For the workers, go big or tease?

[formula]

Over the years I've known a lot of professional, working magicians that say when first meeting someone do your best few tricks. I know that's not always possible for the people whos best tricks require gimmicks but I think that if you meet a potential client and show them your 5 most hard hitting effects, there's little room to impress them at the event. Of course, most people will enjoy seeing certain tricks a few times and the people at the event will see it with fresh eyes but the argument is that if you hold back and show potential clients (which is basically any new person you meet) so so tricks they are less likely to book you.

So, do you go big and try your hardest to impress or do you tease with a few good tricks and make the promise of even better magic if they book you?

Not interested in discussing which is right or wrong, if you want to talk about that make another topic. This topic is about which one of the two choices you do most often and which one you prefer doing.

 

[Benji Bruce]

if you meet a potential client and show them your 5 most hard hitting effects, there's little room to impress them at the event.

Formula, I do a lot of corporate events and the way I book those events is by showing people my best close up routines.

If you meet a client and you don't show them your best then they won't hire you for the event in the first place.

Whenever you're performing, you're showcasing. You're indirectly telling them, "This is what I will do at your event." If they don't see the really good demonstrations then they will have no reason to hire you. There is no reason for you to hold back.

Think about the people on American Idol, Americas Got Talent, etc. If they do a mediocre audition then they won't even get to the second round.

Trust me, to get hired for gigs, you need to impress the hell out of people.

People do not hire you to see better tricks at the event. They hire you to add to the atmosphere of the event. They want people to freak out the same way they did. They want people to come up to them and talk about how amazing you are. If you don't perform your best stuff at the beginning then you won't even get a chance to book the gig.

I created a video in my marketing newsletter for magicians about a recent gig that has live recordings of the conversation I had with a guy who booked me for $1,000 to do a 45 minute strolling. In the middle of the conversation, the guy starts reminiscing on how amazed he was at what I did. He was EXTREMELY amazed so I was able to add another gig to my calendar.

I can't stress this enough...if you want to book gigs then you better show them your best stuff.

 

[formula]

I don't really agree with the talent show comparisons but know exactly what you're saying Benji. It is inventible that the person that books you has talked about what you showed him and wants you to do it/them again, and why wouldn't he? You amazed him enough to budget you in to his event. Do you repeat them in his company or do you let his story manifest in peoples minds, almost making it an urban legend?
As an example, I have one friend that I showed the standard coin in bottle years ago in school and he still talks about it and tells people like I'm Jesus. I haven't actually owned a folding coin for ages but if I did perform it again I have a feeling it won't live up to what he has built it up to so I doubt I will ever perform that method of coin in bottle for him again.

 

[Randy]

In all likely hood if they saw you perform at a party or restaurant, I doubt they are going to care if you perform something new or different JUST for them. They didn't hire you for that reason, they hired you to perform for their guests who haven't seen you perform.

 

[Benji Bruce]

There is a difference between people who exaggerate the tricks you perform and getting people to hire you for gigs