Recommending Magicians When You Perform Magic Tricks – Dominic Reyes

Should magicians recommend other magicians when they are performing magic for the public?

Dominic Reyes recorded this short video about an experience he had at a recent event at which he had been hired to perform magic. He was chatting to another magician at the event, who was complaining that he was being compared to several magicians on TV. Here's what Dominic told the magician about using that situation to his advantage:

As a magician, you might not like the fact that people compare you to magicians they see on TV, or that the magic you perform live, is different to much of the magic presented within a TV show. Dominic thinks that it doesn't matter what other performers think about TV magicians because they are not the target audience of the magic shows. Instead, he feels that it's far more important that people are being entertained by magic in general.

Dominic uses this to his advantage by recommending TV magic shows to his spectators. At the end of a set, he will tell the group to check out an up and coming TV show about magic that they won't want to miss. He puts down the details on his business card for them.

"Recommending a magic show that's about to be aired on TV has really helped me. I've noticed it directly in my booking rate. If I've been promoting a show at events leading up to a new series, I notice recontact emails from new clients spike in the few days after each TV episode. Clients are most likely to contact me just after they have seen me live, but by recommending a magic TV series, I pop into their heads, each time they watch that show. That's a lot of extra 'touch points' being created, and it's repaid the time I've taken to tell people about the magic shows many many times over. I hope it does the same for you." – Dominic Reyes

Recommending shows for his audience to watch, means that he remains in their minds much longer after his performance. He has found a way to HELP THEM further, and at the same time, become associated with their experience of magic long after they have seen him perform.

How to Email a Client That Wants to Hire a Magician

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By Dominic Reyes

What do you include in an email to a client wanting to hire a magician?

The main sales funnel for magicians is their website. Clients wanting to hire a magician will usually check out your website before they contact you, which means that most clients will make their first contact to you via email. It's important to know how to answer emails from people that want to hire you. Here are a few tips:

Keep it brief.

The client contacting you has already checked out your website. If your website has been built correctly it will already have all the information needed, including a section on frequently asked questions. Your response email isn't the time to bombard your client with lots of information about you. Keep the email professional and brief.

Thank them for their time.

The first part of your email should thank the client for contacting you. Make sure you don't miss this out.

Answer their questions fully.

Read through the email carefully, making sure that you have answered all of the questions fully. If you can't answer one of the questions because there is not enough information provided, make sure you ask for more information and explain why.

How did they find out about you.

It's important to ask how the client found you. Your contact source information is valuable to identify where your leads are coming from. It's also a subtle way of suggesting that you are very popular, and that it's highly likely that somebody will have referred you to the client.

Use a call to action.

Make sure your email includes a 'call to action'. A call to action is something that you are asking the client to do. This might be to answer a question, download an e-book about hiring a magician, or to fill in a booking form. By giving the client a call to action you are creating continued communication past this initial email. Your goal is to keep the conversartion going.

Use a third party if possible.

Is it possible that you could use a third party to reply to your emails? Many professional magicians use agents that acts as a third party. If you don't have an agent you may want to get your partner or a trusted friend to act as the third-party and answer your enquiry emails. This allows the quotation to come from somebody other than yourself. That person can answer enthusiastically about your performance, skills, talk about your fees, and recommend your services in a way that you wouldn't be able to do yourself without coming across as slightly big headed. It's very hard to say to your clients that you are an amazing magician. It's much easier if a third party can explain just how awesome you are. If some negotiation about fees needs to take place, a third party can make a deal without you having to seem mercenary or confrontational.

Here's a typical email from a client wanting to hire a magician that you may receive:

Hi Dominic

I'm planning a 40th birthday party on the 25th July in Walton Ash. I thought having a magician to entertain the guest would be a great idea. Can you let me know the cost for a couple of hours magic please.

Thanks

William Spiget

This would be a typical reply to the above email:

Hi William,

Thank you for contacting me about attending your party on the 25th July. I've checked my diary and I am currently available. (The thank you)

How did you hear about me? Was I recommended to you? (The referral)

My fee to provide walk-around close up magic is £xxx for one hour or £xxxx for 2.5 hours. (The question answered)

Will your guests be having table service, a buffet, or will it be drinks and canapes? (Call to action)

Best wishes

Dominic Reyes

www.dominicreyes.com

Follow up.

It's vital that you remember to follow up after you have sent a quotation email. Wait 1 or 2 days and then send an email checking that they have received your quotation, and asking if they have any further questions. I can't stress how important this is. So many magicians don't follow up. They send out a quote, sit back, and hope that it will lead to a booking. Taking just a moment to follow up will often be the difference between a booking and a missed opportunity.

Magicians Business Cards – 3 Tips to Make Them More Effective.

by Dominic Reyes 2 Comments

A Guide to Better Business Cards for Magicians

Marketing is a huge part of any successful magician, and magicians business cards are still an extremely effective way of getting your contact details into the hands of others. However, there are some important things to remember when it comes to designing your next card, things that many magicians often neglect.

1) Keep it modern.

For reasons unknown, many magicians feel the need to emphasise what they do with cheesy images from a bygone era. Believe it or not, 99.9% of the population are already fully aware of what a magician does! Revelatory news I know. Furthermore, an outdated picture of a bunny being pulled from a top hat is not likely to endear you to the more sophisticated audiences of today. Remember that your business card is a direct reflection of you and your services, removing the tacky stock photos will make you appear far more professional and competent.

Another mistake, similar to the above, is to include a photograph of yourself on your card. It just isn’t necessary and it looks old fashioned these days. A far better idea would be to have a good quality logo designed that best reflects the service that you offer. Doing so will help you to present a clearer, more focused image of your business to the recipient.

2) Keep it simple.

So, what should be on your business card? The best approach by far is to keep your card as plain and simple as possible. Filling it with lists of what you do and who you are will only make it seem like a pushy advertisement, so keep the text down to a minimum. You could even take it as far as just having your name and web address on the card, but it is perfectly acceptable to have a brief strapline and a contact number on there too.

Nevertheless, having just your name and web address on the card not only keeps it uncluttered, it can also add an air of mystique too. Encouraging clients to view your web site allows you to elaborate on your personality, and what you have to offer, once they are there. A client will be much more inclined to read about you and your magic business if they have made the choice to be there in the first place.

3) Quality counts.

The one area where keeping things simple doesn’t apply is in your choice of card stock. A good quality card will be harder for the recipient to disregard and throw away. A flimsy card that feels more like paper may not even make it home with them.

Choosing to have your magicians business cards laminated on the printed side will also improve the feel of your business card. However, it is advisable not to laminate the reverse, and to leave it blank, as this will allow you to clearly write on it with any type of pen or pencil. Doing so is especially important for those of you who intend to incorporate your business cards into your performance, which is an excellent way to dispense them to spectators.

Having a clear and concise magicians business card that will direct traffic to your website should be your key goal. Marketing is best performed in small stages; your business card should be seen only as the first step towards your next booking, not the last. Count how many cards you hand out at your next event, then try and hand out more next time. After all, a business card is only able to work its magic once you give it away, no matter how well designed it is.