Morris Magic
Okay, I disagree slightly with some of the things said so far, but here is my experience so far.
My first paid show was a teenagers birthday party for $80. At the time I felt bad for charging that much for an hour of doing something that I love and would have probably done for free.
Since then I set some goals for my magic hobby. How many shows I wanted to do a year, how much I wanted to charge, and how to get my show up that caliber.
Part of that process was talking to other magicians (we have a fairly large group here in Edmonton). Doing that I found there was a 'standard' cost for professional magicians in the city. Some were more and some were less. But they were often frustrated when other magicains would undercut the rest of the industry. It becomes an issue when someone tried to book you and then they say "well the guy we had last year was only $80!" It is frustrating to have to try and explain why your show is worth five times that. But this is part of the business.
So I had the bar that I had to reach, and I worked hard at getting it there. I wasn't doing a ton of shows so it was very easy to raise my prices each year to reach my goal.
Now I have a price list brochure. The magic industry does not have to be sketchy and subjective when it comes to a client's inquiry about cost. It's not that difficult. I choose to keep my prices based around the common Edmonton prices. My price list looks something like this:
Walk Around Up to 50 tables or Strolling First Hour $XXX
Additional Hours (ea) $XXX
Parlour Show 25 people or Less 30-60 Minutes $XXX - $XXX
26-50 people 30-60 Minutes $XXX - $XXX
This provides a good understanding to the client to determine if they can afford the show or not. I also make it explicitly clear that
my show is flexible to suit the needs and budget of the client. (not that I can adjust the prices for them). When you start switching prices for people, you run into problems. Almost all of my work is through referrals. So if your referrals have been told a price, then that is what they are expecting. I feel a set price list adds integrity to my business side of what I do.
There are things that add to the cost - ie travel (cost and time), hotels, special messages/talks for corporate events, etc But those things are covered with the client to make it explicitly clear what they are being charged for. I then give them a receipt or invoice, that clearly lays out everything. I do that all before the show. Overall, I have included most of these services in my show costs. If there is something unexpected that comes up, I bite the cost because it is my fault for not including that in the cost. Really though, there is nothing major that comes up (yet!).
This way I don't have to try and price right, and potentially loose a gig. When a client talks to me they usually have a price in mind. If it is lower than what I charge, I sell my services for what they can afford in their budget. For instance if they wanted a stage show, but can't afford that, then I sell them the idea that I could walk around for the hour and do a "intimate, personalized, mini-magic show for each table" (ie table hopping), instead (this is a cheaper service because I have to prepare far less material than with a stand up show). So I make it work for the client. Then I leave cards and information about my stand up show so that next time they will have the information to budget for me to come again.
I find this low pressure, and it works great. Also for corporate gigs, they often need something solid they can take to their committee to show them. A price list not only has my prices, but also my services and information about how I can enhance their event. This is me, selling myself to the committee without even being there.
As far as justifying what you charge, it is important to realize a few things:
1.
How much your effects cost: (obviously a lot of material you have invested in costs a lot of money, and the cost of your show needs to take that into account, as well as cover the cost for new material.
2.
Your training and skill level: Just about every job pays increased wage based on skill level and training. If you have a university degree, you will get paid more than someone who doesn't. Even then if you did a four year degree, you will get paid more than someone who just did two years. What set's you apart from the guy who charged $80 for the show is that your training and skill level is higher. So you can't be afraid or feel bad to charge according to your skill level and training. As magicians we have trained a long time just to perform a single trick, let alone an entire show. Just like with a degree form a university, the longer your training the more you should feel justified in charging the client (to a point
) .
3.
Cost of consumable materials - Obviously if your show uses a lot of flash paper, if you give away money in your show, or anything else you use that is consumable (as in you don't get it back), then you must include that into the cost of your show.
4.
Your time - You have worth. Usually I am pushing the humble angle, but you cannot forget that you are worth something. Any job would pay you to do a job. How much are you worth? I'm guessing it's more than minimum wage. If you are trying to make a living doing this, the cost of living also should help you to justify your costs.
5.
The industry - This is the entertainment business! This is the same industry that hockey players, football players, actors, (and more) make MILLIONS of dollars. Sadly people will pay large amounts of money to be entertained or to have their guests entertained. It's not about taking advantage of this or people, but it is important to recognize that people love to be entertained, and they are OK with spending accordingly.
6.
Extra work for any specific requests - in my stage show, I charge enough to add a theme. So I will re-script my patter to add in a message or theme. For instance I had a corporate show last month, and their theme was "take a break", and I have another corporate show coming up and their theme is "Superheroes". I don't charge extra to theme my presentation, because it is wrapped up in the cost. This is the same for a wedding or birthday etc. But it takes time and effort and you need to get paid for that.
7.
Other performers in the area - As mentioned before, you don't want to undercut other performers of the same caliber in your area. Feel free to charge more, but don't steal business from others. It is unprofessional, rude, immoral, and ignorant. So this might mean you need to ask for more money, but this should be added to the list of price justifiers.
Wow, sorry that turned out to be quite long. Hope it helps someone.
justin
