The Approach
 

The Approach

By

Jamie D. Grant

A guide to becoming a working

Walkaround Magician.

 
 
 
by  Jamie  D.  Grant  
  
The Approach
 
 

 
 
 
by  Jamie  D.  Grant  
  
The Approach
 

Copyright 2013
Jamie D. Grant

Hiya Everyone! I’ll be honest. I can write something fancy here like
we’re all used to…

© 2013, Jamie D. Grant. Except as provided by the

Copyright Act. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in
any form or by any means without the prior written
permission of the publisher.

Or I can ask you, as a friend, to not copy this book, sell it after
you’ve used the information, or spread it around the Internet. So
that’s what I’m going to do. I’m just going to straight up ask you
(nicely)…

“Hey! Can you do me a favor? Don’t do any of those things? It would

mean a lot to me, and I’d think you’re way cooler if you didn’t. That’s it!
Have an awesome day!”

That’s it.

 
 
 
by  Jamie  D.  Grant  
  
The Approach
 
 

 
 
 
by  Jamie  D.  Grant  
  
The Approach
 

Table of Contents
Intro ................................................................................ 5
1. How Many Tricks You Should Know ................... 8
2. Who Are You? ..................................................... 12
3. Developing Your Sets ~ Part I............................. 15
4. How to Practice ................................................... 18
5. Your Magic Fridays ............................................. 22
6. Business Cards ..................................................... 31
7. Websites ............................................................... 34
8. How Do You Look? ............................................. 37
9. What to Wear....................................................... 40
10. Funny or Serious .................................................. 42
11. Are You Any Good Yet? ...................................... 45
12. Starting Conversations ......................................... 48
13. Touching People .................................................. 52
14. How Much to Charge .......................................... 54
15. The Cocktail Party ............................................... 60
16. Getting Started ..................................................... 65
17. Volunteer Gigs & Charities .................................. 67
18. What to Say in E-mails ........................................ 74
19. The Telephone Call ............................................. 81
20. Getting There ...................................................... 84
21. Developing Your Sets ~ Part 2 ............................ 85
22. Silence .................................................................. 90
23. What Does My Contract Look Like? ................... 93
24. Transitions ........................................................... 96
25. Conquering Nerves .............................................. 99
26. How to Get Gigs ................................................ 103
27. Getting Ready for the First One ........................ 109
28. Fingernail Care .................................................. 110
29. How Much Time to Prepare ............................. 112
30. Pocket Management .......................................... 115
31. Your List ............................................................ 119
 
 
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32. The Big Secret.................................................... 120
33. Your Close-Up Case/Bag .................................. 123
34. Things to Never Forget ...................................... 124
35. Hat or No Hat.................................................... 126
36. The Handshake .................................................. 127
37. What to Put in the Lobby .................................. 129
38. Who to Approach First ...................................... 131
39. My First Effect ................................................... 133
40. What Rubber Bands to Use ............................... 135
41. Moving Through a Room ................................. 136
42. The First Words I Say ........................................ 138
43. Highs and Lows ................................................. 141
44. Getting Applause ............................................... 143
45. More Transitions ............................................... 145
46. Saying Goodbye to Your Group ........................ 148
47. Tables versus Standing ...................................... 150
48. Dealing with the Alpha Male ............................. 152
49. Staying in One Spot ........................................... 156
50. Busted! ................................................................ 158
51. Getting Compliments ......................................... 161
52. Letting Spectators Shuffle .................................. 163
53. Reset - Reset ...................................................... 165
54. The Venue Staff ................................................. 167
55. Kids at an Event................................................. 168
56. Burning Through Material ................................ 170
57. How Many Hours? ............................................ 173
58. Remembering Names ........................................ 175
59. When to Show the Event Planner...................... 181
60. The Card Force I Always Use ........................... 182
61. Accepting Tips ................................................... 184
62. Wallets ................................................................ 186
63. Handing Out Business Cards ............................. 188
64. What to Never Borrow ...................................... 190

 
 
