Randy Charach - Secrets of A Millonaire Magician

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The contents of this book reflect the authors views acquired through his
experience in the field under discussion. The author is not engaged in rendering
any legal or accounting professional service.
The services of a lawyer and
accountant are recommended if legal and accounting advice or assistance is

needed. The publisher and author disclaim any personal loss or liability caused
by utilization of any information presented herein.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means
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All violations will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Published by:
Synergy Promotions Inc.
5525 West Boulevard #157
Vancouver, BC
V6M 3W6
Phone: (604) 839-7937
Written by: Randy Charach

Edited by: Marvyn Shore
Research Assistance: Anna Thiesen
Technical Assistance: Tim Wang
Copyright 2002 Randy Charach and Synergy Promotions, Inc. All Rights Reserved
"Anyone with talent will find the lessons to be learned from Randy of
the greatest importance for the formation of a successful career."
Peter Reveen, Hypnotist and Manager of Lance Burton, Las Vegas
Solid advice from a proven success my highest recommendation."
Rudy Coby, "The Lab Guy", Beverly Hills, CA
"The ultimate book of lists.
Joel Bauer, www.infotainer.com, Chatsworth, CA
"Randy has done a very impressive job, as well as a vital service to
anyone truly interested in making a living performing magic.
Michael Ammar, www.ammarmagic.com, Orlando, FL
"DO NOT READ RANDY'S BOOK", "Unless you want to make a lot of
money in show business!"
Stan Kramien, www.stankramien.com, Beaverton, OR
"Thank you Randy, for sharing this valuable information with us, I am
sure many of your readers will soon become millionaires too."
Gary "Darwin", Magician and Author, Las Vegas, NV
Randy Charachs book is the best of its kind I have had the pleasure
to read. Even as an old pro, I did learn a lot from it indeed!"
Ted Lesley, Magician & Mentalist, Germany
"It's rare that a successful professional would reveal the secrets of
the business side of show business but Randy has done just that.
Craig Karges, www.CraigKarges.com, Wheeling, WV
"I predict that your book will become - THE classic text on marketing
and promotion.
Richard Webster, www.psychic.co.nz, New Zealand
"Randy sees the bigger picture beyond the show and fills the needs
of his clients to make some big bucks!"
James Cielen, Magician, www.DoveMagic.com, Las Vegas, NV
"A realistic guide through the entertainment business world.

Anthony Blake, Magician & Mentalist, Spain
"If you want to make money in show business, Randy can help you."
Jeff & Tessa Evason, Mentalists, USA and Canada
"I am sure this book will cause entertainers both now and in the future
to reap vast rewards."
Dondrake, "Black Art Breakthroughs", Las Vegas, NV
"Secrets is truly dynamite and provides a great leap forward for any
performer in the live entertainment business."
Banachek, www.banachek.org, Houston, TX
There are marketers, master marketers, master
marketers, ... and then there is Randy Charach."
Richard Busch, Reviewer and Author, Pittsburgh, PA
marketer's
"You have managed to lay out all the ground work. I think everyone
should own this book."
James Dimmare, Magician, www.dimmare.com, Los Angeles, CA
Secrets, is the BEST marketing system for entertainers. Period.
Blair Robertson, www.BlairRobertson.com, Orleans, ON
"Great information by a working professional that will enable YOU to
increase your business and profits in the entertainment world!"
Ted Karmilovich, Jr., Creator of "Mother of All Book Tests", N.J.
Randy's book is a new kind of information available to the today's
performer - much more important than the magic itself.
Guy Bavli, Mentalist, www.GuyBavli.com, Israel
"I am having my office manager read through it and help me utilize
some of the methods Randy shared."
Alain Nu, www.nu-magic.com, Washington, DC
"Randy has blazed the trail to becoming a millionaire in magic, and
it's a real world path that anyone with the desire can easily follow."
Steve Fearson, Magician & Inventor, Las Vegas
$100 reward if you received this document illegally

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Bonus Items This is where you will find them:

Free Bonus #1 - Reveen Interview Lesson 19
Free Bonus #2 - Zellman Interview Lesson 14
Free Bonus #3 - John Kaplan Interview Lesson 18
Free Bonus #4 - 9 Reports - Interspersed in Relevant Lessons
Free Bonus #5 - College List Not Included Lite Version
Free Bonus #6 - Fairs List Not Included Lite Version
Free Bonus #7 - Comedy Clubs List Not Included Lite Version
Free Bonus #8 - $100 coaching discount, valid until November 30,
2002. Apply discount at: http://magicianmarketing.com
Free Bonus #9 - Access to 100% Free Magic Tricks & Books
Free Tricks: http://hop.clickbank.net/?rancha/fearson
Free Books: http://thelearnedpig.com.pa
Free Bonus #10 - Special Profit Generating Opportunity!
Its free, easy, and you can be set-up within just a few minutes. For
full details, go to: http://www.millionairemagician.com/partners.htm
Dedication
First and foremost I dedicate this publication to my wife, partner, lover
and best friend, Chana. I truly believe that everyone has a genuine
soul mate. I found mine in Chana. Her patience and understanding
while I have obsessively written this book is a true testament to her
love and devotion to me. Thank you Chana, for Leilani (my beautiful
stepdaughter), and for my beautiful new baby, Shira, who was born
on September 6, 2001.
Thank you to Marvyn Shore, who edited this book and a previous
book 50 Ways to Leave them Laughing with painstaking diligence.
To my Mother, Evelyn, whom I love more than life itself. My Father,

Norman, who is always a source of inspiration. My entire family, who
have watched my magic tricks and listened to my dreams for many
years and counting.
There are too many people in the entertainment world to thank, and
in fear of missing someone, thank you, you know who you are.
And, in memory of my late Uncle Gable, King Solomon the Magician.

I wish you were alive to see that your little nephew grew up to love
magic as you did. This is for you, in spirit!
Foreword by Gary Darwin

I have met a lot of millionaire magicians here in Las Vegas; Siegfried
and Roy, David Copperfield, and Lance Burton. Siegfried and Roy
once told me that they never thought of the money; instead, they
believed that if they had a great show, the money would take care of
itself. Well thats true, but they had great management. Most of us
magicians dont have such management, so we need Randys book.
I met Randy when he was about 12 years old. He would come to Las
Vegas and visit his Uncle, King, a wonderful retired Magician. Little
did we know that Randy would one day become a young millionaire
magician.
Randy paid his dues. Lets assume youve paid your dues, and you
are, or are ready to become a professional magician. You have read
the best magic books, watched many videos, went to many lectures,
acquired lots of props, gone to conventions, and have performed a
couple hundred, or even a couple thousand shows. But this is when
most magicians fall short; they dont study the business of magic.
Thank you Randy, for sharing this valuable information with us, I am
sure many of your readers will soon become millionaire magicians.
Thank you once again Randy, your old friend, Darwin.

Gary Darwin, Magician and Author, Las Vegas
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12
Index
PART I: Your Foundation
Lesson 1
Millionaire Business Practices
Lesson 2
Planning for Success
Lesson 3
Your Executive Office
Lesson 4
Promotional Material Magic
Lesson 5
Fees for Financial Freedom
Lesson 6
Gentlemen & Gentlewomen Agreements
Lesson 7
Your First Class Performance
Lesson 8
Golden Relationships with Agents
Lesson 9
Magic Marketing Methods
PART II: Your Income Streams

Lesson 10
Colleges and Universities
Lesson 11
Shopping Centers
Lesson 12
Fairs and Festivals
Lesson 13
Restaurants, Bars & Lounges
Lesson 14
Corporate Work
Lesson 15
Cruise Ships
Lesson 16
Television
13
Lesson 17
Consulting & Acting
Lesson 18
Theatres
Lesson 19
Resorts and Casinos
Lesson 20
Comedy Clubs
Lesson 21
Profit from Products
Lesson 22
Synergistic Ventures
PART III: Your Future Learning

Additional Resources
Conclusion
Notes to Reader:
1. The information within is equally applicable to variety entertainers
of all types. By referring to magicians as opposed to variety
entertainers of all types, the book simply flows smoother.
2. Please understand and expect that some hyperlinks in this book
will be temporarily or even permanently dead. That is the nature of
the quickly and ever changing Internet. If you come across some, or
any typos or errors in this book, please do let me know.
3. Some of the links to other web sites and additional support items
are ones that I own and/or am affiliated with. Therefore, I may profit
from additional involvement. The links are included because I believe
in the products and services behind them and feel that they are
appropriate and relevant recommendations.
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14
Introduction
(Back to Index)
First, let me answer some questions for you:

Whats in a title?
I must tell you straight out that I carefully considered the title of this
book. It is far from my nature to flaunt wealth and carry on about how
much money I make, have made, can make, or have at my disposal.
My focus is on who people are and not on what they have.
The choice to be candid and specific with financial numbers in this

book is purely rooted from a sincere desire to make this information
more valuable and meaningful to you. Openly revealing my success
is meant to inspire you to attain your own goals. Performing magic
and being in business is a true passion for me. By simply doing what
I love, the money has always followed and always will.
Who is Randy Charach?
I am one of many magicians that have earned over a million dollars in
our craft. There are dozens more magicians like me that you and I
have never heard of and probably never will. Being a millionaire
magician is not as rare as one might think. I know several and they
are very much like me. You may not know it by meeting them and
they dont necessarily go around telling everybody that they are
wealthy.
15
I was born in 1963 in Vancouver, Canada. My parents were and are

of average income and wealth. When I was born, my father was
selling siding for houses door to door. He has taught me a lot over
the years about human nature and selling.
At the age of five, I met one of my uncles, a magician (known as

King and passed away in 1975) living in Las Vegas. At once, I
became hooked on magic. I did my first show at the age of 10 for my
grade five class. My first paid performance was at the age of 12 and
my fee was $6. Yes, $6. Now 26 years and 5,000 shows later, my
fee for a corporate show in the U.S. is $5,000.
Most of my
performances now, are as a Mentalist or a Speaker. My highest fees

are earned when I combine presentations at a single event.
I parlayed my relationships made as a magician and my natural and

learned sales and marketing ability into several other profitable
ventures. While still in high school I formed a toy supply company
catering specifically to the clients I performed magic for at their staff
childrens Christmas parties. I marketed this company beyond my
personal bookings and expanded it substantially over the next few
years.
As my calendar was filling quickly with bookings throughout each

year, I ended up turning down a lot of shows.
This prompted me to
form my own entertainment booking agency. I expanded into booking

all sorts of variety acts for a wide array of clients. I ran both the toy
and entertainment company simultaneously for over 15 years. During
16
those years I averaged 300-400 personal appearances as a magician

and for six of those years I also appeared as Ronald McDonald in
Canada.
Both my toy and entertainment companies complimented my magic

business in many ways. Ultimately they all complemented each other
and my profit from the combined ventures was several hundred
thousand dollars per year.
How can I do it?
I will explain in detail how I prospered financially and how you can do
the same.
None of it involves getting rich quick.
If you desire
financial prosperity then be patient and be willing to work. There is

no magic formula or selling of the soul involved in my teaching.
There is, however, a lifetime of experience contained in these pages.
Just one out of the hundreds of ideas you will be exposed to can
greatly increase your bank balance and enable you to have more
freedom in your life.
Certain philosophies, tools, systems and
businesses may not be right for you at this time. Your goals and
desires will evolve and change. Without question, you will return to
this book and revisit it with different perspective in the future. Follow
through with what appeals to you now. Keep your mind open to the
other information and realize that success is not an end goal but
rather an ongoing journey.
17
How can I benefit the most from this book?

Read the whole book once in its entirety.
After you have gone
through it once, read it again and take a lot of notes. Go through your
notes and make some decisions as to what specific course of action
to take.
Immediately implement some of the techniques and
principles. Use the resources.
Dont overdo it. I happen to be a workaholic, and sometimes to my

detriment as I do not know when to slow down. If you are not a
workaholic but willing to work hard and in the right direction then you
will be successful. I sincerely desire that you become prosperous in
all areas of your life. Please keep me informed of your success and
the obstacles you overcome both financially and spiritually.
It is all laid out before you. No guess work. I am giving it all to you.
Do not underestimate what you have before you. It all works. If you
disagree with something I say, fine. Realize though, I am detailing
advice and information that has placed me in the position I am in
today. My life is rich with an abundance of material wealth. More
important than money, I am prosperous in the sense that I have a
wonderful family and countless friends and associates from all walks
of life.
18
It is a genuine honor when I am asked to share my knowledge and

experience with others. Thank you for allowing me into your life while
I assist you to succeed and achieve your goals.
It is up to you to take action and reach your goals. That I cannot do

for you. You are receiving information, resources and tools that have
been proven to create wealth for a person in your similar position. I
started with nothing but a love for magic and desire to do good
business and serve others. Whether your goal is to increase your
business slightly or to create a multi-million dollar empire, you have
everything you need right now. So, lets get started.
With you in Mind,
PART I
19
Lesson 1 - Millionaire Business Practices
(Back to Index)
The number one determination as to whether you will be successful

in business is how you relate to people. Read that again, it is the key
to your success in all that you do. Now, ask yourself:
Are you likeable? Do you have genuine concern for the welfare of
your customers and suppliers? Do your actions demonstrate your
concern for providing excellent service and value? Do you pleasantly
surprise people by delivering more than what is promised? Do you
send thank you cards and show appreciation to those who support
you? Or:
Are you grumpy and money hungry? Overly friendly (also known as
being a glad eye or glad hands) and use old salesman techniques
like flattering people on their ties or shoes as a matter of habit
because you read somewhere that it builds rapport? Do you use
whatever tactic available to make a sale? Do you take the money
and run?
Be honest and dont feel bad if you dont like your answers. You can
change and improve your practices over time. There are people who
make money without being kind and conscientious, but they do it the
hard and unpleasant way. All else being equal, they will make less
money for shorter duration and ultimately will be unfulfilled on many
levels. It is actually quite easy to be nice, caring and fair. If it does
not come naturally to you then try harder. Do not be phony. Simply
20
adopt a more caring attitude bit-by-bit, day-by-day, and the rewards

both financially and for your well-being will present themselves. The
transformation will come naturally as you apply gentle and mindful
attention to your actions.
Reliability & Kindness = High Fees & More Bookings
Imagine you are a marketing manager at a shopping mall and need to
hire a magician two or three times a year. Consider the following
scenario:
Magician A
Great show every time
Always shows up 30 minutes before show time
Is pleasant before, after, and during the engagement
Charges $1,000.00
Magician B
Great Show most of the time, sometimes just a good show
Always shows up 5 minutes before show time, often in a panic
Usually friendly, but moody, so you never know
Charges $200.00
You have a $100,000 budget for special events for the year as the
marketing manager. Who are you going to hire? Would the money
you are going to save with Magician B, be worth the aggravation and
uncertainty? No!
21
The example I give above is not based on speculation. The numbers

are not exaggerated. This is based on my actual experience. Not on
just one occasion, but time and time again. Do you get the point?
You can charge higher fees and get more bookings by being great to
deal with. You become the Go To guy or gal when it comes to
booking a magician. Your clients brag about you and covet your
time. They dont even consider booking another act regardless of
cost.
They throw incoming brochures or sales letters of other
Magicians in the garbage. They have a special file for you if you care
to see them. When possible they plan their event date around YOUR
schedule.
Does this sound too good to be true. If it does, cancel that thought
right now! Do not underestimate the power of building relationships
and profiting from them. Sweet deals, favors, preferential treatment
and a whole lot more can be yours.
It all begins with you, your
business practices, and your attitude towards others.
People form their opinion of you, consciously or not, within the first
few seconds of contact.
It is crucial to your success to present
yourself in a professional and likeable manner.
There are certain specific traits that successful people share. Some
will come naturally to you, some you will learn. Some you will not
agree with, or like, and will resist. These are the ones you need
to work on the most.
22
You see, the ones you are uncomfortable with are the ones that have
been holding you back. They will be the hardest to understand or
accept for a combination of reasons. Be willing to step outside your
comfort zone if necessary. You wont find anything radical, so dont
worry.
Here is a list of some of the traits I want you to think about now.
Many more will come up and be discussed as you progress through
this book. You will also be asked to refer back to some of these
principles as we apply them in practical scenarios that you will be
dealing with.
Top 10 - Millionaire Magician Traits
1. Always tell the truth. You dont need a great memory if you
are always honest. You lose all credibility when you are caught
in a lie.
2. Understand that you are almost always negotiating. On a
small personal level, you negotiate with your friends when
discussing what movie to see or which restaurant to eat at. On
the other end of the scale you will negotiate fees and contract
terms for your bookings.
3. Live by the golden rule, but go beyond to the platinum rule.
The golden rule, do unto others as you would have done unto
yourself may not apply in every case. What pleases me may
23
not please you.
You must also understand how the other
person wants to be done unto and act accordingly. Find out

by asking questions.
4. Over-promise and over-deliver.
We are in sales and
marketing, and dont ever forget that.
Offer and deliver so
much that your offer is irresistible. If we dont convince others to

do business with us there is no opportunity to over deliver. Of
course, you must deliver even more than promised in every
area of your service and product.
5. If you cant join them, beat them. I am all for cooperating
with like-minded people.
Joint ventures and cooperative
marketing efforts can be terrific. You may find, however, that

unless you take control and become a strong leading force you
will have to work under other peoples terms. Pick the leaders
in the specific area you are pursuing and strive to be better. If
you wish to suggest a business proposition or joint venture with
my
company,
feel
free
to
send
your
proposal
to:
jv@charach.com
6. If you're not early, youre late. Always leave yourself ample
time for travel and unforeseen circumstances when you have
an engagement of any type. Being late for a meeting basically
tells the other person that you value your time much more than
theirs. That is not a good statement to make when you wish to
do business and build a long-term relationship with someone.
24
The situation is much worse if you are late for a show. It can be
a catastrophe if you miss a flight when traveling to a show.
This happened to me once many years ago, and since that day
I have always made sure that I allow ample time to arrive early
for any scheduled appointment. It is imperative that you do the
same.
7. Be eclectic. There is rarely one right way to do anything.
There is no rule saying that you, or I, have to choose only one
way to generate business or do anything for that matter. A
variety of approaches will often be most effective. Apply this
thinking to everything you do.
8. Educate yourself. Acquiring knowledge can be your single
best return on investment (R.O.I.), assuming you apply the
information. You must turn what you learn into a skill or greater
understanding by acting upon what you learn. Invest in books,
courses, manuals and training that applies to the magic
business either directly or indirectly. You will save thousands of
dollars and a lot of time by learning from other peoples
mistakes and successes.
9. Listen more and talk less. I am constantly amazed at how
people love the sound of their own voice.
Remember, you
already know what you are going to say and can learn little by
talking. Let the other person share their thoughts and ideas
regardless of whom they are or how much or little you think
25
they know. You can learn something from everyone. Be willing

to reciprocate with your information, but you will seldom be
asked or given a chance to talk by most people. You have two
ears and one mouth, use them in that proportion and prosper.
10.
Be Balanced.
This is a tough one for me. I have been
obsessed with magic and business since I was a young child. It

is often a struggle to spend time on anything else. Perhaps you
are the same way.
Still, I develop other interests, exercise
regularly, study many topics and try to be a well-rounded

individual.
I have learned to expand my magic interest to
mentalism, speaking and now writing.
Within my narrow
interest base I have found ways to grow. You will too.
There are two other important principles to share with you in this
lesson. They go hand in hand and are crucial to your success in
business. You will notice that I live by these rules throughout this
book. Look for them as you progress through these pages and make
notes as to how you can apply the same principles to your business.
Diversify both as a performer and businessperson
Everything you do should promote your products and services
Please do not confuse diversification as being the opposite of singleminded focus and specialization. Instead, understand this to mean
that you will prosper and grow in many ways by broadening your
26
services as you monitor the needs of your clients. Learn and develop
new skills as a performer and as a businessperson.
It is essential to your success as a salesperson to constantly remind

people to use your services. Your show is an advertisement for more
shows. Your products are marketing vehicles for your other products
and services. This does not mean that you cheapen your show and
products in order to sell more. On the contrary, your excellent show
with subtle sales mechanisms is more valuable and entertaining than
it would be otherwise. This applies even more so for your products
and other services. If you are in tune with your customers needs and
truly provide excellent value, service and information that they cannot
get elsewhere, then you would be doing them a disservice by
neglecting to inform them of opportunities you have made available
for them.
One more thing. I have chosen not to expand greatly upon spiritual
concepts in this book. Not that I do not want to share them. I am an
open book when it comes to sharing information and my personal
views. Let me just say that it is my intention to inspire a burning
desire for you to share your gift as an entertainer above and beyond
concern for material wealth. On that note, please share your talent
by way of donations of your show to worthy causes without regard to
personal reward. Also, find other ways to give back.
27
Lesson 2 - Planning for Success
(Back to Index)
I believe in goal setting and planning, however, it is equally important

to be flexible and willing to adjust your plans on the fly.
I have
worked effectively both with and without planning and am more

effective when I plan.
Do plan and set goals, remember though,
there comes a point when you must get on with the work. Research
& planning is essential to your success, as long as you always get
past that point and adjust as you progress in your plans.
There are many tools you can use to help formulate your ideas into
action. You will now be provided with two simple, quick and effective
tools I have used and developed over the years to help me. They are
provided with a template for you and a real example from my
business.
28
Idea Map Template
How to use the Idea Map template:

1. Start with a central idea and write it in the middle circle.
2. Brainstorm ideas branching from the central idea.
3. Use key words to represent ideas.
Benefits of using the Idea Map template:
Idea mapping will help you explore an idea freely without the constraints of a
superimposed structure. Moreover, a visual environment promotes making new
connections and insights in a way that linear text does not. Using the Outline
view, however, will allow you to arrange your ideas in a more conventional,
readable manner.
It will only take a few minutes to create your map. It is an excellent first step in
planning. Print this page out and use it.
29
When I was doing children and adult shows, I would squeeze in as

many as 55 shows in the month of December alone. Now, I only do
adult shows and do an average of 20 in that month. Here are the
details and the Idea Map I use to make an extra $50,000 - $60,000
each December:
Idea Map
E-Mail
Digital
Contact
Current
Corporate
Xmas
Products
Physical
Fax
List of
Prospects
Presentations
Strolling
Potential
Stage
Now have a look at the next planning tool:

30
Goal Setting Template

Goal Setting Worksheet
My goal is:
Today's date:
Completion date:
What is the first step?
Target completion date:
What is the second major

step?
What is the third major step?
Next step?
Final step?
How to use this Goal Setting Template

1. Type a goal in the symbol labeled "My goal is."
2. Type the proposed completion date in the box labeled "Completion date."
3. Consider the steps involved in addressing the goal and write them into the
numbered boxes. Add or remove boxes as necessary.
4. Enter target completion dates in the appropriate boxes. The target date
corresponding to "Final step" should be the same as the date in the "Completion
date" box.
5. Adjust dates and steps as necessary to allow for reasonable deadline
completion.
Benefits of using the Goal Setting Worksheet template:
Using this template lends concreteness to the goal-setting process. It also
increases the likelihood of accomplishing goals by naming and dating the steps
involved, to determine a time frame.
31
And the Goal Setting Worksheet, used in conjunction with the Idea
Map:
Goal Setting Worksheet
Goal-Setting Worksheet
My goal is: 20 Shows at
$2,500 in December 2001
Today's date: June 26, 2001

Completion date: December
30, 2001
What is the first step? Create

E-mail list of 1,000 past and
potential clients

September 1, 2001
What is the second major

step? Create 4 test pieces

September 5, 2001
What is the third major step?

Test promo pieces to 20% of
list

September 25, 2001
Next step? Launch

campaign. Book shows and
follow up with hot prospects
Target completion date: October

27, 2001
Final step? Do shows and

send thank you cards

December 30, 2001
32
I usually get an 8% response rate for the offer detailed in the

templates on the previous pages - 80 interested parties. Since many
are repeat clients, and the others are highly targeted, the booking
rate is a high 25%, which translates to 20 engagements. I pre-sell an
average of 1,000 gift items (resource information in lesson 22) at a
$10 profit each, to the combined group of companies.
Imagine when you add the revenue from this stream of income to
commissions you could earn by booking other acts (resource
information in lesson 22) for Children and Adult parties. Then add
high profit items that you sell to the companies and organizations that
use the items as gifts for their staff and customers.
All the
businesses interrelate and you profit from their combined synergy.

The customers love you, because you are a one-stop shop for much
of their holiday party needs. Your diversification is a benefit to your
client.
To break this down for you further, let me give you some more
specifics. I will not stray too far from the topic of this lesson. The
actual marketing methods will be covered as they apply to each
revenue stream and are interspersed throughout this book. Also, you
may choose not to expand into businesses other than performing
magic. Youre crazy not to, because even a small side business will
catapult your income to astronomical proportions.
With the three
income streams: performing, booking, and supplying gifts, I

consistently earned over $200,000 just in December alone
(performing: $50,000, booking: $50,000, gifts: $100,000).
Each
33
business would not have been as successful without the support of

the other.
Synergy: Combined action or operation.
The sum of the parts is greater than the whole.
The base of 1,000 corporate clients to market to is a narrow group of

only the largest companies in my area. To be exact, there are 982
companies within a 30-mile radius of my home with over 100
employees. That includes branch offices. If I removed the branch
offices there are 767 companies. I do not remove the branch offices,
however, because some branches have their own party. Since my
marketing cost is minimal, I might as well approach them. These are
companies that are likely to have budgets around $2,500 for after or
pre-dinner entertainment for this specific function.
In reality, the marketing of my shows is only a small part of the

marketing when I have an entertainment and gift company running
too. I have isolated the numbers as it applies to performing only.
Note, I sometimes do up to three events in one night. For example, a
strolling magic gig at cocktail hour from 6-7pm, an after dinner show
at one party 8:30pm-9pm and another one at 10pm-10: 30pm.
charge $2,500 at Christmas for either an early evening 60-minute

stroll or a 30-minute stage show.
34
Business Plan
Lets look at the elements and purpose of a business plan and
discuss whether you need one or not.
A business plan has three primary functions:
1. To serve as an Action Plan
2. To serve as a Road Map
3. To serve as a Sales Tool
Action Plan. A business plan can help to move you to action. A
business plan will help you to pull apart the pieces of building a
business and examine each piece by itself. So, instead of one large
challenge, you have a sequence of smaller challenges. And by
solving the small challenges, the large challenge is automatically
solved. So, writing a business plan can help move you to action by
breaking down a seemingly insurmountable task (building a business)
into many smaller, less intimidating tasks.
Road Map. Once you have started your business, a business plan
can be an invaluable tool to help keep you on track and moving in the
direction you want to go. As you become more occupied with your
magic business, it is easy to lose sight of your objectives and goals -a business plan can help to keep you focused. A business plan can
also serve to help others to understand your vision, including
suppliers, customers, employees, friends, and family.
35
Sales Tool. Perhaps most importantly, a business plan can serve as

a sales tool. You may need outside financing to build your business,
and a business plan is the tool you need to convince investors to
come on board. You may also want and need concessions from
suppliers or customers -- a business plan can help you get them.
Finally, you may need to convince family members, or even yourself,
that your ideas will bear fruit. A well-written business plan can serve
to sell people close to you on the benefits of proceeding with your
concept.
I generally produce a combination of a Business and Marketing Plan.
Dont worry; we will cover that in detail soon. A separate Business
and Marketing plan would be helpful and perhaps necessary if and
when you tackle an aggressive and expensive campaign such as a
Casino Show or Major Tour. It will also be necessary if you are going
to go after other large projects that may require outside financing and
consideration to topics such as competition and cooperation with
suppliers.
Here is an outline for a Business Plan to give you an idea of what it

contains. There are many variations and some suit certain projects
better than others. This will also provide you with a better general
understanding of what they contain and when they are best utilized:
36
Business Plan Outline

Executive Summary (2 pages)
Clear, exciting, and effective as a stand-alone overview of the plan
Company Overview (1 page)
Business purpose, history, genesis of concept, current status, overall
strategy and objectives
Product and Services (1 Page)
Description, features and benefits, pricing, current stage of
development, proprietary position
Industry and Market Analysis (3 Pages)
Analysis of industry and marketplace in which company will compete
Marketing Strategy (4 pages)
Strategy for addressing the needs of the marketplace with
product/service
Development (2 pages)
Ramp-up of business, steps needed to get the business up and
running
Operations (2 pages)
Plan for production and delivery of product or services, product cost,
margins, operating complexity, resources required
37
Management (2 pages)
Background of key individuals, ability to execute strategy, personnel
needs, organizational structure, who will execute plan
Summary of Financials (2 pages)
Summary of financial reports included in appendices, consistent with
plan, effective in capturing anticipated financial performance
Offering (1 page)
Proposal / terms to investors (indicate how much you want), the ROI,
structure of the deal, possible exit strategies
Appendices (no more than 15 pages)
Any supplementary materials that support your plan
Financial reports
Assumptions, trends, and comparatives
Cash flow statement
Income statement
Balance sheet
Sources and uses of funds
38
Your 3 Step - Magic Marketing Plan

The marketing plan, unlike the business plan we have been
discussing, focuses on the customers. Your marketing plan will
include specific numbers of potential clients, facts about your shows,
and among other things, objectives based on your goals. It is both
numerical and strategic. It is your plan of actionwhat you will sell, to
whom you will sell it and how often, at what price, and how you will
get your shows and products to the buyer. Here are the three steps to
a simple yet effective plan you can create.
Step 1: Define your product.
The first part of the marketing plan defines your shows, products and
services and their features and benefits in detail. This is where the
USP (more on that next) comes in. You illustrate how you
differentiate yourself from the competition. The more clearly and
succinctly you describe your shows, services and products in your
marketing plan, the better youll communicate with your target
customer.
Okay, if you have been doing some research into marketing prior to
now, you know about USPs.
A marketer, by the name of Dan
Kennedy, is one of the most well known writers to discuss USPs. He

covers the subject beautifully with great examples in almost all of his
courses and books. The concept has been around in one form or
another for at least a century and it is a key concept to marketing.
39
USP stands for: Unique Selling Proposition, which:

Is a statement that explains how you are different from your
competition.
Summarizes the main benefit of your service/product.
Can be based on anything related to your service/product.
Motivates your prospect to do business with you, rather than
with one of your competitors.
You can have several USPs.
Write down all the benefits you
currently provide and ones that you think will be appealing and can
provide. Create statements based on the benefits and use some or all
of them in all your marketing communication. You may choose one
main one to use as a slogan on all your marketing materials.
It
certainly will be included in your marketing plan. Often this is where

you will create them too.
Positioning your magic show competitively requires an understanding
of your target market. Not only must you be able to describe every
benefit of your show, products and support services, you must also
be able to describe your competitors, and explain why yours is
better. Positioning your show involves two steps. First, analyze your
USPs, and decide how they differentiate your show/services/products
from the competitors. Second, decide what type of buyer is most
likely to purchase your product. Pricing and placement are critical to
competitive positioning. Keep in mind, though, often a higher fee
translates to a better show in the mind of the booker. You may be
competing with lower priced acts and that fact alone may give you a
40
better chance of being hired. You should, however, be competing in

a market that you know, through research, can afford your fee and
therefore you are likely to be competing with similar priced acts. Do
not base your USPs on low pricing. You would only do that if you
wanted to be a Hundredaire Magician and not a Millionaire
Magician.
Note: Do the best show you can and offer extra service to increase
the value. Compete in and target the highest paying market that your
quality and type of performance will permit. Price yourself at the top
of that market.
Step 2: Describe your target customer.
Describe your potential customers in terms of demographics and
geographical locationas well as other specifics. For each market
you pursue, there will be a multitude of considerations. You will break
down each market and answer questions about the markets
themselves, the audiences, the personalities of the people who do
the bookings and much more. You will need to ask:
Are my customers conservative or innovative?
Leaders or followers?
Timid or aggressive?
Traditional or modern?
Introverted or extroverted?
How often do they book a show like mine?
How much do they usually pay?
41
When do they start planning?

When do they book?
Seem like a lot of work to you? If you are lazy and want to be a
millionaire, buy a lottery ticket. Let me know how you make out!
Step 3: Create a communication strategy.
Your target customer must not only know your show is available for
hire, but must also have a favorable impression of all the benefits of
your show and dealing with you. Communication includes everything
from the way you answer your phone to the font you use on your
business card.
Find out where your customers surf on the net, what they read and
listen to. You need to know this to get their attention. In addition to
where to place your message, consider how frequently customers
need to receive it. This part of the marking plan should spell out your
promotional objectives. It spells out specifically what you want to
achieve. You will determine your budget, where to advertise and how
to measure your results.
To help you devise your own business and marketing plan, here is
the table of contents taken from a complete plan I recently put
together for a consulting client.
So, take the information I have
provided regarding Idea Mapping, Goal Setting, Business Plans,

USPs and Marketing Plans and do some work in planning your future.
The investment of time will pay off. It is much harder to think about it
than to actually just start writing.
42
Use the following as a basic template and adjust items to your

particular case. My guess is that you will only require a small portion
of the following items for the scope of your immediate projects. I
have used many variations of the following structure and they are
usually less detailed for my own purposes.
This outline is from a plan that I was recently contracted to develop
for an entertainer/speaker with products, a synergistic separate entity,
and a small staff.
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
THE TEAM
MANAGEMENT TEAM PROFILES
OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE
ADVISORS
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
HUMAN RESOURCES REQUIREMENTS
THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
BUSINESS SUMMARY & HISTORY
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
Consumer Trends
Seasonal Factors
43
POSITION IN THE INDUSTRY

Legal Issues
Competition
Use of Technology
THE MARKETING PLAN
Target Markets
The Competition
Services
Pricing Strategy
Sales/Distribution Plan
Credit Terms & Guarantees
Advertising & Promotion
Public Relations
Marketing Material
OPERATIONS STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT
Service Options
Suppliers
Quality Control
PRODUCTION PROCESS
Land and Equipment Requirements
Inventory Control
Time Frame for Product
Contingency Plans
44
FINANCE CONCLUSIONS
RISKS
Business Risks
Marketing Risks
Operational Risks
Human Resource Risks
Summary
So there you have it. Dont be overwhelmed with all of this. If
nothing else, just spend a couple hours, as I have done on many
occasions, to plan before getting started. The more time spent
planning, the better the results, so make this your minimum:
1. Idea Map
15 minutes
2. Goal Setting Chart
15 minutes
3. 4-6 Page Business/Marketing Plan
1.5 hours
The two hours you invest early on will save you countless hours and
expenses later.
45
Lesson 3 - Your Executive Office
(Back to Index)
There is an important point I want you to consider when reading this

and all the other lessons in this course. If your funds are limited,
remember that you can still make a lot of money and be successful
without fancy equipment. If all you have is a pencil, a scrap of paper,
and a shared phone line, do not let that stop you from starting now.
Ultimately, you will be able to and will need to spend money in
systems and equipment to automate and streamline your business for
higher profits and to project a more professional image.
Create the most comfortable and effective office environment that you
can and continually strive to improve it.
Your Phone
You need a separate phone line solely for your business calls.
Situate your phone in a quiet room where you will not be disturbed.
Answer on the second ring when possible. If you answer on the first
ring you seem too anxious and beyond two rings it seems that you do
not care.
Smile when you answer the phone (this will project a
friendly tone in your voice) but dont be phony (no pun intended). Say
hello and identify yourself by name or company name. Dont get
cute, fancy or too long. Use the same principles for your voice mail.
Use a headset to keep your hands free when talking on the phone.
You can type notes pertaining to your conversation on your computer
during conversation with your client.
46
Your Desk and Chair

It is extremely important that you work in a comfortable environment.
Your desk, chair, and keyboard must be set up in an ergonomic
fashion. Do not underestimate the importance of this. Learn the
proper way to set up your office for maximum health benefit.
Your Computer
Use the fastest and best computer that you can afford. Your time is
valuable and investing in good equipment will save you money in the
long (and short) run. If you're not sure as to whether you should use
a Mac or a PC, or have been considering switching, I have the
answer for you. Use both or Windows only. Up until two months ago
and for the past ten years or so I have been using a Mac. I recently
purchased an IBM computer with Windows 2000 Professional for
business. I never thought I would be saying this, but I like using the
PC. It is as easy to use as the Mac. I only use the Mac now to check
how my various web sites will look like for Mac users. There are more
programs available for windows; they are more readily accessible and
less expensive. Much of the software I use for Internet marketing is
not available for the Mac. The voice recognition software I am using
at this moment is not available for the Macintosh. Did you get that? I
am not even typing right now.
Dont even know how to type
(properly)!
47
Anyway, bottom line, as much as I like the Mac, I think you should
use a PC as your only or primary computer.
Your Fax Number
Have a separate dedicated fax number. Do not inconvenience your
client with such nuisances as having them call you first in order to
send a fax.
Your Email and Web Address
Purchase your own domain name and do not be hosted on a free
service. The free service comes with a cost by way of advertising
and/or a long complicated web address. Same applies to your email
address.
Your Physical Address
To protect your privacy, use a PO box that looks like a real address.
Using a PO box, that is obviously a PO box, can give the impression
that you are hiding. When possible, I do advise that you include your
physical address on most of your contact information. It adds to your
credibility and solidity.
Automation
Have systems for everything you do on a regular basis. Use them.
They will keep you organized and efficient. Keep accurate notes of all
48
your conversations and use forms and systems so that important

details do not get missed. You can avoid a lot of problems and stand
out amongst your peers by paying close attention to details. If you
are not naturally a detail-oriented person, do not worry; the systems
will take care of this for you.
The program that I have used for the last ten years and that I highly
recommend is FileMaker Pro.
I have compared FMP to Act,
Maximizer, and many other database management programs and am

convinced that nothing else comes close. The downside is that the
program does require customization, so you need to either spend
time and do this yourself or hire someone to do it for you. I have
spent thousands of dollars hiring high- priced FileMaker Pro experts
and the money has been well spent. Another caution; even though
they may be a wiz on the technical side, it is still up to you to tell them
in detail what you want to achieve. Every time you make a change,
Ka-Ching. Ka-Ching!
It doesn't have to cost you anything other than purchasing the

program if you are willing to learn it yourself. It's not terribly difficult; it
just takes time.
The cost of FileMaker Pro is currently $249.00, available for Mac and
PC, and well worth the money. For a discount, go to: FileMaker Pro
Discount
49
Three
important
aspects
of
your
business
that
require
systemization are:
1. Marketing
2. Booking
3. Billing
The marketing system ensures that you get bookings. The Booking
systems makes sure you show up and deliver as promised. The
billing system helps ensure that you get paid for the shows you do.
Do not wing any of this.
To be clear, we are not talking about systems you use to actually get
bookings right now. We are talking about organizational systems that
need to be used in conjunction with your booking and various other
systems. Ultimately, as you grow and expand your business you will
have many variations of systems that work in conjunction with each
other. Build one at a time as you need them and integrate them as
you progress.
Your system can be a custom designed fully integrated software

system like mine, or a simple paper based system if that is all you
can afford. I ran my business using file cards, a menu box and a
paper daytimer for many years. Lack of resources is not a valid
reason to avoid getting started or keeping well organized.
You
probably have everything you need now to build or improve your

systems. If not, they are all available at your local stationery and
electronics store.
50
Lesson 4 - Promotional Material Magic
(Back to Index)
Your promotional material is a direct reflection of the quality of your

act. One important often-overlooked aspect regarding promotional
material is that you should have completely different sets of
promotional material for each market you pursue. For example, a
sales letter may be appropriate to include with, or even instead of,
other promotional material at certain times. Fortunately, one of the
most exciting and lucrative markets, the corporate market, often fits
into this category.
On the other hand, if you're pursuing cruise ship work, a video is a

necessity. If you were going after a casino venue, then an elaborate
mock-up of your stage setting along with a personal formal
presentation and topnotch video and printed material would likely be
necessary.
So you must be armed with a variety of different material in order to

effectively promote your shows in various markets.
This is so
important that I am going to reiterate this point in a moment.
When you go out to perform, do you present the exact same show
every time? Do you say the exact same words, delivered the same
way every time? I hope not.
If you do not alter your performance to suit your audience, then are
you also assuming that every audience is exactly the same?
Of
51
course they are not, and therefore it stands to reason that you adjust
your performance to suit your audience.
Just as the people in your audience vary based on demographics and

a variety of other circumstances, so do the individual potential clients
that you market to. So this begs the question, do you always present
the same sales message in your promotional material and marketing
efforts?
Okay, this is where the rubber meets the road. What I am going to
tell you now is something that is rarely done, yet it separates the high
income earners in our business from those who are unable to fill their
calendar as they would like to.
You need to have separate printed material, web sites, video demos,
stationery,
sales
letters,
guarantees,
bonuses,
headlines,
presentations and offers that are highly targeted. While the pieces
must vary according to your target audience, there should be
consistency within certain areas of your message and design. In
other words, you are still selling you and your unique identity, but in
different packages in order to appeal to a variety of buyers. You
should create templates and then make adjustments based on your
individual campaigns.
So, just as you plan your show based on your specific audience, take
the same approach to your marketing, and you will find yourself in
higher demand and at higher fees. You can start now by examining
52
your current material and breaking apart varying messages to

different audiences. Separate incongruent components and create
individual pieces accordingly.
Does this mean that a catch-all web site, video or printed piece is not
needed at all?
No, actually, you need that too. There are certain buyers of your
services such as agents, event planners, and speaker bureaus that
are experienced in booking talent and want to see the whole picture.
You target these types of buyers with a general piece AND provide
them with individually targeted marketing devices that they can
present to their less experienced clients.
Performing a few children oriented routines when performing for an

all adult audience makes about as much sense as sending out a
Magician for all Occasion advertising piece. Do not overestimate
the abilities of your potential clients to discern whether or not you can
effectively entertain their group when you provide them with anything
less than a targeted message specifically aimed at them and their
needs.
Look, you better believe that if you are ever competing against me for
a job, and your material is not targeted, I will get the gig and you will
not. And believe me, my fee will be substantial. Why? My material
will touch the very nerve of the buyer and they will want me
53
regardless of cost. This is not theory. I challenge you to compete

with me and frankly, hope you win a few. Why?
It means that my teaching is working for you. That is a new challenge

for me and so far is quite satisfying.
Most of your questions regarding promotional material probably relate

to sales letters and video demos and the Internet. I will cover these
areas at length in this lesson.
We will look at web sites as a way to promote your show. This is a

vast topic and I will give you solid advice based on much trial and
error and intense study.
Also included is the best advice I have
found after wading through hundreds of articles.
They are from leading Internet marketing authorities; cherry picked

for you, and the information is valuable. These articles are complete
within themselves and are provided with permission as long as a link
to the authors site is included.
There are many ways to make money on the web. For each of the
variety of ways to prosper using the Internet, there are hundreds of
choices, variations, and schools of thought on each and every detail.
I strongly encourage you to pursue this area. Most of my current

business, including the promotion of my shows, speeches and
products is web-based.
54
As for what specific pieces of information to include by way of

promotional material that varies depending upon the venue. This will
be covered separately as I teach you how to get booked in each
individual market. Lets go now to video demos, sales letters and the
World Wide Web.
Video Demos
With your video demo, you should take as long as necessary to sell
your prospect. That is, if it doesnt take you very long!
There are many schools of thought regarding video demo length and
content. There is no real definitive answer because different viewers
have different tastes and varying attention spans. Arguably, a video,
like a sales letter, should be as long as it takes to convince the
subject to take positive action in your direction. Avoid being boring at
all costs. Be sure that you use exciting footage masterfully edited in
order to convey your message in the least amount of time. Think
television commercial, think sound bites. Your goal is to convince the
viewer that you are the answer to their problems, again, in the least
amount of time. Your video, like your show, must leave them wanting
more.
Your performance and video may be absolutely fantastic and

someone may watch it for an extended length of time, say 30
minutes. However, that is unlikely. Also, unfortunately, you and your
friends and family will probably be more impressed with your video
55
than the average viewer. This has a lot to do with the amount of work
that you put into your performance, plus the expense and labor
involved in producing the video itself.
I have had videos as short as two minutes and as long as 20 minutes.

