|
|
|
|||
| Go to page [Previous] 1~2~3~4 [Next] | ||||||||||
TomBoleware Inner circle Hattiesburg, Ms 3169 Posts 
|
Just to add a few thoughts: When it comes to discussing "dates," the focus is more on the availability of others rather than your own. As Danny mentioned, many people already have their plans centered around a specific date. However, children's shows offer a bit more flexibility compared to corporate events. For instance, if a child's birthday falls on a weekday, the birthday party can be held on the weekend. This can be either the weekend before or after the actual birthday, as well as on a Saturday or Sunday. Having live entertainment at the party is often a significant aspect, and it's not uncommon for everything else to revolve around this. Therefore, don't hesitate to inquire whether the date is set in stone. Some may be open to making changes.
Same with daycare center shows, plans, dates, and times can be changed if you don’t assume everything is already set in stone. It’s important to ASK. Also, let em know how disappointing it will be it you don’t get to come. 
Tom
The Daycare Magician Book
https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/amazekids/the-daycare-magician/ My Blog - https://boleware.blogspot.com/ |
|||||||||
Fedora Special user Arizona, usa 760 Posts
|
Thanks for the responses everyone, there seems to be a pretty clear consensus on the matter.
Tom, you're right that there is some flexibility in childrens shows, in my prior example I just asked them to shift the time a couple of hours from when they called for. Most don't much care about the exact time, and will adjust based on availability. |
|||||||||
|
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21274 Posts
|
Quote:
On Nov 8, 2023, Ken Northridge wrote: This brings up an interesting point I have shouted for decades and nobody seems to listen. It is a wonderful illustration of the difference between what you are saying and what others are hearing. I had a friend who bred and trained German Shepards. He had a dog that would bark every time the mailman came over. So every time the mailman came over he took the dog and put him in the basement. What he ended up with is a dog that every time the mailman came over would run in the basement and bark. It wasn’t what he was saying to the dog, but it was what the dog was hearing. I am in no way saying this particular mis communication was your fault. Often, in fact WAY too often customers hear what they want and it becomes difficult to change that perspective no matter what we ever do. Communication is just something to keep in mind is all.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
|||||||||
Ken Northridge Inner circle Atlantic City, NJ 2394 Posts
|
I'm sure this was partly my fault. Communication is a 2 way street. But, I'm not the high pressure type. Any attempt to say, Well, your time slot could be gone if you don't give me a commitment....bla, bla, bla.
I'm not sure where I heard it or who said it, but I have believed since I was a teenager that communication is the key to success. I used to be a manager at JCPenney. I learned quickly that many times the reason my instructions were not being followed correctly is because I was not communicating them properly. I had a vision of what I wanted done, but didn't take the time and care to make sure my employee understood them. I'll bet there are people out there that NEVER learn this lesson, and think world is a bunch of idiots that can't follow instructions. I think we are still on topic, aren't we?
"Love is the real magic." -Doug Henning
www.KenNorthridge.com |
|||||||||
|
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21274 Posts
|
If not it is certainly a great one!
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
|||||||||
Slim King Eternal Order Orlando 18065 Posts
|
Quote:
On Nov 8, 2023, Ken Northridge wrote: This is SO TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
THE MAN THE SKEPTICS REFUSE TO TEST FOR ONE MILLION DOLLARS.. The Worlds Foremost Authority on Houdini's Life after Death.....
|
|||||||||
|
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21274 Posts
|
Quote:
On Nov 9, 2023, Slim King wrote: It really is. Also I have a side question if you don’t mind and if it is off topic PM me. You do several entertainment related things, but in reality each seems diametrically opposed in many ways. Do you ever get things kind of cross wired as far as how you respond to anyone? Seems miss communication could happen if you’re not careful. As we all agree this is VITAL I was just curious as to if you ever messed it up? I have with far fewer variables!
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
|||||||||
|
Ken Northridge Inner circle Atlantic City, NJ 2394 Posts
|
Quote:
On Nov 9, 2023, Dannydoyle wrote: I reserve the first moments of my day (this is usually 4am) for answering all of my emails, sending out confirmation letters, and making certain I have all of my dates, times and other information correct. Then, when its gets to be an acceptable time to return phone calls (9am?) I take care of that. Communicating properly and accurately takes concentration, and I'm at my best in the morning. I am much more apt to make mistakes as I get tired. Having said that, of course I make mistakes from time to time. I hate it when that happens! That's why I try to communicate with my customers during my best thinking moments. 90% of my mistakes come while taking phone calls, especially late in the day. Still, if I can at least get an accurate email from them, I can follow up the next morning and make sure I have all the details correct. And, I've learned at a certain point of the day its better to just let the call go to voice mail. I can deal with it properly in the morning. To summarize, its better to communicate while drinking coffee rather than whiskey!
"Love is the real magic." -Doug Henning
www.KenNorthridge.com |
|||||||||
|
TomBoleware Inner circle Hattiesburg, Ms 3169 Posts
|
Ken, would you agree that it's all those little boring things that makes your business work? I’ve always said that running a business yourself can be boring and that’s why most self-employed fail at it. Especially when your product/service is a fun one like a magic show. It takes a lot of discipline to keep doing the little boring tasks that must be done day after day.