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65. Someone Wants to Show You a Trick............... 191
66. A Regular Deck.................................................. 194
67. Weddings ........................................................... 196
68. Large Tables ...................................................... 200
69. Joining Them for Dinner ................................... 203
70. Vest versus Jacket ............................................... 206
71. The Second Big Secret ....................................... 208
72. “Do It Again!” .................................................... 210
73. Another Magician Shows Up ............................ 212
74. Gigs Outside ...................................................... 214
75. When Only Ten People Show Up ..................... 216
76. Do You Need a Stage Show? ............................. 221
77. Dance Floors ...................................................... 225
78. Checking Back In ............................................... 227
79. Dropping Cards ................................................. 229
80. Sponge Balls ....................................................... 230
81. Dealing with Disappointment ............................ 231
82. Hecklers ............................................................. 232
83. Open versus Closed Body Language ................. 237
84. One-Handed Spectators .................................... 240
85. Stock Lines ......................................................... 242
86. Lone Stragglers .................................................. 245
87. Journal................................................................ 247
88. Leaving Them with Something ......................... 248
89. Custom Decks .................................................... 250
90. False Memories .................................................. 253
91. Invoices .............................................................. 257
92. How to get Testimonials .................................... 258
93. Getting ALL the Money .................................... 261
94. Increasing Rates ................................................. 263
95. Busking ............................................................... 264
96. Repeat Gigs ........................................................ 266
97. Pictures ............................................................... 268

 
 
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98. Social Media ...................................................... 269
99. Agents................................................................. 271
100. Going Full Time ................................................ 274
101. Go Get It ............................................................ 278
102. The Beginning.................................................... 279
 

 
 
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Intro|Advice

“If you want to get discovered,

be awesome.”
-David Moses

Be awesome.

That’s what this book is about. It’s not about getting discovered,
making a zillion dollars, or getting famous. It’s about bringing out
the best in you and showing it to the world; via the greatest art there

is: the art of Magic. That said, there’s no reason why you

shouldn’t be able to make money at the same time. And I’m here to
hopefully help you with both.

But how do we do it? I mean really do it. How do we actually

get there? I’ll be honest; we’re going to take different paths. None
of us is going to take the same route to awesome-ville, but I can

 
 
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share with you my route. I can tell you the exact steps I’ve
taken to get to where I am today and, let me tell you, it’s brought
me happiness, joy, and wonder. I’m excited! It’s going to be fun
sharing all I’ve learned with you!

Before we get started, let’s go over some ideas I have for this work
of mine. I’ll be including a lot of anecdotes, mistakes, stories and
lessons. Hopefully it’ll all make sense by the time this goes to press.
So bear with me as we go along. My plan was to go through my
career in chronological order; from the day I picked up my first
effect all the way through to yesterday. But there are simply too
many things that went on concurrently. So, instead, I’m simply

going to give you over 100 things to think about, study, and learn
from. They’ll be split up into:

Advice: Ideas that have worked for me over the years.

Essays: Longer pieces that I believe apply across the board.
Articles: Previous articles I’ve written.
Tips: Quick ideas to apply.
Tricks: Secrets to making things easier for yourself.
Study: Introspective work to help make you a better performer.
Anecdotes: Stories from the road.
Lessons: Ideas to take things to the next level.

 
 
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We may jump around a bit, so feel free to start (and finish)
anywhere you like. And, on that note, let me also mention this:

please use this book. Make it your own. Dog ear the

corners, write your name on it, doodle your logo in it - the one that
will one day be splashed across the TV - put notes in the margins,
own it. Help me make it awesome. You’re the only one for the
job.

Finally, don’t let my formatting scare you. As a writer, I hate massive

chunks of text so you’ll see me use a lot of italics, bold, and

different font sizes to help break things up. I’m also going to
be highlighting one sentence in each chapter that I think is the most
important. So have fun and jump right in!

All right, enough preamble, let’s get started.

 
 
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Chapter 1|Article

How Many Tricks You Should Know

You can’t be a magician without knowing tricks. I think we can

all agree on that, right? Or effects. Or illusions. Or whatever you
would like to call them. A lot of people are very passionate about
calling them one thing and not another; but all I know is that if
someone is hiring you to come to their party and perform magic,
you had better know how to do something. So how many
“somethings” do you actually need to know? It’s easy to get caught
up in the latest and the greatest that the magic world has to offer
but, at the end of the day, how many tricks can you do at a
moment’s notice, blindfolded, while riding a bicycle? I wrote
this as an online essay a couple of years back so I’m going to put the
original here and then we’ll talk a bit more about it afterwards…

Originally written September 20, 2010

I just thought I'd offer some insight into how many tricks/effects are
actually required to do a working Walkaround gig. Please let me preface
this by saying that this is what I've found, after years of doing every kind of gig

 
 
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conceivable to mankind, and it is simply what works for me.