I recommend that your video be approximately the same length that I
have been using the past several years - seven minutes, give or take
a minute or two.
My main current video is simply a series of
television appearance clips.
This has been effective, as it
immediately establishes celebrity status in the minds of the viewers.

It also displays a variety of effects with different sized studio
audiences.
Quietly assume that your buyer has no imagination, so that if they

only see you in front of audiences of up to 50 people then they will
not consider you for their audience of 100 people. And visa versa!
A video comprised solely of television clips is the perfect video to be

used in order to obtain future television spots. It is one of few types
of videos that can easily cross markets.
A video comprised of
footage of the target market you are sending the tape to is better still.
The more targeted the better.
If you wish to pursue the college market for example, use whatever
means you can, your existing video, a sales letter, a showcase, or
even a free show if necessary, to get at least one or two college
shows that you can tape. Colleges have video production facilities
56
and you can offer free performance in exchange for them shooting
your show and editing the tape.
This approach will save you thousands of dollars, get your foot in the
door in this market and provide you with a marketing tool that can aid
you in securing many more bookings in the future.
Here's another way to get a free, quality, demo tape. Every major
city will have some type of group of budding television and film
producers. In Vancouver, there are several, including a group called
Women in Film.
Despite the name of the organization, men are
allowed to join as associates, and I am a member. Do some digging

and find such groups where you live. There are many talented and
creative people willing to work for free just for the experience and
rsum credit.
Many of them own their own cameras and have
access to the other equipment needed to produce your demo.
A fourth way to get a free demo video is to contact technical schools

that specialize in television and film production training and ask them
to take on your project. And yet a fifth way to get a free professional
demo video is to look in the yellow pages and contact actors agents.
Tell them you want to produce a video of your show and ask if they
know any budding producers that might assist you. While you are at
it, let them know that you are available for consulting and acting. (You
are, arent you?).
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Your goal is to have a different tape for each market you are going to
pursue. Tightly edit footage from real live performances with real
audiences. Never use canned laughter, and if you shoot in a studio,
which has its advantages because you can control the situation, be
sure the finished product does not look staged.
If you choose to use a voice-over-type presentation that sells your

show and walks the viewer through the tape, be careful not to have it
come across as cheesy.
Like all other forms of marketing and advertising you should test
different formats for your videos. Here are just a couple ideas, but
the variations are limitless:
Television Demo: Length 2 minutes
If you have only one television clip, then the whole tape is that one
clip. Then keep adding clips as you use this tape to get more spots.
Ultimately, your tape will be packed with as many spots as you can fit
in within 2 minutes. Even if a spot is not great, or if you have dozens
of spots, then just show your introductions by the host. Show at least
one effect, not necessarily in its entirety but in such a way that the
viewer understands what happened.
Corporate Demo: Length 7 minutes
Title (upbeat music): 10 seconds
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Montage of highlight shots from various shows (upbeat music):

30-seconds
TV Clip (highlights of one effect): 1 minute
Corporate Audience Clip (large audience): 2 minutes 20
seconds
Corporate Audience Clip (small audience): 2 minutes
Audience Testimonials after the Shows (like the movies): 1
minute
Here is another common format for demos using a voice over:

Length: 10-15 minutes
High impact open and close
Crowd reaction shots
Still photos, slow mo, spinning around etc. while using voice
over
List of clients
Flurries of closing bits*
1 or 2 complete segments
Testimonials
Flash reference letters
*Editing Note: If chopping out a segment from a routine and music
doesnt match, and then lay down new audio.
Sales Letters
What is a sales letter?
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A sales letter is a document that is designed with one purpose in

mind, to generate sales. It persuades the reader to take action. That
action may be to place an order now or to request more information
which in turn is designed to convince the reader to place an order.
The purpose of the sales letter is to influence the reader to take a
specific action. It is not a notice, a brochure, or an announcement; it
is an offer. In order for the letter to be effective it must be specific, it
must be delivered to an audience that is eager to discover the
information, it must appeal to the readers needs and it must inform
and inspire.
Most magicians printed material and web sites are designed in such
a way as to tell, not sell. This is a mistake. For the most part, it is a
waste of space and a waste of opportunity.
Photos, video, and
testimonials may complement the sales letter. Everything else being

equal, a magician who provides a powerful sales letter will get more
bookings for higher fees than one who does not.
It is imperative that you thoroughly research and understand the

motivations, desires and problems of your reader. You must walk a
mile in their shoes, dwell into their minds, and fully understand what
they want and how you can help them. You must answer the
questions:
What can the reader gain by dealing with you?
Why should they deal with you over someone else?
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What is it that you offer that is unique and that they can't get
anywhere else?
You must persuade your reader that he or she must book your show
because what you offer provides more benefits and is more attractive
than that of any other magicians.
A common mistake I often see magicians making, and regular people

too, is to confuse features with benefits.
An easy way to
understand the difference between a feature and a benefit is as

follows: the benefit is what your show will accomplish for the buyer;
the feature is within the show itself. Comedy may be a feature of
your show; while a benefit to your client could be the recognition that
he or she will receive from her boss for making a great choice in
hiring you.
Here are some more questions to ask when writing your sales letter:
Who is it going to?
How is it being delivered?
Where and when is it being sent?
Is it on the web?
For example, a letter that you would send in the mail would likely be
essentially the same as a letter you display on your web site with a
few minor changes. On the web, because the reader will be viewing
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your information on a computer screen, which can be harder to read

than print on paper, you would use larger type size and more
generous spacing.
Although there are several different variables to consider, most sales

letters will share the same properties. There are many variations in
sales letters, and many general rules. Many successful letters do not
fit into any of these variations and break all the rules. The sales letter
will likely become the crux of most of your marketing efforts. More so
than any other tool, you must test, test, test, and then continue to
test.
Following, is a basic formula for you that I often use with excellent
results.
This formula is based on an old marketing principle that my father

crammed into my head since I was a little boy:
AIDA
Attention
Interest
Desire
Action
Get their attention, create interest, inspire desire, and lead into action.
The sales letter formula is basically AIDA on steroids. Here is your:
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10 Step Sales Letter Formula

1. An attention grabbing, powerful, benefit laden headline.
2. A testimonial to create immediate credibility.
3. An illustration of the problem facing the reader to create

interest.
4. A series of clearly identifiable benefits to create desire.
5. A clear and logical explanation to support the value of your

offer.
6. A stack of bonuses to further entice the reader.
7. A guarantee that removes risks and reinforces your credibility.
8. An immediate call for action to avoid procrastination.
9. An explanation of what the reader will lose if they do not accept

this offer now.
10. Clear instructions as to what to do next.
Follow these ten steps to write your own letter. The general rule
about length of the letter is that it should be as long as necessary to
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compel the reader to take action that will benefit them. Testing has
shown that a long letter will outsell a short letter almost every time.
This is not permission to bore them. The letter will be long because
you have found so much information about the reader that you have a
lot to tell them that interests them and you included all the important
elements. A short interesting letter is better than a long boring letter.
A long interesting letter creates revenue.
Here is a useful report on writing sales copy by my friend and widely

respected copy writing expert, Joe Vitale. Some of what he will tell
you in this report is very similar to what I have been teaching you. To
hear it again in different context is an effective way for you to learn.
Bonus Report - "The 10 Laws for Writing Letters that Get Results." By Joe Vitale
The following is a letter in response to a question about how to write

sales letters. This is something you could model in layout, tone, and
ideas, to write your own letters.
By the way, this is where your
letterhead should go.
Dear Fellow Chicago Seminar Attendees,
Jerry Jenkins asked me to tell you how to write letters that get read
and get results. That's a tall order! Well, heres what I think the "laws"
are:
1. Know what's in it for your reader.
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Get out of your ego and into your reader's ego. Complete this
sentence: "Get my book so that you can...(fill in the blank)." Your
book (or whatever you are selling) is the feature. What people get as
a result of having your book is the benefit.
Focus on benefits.
Always! Without this, your letter will bomb.
2. Write a headline that telegraphs the key benefit to your reader.
ALWAYS use a headline. There is only ONE exception to this rule.

When you personalize your letter, the "Dear (whoever) opening
becomes your headline. There are few headlines more powerful
than the reader's own name. The headline is THE most important
part of your letter! Spend nearly all of your time on it.
3. Be brief.
Say what you have to say in terms of the reader's self interest and
shut up. This does NOT necessarily mean a short letter. If you are
trying to make a sale, and the reader has never heard of you or your
item for sale, you may have to write four or more pages to get your
message across. If all you want is a return call, a one page letter may
do. Don' be afraid of length. People will read any length of copy AS
LONG AS IT'S INTERESTING!
4. Always use a PS.
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Always. Why do copywriters who charge upwards to $15,000 to write

a sales letter and have weeks to draft it always use a PS? They are
always read. Always.
5. Look good.
Visual attractiveness accounts for 70% of your letter's impact. Use

short sentences, short paragraphs, bulleted points, indented
paragraphs, subheads, etc. Some people will just skim your letter, so
engaging subheads and bulleted points help reach them instantly.
6. Outline first.
Use a planning tool to help you think through your message. Or talk
to a friend. Or to a tape recorder. Or to yourself. This also helps you
get comfortable with speaking your letter rather than writing it.
7. Write first, edit last.
Turn your inner editor off. You can rewrite later. For now, write
spontaneously and quickly to get your ideas on paper.
8. Ask for something.
Why are you writing? You want a call, an order. Something. Say so!
9. Get a reader.
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Find one person to read your letter OUT LOUD in front of you. If he
(or she) has trouble reading your letter, if he wrinkles his brow or
stops to reread a sentence, rewrite those places. Don't skip this step!
It's the secret of many professional writers.
10. Rewrite your letter again.
Is it the best you can do? Be honest! If not, throw it away and call the
person instead. Or hire a copywriter to write it for you. Why waste
your time or your reader's with something that doesn't communicate
in a persuasive and interesting way? (I rewrote this letter 24 times!)
Well, there you have it. Of course, there are more rules, laws, ideas
and suggestions for writing letters that get results. You should always
guarantee whatever you are selling, for example, and always offer
proof for all of your claims. But the above will get you rolling.
Sincerely,
Joe Vitale Hypnotic Writing
(ALWAYS Identify yourself. People look here to see who the letter is
from.)
PS -- Notice that you read this PS?

PPS -- Notice that you read this one, too?
For more information on Joe Vitale, visit:

http://www.roibot.com/r_hw.cgi?R49444_mmbonus
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Here is a terrific report by a marketer who is well known in the

Internet world. The Internet is not the topic, instead he touches on a
principle that I use all the time.
I want you to learn what works for me, in a variety of forms. Also, this
book is about sharing my resources with you completely. And that,
by the way, is why I have included the guest reports and interviews.
Bonus Report - "Make prospects beg to do business with you." By Yanik Silver
Do you remember the stupid beer commercial a few years back with
the tagline "Why Ask Why?" Well, completely unknown to the ad
agency -- they had almost stumbled onto a breakthrough marketing
concept.
Telling people the reason why you are doing something is one of the
most powerful influencers of human behavior.
Robert Cialdini, Ph.D. in his book "Influence: The Psychology of
Persuasion"
talks
about
an
experiment
by
Harvard
social
psychologist, Ellen Langer, that concluded people like to have a

reason for what they do.
Her experiment consisted of people waiting in line to use a library
copy machine and then having experimenters ask to get ahead in
line.
The first excuse used was "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use
the Xerox machine because I'm in a rush?" This request coupled with
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a reason was successful 94% of the time. However when the

experimenter made a request only: "Excuse me, I have five pages.
May I use the Xerox machine?" this request was only granted 60% of
the time. A significant drop.
Okay now for the shocker.
It may seem like the difference between those two requests was the
additional information of "because I'm in a rush", but that's just not the
case.
Because in a third experimenter, the experimenter asks "Excuse me,
I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to
make some copies?" There's no reason mentioned or new
information presented, just the words "because".
This time a full 93% of the people said yes simply due to the word
'BECAUSE'! And it didn't even matter that there was no reason given.
Just the word because triggered a magic response.
Using this psychological 'trigger' can massively increase your
Marketing success.
Here's an example: John E. Powers, one of the top copywriters in the
1900's, wrote this ad for a Pittsburgh department store in severe
financial trouble:
"We are bankrupt. We owe $125,000 more than we can pay, and this
announcement will bring our creditors down on our necks. But if you
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come and *buy* tomorrow, we shall have the money to meet them. If
not, we shall go to the wall."
Instead of yelling 'SALE' like so many other stores would, there's a
legitimate reason given why people should spend their money at this
store. And this ad was said to be responsible for saving the store.
Another ad written by Powers, for a different merchant, proclaimed
"We have a lot of rotten raincoats we want to get rid of." This sold out
the entire inventory of raincoats by the next morning.
Max Sackheim, famous for the long-running ad "Do You Make These
Mistakes In English" and originator of the book-of-the-month concept,
says this: "Whenever you make a claim or special offer in your
advertising, come up with an honest reason why, and then state it
sincerely. You'll sell many more products this way."
And this powerful strategy works just as well today.
Using this secret weapon for a medical equipment company, I helped
them produce a massive 1,073% return on investment simply using
"reason-why" copy.
The premise was how can we sell a product for the incredibly low
price of only $477? (Regularly this product sells for about $695 $895.) Then the ad went on to explain that the reason why the price
was so low was because the manufacturer wanted to gain market
share and get nurses and doctors accustomed to using their product.
It was a huge winner and a big money-maker for the client.
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So how can you apply all of this to your business? Easy. Let's say
you have a slow time of year and you want to increase your business
during this period. Well, write a simple letter to your customers
making a special offer, only good during your slow period.
Maybe you'll throw in an extra free bonus, an extra service, or a
special discount simply because it is your "slow time" and you need
to pay your staff anyway.
Let people in "behind the scenes" at your company...
* Are you overstocked on merchandise because for some reason
customers only want the deluxe widget - but you ordered tons of the
basic one?
* Did you have a flood and you need to liquidate your inventory?
* Do you need to raise cash so you can pay for your nose job?
Whatever the reason. Tell them the truth.
For some reason everyone wants to be mysterious about their
business. If you're lowering the price nobody thinks you're doing it
just because you're "such a nice guy". Let people in the reason why.
I know this probably goes against every grain of business sense, but I
promise if you give people a good, believable reason why they'll
respond with open wallets.
Yanik Silver: http://www.instantinternetprofits.com/?168901
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Headlines
The headline is the single most important element of your sales letter.
If I had to choose between a great headline and mediocre copy or a
mediocre headline and great copy, the intelligent choice would be a
great headline. The headline gets them in the door and grabs their
attention. If you don't capture the reader's attention immediately, it
does not matter how great your sales letter is, as it will not get read
anyway. The headline, as a matter of fact, will actually determine the
content of the copy of the letter itself.
4 steps to writing powerful headlines:
1. Write down 50 to 100 benefits of your product or service. In

this case, most likely your show.
2. From your list of benefits, convert these words or phrases into a

headline.
3. Choose what you consider to be the three best. Run them by

friends, family and colleagues.
4. Of the three. Choose your personal favorite as the main

headline.
Choose your second favorite as the pre-headline
(small text that appears before the main headline). The third
favorite will be the sub headline, which appears underneath the
main headline.
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Other good headlines that you wrote of the 50 to 100 will be used
throughout your letter as additional sub-headlines. They can also be
used and reworked as beginnings of sentences and for your PSs.
Every word you write must create interest and continue to do the job
of convincing the reader to take the next step that you want them to
take. You must continually fulfill the AIDA formula.
"An advertisement cannot stimulate sales if it is not read; it cannot be

read if it is not seen; it will not be seen unless it can get attention... And
to capture that attention, you've got to earn it."
- Victor O. Schwab, Author (How To Write A Good Advertisement)
Have you read Dale Carnegies book, How to Win Friends and
Influence People? If you haven't, please do. I bring this up not only
because it is a great book, a classic, but also to point out that the title
has a lot to do with the fact that millions of people have read it. The
title is a headline, probably the most powerful one that exists.
HOW TO______________ SO YOU CAN________________.
I am telling you that the headline is important, but dont just take my
word for it. Here are a few other guys that know a thing or two about
marketing and what they say about the function of a headline:
Here's what David Ogilvy, an advertising expert, said about the power
of headlines:
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"On the average, 5 times as many people read the headlines as read
the body copy. It follows that unless your headline sells your product,
you have wasted 90% of your money."
And, to call upon Victor Schwab again, he had this to say:
"Some of the most tremendous flops among advertisements contain

body matter filled with convincing copy. But it just wasn't capsuled
into a good headline. And so the excellent copy didn't even get a
reading."
John Caples, a well respected marketer, summed up the importance

of headlines with this remark:
"...I spend hours on headlines -- days if necessary. And when I get a

good headline, I know that my task is nearly finished. Writing the copy
can usually be done in a short time, if necessary. And that
advertisement will be a good one ... that is if the headline is really a
"stopper".
And famous direct marketer, Ted Nicholas concluded:
"Based on hundreds of tests conducted, a good headline can be as

much as 17 times more effective than a so-so headline. And this is
with exactly the same body copy!"
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And most experienced marketers, myself included, will tell you that
their testing has proved that one headline will pull up to 1500% more
response/profit than another!
Okay, so here are some headlines that you can use now:
The News Headline:

"Breakthrough Magician Uncovers
The Secrets To Making Your Event
The Best Ever!"
The 'Yes' Question Headline:

"Would You Like To Know How An Event Planner
With No Experience in the Art of Magic, Pulled off the Best Trick
Ever?"
The 'How-To' Headline:

"How To Make Your Upcoming Event A Great Success
So You Can Look Like a Hero!"
And here are a few more that you may wish to use or adapt:
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18 ways to guarantee a successful event"

"They will think you're a magician "
"Act now, before this offer disappears"
"Secrets of a successful party planner"
Now, lets conclude this conversation about headlines with an
excellent report that I suggest you study carefully.
Bonus Report Instantly Double the Response of Any Ad by David Garfinkel
Masters of marketing know a secret that most business people don't.

I'm going to share it with you now: You can go from losing money to
making money - sometimes, a *lot* of money - just by changing a few
words.
What words are those? The first words... in any letter, ad or Web
page. The words that make up the headline.
Recently I was speaking to a business group about writing killer copy,

and to make my point, I took that day's edition of USA Today and
covered up all the headlines on the front page with inch-wide white
correction tape. I asked them what was wrong with the newspaper.
"No headlines!" they blurted out, almost all at once.
"Then why," I asked, "do so many of your ads not have headlines?"
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It's a fact: We have been conditioned to decide what to read based

on the effect a few choice words have on our thoughts and our
feelings. With books, it's often the title. With articles in the
newspaper, it's the words in a headline. With a magazine on the
newsstand, it's the headlines on the cover.
Whether you know it or not, we decide whether or not to read ads,

letters and Web pages the same way.
So, if that's the case, how do you write headlines to make people
want to read your copy, and get interested in doing business with
you?
Make your headline create a vivid picture and/or stimulate a strong

feeling.
In your business, many of your conversations are logical and factual.

That's the nature of business - and to do otherwise would be
considered "unbusinesslike."
However, about the worst thing you can do for your promotion is to
have a strictly factual, logical headline at the top of your Web page,
letter, ad, flyer or postcard. Oh yes, the headline has to be believable
and make sense. And what your headline says has to be supported
by logic and facts later in your promotion.
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But remember that the purpose of your killer copy headline is to stir
the emotions of your prospect in the direction of buying what you
have to sell... and to get your prospect interested in reading what
comes next in your copy.
Here's an example for a hypothetical product that helps children do

better at school.
First, an ineffective headline:
Children who don't do well at school will have many problems later on
in their lives
Now, a more effective headline:
"Daddy! Daddy! I got straight A's!" he said proudly. Suddenly my

son's future was looking much brighter...
Notice how the first headline states a fact but does not stir emotions
in a big way. The second headline, using the same number of words
(17), conveys 1) excitement 2) pride 3) hope for the future, and it also
creates a beautiful scene in the reader's mind of a happy parent-child
situation.
Action: When you are preparing or revising a promotion, take the time
you need, or get the help you need, to write a great headline that
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creates a vivid picture and stimulates strong feelings in the mind of

your prospect.
Use headlines that make your prospect instantly understand your

most important benefit.
One of my favorite pieces of advertising is a headline (and an old

slogan) for a plumbing service. I'm not that big on plumbing,
personally - it's the kind of thing you wish would work perfectly all the
time so you never have to think about it!
Why, then, am I so fond of an old plumbing headline? Because it's a

great example of making your prospect instantly aware of the benefit
of your service.
The company is Roto-Rooter.
The headline is as follows:
Call Roto-Rooter - that's the name - And away go troubles, down the
drain!
Wow - is that perfection in a couple of lines, or what? You get
1) a call to action 2) company identification and 3) a visual description

of the benefit.
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That's hard to beat! If you've ever had a stopped-up drain, you know
exactly why this would be of benefit to you!
Killer Copy Point: Show your headline to people who are unfamiliar
with your product and company, but who would be good prospects for
what you are selling. See how slowly or quickly they understand what
you are saying - especially, what would be the benefit to them. Keep
rewriting your headline until these people instantly "get it!"
Make your headline pass the "Shortcut Test"
Imagine all you were allowed to do was run your headline plus a tollfree number... as a classified ad. Ask yourself this question: Would it
generate inquiries for you in that form?
I'll give you an example from my own business. I'm taking the
headline and subheadline from a long-copy print promotion for my
product called Killer Copy Tactics:
Money-Making Secrets Every Business Owner Needs
For years, sales copywriting experts have quietly made millions with
these little-known secrets. Now you can use this information yourself.
Call (000) 000-0000
I used this example for purposes of illustration. Read it again, and ask
yourself if these words alone, printed in the right location, wouldn't
prompt qualified prospects to call for more information?
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Killer Copy Point: Put your headline and subheadline through the
Shortcut Test. Make sure that these words alone plus a toll-free
number are likely to generate a response from qualified prospects.
The art of writing headlines is a special skill well worth the time and
effort it takes to develop. There are many known statistics in direct
marketing that bear repeating here:
Five times as many people read the headline as read the ad or

letter.
Changes in headlines have produced documented increases in

sales of 200%, 500% and, in one extreme case, 1,850% more sales!
It's a good idea to write 15 or 20 headlines for your letter or ad, and
use the "leftover" headlines as part of the selling copy itself.
Become a student of headlines and a connoisseur of great headlines.

Collect them, think about them, and practice writing them. The reward
for your efforts will show up every time you get another order or
inquiry that you never would have gotten if you didn't make the effort!
You can learn more about David Garfinkel by clicking here.
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P.S.
Sometimes your reader will read the headline and then if they are cut
to the chase, bottom line type individuals they will go immediately to
the bottom of your letter and that is where your PS resides. Your PS
must be as strong as your headline and be a strong call to action.
Not the easiest task, but a very important element of your letter and
one that you need to pay a lot of attention to.
P.S. Please reply promptly, because dates will fill quickly, and
remember this is a special show for a once a year occasion.
P.S. Youll be amazed at how simple and easy it is to come across as
a hero among your coworkers. Call me now and we can get started
immediately.
P.S. If you would like the names and numbers of several meeting
planners that have been booking my shows and winning accolades
from their corporate clients for over a decade, I will be glad to provide
details.
P.S. EXTRA FREE BONUS SHOW! Just for booking my Comedy
ESP Show, youll also receive a STROLLING MAGIC SHOW during
cocktail hour prior to the after-dinner performance on June 9th. This
special offer is available to you for the next seven days.
(Note: Sometimes you may want to have several PSs)
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P.P.S.
Quick-response added bonus! For booking within 7 days
youll also receive a $500 tax receipt in your companys name to the
charity of your choice.
Guarantees
I dont know about you, but if I did a show that my client was less than
ecstatic about, I wouldnt want their money. I hope you feel the same
way.
Testimonials
If I had to choose and decide upon one single method to promote
myself it would be without a doubt the use of testimonials. In many
cases, beginning when I was doing my first paid magic shows at the
age of 12, right up to literally ten minutes ago, the use of testimonials
in one way or another is all that has been needed to obtain bookings.
An indirect testimonial, otherwise referred to as word of mouth

advertising, has always made up the majority of my bookings. The
nicest part about this, is that the person who books me, based on a
testimonial from someone they trust, has already decided to hire me
and often does not even ask my fee. Of course I tell them at the end
of the conversation how much I will be billing them for, but it is rarely
an issue. This exact situation just happened moments ago and has
been a common occurrence throughout my career. The best part
about this most recent booking is that the person who recommended
me booked me for the first time over six years ago. I want the majority
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of your bookings to come to you in the same manner, by testimonials

from your delighted clients. This will happen and increase for you as
you provide excellent service and a terrific show every time.
I digressed for a moment about indirect testimonials to share the

experience with you that just occurred. Everything I am teaching you
in this course really works. Have confidence in yourself and follow
my advice and you will prosper.
You can never have enough testimonials. After every single show
you do, send a thank you card to the client. In your note request a
letter from them expressing their overwhelming satisfaction in doing
business with you and the audience reaction to your performance. It
really is that simple. I have hundreds of such letters and they are
directly responsible for my success in getting several thousands of
bookings over the years. Most often, when I am quoting on a show,
all that I provide by way of promotional material is a sales letter and
10 to 20 testimonial letters.
The letters are from clients that are
similar to, or the same as, the type of client that is considering hiring
me.
When booked through an agency or speakers bureau, approach this

differently. Ask the agent to either request a letter from the client, or
ask if they wouldnt mind if you were to send a thank you note without
your contact information and a request that the client send a letter to
you through the agency. This is to not circumvent their relationship
and the agent will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
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Start collecting testimonials from every booking that you do. Save
them, collect them, categorize them, and use them often.
Your
prospective client will always believe what someone else says about
you, over what you say about yourself. The letters will build your
credibility and stature, and often eliminate the need for other
expensive promotional materials.
Having raved about testimonials, I must remind you now, as I will

continue to remind you, that no one way of doing anything will work
for everyone. When I say this, I don't mean testimonials may work for
me and not for you. They will most certainly work for you, me and
every other magician and every other business on the planet. They
just won't be effective with every potential client.
Most people value and respect the opinions of others, and for these
people, the majority of folks, there's nothing more convincing than a
testimonial. Some people, however, need to be convinced in other
ways, and that is why you appeal to those people in your sales letter.
Some people need to see for themselves, and if you want the
booking it may be necessary for you to invite them to a show or send
them a video.
Remember to always communicate in a targeted manner, while still

appealing to a wide variety of people within your target group with
varying views and personalities. No matter how well you research
your target demographic, there will always be variations of the human
condition that you need to appeal to. You do this by being eclectic in
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your approach and listening to your customers.
Pull, dont push.
Study and learn how to read people and appeal to their likes and
desires. You can make a good living as a magician without even
having a business card. You will simply have more opportunities
available to you if you are armed with an arsenal of promotional tools.
There is no way for me to tell you without knowing you, the right
answer as to what you really need by way of promotional material. I
will tell you in this course what each market expects or requires, but
even those rules can be bent if you approach them in an effective
manner. There is no excuse for failing to start promoting yourself
regardless of the current level of materials available to you.
Web Sites
The single most effective and cost-efficient way to make money as a
magician is by utilizing the power of the Internet. You still apply all of
the teachings in this course as your foundation of tools, systems,
principles and information. You will catapult your business by using
the Internet as your primary source of marketing and running your
daily operation.
By "using the Internet", I do not mean you create or hire someone to

design a website for you that has a ton of graphics and neat features.
That would be your first mistake (and incidentally, was mine!). What
you need is a website with an opt-in option for subscribers to your
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electronic
newsletter,
highly
targeted
traffic,
properly
placed
keywords, products that can be purchased in real time and more.
It is quite unlikely that you are doing this now. I know this, because I
have searched the net extensively and looked at hundreds of
magicians web sites and have found few that are doing this.
Web designers are almost always a total waste of money and

generally have limited knowledge about marketing. They can only be
useful to you once you know exactly what you want. Then, and only
then, you direct them as to how to design your site.
They may
disagree with you about the right way to do things and may even
influence you to make bad choices. They do not do this intentionally.
They believe that what they are telling you is good advice. From a
design perspective, they are probably right.
From a marketing
perspective they are usually way off track. If you do not know better,
you will follow their advice and join the masses of people who do not
make money on the net. The proof of this is only a click away.
The good news is that the most successful site you can put together
is also the simplest one to put together (once you are educated as to
what to do). You have a lot of the basic marketing information in this
course.
The same rules apply and the principles of dealing with
people remain constant. The performing venues dont change either.

