Don't "Pitch-Slap" Your Prospects

“What the---?” I muttered to myself. I deleted the email in frustration.

I recently had the opportunity to have an interaction with a fairly famous magician.

He’s not someone John Q Public would recognize.

But to most magicians my age or younger, he’s a legend.

We had our interaction and parted ways on pleasant terms.

Yes, I’m being very vague on purpose because this is not a flattering story.

After our interaction, I was added to his newsletter list.

“Hmmm…I don’t remember signing up for that, but that’s okay,” I thought.

A few issues came and went. Most were about the artistry of magic.

Good stuff, but not really my interest.

I consider myself a carpenter. I see a need in a market for a show. I build the show to satisfy that market as best I can.

This other guy I’m vaguely talking about is heavily into the art of magic to the point that it’s almost a religion judging by some of the writing I’ve seen.

Nothing wrong with that at all.

But here is where my opinion started to change.

One newsletter I received was very inspirational. So I typed a quick reply.

“Great article, very touching,” or something like that.

The next day, in response to my comment---

Wait.

Before I continue, I’m going to create pseudonyms for this magician and his primary business partner.

I’ll call him “Coy Duke” and his partner “Vance Duke.”

Okay, back to the story.

In response to my comment, I received a very long email in return from Vance Duke.

Vance: “Thank you for your reply, Cris! Coy feels you’d benefit from one of his customized in-depth mentorship packages.”

Then Vance went on to list, in-depth, several mentorship packages. Many were to the tune of $3,000 or more.

I have zero problem with his prices. Or the fact that Coy even offers mentorships.

My problem was getting “pitch-slapped” with a hefty mentorship simply because I said “Great article” in response to a newsletter.

Neither Coy nor Vance know anything about me.

In my interaction with Coy, our conversation was about him. He didn’t come away from our interaction knowing much about me.

And that’s totally fine. I wanted to learn more about him.

So when I say he pitched me on a hefty mentorship out of thin air, I mean it.

He had no idea what my goals are.

No idea where I was currently in my career.

No idea what my needs are.

To me, this was a major blunder.

He metaphorically wanted to go from first date (our interaction) to immediate marriage (the mentorship.)

Very poor business model.

How does this benefit you, dear reader?

Simple. Don’t be too aggressive with your prospects.

Don’t start with prices if they call you.

On the phone, ask lots of questions.

How many people will be at their event?

What are the age levels?

What is the venue layout?

What is happening before and after your show?

Most importantly, what problem are you going to solve for your client?

Pout another way, ask your client, “What will this show do for you and your event?”

And these needs will vary based on your markets.

My main market is schools.

As soon as someone says they want one or two assemblies for K-5 kids, I know the price I’m going to quote based on their location.

But I ask questions anyway. I want the person I’m speaking with to realize I care about her and her event.

I then explain what I can do for them. I talk about bringing my own PA system and mic.

I tell them I come self-contained. Point me to the performing area and I’m set.

I may also mention my guarantee.

I offer the best guarantee in the school assembly business.

Prospects always perk up when I tell them my guarantee.

Depending on how skittish the client is, I may also mention my insurance policy.

This tells them I take my business seriously and protect my clients.

When we finally get to prices, I’ve treated them like a person by asking questions.

I’ve built up the value of my offer.

If I do my job right, the price is the only thing blocking the booking.

But if I do my job right, they will often go to multiple sources to pay for me.

They go the extra mile because I didn’t just “pitch-slap” them in two seconds on the phone.

Same with email.

If someone fills out my contact form, I send them several free reports, or lead magnets.

A lead magnet is an enticing goodie to convince the prospect to fill out your form. They do it to get your free stuff.

I’ve got five or six on the “Free Goodies” page on the Professional Magician site.

Done properly, a free report gives your prospects value.

You give them good information to help them. And they show your experience and expertise.

They establish you as the expert and more than just a person doing tricks.

They also help ‘warm up’ the relationship.

They get to know me a little before we get to pricing.

Way better than jumping the gun and saying, “Hey, Coy wants you to pay him $3,000 even though he knows nothing about you or what your needs are.”

For more in-depth information on this, check out my complete phone script system.

Even if most of your gig requests come through email, you can still take the concepts I teach in this system and easily apply them to emails.

It’s what I did several years ago.

Check it out if this topic interests you.

Have a great week!

Cris

P.S. By the way…whenever you’re ready, here are 5 ways I can help you grow your magic business to book more shows at higher fees:

 
1. Grab my FREE report for professional working magicians.

It’s called “The 2-Word Secret to Eliminate Your Competition & Become Your Area’s Busiest Magician.” This report reveals a strategy that almost NO magicians are using (and the ones who are don’t use it correctly). Get your free copy HERE.

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In this 2-hour video training, I’ll reveal exactly what your website needs if you want to succeed as a professional entertainer in the 21st century. Get all the details HERE.

 
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Not sure how to move your magic business forward? I’ll analyze your complete magic business (website, market, competition, and more) and give you a complete game plan for getting your performing business to the next level. Find out how HERE.

 
4. Work with me privately.

 
Need help in multiple areas? I can help you with your website, direct mail, email, or other marketing strategies. I also offer consulting services for crafting magic routines or even entire shows. Want to find out more? Shoot me an email at cris@theprofessionalmagicianclubpro.com.

5. Check out my extensive line of magic routines and marketing products

I have several professional routines, marketing courses, books, and other resources to boost your shows and make booking shows easier and more profitable. Check out my line of products HERE.

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