Now a lot of people will say it all depends and that each person is
different, etc. Me? I'll just straight up tell ya...

9.
There's an old saying that an amateur can perform a ton of tricks
with average skill, but a pro can perform three brilliantly. That's true,
to be sure, but it needs a bit of refinement...

Basically, I find that you need three sets of three effects. Here's
why: you're at the event; it's a cocktail party type of setting where
everyone is standing and drinking. You approach a group of four or
five people and absolutely kill it with three amazing effects (tricks
1, 2, and 3). They're laughing and screaming and can't believe you
pulled the card out of their nose.

So what's next? Well, you take two steps (if you're lucky - sometimes
you'll just turn around) and begin for the group of eight people who
were standing behind you and sort of already watching. And you
don't want to pull a card out of their nose as well. Remember:
Once is magic, twice is a lesson. This is where you'll bust out
your second set of three effects (tricks 4, 5, and 6). You'll
 
 
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show this group something completely new. This will also help if any
of the people from that first group are still watching.

Next? Same thing. Take a couple of steps and perform your final set
(tricks 7, 8, and 9). By this time you should physically be far
enough away from your original group that, when you approach
your fourth group, you can start over with your original three tricks
(1, 2, and 3 again).

This will also give you the added benefit of, if less people come to
the event than were intended (which will happen way more often
than you think), you will be able to start over from the beginning by
showing that very first group your second set and carrying on,
essentially allowing you three tours of the room.

~Jamie

After re-reading that, I think everything still holds true. The only
thing I might add is that, instead of thinking of it as nine separate
effects, start splitting them up into 3 sets of 3 right away. That way
you’ll get an idea of how one trick can flow into another and how

 
 
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they work together. That’s how I try to learn new magic;

whenever I pick up something new I ask myself:

“If I start using this effect at working gigs, where will it go? Will it be an
opener, a closer, or something in the middle?”

Keep those questions at hand when purchasing new magic. And

don’t worry; we’ll be talking more about what makes great openers,
middles, and closers a bit later.

 
 
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Chapter 2|Study

Who Are You?

I know that sounds like a weird question, but it’s an

important one. And when I ask, “Who are you?” I’m referring
to who you are in your heart. Who do you want to be? This is the
question you need to start thinking about right away. So while
you’re working on your nine effects, describe your ideal you. Even
better, write it down here. I’m serious! Grab a pen and write down
who you are. I’ll give you my description, if it’ll help. This is how I
would privately describe myself on paper. You’ll do the same in a
second:

“My name is Jamie D. Grant and I’m a comedy magician. Now,

before you think I walk around making jokes, let me give you a

better idea. Picture Brad Pitt. Okay, with a little less hair. Now
picture Brad Pitt walking around a party and showing
people amazing card tricks and sleight of hand illusions. Everyone’s
laughing and talking excitingly. People are making new friends.
This is probably the greatest party these people have ever been to.
It’s the party of the century. All because I’m here helping them have
an amazing time!”
 
 
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Arrogant? Brash? Absolutely not! You need to get a mental image
of the type of person you want to become. You need to visualize how
you want others to perceive you. Yours might look like this…

“My name is John Smith and I’m a smooth man of mystery. I

float from group to group silently reading minds and changing
people’s lives. Not everyone will know I’m there but the ones that
do will remember me forever.”

Or,

“My name is Jane Doe and I’m absolutely hilarious. I can

make everyone laugh at the drop of a hat and I drop my hat a
lot. I can also do coin tricks like nobody’s business - all with a
smile.”

So why is this important? Because who you are is going to help

determine what kind of tricks you’ll be learning. Are you a
serious mentalist? If so, one of your 9 effects probably shouldn’t be
sponge bunnies. Are you the funniest guy in the room? Well,
putting a spike through your neck most likely isn’t a great fit. So
before you get too far ahead of yourself, picture who you want to be
and then fill this in.

