Hello Guys!! I hope you are well....
I wanted to write some tips for you...this tips are about performing in a restaurant or other places...and get tips!!! (the money kind tips)
So I have 3 jobs...in the morning I go to an architect firm and in the afternoon I am in the school (is like a job without money)...but in the nights from thursday to saturday I go to a place with many restaurants and bars and I perform for tips there and usually I get li´l gigs there, like small shows of fifteen minutes and sometimes private parties...but usually it´s only tips, but this last weeks the tips are around half of my income as an architect so it´s pretty good!! I wanted to share this knowledge with all of you
here are some tips that have worked for me and I hope it might help you too!!
now...this tips are from my personal experience and It might difere from people to people...
Go with the manager this is so important...that if you don´t get pass this point get out of the restaurant...usually when I go to a restaurant I ask if the manager is there...if not I ask for the person in charge and ask him if I can entertain the people, usually they will say yes if they think you won´t charge them and you will only work for tips...now another important point...check if the restaurant charges the service in the bill ...usually is 10-15% of the total consumed...if they do, then you are safe,because the waiters won´t like that you steal their tips, but if they get their tips in the final check...then they won´t care if you get tips...and when you are over with the performances, return to the manager and thank him for the oportunity!!
Put together 6 tricks... that´s all you need, now this tricks must be: easy, visual, resetable and not so angly...in reality you will use 3-4 but sometimes you need other 2, because sometimes a table or a group of people enjoy magic a little more than the others and you want to give something extra...this last 2 effects doesn´t have to be easily resetable since you will not do it to each table... here is a little list of what effects you might want to use..
-A quick revelation, now this should last less than 30 seconds without including your introduction...I believe you only have that time to prove yourself to them...to show that you are a real-life magician and not only a guy who do silly tricks
- a trick with a signed card...this will give a personal touch from them to the magic, this trick could be an ACR, a card to wallet or a torn and restored card effect and also gives a great souvenir
- a trick with other stuff...rubberbands, coins,pressure,those little tricks that comes in magic sets sometimes work great...I use pressure and a trick with cards that have numbers on them and I guess the number they are thinking by just looking at the cards that have their number there.
-a closer...this must be highly visual doesn´t matter if is not easy...
-the extra tricks...must be really good...I use sometimes Distortion, Liquid Metal, Floating Cigarrete, tricks like that
Create a Hat Line... people usually, if you perform well, they will tip you with no hesitation since you are good and they are good people...but you still need a hat line...this line should not have the word "MONEY"...to show this I´ll show you my hat line "Thank you all for your time!! I hope you enjoy this performance...if you want to contribute for buying more decks, I will really be thankful" they laugh and they tip me...since I do a T&R card then it makes sense....that´s how you should do your hat line, along with your tricks...so if you do magic with money, then is very easy..if you do magic with dog crap...then I dare you to do a good one!!!
choose your tables this is vital...in my experience I strongly advice you to choose the tables from 3-6 people on it...why? very simple...the tables with 2 people usually they are a couple and maybe they are busy in their chat, so I prefer to not interrupt...especially if they are talking at 50 cm face to face...and the tables with more than 6 people don´t tip very well...I know, I know is hard to believe but here is why and this is happened to me a lot of times....when you finish the performance and then you throw your hat line, people usually start to dig into their pockets, wallets, bags, etc....in this moment you are probably thinking "coolio!!! I am gonna get rich from this table of 20 people!!"...but then when 2 or 3 people gives you money...the others just asume that the money those 2 gave you it´s enough and put away their walltes...some people are so greedy that they only pretend to look for money in the pockets for looooooonnnnngggg time until they see you receive some tips (even if is just 1 buck!!) then just take out his hand and carry on their meal...
This is why you should pick tables from 3-6 people, because usually all of them tip you nice and easy...of course once you are done with the 3 people tables, then you continue with the others...but first attend those!!
Watch your environmentThis is very helpful to maintain control of your performance as it allows you to work ahead the situation; maybe locate your next table, check on possible hecklers or drunk people, if there are people staring at your performance or even a potential client, a potential reveal place, anything you can use to your advantage in your situation.
Perform for girls first Unless there aren’t any woman in the group of course!! I don’t say that you perform first for girls because of the "Ladies come first" thing or a sexist thing, but usually the first trick must be done to a woman because they tend to be more open to magic and react well. When you gain her trust you gain the trust of the whole group so everybody wants to see you perform... as a bonus, they usually are the ones that suggest the others to give you tips...
In case you... find yourself in a situation where there is a drunk spectator or an agresive heckler or just in an unconfortable situation.. excuse yourself and tell them that maybe later you will show them more magic in a very polite way...and never, ever let anyone call you names or make fun of you...you are being respectful to them, so they have no reason to be unrespectful of you....you see, some days ago I was performing to a table and somebody called me "Pendejo" or As***** in a very bad way and I stopped the trick right there and just tell him very politely that there was no need for the foul language since I was speaking to them in a very respectful way and that we all were having a nice time together, so I ask him please to moderate the language...he was shocked and he apologize and the performance carried on and when it was over he told me that he was very grateful and that I was right about the language...
in case an spectator continues to call you names or make fun of you just stop, thank them for their time and go...you don´t need this kind of things to hurt your performance....you are better than this...
well....that´s it, I hope you enjoyed the read and I encourage you to perform and post what you think about this....if you have more advice, please post it!!
thanks!!!
