Professionalism in Magic

“No instructions?” I grumbled as I dug through the box.

Sigh.

It was the 5^th or 6^th new magic product I’d purchased over the last month where there was an issue.

--One electronic product came with a remote.

--Another product came without instructions.

--Yet another product was delayed several months.

--Still another magician never sent me any kind of acknowledgment that my order had been received for over ten days. (I had to open a PayPal dispute to get a response.

I’ll never understand why so many magicians are bad at customer service. And it’s not just the creators of products, either.

Regular performers are bad at it too. No follow-up. No acknowledgment that deposit checks have been received.

No one cares how good magic is if the performer is unreliable. It’s just that simple.

I’ve lost count of how many clients tell me how much they appreciate my communication skills.

Here’s what one client recently said after she received my “3 days before the show” email:

“Thanks for doing this! (Your thorough communication is very appreciated!)”

I’m far from the best performer, even in my area. In terms of pure skill, there are at least two guys who can blow my doors off in raw magic sleight-of-hand skill.

Yet I can (and do) outsell them easily because of my communication skills.

To be clear, I’m not talking about marketing. I’m simply talking about those important communication steps needed to reassure the client.

Your clients are counting on you to do a job. Yet what they are really worried about is whether you’ll actually show up.

About 7 or 8 years ago, I decided to get into library performing for the summer. As primarily a school guy, my summers were “starvation months,” meaning I only had a few shows to cover me until school started again in the fall.

Almost as soon as I started performing in libraries, I had multiple clients tell me that I put their minds at ease. Because of my communication, they didn’t have to worry about me showing up or whether I was going to send a contract.

From the moment I started performing professionally regularly in the late 1990s, I always treated my business as a BUSINESS first.

Be professional and the gigs will come. It’s that simple.

With that in mind, here are a few communication steps you may want to add to your booking procedure if you don’t have them in place already:

--Once you firm up a booking, tell your client when they can expect an invoice and/or a contract from you.

I like telling my clients I’ll get everything to them no later than 48 hours later. Usually, I get it done the same day, so they are pleasantly surprised.

--Follow up with your clients a few days after the contract goes out just to make sure they received it.

--Clearly spell out your cancelation policy, payment terms, etc.

--If you are in a market where deposits are expected, once the client has paid the deposit let them know you received it. And send them a receipt.

--I like to send a “ten days before the event” email. It reminds them of my payment terms and lists the payment details.

Don’t underestimate this. I once had a corporate client blow a gasket because I wasn’t at the show when he expected. Trouble is, I was about a thousand miles away! Turns out he had given me the wrong date.

And he never bothered to check it with the contract or any of the follow-up emails I had sent. He quickly realized he was wrong and apologized. He booked me for the following year, and everything worked out fine.

--I also send a “Three days before the show” email. This once again confirms performance start times, venue address, etc.

I once had a birthday client call me and yell at me for not showing up. Actually, I went to the gig, but no one was there. Turns out she had neglected to tell me they changed venues.

When I pointed out the address on the agreement she had signed, she admitted she was wrong and apologized for not updating me.

I had a similar situation with two schools in the same district that were booked on the same day. I showed up at the morning school only to be told that I was supposed to be at the other school for the morning performances.

I raced to the other school, now behind in my schedule. The principal gave me an attitude for being late, but rather than bark at him, I simply said, “I’m sorry, when did the schedule change?” I innocently showed him the agreement he had signed showing the original schedule when the schools’ times were flip-flopped.

He also apologized and I went ahead and did my shows.

--The day after the show, I send an email with the receipt for payment and a thank you for having me at their event.

Admittedly, as a school performer, there are a few other emails I also send specific to that market. But the emails I outlined in this newsletter are enough to establish you as a professional who cares about your clients.

Here’s the BEST part: once all of this is set up, I don’t have to do a thing. Once I click on that client’s gig, all of this (and more) happens automatically. It’s a beautiful thing.

Want to set yourself apart from your competition? I can set up a similar system for you. Email me at crisjohnsoninfo@verizon.net for details.

Until next time, have a great week!

--Cris

P.S. By the way…whenever you’re ready, here are 4 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.



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 by clicking 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 by clicking HERE.


3. Get a complete business-building plan handed to you on a silver platter.


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 by clicking 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.

To find out more how I can help you book more shows at higher fees, click the button below to see my list of services.

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