 
 
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Seriously. Fill this in.

Who Am I (inside)?

_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

 
 
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Chapter 3|Lesson

Developing Your Sets ~ Part I

Okay, now that you’ve got an idea of who you are (and we’ll
be coming back to that) and who you’d like to become, it’s time to
start working out what effects are going to make up your sets. And
I’ll be honest, this list will change many times over the course of your
career. You’re going to be experimenting quite a bit and there will
be a lot of trial and error. But we can do a good deal of pre-planning
in the meantime. So let’s start with writing down 12 tricks that you
know.

If you’re already a “worker” (someone who performs

regularly), this is an awesome exercise. It’ll give you some insight
into what effects you’re actually performing regularly. 8 of my 12
regular effects are ones I started performing over ten years ago,
for example.

I know I said you only need to know 9, but you’ve got to have a
couple extra that you learned along the way. If you don’t have a
dozen, then use this list as a list of effects you need to learn. And
don’t worry about whether these are the latest and greatest magic
 
 
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has to offer. Just get learning. The classics are the greatest

place to start but it’s okay to explore the entire magic world. Some
things to consider, though:

~Can they be performed standing?

~Do they have a quick “reset”?
~Are they smaller than a toaster?

My 12 Tricks:

(E.g.): CHOP CUP by Dennis Loomis

1) _________________________by_______________________

2)_________________________by_______________________

3)_________________________by_______________________

4)_________________________by_______________________

5)_________________________by_______________________

6)_________________________by_______________________

7)_________________________by_______________________
 
 
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8)_________________________by_______________________

9)_________________________by_______________________

10)_________________________by______________________

11)_________________________by______________________

12)_________________________by______________________

While you’re working on your initial dozen, we’re going to move

on to some other things that you should be working on. Before we
do, though, let me ask you this. Take a look at your 12 effects
up there. Now, ask yourself, when is the last time you performed
each and every one of them? Be honest with yourself. If we’re
going to pull the best 9 out of there and start charging people money
to see them then we should probably make sure you really, truly,
know them. That’s not always the easiest thing to do, though. So the
question now becomes, how do we actually do that? In real life?
How do we practice?

 
 
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Chapter 4|Essay

How to Practice

It’s a three-step process:

Step 1:

The first step is reading the instructions. Or watching the DVD. Or,
my favourite, reading the book. Knowing the moves and
performing them on yourself, this is always the beginning.

Step 2:

This is what I personally feel is one, if not THE, biggest stumbling

block that prevents people from becoming working
magicians. And it’s not that they don’t practice, it’s that they
don’t practice in front of other people. But wait! If you’re doing
tricks in front of other people, it’s not practicing, it’s performing,
isn’t it? No. And here’s why…

 
 
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You must find a group of people who you can regularly
show magic to without fearing failure.

You must find yourself a safe environment. What exactly does

that mean? It means if you drop the coin, you can actually say,
“Hold on, I dropped it, let me start over.” For a lot of people, it’s going
to be their wives or husbands, or family, or girlfriend or boyfriend.
But it can’t be just one person - and that’s hard for some. So if you
only have one of those people in your life, go find some others. If
you don’t trust your friends, start going to magic clubs or meetings,
socialize, find someone else.

Who are your three people that you can show new magic to without
stressing yourself out?

1)_______________________________________

2)_______________________________________

3)_______________________________________

 
 
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Step 3:

My final step is taking it out into the real world for people who
aren’t paying you money. And this is where I can give you a
solution that I’ve been doing since 2006.

Magic Friday.

If you have a day job, you’re golden. From this day forward, you’re
going to perform magic at work. No job? Time to start visiting
friends, family, baristas at coffee shops, whatever it takes; because
the plan to is to perform one trick, and one trick only, as many times
as you can, every Friday. Do you work in an office with only
three co-workers? Well, you’ll probably only get to do it once. Are
you in a warehouse with over a hundred? You can probably get ten
performances out of it. I’ll even give you the exact script to get you
started.