But listen to what I have to say next. It will open your mind up to a
whole new world of possibilities.
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You are wasting your time, money and energy if you use traditional
forms of marketing. There has never been a better time to make a
ton of money as a magician and a small businessperson.
Long
before the Internet became as available as it is now, I used to dream

about a scenario not even close to what the Internet can do for us. I
fantasized about a way to contact targeted individuals with my
message at low or no cost and minimal effort. A time where I would
not have to spend a fortune in printing costs and run to the post office
all the time. The time has come and it has surpassed my wildest
dreams. We are truly on the ground floor of this opportunity, and you
are completely missing the boat if you dont immerse yourself in this
right now.
Well known marketing people are still promoting and teaching

unfortunate people, those who do not know better, to use outdated
marketing methods. I do respect and agree with much of what is
being taught. We can learn from these older methods and much of
the advice is excellent. However, compared to the Internet some of
these methods like direct mail in many cases are expensive, slow and
inefficient ways to promote yourself as a magician. They absolutely
pale in comparison with the digital alternative.
But Randy, you keep telling us to be eclectic and that there is never
only one right way to do things. I take it back. Just kidding. Right
now, not everyone is using the net, but most people can read their
mail. So, if you are now using direct mail to market yourself, it makes
sense to continue to do so until you are properly educated in Internet
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marketing. Faxing, when properly done, can be great too. Also, if

your primary target market is not yet wired, then that too is a good
reason to use direct mail. Plus, for other reasons, a combination of
approaches may be the right answer for you.
Personally, I have pretty much dropped all other forms of marketing

my magic business and do almost everything online. There is more
than enough high paying work for you and me and every other
magician on this planet by utilizing this medium solely. My target
market for the past ten years has been corporate. It is the most
lucrative market available to most of us, and fortunately the clients
are as intravenously hooked up to the Internet as I am.
The best advice I can give you is to learn to take advantage of the
power of the Internet and utilize it.
I am far from a technically
oriented person, but am learning more and more every day. I have a
computer and web nerd; I mean genius, who is currently working for
me three days a week as I am in the midst of developing several new
web sites to add to my existing ones.
I have numerous sites
promoting my products and shows, including a pretty site that was

created before I knew what I was doing. It is still up and in tact for
positioning reasons but will gradually be transformed useful.
If you want low cost, low risk, instantly testable methods to obtain
high market penetration as a magician then do not let this opportunity
pass you by. Today is just in time and tomorrow is a day too late. Get
in first while you can and reap the rewards of inexpensive and deep
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market penetration by learning and utilizing the Internet to your

advantage.
I dont want you to get ripped off by web designers and web
marketing gurus.
Anyone can make money on the Internet
regardless of his or her current skill level or knowledge. You can

design and publish a web page as easily as you can type a letter on a
word processor. You can create digital products by speaking into a
headset wired to your computer. You can book shows by building a
database of email addresses belonging to people who are in the
market to book you and have requested to receive information from
you regularly.
If you don't have a serious web presence, you are losing money and
opportunities. Even if you only book one extra show per month at
$2,500 as a direct result of your web site, thats an extra $30,000 per
year.
You can easily produce this kind of income with minimal
investment of money and time.
If nothing else, put up a simple one or two page web site with a sales
letter and testimonials.
Be sure to capture your visitors email
addresses by offering something in return. This is how you build your

opt-in mailing list. Use the information from other sections of this
course and write compelling copy. Be sure the site loads quickly by
holding back on graphics and any large files. Submit your site to
search engines and include your web address on all your printed
material.
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You should also check out and consider joining the magic banner
exchange. You get massive exposure, not just from magicians, but
also from potential customers.
Because there are so many sites
exchanging banners, there is a good chance that someone wanting to

book a magician in your area will find you as a result of clicking one
of your banner ads from a different site they come across. Its easy
to get started and there is a free and paid service available so you
really have nothing to lose.
I personally use this service and
recommend it. http://www.magicbannerexchange.com/
Here is a list of a few (I have over 20 right now) of my current sites, if

you care to analyze them:
http://www.charach.com
http://www.marketingmagician.com
http://www.magicianmarketing.com
http://www.speakermagic.com
http://www.synergytalent.com
http://www.synergycorporategifts.com
Feel free to grab and learn from the free E-Zines that are offered on
these sites.
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Lesson 5 - Fees for Financial Freedom
(Back to Index)
How much is your show worth? Although the answer seems quite
subjective, there is a way to determine a range of the current value of
your show. You start by comparing your performance to other acts
that have a similar show and are equally entertaining.
One of the secrets of increasing your value far above this range is to
add extra service above and beyond the performance itself. People
will pay a premium to book your show over another magician who
may have a similar show that elicits similar audience reaction. They
will pay this premium if they enjoy dealing with you more so than with
the other magician. It is worth extra money for them to book your
show of similar quality rather than a less expensive show when they
can rest assured that you would deliver as promised and exceed their
expectations in every aspect of dealing with you.
How much extra is the superior service and comfort worth? That
depends on your clients resources and your sales and marketing
ability. This means that you can increase your fees again by focusing
your marketing efforts on higher paying venues and clients. I have
always charged substantially higher fees than many other magicians
in similar markets.
The higher fees themselves are one of the
reasons I get more bookings, but certainly not the main reason. At my
current fee of $5000.00 for a show at a corporate engagement in the
U.S., I am in line with other acts of my caliber but still five to ten times
the cost of the next best local performer. Now, granted I'm not doing
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an average of 300-400 shows per year as I used to when my fee was

more modest, but I prefer to do less shows now.
Is my show worth $5000.00?
Yes.
If it wasn't I would not be
obtaining repeat bookings from the same clients year after year at
this fee. Is your show worth $5000.00? I don't know. Do you? Is it
worth more than you charge now? Probably. How much more, I don't
know. I could only answer that for you if I knew more about your
overall business.
Keep in mind that you may have to make a lifestyle choice soon. I
could be doing many more shows at my current fee if I chose to
market myself aggressively.
This requires traveling more than I
currently am willing to do. I was just married last year and my first
child, after my stepdaughter, is due soon.
While I still enjoy
performing out of town, I have chosen to diversify further into streams

of income that do not require as much travel.
If you rely only on performing as your sole source of income, even if

you are doing big numbers, you are working for a living. What I mean
is, you are trading your time for money with little or no leverage. You
are not reaping the benefits of business by leveraging your time. You
have not set up a system whereby your skills, talents and abilities will
create income, as they say, while you sleep. If you want to travel a
lot, then you will have an easier time making more money as your
geographical target area opens up as wide as you want it to. You
should still set up other income streams that are conducive to your
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being on the road. Most of the same business options will still be
open to you. Your social and family life will just be different than if
you work mostly within a day or two of your hometown.
I suggest you raise your fee immediately as long as you follow most
of the advice that I give you in this course. Raising your fee, as
mentioned above, will raise the perceived value of your show. Some
people will choose your show, all else being equal, over competitors,
just because your fee is higher. They will feel that they are getting
the best, and for some people, myself included, only the best is good
enough.
Accept this advice only if you have a good show. You
cannot rip people off and expect to stay in business long. They must
feel that they got at least what they paid for and preferably much
more.
When you raise your fee in the same market, to the same clients, do
it gradually or expect to do less shows and probably make less
money for a while. If you move into a higher paying market, you can
make a big jump from your current fee. The trick is to start marketing
and obtaining bookings in the higher paying markets before you
abandon your other markets.
I am providing a vast array of information on various markets in this

course. It is up to you to choose which ones to venture into, which
ones to expand upon and which ones, if any, to drop. Create multiple
streams of income as an entertainer by working various markets.
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Lesson 6 - Gentlemen & Gentlewomen Agreements
(Back to Index)
"A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on."
Samuel Goldwyn.
I suggest that all your agreements be made in writing, for several

reasons. When booking your shows you must confirm the details in
writing with a contract or letter of agreement. This will clear up any
misunderstanding or miscommunication regarding details pertaining
to your appearance.
Perhaps the person who booked you said
January 5th. If you thought the person said January 6th, youre in big
trouble. Or perhaps they said January 6th but meant to say, and
thought they said, January 5th. Youre still in big trouble. Simple
miscommunication on your part, or the part of the person booking you
will damage your business in a multitude of ways. It will damage your
reputation, cost you far more money than the loss from that one
booking, and it will certainly do harm to your psyche. One simple,
avoidable error can cause this. This example is just one of many
potential miscommunications that can be avoided by confirming every
detail in writing.
Do you think it is fair that your business suffer even if the mistake is
someone else's? If you have systems in place, as discussed in a
previous lesson, most of these situations will not occur.
Accept
responsibility for running a business that makes it easy for your

customers to do business with you. That includes setting up systems
95
designed to catch potential errors during every stage of the

transaction. What if you do everything right and they still mess up?
For example, they dont read your agreement. First of all, get in the
habit of blending several forms of verification of details during
communication and there will be few or no problems.
Okay, if
something goes wrong anyway, be a mensch (basic translation: a

generous and kind person): Make people happy and your rewards will
return to you tenfold.
I have always used and continue to use a simple one-page

invoice/agreement that is faxed immediately to the client on
confirmation of the booking. One page should be sufficient to sum up
your requirements and the details of the engagement while also
acting as a bill for your services.
I do not have them sign the
agreement; instead, they are required to send either full or partial

payment upon receipt.
Payment signifies their agreement and
acknowledgement of the details.
Depending on the length of time prior to the event of the date, I

currently request either 50% or 100% of my fee in advance. When
my fee was in the several-hundred-dollar range rather than several
thousand dollars, I always requested 100% in advance regardless of
when the show was booked in relation to the actual booking date.
Now it is 50% to secure the booking and the balance either one week
before the show date or at the event itself. Even though these are my
terms, I often receive the full amount in advance from repeat
96
customers.
It is one of the many ways they express their
appreciation for my service.
Conversely, on rare occasions, a
company will prefer to pay a smaller than 50% deposit and that is
usually okay with me too. What you do will depend on your fee, your
market, and what makes you comfortable. Here is the wording from
my agreement, feel free to use it:
* 50% payable within ten days to avoid cancellation of booking. The

balance of the invoice is due on day of event prior to performance.
* Contract payments are non-refundable should the purchaser cancel

or postpone.
* If for any reason beyond the control of SPI, Randy is delayed or

unable to appear and a change of date or substitution cannot be
agreed upon, then this agreement shall be cancelled with no further
obligation by either party. In this case, any prepaid fee amount will
be immediately returned to the client.
* SPI assumes no liability for expenses incurred or damages suffered

in connection with this agreement.
* No recording devices of any kind may be used without express

written consent from SPI.
* Contracted finish time may be adhered to, regardless of schedule

delays unapproved of in advance.
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Lesson 7 - Your First Class Performance
(Back to Index)
It is difficult in this format without knowing anything about you or your

market to give specific advice regarding your performance. Also, it is
not the topic of this course, but it is integral to your success. So I will
say something that applies to everyone and is business related. Your
performance begins upon first contact with the person who books
you, and it continues throughout your show and throughout your
relationship with your client. They're buying you as a package deal.
The show itself is the centerpiece of the package. Never lose sight of
the fact that as professional and groovy as your show might be, how
you handle yourself before and after the performance will long be
remembered in the same light as the show itself.
The quality of your show will have a direct correlation with the size of
your bank account. You may be surprised that I say this, considering
I speak about all the other elements rather than the show itself as a
means to obtain higher booking fees and more bookings. Well, as
excellent as your business and personal relationships may be, if your
show stinks then the other stuff will not be enough to allow you to
thrive as a professional magician. You have to have it all. The show
part of show business is equally as important as the business part.
You need to pursue excellence in both. You cannot charge high fees
unless you consistently provide fantastic performances.
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Now, who is the judge as to whether your show is good or not? Well
the answer is obvious to you, I hope. It is your audience. It certainly
isn't other magicians and definitely isn't you. Almost every show you
do should lead to more shows being booked from audience members
and repeat bookings by that original client. If it isnt, youre probably
not very good at entertaining your audience. Even a poor marketer
will get spin-off bookings by presenting good shows.
Your show itself is your single best marketing tool. We must create
desire in the eyes of potential bookers to allow them to look good by
finding and hiring you. There must be overwhelming desire by the
committees and individuals that book you to have you perform for
their group the next time they need entertainment.
If this is not
happening every time you perform then you must work on your act.
Do some free shows or low priced shows to gain more experience.

Hire someone whom you respect in this industry to critique your
performance. Listen to his or her advice and make changes and
tweak your performance a little bit with every show. Use the sales
systems that you find in this course and in some of the other excellent
courses available to magicians, to help you obtain more bookings.
Charge a fair price for your show at its current growing stage.
Practice does make perfect. The more you perform, the better your
act will be.
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I stated above that your show is your single best marketing tool.
There are many things you can do at the event itself that will aid in
selling your services.
This does not mean to literally pitch your
services before, after or during your show.
The person who
introduces you can do that. He or she is often a person of authority

and their words will carry more weight. The following technique I am
about to share with you actually triples my audience-member-booking
rate.
In addition to the introduction that you provide, include a conclusion.
The person who introduced you reads the conclusion. In addition to

thanking you for your wonderful performance, the audience members
are invited to ask for your card, or your agents card, and to consider
booking you for an event they may be planning. I suggest you
implement this idea immediately, as this alone will more than recoup
your investment in this material by greatly increasing your bookings.
Here is the wording I use. Very simple and straight forward:
+++
At Conclusion: Please thank Randy, and then say the following in
your own words: If anyone would like information on Randys shows,
speeches or products, feel free to speak with him before he leaves.
+++
100
Note that one small detail can make a huge difference in the number
of bookings you receive. There may just be one small detail in your
show that you can tweak, that will make a world of difference in your
performance. Perhaps something to do with your voice projection,
your pace, your inappropriate use of insult humor, even the way you
dress, can create a subliminally-uncomfortable situation for your
specific target audience.
This is a crucial point; sometimes the smallest detail can make the
biggest difference. Something you say in the first few moments you
address your audience can turn them off and spoil your chance of
success regardless of the quality of the remainder of your
performance.
On the other hand, there are many ways to endear an audience to

you. There is research and preparation that you can do that will aid
you in building rapport while on stage. There are references that you
can make during your performance that will add humor and a
personalized feel to your show.
While adding value to your
performance itself, you simultaneously add value to your client and

truly deserve your fee.
As in marketing your show, you must also test aspects of your

performance itself. Test many elements of your performance while
monitoring the response of your audience each and every time.
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Lesson 8 - Golden Relationships with Agents
(Back to Index)
Working with entertainment agencies can be beneficial to your

career. It can also be frustrating at times. Like every other business
relationship you have, it is essential to your success that you only
deal with straight shooters. There are good, great, bad and horrible
agents and agencies. I have had experiences with the great, horrible
and everything in between.
Much of my work has been and still is derived from agents. It is great
to establish a foundation with an agency that continues to provide
bookings that you would not otherwise have. They do most of the
office work and you do the show and get paid.
It is a mistake, that I have seen many performers make, to apply a

general disdain for agents. Often their bitter comments stem from
sour grapes, isolated incidents and miscommunication. Ignore these
people if their comments are tarring all agents with the same brush.
On the other hand, if you are being warned about a specific agent or
agency, then be sure to put in your own due diligence with extra care
and attention. Beware of the wolves, but dont just accept someone
else's opinion without checking the validity of the comments yourself.
This applies to all your relationships.
Two common ways an agent will earn money from doing business
with you are to:
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1. Retain or collect a commission that is based on a percentage of

the fee that you are paid.
2. Pay you a net fee for your work and profit from the difference
between what they pay you and what they charge the client.
The simplest and most common situation is a set commission

between 10% and 30%.
A 10% commission is uncommon these
days, but may be charged for long term bookings and by some
agents that are from the old school of entertainment.
A 20%
commission is quite common.
This may surprise you, but I happily work with several agents that
retain a third of my fee as their cut. So, on a booking of, say, $4,500,
they get $1,500 and I get $3,000. Sound fair? Who cares! Dont
even waste your time thinking about it. Are you happy with your end
of the deal? That is the important question. Too many people worry
about what the other person is making and end up hurting
themselves in the process. What if you are charging $150.00 and the
split is $100.00 and $50.00? See answer above.
Personally, I dont mind sharing a large portion of my fee with agents.

I only get concerned if I am part of a situation where a client is being
overcharged for my service or not being treated fairly in other ways.
You cannot always know what is going on for sure. But you can pay
close attention to details and ask questions.
103
Always ask up front how they work. If they work on a percentage of

the fee ask them what percentage they retain. Accept their terms
graciously if it falls within a range that you are comfortable with.
On a net fee arrangement, they usually pay you an agreed upon fee
and add on for themselves what the market will bear or a set profit
margin or minimum dollar amount.
The danger of the add-on
scenario is that the clients expectations may be higher than what you
can or will deliver at the fee you are being paid. If the agent is clear
on what is required of you and relays that information accurately to
the client there should not be a problem.
Often an agent will use a combination of the two above mentioned

income methods to run their business.
For example, they use a
percentage commission method in most cases but use a cost-plus

method when putting together a package of acts or producing a show
for one client or event.
You can run into problems when booking through an agent. This is
the case regardless of fee amounts and commission arrangements.
You can avoid most potential difficulties by dealing with competent
and honest people in the first place.
There are actually many other legitimate and fair ways for an
entertainment agency to run their business and earn profits. There
are also many reasons why a magician should own their own agency.
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You should learn the information available to you (see lesson 22 for a
resource) even if you dont end up owning your agency. You can
better profit from this lucrative stream of bookings by better
understanding their concerns and being privy to the inside information
of running an agency.
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Lesson 9 - Magic Marketing Methods
(Back to Index)
This entire course is concerned with marketing and in each lesson I

am imparting my personal advice. So I am including this lesson to
reinforce what I am telling you throughout and to provide additional
insight from respected guest contributors. Also, to make a few more
suggestions and clarify certain specific marketing methods and
choices available to you.
What came first, the chicken or the egg? That popular old adage
reminds me of a question that all entertainers for hire - need to ask
ourselves.
What comes first, the Show or the Business? Well in this case, yes,
the show comes first - only initially though.
Once we have
established a solid act or show, we need to focus on the business

part of the equation. As obvious as this seems, most entertainers
neglect the business stuff. Understandably, so.
Woody Allen said, Eighty percent of success is showing up. Eighty

percent of your success as a working entertainer depends on your
marketing and business skills and activities.
I suggest that you make a concerted effort to split your focus. Study
marketing and advertising, take some risks, learn to enjoy it. The
results will be rewarding for you in many ways.
106
Remember, the most important rule: There are no rules!
There is rarely one right way to do anything. You need to apply a

combination of approaches in your marketing endeavors. That may
include, among other things:
Placing ads of various types
Networking
Showcasing
Working with Agents
Direct Mail
Fax Broadcasting
Promoting at Performances
And of course, the most effective method:
Internet Marketing
It is not necessary to cold call. It is important though, to be willing to

pick up the phone at times and make personal contact. It is also
important in certain markets and circumstances to establish
permission for further contact.
Intelligent marketing is never a one step process. It takes repetitive

exposure to your offers before someone will take action. This applies
equally regardless of your actual contact medium. A variety of offers
and exposure will be most effective. If for example, you are using
direct mail, perhaps you will send a letter, followed by a postcard,
107
followed by a brochure, another letter and yet another postcard. Or

with Internet marketing you may participate in a newsgroup
discussion, provide a free report, and reach interested opt-in
subscribers every month with an electronic newsletter.
Over time and repeated exposure you will establish credibility and
build the confidence of your potential client.
Now, allow me to direct your attention to an article by Joseph

Sugarman. Do you know who he is? Among other things, he is the
guy who marketed the BluBlocker Sunglasses on television.
Bonus Report Power of Psychological Triggers By Joseph Sugarman
A desire to buy something often involves a subconscious decision. In

fact, I claim that 95% of buying decisions are indeed subconscious.
Knowing the subconscious reasons why people buy, and using this
information in a fair and constructive way, will trigger greater sales
response -- often far beyond what you could imagine.
I recall a time when I applied one of these subconscious devices by

changing just one word of an ad, and response doubled. I refer to
these subconscious devices as psychological "triggers."
psychological trigger is the strongest motivational factor any

salesperson or copywriter can use to evoke a sale.
108
There are 30 triggers in all, some of which I will reveal to you in a

moment. Each trigger, when deployed, has the power to increase
sales and response beyond what you would normally expect.
There are triggers, for example, that will cause your prospect to feel
guilty if they don't purchase your product.
Let me give you an
example. Whenever you receive in the mail a sales solicitation with

free personalized address stickers, you often feel guilty if you use the
stickers and don't send something back -- often far in excess of the
value of the stickers.
Fundraising companies use this method a great deal. You receive

50 cents worth of stickers and send back a $20 bill.
Another example are those surveys that are sent out asking for you to
spend about 20 minutes of your time filling them out. Enclosed in the
mailing you might find a dollar bill included to encourage you to feel
guilty, and entice you to fill out the survey. And you often spend a lot
more than one dollar of your time to do that.
Guilt is a strong motivator. I have to admit that I've used guilt in

many selling situations, in mail order ads and on TV --with great
success, I might add.
I call one of the most powerful triggers a "satisfaction conviction,"

which is a guarantee of satisfaction. But don't confuse this with the
typical trial period you find in mail order, i.e., "If your not happy within
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30 days, you can return your purchase for a full refund."
satisfaction conviction is different. Basically it takes the trial period

and adds something that makes it go well beyond the trial period.
For example, if I were offering a subscription, instead of saying, "If at

anytime you're not happy with your subscription, we'll refund your
unused portion," and instead said, "If at any time you're not happy
with your subscription, let us know and we'll refund your entire
subscription price -- even if you decide to cancel just before the last
issue."
Basically you're saying to your prospect that you are so sure that
they'll like the subscription that you are willing to go beyond what is
traditionally offered with other subscriptions.
This in fact gives the reader the sense that the company really knows
it has a winning product and solidly stands behind the product and
your satisfaction.
Is this technique effective? You bet. In many tests, I've doubled

response -- sometimes by adding just one sentence that conveys a
good satisfaction conviction.
I received e-mail from a company, a subsidiary of eBay, requesting

my advice. They had an e-mail solicitation that wasn't drawing the
response that they had expected. What was wrong?
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Looking over what they had created, I saw several mistakes, many of
which would have been avoided if they knew the psychological
triggers that cause people to buy. Let me give you just one example.
In the subject line of most e-mails that have solicited me, I have been
able to tell, at a glance, that the solicitation was for a specific service
or an offer of something that I was clearly able to determine.
Examples such as "Reduce your CD and DVD costs 50%," Or "Lose

weight quickly," pretty much told me what they were selling. Was this
good or bad?
The problem with those subject lines is that the reader was able to
quickly determine:
1) that it was an advertisement; and
2) that it was for some specific product or service.
Most people don't like advertising. And most people won't make the
effort to open their e-mail solicitation if they think they are getting an
advertising message -- unless they are sincerely interested in buying
something that the advertisement offers.
The subject line of an e-mail is similar to the headline of a mail order

ad, or the copy on an envelope, or the first few minutes of an
infomercial. Youve got to grab somebody's attention and then get
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them to take the next step. In the case of the envelope, you want
them to open it. In the case of an infomercial, you want them to keep
watching, and in the case of an e-mail, you want them open up the email and read your message.
The key, therefore, is to get a person to want to open your message

by putting something into the subject area of your e-mail that does
not appear to be an advertising message --one that would compel
them to take the next step. And the best trigger to use for this is the
trigger of curiosity.
There are a number of ways you can use curiosity to literally force a
person to take the next step. You can then use this valuable tool to
put a reader in the correct frame of mind to buy what you have to
offer.
Once again, all the principles apply to every form of communication -whether it be advertising, marketing or personal selling. And to know
these triggers is the key to more effective communication and most
importantly, the avoidance of costly errors that waste time and
money.
Learn more from Joe Sugarman at:

http://www.roibot.com/r_psy.cgi?R49444_mmbonus
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Internet Marketing
Here is a lesson on Internet marketing.
The tricky part is to
understand and learn the intricacies of this information and apply

them to your magic business.
At the end of this lesson I will point you in the right direction to do this
and provide reports from leaders in this field.
10 Internet Marketing Tips
1) Create Multiple Internet Revenue Streams
You can make money by providing both products and services on the
Internet. The key to being successful at this is very simple. Build
your own qualified, opt-in subscriber list. Subscribe to what? Your
electronic newsletter of course.
Your web site visitors will provide their information and permission to
include them in your mailing list. You get this by offering an e-zine
(newsletter), special report, ebook, or something worthwhile in
exchange. To keep them willing and interested in staying on your list,
you continually provide them with valuable information that they can
use or will enjoy.
I offer a 50 week email humor series using extracts from my book,

"50 Ways to leave them laughing". Every week, they are reminded of
my services. This is targeted for corporate clients.
113
Your profits are derived from booking shows and product sales that
are generated by information you provide in your newsletter.
Revenue
can
also
come
from
commissions
you
earn
by
recommending affiliate programs that you belong to and believe in.
An affiliate program is basically an arrangement for commissions to

be paid to people who refer business to one another. You can make
money with affiliate programs in two ways. One is to be an affiliate,
and the other is to set up your own affiliate program and pay people a
commission to recommend your products or services. As an owner
of an affiliate program, you must provide the tools and information
your affiliates need to become successful Internet marketers.
I earn a steady flow of passive income by promoting several affiliate

programs. You can check out, and join for free, my two favorites at::
http://www.hitsncash.com/cgibin/t.cgi/172748
http://www.marketingtips.com/sr/t.x/640070
If you would like a list of other great affiliate programs, just send me a
note and I will be happy to send you a current one.
2) Educate Yourself
Learn to create simple web pages. Understand and apply search

engine optimization techniques. Learn how to write effective sales
letters and persuasive email offers. Research and use products and
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tools to make your work easier and more productive. Join affiliate
programs and profit from them immediately. Spend money only with
people you trust. Invest in knowledge. It is the best investment you
can make.
Learn from other peoples mistakes and successes.
Acquire specific information relating to you and your goals. Open

your
mind
to
new
learning
and
opportunities.
Here is a big tip. Do not build a massive web site. Simple 1-2 page
web sites with a single and clearly defined purpose are most
profitable. This applies equally to your shows and products. Build
separate sites for each service and product.
3) Have Products to Sell
Creating your own proprietary product can be great. It can also take
a long time to develop and market. After that, you may become part
of the small percentage of people to make profit. Having said, that,
by all means do give it a shot. The fact that it is difficult goes hand in
hand with the fact that it can produce your greatest rewards.
I am a big fan of obtaining resell rights on proven quality products.

There are some great opportunities to benefit from other peoples
hard developmental investments for a song. To see an excellent
example
of
one
that
recently
invested
in,
visit:
http://www.minisitemagic.com
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4) Build Relationships
Go to seminars and boot camps to meet successful and like-minded

people. Build relationships with people who are at a similar stage of
growth as you. Find people as passionate as you are about a topic
and engage them in conversation. Create synergy and work together
on joint ventures.
Invest in learning from mentors, coaches, and
consultants that specialize in your field and that you trust and like.
5) Grow Your Opt-In List
Your opt-in list of subscribers and customers is your most valuable

business asset. Use it or lose it! Provide valuable and timely
information on a regular basis. Discover and use many methods to
build and nurture your list.
6) Dont Quit Your Day JobYet!
Okay, now I am going to speak directly about this as it applies to us

magicians. My dear friend, listen up. You can use Internet marketing
to build your magic performing business whether you are a full time
entertainer or not.
You can use Internet marketing to promote a
business you may own, or in your other profession, particularly if you

have a sales job. You can even make Internet marketing itself one of
your businesses.
116
It takes a while to learn and start making money, so dont jump out of
one thing to do another even if you can afford to financially. Carefully
plan your life, and interconnect business activities that you enjoy and
that work well together. Then quit your day job!
7) React Quickly
The Internet is capable of providing up to the second information.

This is an extreme case of if your not early, your late. For example,
if you are going to suggest an affiliate product to your opt-in list, you
have to be fast. If you are the first one they hear about it from, you
will reap the most rewards. By being first to market, you not only
make more money, but are truly a cutting-edge information provider
to your clients.
8) Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick
Having invested thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours to learn

Internet marketing let me tell youits a jungle out there! The scary
part
about
the
Internet
is
the
potential
for
fraud
and
misrepresentation. For every honest and reliable person or company

that specializes in Internet marketing there are probably 50
scammers. Fortunately, if you find trusted sources early in the game
you will quickly know how to sniff out the rotten apples and locate
some excellent and fairly priced information and tools. Remember,
caveat emptor (buyer beware) and be careful.
117
9) Surround Yourself With Positive People
Dont waste your time with gossip, jealousy, and pessimism. As you
become higher profile on the Net, some people may criticize you and
attack you with their opinions in email and public forums. You can't
possibly please everyone. Remember that they may have a hidden
agenda.
Always conduct yourself ethically and responsibly and
realize that their attacks have nothing to do with you.
It is their
problem - keep it that way.

10) Have Laser Like Focus
Prioritize your activities and dont stray readily from the tasks at hand.
When you are working on a project, perhaps creating a niche site for
one of your shows or products, it may mean not replying personally to
email questions from people you don't know, or not discussing joint
ventures and business opportunities for a while.
Some may take offense to this.
Politely explain (in an automatic
systemized manner) that you are just trying to run your business in a
profitable manner and there are just so many hours in a day. Of
course,
this
does
not
apply
to
existing
relationships
and
commitments. These are always your number one priority ahead of

new projects.
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You must invest in further study of marketing methods of all types.

Direct mail marketers can teach you a lot. They are from the old
school of marketing and much of what they teach is and always will
be effective. Learn from them, but apply the strategies to electronic
marketing whenever possible.
Invest a few dollars and buy everything you can get your hands on
that relate specifically to marketing and money making opportunities
for magicians. We are in a limited market and for a small investment
of only a few thousand dollars you can literally own everything
available regarding the business of magic. You should also attend
seminars and consider private coaching. You are in a business that
can make you rich and requires minimal start-up cost and investment.
Consider yourself fortunate.
Dont be frugal when it comes to investing in your business. Building

your knowledge and making the right moves early in the game is
important.
Next, is a series of reports from Internet Marketers and Positioning

experts. I have cherry picked these reports from the many hundreds
that I have read. And those hundreds of reports were selected from
the thousands that are available. Many articles and reports that are
available for free on the Internet are useless and even counter
productive. These ones, I guarantee, are the best of the best.
119
There is much to learn about many aspects of marketing, not just

Internet specific, in the reports that follow.
The first one is even from an ex-magician and he talks about how he
started advertising his magic shows for free. The beginning of this
report discusses off-line marketing and then it goes into Internet
marketing.
The author is currently one of the most successful
Internet Marketers in cyber-space, but he was also very successful

before the net existed as it does today. While everything he says in
this report, and other reports and recommended readings by the way,
may not specifically apply to your entertainment business, they are
included in this book for good reason.
Let me remind you that the title of this book is Secrets of a Millionaire
Magician. One of my secrets is that I look for sources of information
and inspiration from a vast variety of sources. I learn to integrate the
lessons and apply them to my business. Although you are provided
in this book with several templates and cookie cutter solutions, I
would be doing you a disservice to spell absolutely everything out for
you. So, with that in mind, please read the reports in this book and
think about how you can apply the lessons to your business.
Bonus Report The Money Secret By Marlon Sanders

I was only in the eighth grade. Imagine this tall, scraggly, angular kid
with thick-rimmed, Buddy-Holly style glasses standing in front of a
Boy Scout troop numbering 200 or more...
120
...Doing magic tricks.
It blows my mind to think about it now. You see, it all started with a
dumb little classified ad I ran in the local paper (my first direct
response ad).
"Magic is my thing. I do it for birthday parties. Free. Call xxx-xxxx."
Yes, when I started, my parties were free. But I made up this goofy
index card with spots on the outside, and my name and phone
number on the inside.
I gave one to every kid at my parties and showed them how to do a

trick with the spots on the outside. They held onto it...and before I
knew it, my phone was ringing off the hook, and little-old-seventhgrader-me was charging $10.00 for birthday parties (a tidy sum for a
seventh grader at the time).
Go forward one year.
My phone rings. Next thing I know, I'm
standing in front of a BIG Boy Scout troop doing my thing.
Hidden in this story is the greatest marketing secret in the world. You
can use it immediately for big profits in your business regardless of
what you sell or who you sell to.
Here are eight things this secret can do for you:
121
1. Give you a steady flow of highly receptive prospects to sell your

product or service to...without spending much money.
2. Bring a flood of business into a retail store
3. Inject a surge of instant cash flow into your business
4. Raise money for charities, associations and organizations
5. Eliminate the need for cold call selling
6. Dramatically boost attendance at meetings
7. Launch a new business on a shoestring budget
8. Boost your closing ratio from 20% to 80%
And much, much more.
Introducing The Unstoppable Power Of Endorsement:

Endorsement means that a business, association, organization or
someone other than yourself puts their stamp of approval on you,
your products and services, your ideas or your company.
In my Amazing Formula That Sells Products Like Crazy, I introduce

you to Walter "Itsy Bitsy" Hailey and Steve Anderson (head honcho at
Walter's company, Planned Marketing).
122
Walter and Steve call this "overhear psychology"...which means that

people attribute more credibility to statements made by a third party
than those made directly by you.
My magic show business boomed because I used the power of

endorsement (at a very basic, rudimentary level). When the kids got
home, they raved to their parents about the show. Their parents, in
turn, called the host or hostess and asked about my mystical talents.
Before long, my phone would ring with another booking. Of course, it

helped that the kids took home my magic trick, so my name and
phone number were instantly available.
Here's why I call this the greatest marketing secret in the world . . .
1. One of the biggest selling challenges you face is that people don't
believe what you say. Think about it. Every week on TV we see
stories about companies ripping the public off. Our potential
customers are scared they're going to be the next victim telling a sob
story on TV.
That's why they often doubt that your product or service will perform
as promised.
But when a credible person or organization endorses you or your

products and services, your prospects set aside their distrust and
123
listen openly to what you have to say.
While you don't have a
guaranteed sale, your odds of success certainly skyrocket.
Elsewhere, I've told you how Walter Hailey increased his ratio of
converting prospects to sales from 20% to 80% using the
endorsement method. While every business has its own numbers,
you'll no doubt experience profound results using this method.
You have two choices: You can sell the easy way or the hard way.
The hard way is approaching prospects who don't know or trust you.
The easy way is getting others to introduce you to their own
customers who know and love them, and therefore, by association,
know and love you.
Here's why . . .
You've heard the expression, "guilt by association." This puts a new
twist on that saying, "credibility by association."
2. Obtaining new customers through traditional advertising (or even

direct mail) puts a big fat hole in your wallet. If you're uncommonly
fortunate, you'll make a profit on your first sale to a customer you
snag through advertising. If you're average, you'll break even or lose
money.
To make a profit, you count on repeat sales and referrals, which limit
your growth because you have to first recoup your advertising outlay
124
before re-investing your profits. In short, you're stuck in a cash flow

crunch while waiting to recoup your advertising dollars.
If you're new in business, the picture looks even dimmer. You have
bills to pay. If you have to wait for repeat business, you may not be
IN business to reap the rewards.
Before the clock strikes 12, you're broke. But what if there were a
way to turn the tables and greatly increase the odds of making a profit
up front? First of all, you'd have a gigantic advantage over
competitors who are stuck in the cash flow rut. Second, you'd be
able to expand more rapidly. Third, you'd have a cushion to absorb
the cost of occasional bad judgment without putting yourself in a bind.
Let's be realistic. Everyone in business makes mistakes. And if you

don't have a profit cushion to fall back on, the uncomfortable thump
can leave you wishing you were still working at a "real" job.
Not so with endorsements. You can almost instantaneously access a

slew of prospects in a single mailing with maximum credibility. Let's
say a business has 5,000 active customers. How long would it take
you to acquire that many customers through traditional advertising?
If you convert 20% of your leads or prospects to sales, that means

you'd first have to generate 25,000 ad responses. My friends, that
requires a substantial investment.
125
In contrast, consider this: When you joint venture with a business with
5,000 customers, you get to access those customers ALL AT ONCE.
You don't have to advertise for a year or two to get that many
customers. And your cash investment is zero. I'll repeat that...
Your Up Front Cash Investment To Reach 5,000 Customers Is Zero!
Please understand, you have to tailor these numbers to fit the

business you're in. If you sell to wholesalers, it may be that getting
introduced on a favorable basis to 10, 50 or 100 new accounts
translates into big bucks for you.
If you're a mail-order company, a list of 5,000 customers may not

mean diddle to you. However, an endorsement to 50,000 or 100,000
multiple buyers might stir your blood.
Take what I'm saying, use your creativity and apply it to your own
situation. If you're thinking, "my business is different," stop right now!
That's a total cop out. I promise you, when you put your mind to it,
you'll find ways to apply this to your industry.
3. Prospecting is the lifeblood of any business.
There's only one business in the world: Generating prospects,

converting those to customers, and selling again on a repeat basis.
That's it.
126
And lead generation is the place where most businesses trip up. It
breaks my heart to see people get involved in business opportunities
without having a way to locate new prospects. I don't care if you're
selling web sites, network marketing companies, insurance, cars,
dental care, psychotherapy, massage or anything else in the world.
Fact is, if you don't have a reliable, predictable, systematic way to

generate new prospects, you don't have a viable business.
If that describes you, don't worry. In the balance of this issue, I'm
going to show you exactly what to do and how to do it. Follow my
instructions, and this won't be a problem for you anymore. So let's
jump right in and discuss how to use the direct mail endorsement.
How To Use Direct Mail Endorsements To Drum Up More Business

Than You Can Handle!
The principle is simple. You write a hard-hitting sales letter (or lead
generation letter) about your product, idea or service.
Then you
locate businesses who sell to your target market, i.e. the people or
companies you've identified who are most likely to purchase from
you.
You ask the owners to send the sales gem to their customer list along
with a cover letter typed on their company stationary.
The letter
introduces you, tells the benefits of your products or services, and

urges the readers to peruse the enclosed sales letter.
127
In exchange for this endorsement, the host business receives a

percentage of gross sales or the net profits. How much?
A good starting point might be 9% of gross sales or 25% of net

profits. That said, I've had friends do exceedingly well splitting the
profits 50/50 on a high margin product.
If you have the opportunity, it's a nice touch to first let the business
owners sample your stuff. That way the cover letter can tout the
amazing results they obtained firsthand (nothing beats personal
testimonials) . . . and explain why they're bothering to endorse you.
Usually the reasoning goes something like this, "After experiencing

these results, I realized I would be doing you a distinct and profound
disservice if I didn't share my discovery with you and negotiate a
special offer on your behalf."
See the logic? Instead of being perceived as a letter hawking a new

widget, you frame it as performing a valuable service for the
customers.
It's important that your customers see you as extending a special

offer not available to regular purchasers. You reinforce this idea by
juicing up the offer with extra value such as: additional bonuses, an
extended guarantee, a special price or other additional benefits the
average buyer doesn't receive.
128
The reason you make this endorsement in a cover letter rather than
in the primary sales letter is you can save money by printing the main
sales letter in bulk -- and printing custom cover letters as needed.
Then, you mail the whole kit in the company's envelopes, so your
information will leap out like a neon sign in the mailbox! Why go to all
this trouble? Because of . . .
The
Little
Understood
Fact
That
Makes
Endorsed
Mailings
200%-600% more Profitable
The response you receive on an endorsed mailing often dwarfs the

response to lists you "rent" from commercial mailing list brokers by a
factor of 2 to 6 times.
How much money you pocket from your mailings depends on the
quality of the relationship between the endorsing business and their
customers. If the customers buy a staple item and tend not to repeat,
the endorsement won't carry near the weight as one to customers
who spend a substantial amount of money frequently.
Because of this, you'll want to test your letter to 4 or 5 lists in small

quantities before you invest significant money in your mailings.
What's a good test quantity? It depends on your budget and the size
of the lists. Big mail-order companies send out 100,000 pieces
sometimes to test complex variations of letters, offers and lists.
129
I recommend you follow a timeless marketing maxim: Never gamble

more on a mailing than you can afford to lose.
If the total list is only 5,000, then mail 500 or 1,000. If it's 1,000 then
mail 100 or so.
In the latter case, your test won't be scientific, but if several lists
receive no responses (or only one) while others get 3, 4, or more, that
tells you something.
The point is: Test the waters before you jump in with both feet. Use
your common sense and you'll do fine.
Here's How You Can Locate Businesses To Do Endorsed Mailings

For You:
OK, you're sold on the idea of doing joint venture mailings. How do
you get started? Ask this question: What else do your customers buy
and who else do they buy it from? Look through the trade
publications, newsletters and magazines they read. Talk to your
customers and find out who they buy from that they really respect and
trust.
Keep your eyes and ears open for businesses with the same target
market as yours and a non-competitive product. While you can do
joint ventures with direct competitors by selling to the prospects they
couldn't convert, your first time or two out, keep it simple by doing
deals with non-competitors.
130
Your ideal endorser sells products or services in the same price

range as yours to virtually identical customers on a long term repeat
basis. Naturally, if you can't find the ideal host, you'll have to go with
the closest thing you can find.
By the way, let's see what you're learning so far. What's the number
one best method of approaching a potential host? If you answered
"direct introduction from someone the potential host knows and
respects," give yourself a pat on the back and 10 brownie points.
You're a fast learner!
If your missed the answer (or were clue-less!), keep reading...you'll

catch on in a jiffy.
Three Intriguing Twists You Can Use To Extract Extra Chunks of

Cash From Small Lists
What if you sell to a specialized market and the lists you have access
to on an endorsed basis are small? What then?
Here are several twists on the theme we're developing:
Twist One: Mail a sequence of letters, not just one. Send follow up
letters several weeks apart until they're no longer profitable. You
don't have to write completely new letters for this. You can just use a
different headline and begin by referring to the prior letter(s).
131
Here's one proven technique: Stamp in red at the top of the first page
"second notice," "third notice," and so on. Perhaps the first letter
escaped attention, but the second or third notice makes the prospect
wake up and dive in.
Twist two: Follow up your mailings with phone calls. You'll usually
find a number of people who say, "I'm glad you called. I've been
meaning to call (send in money, or whatever)"
Twist Three: Instead of going for a big sale, ask for a small trial
commitment or a request for additional information.
When you have a limited number of prospects to work with from the
beginning, every one is worth gold, so you want to skim as many off
the top as possible. You do this is by asking for an easy, low-threat
action.
Here are examples for different businesses:
Dentist: Come in, meet the dentist and receive a free plaqueelimination kit, a new handy flossing tool and a free report called,
"How To Have A Gorgeous Smile On A Shoestring Budget."
Massage Therapist: Call for a free report, "The Seven Myths About
Massage...And The Little-Known Relaxation Tool You Can Use At
Home." Plus, drop by any of 5 locations and receive a free neck
massage."
132
Moving Service: Free moving supplies when you call for a price
quote.
Roofing Contractor: Free automobile windshield sunshade with

roofing estimate.
Advertising Salesperson: Free Idea Kit.
New Super Duper Gizmo: Free demonstration.
If the lists you have access to are limited in size, these tips will put a
lot of extra cash in your bank account. Now let's look at a way to
blend this principle with marketing on the web:
Of course, endorsed mailings aren't the only way to cash in on this
principle. Here's another
Add New Punch To The Personal Introduction
If you've ever had any sales training whatsoever, you've had it drilled
into your head to ask everyone, "who do you know that might benefit
from this product?"
It's the traditional technique for obtaining referrals.
The glitch with asking the "who do you know" question is people often
feel uncomfortable making referrals to their friends or business
associates.
133
As a result, you often find that customers go blank and can't think of
anyone to refer you to, or can only come up with a few names.
That means we're back to running ads or doing something else to

drum up more leads. Not the worst thing in the world, but let's see if
we can come up with something better.
Alternative number one: The free newsletter
Publish a newsletter quarterly, every other month or even monthly.