To make it a little easier I have always viewed all business as show business. And I always tried to teach my employees that the little boring things could be fun too. That it was the pre-show work, and everything needed to be ready when the first customer walked in the door. I personally reached a point where I enjoyed picking up paper off the parking lot first thing in the morning. I liked to get things out of the way by marking them off my list as quick as I could. And when I was doing shows there was making sure everything was packed the night before. Checking for all the little things, knowing that one little rubber band had to be in the right place, or the trick wouldn’t work. Making sure I understood the directions to the show place, etc. Most full-time magicians do all these little things out of habit, but for the part timer or newbie it can be stressful. But one of the key reasons why I say all business is show business is the importance of presentation. In order to capture the attention of potential customers, businesses must ensure that their products or services are presented in the most appealing way possible. This can come in the form of eye-catching advertisements, attractive store displays, or engaging online content. By creating a visually compelling experience, businesses are able to draw in customers and leave a lasting impression. Ultimately the little things matter because the success of any business depends on being prepared to deliver a memorable and enjoyable experience for its customers. Whether it may be through exceptional customer service, innovative products, or engaging marketing campaigns, businesses must be able to create a show that leaves a lasting impression. By understanding the importance of showmanship in today's world, businesses can stay ahead of the competition and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. Tom
The Daycare Magician Book
https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/amazekids/the-daycare-magician/ My Blog - https://boleware.blogspot.com/ |
|||||||||
|
Mindpro Eternal Order 10615 Posts
|
Why is it that so many topic s have to always go to kids parties? Kids entertainment is the exception to mist rules, yet some insist in taking everything with good discussion possibilities to the kids party level. Isn't that what Little Darlings is for?
Fedora, I thought you've stated you were trying not to do or steering away from kids parties and seeking info on other performance markets and situation? Correct me if I'm wrong? Has that changed? |
|||||||||
|
Fedora Special user Arizona, usa 760 Posts
|
You are remembering correctly Mindpro, that may be one of the reasons why this subject came to me.
At this point, I don't really actively seek them, they essentially come to me by either word of mouth, or folks googling and my name popping up. Still, it continues to make up somewhere around half my bookings, although something less than half my revenue. Usually, there isn't a schedule conflict, so I haven't had a reason to turn them down completely. But I have indeed been learning about other markets, it can be quite interesting when you get into it. Not sure why things tend to go towards kids parties, in this case I think it was because of my number breakdown a couple days back. Thank you and everyone else for your posts in this thread. Ps, I'm switching to T mobile. |
|||||||||
|
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21274 Posts
|
Everyone has a term for the process . In economics it is called “creative destruction”. In comedy the comedians call it “killing your babies”. (Getting rid of older material that works.) But the concept is simply moving forward and leaving the past behind.
There IS a reason to turn them down. Perception of the customer. If they can Google your name and find out that you perform kids shows and you don’t want to be seen as one that is not ideal. At some point if you want to become this new thing, you have to shed the skin of what you were.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
|||||||||
|
TomBoleware Inner circle Hattiesburg, Ms 3169 Posts
|
Quote:
On Nov 9, 2023, Mindpro wrote: Mindpro, I can’t see where anybody is INSISTING that the topic be taken to a kids party level? True many commenting here in this topic do perform kid shows and I hope you’re not insinuating they’re not welcome here in this section. After all the ‘tricky business’ section is for ‘any’ type ‘business’ talk. I thought it was a great discussion by all. Sorry you can't see it that way. Tom
The Daycare Magician Book
https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/amazekids/the-daycare-magician/ My Blog - https://boleware.blogspot.com/ |
|||||||||
|
Mindpro Eternal Order 10615 Posts
|
No I don't see it that way at all. I never INSISTED anything, that was again something you made up all on your own. Business discussions can not occur without you (a non-performer) ALWAYS taking it and everything to kids performing, which is really quite ironic.
