree, I get VERRRRRY few "be-backs". When I do, I congratulate them on being "one in a million". Dunno whether it makes them feel any better but it at least shows I'm happy for the sale.

As for parents dragging the kids off after the 1st trick (sometimes BEFORE!), I think I'd be hard pressed to be quite as tough as Don, (not that they don't deserve it!) but I HAVE said, "Hurry back...." in a sing-song voice, smiling very big, doing a Jimy Durante with my head. But I think they get the idea. I'm sure the KIDS do. I'm sure they get treated that way all the time so one more time doesn't really make any diff.

Jon

P.S.

I pitch a lot more than Svengali decks.

If being a pitchman means you have to be an rude and demeaning then I am glad you think Im not.