Keep it simple. Front and back of one or two 8 " x 11" sheets is
fine. Fill it with interesting, problem-solving articles and show readers
how to get the end results and benefits they want. Do NOT make the
newsletter an extended advertisement for your products and services.
Instead, with each issue mail a sales letter or flyer on a different color
paper from the newsletter about a special offer for subscribers only
on one of your products or services.
Tell new customers about the free newsletter and ask if they know
anyone you should put on the mailing list. Get names, addresses
and phone numbers. Mail a sample issue to each person with a
cover letter (or a brief note on a yellow sticky) signed by the referring
person. Next, call and ask if they'd like to continue receiving it.
Your sales letters will generate inbound calls before you know it.
And, after mailing 2 or 3 issues, you can further pursue business by
following up with phone calls.
134
What's more, because your newsletters enhance your credibility by

showcasing you or your company's expertise, you'll find you turn a
higher percentage of leads to sales.
Can you see the genius of this method? Your customers will feel ten
times more comfortable helping their friends and business associates
get on the mailing list for a valuable, helpful, informative newsletter
than they will just giving you referrals directly. The end result is you
get many times the referrals with less effort.
The only disadvantage of this approach is that, if you're publishing

your newsletter quarterly or every other month, it takes awhile to turn
your efforts into money.
So if you're in a hurry for business, let's look at ...
Alternative number two: The Gift Sample
Have your customers give a sample or trial of your product or service

as a gift to their friends or business associates. For example:
Piano teacher: Piano lessons
Massage therapist: Back massage
Financial planner: Book, service, or evaluation
Psychologist: One or two sessions
Golf course: Three month memberships
135
Newsletter: Three or six month subscription
The Subtle But Extremely Important Secret That Makes The Gift
Method Work
If you go around giving away free stuff, people probably won't value
what they're receiving. "If it's free, it can't be that good," the logic
goes. At best, they're suspicious of the free goods or services, and
they're waiting to find out what the catch is.
So do NOT offer your products or services for free. Instead, let your
customers give your goodies to their friends or business associates.
They should say something like this: "We were so impressed by this
product (or service) we decided to purchase an introductory session,
membership (or trial whatever) and gift it to you."
This makes the sponsor look like a very generous and caring person.
And it prevents the recipient from going through the mental devaluation that occurs with some free offers.
In other words, it's a sophisticated way of giving away free services or

products without lowering their value.
For integrity sake, you may want to have the customers pay you a
token fee for a block of gift certificates, so they can legitimately say
they purchased the widget.
136
Alternative number three: The Vendor/Supplier Angle
As an illustration, let me give an example for people who sell web site
design.
Here's the point: Once you sell a business your widget- whether it's a
web site, a phone system, a training seminar, insurance or anything
else in the world -- you have the most powerful marketing channel in
the world available to you ... a natural economic chain to vendors and
suppliers and customers.
So, in the case of web site designers, once they sell a web site to one
business, all they have to do is ask for an introduction to their
vendors, suppliers and customers. Then, each of those businesses
has its own network of vendors, suppliers and customers. The chain
never stops.
As you can see, you don't have to have a zillion contacts to make this
method work. All you need are several businesses that will give you
an entree to their network, and you can be set for a long, long time.
So what are you waiting for? Get started today!
Alternative number four: Referral generation tools
137
There's a really neat book you need to buy. It's called: How to
Generate Word of Mouth Advertising: 101 Easy and Inexpensive
Ways To Promote Your Business.
By Godfrey Harris with Gregrey Harris.
This books shows you how to generate referrals using a wide

assortment of clever ideas such as: Overseas Christmas cards,
matchbooks turned into scratch-books, double postcards, phone
cards, two-fer offers, surprise rebates, double message cards, lottery
tickets, client give-aways, screen savers, customer award program,
voucher certificates, passports for services, and much more.
The Greatest Marketing Secret On The Internet
The basic principle I just described can be used on the Internet as

well as off. It's a principle more than a method. For example, you
can offer a sample gift just as easily (in fact, it's easier) through email
as you can through direct mail.
The concept is to use endorsements to build your business.

Everyone knows that the best leads or prospects come from referrals.
But let's say someone with an ezine list of 5,000 subscribers
endorses your product to their entire list. Isn't that the equivalent of
getting 5,000 referrals?
Of course it is. Now, you might be wondering what leverage you have
to get someone to endorse your product to their list. The answer is to
138
sign up for an associates tracking system where you can track sales
and pay commissions. Check out:
http://www.marketingtips.com/assoctrac/t.x/640070
Whether you market online or off, you need to leverage all your
efforts as much as possible. By tapping into the relationship other
people have with their customers; you're able to do this.
Now, I don't want to make it sound like easy street. Arranging joint
ventures can be time consuming. People are not always eager to
allow you to access their customer list. I don't want to gloss over
these issues.
List owners are worried about making their customers unhappy. You
have to prove you have a terrific product and that you'll indeed deliver
it to every buyer.
That's one of the nice things about delivering digital products. It

happens instantly so there are no concerns about shipping. The other
concern people have is about getting paid. How do they know you're
going to pay them.
It's incumbent on you to develop a relationship, present yourself in a

professional manner, provide references and do whatever is
necessary to establish trust.
139
The best thing I can tell you is this: If you're persistent and
determined,
if
you
present
yourself
professionally,
if
you're
determined to create win/win deals, if you're sensitive to the needs of

others as well as yourself, if you're willing to think outside the box,
you can make these joint ventures happen.
The best books in the world about networking are written by Thomas
Stanley. If you're a serious student and really want to learn some
turbo-charged techniques of getting endorsed by power players, read
Networking With The Affluent and Marketing To The Affluent by
Thomas Stanley.
How I make an extra $5,000 to $13,000 cash bonus anytime I want in

only a few hours via Internet marketing
Here is a simple little method you can use anytime you need money.
For example, this week I've made $6350.00 with it so far. I'll show
you in this article exactly how I made that money.
Last month I made $13,000 in 2 week using it. It's so simple; it's
almost laughable, as most of my marketing methods are. Of course,
those
results
are
not
guaranteed
and
are
not
necessarily
representative of what the average person makes who use this

formula.
Here is my fast cash promotion method. It's only two steps.
140
Step One: Compile an "opt-in" list
Step Two: Email my offer to your opt-in list
If you don't already have an opt-in list, then obviously this won't be a
fast cash method for you. First you have to compile your opt-in list. I
teach my students a number of simple, easy methods for doing this.
By the way, if you aren't familiar with the term, "opt-in" list, it refers to
a mailing list that people specifically and deliberately subscribe to. In
other words, they give you permission to send them emails. Sending
unsolicited emails is a gigantic "no-no." Now, if you do already have
a list of people who have specifically given you permission to email
them, then you need a product to endorse.
Here are a few things to look for:
1. A 20% to 50% profit margin.

2. At least a $20 pay out (and preferably more).
3. A proven email sales letter you can use.
4. A reputable company that you know will deliver the products you
sell.
To help my associates make money, I pay out a 60% commission on

The Amazing Formula That Sells Products Like Crazy.
That is
$40.20 per sale.
141
The key to making sales to your list is the endorsement letter. You
must preface the sales letter with reasons why you're endorsing that
particular product. The folks on your list trust you, and will listen to
your opinion about the product.
You don't have to write anything fancy.
Just include a note that
explains why the product you're endorsing deserves their attention

and how it will benefit them.
For example:
Here is the email that has made me over 6 grand this week. I sent it
to my customer list. I prefer shorter emails but this one needed more
explanation.
"Dear <first name>
I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine who has helped me make
a small fortune.
His name is Jonathan Mizel. And he has a legitimate genius IQ. He

works with companies such as these on Internet marketing projects.
* Intel
* MyPoints
* OnHealth
142
* Microsoft
* MotherNature.com
These companies are raking in huge bucks (and I do mean huge)

using a method called "per transaction" marketing.
And Jonathan is smack dab in the middle of this ultra-hot method. He

can show you how companies are growing from scratch to zillions in
sales in remarkably short periods of time using "per transaction"
marketing.
It's the only method I know that allows you to ramp up from small
volume to large volume almost overnight -- without spending one
freakin' dime on advertising!
That means your potential profits have almost no limit and the money
you risk to get that payoff is quite small if you already have products
and a web site.
You don't have to be Microsoft to use his methods. They work for
small, medium and large companies alike.
Not that you'll become the next Microsoft or an overnight millionaire.

But Jonathan does use his methods with people and companies in
those categories.
143
To my knowledge, Jonathan is the only person explaining the magic

of "per transaction" marketing in a format where you can actually
apply it to your business tomorrow morning.
It's something that Jonathan found out by working "hands on" with the
big corporations. This IS what the serious Internet marketing
companies are doing because you can scale up from small to giant
volume in a flash.
Ezine ads and other methods are great for getting started. But how
are you ever going to get the VOLUME that hauls in big bucks -without spending a fortune on advertising?
That's what Jonathan shows you...
One last thing: You may not be able to tell it from the sound of his
sales letter, but his product is NOTHING like mine.
He covers totally different types of information than yours truly. While

per transaction marketing is not new, Jonathan's insights and insider
info on how companies are exploding with this method is hot and
new.
That's why I felt a duty and an obligation to introduce you to my good

friend and one of the most astonishing marketers I know who has
been publishing his newsletter since before the World Wide Web
even existed.
144
With great pleasure, I introduce you to the unmatched genius of

Jonathan Mizel. Please, click here.
Best wishes,
Marlon Sanders
yourownproducts.com"
How do you send out an email like that?
See: http://www.marketingtips.com/mailloop/t.x/640070
Format your email letter in a text editor such as text pad and place a
hard return at or before 65 characters on a line. This prevents your
email from wrapping and looking like garbage when it arrives in your
customer's email box.
When you do your mailing, expect .5% of the list to buy. However, the
true answer is that you'll know your response rate a week after you
email your sales letter.
The bulk of your responses will come in
within 72 hours.
Follow this simple two-step formula and you can create money out of
thin air anytime you need it.
******************************************
Marlon Sanders is author of The Amazing Formula That Sells Like
Crazy and "Push Button Letters" .
145
For an in-depth look at the formula presented in this report, visit

Marlon's web site by clicking here.
Marlon has spoken at over 120, $3,000 one-day marketing seminars

and commands $1000 an hour for consulting. His reseller program
for The Amazing Formula is one of the top-ranked systems on the
Internet.
The rest of the reports in this lesson apply specifically to the Internet.
Bonus Report Improving the Link Popularity of your site By Sumantra Roy
Link popularity, i.e. the number of sites, which are linking to your site,
is an increasingly important factor as far as search engine placement
is concerned. Other things remaining the same, more the number of
links to your site, higher will be its ranking.
What is important is not only the number of links to your site, but also
the types of sites which are linking to you. A link from a site which is
related to yours is more valuable than a link from an unrelated site.
In this article, I explore different methods by which you can improve
the link popularity of your site. I start with the methods that you
shouldn't bother using, then go on to the moderately effective
methods, and then end with the most effective methods you can use
to boost the link popularity of your site.
146
1) Submitting your site to Free For All (FFA) pages

A common misconception among many Internet marketers is that
while FFA pages may not directly bring in traffic to your site, it will
help to improve the link popularity of your site, and hence, will
indirectly bring in traffic through the search engines.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Most FFA pages can contain
only a certain number of links at a time. This means that when you
submit your site to a FFA page, your site will be placed at the top of
the page. However, as more and more people submit their sites to
the FFA page, your site will be pushed down, and finally, when it
reaches the bottom of the page, it will be removed.
Now, since you can bet that plenty of other people are also submitting
their sites to the FFA pages, your site will remain in these pages for
only a short span of time. Hence, in order to ensure that the search
engines see your site if and when they come to spider the FFA page,
you will need to ensure that you submit your site to these FFA pages
on a regular basis - at least once a week.
Even if you used an automatic submission program to do it, can you
imagine a worse way to spend your time and/or money? Furthermore,
many search engines recognize these pages which only contains
links to other sites as FFA pages and may completely ignore them.
And while I haven't yet seen any evidence that submitting to the FFA
pages will actually penalize your site, there is every possibility that
this might happen in the future.
147
Hence, when it comes to FFA pages, my advice is simple: don't even

think about them.
2) Joining Reciprocal Link Services
Some people have recommended that in order to increase the link
popularity of your site, you can join some reciprocal link services. The
basic idea behind these services is that you add some pages to your
site which contain links to other sites which are members of that
service, and in exchange, these members will also add pages to their
sites which will contain a link to your site. Theoretically, more the
members of that service, more your link popularity.
However, I have plenty of reservations about using this method to
boost the link popularity of your site:
i) Most of these services require that you add a visible graphical or
text link from your home page to the pages containing the links. If
they require a graphical link, it can completely destroy the general
look and feel of your site. Even if they require a text link, how would
you feel if a visitor to your site clicked on such a link and found one of
your competitors (who is also a member of this service) right at the
top of a page? Also, while most of these services disallow adult
oriented sites, I have seen situations in which some adult sites have
been able to become members. How would you feel if an adult site
found its way to the top of one of these pages?
ii) Most of these services give the same pages containing the links to
each of its members, i.e. the pages that you are required to upload to
148
your site are exactly the same as the pages which all the other
members of that service are required to upload to their servers. Even
the file names of the pages tend to be the same for all the members.
Most search engines are now able to detect such duplicate pages in
different domains and may either ignore the pages or may even
penalize all these domains for spamming.
iii) Instead of linking only related sites with each other, most of these
services link all the members with each other. This means that lots of
unrelated sites will be linking to your site. As I mentioned before, links
from unrelated sites are simply not as valuable as links from related
sites.
Hence, I don't recommend that you join any reciprocal link programs.
3) Exchanging links with other webmasters
Another way of improving the link popularity of your site is to
exchange links with other webmasters who have sites which are
related to yours, but are not direct competitors. Here's how you can
do it:
First, open a database program like Microsoft Access and create a
new table containing fields like FirstName, LastName, Email Address,
URL etc. Then, make a list of the sites belonging to your competitors.
Then, go to AltaVista, and type in the following in the search box:
link:somesite.com -url:somesite.com
149
Where somesite.com is the domain name of one of your competitors.

This will give you a list of all the sites which are linking to that
competitor. Then, find out in what context a particular site has linked
to your competitor. If this site is an affiliate of your competitor, then
your chance of getting a link from this site is limited, unless you offer
an even better affiliate program. However, if you find that this site has
a Links page which contains links to other sites, one of which is a link
to your competitor, then it is an excellent prospect for exchanging
links. Find out the name and email address of the webmaster of the
site and add them to your database. In this way, go through all the
sites which are linking to your competitors, locate those sites which
you think may want to exchange links with you, and build up your
database.
Once you have done that, create a Links page in your site, and add
the URLs of these sites to the Links page. Then, send an email to
these webmasters, introduce yourself and your site, congratulate
them on building an excellent web site, tell them that you have
already added a link to their sites from yours, and then ask them
whether they would be kind enough to add a link to your site. In your
email, emphasize the fact that exchanging links in this way will be
mutually beneficial for both of you because it will help both of you
drive traffic to your sites. Wait for a month or so to see the response.
Some webmasters will agree to link to you. Others will simply not
respond. After a month, remove the links to those sites who are not
interested in exchanging links and using the methods outlined above,
try to locate more sites with which to exchange links.
150
When you send the email to the webmasters, make sure that you
personalize each email. Don't begin every email with "Hello
Webmaster", begin with "Hello Mike". If you want, you can use email
merge programs to automatically personalize each email. You can
check
out
some
email
merge
programs
by
going
to
http://download.cnet.com and searching for "email merge" (without

the quotes).
The main problem with this method of improving the link popularity of
your site is that it takes a lot of time. You may find that the number of
links you manage to get just does not justify the time that you spend
over it. However, I have been evaluating a program named Zeus
which automates this process of exchanging links to a large extent.
You
can
download
free
trial
version
of
Zeus
from
http://www.1stSearchRanking.com/t.cgi?1532&zeus/
Another thing that you can do is to mention in your Links page that
you are willing to exchange links with other web sites. This allows
other webmasters who come to your web site to propose a link
exchange.
4) Starting an Awards Program
A moderately effective method of improving the link popularity of your
site is to start an awards program. You can have web sites which are
related to yours apply for an award from your site. The sites which
win the award get the chance to display the logo for your award. This
151
logo is linked to your site, preferably to a page which contains more

information on the award.
If you publish a newsletter, consider declaring the winners in your
newsletter. You can also perform a review of the winners' sites in
your newsletter. This adds useful content to your newsletter and also
gives more webmasters the incentive to apply for your award, since
you may review their sites in your newsletter. This also gives them
the incentive to subscribe to your newsletter to see if they win the
award.
Make sure that you give awards to only those sites which deserve to
win. If you give your award to sites which don't deserve it, your award
will have little credibility, which will, in turn, hurt the credibility of your
company. Furthermore, make sure that the logo you design for the
award looks professional. If it doesn't, not many webmasters will want
to display it in their sites.
5) Giving testimonials
This may sound a bit unusual, but giving testimonials for products or
services which you find useful can be another moderately effective
way of improving the link popularity of your site. If you really like a
product, simply write to the company and tell them why you liked the
product so much and how it has helped you. Chances are, the
company will write back to you to thank you for your comments and
will ask you for permission to display your comments in their web site.
Tell the company that you have no problems if they publish your
152
comments, but request them to add a link to your site along with the
testimonial. There is every possibility that the company will agree
since publishing the URL of your web site gives more credibility to the
testimonial.
Of course, please don't go about giving testimonials to every
company you can locate just because it will improve your link
popularity :-)
6) Posting to Message Boards and Discussion Lists
Another moderately effective method of increasing the link popularity
of your site is to post to online message boards. At the end of every
message that you post, you can sign off by mentioning your name
and the URL of your web site. If the message board allows it, you can
even include a short promotional blurb about your site at the end of
your posts. However, make sure that the individual messages that
are posted to that message board are archived in static HTML pages
(i.e. the URLs for the individual messages should not contain a "?").
Otherwise, the search engines will consider these pages to be
dynamic pages and may not spider these pages and hence, will not
be able to find your link.
Email based discussion lists which are archived on the web in static
HTML pages can also be used to boost the link popularity of your site
in a similar manner. In this case, the signature file that you use with
your email program should contain the URL for your web site.
7) Setting up new web sites
153
Yet another moderately effective method of improving the link

popularity of your site is to set up new web sites and have these new
sites link to your main site. If you are Jeff Bezos (CEO of
Amazon.com), you can afford to purchase hundreds of new domains
and have these new domains link to your main site. If you are not Jeff
Bezos, you can simply set up new sites with some of the free web
hosts. (Of course, your primary web site should always be hosted in a
separate domain of its own). Simply add a few pages of unique
content to each of your new sites, and have each of the pages in your
new sites link to your main site.
If you use this technique, make sure that you do not duplicate content
across multiple sites. If you do, the search engines might penalize
your sites for spamming. You need to ensure that all the pages that
you create for these new sites contain unique content.
The disadvantage of this method is that some search engines (like
AltaVista) refuse to spider sites which are present in the free web
hosts. Still, there are many search engines which will spider these
sites, and hence, the link popularity of your main site will improve in
these search engines.
8) Starting a Link Contest
A good method of improving the link popularity of your site is to give
away prizes to other webmasters if they link to you. The prizes that
you give out should ideally be something which other webmasters will
find valuable enough to want to link to you, but which do not cost you
154
too much. For instance, if you publish a newsletter, and have unsold
ad inventory, you can give away some free advertisements in your
newsletter to the winners. If you sell a software (or an ebook), you
can give away a free copy of your software or ebook to the winners,
since it doesn't cost you anything to produce an additional copy of
digital goods like software and ebooks.
Link contests work best if you run the contest on a continuous basis
and if you declare new winners frequently. If you run the contest for a
few months, and then stop it, the webmasters who had linked to you
will all remove their links. However, if you run it on a continuous
basis, and declare new winners every month or so, the webmasters
will have the incentive to keep their links to your site.
Also, make sure that you require all participants to have a link to your
site either in their home page, or in an internal page of their site which
is linked to their home page. Also ensure that the page which
contains the link is no more than two levels deep from their home
page (i.e. it should not take more than two clicks to go from the home
page to the page containing the link). If they don't do this, the search
engine spiders may not index the page which contains the link to your
site, and hence, may not find your link.
9) Writing articles and allowing them to be re-published
This is by far one of the best ways of improving the link popularity of
your site, and one of my favorites. Whenever I write an article on
search engine placement, I first publish it in my newsletter and then I
155
publish the article in my site as a separate web page. I also submit it

to the following article submission sites:
http://www.ezinearticles.com/add_url.html
http://www.ideamarketers.com
http://www.marketing-seek.com/articles/submit.shtml
http://certificate.net/wwio/ideas.shtml
http://www.web-source.net/articlesub.htm
Many webmasters and ezine publishers frequent these article
directories in search of articles. Submitting my articles to these
directories gives them the opportunity of re-publishing my articles.
While I have had some success with each of the above directories, by
far the best among them is the ezinearticles.com directory.
Now, at the end of each article, I mention that people are free to republish the article as long as they include my resource box (i.e. my
bio) at the end of the article. I always include the URL of my site in
the resource box. This means that whenever someone publishes one
of my articles in his/her web site, I have another site linking to my
site. Also, many ezine publishers archive their ezines in their web
sites. If they have re-published my article in a particular issue, I again
get a link.
Writing articles is also an excellent viral marketing tool. As some
webmasters and ezine publishers publish my articles, other
webmasters and ezine publishers will read my article. Some of them,
in turn, will publish my article, which will again be read by other
156
webmasters and ezine publishers, some of whom will publish it... and
so on.
Also, since only web sites related to mine would be interested in
publishing my articles, all these links tend to come from related sites,
which, as I mentioned earlier, are more valuable than links from
unrelated sites.
Writing articles, of course, has another very important benefit - if you
write good articles, it makes you known as an expert in your field.
This helps to improve your credibility, which makes people more
comfortable about buying your products or services.
Some notes about writing articles:
i) I have learnt through experience that some webmasters will publish
other people's articles and will display the complete resource box but
will not link to the URL mentioned in the resource box. In order to
prevent this, you need to explicitly state that the article can be
published only if the URL mentioned in the resource box is linked to
your site.
ii) Your resource box should not be too long - it should be no more
than 6 lines long, formatted at 65 characters per line. Otherwise,
other webmasters and ezine publishers will hesitate to publish your
article.
10) Starting your own affiliate program
157
This is another excellent way by which you can improve the link
popularity of your site. When you have your own affiliate program,
you give other webmasters the incentive to link to you. In this case
too, since most of these web sites will be related to the industry in
which you are operating, these links will be more valuable than links
from unrelated sites.
Now, when you start your affiliate program, you need to decide
whether you want to run the program yourself, or whether you want to
outsource it from a third party. While outsourcing your affiliate
program has a number of benefits, doing so will not help you improve
the link popularity of your site, because affiliates are going to link to
the third party's site. In order to improve the link popularity of your
site, you need to ensure that the affiliate links are pointing to your
domain.
11) Submitting to the directories
This is by far the most important step as far as improving the link
popularity of your site is concerned. As I mentioned before, what is
important is not only the number of links to your site, but also the
quality of the links to your site. No links are as important as links from
some of the major directories like Yahoo!, the Open Directory etc.
Hence, it is vitally important that you get your site registered by these
directories.
Also, you should submit your site to as many of the smaller
directories as possible. You can get a list of such directories at
158
http://dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_
Web/Searching_the_Web/Search_Engines_and_Directories/.
Bonus Report Choosing the Correct Keywords for your site By Sumantra Roy
In this article, we focus on the correct way of finding out the keywords
for which you should optimize your site for the search engines. This
article will give you the formula for the Keyword Effectiveness Index
(KEI) - a mathematical formula which I have developed to help you
determine which keywords you should be optimizing your site for.
Step 1: Open your text editor or word processor and write down all
the words and phrases that you might have searched for if you were
looking for a company which offers products and services similar to
yours. For example, suppose your company organizes packaged
tours to Australia.
Here's a list of phrases that I might have searched for if I were

planning to make a trip to Australia:
tourism in Australia
travel to Australia
traveling in Australia
travel agencies in Australia
traveling agencies in Australia
Australian travel agencies
159
Of course, the keywords that came to your mind may have been
different. But that's not important - the important thing is to get an
initial list of keywords.
You may be wondering why I have not used single word keywords.
Here's why:
Firstly, single word keywords tend to be hyper-competitive. A search

for "tourism" or "traveling" in any search engine will probably
generate hundreds of thousands of pages. While it is possible that
you may get your page in the top 10 for such a single word keyword,
it is quite unlikely.
Secondly, because of the sheer number of pages that single word

searches can throw up, most search engine users have realized that
they can get more relevant pages if they search for phrases rather
than individual words. Statistical research has shown that most
people are now searching for 2 or 3 word phrases rather than for
single words.
Thirdly, single word keywords won't get you targeted traffic. When
people search for "tourism", they are not necessarily looking for
tourist destinations in Australia - they may be interested in any other
country of the world. Even if you got your site into the top 10 for
tourism, you gain nothing from such visitors. However, when
someone searches for "tourism in Australia", he/she is your potential
customer, and hence, it makes sense for you to try and get a top
160
ranking for your site for that keyword. Hence, whenever you are trying
to generate keywords, try to be location specific. Try to think of
keywords which apply to the geographic area that your product or
service is designed to serve.
Step 2: Open any spreadsheet program that is installed in your hard

drive. I assume you are using Microsoft Excel. If you are using some
other spreadsheet program, just change the spreadsheet related
procedures outlined here to fit your program.
Create 4 columns - one for the keyword, one for the popularity of the
keyword, one for the number of sites that appear in AltaVista for that
keyword and the last for something I call the Keyword Effectiveness
Index (don't worry - I'll explain what KEI means later on). In order to
ensure that you can follow what I am saying, I recommend that you
add the following column headers to the first four columns of the first
row of your spreadsheet:
Keyword
Popularity
No. of Competitors
KEI
In case you don't want to take the trouble of creating your own
spreadsheet, download the keywords.zip file from
http://www.1stSearchRanking.com/t.cgi?1532&download.htm The file
contains a sample spreadsheet in Excel format.
161
Step 3: A great way to obtain a list of keywords related to the ones

you have developed in the first step is to use WordTracker's keyword
generation service by going to:
http://www.1stSearchRanking.com/t.cgi?1532&wordtracker/
Click on the "Trial" option at the top of the site. In the page that
appears, type in your name and email address and click on the "Start
the trial >>" button. In the next page, click on "Click here to start the
trial". In the next page, type in the first keyword that you developed in
Step 1, i.e. "tourism in Australia", in the text box. Click on the
"Proceed >>" button.
Step 4: In the next page, WordTracker will display a list of keywords

related to the keyword that you had typed in. (Just scroll down the left
pane to see the keywords). Now, click on the first keyword in the left
pane which is applicable for your site. In the right pane, WordTracker
will show a list of keywords which contain the keyword you had
clicked on in the left pane. Then in the table that you have created in
your spreadsheet, copy each of the keywords in the right pane and
paste them in the first column of the table. Also, copy the number of
times those keywords have been used (i.e. the figure present in the
Count column in WordTracker) and paste them in the second column.
In order to ensure that you can follow me, make sure that you type
the first keyword in the second row of your spreadsheet. Of course,
you should only bother adding a keyword to your spreadsheet if it is
applicable for your site.
162
Once you have added all the keywords in the right pane which are
applicable for your site, click on the next keyword in the left pane
which is applicable for your site. Once again, WordTracker will
display a list of keywords in the right pane which contain the keyword
you had clicked on in the left pane. Again, copy the keywords in the
right pane which are applicable for your site and paste them in the
first column of your spreadsheet. Also, copy the figures present in the
Count column and paste them in the second column beside the
corresponding keywords. Repeat this process for each of the
keywords in the left pane.
Step 5: Once you have finished with all the keywords in the left pane,
press your browser's Back button a number of times until
WordTracker again displays the text box which asks you to type in a
keyword. Type in the second keyword in your original list (i.e. "travel
to Australia"), click on the "Proceed >>" button and repeat Step 4. Do
this for each of the keywords that you developed in Step 1.
Step 6: Go to AltaVista. Search for the first keyword that is present in

your spreadsheet using exact match search (i.e. you should wrap the
keyword in quotes, i.e. you should type a quotation mark before
typing the keyword and a quotation mark after typing it). AltaVista will
return the number of sites which are relevant to that keyword. Add
this number to the third column of the spreadsheet in the same row in
which the keyword is present. Repeat this process for each of the
keywords present in your spreadsheet. Once you have done that,
your first column will contain the keywords, your second column will
163
show the popularity of the keywords and your third column will
contain the number of sites you are competing against to get a high
ranking for those keywords.
Now it's time to calculate the KEI!
Step 7: The Keyword Effectiveness Index is the square of the

popularity of a keyword multiplied by 1000 and divided by the number
of sites which appear in AltaVista for that keyword. It is designed to
measure which keywords are worth optimizing your site for. Higher
the KEI, better the keyword.
If you had used the spreadsheet file that I created for you (see Step
2), you won't need to enter the formula for calculating the KEI
yourself. The KEI would be automatically calculated for you the
moment you enter the values in columns 2 and 3. You can go straight
to Step 8. In case you didn't download the file, here's how you can
calculate the KEI.
I am assuming that you have created the spreadsheet columns in the

way I recommended in Step 3 and that you are using Microsoft Excel.
If you using some other spreadsheet program, you will need to adjust
the formula to the requirements of your spreadsheet program. Click
on cell D2. Type in the following exactly as it is shown:
=IF(C2<>0,B2^2/C2*1000,0)
164
Then click on the Copy button to copy the formula, select all the cells
in column 4 which have keywords associated with them and press the
Paste button to paste the formula. The KEI for each keyword will be
displayed.
Step 8: Use your spreadsheet program's Sort feature to sort the rows
in descending order of the KEI. In Excel 97, you would click on the
Data menu, click on the Sort menu item, choose KEI from the dropdown combo box named "Sort by", click on the "Descending" option
next to it, and then click on OK.
And guess what - that's it! You now know the keywords which you
should optimize your site for. You can now start optimizing your site
one by one for each keyword, starting with the keyword with the
highest KEI. Exactly how many of the keywords you choose to
optimize your site for largely depends on the amount of time that you
can spare from your normal business activities. But whatever the
number of keywords that you target, it obviously makes sense to go
for the most effective keywords first.
Tying up the loose ends:

The number of related keywords that WordTracker displays in the trial
version is limited. In order to get all the keywords which are related to
the keywords you had developed in Step 1, you would need to
subscribe to WordTracker's paid service.
165
Article by Sumantra Roy. Sumantra is one of the most respected

search engine positioning specialists on the Internet. To have
Sumatras company place your site at the top of the search engines,
go to http://www.1stSearchRanking.com/t.cgi?1532
For more advice on how you can take your web site to the top of the
search engines, subscribe to his FREE newsletter by going to:
http://www.1stSearchRanking.com/t.cgi?1532&newsletter.htm
The next two reports will save you a ton of time if you choose to
pursue Internet Marketing as a way to increase your bookings and
income streams. And I hope you do pursue this but you already
know that <=;
Bonus Report Business Owner's Toolchest By Paul Galloway
All other things being equal, higher web site traffic will always
translate to more money in your pocket. So here are some
methods/tools for that purpose, along with a couple dozen links to get
you started!
* Search Engines
http://www.searchengine-news.com
http://www.searchenginewatch.com
* Pay Per Click Search Engines

http://www.goto.com
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http://www.bay9.com
http://www.payperclicksearchengines.com
* Press Releases
http://www.prprofits.com/killer.html
http://www.xpresspress.com/PRnotes.html
http://www.businesswire.com
http://www.newsbureau.com
http://www.prweb.com
Software:
http://www.abcreports.com/PressRelease
http://www.prwizard.com
* Newspaper Advertisements
http://www.bonafideclassifieds.com
* Your Own Ezine/Newsletter

http://www.e-zinez.com
http://www.oaknetpub.com
http://www.ezinearticles.com
* Postcards
http://www.netcards.com
http://www.wbcards.com
http://www.mailshopusa.com
167
* Word of "mouth" (visitor recommendations)

http://www.recommend-it.com
* Joint Ventures
http://www.jvmarketer.com/jvcenter.html
The above links Are from "The Business Owner's Toolchest" -- a

must-have business resource guide with 899 resources for anyone
running a business online or offline. To find out how it can help you,
visit: http://www.activemarketplace.com/w.cgi?botc-14826
Bonus Report 57 Resources for Internet Marketers" By Terry Dean
Below are 57 Resources that are valuable to every Internet marketer.
I have gleaned these gems right out of my Internet Explorer

bookmark file to show you a few of the sites which are valuable to my
Internet business.
Discussion Boards
Discussion boards are one of the best resources for doing online
research, finding joint venture partners, and driving additional traffic
to your site. Here are a few of the best Internet marketing boards
available:
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The Entrepreneurial Success Forum

http://www.ablake.net/forum
Cybermarketing InfoBoard
http://www.bizweb2000.com/wwwboard/
Profitalk
http://www.profitalk.com/talk/talk.cgi
Product Developers Discussion
http://www.profitlines.com/ipub/index.html
Free Publicity and Promotion
http://www.free-publicity.com/cgi-bin/talk.cgi
Web Marketing and E-Commerce Forums
http://www.wilsonweb.com/cgi-bin/ubb/Ultimate.cgi
Biz-Gold Discussion Board
http://profitinfo.com/discuss/marketing/
High Traffic Forums
http://www.gethighforums.com/bin/Ultimate.cgi
INC Magazine
http://www.inc.com/discussions
The Profits With Information
http://klausdahl.com/forum/
General Business Discussion
http://www.the-illuminati.com/board/index.cgi
ExpertOnEbiz
http://expertonebiz.com/bbs/
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Networking Online
Many of you will also need to participate in discussions involving
other subjects. Below are the three search tools for forums,
newsgroups, and mailing lists.
http://www.forumone.com
http://www.liszt.com
http://www.dejanews.com
Credit Card Processing Without a Merchant Account
Having your own merchant account is a very valuable commodity to
have in your Internet business, but in some cases you will want to
use a third party processor to give you better real-time processing, a
secondary processor for online orders, or for those just starting out
that don't want to commit to the long term fees of a merchant
account.
Here are a few of the popular credit card processors:

http://www.ibill.com
http://www.digibuy.com/
http://www.clickbank.com
http://www.ccslide.com
http://www.ccnow.com/
http://www.ifulfill.com
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CGI Script Resources

One of the key ways of creating interactivity to your web site is
through the use of CGI scripts. Here are five of the best resource
sites for CGI programming, CGI searches, and CGI tools:
CGI Resources
http://cgi.resourceindex.com/Programs_and_Scripts/
Free Code
http://www.freecode.com/
Big Nose Bird (over 300 pages of tutorials)
http://www.bignosebird.com/
Script Search
http://www.scriptsearch.com/
SuperScripts Membership (Lifetime Membership is $250)
http://www.superscripts.com/scripts/index.html
Free Articles For Your Web Site
Content is king in web site development and here are several web
sites that offer you free articles and content that you can use on your
site:
Content for your site

http://www.isyndicate.com/
Dr Nunley
http://www.drnunley.com/MARKET.htm
Michel Fortin
http://www.success-doctor.com/archive.htm
171
Jim Daniels
http://www.bizweb2000.com/articles.htm
Terry Dean
http://www.bizpromo.com/free
Pay-Per-Click Search Engines
How would you like to receive 10,000 visitors for $100? It is
possible...and anyone can afford this type of advertising. These
search engines all use a form of pay-per-click advertising where you
place a bid and pay a certain amount for each visitor to your site
(from one cent to five dollars or more):
http://www.goto.com
http://www.sprinks.com
http://www.rocketlinks.com
http://www.findwhat.com
http://www.kanoodle.com
http://www.simplesearch.com
http://www.searchhound.com
Banner Advertising
If you want to try advertising your web site using banners, then here
are four of the best resources for running large or small banner ad
campaigns:
Pennyweb
http://www.pennyweb.com/
Flycast
http://www.flycast.com/
172
Ad Auction
http://www.auction.com
The Ad Store
http://store.linkexchange.com/
Affiliate Program Information
Many individuals are looking for affiliate programs they can add to
their 'content' site to increase the revenue. The below web sites will
help you pick up affiliate programs for your audience:
CashPile
http://www.cashpile.com/
Make Money Now
http://www.makemoneynow.com/
Associate Programs
http://www.associateprograms.com/
Hundreds of Potential Programs From Linkshare:
http://www.linkshare.com/
Other Important Links
Here are 11 more links that don't fit in any specific category, but I
have found them very valuable in one way or another.
Direct Marketing News: This site covers dozens of stories of interest

to small business owners every day:
http://www.dmnews.com/
173
Small Business Administration: Support, funding, and training are

available from the Government to small Internet businesses and
entrepreneurs: http://www.sba.gov/
Human Click: Install the simple free code given to you, and you will
be able to communicate in real-time with your web site visitors:
http://www.humanclick.com
Wholesale Sources: Find potential products and product ideas from

wholesale sources: http://www.wholesalecentral.com/
ELetter: Combine direct mail advertising with your Internet business

by having Eletter do all of the printing, stuffing, stamping, and mailing
for you: http://www.eletter.com
Great Domains: Buy and sell domain names with the largest selection
on the Internet:
http://www.greatdomains.com/
GTA Technologies: Receive a Free Shopping Cart for Your Web Site:
http://www.gta-tech.com/
CNET Downloads: This is one of the Internet's largest collections of

downloadable software. Find out what is hot and download software
you need for your business:
http://www.download.com
174
CNET Web Services: Pick a new ISP. Find a popular Web Host.
Design a killer web site. All of these tutorials and tools are available
from CNET Web Services:
http://www.webhostlist.com/
Web Site Garage: Tune up your web site, shrink your images, and
track your traffic at the Garage:
http://www.websitegarage.com
Listbot: Start up your own ezine or email newsletter for free using
Listbot's basic free listservers:
http://www.listbot.com
Terry Dean, a 5 year veteran of Internet marketing, will Take You By

The Hand and Show You Exact Results of All the Internet Marketing
Techniques he tests and Uses Every Single Month.
Click here to Find Out More
175
PART II
Lesson 10 - Colleges & Universities
(Back to Index)
The going rate these days for college bookings in the U.S. are
approximately $1500 to $3500 per show. Colleges are keen to book
magicians, mentalists and hypnotists, thanks to their success with
some extraordinary entertainers that work a lot in this market.
In booking colleges, it has been recommended by a friend, who

works this venue on a regular basis, that the performer not attempt to
book directly with the colleges themselves. I agree, since it is difficult
to contact the representatives that do the bookings, as they are
usually students. Working through agents is much more effective.
Here is an email I just received last week regarding a college

booking. It will give you an idea of what you can expect regarding
accommodation and other considerations. It is not appropriate for me
to provide the writers details at this time, so I have omitted them.
From the agent I work with in Canada for college bookings:
Hi Randy!
I went back to the client with the information and they sent me the
following e-mail. Can you give me a call and we'll go over things and
176
then perhaps you could be in touch with her as well, so we can put
this one to contract.
Thanks,
Jennifer
(The note from my agents client):
Subject: Re: Randy Charach
Hi,
Thank you for the information. I do have a few questions:
1. The fees and travel expenses could be accommodated but it does

concern me about his wife's condition and whether or not he would
be available. You mention that he would guarantee a replacement at
no additional cost. Who might that be and would the person be as
qualified?
2. I also would like a few more details on what Randy would do for
this fee? How long is the show? Would he be prepared to come to a
"resident" barbecue on campus just to mix and prepare people for the
upcoming show. Normally we have the "residence" barbeque at 6:00
pm and then the show around 7:30 pm.
3. Re: accommodation - I could book a hotel for him (is he the only
person coming?) but for your consideration, we do have hotel rooms
177
and/or conference suites in this residence. The hotel rooms are

pretty standard with 2 twin beds, tv, small fridge, full washroom. The
conference suites have a kitchen, living room area, 2 bathrooms and
up to 7-8 bedrooms so he would have lots to choose from in terms of
bedrooms but more room for general relaxing. Would Randy find this
acceptable or would he want us to book a hotel?
4. I should also know how arrangements are made financially. I am

certain you have some procedures in place re: deposit, etc.
5. Would I have an opportunity to speak to Randy directly to indicate

type of function, what sort of things I am looking for, etc.? Generally
to give some background to the type of event. This event happens
during our orientation week activities and is usually the one big event
of the year.
6. Also, I would like to know if Randy has done anything on this

campus before?
7. Finally, I am wondering about advertising. To recover some costs

(because it is higher than I originally budgeted for) I may have to
open it up to other university staff and students. I am wondering if in
the fee, I would receive posters, etc. of him and/or any other
promotional material.
Thank you for your assistance.