I wanted to write some tips for you...this tips are about performing in a restaurant or other places...and get tips!!! (the money kind tips)
So I have 3 jobs...in the morning I go to an architect firm and in the afternoon I am in the school (is like a job without money)...but in the nights from thursday to saturday I go to a place with many restaurants and bars and I perform for tips there and usually I get li´l gigs there, like small shows of fifteen minutes and sometimes private parties...but usually it´s only tips, but this last weeks the tips are around half of my income as an architect so it´s pretty good!! I wanted to share this knowledge with all of you
here are some tips that have worked for me and I hope it might help you too!!
now...this tips are from my personal experience and It might difere from people to people...
Go with the manager this is so important...that if you don´t get pass this point get out of the restaurant...usually when I go to a restaurant I ask if the manager is there...if not I ask for the person in charge and ask him if I can entertain the people, usually they will say yes if they think you won´t charge them and you will only work for tips...now another important point...check if the restaurant charges the service in the bill ...usually is 10-15% of the total consumed...if they do, then you are safe,because the waiters won´t like that you steal their tips, but if they get their tips in the final check...then they won´t care if you get tips...and when you are over with the performances, return to the manager and thank him for the oportunity!!
Put together 6 tricks... that´s all you need, now this tricks must be: easy, visual, resetable and not so angly...in reality you will use 3-4 but sometimes you need other 2, because sometimes a table or a group of people enjoy magic a little more than the others and you want to give something extra...this last 2 effects doesn´t have to be easily resetable since you will not do it to each table... here is a little list of what effects you might want to use..
-A quick revelation, now this should last less than 30 seconds without including your introduction...I believe you only have that time to prove yourself to them...to show that you are a real-life magician and not only a guy who do silly tricks
- a trick with a signed card...this will give a personal touch from them to the magic, this trick could be an ACR, a card to wallet or a torn and restored card effect and also gives a great souvenir
- a trick with other stuff...rubberbands, coins,pressure,those little tricks that comes in magic sets sometimes work great...I use pressure and a trick with cards that have numbers on them and I guess the number they are thinking by just looking at the cards that have their number there.
-a closer...this must be highly visual doesn´t matter if is not easy...
-the extra tricks...must be really good...I use sometimes Distortion, Liquid Metal, Floating Cigarrete, tricks like that
Create a Hat Line... people usually, if you perform well, they will tip you with no hesitation since you are good and they are good people...but you still need a hat line...this line should not have the word "MONEY"...to show this I´ll show you my hat line "Thank you all for your time!! I hope you enjoy this performance...if you want to contribute for buying more decks, I will really be thankful" they laugh and they tip me...since I do a T&R card then it makes sense....that´s how you should do your hat line, along with your tricks...so if you do magic with money, then is very easy..if you do magic with dog crap...then I dare you to do a good one!!!
choose your tables this is vital...in my experience I strongly advice you to choose the tables from 3-6 people on it...why? very simple...the tables with 2 people usually they are a couple and maybe they are busy in their chat, so I prefer to not interrupt...especially if they are talking at 50 cm face to face...and the tables with more than 6 people don´t tip very well...I know, I know is hard to believe but here is why and this is happened to me a lot of times....when you finish the performance and then you throw your hat line, people usually start to dig into their pockets, wallets, bags, etc....in this moment you are probably thinking "coolio!!! I am gonna get rich from this table of 20 people!!"...but then when 2 or 3 people gives you money...the others just asume that the money those 2 gave you it´s enough and put away their walltes...some people are so greedy that they only pretend to look for money in the pockets for looooooonnnnngggg time until they see you receive some tips (even if is just 1 buck!!) then just take out his hand and carry on their meal...
This is why you should pick tables from 3-6 people, because usually all of them tip you nice and easy...of course once you are done with the 3 people tables, then you continue with the others...but first attend those!!
Watch your environmentThis is very helpful to maintain control of your performance as it allows you to work ahead the situation; maybe locate your next table, check on possible hecklers or drunk people, if there are people staring at your performance or even a potential client, a potential reveal place, anything you can use to your advantage in your situation.
Perform for girls first Unless there aren’t any woman in the group of course!! I don’t say that you perform first for girls because of the "Ladies come first" thing or a sexist thing, but usually the first trick must be done to a woman because they tend to be more open to magic and react well. When you gain her trust you gain the trust of the whole group so everybody wants to see you perform... as a bonus, they usually are the ones that suggest the others to give you tips...
In case you... find yourself in a situation where there is a drunk spectator or an agresive heckler or just in an unconfortable situation.. excuse yourself and tell them that maybe later you will show them more magic in a very polite way...and never, ever let anyone call you names or make fun of you...you are being respectful to them, so they have no reason to be unrespectful of you....you see, some days ago I was performing to a table and somebody called me "Pendejo" or As***** in a very bad way and I stopped the trick right there and just tell him very politely that there was no need for the foul language since I was speaking to them in a very respectful way and that we all were having a nice time together, so I ask him please to moderate the language...he was shocked and he apologize and the performance carried on and when it was over he told me that he was very grateful and that I was right about the language...
in case an spectator continues to call you names or make fun of you just stop, thank them for their time and go...you don´t need this kind of things to hurt your performance....you are better than this...
well....that´s it, I hope you enjoyed the read and I encourage you to perform and post what you think about this....if you have more advice, please post it!!
thanks!!!