1) For someone looking to start pitching to restaurants, how would you suggest
choosing the individual restaurants?
This is always one of the most interesting but complex questions because a lot can go
into choosing the right restaurant. Before reading the answer, I want you to keep this in
mind: your main purpose for performing in a restaurant is to book gigs (outside of the
restaurant). So with that in mind...lets get into the question :)
When you choose the restaurant, you have to determine what type of gigs you want. If
you want to book corporate gigs then you can’t perform in a family restaurant...you
would have to perform in an upscale restaurant. This sounds obvious and it is. But there
are tons of restaurant performers who want to book more gigs...usually higher paying
gigs...and then I ask what restaurant they perform in and it is a small pizza place.
For years, I would perform in restaurants and I would feel like I’m not getting anywhere
(I wanted to take my “business” to the next level). Some people would call me for
private parties but they weren’t the high paying corporate gigs that I wanted. Then I
changed to the upscale restaurants and other places that corporate people hang out,
and I started booking more of those gigs.
Every restaurant has a “price point” meaning...there is an average price range that
people will pay you for their events based on the restaurant you’re performing in. A
family restaurant has an average price point. So whatever local magicians are charging
for events, that is the price point of a normal family restaurant. In upscale restaurants,
you can double or triple your price point.
For example...in Colorado, most magicians are charging $300 for shows. When you
perform in a family restaurant and someone calls you to book you for an event, you will
probably get about $300 (in Colorado). But the price point in upscale restaurants
allowed me to charge $1,000 minimum for shows. You can do the same tricks, impress
people, and based on the type of restaurant you’re in, you will get different types of gigs.
So your first step to choosing the right restaurant is to decide what type of gigs you want
to book in the future.
Just remember, the restaurant should be used as a means to an end, and the end result
is to book gigs.
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2) How can someone who is serious about performing use social networking
such as FaceBook and Twitter to their advantage?
This is such a cool way to book gigs and I’m surprised most magicians don’t use
it...because it’s free. There is soooo much to talk about on this subject.Just a heads up, I still haven’t figured out how to monetize Twitter yet (I’m still trying to figure out how to book gigs from Twitter) so I’m not going to go into detail about it. I’ll
only talk about Facebook.
When I first started using Facebook for business purposes, I got people sending me
messages asking about availability, price, and then booking me. I even got a few TV
news anchors who looked at my Facebook and said, “you look like a star.”
Here are some of the things I do to use Facebook to my advantage.
First, I post a lot of videos of me performing for companies (the market I want to hire
me). I post testimonial videos and actual footage from shows. This lets people know that
I’m performing (and social proof is the number one selling technique).
I also add event planners, meeting planners, TV anchors & producers, and other people
in my target market. Once they accept the friend request, they see my profile and the
videos I have posted on my wall. I don’t send them messages asking them to book me
for a show...I just post on my wall about all the people who are saying how amazing the
show is and they will eventually see it.
This is how I got in with a big time agency. I added one of their agents and kept posting
on my wall. She eventually saw my videos and sent me a message asking if I’m
available for a show.
Another thing about Facebook is that you don’t want to post useless comments. So
don’t talk about how you’re eating pizza, or how you’re bored, or how you’re watching a
movie. 95% of what you post on your wall should be about your business. You want to
come across as a person rather than a business. You can tell people where your next
show is, post pictures of the venue you’re about to perform in, etc.
With markeitng, it is important to have TOMA (top of mind awareness) and that is what
Facebook can provide.
Facebook now allows you to separate people into groups. So you can have "friends" "event planners" "old clients" etc into different categories and allow people each group to see separate things you post on your page.
I can go on for ages about using Facebook for marketing :)
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3) What advice on routines do you suggest for restaurant and walkaround
performances?
This is obvious but make sure you perform your best stuff. With restaurant work, you
want to make sure you have routines that don’t require a lot of table space and routines
that allow you to stop if the food arises. The Ambitious Card is great for restaurant work
because you can do a 6 phase routine or you can drop it down to 2 phases if the food
arrives (when the food arrives you usually want to stop performing).
Another thing about your routines is that you don’t want to script it out the same way you would with a stage show. With a stage show, you have the transitions and it is almost like a play where everything flows smoothly. With close up restaurant routines,
you can be interrupted at any point. You’re basically having a conversation with them.
So instead of scripting it like a play, you perform “demonstrations.”
Each trick should stand on it’s own. If you try to do an amazing coin routine and at the
end, the coins turn into a deck of cards so you can do a card routine then you will never
get through the entire “script.” You will be getting interrupted by waiters who bring over
the drinks, appetizers, food, etc. That is why it is important to perform routines that are
strong but stand alone.
I always performed 3 strong mentalism routines. I hate carrying a ton of stuff on me so I
would carry things that allowed me to do multiple routines (paper and a swami can be a
deadly combination for routines).
But what about repeat customers? I would perform one or two new things for them
(usually Osterlinds Watch Routine and another swami effect). All I carried with me was
paper, a swami, and a quantum bender. A combination of those three allows me to do
tons of routines.
When you’re doing a strolling gig (outside the restaurant), things are a little different.
You usually want to get to all the people at the event so you have to time yourself. You
wouldn’t do 5 routines for each group because you will only get to a few groups. So
when it comes to doing a strolling gig, I would perform the same things as the restaurant
gig but I would make sure I time myself in a way that allows me to perform for everyone
before the night is over.
There is a lot that can be talked about when it comes to the types of tricks for restaurant
work.
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4) Is there anything you would recommend as a necessity to restaurant workers?
Hmm...I do...but it’s probably not what you’re expecting. The absolute necessity you
need when you’re a restaurant worker is a change in mentality.
A lot of restaurant workers are focused on getting tips and the types of tricks they
should be performing. But you will also notice that most restaurant workers have been
performing in the same restaurant for decades, charging the same prices, and still have
a hard time booking gigs (you’re basically stuck in the restaurant and don’t know how to
take it to the next level).
As a restaurant worker, the thing you need the most is a change in mentality. You need
to see yourself as a marketer (assuming you want to book gigs). When you see yourself as a marketer, you start to think about things differently. You start to think about how you can speak in certain ways that gets people to hire you for shows. You’re not thinking
about a small $10 tip. You’re thinking about getting them to pay you for a big company
event.
When you think like a magician you say, “I’m here at the restaurant to make the
customers happy.” When you think like a marketer, you say, “I’m here at the restaurant
to book gigs.” When you think like a marketer, you kill two birds with one stone.
Think of it this way...a person who hires you for a private gig MUST have been happy
from seeing you perform in the restaurant. There will NEVER be a customer who hires
you for a private gig that WASN’T happy from seeing you in the restaurant. So when
you focus more on booking the gig, you’re aiming for the stars and landing on the moon.
When you focus on “making the customer happy” you’re aiming for the sandbox and
landing in dirt.
It is better to aim high and achieve some of it than to aim low and achieve all of it.
If you’re not booking as many gigs as you want at the price you want, then you need to
start thinking like a marketer. Use the restaurant as a way to book gigs.
Alvo Stockman
Mark Tirone
Chris Beason
Maxwell Murphy
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