Judy
178
Okay, so lets see what we can learn from this. Just so you know, by
the way, my wifes condition that Judy refers was that of being
pregnant. She was due right around the time of the booking, so I told
the agent that if the baby is not born prior to the event that I can
provide another act in my place. The booking is in another province
and requires plane travel.
I called the agent regarding all the
questions of her client and gladly accommodated all her requests.
So, work with agents in the college market. The fee range is lower in
Canada than the U.S. (applies across the board, by the way). Expect
requests for attending social functions and accepting campus
accommodation.
There are three main ways that I suggest you contact the agencies,
based on the on the information you have available:
Email
Write a generic note to each company that you can copy and paste to
save time. Be sure to personalize each message with the persons
name and web address if you were able to visit their site. This way it
will not seem like you are spamming them (sending unsolicited bulk
email). Try something like this:
Subject: (Your headline goes here)
Dear Bob,
179
Was at your site: www.bobbookscollegeacts.com and noticed
(Compelling copy goes here)

Sincerely,
Joe Magic
(Signature with USP and call to action goes here)
PS (remember, the same copy writing rules apply across medias)

Direct Mail
You can phone and ask for the address if you couldnt pull it from the
web site. Then send a letter asking if they would like to receive a
package.
Offer them a few easy ways to reply such as an 800
number or a fax or mail back sheet. Follow up with more mail or a

phone call. I do not recommend you ever mail promotional packages
unless the person is expecting you to send one. It is a waste of time
and money. Refer back to the sales letter lesson to help you write
your correspondence.
Phone
Finally, you could phone the contact person and actually have a
conversation with them.
Wild.
Find out who they are and what
possibilities there are for you to work with them. Ask how and what
they want by way of promotional material. This may be your best bet
if you are not Internet- marketing savvy with all your electrons in line
yet. Since there are not tons of agencies that book colleges, why not
180
just give them a call? There are probably a few more out there in
addition to what I have listed, but there are certainly not hundreds.
This is where just picking up the phone makes the most sense.
You probably realize by now that I think most direct mail marketing is
a waste of money when compared to Internet marketing. Use the
direct mail method in this market only if you are really inept at using
email and scared to talk to strangers on the phone. Use toned down
sales correspondence when dealing with agents.
If you connect with an agency, they may ask you to showcase at
NACA (National Association of Campus Activities). This would be a
golden opportunity for you to get massive exposure. If this is going to
be one of your primary markets, then find out more about this
organization at: www.naca.org
In Canada the organization similar to NACA is called COCA (The
Canadian Organization of Campus Activities).
You can find out more about this organization at: http://www.coca.org
181
Lesson 11 - Shopping Centers
(Back to Index)
Shopping centers and malls can be a lucrative venue for you. You
can perform strolling magic; create theme shows based around
holidays and events, and a lot more. Lets look at one example of an
event to promote:
Christmas
Most shopping centers have a Santa Claus during the holiday
season. Many of them will be interested in a proposal to have Santa
to appear magically, or they may have already instituted this. I have
presented "The Magic of Santa" in as many as nine shopping centers
in the month of November.
Often I would appear in up to three
shopping centers in one day. At $1000.00 per show, which is the fee
I received from each center, that worked out to be an additional
$9000.00 each November.
Each show was 20 minutes and the
production of Santa Claus was from a simple illusion. Some years,

and in certain shopping centers, the marketing manager did not even
require me to produce Santa Claus magically and I still received the
$1000.00 for a 20 minute show.
Recently, magician John Kaplan has released a method he has used

to earn $22,500 for a single, Mall - Santa Claus appearance. Do a
few of those each year and you are guaranteed to have a Merry
Christmas. If this interests you: mailto:JKS@charach.com
182
How to reach this Market

If you would like to travel and work in different cities, then join the:
International Council of Shopping Centers
1221 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020-1099
Telephone: (646) 728-3800
Fax: (212) 589-5555
ICSC.org: www.icsc.org
You can advertise to their members in their trade publications. You
can attend and exhibit in their trade shows and promote yourself in
person.
The site above will give you access to a directory search of all the
major malls in North America:
The serious money to be made from shopping centers for magicians
is by producing shows that can be duplicated. The other way is to
book acts through your own entertainment agency. Shopping center
entertainment is mostly for family or children audiences and will likely
appeal to you as a supplement to your other more lucrative streams
of income.
183
Lesson 12 - Fairs and Festivals
(Back to Index)
Fairs and festivals can be a great source of income for magicians.

This applies whether you perform primarily for children or adults. I
have earned several hundred thousand dollars from just one fair
during the course of several years. To give you an idea, to present
an illustration, of a real life scenario of how to become rich by being a
magician, I will explain exactly what happened, how and why.
The Fair I am referring to is the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) here

in my home city of Vancouver, Canada. It is a good sized Fair, the
second largest in Canada. Probably average in size when compared
to county fairs spread throughout the United States. In other words,
there are many more Fairs just like this one all over the country. You
can do what I did or at least model the psychology and procedure to
create a long-term relationship with a single company that can
provide multiple streams of income to your business.
I was initially booked at the Fair by calling up the entertainment

manager and setting up a meeting. It was in 1981 and I was in grade
12. At the meeting I asked him what he could use by way of magical
entertainment. He said a magic show twice a day and a clown to
wander the grounds for a couple hours throughout the day would
nicely complete his entertainment roster for the upcoming season. I
asked what his budget was for each of the two spots and he said
$100 each per day. I quickly calculated that $200 x 17 days is $3400
and asked for both gigs. Good money for two weeks of summer work
184
over 20 years ago at seventeen years old. All I had to do was put
together a clown costume and some make-up and I was all set.
There are a couple of key points that I want to be sure you did not
miss in the scenario above:
1. I am all for sales letters and was using them long before I even
knew what they were called. But sometimes its simply better
just to pick up the phone and make direct contact. In this case,
I know for sure that the entertainment manager received
hundreds of letters and promotional packages every year. He
was delighted to have someone actually phone and suggest a
meeting. What followed from that meeting was well worth the
phone call.
2. Another key element to being a successful sales person is to

ask questions and listen carefully for the answers.
Your
customer will tell you what they want to buy from you if you just
ask them.
Had I entered the meeting with a pre-conceived
notion that I was going to sell him a specific type of show, I

likely would not have received the booking that year and the
income that followed for years to come.
3. Finally, I listened with an open mind. I had never considered

being a clown before.
Not only did I double the contract
amount, but, more importantly, I demonstrated flexibility to the

client. This also paid off with dividends in future years.
185
During the course of the next sixteen years I did something each year
that was appreciated by each and every new entertainment manager
at the Fair. I approached each year fresh by asking questions as to
their new and changing needs, and I provided solutions to their
problems. Every year I increased my value to the Fair and my fee
consequently increased substantially too. In the last couple years
performing at the Fair my fee peaked at just over $3,000.00 per day
for each of the seventeen days of the run. In one of those years, all I
had to do was two-twenty minute mentalism shows per day.
My
contract was for $54,000.00. You too can build relationships over
time with organizations that can reward you handsomely while you
serve their needs.
But guess what? That's not the best part. During the years as I was
listening to their needs, I realized an opportunity to provide them with
much of their other entertainment. My entertainment booking agency
obtained contracts year after year with this client. In one year my
company was granted a quarter million dollars worth of their
entertainment-programming budget.
The above scenario is similar to many other cases of relationships I

have had with many other types of companies. You can and will
have the same type of success if you follow the examples I have laid
out for you in this course.
186
Lesson 13 - Restaurants, Bars & Lounges
(Back to Index)
This is a short lesson because performing close-up magic at

restaurants is not be too exciting from a financial standpoint if you're
already working in other more lucrative markets.
If you are not,
however, it is an excellent way to start working right now and earn

money immediately and make connections and contacts with people
that can hire you for shows at higher prices in other venues.
Even in a small town it should be easy for anyone that can handle an
invisible deck and a few sponge rabbits to get regular work in several
different restaurants. If you're truly new to the magic business, and
just starting out, even if you work for tips alone the spin-off work will
be well worth your effort.
There are a few magicians who make a good living performing magic
in bars, clubs, lounges and restaurants. As a matter of fact, there are
a few that make a six-figure income this way. But they are few and
far between, and for the most part, I feel that this type of work will
benefit you mostly if you are just starting out or have not yet
penetrated more lucrative markets. Perhaps it will be one of your
narrow streams of income.
Or, if you take a really focused and
serious approach to working in this market then you can probably

create a comfortable lifestyle and make a decent living. If that were
all you wanted though, you probably would not be reading this
material.
187
In the 80's, I had regular bookings as a closeup magician at several

restaurants, nightclubs, and lounges. I was paid between $100 and
$200 per night and chose not to accept tips. I did however obtain
many higher paying private and corporate bookings and made
valuable contacts that I still maintain today.
When approaching a table, you will be best received if you are

friendly and personable, and create a comfortable atmosphere for the
audience. The effects you do should be simple, easy to follow, and
ones that can last anywhere from 20 seconds to five minutes. They
should reset automatically or immediately or not require resetting at
all.
Compared to a corporate conference that can afford to spend several

thousand dollars on entertainment in one day, restaurant work is not
appealing.
The magicians making serious money either own the
restaurant or the bar, or work at a high profile exclusive venue. Their

magic is far beyond a few simple tricks and they have worked hard to
secure their position within the establishment.
So, as a beginner, there is an opportunity to get started immediately

and build your businesses. As an established pro, you may also
decide to incorporate restaurants, bars and lounges into your stream
of income. Either way, this will likely be local work and you can easily
approach suitable venues in your area.
188
Lesson 14 - Corporate Work
(Back to Index)
Performing for adult corporate audiences has been the focus and
bulk of my work for the past decade. It is clearly the most rewarding
type of work available for most magicians. Of course, some
magicians prefer performing on television and theatres across the
nation, in fancy review shows and other high-profile venues. This is
not necessarily an option for most magicians. Even celebrity and high
profile magicians still place corporate shows high on their list as
profitable and comfortable venues to work.
Corporate work is a label that is broad in scope. There are tradeshows, product launches, sales meetings, conferences, award
banquets and many other types of events where business people and
company employees gather.
Many doors can open for you as a
magician as you work at a variety of events for various corporate

clients. Even if you are a family entertainer, I highly recommend that
you focus most of your efforts in obtaining work for corporate clients.
They simply, as a rule, have more money to spend, more often, than
most other potential clients. Again, working for corporate clients is a
broad statement, as most clients are corporate in one way or another.
I think you know what I mean, though.
Some magicians specialize in specific areas such as trade-shows.

These magicians will likely book themselves to work in a booth to
attract and hold traffic. They might also perform at their clients
189
hospitality suite or as mealtime entertainment.
Trade show
magicians earn anywhere from $150.00 up to $15,000 per day. One

mentalist friend of mine earns $1,000,000. (Yes, one million dollars,
Dr. Evil) per year while serving only a handful of clients.
Many
provide custom packages for their clients that include script writing,
promotional items and even booth design. Often there are multiple
day and show arrangements made with a single client. Trade show
work can be extremely lucrative; it often requires a lot of hard work
and long hours.
For myself, and the majority of corporate magicians and mentalists,

most of my presentations occur after and sometimes before a meal at
a corporate or associations annual conference. Typical fees for this
type of presentation range from approximately $250 up to $10,000 for
a single show. The average range is roughly $1,000 to $2,500.
I am often booked as a Speaker rather than an Entertainer and

receive even higher fees than when I am strictly booked as an
entertainer.
I am sure you noticed that a range of $250 to $10,000 is huge. We

have discussed fees and fee positioning extensively in this course, so
you can probably figure out how and why some magicians will earn
$250 for a show while another magician, also relatively unknown, will
receive $10,000. Which one are you going to be, the $250 act or
$10,000 act?
190
A great way to open yourself up to higher paying corporate bookings

while also expanding your market potential is by becoming a speaker
who does magic. For the most part, speakers earn much higher fees
than entertainers in the corporate market and are in much higher
demand. For a resource on how to add a speaking component to
your show so you can benefit from this lucrative and exciting field, go
to: http://speakermagic.com
There is a little known secret that I am going to share with you now.
Here it is:
The big-money shows for entertainers are rarely booked through

agents or even the corporations themselves. They are booked
through companies knows as Incentive Houses and Destination
Planners. Large corporate events with budgets often in the hundreds
of thousands of dollars are handed over to such companies to handle
all of the conference details from travel arrangements, hotel
accommodation, meeting-planning and, of course, entertainment.
You want to get in with a few of these types of companies, as they
will open the door to high-fee and cushy bookings with major
corporate clients worldwide.
How do you find them? It is really not too hard once you know what
you are looking for and where to look. Start in your local yellow
pages and look under the heading of Convention Services. Look for
ads that mention the words incentive and destination. Call and ask if
191
they book entertainment for corporate events. Most of them will say
yes. You now know what to do from there.
There are two organizations that most of these types of companies,

as well as meeting planners and entertainment agencies, belong to.
They are Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and The Society
of Incentive & Travel Executives (SITE).
MPI costs $350 to join ($545 Canadian) and will open up a world of
opportunity for you.
International Headquarters
4455 LBJ Freeway,
Suite 1200
Dallas, Texas, U.S.A. 75244-5903
Voice: +1-972-702-3000
Fax: +1-972-702-3070
MPI Canadian Office

329 March Road
Suite 232 Box 11
Kanata, Ontario K2K 2E1 Canada
Voice: +1.613.271.8901
Fax: +1.613.599.7027
192
MPI European Office

Avenue des Gaulois, 7
B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
Voice: +32-2-743.15.44
Fax: +32-2-743.15.50
Voice: +32-2-743.15.44
Fax: +32-2-743.15.50
Learn more abut The Society of Incentive & Travel Executives at:
http://www.site-intl.org/
A great source for over 11,000 corporations and nearly 19,000

meeting planners is: The Directory of Corporate Meeting Planners,
available through Douglas Publications for $385.
Phone: 1-800-795-6596
They also sell: The Directory of Association Meeting Planner and

Conference/Convention Directors for $845 on disc. Instead of buying
that directory, here is where you can get pretty much the same
information free. (You never know when these opportunities will end,
especially on the net. I hope it is still there for you. Right now there is
a searchable directory of 6,589 Associations throughout North
America).
193
Explore the whole site. It provides enough contact information to

provide you with a lifetime of corporate bookings:
http://info.asaenet.org/gateway/OnlineAssocSlist.html
Plus, to locate Convention Center and Convention and Visitors

Bureaus, worldwide, got to: http://www.asaenet.org/cvb_dir
Another excellent site to visit, especially if you are interested in tradeshow work, is: http://www.expoworld.net
The 3 links above are your gateway to limitless performing

opportunities in the corporate arena. Take the time to explore them
and
consider
your
opportunities.
At
the
very
least,
locate
organizations and events in your local area and participate in some

fashion. It is difficult to tell you exactly what to do with the information
because the options are so vast.
Here is one example. Join your local Convention Bureau. At ours in

Vancouver, members are provided with a directory of the upcoming
conferences. I have had great success in booking my services by
contacting the companies that were booked to gather in Vancouver.
They were able to book an international act without the travel
expenses normally attached. And I could stay at home and work
major conferences.
If you have ever thought about doing trade show work, then the
following interview will answer all, or most of your questions.
194
Bonus Interview Anton Zellman on Trade Shows
RC - Anton, thanks for being willing to do this interview.
AZ - It's my pleasure Randy. I'm honored that you would even

consider asking me to participate.
RC - As we go along, I'd like you to focus on the business aspect of

your career as a mentalist. I know you must have a lot to offer my
readers about presentation, staging, and performing.
But, if you don't mind, I'd like to tap into your knowledge and
experience about how to earn a living as a Mentalist. And in
particular, I'd like for you to focus on how to earn a living in the area
of trade-shows. OK?
AZ - I'll do my best Randy. It's one of my favorite topics. The business

of show business. Where would you like for me to begin?
RC - Let's start at the beginning. How long have you been earning
your living as a mentalist and how did you get into working mostly at
trade-shows?
AZ - Actually, I started doing magic shows for Kiwanis and Rotary

Clubs in my late 20's. In those days my paycheck was in the form of
polite applause and perhaps a $25 honorarium. My first paid ESP
195
show was in 1973 for $75. I remember thinking that I was stealing.
This was just too easy. I booked my first trade-show three years later
in 1976 with Owens-Corning Fiberglas. They paid me $1,000.
At the time, I was earning my living as the Bulova Watch salesman in

Toledo, Ohio. But, after my first taste of the awesome power of
performing as a mentalist, and earning what I then thought was a
huge amount of money, $1000.00 for four days of performing, I knew
I would someday make the transition from Bulova salesman to show
business.
Of course I didn't have a clue then that I would end up earning seven
figures working at trade-shows. But I knew I was on to something that
had great potential.
RC - So, how old were you then. Or is that a closely guarded secret?
AZ - No, not at all. Actually I was 15 when I began performing. But

that's a story for another time.
RC - You write about that in your new book, don't you?
AZ - Yes, I do. Maybe we can mention something about the book at

the end of this interview if that's OK with you?
RC - Always marketing Anton. Of course we will.
196
AZ - Well, to answer your question about age, I was 32 years old

when I began performing as a mentalist. I decided to make the move
into full time performing in June of 1977. After ten and a half years
with the Bulova Watch Company, I decided to let go of my fear and
doubts and to do what I do today. My show bookings were picking
up, and I decided to let go of my secure, straight commission, job with
Bulova.
It was a big risk to give up what was considered pretty good pay in
those years,($38,000 plus benefits), to do what I wanted to do most,
and that was to perform. Well I now know that the only risk I had to
take was to make the decision. I have never looked back.
RC - What was the primary ingredient and knowledge base that you
applied to become a trade-show performer?
AZ - Before working for Bulova I worked as a theatre manager in my

late teens, a door-to-door salesman, and as a pitchman on the road
for several years. I pitched Svengali cards and Magic Writer pens
around the country at discount stores. In fact, I pitched the magic
writer pen at the Worlds Fair in New York in 1964.
I'm certain that the combination of those work related skills and
experiences shaped me into the performer I have become. The truth
is that 30 years later I am still delivering a 'Pitch', but for a lot more
dough!
197
RC - Speaking of dough, you are earning a substantial income as a

trade-show performer.
numbers.
Give us a rundown of some of the financial
If you don't mind.
And perhaps a historical summary
would provide a good lesson regarding fees obtainable in this market.
AZ - Sure, as I mentioned before, I did not know at the time that I

would someday focus, almost exclusively, on trade-shows.
My career in trade-shows began when a guy from an Advertising

Agency in Toledo, Ohio asked me if I could perform my mind reading
and mental stuff at a trade-show? I didn't know the first thing about
trade-shows, but I said yes of course I could work at a trade-show.
I have never known how to say no when it came to taking a risk to

earn a buck. I guess that stems from the fact that I had to support
myself since I was 15 years old.
This has been a terrific asset,
because as a risk taker, as soon as I would say "yes", I would then go

back to my home base and think, okay, well now I've got it, so what
am I going to do to make this happen?" I figure it out and go do it.
RC - I am exactly the same way. As a matter of fact, I knew little

about Mentalism until after I booked my new ESP show for a 17 day
run Fair in 1995. I needed a new show, thought Mentalism was cool,
pitched the contract, got it, and put together the show.
Now, as you know, I mostly do Mentalism.
198
AZ - Right, great example.
RC - Thanks. Anyway, go ahead. Please, continue with your story.
AZ - Sure. The agency guy set up a meeting for me with his client. It
turned out to be Owens-Corning Fiberglas. Well, at the end of the
meeting, I was asked how much I would charge to perform at a tradeshow? Randy, I had no idea. However, I knew from my years at
Toastmasters, that a good speaker should make at least $500 a day
+ expenses, so that is the amount I requested.
He said he would call me the next day and let me know if I had the
job. Sure enough the next day he called. He told me that the show
lasted four days and they could only afford $1,000 + travel expenses.
Would I be OK with working only the first two days? I told him no, but
that I would work all four days for the $1,000.
He was ecstatic and that was the beginning of a ten-year run with this
company. In fact, I crafted and honed with Owens-Corning Fiberglas,
most of the twelve trade-show presentations that I perform today.
RC - What did you earn in your first year, back in the late seventies,
as a full time trade-show performer?
AZ - Randy, that's what I most appreciate about you. You don't beat
around the bush. I am happy to share these details with you and
your readers. And, for two reasons. Yes, of course, I am very proud
199
to let people in our business know how well I do, but more
importantly, I have a great need to educate those who want to earn
big bucks at this wonderful and fulfilling occupation. You see if I can
help other trade-show performers to improve their payoff for their
work, then we all win.
RC - I see your point. If more performers ask for and receive higher
fees then fewer customers will balk at the higher fee requested. They
will become familiar and accepting of the higher fees.
AZ - Exactly! Of course I can't simply ask for more money than the
other trade-show performers without providing what I believe is a
more dynamic product that provides a greater ROI along with more
services.
RC - Another good point Anton. So what kind of money did you earn
as a trade-show performer when you started and where are you at
today?
AZ - In my first full year (1978) I booked 51 jobs, four of them were

trade shows and I earned about $31,000 in fees. I was doing mostly
magic tricks and some mentalism. I learned very quickly that it made
sense for me to drop the magic tricks and stick with straight
Mentalism. The impact of mind demonstrations on my clients and
their audiences was more powerful and justified a higher perceived
value. So I decided to raise my rates.
200
In 1979 I booked 48 jobs and I earned $51,000 in fees. $31,000 of

those fees was earned by performing at 8 trade-shows. Hmm, there
seems to be a pattern here! By the way I've kept track of every show I
have ever performed. I still have all the records starting with my first
free show in 1973.
RC - Me too. My first show was a kid's birthday party for $6 in 1976.

But please Anton, go on with your story about earning income as a
trade-show performer.
AZ - OK, but please keep in mind as I reveal my current numbers that

I also know from personal experience that the formula works in any
venue. As I mentioned my first trade show was for $1,000.
Now listen to how these numbers grew over the next few years. In the
late 70's I was earning $2,000 to $4,000 per trade-show event. In the
early to mid 80's I averaged $7,000-$15,000. In late 1985 I began to
more fully understand the value of what I was providing to my clients.
I also developed enough confidence in myself to deliver a first-rate

product so I began to request and receive approval for multi-project,
multi-year contracts. In fact I was so enthusiastic about this concept
that I took another one of those big risks. While at a strategy meeting
with a new client, I decided on the spot, to double my fees. I actually
reached over and took the estimate of fees and costs out of the
client's hands. I crossed out the numbers I had originally proposed
and inserted my new figures. In that moment I caused my financial
201
life to significantly change.
With a lot of moxie and a couple of
strokes of a pen I jumped from $15,000 to $30,000 + per trade-show.
I can still recall the client taking back the proposal, looking at the
crossed out numbers and saying to me..."What's this?" I responded;
"it was a computer error." The client smiled and said, "You know, I
didn't think you were charging us enough for what you do."
RC - Wow! That's a fantastic story. So, these fees are what you
receive for a series of bookings over time and are not simply daily
fees for performances. It's my understanding that you also charge for
additional services such as scripting, support graphics, and licensing
fees for customized audiocassettes that you create and distribute at
the trade-shows. Right?
AZ - Yes, and I also bill my clients for setup and rehearsal fees, travel
days, strategy meetings, and even a fee for my wife, Lois who assists
me.
Also, to be clear, I charge a separate fee for the right to
distribute my tapes at the event. This usually adds another $13,000 $15,000 to my bottom line.
RC - Do you always charge a fee, plus expenses? And how do you

travel? Coach, business, first class?
AZ - Yes, I always charge fees plus expenses. I charge the client for
coach fare and search for the best price I can find.
202
We mostly travel first class using frequent flyer points to upgrade. On

the road, Lois and I live as well as the client. And as you know major
clients do not scrimp when it comes to hotel accommodations, dining
and entertainment. Our budget for travel for the past five years has
been $3,200 to $3,600 per trip.
RC - Is that the amount the client reimburses to you?
AZ - Yes, and we also have a 10% leeway if some trips turn out to be
more costly. I am pleased to report that in 25 years we have never
been over budget. I made up my mind early on that if Lois was going
to support my work and to travel with me then I would be certain to
provide her with a better than average lifestyle on the road.
RC - Oh, but of course (grin). Fair to say then, you realized that there
are companies willing to pay for all of your valuable services. And
once you found these companies, or they found you, it was a matter
of suggesting and providing a variety of services that related to your
trade-show appearances, and for as long as possible.
And, perhaps other entertainers reading this are selling themselves

short by not suggesting, providing and/or charging for these value
added services. What did you do last year as far as sales and days
worked?
AZ - My project income for trade-shows in the year 2000 was

$897,256.87. By the time I finished the year, with other jobs that I
203
booked, it was just about $45,000 short of a million dollars. Gee, I still
get goose bumps when I say that!
RC - How many events was that for, and how many total days did
you work.
AZ - The total events for the year were nineteen. (15) were tradeshows and (4) were sales meeting engagements. Total performing
days were 50, travel days were 30, set up and rehearsal days were
25. I always arrive at least 2 days early so I can be certain my stage
is properly set.
I want to be sure that my sound, projection equipment, and lighting

are all in place and working properly. I often use this time to create
any graphic changes that may be needed to support the show. I also
use this time to rehearse.
RC - Explain why you still rehearse after all these years.
AZ - Another good question Randy. Rehearsal serves several

purposes. The client is always listening, so hearing me accurately
speaking their product messages gives them confidence in the
knowledge that have hired a Pro and everything is going to work as
planned.
Practice also helps me to be prepared to speak and perform with the

right cadence, tone and rhythm. I depend on my voice and the
204
confidence of my words to gather and increase the size of my

audience.
Also rehearsing helps me to feel safe and in control. Besides, don't

forget, I bill my client 50% of my per diem for these two days for setup
and rehearsal. I had better do what I must to earn that extra income.
RC - So help me to be clear about your actual performance fee. Is

your per diem, your daily fee for performing only?
AZ - Yes, for a single trade-show, I receive $7,500 per day for

delivery of my presentation and $2,500 for my wife's assistance. So
that would be $10,000 a day. Most trade-shows at medical meetings
last from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 days. I always contract for the entire show
and charge a full days fee even for the 1/2 days.
And as I've said, I also earn an additional $5,000-$10,000 for the 2

set up days. When I close a deal for several shows and/or a multiyear contract I will bend those numbers a bit. However I hardly ever
change my delivery fees. I have plenty of room to lower the creative
and/or setup/rehearsal costs.
RC - Do you send a rate sheet out?
AZ - No I don't. When I am pursuing a potential client, my process is

to first talk with them to learn what their needs and objectives are for
the event. How many attendees do they expect to visit their exhibit?
205
What size space have they contracted? Do they have a stage? Who
is their Display House? How many products do they want me to talk
about? And so on.
I have a list of about 30 questions I want answers to before I provide

a quote. After I review this information I prepare a proposal, along
with an estimate of costs and fees, and send it to my project contact.
In my proposal I describe to the client how I will fill their needs and
meet their objectives. If appropriate, I also pitch my audiotapes by
showing them the extra impressions they can make on their
attendees minds about their product(s) and their company.
My current major contract began as a one-year, three-event project.

It's now grown into a five-year relationship. To date I've performed at
58 trade-shows for this client at an average of $30,000 for each event
They also pay me an additional script fee each time there is a product
change or decide on a new marketing campaign that requires new
information to be communicated. Added to this are reimbursement
for travel expenses and production costs. And then there are the
licensing fees I receive for my tapes.
My invoice for the last medical meeting at which I presented for this
client in 2001 was for $54,439. Of that amount I earned $42,625.00.
Man I love this business!

206
RC - So, Anton, what I understand you to say, is that what is required

to earn fees in the higher end of the scale, is a combination of a
quality performance, a good strategy to be perceived as different and
better than the competition, a winning mind set, the courage to take
risks, and excellent promotional methods and materials.
I am gong to ask you for some specifics on how to actually put those
materials in front of the decision makers.
First though, I often hear from some of the entertainers that hire me
for consulting that their market just simply does not bear these higher
fees we are talking about. What's your take on that?
AZ - Well, it's important for me to understand that if my thinking is that

I am worth $500, then I will bring to me those clients that can afford
$500. And, unless I provide them with additional benefits, additional
gratification, then I will 'show up' as a $500 Mentalist.
If on the other hand, I think of myself as a $1,000 guy, I will still bring
to me the $500 clients and some of them will say no. But, I will also
bring to me a number of the $1,000 clients.
This same mindset operates in the higher fees as well. And there
are many levels of paying clients.
207
So, if I believe, for any reason, that my market cannot handle higher
fees then that will remain my truth! It's a limiting way to think and it
will bring me limited results.
I think it's important to realize that unless I choose to differentiate

myself from the pack, and truly recognize the value of my product I
will not be able to ask for and consistently receive substantially higher
fees.
Sure, every performer wants their numbers to change upward. Well,

as I've already described, the best way I know to make the numbers
move upward is to place a value on each and every service that I
offer.
Randy, from reading your book "Secrets of Millionaire Magician", I

know you also understand this moneymaking added-value concept
and you do it very well. Now, don't take this statement out of the
interview for fear your readers will think you are tooting your own
horn. I really mean it. And anyone who reads your book will know it's
true. You provide a wealth of information for making huge profits on
the pages of your book.
RC - Right, thanks Anton. Although you are obviously working with a

relatively small number of clients, what advice can you offer regarding
promotional material and marketing methods in order to find and
secure quality trade-show bookings?
208
AZ - Before answering that question I want to say something here

that to some may sound a bit esoterical. It's not. It's another one of
those precious gems that really works. I am quite clear, that I can ask
for any amount that I want for my services. And the reason I can, is
because no one I deal with in the corporate world really knows what
value to place on what I do for their product or company.
Of course clients know what they have paid the guy before me.
Initially they may want to compare me to the Speaker, the Juggler,
the Magician, or Musician they previously engaged. But they don't
really know what my value is. My truth is that I'm still not sure if I
even know the true value to place on my work.
But I do know this. Companies and their teams pay for and want to
deal with Professionals. They have no time to waste on start-ups or
amateurs. So, from the very first day I represented that I was doing
business as Zellman Productions, I decided that everything that goes
out to a client and has my name on it was first rate. Even if I had to
go into hock to do it.
If I sent out a brochure, it had to be quality. If I produced a videotape,

quality. If I answered a letter, the paper and type and letterhead had
to be quality. My reasoning was that I was trying to get work with
Corporate America and I knew from my days with the Bulova Watch
Company that they are accustomed to paying big dollars. But they
are not going to pay big dollars to engage a guy who is represented
by inferior quality materials.
209
My brochures and letterhead are printed on quality paper with a

distinctive logo. The paper stock feels good. My brochure is printed
in four-color.
Randy, I believe you know exactly what I am talking about. Quality is

so important in all of its form.
These folks will not risk their jobs by hiring and paying for an
amateur. They are accustomed to working with the best professionals
they can find and afford.
If I am going to be competing against pros and big time agencies,

then I have to have something going on for me besides my
performance skills.
RC - I see your point Anton. It's also important to create a

professional presentation of oneself that causes the potential client to
perceive you as a first-class businessperson.
AZ - Yes, that's my point exactly. Another piece of advice I can offer

to the performers just breaking into trade-shows, is that they consider
working for hundreds of dollars a day, rather than thousands. Get the
job and learn whether or not they are cut out for this kind of work.
The endurance required for someone to do 8-15 shows a day is a lot

different than what is required for someone performing an hour-long
show. That's not to suggest that all that goes into performing an hour
210
show is not tiring, it's just that a different discipline and energy level is
required.
My performance standard is that my last performance of the day must

appear to my audience as fresh and energetic as the first one I
delivered. Every audience is brand new and late in the day they are
just as tired as I am. I make it a part of my agreement with my client
that I will be as enthusiastic and fresh as possible for every group that
enters their exhibit.
RC - Okay, so they should go test the waters and not worry about
what they earn at first.
AZ - Yes, and then if they enjoy it, have the energy to finish the show
with energy and enthusiasm, then go out and develop a better plan
than what they already have in mind. There are a lot of folks out
there working trade-shows. But they are all doing pretty much the
same routines. I think it is worth more to the client if I can present a
memorable commercial. But the point is this.
If I want to earn serious money at trade-shows, I must present more

than just another 'magic' or 'mental' routine that ties in a message.
I must create and provide a campaign that gives the client a larger
bang for their buck.
211
RC - And it can't look like a commercial, right? That's where the

creativity and experience is required. And, that's why they should
start off at lower fees because they are not likely to be worth the big
bucks to the client yet.
AZ - Exactly, in 1976 I was not yet prepared to compete. I needed

experience and lots of it. Almost any decent performer can draw a
crowd at a trade-show. It's learning how to build and hold that crowd
and to influence them to want to listen to the product message that
helps to distinguish one trade-show performer from another. And to
my way of thinking, it also translates into making a distinction
between one company and another.
Of course I am referring to a positive distinction. If I can accomplish

this, then am I not worth every additional dollar? You bet I am.
RC - What is the range of fees that most magic type performers are
getting these days, per day?
AZ - I really don't know for certain, but I believe it is in the vicinity of a

low of around $750 to $1,000 a day and then there are several really
good tradeshow performers earning between $2,500 and $5,000 per
day.
One caveat though. It's been my experience that once I am locked
212
into a company at a certain fee. It is tough to get the same company

to hire me for a lot more. I have to come up with additional services to
offer that will add dollars and profit to my total invoice.
That's how I began to raise my fees. I offered more services.
RC - How do you and they go about getting new clients?
AZ - Well when I lived in Toledo I used to "work the building" each

time I would go to a planning meeting. What I mean is, I would stop
on each floor and walk around and look for someone to recognize me
from some event I did; either in the community or for their company. I
would ask questions. Lots of open-ended questions. Who do I talk to
see if there would be any interest in using my services at a future
event? Who is the marketing person for their division? Who handles
X product? Any question that might provide me with a lead.
RC - Is that primarily how you built your client base?
AZ - Partially, and it was difficult to get into those corporate buildings.

Every corporation had guards at the entrance and required a security
pass and name tag to enter the elevators.
That's why I made a point of working the buildings whenever I was

inside for a scheduled meeting. I "worked the buildings" a lot from
1976 until 1982 when I relocated to Atlanta.
213
RC - What would you do right now, if you were just starting out?
AZ - I would reach into my tool chest of experience and utilize some

of my best tools to create a desire on the part of both new and past
clients to want to talk with me.
For the new guy on the block the tool may be a connection they have
with a specific company or industry. It might be some special
attention or award they have received about their work.
The number of tools in each chest is as varied as the number and

variations of each person's experience.
For me, my primary tool today would be my first book that is very
close to being finished.
I plan to approach past, existing, and
prospective clients, and offer them a package deal that includes my

tapes and my book. I may offer something like giving them a special
price for X number of copies of my book if they engage me for a
series of events.
Or, I might elect to give them the book at cost as a give-away to their
attendees who see my performance. There are a number of ways to
use my tapes and book as a means to open a conversation and
perhaps to close a few new contracts.
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RC - Creative trade-offs. I do it all the time. The total value is still

intact, it is just sliced differently. Why are you considering doing this
at this time?
AZ - As you've already mentioned Randy, I work with only a handful

of clients and the corporate culture changes over time. I am always
looking for ways to increase the amount of dollars that I make at any
event so I can do fewer jobs and make more money.
As I've stated, it's all about adding extra value. Ideally I would love to
make a million dollars doing one job. I really believe that if I stay with
it for a few more years I'll do just that.
RC - Do you use a demo video to sell yourself?
AZ - No. I no longer send out videotapes because I've come to the

conclusion that I can't be there to meet the potential client's
objections. No tape has ever truly captured the impact of what I do.
It's just a personal preference. I prefer that the client or someone on
his or her product team see me in action. Of course there are many
performers who get a lot of work from tapes, so I don't suggest that
it's not a valid way to promote.
RC - How about your web site, does it support your promotional

efforts.
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AZ - Yes, it supports what I do, but it doesn't actually bring me new

work. I haven't designed it to solicit jobs. I use it mostly to provide
instant access to language and visuals that represent me prior to
sending a hard copy of my brochure to a client who is requesting
information. I will make better use of my site when I am ready to sell
my book.
RC - Am I correct in saying that you are not actively marketing

yourself because you don't need a lot of clients due to the size of the
contracts you are dealing with? It seems to me that you have a
handful of clients and you deal with them and with new potential
clients in a very hands-on attentive manner. You do this rather than
mass marketing and volume bookings?
AZ - Yes, I would have to say that sums it up quite accurately.

