Your Inner Circle Newsletter - May 2008

--INTRODUCTION--
Spring is well and truly here, nasty unpredictable weather and of
course April is notoriously slack because its the beginning of the
new tax yeah and companies are too concerned with budgets to even
consider entertainers like us. Down to 2 and 3 shows a week I have
had more time than ever to think about routines and marketing and
that is what I am looking forward to sharing with you over the
coming months.

In this issue I have included a routine that has been running
around my head, along with some business thoughts but I want to
start off with an apology.

--TALKING POINT--
At the beginning of 2008 I vowed that this newsletter was going to
be something different to all those emailing lists that we all
subscribe too. I am signed up to loads of the things much of the
information is useful but it always ends up trying to make you buy
some expensive £1,000 course or high priced product. That is not
what i want my newsletter to be.

I sit down each month and write about my ideas, discoveries and
annoyances to get them out there with the hope that someone,
hopefully you, will take the idea and make something fantastic out
of it. When I get emails from people who have done just that I just
love it.

In April I sent out three emails about a new project of mine
because of technical difficulties with the links, and my
incompetence with all things technical. It might have come across
as spammy and that does go against what I want for this list. So
there you have my sincere apologies and you can be rest assured
that I will keep those kinds of emails to a minimum, but of course
any new products I put time in to working on you have the right to
be first to know about.

So that brings me nicely in to the idea of timing. Timing really is
critical in what we do as performers, to get the greatest impact
from what we do. But it is also a major issue of marketing. Let's
talk about that...

--BUSINESS--
I don't know about you but I do a lot of direct mail. That is
sending letters directly to companies to tell them who I am and
what I do. Something I find really interesting is the fact the
response to these mailings is increased dramatically when they are
linked to a season. Regardless of what the season is.

The results I have seen show that if I send one letter that says
"Hi, I'd love to perform at your conference this year" and another
that says "Hi, I'd love to perform at your conference this
summer", the one with the season in it out performs the one without
by almost 12%. And 12 percent is not to be sniffed at.

I wonder why this is the case though? Perhaps it is because it
seems more time time dependent and they feel like they should act
quickly. Maybe it is because you are being more specific about
when it is you want to perform and thus giving it a time frame for
them to think about.

OR maybe, and this is my favorite, its because seasons have
emotional attachment. Instead of thinking about their conference
as boring and drab, by saying Christmas, Summer, Easter, Fall or
whatever you are building an emotional response that they can see
in their mind and are thus more likely to respond. The truth is, I
don't know the reason but I do know that it works. So I'd say tie in
your website, your letters and everything with a season to see a
greatly increased response!

--RECOMMENDS--
This month I am surprised at just how much I enjoyed reading a copy
of Arther Buckley's Gems of Mental Magic. It's an old book but if
you can find it, then you will see a lot of classic routines that
are just incredible. And completely overlooked. Its a blue
paperback book produced by Gambeler's Book Club. Really incredible.

The book is mainly stage work, which suits me well and most of it
can be adapted to work in cabaret settings too. There's a nice mix
of cards and none card stuff and I have had a few ideas stimulated
as a result of reading it.

It's nearly as good as my entire act that you can buy at
http://tinyurl.com/3p4mrf - okay that WAS a plug. I'll shush now.

Another idea that I really enjoyed this month was Andrew Mayne's
direct mind reading routine Social Distortion. This is something I
am going to play with and add to my wallet for impromptu work. The
effect is similar to that of Derren Brown's Reminiscence. Mayne's
routine adds some really clever subtleties that give perfect
rational for the cards to be in play, which I found to be
lacking from most presentations of this type of effect. Its great
value for money and worth a look. Included in the package are the
cards, full instructions as well as an interview with a Las Vegas
performer who shares his experience in performing the routine.

--IDEA OF THE MONTH--
4 bottles with screw tops are introduced. Three contain acid, the
other contains lemonade. You borrow an item of value from a
volunteer, an earring for example and tell how you will play an
unusual game of Russian Roulette. While your back is turned the 4
bottles will be mixed. Upon turning back round you concentrate on
the bottles and have the volunteer carefully open one of the lids.
The earring flutters top the bottom and is unharmed. In to the
other 3 you throw pieces of cheese which bubble and are destroyed
by the acid.

Very simply, you place a flat magnet in the top of the one bottle
that contains the lemonade, and since you are wearing a magnetic
ring you will feel its force from a good distance as you wave your
hands over the bottles.

WARNING: I have never performed this, it is from my note book and
you perform this at your own risk. Be careful.

--TO CLOSE--
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the routine above and of course
anything and everything you'd like to share in June's issue which
I'd love to credit you for.

I am off to hunt for new books now, if you have read anything good
you'd recommend I check out please do let me know.

Of course the automated downloads are still online at
http://stores.lulu.com/kendyne if you want to check them?

Until next time, do take care!
Kennedy

"Do you have suggestions, an idea you want to share on the
newsletter. Email me right back!"