John Kaplan has been touring Canada for 35 years riding on the back of the fundraising needs of schools and community groups. These groups get a  fun way to raise their much needed funds and John gets to sell his family show at corporate rates to a market used to budgeting lower fees. Maybe this win / win business model will appeal to you.

In This Episode We Discuss:

• Understanding the old tele marketing approach to promoting fund raising shows to better understand why there are better ways to approach this market.
• Understand the apprenticeship system that can exist in magic
• What sort of show do you need to enter the fundraising market?
• Do your need to tour a show? or can you make this work for you locally?
• How to get into doing fundraising events
• What different ways are there to financially structure fundraising events
• What is the market for fundraisers?
• What are the methods that best reach this market?
• Who is your competition?
• What options to you give your clients to raise money?
• How do you create a compelling reason for your potential clients to book you.
• How to brand yourself in the fundraising market
• What do you need to bring for the event.
• What do you provide to clients to help them market and raise money
• Why testimonials are so important
• What paperwork is required & how do you manage it
• The importance of auto responders

Feeding a Hungry Media The Sensationalism They Thrive On

What are publicity stunts and where can they benefit magicians? Magician Joe Diamond shares his tips on capitalizing on the media's insatiable need for content.

You don't need to go over the Niagara Fall in a barrel or stay for 44 days in a box like David Blaine did to get the media's attention so you can get a free ride on their extensive reach into the audience who you want to serve with your magic.

Joe Diamond shares his wins and losses at this aspect of marketing his magic career.

In this Episode:

How to use publicity stunts to benefit you and the venue hosting the stunt

Do you have to be a big personality to do stunts?

Understand the difference between radio, newspaper, TV and online media platforms

Do you have to be a BIG personality?

What type of personality works best?

What do you think it is that stops people trying stunts?

Where do they sit in your arsenal of marketing tools?

How do you come up with ideas?

How much money do you have to spend on creating a publicity stunts?

What makes a good trick suitable for the different media platforms?

What are the downsides to stunts? What happens if they go wrong

How do you get the attention of the media?

What's the best time of day to send press releases?

How do you write a press release?

Tips for getting the medias attention: radio: TV: press: online

How do you turn press into bookings and/or ticket sales?

How do you use press to negotiate prices.

How do you use radio & press appearances in your social media.

The importance of creating a 'hook' to hang your story on

How to play to the media's need for content

What tricks should you use in your stunts?

David Ranalli started young performing magic in restaurants. From age 14 he has been table hopping building up strong work practices and an appreciation of the restaurant industry and how magicians can better position themselves to get the most value from a restaurant gig.

In This Episode We Discuss:

• Is there a personality type best suited going table to table?
• Acting as an ambassador for the restaurant.
• How restaurants have changed.
• Some great ways to get started
• The dangers of talking to 'assistant managers'
• How to get paid
• How to make the restaurant work to your full advantage
• Setting up a contract.
• Where to find restaurant associations?
• The rise of chain and franchise restaurants and how this can work for you.
• Using local media to benefit the magician and the restaurant owner.
• Using the restaurant as a showcase for your magic skills to private clients.
• Use the 'selfie' craze to your advantage

When you are talking about getting to know someone new you often hear it's what's on the inside that counts. If you want to take your magic into the festival and fairs market then it's what's on the outside that counts and by that we are talking about the weather. 

Kevin Heller weather proofed his act and put his mind into all seasons thinking to create a business that capitalises on the fair and festival market for spring and summer and works equally as well when the weather turns him indoors.

In this episode: 

Just what is the fair and festival market

What type of act works for the fair festival market

Flash is Cash ... a truism for this market

The value of creating an outdoor act

What a fair/festival audience looks like

The types of stages you can expect to perform on

How to turn your $300 kids show into a $1000 festival show

How to take your and 'tailor make' show for this market

Who books the acts for fairs and festivals?

What is the importance of building long standing relationships in this industry?

How many festival/fairs are there in your area? You might be surprised.

What are Fair Festival Associations and Fair Manager Associations?

How to stand out at your trade show booth while pitching to Festival Bookers

How improve your VALUE in the eyes of festival bookers.

What extra services you can offer to make yourself more attractive to festival bookers

Understanding hoe fair managers think

How to move away from 'pitching' merchandise to 'performing' merchandise

The psychology of pitching merchandise

Recognizing outdoor opportunities

Outdoor Audience Management

Mega-merchandising – “The Pitch” Selling the Experience!

Adjusting and modifying your props and clothing to endure the unpredictable

Preparing for “natures great heckler” – the weather!

The Marketing - how do you get into this market