Building relationships is my preferred method of finding new
business.
RC - There certainly are pros and cons to working bigger deals with a
small client base. And you are a master of turning what would often
typically end up being a small booking into a much bigger deal.
I think that the readers of this interview will benefit from learning what
you are sharing regarding up-selling, regardless of whether they
pursue trade-show work or not.
In other words, and I am now
addressing the reader of this interview, apply what Anton has shared
with us to all of your services and you will certainly create a larger
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income for yourself, while at the same time better servicing your
client.
Anton, can you offer any advice on a variety of marketing approaches

that perhaps we have not discussed yet, that someone might try. I
imagine you have tried a few different things over the years.
AZ - Yes, I think I can add a couple of simple yet useful ideas here.
The best marketing device I have ever participated in is to invest lots
of time, energy, and money when practical to do so, to become
known in my community as a person who has unique talents, a
special occupation, and a willingness to share it, without charge, with
the community.
I am always available to perform at community, fundraising, and

charity events. And I don't wait to be asked. I seek out the planners
and organizations and offer my services. Now let me be very clear
about this. I do not seek publicity or notoriety for my participation. I
am committed to giving something back to the community. I do this as
an active Rotarian and as a performer. However, it is inevitable that
word gets around. That a favorable reputation develops. And new
opportunities arise.
Many times as part of a larger contract, I will offer to my best clients,

to perform (free of charge) in their name, at a hospital, senior citizens
home or orphanage whenever they send me to an event in cities
other than Atlanta.
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Another way I found to build a local reputation, as a Psychic

Entertainer is to find a business sponsor who would allow me to
perform at College Athletic events while delivering a commercial for
their company or business.
I must admit that the one time I did a mass mailing, I developed a
campaign that cost around $30,000 to put together. I sent out 4,000
pieces. My return was eleven leads that led to one job that netted me
$11,000.00.
When I am working a show, I often walk the aisles looking for

potential clients to stop by and see me work. The best way to get
work in this business is to be seen and appreciated by those who can
engage me for a future event.
RC - Another reason for those starting out in trade-shows to go out

and work, regardless of pay, is so they can get experience and be
seen. What is the typical title of the person who does the bookings at
trade-shows?
AZ - It depends on the structure and culture of the company. At

some companies it is the product manager who makes the decision,
while at others it may be the marketing or communications manager.
Seldom is the convention manager the decision maker although they

can be a good source for an introduction to the right person. Once I
218
make the sale, I am usually working with the communications

department or a companies advertising agency.
RC - Any trade journals or web sites worth checking out for those
wishing to market themselves?
AZ - Yes, just about every industry has a Trade Journal. And most
have associations to which they belong. Many associations publish
their own trade-show books that list the dates and locations of all
meetings in their industry. They are published every year, usually
with a mid-year update. I am a member of a medical association
named the Health Care Exhibitor Association.
They publish the
HCEA handbook that lists all of the major medical meetings. Another
handbook that lists just about every national and international tradeshow in all industries is named, "TradeShow Exhibitor."
The very best web site I am aware of is named TradeShow Central.

Their URL is: http://www.tscentral.com
Another great site is http://www.exhibitorshow.com
This link will also make your readers aware of a very popular trade
show that is geared to the people who offer products and services for
trade-shows. Its name is 'The Exhibitor Show.'
And finally here is a site that will lead to many other sites connected
to the trade-show industry: http://www.tradeshow.com
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RC - Anton, what is expected by way of material and number and

length of shows, etc. for trade-show performers.
AZ - Most performers do what a pitchman would call a grind. That

means they just keep talking and performing until they "Build a Tip".
More commonly known as "drawing a crowd".
Once they get a
crowd they do a short show about 7-10 minutes wait a couple of

minutes to reset their props and then start all over again.
I started
out this way in the 70's. These days I perform three to seven shows a
day. My shows last approximately 18-25 minutes.
RC - Same or different material each time?
AZ - My answer is both yes and no. Everything is scripted, especially

the commercial and I deliver it word for word every show. However, I
have a lot of dialog in my head about my topics. So I am able to
tweak just about every show to the needs of my audience.
Recently, a couple of our fellow PEA members, Doug Dyment and

Loyd Auerbach, visited me while I was performing at Moscone
Convention Center in San Francisco. I knew I had done a good job
when Doug said to me: "I'm amazed at how you made every show
seem somewhat new and different from the previous show".
Of course a lot of trade-show workers perform the exact same

routines each and every show.
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RC - What are some of the effects that play well in this market?
AZ - Some guys do things with watches and time, magic square,

sponge ball routines, rope, coin and card tricks. Some guys hold up
the company's visual aid and some will use placards with the name of
the company on one-side and product messages on the other side.
And they loosely tie the name of the company and product benefits
into their routines.
My process is a bit more sophisticated. For example, if I am a doing a

program about memory, I engage the audience into a process that
helps them to memorize the product and its benefits.
If I am doing something about perception, I am going to have the

audience interact with visuals that deceive their perception. I will use
this theme to support an existing perception they have about my
clients' product. Or it may be that my clients' objective is to have me
create a new perception in the minds of their audience.
I always incorporate a "test card" in my presentation that the

audience will use to keep track of their answers or solutions. It gives
them a chance to interact with me and stay involved. Of course I
have a space for them to fill in their name, address, E-mail and other
information. I make it part of my deal that I keep the stubs with this
information. It provides me with a database of people who have seen
my show. I intend to contact these leads when I am ready to sell my
tapes and now my new book.
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RC - Well you've set up a good place to segue to what your book

is about. What's its title?
AZ - Thanks for asking. I've named it "So, you want to read MINDS Step One." So far, it's fourteen chapters of methods and exercises
that I believe will help the reader to read the most important mind of
all, their own. I've peppered each chapter with personal stories that
reveal how I have personally used these systems to enhance various
functions of my mind. The book is designed in a manner that helps to
answer, the number one old question that every Mentalist is asked to
reveal- "How did you do that?"
RC - You have been most generous with your time and information.
Thank you so much. I have known you for a few years now and
clearly you are one of the most giving individuals in our business.
Do you mind if I give your email address out for my readers to contact
you if they are really serious about performing at trade-shows and
have one or two quick questions, or perhaps inquire about your book.
AZ - Not at all, please do. I am happy to help wherever I can. Who

knows, maybe one day someone who reads this interview will present
a customized Zellman presentation when I decide to retire. It's only a
few years off.
RC - Well wouldn't that person be lucky?
Thanks again Anton.
Anton Zellman can be reached at: anton@zellman.com

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Lesson 15 - Cruise Ships
(Back to Index)
Working cruise ships can be a lot of fun. It would take a long time to
get rich working solely in this venue as a full-time career. A cruise
ship magician would earn in the neighborhood of $100,000 a year.
Your living expenses would be minimal. However, it would be difficult,
but not impossible, to leverage your time among multiple performing
venues and synergistic businesses.
The focus of this course is to teach and encourage you to create

multiple income sources, and if you follow my advice you will be
earning much more than $100,000 per year. For most, it would be
cheaper, more convenient and more fun to do your shows and run
your businesses on land and simply pay for a cruise if you want to go
on a vacation. But there is a much better way to earn a high income
at home and incorporate cruising into your lifestyle. I will explain how
to optimize this excellent opportunity in this lesson.
Cruise ship work most certainly holds an important position in the

Millionaire Magicians Plan, just not as a full-time occupation. If this
work appeals to you, then book yourself as a magician for short runs
occasionally, as I do.
There is great value to this beyond the
performance fee.
I have performed on approximately ten cruises during the past fifteen

years, with three different cruise lines. All but one were fantastic
223
experiences.
Allow me to highlight some information that will be
useful to you if you wish to pursue working on cruises.
Always be sure that your contract clearly stipulates that you have
passenger status on board the ship. This means that your cabin is
located with the passengers and is of the same standards. It also
usually means that you can eat with the passengers, swim in the
pool, and enjoy the cruise along with the paying customers. If this is
not part of your agreement, then be prepared to sleep in the bowels
of the ship and perform laborious crew duties. I've never been in this
exact situation but have spoken to magicians who have and they
regretted taking the work. The higher end ships do not ask for this at
all. I am referring to small ships of cruise companies that are not well
known.
They also pay much less to entertainers.
Dont even
consider working for small unknown cruise companies that pay low
fees of $300- $500 per week and expect you to take on duties other
than as an entertainer.
Let me get the last bit of bad news out of the way. A few years ago,
immediately after I sold my entertainment agency and decided to take
a year or two off from working altogether, I was offered an eight-week
contract from an agency in Vancouver that books a lot of cruises.
This same agency had booked me a couple times in the past on the
Princess Line, and those bookings had gone really well. I normally
would never consider such a long contract for the financial reasons I
mentioned in the beginning of this lesson. I also wasnt going to do
224
any shows for a couple years while I took a sabbatical from work but
figured this is a working vacation and why not.
Although my contract stipulated passenger status, this was not

properly honored upon arrival. The ship itself was far from the luxury
cruise liner that was represented to me by the agent. As a matter of
fact, it was horrible. Why am I telling you all this? Because Ive got
issues, Man! Just kidding. There is an important lesson to be learned
here. First, I fully accept responsibility for the situation I was in. I
knew the name of the ship, and to find out more about it would have
been easy. I relied solely on the word of the agent who was biased
because he wanted to earn a commission. It was my fault, and my
laziness, not to do a little research before committing to an eightweek deal.
Eight weeks is a long time to be stuck in an
uncomfortable environment. In addition to only accepting passenger

status bookings, be sure to check out the vessel before committing to
a cruise booking.
I am now going to tell you about a much more positive cruise gig
experience that occurred just last year. I spent most of last February,
a great time to leave Vancouver, in the South Pacific. I performed my
comedy magic and mind-reading show on two different ships with
back-to-back ten-day contracts on each. I met some great people,
made some money, and came home relaxed with fully charged
batteries.
225
Id intended to take a vacation in February, anyway. The trip I took

which ventured through Singapore, Australia and Bali would have
cost me around $5,000.00, and that is about what I would have spent
that month for a vacation. I went on my own, but could have brought
a guest for free. If I had to pay for that person, my wife for example,
add a few thousand dollars to the expense. Lets use the figure of
$5,000, though, and do the math:
Vacation Expense:
$5,000.
Booking Fee:
$5,000.
So instead of spending $5,000, I made $5,000.
There are tax
considerations which change the numbers slightly, but that varies

depending on your financial structure and income, so well ignore
them for this illustration.
As far as I am concerned, I made $10,000 that month by saving

$5,000 and earning $5,000. Now, $5,000-$10,000 in a month is
much lower than you and I in our fortunate position can earn. Money
isnt everything though, and if you work hard most of the year, as I
hope you do, be sure to reward yourself often and enjoy your life.
Take vacations, even when you dont get paid to do so!
A few days ago, I sent the following e-mail to the agency that booked
me on that cruise:
226
Dear Carolyn,
Hope everything is going great for you.
I am in the midst of completing a course for magicians that will

discuss various performing venues. I would be pleased to highlight
your company in the Cruise Ship section, which may lead to several
submissions to your company from qualified entertainers.
With your permission, I will offer your company information including

your submission guidelines (from your web site). Would also like to email you some questions pertaining to working cruises that is not
covered completely on your web site.
Please let me know if I can copy information from your site and email you some questions to be answered and returned by you within
the next week or so.
Thank you,
Randy Charach
2808 W 39th Avenue
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6N 2Z4
http://www.charach.com
PH: (604) 839-7937
FX: (604) 739-2866
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She replied with the following email:

Hello Randy,
Nice to hear from you. Please feel free to highlight our company in
the cruise ship lesson. Although our business is 95% musicians, as
you know, we have had the opportunity to offer work to "Headliners"
such as yourself, and magicians.
Feel free to e-mail me questions, I will answer to the best of my

ability.
Take care Randy,

Carolyn Coventry
Vice-President of Operations
--------------------------------------------ProShip Entertainment Inc.
TEL: (514) 485-8823 FAX: (514) 485-2675
e-mail: ccoventry@proship.com Web: http://www.proship.com
5253 Decarie Boulevard, Suite #308
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3W 3C2
I just checked their web site more carefully, and realize that between
my knowledge that I am sharing with you, and the information on their
228
site, I do not think there will be unanswered questions. So, I will now
write to her:
Hello again Carolyn,
Thank you for your reply to my request.
Upon second look, I realize that there is plenty of information on your

web site and there are no additional questions for me to ask you
regarding the magician course project.
A couple weeks ago a fellow from your agency called and asked my
availability for cruise work, which would run for several months
in duration. I appreciate the call, but that is not possible for me at this
time. I did mention, and want you to know, that I would love to do a 12 week booking. Perhaps between other performer contracts or as a
fill in when a performer takes vacation. Maybe this summer on an
Alaskan run that leaves from Vancouver so there is no travel expense
for the cruise company. Anyway, please keep me in mind.
Warm Regards,
Randy
---------------------------------------------------------There really is a ton of information about working ships on the
ProShip site. I have included what applies to magicians here and will
229
tell you that the information is pretty standard across cruise lines and
agencies that book acts on cruises. Some of it may seem harsh and
in reality much of it is not actually upheld.
You likely realize that I am recommending ProShip to you as a great
company to deal with and I suggest you approach them if this work
appeals to you. You should also approach other agencies and the
ships directly too.
What follows on the next several pages is a recapitulation of

information provided by ProShip.
ProShip
SALARY & BENEFITS
Your salary will be indicated on your employment contract along with
the method of disbursement: weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.
Salaries are always paid in U.S. currency and range from $1,000 to
$3,000 per person per week. Meals, accommodation, airfare and
excess luggage or Air Cargo charges for your equipment to and from
the ship are included at no extra cost to you.
Depending on the Cruise Line policy, you may be able to invite
friends and/or family to cruise with you at discount rates, after a
certain period of employment.
230
ProShip's Commission
Proship works on a 12% commission basis for musicians, and a 15%
commission basis for Variety Acts and Cocktail Pianists. Depending
on the accounting structure of the cruise line, we collect our
commission either by invoicing you or by invoicing the cruise line.
If we invoice you, you will need to visit the local post office or a bank
once a month while in port, and have a certified cheque or money
order made out to ProShip Entertainment in the amount indicated on
the invoice.
If we invoice the Cruise Line directly, our commission will be
deducted from your salary. You will always know what your net salary
will be in advance.
Novelty Artist
The Novelty Artist is a single entertainer or group of entertainers who
perform a 45-minute Feature Show in the theatre, as well as 10 to15
minute segments in the production shows.
Your
show
should
be
incredible,
breath-taking,
entertaining,
humorous and of the highest quality. It should be tailored for the over50 crowd, although some cruise lines cater to a younger crowd. Your
material should be "clean" since ships are usually very conservative.
You may use the Show Band for play-ons, play-offs and to generally
enhance your show, or you may use pre-recorded music.
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PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
A Variety Act usually performs two nights a week.
One night you will perform the same 45 minute Feature Show twice
(once for early and once for late seating). On the other night, you will
perform the same 20-minute show twice (once for early and once for
late seating) as part of either the Welcome Show or Farewell Show.
On 10-day cruises, you may need to perform two different 45-minute
feature shows and a 20-minute show. Some acts, except for Feature
Instrumentalists, may also be asked to perform a Late Night Adult
Show.
The Magician/Illusionist may also be asked to perform a Close-up
Magic Show.
THE PROMOTIONAL PACKAGE AUDITION
Variety Acts
(Acrobat,
Feature
Instrumentalist,
Stand
Up
Comic,
Magician/Illusionist, Juggler, Ventriloquist, Hypnotist, Cabaret Singer,

and Novelty Act)
Since ProShip hires entertainers from all over North America, it is
impossible to audition every act in person. Therefore every Variety
Act must send us a complete promotional package, including glossy
photos and a video of their performance in front of an audience. The
video should capture your rapport with the crowd as well as their
reaction to you.
232
VIDEO: The video must accurately represent your act in a live

setting. We prefer an uncut 1 hour video done in front of a live
audience rather than a 5 minute edited video done in studio. With the
uncut video we can see how well you are received by an audience
and how much material you actually have.
Your video should be of professional quality; the better you sound
and look, the more chances you have of being selected. Comments
accompanying the video to the effect that " ...this is an old video and
we are much better now..." will not be taken into consideration.
The Promotional Package Audition should include:
- Video Tape: (see above)
- Audio Tape: (if applicable) 10 to 15 minutes long. The tape should
have the best sound quality possible and should include from 7 to 12
excerpts that accurately represent your repertoire.
- Photos: All photos should be 8 x 10 with the entertainers in "formal
attire" or stage wear. All members of the act should appear in the
photo.
- Song list: (if applicable) Printed repertoire. Please group the songs
by musical style and language, vocal and non-vocal.
- Show Sequence: A printed show sequence for both a 45 minute
and a 20 minute show.
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- Biography: A printed biography including: a promotional "teaser"

paragraph (6 - 7 lines), a career resume describing your background
and experience, a highlight of your last 3 years of professional work.
- Letters of Reference: Complimentary letters from previous
employers.
Accommodations
You will be assigned a crew cabin once you board the vessel. A
sideman usually shares a cabin with another musician, while a Band
Leader or Guest Entertainer will have a cabin to him/herself.
Occasionally, a Band Leader may be asked to share a cabin with
another musician, or a sideman may be asked to share a cabin with
two other musicians in the band. All these details will be made known
to you before you accept a contract with us.
Space on ships is a valuable commodity: cabins are very small and
take a bit of getting used to. Cleanliness and personal hygiene must
be practiced by all, especially in a shared cabin. If a non-smoker
bunks with a smoker, the No Smoking rule applies.
Contract Length
Contract can be as short as three days or as long as six months. The
average length is 6 months. Short contracts come with little notice,
sometimes only 24 hours! Such short notice means the cruise line
needs to fill a position quickly and is prepared to adjust the length of
234
the contract. Normally, the cruise line prefers to hire people for longer
periods of time.
On a regular contract, you will usually have four to eight weeks notice
to prepare for your departure.
Before you consider accepting any given contract, please remember
that your verbal commitment is important to us. Once you give your
consent, a contract and an airline ticket are requested in your name.
Should you change your mind prior to departure, you will be
penalized. Our contract of commission, which requires your
signature, stipulates:
"If, for whatever reason, the artist changes his mind about accepting
the contract or departs the vessel prior to the termination date on the
artist's A/MA, either by his own choice, or by AMR's decision, or by
ProShip's decision, except if the artist suffers from injury or medical
condition not present prior to embarkation necessitating his dismissal
from the vessel, the artist agrees to pay ProShip a replacement fee
equivalent to three weeks of the artist's net salary."
On-board Hierarchy
Captain (Master of vessel)
Staff Captain (2nd in command)
Chief Purser (3rd in command)
Hotel Manager (4th in Command)
Cruise Director (responsible for all entertainers)
Guest Entertainers
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Musical Director (responsible for sidemen and musical groups)

You
Officers: Officers are a breed apart. Unless you have already been
exposed to a military environment, it can take some getting used to.
Officers live in a world where strict obedience and respect are of the
utmost importance. If you show officers the respect they expect, you
will not have a problem. The best answer to an officer's command is
a prompt and enthusiastic "YES SIR!"
Cruise Director: He/she is in charge of all on-board entertainment
and has a long and hectic schedule. The Cruise Director can fire
anyone who is not fitting in. Make it a point to cultivate a good
relationship with your Cruise director.
Mental attitude
When you accept a job on a cruise ship, professional competence is
only half of what you will need to bring on-board. The other half is a
good attitude: a willingness to complete your contract, no matter
what.
Space is a limited commodity on ships, so there is absolutely no room
for swelled heads. The ultimate candidate is a problem solver, not a
problem maker; one who shows common courtesy, is cooperative,
flexible, enthusiastic and able to spend long periods away from home.
Commitment: We realize that when we offer you a job on a cruise
ship, there are a lot of things for you to think about before you can
236
give your consent. We do not have a problem with those who refuse
a job. However, once you consent to take a contract, you are formally
committed and we expect you to live up to your word. We cannot
involve the cruise line by requesting contracts, airline tickets, etc., in
your name unless you are 100% positive you want the job. Between
the time you verbally accept the job and the moment your signature is
on the contract, we have to count on your commitment.
Audience Appeal: (Band Leader, Guest Entertainer or "front
person".) Keep in mind that your audience is on vacation and is there
to have a great time. A group's front person must generate
excitement on stage and should always encourage the audience to
participate. Involve the audience, interact with them! Make them feel
that they are the best audience you've ever played for. Give them an
experience to remember!
Illegal Drugs
It is not uncommon for cruise ships to conduct "random" drug tests or
cabin inspections. Being caught in possession of an illegal substance
or proving positive on a drug test can lead to immediate dismissal at
best, imprisonment at worst.
Coast Guard Inspection
Coast Guard officers are similar to Custom officers and have the right
to search your cabin without your permission and without telling you
why. These searches may be random and may happen throughout
the ship on any day at any time.
237
Curfew
On most cruise ships there is a curfew in the public areas anywhere
between 1:30 am and 3:00 am. You are not allowed to linger in any of
the public areas (lounges, bars, etc.). There is usually a staff lounge
or officer's lounge on-board that is open 24 hours a day where you
can relax if you are a night owl.
Restrictions
There are areas on a ship that musicians and entertainers are not
permitted
to
visit.
These
areas
include
passenger
cabins,
(passengers are not allowed in your cabin either), the ship's Casino,
and the pool. Bar stools are also off limits. (Waiters prefer to have
passengers on bar stools since they are better tippers.) You may
have a drink at a table in the lounge. However, you cannot walk
around the ship with a drink or a cigarette in your hand in case the
ship tilts and you spill your drink or burn a passenger. Use of the
public gym facilities may be permitted at certain times. Some ships
have their own staff gyms and pool which are more accessible.
Fines
On land, a fine is a common punishment for breaking the law (think of
parking and speeding tickets!) It's the same thing on-board.
The laws of the ship are clearly spelled out to you when you arrive. If
you break an on-board law, you may either receive a written warning
238
or be fined. If you resist the temptation to break the rules you should
not have any trouble.
Required Drills
You must participate in passenger and staff boat drills. Drills will
teach you how to act if an emergency situation arises.
Boat drills happen once per cruise and are compulsory for both staff
and passengers. A drill lasts about 20 minutes and is similar to an
airplane drill. There are also special training periods for staff and
crew, which you must attend. Although ships are extremely safe, take
the time to learn how to save your life and that of others in case of
emergency.
Dress Code
The dress code varies for different cruise lines. However, in general,
you will need to wear a Tuxedo with a white pleated shirt, a black bow
tie, black cummerbund, black shoes and black socks for formal night.
On non-formal nights, you will wear a blue blazer with a white shirt,
tie, white pants and white deck shoes. Some cruise lines will provide
you with the non-formal night wear, a daytime uniform and a nametag
that you should wear in passenger areas.
Sample Policy Manual
Prior to departure you will be provided with the policy manual of the
cruise line. It will look something like this:
239
Can Do
1) An exemplary conduct may provide you with the opportunity to
accompany passengers in the capacity of host during fabulous shore
excursions.
2) You may use the gymnasium facilities after 8:00 PM provided no
passengers are waiting.
3) Socialize in a proper, educated and respectful manner with each
individual of the upscale clientele. Short hair and a well-groomed
appearance is expected.
No Can Do
1) The following parts of the ship are off limits to staff members:
Casino, passenger cabins, pool and bar stools.
2) Tardiness is not permitted in any of your duties. When in port you
must be on board the vessel at least one hour prior to the ship's
departure. Failure to board the ship will lead to instant dismissal!
3) Slightly improper behavior can lead to fines. Grossly improper
behavior, such as drunkenness, or possession/use of illegal drugs will
lead to dismissal or imprisonment.
240
Health & Medical

You will have full medical coverage while on board and on land (while
the ship is in port) if you successfully complete a thorough physical
examination prior to departure.
A ship's Pre-Physical Examination Form will be sent to you. This form
contains a section that you can fill in yourself (relating to your health
history), as well as sections that must be filled in by your doctor
(physical examination and test results).
The physical can be done in your doctor's office. A chest X-ray
(tuberculosis), a urinalysis (drugs, alcohol and diabetes) and a blood
test (sexually transmitted diseases) are required.
Depending on the cruise line, you may be asked to have the medical
examination done at one of their affiliated Clinics. You will be notified
if any vaccinations will be needed.
Cruise ship employees are discouraged from participating in
dangerous activities such as bungee jumping, sky diving, rental of
risky mopeds, etc., as these activities may affect insurance coverage.
It is up to you whether or not to invest in life insurance; keep in mind
that the cruise line offers no compensation for fatal injuries.
Medical Insurance: If you are a U.S. resident paying U.S. taxes, you
may be asked to participate in a "Shipboard Medical Plan" which will
provide coverage for the period of time spent ashore in the United
States after disembarkation upon the completion of a contract.
241
Words of Advice
The time it takes to adjust to "life at sea" varies with each individual; it
can take anywhere from two weeks to two months.
To make your time on-board as pleasant as possible, realize that
after the rehearsal period is over you will have a lot of free time. Make
your time worthwhile by staying focused. Don't lose sight of the
objectives you set for yourself when you accepted the contract. Use
this opportunity to learn a new skill or language, get in better physical
shape, explore the ports-of-call, participate in activities such as scuba
diving, send postcards, read international newspapers, practice
meditation... discover yourself!
Be prepared to be offered alcohol often. Go easy on it and make sure
your conduct is always professional.
This is an opportunity to come back home in top mental and physical
shape and with money in your pocket! It's all up to you!
___________________________________________________
Here is information directly from another well respected agency that
books a lot of cruise entertainment.
It is provided under their
letterhead, as follows:
Bramson Entertainment
630 Ninth Ave. - Suite 203
New York, N Y
10036
Phone: (212) 265 - 3500 Fax:(212) 265-6615
242
Bramson works with most of the major cruise lines in providing

headline entertainers. These are artists who perform in the main
show rooms and have a cabaret style act.
As a general rule of thumb all headline entertainers will need to have

a minimum of 75 minutes of material that can be used in a number of
different configurations depending on the needs of each ship. You
should be able to work within any of these formats:
1 - 45 minute show and 1 - 30 minute show
2 - 30 minutes shows and 1 - 15 minute show
3 - 20 minute shows and 1 - 10-15 minute show
All of the cruise lines want to see a videotape before they will even
consider offering an engagement. The cruise lines are looking for
poised, professional entertainers who they feel will be a good
reflection of the overall quality of their product. While not a perfect
medium, videotapes are the standard by which all acts are hired in
the industry. The most effective tool is a tape of a live performance. A
staged
promotional
tape
is
not
as
good
in
this
market.
We realize that not everyone wants to make cruising their sole

entertainment career. There is a place for those who only want to
supplement other engagements as well as for those entertainers who
do want to entertain exclusively on ships.
Please be aware that not every act translates to a shipboard
environment. There are certain situations that are unique to cruising
243
and make this field unlike any other segment of the entertainment
world. In addition to having the right kind of act that is totally clean
and can play to a family audience, there is also a social component to
shipboard entertaining that is very important. Living and working with
people 24/7 poses certain challenges. Important to understand this
and be willing to mix, mingle and promote yourself as well as the line.
Please send all materials to:
Linda Raff
President
Bramson Entertainment Bureau, Inc.
630 Ninth Ave. - Suite 203
New York, NY 10036
Please allow a period of two to three weeks to view materials. We will
not be able to return tapes or materials.
244
Lesson 16 - Television
(Back to Index)
Performing magic on television is definitely part of the Millionaire

Magicians plan.
Although it may not directly contribute to your
wealth, it does increase your celebrity status and will contribute to

your ability to obtain higher fees. Most magicians, David Copperfield
and Lance Burton included, actually contribute a couple hundred
thousand dollars and more, above and beyond what the network
provides, in order to improve the production value of their specials.
David Blaine is an exception, as he profits greatly from his shows.
Your own television special has the potential to launch your career to
new heights. There is no guarantee that the special alone will make
you rich and famous, but there will certainly be many other benefits.
One way to have your own special aired is to produce it yourself and
give it for free to stations to broadcast. You can recoup funds by
selling advertising slots for commercials and/or obtaining corporate
sponsorship. Often there is a budget available from smaller stations
to contribute to your production for first-run rights. You may also be
able to simply have a station or network produce your show and pay
you a talent fee.
The following pages contain a template that you may wish to use to
propose your own television special. The first page is the synopsis
that will be needed in your initial stages.
This is followed by an
245
acceptably formatted complete television special bible that you can

model yours from.
Click here to skip template and go to next lesson.
246
TV Special Synopsis
SYNOPSIS
THE [Your Name] SHOW is a [Describe your Show]
Starring [Your description and Name], the show is set in [Describe

setting]
Packaged with strong visual graphics, a dynamic, hard-edged

opening, and strong bumpers and stings, the show is set around
[Your Name] world-class magic performances.
This show is [Further Describe Show]
The [Your Name] Show will create a lasting Impression!

A complete X-page bible of the show is available upon request.
Telephone: [Your Phone Number]
[Your Web Address]
[Your Email Address]
__________________________________________________
Copyright [Year] [Your Production Company] - All Rights Reserved
247
TV Special Template
The
[Your Name Here]

Show
A Television Special Bible

Created by
[Your Name]
Draft No. 1 [Month, year]
__________________________________________________
[Your Production Company]
[Your Address]
[Your City]
[Your Zip or Postal Code]
[Your Phone Number] [Your Fax Number]

E-MAIL: [Your Email Address]
__________________________________________________
248
The [Your Name] Show

Bible - Page 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. SYNOPSIS
2. TECHNICAL DETAILS
GENRE
LENGTH
COMMERCIAL BREAKS
VTR PACKAGES
SHOOTING DETAILS
SEGMENTS
CAST
LIMITATIONS & LOCATIONS
3.
SHOW STYLE
4.
SET
5.
SHOW RUNDOWN
6.
VTR PACKAGE TREATMENTS
OPENING
COMMERCIAL BUMPERS
TRANSITIONS
_________________________________________________
249

Bible - Page 3
SYNOPSIS
THE [Your Name] SHOW is a 60 minute Television Variety Special
appealing to the new generation of entertainment connoisseurs in the
18 - 34 age range.
Starring [Your Description and Your Name], the show is
[Describe your show]
Packaged with strong visual graphics, a dynamic, hard-edged

opening, and strong bumpers and stings, the show is set [Describe
the Setting].
This show is [More Details]
The [Your Name] Show will create a lasting Impression!
__________________________________________________
250

Bible - Page 4
TECHNICAL DETAILS
A/ GENRE
This is a 60-minute variety television show

licensed for broadcast nationally in [Your
Country]. The show meets requirements of a
variety show, which must be [Your Countrys
Requirements]. The [Brief Summary of
Show]. The show is shot in segments and
edited in postproduction.
B/ LENGTH
The total length of the show is 59:50. There are 12
minutes of
commercial breaks making the
performed length of the
show 47:50.
C/ COMMERCIALS
There are six 2-minute commercial breaks
D/ VTR PACKAGE
The following VTR packages will be created:

PACKAGED OPENING
COMMERCIAL BUMPERS
TRANSITIONS
E/ SHOOTING
The show will be shot at [Describe Locations]
__________________________________________________
251

Bible - Page 5
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Continued...
The stage show segment will use two
pedestal cameras with one close up and one
wide shot of the performance area. One hand
held will be on stage with an over the shoulder
view of the audience with the second hand
held in the audience. Tape will only be
stopped to reset or to re-shoot major faults.
Excess performance footage will be shot to
maximize the choices when editing content.
VTR packages, credits, graphics and audio
sweetening will be done in post.
E/ SEGMENTS
[Name of First Segment]
[Describe Segment]
Length: 45 seconds
__________________________________________________
252

Bible - Page 6
TECHNICAL DETAILS Continued...
E/ SEGMENTS [Name of Second Segment]
[Describe Segment]
[Name of Third Segment]
[Describe Segment]
Length: 4 minutes.
__________________________________________________
253

Bible - Page 7
E/ SEGMENTS
[Name of Fourth Segment]
[Describe Segment]
Length 8 minutes
[Name of Fifth Segment]
[Describe Segment]
Length: 6:10 minutes

__________________________________________________
254

Bible - Page 8
E/ SEGMENTS
[Name of Sixth Segment]
[Describe Segment]
[Name of Seventh Segment]
[Describe Segment]

__________________________________________________
255

Bible - Page 9
E/ SEGMENTS
[Name of Eighth Segment]
[Describe Segment]
Length: 4 minutes
F/
LIMITATIONS & LOCATIONS
[Describe Technical Limitations

and Location Considerations]
__________________________________________________
256

Bible - Page 10
SHOW STYLE
[Descriptions below are to give you an idea as to what you
could write in this section]
A talented and creative crew will produce this show. The DOP will
greatly influence the look and feel of the show and it will be shot to
reflect the content, which is hip and innovative. The show will be
moody at times, bright at others, but always consistent in its
contemporary flair. Bumpers, stings and music will be added in
postproduction to compliment the show.
The content of the show will not reflect current events and will be
international in scope. None of the segments will be time dated.
Although the show is only sold in [Your Country] at this time, it is
expected it will receive worldwide distribution. Although written to be
shot in [Your City], it could be shot in any city.
The show is to be aired as a one-hour television special. A series of
weekly half hour shows based on the magic of [Your Name] is
currently in development.
This show is about [Summarize the unique features of your
Production]
__________________________________________________
257

Bible - Page 11
SHOW RUNDOWN
#
DESCRIPTION
LENGTH
NOTES
1.
Name of 1st. Segment
: 45
Describe tone of show
2.
OPENING VTR
: 30
VTR Package
3.
COMMERCIAL #1
2:00
Revenue Source
4.
Bumper from Commercial
: 15
VTR Package
5.
Name of 2nd. Segment
4:00
Brief Description
6.
TRANSITION VTR
: 10
VTR PACKAGE
7.
Name of 3rd. Segment
6:00
Brief Description
8.
Bumper to Commercial
: 10
Describe Shot
9.
COMMERCIAL #2
2:00
Revenue Source
10. Bumper from

Commercial
: 15
VTR Package
__________________________________________________
258

Bible - Page 12
#
DESCRIPTION
LENGTH
NOTES
11. Name of 4th. Segment
8: 00
Brief Description
12. Bumper to Commercial
: 10
Describe Shot
13. COMMERCIAL #3
2:00
Revenue Source
14. Bumper from Commercial
: 15
VTR Package
15. Name of 5th Segment
6:10
Brief Description
: 10
Describe Shot
17. COMMERCIAL #4
2:00
18. Bumper from Commercial
: 15
Revenue Source
VTR Package
7:35
Brief Description
: 10
Describe Shot
__________________________________________________
259

Bible - Page 13
DESCRIPTION
LENGTH
NOTES
21. COMMERCIAL #5
2:00
Revenue Source
22. Bumper From Commercial
: 10
Describe Shot
8:50
Brief Description
: 10
VTR Package
25. COMMERCIAL #6
2:00
Revenue Source
26. Name of 8th Segment
4:00
Brief Description
Producer Logo/ Copyright

___________________________
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 59:50
_________________________________________________
260

Bible - Page 14
VTR PACKAGE TREATMENTS
A/
OPENING
A visual montage set to [Describe Music]. The images will include a

[Describe Visual Settings]. The theme is [Describe Overall Theme].
Length: 30 seconds
B/
COMMERCIAL BUMPERS
Bumpers will be created from footage shots. They will focus on

[Describe theme of shots]
Length: 15 seconds
C/
VTR TRANSITION
There is only one VTR transition. It is a montage of on [Describe

shots]
Length: 10 seconds
__________________________________________________
261

Bible - Page 15
Q&A
Q.
Can you tell us more about [Your Name]?
A.
[Your Name] has [Describe your USP Remember that?]
____________________________________________
Q.
[Question]?
A.
[Answer]
____________________________________________
Q.
[Question]?
A.
[Answer]
____________________________________________
Q.
How can we find out more about [Your Name]?
A.
[Your Web Site]
____________________________________________
262
You can and should get booked on local and national talk shows. I
have been on many as mentioned in the lesson on promotional
material.
Each talk show has a different set of criteria for selecting guests.
Here is the information you need to submit yourself as a potential
guest on some of the major shows on national television:
The two toughest and most desirable shows to get on are Letterman
and Leno. I spoke with a representative at the Leno Show who told
me: We get hundreds of packages a week and we dont do
Mentalists, Magicians, or Hypnotists and the packages are
automatically sent back to the sender.
The only way for you to get on these shows, unless you are a
celebrity or just happen to get lucky or work hard at being seen by the
right person at the right time, is to be creative in your approach. They
do not care how good you are. I am going to tell you how to fit into
their current format. That is the most realistic way of getting on one
of these shows.
Go to their web site and check out their current interests in stories.
Find a way to fit into THEIR programming. Of course you will tie your
magic into the approach. A clip of you performing magic on The
Tonight Show with Jay Leno or The Late Show with David Letterman
will instantly increase your fee and marketability. Since this is the
only realistic way to make this happen, why not give it a shot?
263
Late Show with David Letterman
http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/clubhouse/faq.shtml
Here is what is on their site at time of this writing:

I've got a Stupid Pet or Stupid Human Trick. How can I get
picked for the show?
Here's what you need to do: videotape you or your pet doing the trick
at least three times in a row without stopping or editing (to prove to us
that it can be done consistently, on cue).
Put your contact phone numbers on the label of your videocassette
and mail to:
Darren Demeterio
1697 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
As an alternative, you may also call 1-888-PET-TRIK (888-738-8745)
and leave a detailed description of your trick, along with day and
evening phone numbers. You may also e-mail Stupid Trick
Coordinator Darren Demeterio at sdemeterio@aol.com. If your trick
is safe and fun for all participants, fits our format and hasn't already
been performed on the show, we will call you back should we be
interested in using your trick.
264
I know of a "regular" person who would make a great guest for

the show. How can I bring them to your attention?
"Human interest" guests fall basically into two categories: topical, and
people with unusual hobbies, talents, or obsessions.
What we look for in a topical story varies widely. It can be anything
from a lottery winner to a dog who steals his owner's truck. We have
featured a nurse who saved her son's iguana by giving it mouth-tomouth resuscitation; a 10-year-old boy who was home alone and
punched out a burglar who was trying to break into his house; and the
man who George Steinbrenner dubbed the "Number One Yankee
Fan" because he waited on line 33 hours for play-off tickets.
What all of these stories have in common is that they are lighthearted stories with a happy ending. Hero stories are always
welcome. Other human-interest guests are people with unusual
hobbies, talents, or acts. These are likable, outgoing individuals who
do something extraordinary. Examples of this type of guest are the
105-year-old woman who wrote a horse handicapping column for the
New York Post; the "Human Echo," a man who could repeat anything
anyone said in 1/50th of a second; and a pool player and trick shot
artist who could knock 90 balls into the pockets with one shot.
If you consider yourself to be one of these people, or if you know of
someone who might make a great human-interest guest, please send
a videotape of the person along with a letter to:
265
Celia Converse
Attn: Human Interest
1697 Broadway, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10019
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

3000 W. Almeda Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
USA 91523
http://nbctv.nbci.com/tonightshow/
Here is what is on their site at time of this writing:
We're looking for people who've had a funny, bizarre or really bad
dating experience. Drop us a note with the details. You could end up
telling it to Jay on the show.
Be sure to give us your name, address, age and a phone number

where we can reach you.
Mail your stories to:
Attn: Segment Producer Nightmare Dates
3000 W. Alameda
Burbank, CA 91523
266
Do you think you have the ugliest dog in America?