“Hey everyone, I have an announcement. I’ve been studying the art of

magic and, with your permission, I’d like to show you a trick today. Just
one. And I’d like to do this every week. Sometimes it’ll take 90 seconds,
and others, maybe five minutes at most. Whaddya say?”

 
 
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Homework:

Do a month of Magic Fridays.

Done? Really? Don’t lie to me (or yourself)! Come back after a

month…

Congratulations, you’re now a magician. Now before my magic

community starts crying from the rooftops, “What?!? You can’t
be a magician after a single month!!!” Let me tell you this: in
your co-workers eyes you absolutely are. People are like that. Let me
put it to you this way: if you show your co-workers a painting you’ve
drawn, I guarantee you that if one of them introduces you to
someone else and it comes up, they’ll say, “Jamie’s a painter!” In

their eyes, I am. And I only showed them one painting. Same
with juggling; “Jamie can juggle!” After only one time! So, the point
is, after showing someone one effect, they’re probably going to label
you as a magician. The only question is: are you a good one? And
how do you become a good magician? By practicing. Practice by
yourself, and then in front of other people.

Learn the moves. Practice. Show your three regulars. Reflect.

Practice. Show your Magic Friday Crowd. Review. Hey, that seems
like more than three steps! Life can be like that.

 
 
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Chapter 5|Anecdote

Your Magic Fridays

Okay, let’s actually do this right and document it. You’ll be doing
magic every week so don’t lose great information. Write it down!
I’ll provide space to record your first month and then I’ll leave it to
you to carry on your own. Be ruthless! Make notes, write
down the script you used, any changes you made, what the reactions
were like, and how it made you and your audience feel.

I can still remember the rush of my very first Magic Friday. What would
they say? Would anyone actually want to watch? I had no idea! This will
change your game.

Ready?

Set?

Start performing; and writing!

 
 
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Week 1

EFFECT NAME:
______________________________________________
CREATOR:
_______________________________________________________
HOW MUCH DID IT COST?
_______________________________________________________
HOW LONG DID YOU PRACTICE IT?
_______________________________________________________
HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU PERFORM IT ON FRIDAY?
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE BEST REACTION?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE WORST?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

 
 
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YOUR PATTER:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL?
_______________________________________________________
DID YOU ENJOY IT?
_______________________________________________________
IS IT A “KEEPER”?
_______________________________________________________

 
 
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Week 2

EFFECT NAME:
______________________________________________
CREATOR:
_______________________________________________________
HOW MUCH DID IT COST?
_______________________________________________________
HOW LONG DID YOU PRACTICE IT?
_______________________________________________________
HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU PERFORM IT ON FRIDAY?
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE BEST REACTION?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE WORST?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

 
 
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YOUR PATTER:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL?
_______________________________________________________
DID YOU ENJOY IT?
_______________________________________________________
IS IT A “KEEPER”?
_______________________________________________________

 
 
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Week 3

EFFECT NAME:
______________________________________________
CREATOR:
_______________________________________________________
HOW MUCH DID IT COST?
_______________________________________________________
HOW LONG DID YOU PRACTICE IT?
_______________________________________________________
HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU PERFORM IT ON FRIDAY?
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE BEST REACTION?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE WORST?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

 
 
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YOUR PATTER:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL?
_______________________________________________________
DID YOU ENJOY IT?
_______________________________________________________
IS IT A “KEEPER”?
_______________________________________________________

 
 
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Week 4

EFFECT NAME:
______________________________________________
CREATOR:
_______________________________________________________
HOW MUCH DID IT COST?
_______________________________________________________
HOW LONG DID YOU PRACTICE IT?
_______________________________________________________
HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU PERFORM IT ON FRIDAY?
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE BEST REACTION?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE WORST?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

 
 
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YOUR PATTER:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL?
_______________________________________________________
DID YOU ENJOY IT?
_______________________________________________________
IS IT A “KEEPER”?
_______________________________________________________

 
 
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The Approach
 
Chapter 6|Advice

Business Cards

Sweet Marie! Why on earth are we talking about business cards

already?! Well, because people are going to start asking you for
them. Here’s the thing that, for the most part, drives the magic
community crazy. A young person learns a trick (that he probably
stole), runs out to a print shop (knocking a little old lady over on the way),
gets business cards with a rabbit and the word MAGICIAN on

them, and then goes and creates a terrible name for all the rest
of us. Well, that may be true, but that’s not you. Why? Let’s
recap…

1) You’ve learned 12 effects that you can do blindfolded.

