Marquee Effects

I’m finishing up a six-month mentorship with a wonderful magician.

At one point, we were working on a phone script to describe his close-up magic.

I asked him to describe his closeup set. He told me about his card effects, ending with a card to wallet, among other things.

It was all good magic, but nothing that really grabbed my attention.

Then he dropped this bombshell: “I borrow a spectator’s ring and float it in the air.”

“Stop!” I said. “That’s the trick you want to tell your prospects on the phone. Lead with that then talk about the other stuff.”

Floating a borrowed ring? That’s gold. Pure marquee effect.

Last week’s newsletter focused on closers for your shows.

Today, I’m going to tackle what I call ‘marquee effects.’

These are effects that do two things:

1. They impress the audience
2. They’re easy to describe on the phone.

And yes, some prospects DO still call you. I love it when they do. I simply get my trusty phone scripts out and make the sale.

Back to marquee effects. The easiest, classic example of such a trick is the suspension or levitation of an audience member.

But you don’t want to describe it that way.

Instead, simply say, “I float the birthday child in the air.”

When I was doing birthday shows, that was the easiest way to impress the prospect on the phone.

She’d call and ask, “So what do you do?”

I’d answer by stating I could float her kid in the air.

Instantly, she’d respond with, “Oh, WOW!”

Then I’d explain how I made live animals appear throughout the show.

Boom. The sale is locked in.

Marquee tricks are so effective because they instantly paint a picture in the prospect’s mind. They ‘get’ it instantly.

When I used to perform birthdays, I used Mak Magic’s Floating Carpet. In reality, it was a crappy trick.

As soon as I pulled away the supports, all the kids would dive to the ground and look under the prop.

But it looked great in a photo, and it booked me a LOT of gigs.

These days, when I do a birthday once or twice a year, I’ll use my Chair Suspension.

I still think it’s a bad trick. But audiences lose their minds.

Now, compare it to Losander’s Floating Table.

To me, there’s no comparison. The Floating Table is beautiful and elegant. And it’s a true levitation, not just a suspension.

But tell a client over the phone, “I float a table in the air.”

You’ll likely get an okay response. The person is probably thinking, “You float a table? Why?”

So while the Floating Table is a fantastic effect, I don’t think it’s a good marquee effect to describe over the phone.

Here’s another great marquee effect: “I make it snow at the end of the show.”

Magicians hear that and think, “Yawn. Snowstorm in China.”

But it paints a picture in the client’s mind.

Every good magic teacher always tells us that the tricks don’t matter. That you can do any effect as long as you form that bond with the audience.

I wholeheartedly agree. But that’s during the show itself.

Me? I’ve found having a marquee effect is the easiest way to get your prospect on the phone excited about your show.

Or in an email.

Think about it…take a look at most magicians’ websites.

Most talk about their shows in the same manner.

“During this 45-minute extravaganza, your audience members become stars of the show. There’s situational comedy, amazing magic, and fun involvement.”

Everybody says it. Yawn.

It’s the same for close up. Many magicians say, “Your guests are treated with their own 5-10 magic shows right at their tables or in small groups. Coins and cards come alive as your guests witness amazing miracles inches from their faces.”

I’m not saying those descriptions are bad. But they don’t really paint a picture in the prospects’ minds.

And because everyone says it, it doesn’t jump off the screen or page.

Now here’s the important thing: a marquee effect doesn’t have to be your opener or closer.

It depends on how you structure your show. In some cases, a good marque trick simply sounds good on the phone, in an email, or on your website…but isn’t the ‘best’ routine in your show.

Here’s an example from my science show: I do an experiment using a big lever. It’s ten feet long, and with the fulcrum in the middle, one child lifts three kids in the air.

Plus it photographs well. Clients see three kids on one side and one kid on the other and the show looks ‘big.’

In truth, it’s a good routine because it adds production value, but it’s nowhere close to my best routine in the show.

Now for an important point. A marquee effect does not have to be big or expensive.

At the beginning of this issue, I mentioned discovering my student’s ideal marquee effect as floating a borrowed ring.

Great stuff but not terribly expensive.

Here’s another marquee effect perfect for the stage: “I cause a teacher’s head to look like it’s getting bigger.”

The classic Shrinking and Growing Head. Not expensive, but a fantastic marquee effect to talk about or describe in an email or your web copy.

Do you need a marque effect in your show? Nope. All the magic teachers who say it’s the connection between you and your audience are correct.

But a good marquee effect certainly gives you an advantage when it comes to selling your shows.

And the more shows you sell, the more money you make.

Have a great week!

--Cris

 
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