Fedora has said to you before that he is not seeking info on kids performing yet it continues. Only you, no one else does this. We try to address his and other's concerns yet you always take everything back to kids parties. |
|||||||||
|
Mindpro Eternal Order 10615 Posts
|
Quote:
On Nov 9, 2023, Dannydoyle wrote: There are many business expert professionals that insist the only way to grow and evolve your business is to each year drop (stop accepting) your bottom quarter (25%) to a third (33.3%) of your lower or bottom or lower-end business. This not only includes lower paying business, but those that really do not lineup perfectly with your ideal target prospect or customer, business model, pricing, your ideal dynamics, conditions, and related elements. This quite distinctly applies to performers, especially those trying to move towards specific markets, venues, performing conditions/dynamics, and clientele. I would be VERY concerned if my name or business was coming up as something other than exactly what I was wanting to be branded as and known for. Positioning is everything. If you MUST do something like kids parties (or anything other than your ideal positioning) there are ways to do this so you are not identified with (or kept completely separated and unrelated) this and you do don't have the positioning issues, confuse your prospects and customers, and still be able to make the money to support your business and survive until you are in a position to drop the kids stuff as you desire. |
|||||||||
|
Fedora Special user Arizona, usa 760 Posts
|
That's probably a really good way of doing things, I'll do some math later to
figure out the specific numbers for each and find a way to optimize. The reason why I get those inquires is I rank well with generic terms, which has its benefits. For example, if someone googled "magician (city name)" in about 3 or 4 cities in my area, I often come up top three. A lot of folks, in particular for kids' stuff, will just google that and call one of the first few names that pop up. Ps, I just got T mobile today, it's about 20-40 times faster and half the price, so far, I'm quite pleased. |
|||||||||
|
Mindpro Eternal Order 10615 Posts
|
Quote:
On Nov 9, 2023, Fedora wrote: I would be interested in hearing what you are learning and finding interesting as you are looking into other markets? For magicians the attraction of kids parties is essentially they are the low hanging fruit for many including beginners. They are quite common and pretty easy to come by. There are ways for you to still maintain your high search results for kids performances without it affecting your offerings/services for other markets you want to become established in so one will not in any way affect the other. This was touched on in one of your previous threads. Good luck with your move to T-Moble. I had them and had to scrap them quickly due to their service being bad where I live. Can't have shotty phone or internet service when your business depends on it. I too have had Centurylink which for where I live was better than T-Mobile. |
|||||||||
|
Fedora Special user Arizona, usa 760 Posts
|
The last time I tested centurylink I was getting 1.8 mbps download speed. I just tested T mobile a minute ago
and I'm getting 131 mbps download and 4.6 upload, century's upload topped out around 600 kbps on a good day. Meaning t mobile's upload speed is faster than century's download speed. It has varied quite a bit since I activated it yesterday, a low of 50 mbps, and an average around 80, but so far even the worst has been better than centurylink by a multiplier. Of course it will depend on location, but if anyone reading this is using a wired connection, you might want to look into t mobile or verizon, so far for me it has been better and $40 cheaper. Anyway, as for what I have been learning about lately, I've been reading whatever I can about touring shows, magic and other. It's pretty thoroughly convinced me it's something I would never want to be involved in, still interesting to read about all that goes into it. Budgeting, routing, moving, and dealing with venues all seem like way more trouble than it's worth. I could be wrong, but it also seems like most fail financially. I should reiterate I have nor have had any interest in being involved in that sort of thing, but learning about it is interesting. Another market I've been looking into is resorts and theme parks, for the reason that a mega resort has been under construction near me and I wanted to see if I could come up with something to pitch them. Info on this stuff is pretty scarce, so I've been talking to a couple folks familiar, seems to be a tremendous variation in the value of this stuff. Some folks make minimum wage, others partner with them and make oodles. I also have followed the trade show market, I'd assumed they would have died out after 2020, without getting into statistics that definitely hasn't been the case. |
|||||||||
|
Mindpro Eternal Order 10615 Posts
|
No, not at all. Trade shows have really bounced back since the pandemic. It takes them a while longer due to the time in planning and producing the actual events but they have been hitting stronger since last year and look good for 2024. Of course I am in Las Vegas one of the prime trade show markets in the country if not the world as a location for international shows.
I worked amusement and theme parks for about 5 years early in my career, as well as resorts throughout it, and the fair and festival markets. Personally I do not like outdoor shows or really being outdoor myself at all. I have loved touring for each year for over 40 years now being on the road typically 41-43 weeks a year (which is why I've always had time to be here in Tricky Business regularly) in the school (and for a while the fair & festival) market(s). While it can be hard, you must develop a structure and system which, when done properly, can be quite steady, very interesting (a great way to see and truly experience the country), a great deal of fun, and very profitable. Again, knowing the ins and outs of this is essential, actually crucial, to do it right. Also the interest, perception, and appeal of magic has changed in many of these markets in more recent years, especially the school market, which must be taken into considertaion when considering markets. Glad you are looking into different market possibilities as each can be quite unique. |
|||||||||
|
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21274 Posts
|
I have found that there is far more money in touring. But you have to build up to it.
Ii find it interesting that nobody ever says they want to create their own market. After touring comedy clubs for a decade I’ve done nothing but create my own markets mostly. One thing to keep in mind is if you try to move to things you are not qualified for you fail. Jumping from children’s shows directly to trade shows seems like a recipe for disaster. How do you gage what you are able to do? It is a serious question. Because that self reflection is the key to maximizing money. By the way becoming a touring performer doesn’t just happen from reading a book. It sneaks up on you. You don’t jump from being a local performer to suddenly touring 48 hours a week overnight because you read a book. It happens gradually a bit at a time. From local to regional to national then international. (No doing a couple shows in Canada doesn’t really make one an international touring artist. Technically it may but in reality no.) It takes time. As for most failing financially I have no idea what you’re reading or how you want to tour but not many really fail financially. But they fail regularly when you try to do it after reading 3 books on the subject and believe you are ready to do so. That is when people fail. Not being honest about their level of qualification to do things.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
|||||||||
Posted: Nov 8, 2023 03:44 pm 