'The Tonight Show' is in search of some hideous-looking hounds who
won't be winning any beauty contests. So, if you think your dog is
less attractive than most, please send us a 1-2 minute videotape and
a picture of you and your dog to:
Ugly Dog Search
Attn: Segment Producer SR
3000 W. Alameda
Burbank, CA 91523
Note from Randy: Are you a kid? Too young to hit the big time?
When I was a kid I was always told that I was too young to be doing
what I was doing.
Use what you have (your youth) to your
advantage.
Back to NBCs info:
Over the years, some of Jay's most memorable guests have been
kids, like 'The Lizard Boy of Sarasota', the 10 year-old watermelon
eating champ, and the 4 year-old genius. There are many youngsters
out there who have outrageous interests or bizarre pastimes and The
Tonight Show wants them! The wackier, the better! If you know a
youngster 12 and under who could make an unusual and
unforgettable mark on The Tonight Show, send descriptive letter and
VHS videotape to:
267

Attn: Segment Producer JA
3000 W. Alameda
Burbank, CA 91523
All kid collectors! Do you collect human hair? Perhaps chewing gum?
Okay, how about vacuum cleaners? All those may sound strange, but
Jay welcomes kids with interesting (okay, some would say weird)
collections. If you have an unusual or wacky or just plain strange
collection, then JAY WANTS YOU! Youngsters who have appeared
on recent Tonight Show show n'tell segments have included
collectors of snakes, teeth, and even rats (not to mention the hair,
gum, and vacuums mentioned earlier). If you know a kid 12 and
under - or if you are a kid 12 and under - whose cool collection could
make an impression on The Tonight Show, send a descriptive letter
and VHS video tape of the kid and the collection to:
Attn: Segment Producer JA
3000 W. Alameda
Burbank, CA 91523
No email or faxes, please. We are not seeking singing, dancing, or
musical acts. All tapes will remain at NBC, so send a copy, not the
original.
Late Night with Conan
30 Rockefeller Plaza #901 W.
New York, NY
10112
PH: (212) 664-3737
268
Note: I spoke with the guest coordinator at Conan and was told, we
dont book variety acts and we are a celebrity driven show. So, I
recommend you watch the show and think of ways to tie yourself into
their format if you want a shot at appearing on this program. Unless,
of course, you are a celebrity now.
Rosie O Donnell Show
30 Rockefeller Plaza #800E
New York, NY
USA 10112
Attention: Human Interest
Note: You can also fax to: Human Interest at (212) 506-3249 but I
suggest you mail them an impressive attention getting package
instead.
I spoke with one of the coordinators of the show and she was very
friendly and open to receiving information.
They are primarily
interested in high profile guests that are on a publicity tour and going
to be in New York. Can you honestly present yourself that way to
them? I think you can! Remember, start with local appearances on
television and become high profile in your area. Build upon that and
work your way up to shows like Rosie.
269
"The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn"

7800 Beverly Blvd.
Suite 244
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Attention: Human Interest Coordinator
Here is information regarding being a guest on the Craig Kilborn

Show:
If you know of any "regular" people who might make a good "human
interest" guest, we'd like to hear from you.
"Human interest" guests fall basically into two categories: topical, and
people with unusual hobbies, talents, or obsessions.
Generally, we are interested in light-hearted stories with a happy
ending. Hero stories are always welcome. Other human-interest
guests are people with unusual hobbies, talents, or acts. These are
likable, outgoing individuals who do something extraordinary.
Examples of this type of guest are the 105-year-old woman who
wrote a horse handicapping column for the New York Post; the
"Human Echo," a man who could repeat anything anyone said in
1/50th of a second; and a pool player and trick shot artist who could
knock 90 balls into the pockets with one shot. If you consider yourself
to be one of these people, or if you know of someone who might
make a great human-interest guest, please send videotape.
270
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY

7 Lincoln Square, 5th Floor
New York, NY
USA 10023
Attention: Michael Gilman
Note: I think this is one of those shows that you just have to keep
trying to get the attention of Gilman, the Producer of the show. If you
can find a way to get his attention and have a great tape of your
unique performance you may get on the show. How do you get his
attention? How about sending him a cellular phone with a note telling
him to just press send to reach you. Sound extravagant? Do you
want to be on the show or not? Will it work? I dont know if this
specific example will work in this specific case, but I will tell you that I
have done things like this in the past with great success. Go the
extra mile, friend. You will stand out and be rewarded handsomely for
your efforts.
The bottom line is:

Get on local shows as much as possible.
If you really want your own special, be prepared to deal with
rejection, and pay dearly with time and maybe your own money.
The big-time shows are doable if you find a way to fit into their
existing program. Of course, when you do this, you will tie your
magic performing into the scenario.
271
Lesson 17 - Consulting and Acting
(Back to Index)
In 1986, Paramount studios came to Vancouver to shoot the

television series MacGyver. They needed a magician to act as a
consultant for the first two episodes and I was hired for the job. I
charged them around $50.00 per hour, (not bad money 15 years ago)
and was on set for ten hours a day for two weeks. That job led to two
years off and on of consulting and acting work on the show. I have
worked a fair amount in the television and film industry and it can be
quite rewarding.
Have also studied acting intensively and have
benefited in many ways from the experience.
Acting lessons can improve your performing ability and are great for
personal growth.
Acting skills are particularly important for
Mentalists. Unless you live in Vancouver, Toronto, New York, Seattle

or Los Angeles, the major film centers, there is probably not a lot of
work available in your area. But, even cities not known for doing a lot
of filming may offer opportunities for you, so do some research in
your area. Look into acting classes. From there you can hook up
with an agent and perhaps join the actors union, as I have. You can
also contact production houses, studios and casting directors to offer
your services as a magic consultant.
There are other ways to get work as a magic consultant. You can
work with executives, teaching them how to make more effective
presentations by using magic. And check this article out:
272
Police to Train As Magicians
LONDON (Reuters) - Top British police officers are to be given

training as magicians, but in a bid to improve their communication
skills, not to pull the wool over the eyes of criminals, Scotland Yard
said on Friday.
`Ìt is a one-off trial to be held in May,'' a spokeswoman said. `Ìt is to

develop officers' communications skills and rapport.''
Magician Michael Vincent is to undertake the training of 30 police

superintendents for a fee of $144 per head under the title of ``The
Magic of Networking.''
`Ìt is considered as a legitimate use of the training budget,'' the

Scotland Yard spokeswoman said.
There really is no limit as to where your magic skills can take you.
Use your imagination and add consulting as one of your multiple
streams of income.
273
Lesson 18 - Theatres
(Back to Index)
There are several different ways a magician can make arrangements

to do a show in a theatre where the public buys a ticket for the
performance. You can book the theatre for a rental fee and keep the
ticket sale profits. A theatre could hire you for a set fee and handle
all the other details. Another scenario is a co-pro (co-production),
which is a combination of risk and reward sharing. You can also run
a phone promotion operation.
In my area, the average theatre rental cost for a 200 - 400 seat venue
is $900 per day. If you are to bear all the expenses of the show,
there is also technician, front of house staff, advertising, promotion,
ticket distribution, and concession considerations among other
responsibilities and expenses above and beyond producing the show
itself. The risk/reward figures are fairly easy to work out with a little
research and scratching out possible scenarios on paper.
The
exposure by way of publicity generated in conjunction with the

venture has some value, too.
Often an entertainer will work with a Producer / Manager and share

profits or losses equally.
There are also various showcases of
theatre bookers looking for talent.
A friend of mine who has an
illusion show and is well known in his corner of the world has an
arrangement where the theatre pays out 65% of the door to his
company with an $8,000 guarantee.
274
Bonus Interview - John Kaplan on Booking Theatre Tours

RC - How is it that you are touring the Country, performing in
Theatres, year after year?
JK - I purchased Stan Kramien's course years ago. Although I never

pursued the main focus of his fundraising show technique
(telemarketing), nonetheless I received a tremendous amount of
practical information that over time I've derived tremendous value
from in building my own system and fundraising career.
RC - Okay, so you are presenting your show in conjunction with a

fund raising effort?
JK - Yes, I started out by going through local white pages and

contacting individual groups within an elementary or high school. Not
targeting the school itself, but the parent committee, or the school
Band Leader, or Drama Department or High School Grad or Year
Book committee. Basically, any group that needs to raise money for
a specific reason.
For example, the parent committee may do it to raise money to

upgrade the playground equipment for the school.
Typically, a group will want to do something that costs money, the

school doesnt have the extra funds, so if they want to do whatever it
275
is they are planning - they have to come up with a way to raise the
funds themselves.
RC - And in walks John!
JK - Using components of Stans original course, I developed a stepby-step guide for the sponsors that takes them from their first
committee meeting, right through to the day of the show. It is a fill in
the blanks system.
RC - What do they get?
JK - Included in their system is a lot of camera ready ads,

promotional tools, flyers, posters, and over time I developed and
provided radio and television commercials too.
RC - What year did you start, and what did you start out with?
JK - In the 80s I started with a small packet, a fold over booklet and
posters.
RC - Great. Now John, give us an idea of the scope, the depth of this
market. Detail the opportunity for us.
JK - Its a huge industry catering to a high demographic market. We

are catering to baby boomers that are raising families. Lots of
schools, minor sports leagues, Scouts, Cadets, they all need money.
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Government funding and cutbacks make them even more reliant on

raising funds themselves.
RC - Okay, let me get this straight.
You approach community
oriented groups that have a need or desire to raise funds for a

specific purpose. You provide all the tools they need to raise the
funds. The primary function of their campaign is based on selling
tickets to your family oriented Illusion show. Right?
JK - Yes. I give them a failsafe, hard to mess up, fundraiser to run.

A lot of groups I work with, schools, community groups, small
grassroots organizations, usually only think in terms of how much
does the show cost, how big is the hall, how many seats does it hold,
how much can we sell tickets for, or how much do we have to charge
for the tickets to make this work. Thats as far as it goes. So the
project kit that I give them, with the additional revenue source
opportunities and all the other tools, blows the lid off that narrow
thinking and really opens their eyes up to the potential opportunity of
bringing my show in.
Thats how I can go to a small grassroots
community and bring a $3,000 - $5,000 illusion show to their town

that they can literally not only afford, but will actually show them a
profit at the end of the day.
RC - Talk about being creative in your approach.

wonderful win-win situation you have created.
And what a
The group raises
funds, the town gets a show, and you do the kind of work that you
enjoy. Nice. Triple win actually.
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I want to back track a bit and refer to a comment you made regarding
telemarketing as a more common method of raising funds in these
situations. I have my own thoughts and experience on this from a
performers perspective, but please expand on your previous
comment about the topic of telemarketing.
JK - When I discovered Stan Kramiens course, I loved the idea of

doing fund raising shows, but was reluctant to take the telemarketing
route to sell the shows. I was just not comfortable getting involved in
that because of the negative stigma associated with it. The concept
of finding a way to make a good living in a market that has no money
appealed to me. Stans book was a springboard for getting started,
but I just didnt want to run a phone room. In addition to the bad
press some of these operations were receiving at the time, running
that end of the business was just not my thing. While there are many
reputable and highly profitable companies and entertainers doing this,
I just wanted to find another way.
RC - Right, and so you did.
JK - Yes, with my method, there is no need for telemarketing or me

relying on a percentage of the door and hoping there will be a large
enough crowd to make it worth my while.
I get a guaranteed
performance fee, and they get the show, and all the tools they need
to help them raise funds above and beyond the cost of the show.
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RC - Please share some numbers with us. If you dont mind, I would
like you to be candid about your fees and expenses as well as the
kind of dollars your sponsor typically ends up with after running with
your program.
Also, outline the responsibilities that are divided
between you and your sponsor.
JK - The client, the sponsor, is responsible for paying for the show.
Included is the project kit that I put a value of $250 on. If they book by
a certain date they get the kit free. Also, there is a money back
guarantee attached to the kit. If they do not make a profit after using
the tools, they get $250 refunded (whether they pay for it or not).
They are responsible for providing the venue, promoting the show,
and selling the tickets.
I take them by the hand and show them
exactly what to do in order to sell the tickets to the show and raise
money though various other methods related to the show. I call this
piggyback fund raising.
For example, I have developed a souvenir program that the sponsor

can sell advertising in. They get the template and then sell ads to
businesses. I do not take a cut of this additional revenue stream, it is
a value added service. I have a couple dozen similar ones now, but it
all started with that souvenir program. It enables the groups to cover
their base cost so they can get my show completely paid for right
away. It can double and even triple the earning potential of each
show. It enables me to offer a more attractive package to the group.
279
By providing all these opportunities beyond just selling tickets, it is

pretty much a fail safe system.
The show sells for $2600 for a single show or $3100 for two. They
can buy their cost down by close to 50% by using certain fee
reductions that I offer.
RC - Like?
JK - For example, if they provide 2 motel rooms for my cast, and

myself they can deduct $150. In many cases they get the rooms
donated, and it is a cost I would need to incur anyway. We travel in a
truck with a 20 foot equipment trailer and carry our own concession.
Our sponsor can deduct $500 from our show fee if we get exclusive
rights to the concession for food and souvenir items.
RC - Popcorn, cotton candy, chocolate bars, drinks?
JK - Yes, and magic sets, t-shirts, videos, and souvenir programs.

They also get a reduction if they provide people to help us load and
unload the truck, set up and strike.
RC - How much do you deduct if they actually do the show

themselves (grin)?
JK - (laughter) Good point. A lot of groups do take advantage of the
$500 concession discount and either way it works out about the same
for us. This enables me to sell a higher price product (the show) to a
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group that doesnt have the money to pay for it. I give Stan credit for
the idea of carrying a concession.
RC - Tell us about the other products besides the food items.
JK - I put together magic kits by getting pre-packaged tricks from

wholesalers in bulk, and add custom packaging.
RC - Which wholesalers?
JK - Robbins, Royal, EZ Magic, Oriental Trading, Adams. I stick a

photocopied label sheet (doesnt even have to be color) to the box,
and shrink-wrap it. Shrink-wrapping is relatively inexpensive and adds
high perceived value.
I throw in some booklets and instructions to maximize the number of

tricks without adding extra props. And, I have more expensive sets
that include a video and a few extra tricks. By adding and actually
selling the kits, I realized that some people will spend money on
higher ticket items. I added the magic kits at $49.95 and $69.95 and
was surprised, but they outsold the videos two to one. I sell a few
each show. Oh, and I bumped up the price of the t-shirts and videos
and it didnt decrease the sales volume. By the way, when I first
started, I just sold the wonder mouse and a few small tricks for 2 - 3
bucks.
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RC - Right. So, at the end of the day, how much does everything,
your fee and product sales, typically net you? What would be your
average take per date?
JK - On average, I end up with around $1700 a day. We do $200 $1,000 gross in product and average above $500 in profit on that
end.
RC - Right on. Now, who travels with you?
JK - I travel with a sound man, and 2 dancers.
RC - And describe a typical performance scenario. Venue and size

of audience.
JK - We mostly perform in school gyms. Some towns only have 500

people, and most will come to the show. The sponsor from a small
town often taps into close by community businesses to buy the tickets
for the show and advertise in the program.
We average 300 - 400
people, and the range is 200 -1200 people.
RC - Okay. Now I am going to think like the sponsor. That is, before
you educate them. How much are tickets to the show? Do you
dictate the amount, make suggestions, or need to approve the
amount? How does it work?
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JK - They can charge what they want for ticket prices, but I suggest
$8 and $12. $8 for kids and $12 for adults. The range is $5 - $15.
RC - So, if they bring in, say $3,000 in combined ticket sales and your
piggy back fund raisers, and have taken advantage of your fee
reductions, bringing their cost for your show to as low as, say $1500,
they have made $1,500. Right?
JK - Yes. And that is a fairly typical scenario.
RC - Any real success stories displaying higher numbers?
JK - One group grossed $8,000 with a profit of $5500 (for a single

show) with my program. They had a unique style of promoting it.
They paid $1,000 to rent a theatre.
This was against all of my
recommendations to get a school gym for free, and keep their

expenses low in order to add to their bottom line. But this persons
plan was to sell lots of ads in the souvenir program and make it a
bigger event. She raised $2,000 from the program, covered all her
costs for the show and theatre, and then every ticket sold was their
profit. They sold 1200 out of 1500 seats, at $5 each.
RC - I imagine you modify your manuals for your groups as you

discover new possibilities and surprising results. After 20 some odd
years, just like a performance, I bet you have a pretty tried and tested
system happening.
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JK - Yes, thank you. I believe I do. And yes, what they did, by
booking a larger and more costly venue, worked for them. So I no
longer strongly advise against it. Every year I update my manuals for
the groups and add what has worked for others during the year.
RC - So, what kind of entertainer is this work suited for? Certainly

they do not have to put on a full-scale illusion show to duplicate your
system.
JK - Any variety act that performs family shows could do this. As long
as they can do a great show.
RC - What is the typical requirement, or standard show length, and

number of performances in a given day for a single sponsor.
JK - 90 minutes of performing. First half is 50 minutes, followed by a

20 minute intermission, then a 40 minute second half.
RC - The two halves so you can give them a break from sitting, and it
allows for sales during the intermission.
JK - Right. A solo entertainer could put together a variety show if

they were concerned about keeping the audience entertained for this
long. We usually do one show, sometimes two, rarely three in a day.
Let me also point out, that they should be able to perform anywhere
and should bring their own sound system. The more self contained
you are the better. You may find yourself, as we have, performing on
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the Gym Floor, in an Arena, Recreation Centre, Community Hall, a

Theatre, and even in Church basements.
RC - And your typical sponsors are?
JK - A good mix of schools, clubs, and youth groups.
RC - How do you find them?
JK - I get the municipal directories from the town or municipal office,

or chamber of commerce.
Some give them for free, some may
charge around $20. More and more are becoming available digitally
too.
RC - (grin)
JK - I knew you would like that.
RC - Exactly. So you gather the directories and then phone, fax,

write, and email potential sponsors?
JK - Yes. Well, I used to phone initially for the directories and now I
send out a fax with my request. How I receive the lists dictates how I
contact the potential sponsors.
Often, I send a one page lead
generation fax to the groups. I have a database of 20,000 prospects

in Canada. I update it every couple of years by referring back to the
last time they helped me out, and request new information.
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RC - Is that how you started.
I mean, finding the groups, the
sponsors? Sounds possibly expensive and quite time consuming.
JK - If you buy 200 lists at say, $20, and each list may be good for 2 10 viable prospects, the acquisition cost can be expensive. I did build
up gradually over the years and started off by just finding groups in
the white pages. Now, I also buy ads in the newsletters of groups like
the Rotary, Lions, Kinsmen, and Elks.
RC - Right. How many of these shows do you do a year?
JK - I work around 50 dates a year. Have done up to 70 one-niters in

a year, which take about 3 - 4 months to complete.
RC - Okay, and is there a high, low, busy, slow season to this market.
JK - Good question.
Summer is dormant for this market as the
schools are not open. I mostly do Fairs and Festivals during this
time.
RC - This is slightly off topic, but will prove interesting for the readers,
Im sure. What other streams of income have you created to fill in the
slower months of touring with your fund raising show?
JK - I market the Hades Finger Chopper, and some information

products for magicians. Like you, I want to spend more time at home
with my family. I also book a second performer, Tony Eng, and his
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Illusion show to do the overflow dates that I cannot do. You know
Tony.
RC - Yes, Tonys a great guy. A really kind man, excellent performer,

and straight ahead kind of fellow and businessperson. Are you at
liberty to share with the readers what type of deal you made with
Tony? In the interest of their education on this topic.
JK - Sure, I pay him a flat fee for the tour. This way I keep and
service the client, and give work to another performer that I admire.
Some clients book the same show 3 - 4 years in a row, most often
they want me every second year or so. It depends on how transient
the community itself is. I have worked for one group, 6 - 7 years of
the last 10 years. Personally, I like to use the same show for at least
3 years to amortize the investment of creating the show.
I needed someone who has a good show and integrity. The sponsor
gets a different show each year so they can bank on the fundraiser
event.
RC - Truly another multiple win situation. How far in advance do you

usually book your tour?
JK - I book up to a year in advance. Sometimes I will market right up

until February for dates in the coming spring. I will market right up to
June for my Fall and Halloween season of local fundraisers. Six
months is typical. I do an advance marketing campaign to existing
287
clients and offer a discount for booking early while giving them an
opportunity to pre-book and lock in the date.
RC - Well, John, I think I have sucked enough out of you for now, and
I appreciate your candidness.
Let me ask you about your
philosophical approach to marketing and performing. As well, I am

interested in knowing what you attribute your success to and why you
are sharing this information. Two sentences or less please (grin).
JK - (laughter) Okay, the main reason for the success is because I

am able to sell a product for a flat fee to a group that has no money to
pay for it. I am competing with fundraisers that cost them no money
and offer them no risk. Having a good show and reputation helps, and
the idea of a family event, as opposed to selling chocolates or
whatever, appeals to the sponsor.
It is challenging because my competition is every other opportunity to

raise funds. Free, no risk options, as opposed to my show that will
cost them up front money. I have managed to package it in such a
way that it is appealing regardless of those potentially negative
perceptions of getting involved in my program as a fundraiser. I have
packaged it in such as way that I still have a sellable commodity. And
I dont do all the work for them like a telemarketer does. The key thing
to that success is that the sponsor receives my package that makes it
safe and easy for them to profit from my show. The key is that I am
thinking from their perspective. What can I do for my sponsor to
make sure they are going to be successful. What kind of additional
288
revenue streams can I create for them. What promotional tools and
strategies can I give them to help ensure their success.
I have groups working with me year after year. All as a result of

putting them first as opposed to whats in it for me first. I never
thought about it in terms of marketing before.
RC - We think a lot alike John, perhaps thats why we have always

gotten along so well.
JK - You know, I just came across the concept of lead product

marketing by seeing what you are doing with your Secrets book.
You offer a terrific product at a very low acquisition cost to your
customer. You are giving them a ton of value up front as a way to
prove yourself to them.
You then build a loyal and dedicated
customer base eager to do more business with you. You continue

providing excellent service, products, and value, and your initial
acquisition cost of the customer begins to pay off in dividends.
RC - Okay, fine, heres a hundred bucks for the plug (laughter).
JK - Seriously, without realizing and analyzing the fact until now, I

have been operating in a similar fashion in my business all these
years. Sometimes, it is okay to go negative on the front end. Often I
accept dates that I have not made a lot of money on in the past, but
the spin off has made it all worth it. I always look at these things as
long term, and building a career. Marketers think of that in terms of
289
what it costs to acquire a client, and then what the lifetime value of
that client is worth to their business. Right?
RC - You are a very wise man my friend. Okay, any final words of
wisdom, advise and/or explanations as to what you are planning for
the future.
JK - I have never been reluctant to invest in myself because I believe

in my abilities to do what I do. I have always been comfortable with
putting money into the show and promotional material and anything
that requires a hefty investment. These investments dont always pay
off, but overall it is a philosophy that works for me.
The opportunity to share what I've learned, and pass along useful
information that can benefit others interested in considering this field,
is another reason for my releasing the Fundraising Magic Program.
RC - John, thank you for your time and for sharing this information.
End of interview and note to reader: John agreed to answer all my

questions without holding back, exclusively for the benefit of the
readers of this book. He has provided enough information for you to
try his booking system now, as outlined in the interview.
If you would like more in depth information from John, and his
complete system, go to: http://www.millionairemagician.com/JK.htm
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Lesson 19 - Resorts and Casinos
(Back to Index)
Performing in showrooms at casino resorts and hotels is similar to

working non-casino theatres. There are many ways to cut a deal,
and oddly enough, casino/hotel owners are extremely risk adverse
when making deals with entertainers. I guess they know all about
gambling and have seen enough people lose money and dont want
to join the losers.
If a casino is going to hire you, expect to earn $3,000-$5,000 per
week for your act, or in the neighborhood of $30,000 - $50,000 per
week for a self produced show.
There are three main ways to work a casino:
1. You are hired for a fee to perform: reserved for proven entities.
2. 4 Wall:
Least common. Performer pays all the expenses
including bar staff, etc. and gets the door and a percentage of
liquor sales.
3. 2 Wall: Most common: Performer pays for expenses only

related to show. Takes the door (ticket sales).
Do not gauge your potential windfall on Lance Burtons success. He

worked his way up over many years from a hired act in a revue show,
291
to a self-produced show and ultimately, as you know, received a

dream deal in Vegas. This is the exception and certainly not the rule.
From a realistic business standpoint you need deep pockets to 2 wall,
which is likely what you will do. Even if you have the money and/or
backers, there is major competition for room space in cities like Las
Vegas.
You could possibly get booked into a small showroom at a hotel in

Vegas, as did a couple of young fellows I met there last month. It is
possible. Anything is possible and its up to you to make it happen
with your strong desire and tenacity. I am painting the most likely and
common scenario for you so you have actual knowledge as to the
way things often work.
I clipped the following article from the newspaper to share with you
here:
Goulet cancels Vegas gig

LAS VEGAS Robert Goulet has pulled the plug on a summer stint
at the Venetian hotel-casino, saying he cant afford the $15,000 US
nightly showroom rental.
I am angered and I am saddened, said the Edmonton-born singer.

I was hoping to be there for about three or four years. I enjoyed
myself, I never sang better in my life.
292
Goulet ended the show after Mondays performance, four weeks into
a nine week run.
The showroom withheld box-office receipts on
Tuesday.
Rogo and Rove, the company he runs with his business-manager

wife Vera, was dealing with an overhead of $200,000 a week. Goulet
said the company would have broken even with 50 per cent
attendance.
But attendance averages were only in the 30-40 per cent range, he
said. Ticket prices ranged from $50-75.
We came at the wrong time of year, Goulet said, adding that

audiences would have been better in September during the citys
convention season.
So, even a well known celebrity that you would think would do well in
Vegas had to make a 2 wall arrangement with a major casino/hotel
there and obviously lost a lot of money in the process.
If you really have the desire to work this type of venue, plan carefully
as you would any other business venture. If you can get backers with
deep pockets, or if you want to risk your own money, or if you can
convince an operator to hire you, perhaps one day you too will get a
100 million dollar, 13 year contract and your own showroom. Oh, it
just may help, if you also happen to be one of the finest magicians in
the world, exuding with class, and have teamed up with a wellrespected and brilliant manager! Speaking of which
293
Bonus Interview - Peter Reveen on Success

Peter Reveen and I have been friends for several years now.
greatly admire him in many respects. He is a wonderful and kind

man.
On top of that, he is the epitome of a consummate show
business professional.
Not only is he one of the worlds greatest
showmen to ever grace a stage, he is also responsible for pursuing

and negotiating Lance Burtons 100 million dollar contract in Las
Vegas.
Recently I phoned Peter and asked if I could record our conversation

in the form of an interview for my book (this one). Without hesitation
he said yes, and I had barely turned on the recorder when he went
into a fascinating and insightful monologue that blew my mind.
barely interrupted, so really, it is not an interview. I just let him talk

and asked a few questions here and there.
Without further adieu, here are the words of Peter Reveen:
It is very, very necessary to develop an act that is wanted. You cant

just come in and say, Hey, I have just bought all the equipment in the
world and Im going to be great. You cant do this, theyre not going
to book you, they do not know you, and you do not have a name.
To get into Vegas you have to make your name somewhere else first.
Lance Burton did this through his success on the Johnny Carson
show. He was making a name for himself. And then he got a little
294
three month shot in the Foles-Bergre. And then, because he was

doing great work and did not become a problem, he stayed there for
nine years.
Not becoming a problem means he did not get into back stage
gossip, things of that kind, that get back to the bosses or often have
very thin skin. You just finish your work and you do it very, very well.
You do not allow yourself to be drawn into that. You just finish your
work, go back to the dressing room, study, or do something like that.
Be very pleasant to everybody and always be there. If the Hotel asks

you to attend some function or meet some people they are bringing
in, you be very cordial and help out. You do these things, and you
just do good work. And this is very, very, essential. And dont go up
and immediately demand a big raise as soon as you think you are a
big hit.
To get involved in the first place, you develop an act somewhere else
and get yourself a great reputation from it.
Then, you send out
invitations to the various buyers in Las Vegas.
===
Note from Randy Contact the Hotels directly and simply ask who
books their shows.
===
295
Or, maybe you are playing in a town nearby and can convince them
to come see you. Then if you do a great job, maybe they will think
they could use an act like that, and that you have promise, and talk to
you about it.
Remember though, the Vegas scene is changing. The Cirque

du Soleil type shows are in now. Lance Burton is a huge success
because he is a personality. You must be a showman first. Magic by
itself is not particularly entertaining unless it is combined with great
showmanship and the ability to make the people laugh.
Also, you look at all the great magicians in history that really made it
and they were also very good businessmen.
You look at Maurice Rooklyn who was very brilliant in other phases of
business. I think I said in his obituary that we often wondered how far
he would have gone with his artistic integrity of been able to stage
very beautiful shows and with the skills of sleight of hand that he had,
if hadnt been so successful in other forms of business that kept
drawing him away from the theatres to do this.
===
Note from Randy I was fortunate enough to meet Maurice Rooklyn
while I was performing in Sydney in 1984. He and his lovely wife had
me over to their house for dinner and took me to the local magic club
meeting in the evening. He was a great man and I miss him very
much.
===
296
Levant was a brilliant businessman too. He knew how to make a

show that could get in and get out very inexpensively for the music
halls in London. He always gave them a great show. He did not go
huge and massive like Dante did, but he was a great entertainer and
a great businessman.
You must believe in yourself. Not to the stage where you get a false
belief in yourself. You have to be able to turn it off. You cannot
always go around living and acting like the great magician 24 hours a
day. You have to have a life away from that.
You know, I was always able to go out and do my show, give the
audience their moneys worth, but then turn it off. When we went out
of there, we were Peter and Coral and the kids. We did not make a
lot of friends over the years.
===
Note from Randy This is the only point in my talk with Peter that I
disagree with. Peter certainly has made a lot of friends over the
years. A mutual friend, and Vancouver radio and television
personality, Dave Abbott, introduced me to Peter initially. Peter is
well loved and respected throughout the world by people like myself,
proud to be his friend because of the kind of person he is and not
because he has achieved fame. He does have a lot of friends and is
so very humble.
===
297
We didnt go out and do the party circuit. I went through that very
early during my first success in Vancouver.
I use to take 20-30
people to the Cave and would think isnt it really great to be a star,
people really love you. Then as things went wrong after going through
a spell of losing some money, all those people disappeared. This
made me realize very early in my career that this was not the way to
go and I changed all that.
===
Note from Randy Of course, these were not the type of people I
was referring to in my note above.
The Cave was a popular nightclub in the 70s. I saw Harry Blackstone
Jr. perform there several times. Mitzi Gaynor, Rich Little, and others
played there often too.
I did shows there too on occasion. Of course, I was not headlining

like Blackstone and Reveen. I forget the circumstances actually. I do
remember doing shows there though. Maybe local talent nights or
opening acts or something like that. It closed down years ago and I
was quite young then.
===
Look, the main thing is to have a good product, believe in it, and
continually try to improve on it. Listen to your audience, they are
going to give you the best critique you can have. If they dont enjoy
what you are doing, dont push it. When you find something they do
298
enjoy, develop that, and make it very, very good. Always listen to the
audience. Always give your audience your full attention, that you are
doing it for them. You are not up there to do something just to make
yourself happy. So, it is very, very important that you always listen to
the audience, always respect the audience.
And I would say the greatest advise I can give to any entertainer, is to
always play it clean. You can go out and you can try to put out an
absolutely filthy hypnotic show, as some of them are doing. You
know, we have one guy out here who is telling them that they are
going to have an orgasm every time he shakes their hand and stuff
like that. Well that appeals to a certain audience, but I cant imagine
people wanting to go back and have that humiliating experience
twice.
And by having a clean show, 100% of your potential, is your potential.

It doesnt mean that you are going to get them all, but it means that
100% of the theatre going people are your potential because there is
nothing in there that is going to turn them off. But if you work dirty and
you work blue, then you are limiting that very, very much. Because
later on that same audience that go to these clubs and enjoy this will
grow tired of that. They grow older and they grow more mature and
more discerning in their selection of entertainment.
And thats why I have been able to keep a career going for all these
years.
Its now what, 40 something years since I started playing
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Vancouver, and all the other cities in Canada building up to that. And
I can still go back and draw an audience.
==
Note from Randy The audiences in Vancouver love Reveen. He is
a big hit and sells out every time he comes here.
Next, I asked Peter how someone could duplicate his success as a

touring act.
==
The conditions that existed when I started off do not exist anymore.
Touring is tough because you are fighting the 200 channels of
television - and the Internet itself. Many of the young people who
would normally go out looking for shows, jump on the Internet and
start talking to each other. And these are very important things to
consider. People are becoming more cave dwellers now, they are
doing more things at home. So, to draw them out of there is not as
easy as it was.
It actually wasnt easy in the early days. I had to take a type of

entertainment that was virtually unknown except out of night clubs
and prove that it could be a top theatre experience. And I did this,
and worked on the crowds. We played runs that were very, very
long.
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My biggest mistake, when I tried to build the big magic shows, which I
loved, you know, I loved magic and tried to bring it back. I believed I
could perform it the same way as I performed the hypnotic
performances. In other words, the long runs. Well there is a big
difference. There are only a certain percentage of the audiences who
really want to see magic. And its a very small percentage. And once
you have gone through those people, they are not going to come
back and see the same magic show again. You cannot change your
magic show every two nights as I could the hypnotic show.
I remember there was an ex-partner I had, and he once made a very

nice comment to me in Edmonton. He saw me do a big show in the
70s, it was a beautiful show, and we had a lot of equipment and
beautiful scenery, it was a very spectacular show.
He said to me Peter, this is a lovely show and people that love magic
will enjoy this. But you may come back in a year or two from now and
some of those people may come back and see it if you have some
things new. But only so many people can see this. He said, With
your hypnosis show, I saw people coming in on the Monday night,
and then I would see the same people come back with friends on the
Wednesday when you changed the show. And then they would come
back on the weekend with even a bigger crowd around them.
You see, he said, that show had something that could touch the
audience, and in a very, very personal way. And magic could never
do that. And he was right to a degree.
301
I remember when David Copperfield came to see me when he first

went out on tour. And he was asking me what he should do and what
he shouldnt do. I told him, dont break your promoters. Dont go out
with these big, huge shows, where they suddenly hit you with 15-20
stage hands like they did with me. I said this is not the way to go.
I said, if you are going out, do your Lear Jet, on stage, the film of that,
and do your other magic, which is very personable. He had a great
personality and was very fresh. I said if the promoter loses maybe a
thousand bucks on you, theyre going to bring you back the next year
because they are going to know the people enjoyed you.
He (Copperfield) was very smart about one thing. I asked him how
long he was going to play. He said just one night in each place. He
said, I realize there are enough people who have seen me on
television now to maybe fill one theatre. But to go for two or three
nights is asking too much. Now he is at that stage where he can go
in for close to a week and draw, but it took years for him to build to
that. So he was very smart in business that way.
==
Note from Randy Now, I asked Peter what someone would need to
do today to book themselves in Theatres.
==
I think you have to work with sponsorship. You need to find people to
raise money to go behind you.
302
==
Note from Randy Peter is referring to sponsored shows where a
charitable organization, like the Kinsmen, raise money from the
community by selling tickets to the show.
The money is divided
between the show and sponsor.