2) You’ve gone out into the real world and performed for actual
people.
3) People at work are starting to think you’re pretty good.

STOP!!! Read number 3 again. If that isn’t the case, there is no

need to get business cards yet! But, how do we know? How do we
really know if people think we’re any good and not just saying it to
 
 
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our face? Well, one of the ways is that someone will ask you for a
business card! So for those moments, we must prepare.

This isn’t going to be your final branding. Well, it might, but

this is just to assist you in getting work in the beginning. And a lot of
working magicians might want to take note. The single most

important thing that has to be on your business card isn’t a picture,

or a logo, or a trick. It’s how to get a hold of you. Your contact
information. Period.

I’ve seen this mistake time and time again. We get so caught
up in design that we forget that most of the time the person looking
to hire a magician is someone who has just been told to organize the
company holiday party, and she remembers getting a card from this
awesome magician one night, and she just wants to get a hold of
you. The ONLY thing she wants is your phone number or e-mail.
That’s it. She couldn’t care less if the card has stripes.

JAMIE D. GRANT
MAGICIAN
604-555-1234
SendWonder@gmail.com

 
 
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The Approach
 
That’s it. Flashy? Nope. Easy to read? Yep. You’ll have to trust
me when I tell you what’s more important. And, make no mistake, if
someone can’t easily find your contact info, they’ll move on to one

that’s easier. Guaranteed. Does this mean that we can’t design

super hip, ultra-cool business cards that do effects and levitate on

demand? No. But, be warned: What impresses you and your pals isn’t
necessarily what will get you gigs. Take a look at every business card
you see and ask yourself: if I wanted to get a hold of this person in
the next 3 seconds, could I do it? Always apply that to yourself.

I know what you’re thinking: “But if it doesn’t have a trick, they

won’t keep it!” No, if they don’t want to remember you, they
won’t keep it. Focus less on design and more on making
yourself memorable.

 
 
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The Approach
 
 
Chapter 7|Tip

Websites

Ah, websites. Nothing has caused magicians to lose as much work as

websites. Read that again. LOSE as much work. Websites are
almost exactly the same as business cards. However, instead of
looking for your contact info, they want to see what you look like.

I remember one time I was doing Magic Friday at work, back when I was
a bike messenger and I would perform for the people I delivered to, many of
whom I had never met before. This particular delivery was to the office of
Canada’s wealthiest businessman. I gave my usual pitch to the receptionist
of, “Sign here, please. And Happy Magic Friday!
What’s Magic Friday? Well, I’m a magician and I do a
super quick magic trick for people for free today if
they’d like to see something.” Well, the receptionist called out
the entire office! Luckily it was a great trick and had everyone screaming.
They were so loud that the Head Office Manager came running out and,
after some explanation, she mentioned that they were having a holiday
party next week and was wondered if I was available to work it. Before I
said yes, however, she had one question. What do I WEAR when I
perform...
 
 
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She had decided that I was a good magician based on the
reactions of her staff, but she still had to decide if I was a good
fit for their event. She obviously couldn’t have someone working the
party who wore a helmet and a messenger bag. So when I replied,
“Suit and tie.” she looked at my website to double-check and said,
“See you Tuesday.”

So that is exactly what your website is for. It should start as a

vehicle to get across the best possible image of yourself to the public.
Of course it’ll also be a way for people to find you; but that shouldn’t
be the focus in the beginning. Becoming easily searchable will come
later.

Image. Think about that word. It’s everything. As soon as

people click on your site, they’ll have a first impression that will
probably stay with them. So what is that image? Clean, cool, and
professional? Or busy, confusing, and garish? Because what they see
will be attributed to you, as well. So, how do we get our
best look onto the screen? Well, you’ll be light years ahead of the
competition if you have professional headshots taken. Just like your
phone number and e-mail are the most important things
on your business card, when it comes to websites, the headshot
reigns supreme. I know that will go against what a lot of people

 
 
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think, that surely it’s flashing lights and things to click that get people
to like your site, but after networking with receptionists and event
planners for years, I can tell you what they say behind the scenes. And
for the most part it’s not pretty. People will talk about your polka-dot
suit (in a bad way) far more than how much they liked the spades

floating down the screen of your homepage. So, before

headshots (which comes before website) we must answer something

else.

