November 2008 - now with pictures!!!
--INTRODUCTION--
Winter is here, hoorah! There's a lot of negative talk all over the place about the economy but have no fear I have been thinking long and hard about it's effect on us and have a strategy for helping us all survive the tight times ahead. I've written a brief diagnosis in the Business section of the newsletter. Two recommended readings this month and a talking point that got me all hot and bothered. Of course there is a routine this month, it is one I have enjoyed alot of success with and in fact it is the piece I perform right before the Drawing in the Dark drawing duplication effect.Before we head in to the talking point I just want to say that at the bottom of this post on the blog there is a place for comments - if you have something you've read or seen that you'd like to reccommend to other readers, or if you have a routine you'd like to share please do post it.
Let's get on with it then -
--TALKING POINT--
Back in July I took the 4 and a half hour flight to Crete from Newcastle International Airport. I was to perform for Thomson Fly - the holiday people at their fantastic new 5 Star Sensatori Resort. The show went down an absolute storm and the management were delighted.The following day I made my way home and sent off the usual invoice to the agent.
I got paid on October 27th. Something I learned very quickly be seeking some advice on how to ensure that this agent (whom I had never worked with before) actually paid me - legally an agent does not have to fulfil payment to you until 10 days after they have been paid by their client. Which means that until they are paid you haven;t got a legal leg to stand on and you are just left hanging around waiting, trying to solve cash flow problems and the like.
So this month my lesson in life was to ask the agent how reliable their client is in paying, how long they usually take to pay and that way you can really save yourself a huge amount of worry and hassle.
Thanksfully I did get paid but I was severely worried that I would not.
--BUSINESS--
If you, like me have certain commitments, responsibilities that rely on your income as an entertainer then you will surely be wondering how the lack of capital in the economy is going to filter it's way down and effect the budgets of those who hire us. The truth is that we should not turn a blind eye - those who try and stick their proverbial head in the sand are the ones who will suffer worst in the stormy times ahead. We have to look at our own business model and see what it is we can change, alter and adapt to make the best use of our skills to not only survive but to actually prosper over the next few months.
I am sure you do this already, but I'd recommend that you start by looking back at your financial records of last year and the year prior. Compare week by week this year for those years and see how you are measuring up. Are you actually doing any worse or better? You see with all of the talk about recession in the air our perceptions can easily be altered and we can create beliefs that are basically untrue.
So by comparing the last two year;s actual records you can see for sure the way that this situation is effecting us, whether it is or not.
Now you may note that you are doing better than ever, this could be because like some of the smart people out there you have realised that we must highlight our services more than ever at this time because what we offer is an enjoyable escape for clients, we transport them away from a place of worry in to a place of wonder and amazement.
I was at a meeting last night of several magicians and got talking about pricing, it is a sensitive subject for sure but he asked about my opinion regarding dropping our prices at this time to allow for the economic down turn and lack of budget available in businesses to employ us.
As first glance you might think that dropping prices is a sensible idea and to begin with I was of that mind to. Then last night I got to thinking that in actual fact we should be doing the opposite. We should really be increasing our prices. I'll explain.
The simple truth is, at this time there are going to be people who simply can not afford us. Simple, and no matter how low our prices are they still do not want to part with any amount of money of what we do. They have other priorities. However, there are some who will still want to hire us, they have placed a priority on their event and the entertainment.
So with potentially less gigs coming in, we are better to increase our prices so that we can still make more from those who are booking us. They are going to book us anyway, so if you're fee is $2000 (£1000) right now, you can easily pop it up by a few hundred without hitting much resistance and since you're doing less gigs but for a higher fee, you will not suffer so badly from the recession.
--RECOMMENDS--
This month I have been doing a heck of a lot of travelling and so have spent alot of time with books and audio courses on my ipod. So this month I have revisited Ken Weber's Maximum Entertainment. Every time I read this I learn something new about myself and my show. I look at who I am and what I am doing in a very new way. In all seriousness I am sure that you have enough routines embedded in your mind to last a lifetime, so if you don't have Maximum Entertainment you owe it to yourself (and your audiences to be frank) to get it and read it regularly. If it's on your shelf may I be so bold as to urge you to read it through again - I think you'll amaze yourself.Another interesting read I have had this month is Phill Smith's follow up to his fabulous Mitox book, entitled Yokai. The book spends a great deal of time walking through a method and various presentations for a principle that allows choices to be made by volunteers that appear to be extremely fair. I think what is extremely enjoyable about this book is that Phill not only takes us right through the principle but he then goes on and explains a phenomenal range of routines and effects that can be achieved with it.
--IDEA OF THE MONTH--
Standing on stage you ask 6 people to stand. You ask them all to concentrate on a simple image that they could draw right now if asked. You concentrate and start to make doodles on your pad. You turn the pad round to show you've drawn 6 images on the paper and ask if you correctly recieved their image they are to be seated. They all sit.
I came up with this and performed it as a video piece for my blog a few months ago and the viewership has been incredible. So now it has died down I thought I would share it with you. Basically on the pad you draw the 6 most common images with I have found to be a tree, a house, a stick man, a cloud, a flower and a 4 legged animal. Having the 6 people stand and then be seated is of course credited to David Hoy for his Tossed Out Deck.
That said, if one or more people still remain standing a way I have found of dealing with it is to do well - one of two things to be honest. If just one person is standing I bring them on stage and use another method to perform a drawing duplication (I actually use my own Drawing in the Dark routine here so nothing need be written down) or if there are a few people standing it is perfect opportunity to perform Larry Becker's Sneak Thief.
--TO CLOSE--
The economy is just another routine we all need to learn to perform, we need to manipulate it and continue to think about how we can do well through it. In the month ahead I am going to be travelling a considerable amount once again so if you do try and ocntact me and there is a delay you will understand why - but I will respond - brownie's honour.
Until next time, do take care!
Kennedy
"Do you have suggestions, an idea you want to share on the
newsletter. Email me info@mindofkennedy.co.uk!"
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