==
I found sponsors to be counter productive when I started off. I would

send all the publicity material to the sponsor in advance and then
when we arrived in town we would say, Hey where are all the
posters? and they would say; Oh we gave them to Bill in the poster
committee. And then, What did you do Bill? Oh, I didnt have time
so I gave them to Fred. So of course we would get into town and
people didnt know we were coming. And the sponsor would still have
big expectations.
We started to die on that and said this cant be, and we started to do
it our own way. So we went back to those same sponsors and said
we would come in and do the promotions and give them a smaller
percentage and they would say No, we didnt make enough money
the first time. We went back to those same towns on our own and
sold out.
Later on I allowed sponsors to make money with me and over the

years I helped to raise hundreds and hundreds of thousands of
dollars for Lions Clubs and other groups like that.
303
The only thing wrong with the telemarketing deal is that you may not
play to the audiences that you want to play to. They raise the money
and give the tickets away. They tend to give them to kids so you
have to have a show thats scaled down to that.
The only other thing you can do, if you want to do a serious show, is
to do it through the Temples where its going to be sold to adults. All
the Temples want to raise funds, so you take 25% and let them take
75% and they will really go out and sell them for you.
The main thing is, you have got to have a product first. And you have
to have talent. The product has to be good and you have to believe
in yourself. Then you have to believe in the audience. You have to
respect the audience, that is the most important thing.
A great grandfather came up to me last year in Lethbridge (Alberta,

Canada) and said to me I am a great grandfather and bringing my
great grandchildren to your show. I am bringing the fourth generation
to your show and you have always given a clean show, and I wanted
my children, and their children to see it.
I have played to eight and a half million people in Canada. Over the
years, thats how many tickets we have sold. And its because I
respect the audience.
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Lesson 20 - Comedy Clubs
(Back to Index)
There are a few magicians making their living or supplementing their

income as performers by working comedy clubs. A good way to get
started in this market is by volunteering for open mike night.
Most
clubs will have one and it is easy to get accepted as an act to work
the crowd for five minutes. You're not paid for this; instead, you are
exposed to the club manager who may decide to book you. Also, you
have an opportunity to test material and you'll quickly find out if you
are cut out for this type of work.
I used to perform at the Yuk Yuks chain in Canada. It was fun and a
great place to iron out new material.
Working comedy clubs will
probably not make you rich; it may however appeal to you as one of
your many multiple streams of income. Here are the rough money
numbers. (They vary from club to club, and in the US and Canada,
and depend on whether you have a name or not). If you have an
exceptionally funny act you may be booked as a headliner and
receive around $2,500 per week. Most likely, however, you will be
booked as an MC or middle act and earn between $500 and $1,000
per week.
There is another very important aspect to working comedy clubs for

you to consider. If your goal is to become a well-known comedy
performer, or if you wish to get into the acting field, then the exposure
you will receive by performing at comedy clubs may lead to much
greater opportunities.
305
Many entertainers have hit the big time by performing at the "Just
for Laughs" comedy festival in Montreal. The contact information is in
the directory below.
In order to be considered for the festival, send them a videotape of a

recent performance (not longer than 10 minutes), with any pertinent
support documents (headshot, bio, etc; not crucial but helpful). Be
sure that the video is clearly labeled with contact information.
I am going to give you a list comprised of pretty much every comedy

club on the planet.
If you feel your act is already positioned for this
type of work, then simply send your information to the clubs of your
choice. If you're not sure if this market is for you, then phone a club
in your area and sign up for the open mike night. If you wish to
pursue this market seriously and travel the country (or world), then
you could book a tour for yourself.
Or, if you have a corporate
booking somewhere and want to spend a week in that city or just

book an extra night of work (for practice or exposure) then this is a
perfect venue for you to do just that.
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Lesson 21 - Profit from Products
If you are not already producing products and selling them before or
after your shows then I highly recommend you start now. When I
say, before the show, I mean that you can sell your products to the
client prior to the show to be distributed free to the audience or to be
sold directly by your client to the audience members.
You will greatly increase your income by implementing products sales

into your business as a magician. By offering products, you also
raise your stature in the eyes of the public.
The product that I have had great success with in the past, as have
many other magicians, are customized Three Card Montes.
suggest you make some up for yourself with the force card imprinted
with your business contact information. This alone is a great way not
only to promote the product but also to spread your information
around to potential bookers of your show. You could make the card
sets yourself or purchase them from a magic supply wholesaler.
The Three Card Monte is an example of a product that you could

pre- sell to a corporate client, perhaps to be freely distributed at a
trade show.
You can sell items to your audience members after the show or have
a certain number of them included in your fee when you negotiate the
booking.
The ideas are limitless as to what you can sell; magic
307
instructions, magic tricks, performance video, screen savers, audio

tapes, T-shirts, posters, balloons and anything else that you can think
of that will appeal to your audience.
If you do children's shows, you may want to look into a combination

of a magic book and a coloring book or magic loot bags.
Subscribe to all the magic related magazines and search the net for
ideas and offerings. Also, source products to resell at:
http://www.magicdealers.com/
http://www.royalmagic.com/
http://www.murphysmagic.com/
http://www.ezmagic.com/
http://www.magiccty.com/
Perhaps you will do as many other magicians do, myself now

included, and offer products to other magicians. It is a limited market
but, hey, if you know what you are doing you can do quite well.
Information products are great if you are an expert in a specific area

and can present the information effectively and have a strong
marketing plan. You have the opportunity to get your feet wet by
promoting this product with no risk or expense. Sorry, couldnt help it!
308
Lesson 22 - Synergistic Ventures
If you want to make some serious money, and I think you do, then
start a business that is synergistic with your magic business. The
right business, set up the right way, and operated with systems in
place, can make you rich.
It is ideal to choose businesses that
complement your existing activities as a magician and that target

customers to whom you are already marketing to. Also consider
businesses that fit your lifestyle as a magician.
A natural and perhaps obvious business that you may consider is an

entertainment-booking agency. The start-up cost can be minimal and
the rewards will come to you in many ways.
You can start
immediately and begin earning income in your first month. I started

an entertainment agency in 1987 as a result of having more bookings
than I could handle and having an awareness of my customer's
needs, plus a continuing desire for multiple streams of income. The
business that I formed was called Funtime Express, and I sold the
company for $299,000.00 in 1997. The business was a one-person
home-based operation.
I ran it during the normal course of my
business day while also booking my own shows. The entertainment

agency alone earned an average of $180,000 per year during the last
few years I was in business.
Do you want to know exactly how to do this yourself?
I have created a resource for you at: http://www.synergytalent.com

309
Another terrific business that I started as a result of being a magician

was a toy company. In 1980, while still in high school, I noticed that
Santa Claus would almost always distribute toys to the children at the
Christmas parties that I was performing at. I began asking every
company that I was being booked to perform at if I could supply the
toys for their party. Most agreed, and my mom and my girl friend
wrapped and labeled the orders, and the parcels were sent to each
company prior to their party.
In my first year, the sales were
approximately $5000.00 for the month of December.
I sold this
company in 1995 when my December sales were just under

$200,000 with a net profit of around $100,000 for the month.
If this is an opportunity that interests you, then visit:

The synergy of my businesses is apparent. Every company that I

would perform my magic show at was a potential client and usually
became a customer of my toy and entertainment company.
And
guess what? Every new client of my toy company was a potential

client and usually became a customer of my entertainment agency.
They would also usually end up booking my show for at least one of
their corporate events each year.
It is really not too hard to become wealthy when you have the
advantage that we do as entertainers. You simply need to educate
yourself, treat people fairly, and listen to the needs of your customers.
310
Toys and entertainment companies are by no means the only

companies that are logical for a magician to be in. Both have worked
well for me, and I recommend you start one or both of them yourself.
Other businesses you might consider are a magic store, inventing
effects, or building props.
Whatever you do, consider using the
Internet to your advantage.
By adding business and/or motivational content to your shows you

can greatly increase your fees and open up a whole new world of
opportunities for yourself. Speakers earn fees generally starting at
$1,000 and up to $100,000 for some celebrities and ex-politicians.
By simply adding educational or inspirational content to your
presentation, you can instantly increase your fee by at least $1,000.
Add yet another $1,000 if you join the ranks of author and have a
book published. Then add the profit from the books. Get the idea?
Naturally, the principles regarding the quality of your entertainment
apply to the delivery and content of your information.
Learn how to add speaking income and content to your magic

business at: http://speakermagic.com/
311
PART III
Additional Resources
You will learn a lot just by reading the information on each site. I
highly recommend you spend some time surfing. You will need to
be connected to the Internet to view the following resources.
INTERNET MARKETING
The following recommendations have been painstakingly chosen

among dozens that I have personally invested in and use. They are
all very different and compliment one another. Some of them you will
recognize from earlier lessons in this book.
Internet Marketing Center
The Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet - The
author of this site, Corey Rudl gets over 4 million visitors to his
websites yearly, does 5.2 million dollars in sales online each year
(yes, that is $5,200,000), and personally makes hundreds of
thousands of dollars from his online businesses... all from his one
small office (in Vancouver!). He knows what he is talking about when
it comes to starting and promoting a business on the Internet. I have
learned many tips, trick and techniques to make money on the net.
To learn more, go to: http://www.marketingtips.com/t.cgi/640067/
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Sitesell
Are You Interested in Making Your Web Site Sell? Discover the
manual that's been heralded as the 'bible' to anyone who wants to
make their web site make money. Be prepared to spend quite a bit of
time as you explore this site that is truly a diamond in the rough!
Here is the link: http://www.sitesell.com/ultimateprofits2.html
Remember Yanik and Terry from previous lessons?

Yanik Silver
You could waste months (and thousands of dollars) - trying to figure
out what really works on the Internet. Or you could save yourself the
frustration, time and mistakes by following Yanik's lead. Go to:
http://instantinternetprofits.com/cgi-bin/at.cgi?a=168901
For an entire arsenal of powerful, moneymaking fill-in-the-blank sales
letter templates guaranteed to sell your product or service:
http://www.instantsalesletters.com/al/af.cgi?4294
Terry Dean
This guy has Internet Marketing down to science. Visit him at:
http://www.allthesecrets.com/ic/a1342z/index.html
And:
http://www.netbreakthroughs.com/revshare/ccShare.cgi?cmnd=home
&id=viplink
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DIRECT MARKETING
Dan Kennedy
The tools and resources on Dan's site are the "fuel" that has
generated countless fortunes and millionaires - and each tool and
resource has been enthusiastically praised by thousands of
entrepreneurs, executives and managers, small and home business
owners, salespeople, inventors, consultants, public speakers and
yes, magicians, worldwide.
To get valuable information that you can use, go directly to the

source: http://kennedysite.com/at.cgi/randan
And here are a couple of resources in a category of their own:

Joe Vitale
You met Joe earlier on in this book. My respect for Joe is HUGE, and
you really need to discover what he has to offer, and sooner than
later. Visit Joe at: http://hop.clickbank.net/?milmag/outrageous
Rex Sikes
Rex offers some great communication tools that you will find useful.
He is an expert in the field of NLP and is one of us (entertainer). Get
his free report and check out the articles and offers on his site:
http://www.idea-seminars.com
314
BOOKS
The prices listed are roughly what they were when I last checked at
Amazon.
ACTING
Acting is; living truthfully under imaginary circumstances
Sanford Meisner
Auditioning
When it comes to getting work as an actor, your auditioning skills
are far more important than your acting skills and talent. This
explains why you see many poor actors on the screen and tube.
Auditioning is a process that can be frustrating, but is the
cornerstone of the industry. The first book on this list, by Michael
Shurleff, is by far my all time favorite on the subject.
Audition, Michael Shurleff, $12.
Audition Book For Young Actors, Jane Lapotaire, $15
The Actor's Audition, David Black, Eli Wallach, $12
The Audition Handbook, Ed Hooks, 1996: $15
The Auditioning Process, Bob Funk, $9
Getting The Part, Judith Searle, $16
315
Hot Tips For Cold Readings, Nina Finburgh, Anne McArthur, $8

How To Audition For TV, Movies..., Gordon Hunt, $13
How To Audition For TV And Movies, Fred Spector, $12
Next: An Actor's Guide To Auditions, Ellie Kanner, Paul Bens, $17
Monologues
A monologue is often what you present at an audition for an agent
or for theatre work. It is rarely required for television and film
auditions. You present your monologue solo, although you are
often interacting with an imaginary person or people.
Avoid selecting well-known pieces as other actors often overdo
them and the auditor will both be sick of hearing it and will
compare you to the original actor.
222 Monologues: 2 Minutes & Under, Jocelyn A. Beard, $20
50 Great Monologues, Bill Majeski, $12
An Actor's Audition Speeches, Jean Marlow (Editor), $12
An Actresses' Audition Speeches, Jean Marlow (Editor), $10
Call Back: Monologues For Men & Women, Colleen Mogil, $8
Classic Audition Speeches For Men, Jean Marlow, $9
316
Classic Audition Speeches For Women, Jean Marlow, $9

Fifty Seven Original Auditions, Eddie Lawrence, $12
The Monologue Workshop, Jack Poggi, $12
Monologues From Literature, Marisa Smith, $9
Acting Instruction
General
A Challenge For The Actor, Uta Hagen, $19
Acting Equals Life, Michael Kearns, $14
Acting: The First Six Lessons, Richard Boleslavsky, $13
Acting: Thought Into Action, Kurt Daw, Rosemary Ingham, $17
Acting Truths And Fictions, Lawrence Parke, $24
An Actor's Handbook, Ellen Taft, 1997, $20
An Actor's Handbook: An Alphabetical..., Sergeevich, $15
Actors On Acting, Toby Cole (Editor), $14
All About Method Acting, Ned Manderino, $10
Basic Acting, Sabin R. Epstein, $50
Encyclopedia Of Acting Techniques, $20
317
Free To Act, Mira Felner, Michael D. Hinshaw, $37

Introduction To Acting, Stanley Kahan, $49
Introduction To Acting, Stanley Kahan, Kenneth W. Rugg, $69
Sanford Meisner on Acting, Sanford Meisner, $10
Building Characters
Building A Character, Constantine Stanislavski, $17
In And Out Of Character, Basil Rathbone, $12
Let The Part Play You, Anita Jesse, $14
Stage Movement
Acting And Stage Movements, White, Marguerite Battye, $12
The Articulate Body, Anne Dennis, $16
The Expressive Body, David Alberts, $16
TYPES OF ACTING
Comedies
Comedy Improvisation: Techniques For Actors, Horn, $12
Commedia Dell'Arte, John Rudlin, $18
The Craft Of Comedy, Athene Seyler, $15
Improv: An Actor's Handbook, Greg Atkins, $12
318
Improv Comedy, Andy Goldberg, $12

Improve With Improv, Brie Jones, $12
Improvisation Starters, Philip Bernardi, $12
Dialects
American Dialects: An Actor's Manual, Lewis Herman, $17
Dialect Monologues Vol 1.1, Roy Karshner, $15
Foreign Dialects: An Actor's Manual, Lewis Herman, $20
Dramas
Drama Improvised, Kenneth Pickering, $12
Drama Worlds: Framework For Drama, Cecily O'Neill, $24
Improvisation In Creative Drama, Betty Keller, $11
Improvisation In Drama, Anthony Frost, Ralph Yarrow, $40
Shakespeare
I graduated from William Daviss (the Cancer Man on X-Files) fulltime acting school in 1999. Our final project was A Midsummers
Night Dream, in which I played, Bottom (the Ass). Talk about type
casting!
Acting In Shakespearean Comedy, VHS, Janet Suzman, $40
Acting With Shakespeare Janet Suzman, $11
319
Classical Acting, Malcolm Morrisom, $18

Free Shakespeare John Russell Brown, $11
Free Shakespeares Voice, Kristin Linklater, $12
Playing Bits & Parts In Shakespeare, M. M. Mahood, $30
Shakespeare & The Actor, Meredith Anne Skura, $18
Careers in Acting/Directing/Film
These books will provide useful pointers on the business of acting.
They will also help you understand the all important industry
etiquette.
Acting As A Business, Brian O'Neil, $13
Acting Professionally, Robert Cohen, $13
The Backstage Handbook: Who To Contact, Sherry Eaker, $16
Careers For The Stage Struck, Lucia Mauro, $8
Career Management For The Actor, Terrance Hines, $13
Careers Without College, Kathryn A. Quinlan, $14
Creating A Complete Career, Rosary H. O'Neill, $20
First Steps Towards An Acting Career, Rideout, Dench, $15
From Agent To Actor, Adgar Small, Edgar Small, $12
320
How To Be A Working Actor, Mari Lyn Henry, $16

How To Become A Working Actor, Susan Wright, $9
How To Market Yourself As An Actor, Andrew Reilly, $16
How To Sell Yourself As An Actor, K Callan, 1996: $15
Glam Scam: Avoiding The Casting Couch, Erik Joseph, $12
A Guide To Breaking Into Show Business, Terry Chayefsky, $13
It Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here, Charles Grodin, $12
Launching Your Child In Show Biz, Dick Van Patten, $14
Successful Careers In LA, Judy Kerr, $16
Movie Extra's Guide Book, Cullen Chambers, $16
Directing
Directors In Rehearsal: A Hidden World, Susan Letzler Cole, $20
Directing Fights, J. Allen Suddeth, $32
Fight Directing, William Hobbs, $13
City References/ Agencies

Career Guide To Competitive Acting, Brian O'Neil, $12
Hollywood: The City Source Book, Michael Saint Nicholas, $15
321
LA: Get The Agent You Need, K. Callan, $15

The Los Angeles Agent Book, K. Callan, $13
Stardom On A Shoestring, Hugh Lampman, $19
Where To Live: The City Source Book, Andrea Wolper, $14
PUBLIC SPEAKING
The Audience, the Message, the Speaker, John Hasling, $12
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Speaking in Public, Rozakis, $14
Do's and Taboos of Public Speaking, Roger E. Axtell $14
Elements of Audience Analysis, Jan Youga, $15
The Elements of Speechwriting and Public Speaking, Cook, $10
Public Speaking for Dummies, Malcolm Kushner, $10
The Public Speaking Handbook, Susan Benjamin, $9
Making Money With Public Speaking
How to Make a Fortune from Public Speaking, Dr Anthony, $4
Money Talks: How to Make a Million As a Speaker, Weiss, $12.
Money Talks: How to Make a Million As a Speaker, Weiss, $22
Speak and Grow Rich, Dottie Walters, $17
322
Speaking for Profit and Pleasure, William D. Thompson, $10

Fear of Public Speaking
Never Be Nervous Again, Dorothy Sarnoff, $22
Public Speaking Anxiety, Todd Thomas, $8
The Princeton Review Speak Smart, Julian Fleisher, $12
Talking With Confidence for the Painfully Shy, Don Gabor, $10
The Art of Persuasion

Advocacy and Opposition: An Introduction to Argumentation,
Karyn Charles Rybacki, $50.
Aldus Persuasion for the Macintosh, Karen Brown, $27
Essential Strategies of Argument, Stuart Hirschberg, $33
Guerrilla Persuasion: Mastering Effective Business Presentations,
Don Pfarrer, $12
Perspectives on Argument, Nancy V. Wood, $35
Speakers: How You Can Motivate, Captivate, and Persuade, Lilly
Walters, $12
Speaking to Persuade, Breaden, $33
323
Quotes For Public Speaker

3,500 Good Quotes for Speakers, Gerald F. Lieberman, $7
And I Quote: The Definitive Collection of Quotes, Ashton
Applewhite, $19
The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Toasts & Quotes, Jane Johnson
(Editor), $8
Jokes For Public Speakers
1001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking, Michael Hodgin,
$11
1001 More Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking, Michael
Hodgin, $13
2000 Sure Fire Jokes for Speakers and Writers, Robert Orben, $8
2100 Laughs for All Occasions, Robert Orben, $8
3,500 Good Jokes for Speakers, Jerry Lieberman, $7
Braude's Treasury of Wit and Humor, Jacob M. Braude, $28
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Boardroom, Michael
Iapoce, $15
Business Humor: Jokes & How to Deliver Them, Gene Perret, $9
Encyclopedia of School Humor, P. Susan Mamchak, $30
324
Mitch Murray's One-Liners for Business, Mitch Murray, $21

Mitch Murray's One-Liners for Speeches, Mitch Murray, $11
One Thousand Tips and Quips for Speakers and Toastmasters,
Herbert Prochow, $7
Podium Humor: Treasury of Humorous Stories, James Humes, $9
Stories, Anecdotes, and Humor for Speakers, Gaukroger, $8
The History Of Public Speaking
The Best of America's Commencement Speeches, Andrew
Albanese, $16
Great American Women's Speeches, Various Authors, $9
The Penguin Book of Historic Speeches, Brian MacArthur, $12
The Penguin Book of Twentieth-Century Speeches, Brian
MacArthur, $16
A New History of Classical Rhetoric, George Kennedy, $20
325
COMEDY
Stand-Up
How To Be A Stand-Up Comic, Richard Belzer, $9
How To Be A Working Stand Up Comic, Dave Schwensen, $14
Stand Up! On Being A Comedian, Oliver Double, $26
Stand-Up Comedy, Judy Carter, $12
Successful Stand Up Comedy, Gene Perret, $12
Improv
Learning to think on the fly without a script and during unexpected
occurrences is an essential skill to develop for entertainers of all
types.
Comedy Improv: Exercises For Actors, Delton T. Horn, $12
Improv Comedy, Andy Goldberg, $12
The Improv Theatre & American Comedy, Janet Coleman, $18
Truth In Comedy, Charna Halpern, $14
The History of Comedy

We can learn a lot from history. Serious students of comedy should
do some study in this area.
Laughing In The Dark, Laurie Stone, $25
The Laugh Makers, Robert A. Stebbins, $40
326
Stand & Deliver: Inside Canadian Comedy, Andrew Clark, $30

Woman And Laughter, Frances Gray, $36
Zen & The Art Of Stand-Up, Jay Sankey, $15
Zen & The Art Of Stand-Up, Jay Sankey, $75 (Special Release)
Stand-Up Comedy Workbooks

These books will assist you in writing comedy for your act. This skill
is also useful to entertainers of all types.
Comedy Writing Secrets, Melvin Helitzer, $15
Comedy Writing: Step By Step, Gene Perret, $10
The Comedy Writing Workbook, Gene Perret, $25
Stand-Up Comedy, Judy Carter, $12
Sandi C. Shores: Workbook, Sandi Shore, $70
The Comic Toolbox, John Vorhaus, $12
327
Joke Books
General
Jokes & Riddles
Audio books
Lawyers & Criminals
Business
Limericks
Cat & Dogs
Love, Sex & Marriage
Comedy
Parodies
Computers & Internet
Political
Cooking
Puns & Wordplay
Doctors & Medicine
Rural Life
Essays
Satire, General
Fiction
Science & Scientists
For Kids: General
Self-Help & Psychology
For Kids: Jokes
Sports
Humorous Verse
Theories of Humor
Hunting & Fishing
Urban Legends
MAGIC - JUGGLING- MIME-CLOWNING

Of course, the magic book recommendations are far from a complete
listing of the many great books available. These are simply ones that
are readily available to the mass market and are therefore reasonably
priced. Many may be more appropriate for you to give as gifts or
recommend to non-professional magicians. Among this list, however,
there are a few classics like, Modern Coin Magic, and history books
that that you should own and can learn from.
328
Children's Magic
Children's Magic Kit: 16 Easy-To-Do Tricks, Karl Fulves, $5
Magic Secrets (I Can Read Book), Rose Wyler, $3
A Magician (I Want to Be Series), Ivan Bulloch, $6
Magic For Beginners
101 Easy-To-Do Magic Tricks, Bill Tarr, $8
Abra-Ca-Dazzle: Easy Magic Tricks, Ray Broekel, School &
Library Binding, $15
Blackstone's Tricks Anyone Can Do, Harry Blackstone, $15
A Book of Magic for Young Magicians, Allan Zola Kronzek, $4
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Magic Tricks, Tom Ogden, $16
Magic for Dummies (For Dummies), David Pogue, $16
Training With Magic!: 53 Simple Magic Tricks, Ed Rose, $16
World's Best Magic Tricks, Charles Barry Townsend, $5
Coin Tricks
Modern Coin Magic, J. B. Bobo, $8
Self-Working Coin Magic, Karl Fulves, $5
World's Best Coin Tricks, Bob Longe, $5
329
General Magic
101 Classic Magic Tricks, Guy Frederick, Jason Hurst, $5
Art of Magic, T. Nelson Downs, PB, $8
Big Book of Magic Tricks, Karl Fulves, $8
Book of Magic Tricks, Heddle R, $8
Hocus Pocus! (Secret World of Alex MacK), Joseph Locke, $4
The Magic Handbook, Peter Eldin, $8
The Magic of Micah Lasher, Micah Lasher, $12
The Most Excellent Book of How to Be a Magician, Peter Eldin, $6
The New Magician's Manual, Walter Brown Gibson, $9
Math/Science Magic
The Magical Math Book, Bob Longe, $5
The Magical Math Book, Bob Longe, HC, $15
Math-A-Magic: Tricks for Magicians, Laurence B. White, $4
Mathematics, Magic and Mystery, Martin Gardner, $5
Science Magic: Martin Gardner's Tricks & Puzzles, Martin
Gardner, $12
Science Magic Tricks, Nathan Shalit, $4
330
Card Tricks
101 Amazing Card Tricks, Bob Longe, $5
Annemann's Card Magic: Unabridged Version, Theodore
Annemann, $6
Card Magic for Amateurs and Professionals, William Simon, $7
Card Manipulations, Jean Hugard, $6
Card Tricks, M. Ross, $3
Encyclopedia of Card Tricks, Jean Hugard, $8
Charles Jordan's Best Card Tricks, Karl Fulves, $7
More Card Manipulations, Jean Hugard, $6
More Self-Working Card Tricks, Karl Fulves, $5
My Best Book of Card Tricks, John Cornelius, $14
The History of Magic
Houdini's History of Magic in Boston, H.J. Moulton, $35.00.
The Illustrated History of Magic, Milbourne Christopher, $15
Magic: A Picture History, Milbourne Christopher, $15
Magic and Magicians (The Unexplained), Mike Burgess, $14
Net of Magic: Wonders and Deceptions in India , Lee Siegel, $25
331
Juggling
Hotshots Juggling (Hotshots Series), Clive Gifford, $3
A Juggler (I Want to Be Series), Ivan Bulloch, $6
The Juggler, John Morressy, $11
Juggling (How to Make Series), Clive Gifford, $7
Juggling Step-By-Step, Bobby Besmehn, $7
Juggling with Jeremy, Chris D'Lacey, $5
The Most Excellent Book of How to Be a Juggler, Mitch
Mitchelson, $6
Mime
Beyond the Word: The World of Mime, Stefan Niedzialkowski, $13
From Mime to Sign, Gilbert C. Eastman, $28
Mime: Basics for Beginners, Cindie Straub, $22
The Mime Book, Claude Kipnis, $12
The Mime, Speaking: Poems, Thomas Gardner, $15
Mime Ministry, Susan K. Toomey, $11
Mime Spoken Here: A Guide to a Personal Style, Tony Montanaro,
$20
332
Mime Spoken Here; The Performer's Portable Workshop, Tony

Montanaro, $35
Mime Time: 45 Complete Routines for Everyone, Happy Jack
Feder, $11
Talking About Mime: An Illustrated Guide, David Alberts, $15
Clowning
Be A Clown! - The Complete Guide to Instant Clowning, Turk
Pipkin, $8
A Clown (I Want to Be Series), Ivan Bulloch, $5
A Clown (I Want to Be Series), Ivan Bulloch, $10
Fool of the Kingdom: How to Be an Effective Clown Minister, Philip
D. Noble, $11
I Want to Be a Clown, Sharon S. Johnson, $4
I Want to Be a Clown (Start To Read), Sharon S. Johnson, $6
The Most Excellent Book of How to Be a Clown, Catherine
Perkins, S&L: $22
333
BUSINESS-SUCCESS & MARKETING BOOKS

Sales and Selling Professional Services
Let's Get Real - Mahan Khalsa Excellent book if you really cant
stomach the thought of being a sales-person.
Non-Manipulative Selling - Alessandra & Wexler- Effective approach
to selling that provides a breath of fresh air when compared to many
other selling tactics.
Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive - Harvey Mackay Mackay's first book full of great stories and the "Mackay 66" system
for keeping track of prospects and clients. Another great one is:
Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt.
The New Conceptual Selling - Miller & Heiman - Removes a lot of the
mystery about selling and gives a deeper understanding of what is
going on with the buyer and the whole process in general. Excellent.
Their book The New Strategic Selling is also excellent, with more
focus on selling to corporations.
Selling to Vito - Anthony Parinello - This is a unique book that focuses
on the exact process for selling to VITO - the Very Important Top
Officer. He gives details on everything from sending an initial letter to
following up to closing the deal. Wow.
The Power to Get In A step-by-step system on how to get in the
door with anyone.
334
203 Ways to Be Supremely Successful in the New World of Selling John Graham - The author of Magnet Marketing provides the same
keen insight and understanding to the sales process as he did with
the marketing process. You will make more sales after reading this
book.
I'll Get Back to You - Robert Shook & Eric Yaverbaum- 105 very
useful tips on how to get people to return your calls and other helpful
sales tips. Just one tip could get you in for that all-important
appointment.
The Zen of Selling - Stan Adler - A series of 17 wise stories about
various sales principles. Simply delightful, you will read it over and
over again.
Sales Dragon - John Scevola - It includes over 2,000 aphorisms about
life, success and selling - many based on ancient Chinese wisdom.

Very inspiring.
Mindworks: Unlock the Promise Within: NLP Tools for Building a
Better Life - Anne Linden - A book about communication that explains
NLP in an easy-to-follow style with great examples and insights.
Excellent.
Stop Selling - Start Partnering - Larry Wilson - This book will help you
to stop seeing selling as a collection of techniques and start to see it
as a long-term relationship.
335
The One Minute Salesperson - Spencer Johnson and Larry Wilson This little book distills some of the most important selling concepts
and principles and is a must-read.
Sales and Persuasion Psychology
Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion - Robert Cialdini - This may
be one of the most important books you can read related to selling. It
offers incredible insight on how persuasion works. You will apply
these concepts to your business and increase the response to your
marketing, obtain more sales and build customer loyalty.
The Tipping Point - Malcom Gladwell - Fun to read and will help you
understand persuasion as it applies to marketing.
Earning What You're Worth? The Psychology of Sales Reluctance Dudley and Goodson This book will be good for you if you tend to
avoid selling and marketing activities. Outlines both the causes and
cures for sales reluctance in a most compelling manner. Very
insightful.
Books on Positioning Your Services

Rapid Response Marketing - Geoff Ayling An excellent book that
really gets to the heart of creating compelling marketing messages
that get attention, interest and action. A must-read.
Nichecraft - Susan Falkenstein This book will certainly help you
promote your services.
336
Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind - Al Ries and Jack Trout - A
marketing classic.
I also recommend other Ries and Trout Books following and Trout's
"New Positioning." All strongly recommended to the serious marketer.
Marketing Warfare
Bottom-Up Marketing
22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
The New Positioning
FOCUS - The Future of Your Company Depends Upon It
Brochures and Sales Letters
The Independent Consultant's Brochure and Letter Handbook Herman Holtz has put together a concise and full of useful, hands-on
tips and techniques for putting together brochures, marketing
materials and sales letters. Also includes lessons on proposals,
newsletters, press releases and graphics.
Sales Letters That Sizzle - Herschel Gordon Lewis A must-have
book that you will reference every time you write a sales letter.
Pricing
Million Dollar Consulting - Alan Weiss If you do consulting, you will
immediately give yourself a raise as soon as you finish this book.
Money Talks - Alan Weiss This book focuses on making money as
a speaker. Great insight and practical useful tips you will use right
away.
337
Copywriting
Cash Copy - Jeffrey Lant - An incredible book that will teach you to
write copy that gets attention and generates sales.
Tested Advertising Methods - John Caples - A classics of advertising.
Along with How to Make Your Advertising Make Money (a later book
which is very similar), Caples lays out the principles and techniques
of what it takes to get people to respond to advertising. Just the
chapter on headlines alone (30 pages long!) is worth the price of the
book.
How to Write a Good Advertisement - Victor O. Schwab - Another
classic book on advertising and copywriting with gems of marketing
wisdom throughout.
Service Business Marketing
Marketing Your Services - Anthony Putman - This is a "must have"
book if you want to attract new clients. It is the real deal with nothing
left out.
The Invisible Touch - Harry Beckwith - Beckwith's second book is just
as good as the first (below). A quick read full of insights that apply to
any business.
Selling the Invisible - Harry Beckwith Fun to read and very valuable
information.
338
How to Get Clients - Jeff Slutsky Anything written by Slutsky is

great. Also, check out Streetsmart Marketing. If you can find any of
his out of print work, grab it.
Selling Your Services - Robert Bly - An excellent how-to for anyone
selling services.
He has written other excellent marketing books
including
The Copywriter's Handbook and
Business to Business Direct Marketing.
Rain Making - Ford Harding - An excellent book on marketing,
networking, speaking, the media, writing and publishing. A useful
read.
Networking
Endless Referrals - Bob Berg - Lots of great tips and techniques that
anyone can use.
Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty - Harvey Mackay - Mackay's
latest book's subhead is "The Only Networking Book You'll Ever
Need." Not sure if I agree with that, but it is fantastic.
Power Networking - Donna Fisher and Sandy Vilas - 55 strategies on
getting known and building referrals. Goes deep into the service and
relationship aspect of building your business by word-of-mouth. A lot
to think about and tons of great tips you can use.
339
Secrets of Savvy Networking - Susan RoAne - Also the Author of

"How to Work a Room," Lots of how-to's and tips on getting an edge
in business by developing long-term relationships.
The World's Best Known Marketing Secret - Ivan Misner An
excellent model for developing word-of-mouth advertising.
Endless Prospects - Richard Weylman - Great information in an easyto-read format.
Direct Marketing/Advertising
Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads - Roy H. Williams - Pearls of
wisdom about what it takes to persuade people to do business with
you.
Being Direct - Lester Wunderman This is an autobiographical story
of Wunderman's life in direct marketing from the '30's to the present
day. He is credited for direct marketing success stories such as the
Columbia Record Club, American Express and Ford.
Ogilvy on Advertising - David Ogilvy - A classic that is full of
illustrations and examples that will give you a lot of valuable ideas.
Another valuable book is his biography, Confessions of an
Advertising Man that is out of print but worth looking for.
Advertising Secrets of the written Word - Joseph Sugarman Sugarman made a fortune selling gadgets through direct mail. He
wrote all the copy and shares his secrets here.
340
Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This - a Guide to Creating Great Ads - Luke

Sullivan Definitely a fun and entertaining book to read.
I am
recommending it with the caveat that the information will likely not
apply directly to the magic business but is inspiring and you will enjoy
it.
General Marketing Strategy
Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got - Jay Abraham
He is the Gurus, Guru of Marketing who has sold books that cost as
much as $750. The lowest price of any Jay Abraham materials you'll
find anywhere and a bargain at ten times the price of this book.
Permission Marketing - Seth Godin - Tons of great examples for
marketers large and small, both online and off. Excellent!
The New Magnet Marketing - John Graham - A good general book on
marketing for small to medium-sized businesses. Well worth reading.
No More Cold Calls - Jeffrey Lant - Lant is a marketing genius for
small businesses. This massive (675 pgs.) book is filled with more
ideas than you'll be able to implement in years.
Marketing Without Advertising - Michael Phillips & Salli Rasberry
You will learn how to generate a constant stream of referrals without
spending any money on advertising. Originally published in 1986 and
just released in a new edition.
341
The New Maxi-Marketing - Stan Rapp and Thomas Collins - One of

the best books on corporate marketing. Their other books are also
worth checking out:
Maxi Marketing,
Beyond Maxi Marketing and
Send 'Em One White Sock.
The One to One Future - Peppers and Rogers - A compelling book
about
using
information
technology
to
customize
marketing
campaigns so that you are literally marketing to individuals but on a

mass basis. Not a must-have but you will benefit from reading it.
Marketing "Tips" Books
Getting Business to Come to You - Edwards, Edwards & Clampitt
Douglas 686 pages of exceptional, detailed information on every
aspect of marketing.
Other excellent books include:
Secrets of Self Employment and
Teaming Up.
1001 Ways to Market Your Service - Rick Crandall - Another
encyclopedia of small business marketing ideas. Fantastic.
Marketing Your Services - for people who HATE to sell - Rick
Crandall There is something in this book for every small business
marketer. Other good marketing books are:
342
Marketing for People Not in Marketing.

Celebrate Marketing
Celebrate Selling
Guerrilla Marketing - Jay Conrad Levinson - This is his original book,
where he emphasizes low-cost, close-to-the customer tactics for
getting attention and getting sales. His other books are also highly
regarded and include:
GM Attack,
GM Weapons,
GM Excellence,
The GM Handbook,
Guerrilla Trade Show Selling,
Guerrilla Marketing Online ,
Guerrilla Selling,
GM for the Home-Based Businesses
GM Online Weapons
GM with Technology
301 Do-It-Yourself Marketing Ideas - Sam Decker Innovative and
under priced.
101 Ways to Promote Yourself - Raleigh Pinskey - Another
inexpensive book with tons of good, solid ideas on marketing for
small businesses. Well organized with resources listed after each
technique for more in-depth information.
343
Marketing through Speaking

Marketing with Speeches and Seminars - Miriam Otte - This book is a
must have if you want to succeed at attracting new clients with
speeches and seminars.
Marketing With Letters
The Ultimate Sales Letter - Daniel Kennedy - Covers everything
about what to put in sales letters, how to write them and how to
design an effective mailing campaign.
Customer Service
Raving Fans - Ken Blanchard - Blanchard is excellent at providing
examples that drive home the point. He teaches you that by going
beyond good service you will find your most powerful marketing tool.
Practical techniques that you will profit from using.
The Pursuit of WOW - Tom Peters I highly recommended this book
if you are serious about providing excellent customer service.
Entrepreneurship
Growing a Business - Paul Hawken - Anecdotes and timeless
principles that are excellent.
Pour Your Heart Into It - Howard Schultz Covers a lot of ground and
is truly inspiring and useful. Absolutely wonderful.
344
The E Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber is what inspired me to "work

on my business - not in it" and create systems to automate my
business. If you have staff, also read The E-Myth Manager.
Visionary Business - Marc Allen - Told in the form of a story of a
struggling business owner and his wise mentor, the narrative covers
the essential principles of business success from goal setting and
planning to core beliefs and higher purpose. Influenced by New Age
thought, this is a fun, inspiring and practical book.
Motivation/Success
Play to Win! - Larry Wilson, Hersch Wilson - A beautifully designed
book that distills the fundamentals of success and fulfillment into an
easy to understand and follow philosophy.
How to Be a Star at Work - Robert Kelley - Hard to put down, it
relates the key factors in keeping ahead of the pack, whether you're
self employed or working for someone else.
How to Win Friends and Influence People Dale Carnegie If you
dont own this book, do not pass go, do not collect $200, just get it
now.
345
Learn how to become a highly paid Speaker at:

http://www.speakermagic.com
Discover how to own you own entertainment agency at:

http://www.synergytalent.com
Profit from your own corporate gift company at:

Learn Insider Secrets of Internet Marketing at:

http://marketingmagician.com
Accelerate your Business and Personal Success at:

http://magicianmarketing.com
To send your much-appreciated testimonial for this course:

mailto:testimonial@charach.com
To be kept up to date on new information and opportunities, be sure

to sign up at some point my free e-newsletter. Just send a blank
email: news@showbizonly.com
346
Conclusion
I hope you have enjoyed this book.
(Back to Index)
It is full of information and
resources that can really make a difference in your career. Be sure

to use and profit from them.
So, where will you go from here?
Will you implement some of the ideas that were presented to you in
the book?
Will you utilize the resources? Make some new contacts?
Put more effort into planning?
Go out of your way to create a "wow" experience for your clients and
your audiences? Or,
Will you just feel inspired for a few weeks and then keep doing
exactly what you were doing?
Perhaps, you were doing just fine. Great. Please keep in mind that
many very successful entertainers have implemented practices
contained in this book, with great results.
Perhaps you are a very successful entertainer already. Remember

what Ray Kroc said about learning:
347
"When you're green you grow, when you're ripe you rot".
Personally, I am in a constant state of "green". And proud of it!
The wealthiest and most intelligent people I know are the most willing
to listen to other viewpoints, take risks, and try new things.
Okay, so go for it. Don't be lazy or closed minded. Pick something

from the book to implement each week. I suggest you start with what
is least appealing to you. This technique of indulging in that which
you do not "like" holds incredible power. You can only understand
this by trying it yourself. Try it, the results are awesome!
Our relationship does not have to end here. Take some time now
and explore the other offerings I have set up specifically to help
entertainers expand and grow in show BUSINESS.
Take advantage of these unique opportunities and prosper. I look

forward to speaking with you, or meeting you soon!
P.S. Recoup your investment in this book and start your own new
stream of income at:http://www.millionairemagician.com/partners.htm
348

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Legal Notice

The services of a lawyer and

accountant are recommended if legal and accounting advice or assistance is

All violations will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Written by: Randy Charach

"A realistic guide through the entertainment business world.

$100 reward if you received this document illegally

Bonus Items This is where you will find them:

To my Mother, Evelyn, whom I love more than life itself. My Father,

And, in memory of my late Uncle Gable, King Solomon the Magician.

Foreword by Gary Darwin

Thank you once again Randy, your old friend, Darwin.

How to use this Book (from a technical perspective):

Its free, just go to:

Your main (default) Internet browser will open up automatically a few

At certain points in the text you will be able to click on underlined

Email addresses work in a similar fashion to hyperlinks. The format

It may also launch your

Internet browser, but why, I do not know.

Using the Adobe Reader:

Adobe has a great feature that allows you to have a complete

Adobe Acrobat Reader window showing clickable outline:

There are 4 ways to turn pages in your book.

1. You can use the arrow keys on your keyboard.

Returning to Your Last Position:

Millionaire Business Practices

Planning for Success

Your Executive Office

Promotional Material Magic

Fees for Financial Freedom

Gentlemen & Gentlewomen Agreements

Your First Class Performance

Golden Relationships with Agents

Magic Marketing Methods

PART II: Your Income Streams

Colleges and Universities

Fairs and Festivals

Restaurants, Bars & Lounges

Consulting & Acting

Resorts and Casinos

Profit from Products

PART III: Your Future Learning

First, let me answer some questions for you:

The choice to be candid and specific with financial numbers in this

I was born in 1963 in Vancouver, Canada. My parents were and are

At the age of five, I met one of my uncles, a magician (known as

performances now, are as a Mentalist or a Speaker. My highest fees

I parlayed my relationships made as a magician and my natural and

As my calendar was filling quickly with bookings throughout each

form my own entertainment booking agency. I expanded into booking

those years I averaged 300-400 personal appearances as a magician

Both my toy and entertainment companies complimented my magic

None of it involves getting rich quick.

financial prosperity then be patient and be willing to work. There is

Certain philosophies, tools, systems and

How can I benefit the most from this book?

After you have gone

Immediately implement some of the techniques and

principles. Use the resources.

Dont overdo it. I happen to be a workaholic, and sometimes to my

It is a genuine honor when I am asked to share my knowledge and

It is up to you to take action and reach your goals. That I cannot do

With you in Mind,