Profitable Performances Newsletter #11
March 2007
In this issue:
1) What I Do
2) Marketing Tip: Expanding Your Market
3) Performing Tip: Start Strong!
4) Free Gift for you
5) MagicBase
Hello <$firstname$>,
1. What I do. A little bit about Bob...
Do you do just one thing? Or do you do a lot of different things?
I do a lot of different activities for work. I’m not saying that everyone
should be like me, in this respect. Because I support people who
can be single-heartedly devoted to one act or schedule. But that isn’t me.
Here are a few of the things that I do:
- Performing. I perform Magic routines for any ages.
I also do Balloon Animals.
- Magic Products. I’ve created tricks, booklets, videos and software
for performers.
- Video Production. My video production tools allow me to create Magic
videos. But I also hire out occasionally to businesses in my city.
- Memory Training. I’ve had memory routines in my Magic Shows for
years. But now I’m expanding this to offer training programs for sales
people.
- Web marketing. This is a growing area for me. I create my own web
pages. I have 8 active web sites. I have a few products that are just
marketed online.
2. Marketing Tip: Expanding on All Fronts
There are only a few basic ways that you can increase your income:
- Raise prices on current products
- Have the same number of customers buy more frequently
- Get more customers
- Offer more products
One of the good things about being involved in so many different
businesses is that it is easier to do the last two items on that list.
I’m continually looking for new markets that I can break into.
The current market that I’m really getting going in now is the Memory
Training market. I have a number of new products for this market:
- A set of audio CDs,
- A DVD of a Memory Workshop
- A Memory and Magic Show
- A series of Memory Training Workshops.
So, I’m continuing to get work in my Magic markets- that is,
I’m maintaining that market. But now I’m adding new customers
in new cities that I would have NEVER had contact with if I had
only done magic shows.
APPLICATION: Is there a new market that you could expand into?
Do you have some knowledge or skills that could be turned into a
product and a potential income source?
3. Performing Tip: Start Strong
I was at a local Magic Club show this month. It is always fun to
see how magicians that you know do their shows, I think. You can always
get ideas- either good or bad- for how you might do your own
performances.
Overall, the portion of the show that I saw was good. However, I learned
a few things from watching my local performers show their stuff.
Tip: Start really, really strong.
You have got to grab your audience’s attention immediately. Grab them
by their emotional throats to make them watch you. I saw a great example
of this in the Close-Up show. The opening entertainer was very energetic
and funny. In contrast, the stage show did not immediately grab my
attention. A fire eater was the opening act. While it was definitely
something unusual that people are interested in, this particular
performer didn’t start out strong. There was a lot of banter, and talking.
I would have preferred to see some quick fire-eating tricks set to music.
Then, start talking with the audience and explain the difficulty of what
you’re doing. But don’t start out with explanations. That is starting with
the HEAD. Start with the HEART!
One of my strongest opening routines has music in it. And it’s not
soft background music- the music is the act. It is very strong.
All of the beginning books on magic say this: Start strong!
But let me clarify that even more: Start with the Heart- that is what
makes it strong.
APPLICATION: Do you start your act with an appeal to the HEAD or to
the HEART?
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Low cost Web Hosting:
$5 GB for $5/mo. Unbelievable!
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4. FREE GIFT FOR YOU:
I have a free sample disc for you of my Memory Training CDs.
The entire course has 5 audio CDs, plus a Bonus CD-ROM.
The sample disc has selections from all of the CDs.
I’ll send it to you for free. Just send me an email with your
mailing address.
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Send in your questions!
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If you have any marketing or performing questions,
please send them in. I'll share your questions, and
my answer, with all of the subscribers.
MagicBase News: The MagicBase Library is FREE for you!
Use it to keep track of your magic library. Track, sort, search and print any list: books, CDs, DVDs, collectible items, props, or whatever.
THIS IS NOT DEMO SOFTWARE. It's fully working and completely
re-distributable. Go to:
http://www.magicbase.biz/demos-downloads.html#freegift
5. MagicBase Tip: Customized Return Labels
Did you know that you can make a creative Return Address label
for your envelopes in MagicBase?
I have one MagicBase program that is dedicated to marketing to
Birthday customers. So, I changed my address label lines in
Preferences in MagicBase so the my address label says,
“Look! Here’s the info you requested.”
I also changed the color of the words to draw attention.
If you're looking for more detailed lessons on using MagicBase, then subscribe
to the MagicBase Power eCourse.
CLICK HERE to subscribe.
http://www.magicbase.biz/NEW/MB_Power_eCourse/PowerSubscribe.html
Here's wishing you Profitable Performances!
Bob Miller
www.ProfitablePerformances.com
P.S.
Don’t forget to ask for you free sample disc of my
Memory course on CD. Just send me your mailing address.
Wishing you Profitable Performances,
Bob Miller