Take a deep breath, and get ready for some honesty…

 
 
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The Approach
 
Chapter 8|Study

How Do You Look?

Put this book down and go look at yourself in a mirror. Go

on! I’ll be here when you get back.

Okay, describe the person you just saw. Tall, dark, and handsome?
Short, scrawny, and in need of a haircut? Describe yourself…

_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Now is time for some brutal honesty. Is there anything you don’t
like?

I’ll go first. I need more hair. I’m not sure how to get it but I’m
working on it.

 
 
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Your turn.

I don’t like:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Here’s the question of the day: “Can you fix what you just
wrote?” Did you write, “Poor posture” “Overweight” or
“Missing teeth”? If so, fix it. Make yourself better. Get it done.
Being a professional entertainer is about bringing the best of you to
every gig. If you’re not offering them the best you’ve got, you’re not
committing to your art. It’s not all about tricks, it’s about making
people feel amazing. And the first person you need to make feel
that way is yourself.

Okay, now time for something you do like about yourself!

My teeth, for example, are super white.

Your turn.

I like:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

 
 
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Okay, so now the question is, how do we accentuate the

positive and eliminate the negative? Are you overweight and not
happy about it? Are you missing a tooth and it’s been driving you
crazy? Whatever the case may be, if it can be fixed, now is the time
to do it. A good headshot photo might last for a few years, so we’re
going to make ourselves the best we can be before we capture it on
paper. But we need to be specific. Making plans about the future
isn’t exact enough. So write down the date three months from today:

3 months from now:

_______________________

That is the day you’re going to get your headshots. And it’s plenty of
time to create a whole new you - if that’s what you need. You need

to be honest, if you saw a picture of yourself, would you hire

you?

3 months from now. You’ve written it down. The time to start,

though, is today. Drop and give me twenty!

 
 
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The Approach
 
 
Chapter 9|Advice

What to Wear

What are you wearing? Not right now! For your gigs. Believe
it or not, this will be one of your most important decisions
and will affect not only how you look (obviously), but also how you
feel! Because now we’re starting to talk about character. What is
character? Well, in essence, it means the role you’re going to play. Is
your character an easygoing, funny personality? Or is he or she the
more mysterious James Bond type? That person you described a few
chapters ago, what do they look like? All of this will be reflected in

how you dress.

So go get dressed. Put on the actual outfit you’d wear if you were
going to work a gig today. I’ll wait.

Okay, are you wearing anything with pictures of playing cards on it?
If so, take it off. Why? Because clichés are the bronze standard (if
that). And you are the gold standard. Clients in the
corporate, wedding, and private party world want elegant. Cool. Fun.
Not cheesy, outdated, or dangerous. I know you love your card tie. It

 
 
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The Approach
 
says “magician.” But trust me, we’re going to let them know that in
another way.

So where does that leave us? Surely we don’t all want to look
the same? How can you stand out if everyone’s wearing the same
suit?

The first thing is to start looking at actors’ headshots. Type

“headshots” into Google and see what comes up. See what
doesn’t come up? No one is wearing a tie that says,
“actor” all over it. Nor is anyone holding onto a copy of
“Acting for Dummies.” So put that card fan away. We’re not selling
the fact that you’re a magician. They already know that. That’s why
they’re on your website. What we’re trying to sell them now is you.
So take a look online, find someone you like, and see if it blends with
your character. And it’s not just the clothes they’re wearing that
we’re looking at but also how they stand, their pose, where they
are looking, how they are looking, what angle their head is tilted at,
their hairstyle, etc. Start studying these pictures and emulating
them. Businesses hire models for ads because models sell things
without saying a word. You are the model for your business. So
start selling. And start saving while you’re at it! If your
headshot costs less than $200, you’re probably not using the best
there is. No shots from friends. Hire a professional; after all,
that’s exactly what we want our clients to do.

 
 
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The Approach
 
 
Chapter 10|Anecdote

Funny or Serious

Before we click that camera shutter, we must look a little closer at

what we’re becoming first. Brooding and cool, or smiley and
loveable? Like I mentioned at the very beginning of this book, I’ll
tell you what has worked for me and, believe me when I tell you;
I’ve tried them all!

In the end, that age old adage is 100 percent on point…

Funny is money.

I know what you’re thinking, “What about the guys we see on TV?! The
ones making gazillions of dollars!” Well, I can’t speak for them. All I
can tell you is that if I’m in charge of throwing a party and the

president of my company is telling me it better be good (i.e. fun)

then you can safely assume that I’m going to book someone who I

think is going to make the party fun. You’ll hear what workers

call “the trenches.” Working the trenches is how magicians

describe the work that most of us do and which pays the bills:
 
 
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The Approach
 
weddings, holiday parties, birthday parties, etc. The key to all of

these events is that they’re parties. The event planners are not
(for the most part) looking for serious method acting type evenings of

enchantment.

So what does this mean? Well, it means that for your headshots –
that will go on your website – which will be visited after someone
looks at your business card – which will be handed out when they
ask for it – which will be asked for when you show them how much

fun you are – should be a picture of you smiling. Having

fun. Spreading joy. So when it comes to funny or serious, let me tell
you about the time three guys walked into a bar…

Actually, on that note, what’s the best joke you know?

Write it down here. You’ll be shocked at how often you’ll use it.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

 
 
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The Approach
 
 
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

My very first gig I ever did was for a famous photographer

here in town. She had seen me performing magic in the lobby of an
office tower and asked me if I would do magic at her art opening in

exchange for a headshot. Perfecto! The gig was amazing and

soon afterwards she had me come by her studio. Throughout the
shoot, I had my hand to my head and looked like I was trying to do
some complex math in an attempt to appear “magic-y.” “Jamie,”
she said, “You need to smile. People like you better when
you smile.” After a thousand gigs, I promise you - she was right.

 
 
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The Approach
 
Chapter 11|LESSON

Are You Any Good Yet?

Remember those 12 tricks you wrote down? Let’s go back and revisit
them for a second. How good is your pass? Are you able to double
lift better than anyone? Awesome! Unfortunately, that tells us
almost nothing…

Ask yourself - what does “good” mean? I’m not talking about
method. I’m talking about “hire-ability” (I think I just made
that word up). Are you hirable? And the answer to this question has
(almost) nothing to do with magic tricks. It has more to do with
people. Are you a likeable person? Do people enjoy your

company? Do you have stories, anecdotes, lines, personality?

Make no mistake, this is what will get you hired and invited back.

I still remember meeting Barrie Richardson, who wrote a couple of my favourite

magic books, and he told me his only goal at the end of the event was for the

people who hired him to ask each other, “When can we have him
back?”

 
 
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So let me ask you, when you leave a room, are you missed? If not,
why not? Are people, instead, happy to see you go? Maybe you’re a
mean person? Or perhaps you embarrass people? Do you make
cutting side remarks to try and be funny? Because, if you do, a few
great card tricks aren’t going to help you. People don’t
remember what you did; they remember how you made them feel.
Just like you practice your pass, you need to start practicing,
immediately, making people feel good. And it’s not just about
complimenting them or tossing out flattery, even though that’s a
great place to start. The ability to compliment someone, without it
sounding weird is actually hard to do in a convincing manner. So,
without performing a single magic trick, write down the names of
three people and try to make them feel good about themselves with
a single sentence.

1) _______________________________________________
2) _______________________________________________
3) _______________________________________________

I’ll give you a couple of examples. If it’s a male friend I know, but
whom I haven’t seen in awhile: “Dude, you’re looking sharp!
What gym have you been going to?” Notice the question isn’t
“Have you been going to the gym?” There’s a difference there. If it’s a

 
 
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The Approach
 
woman, I’ll say something like, “Have I ever mentioned that
you have the greatest smile?”

Don’t forget, we need to compliment without…

1) Sounding like we’re kidding.

2) Coming across weird.
3) Having it followed by awkward silence.

The only way to get good is to practice. Practice being

nice. It’ll also help you find the best in people, which is a killer skill
to have. The key is to find something that is potentially believable
that they haven’t realized themselves. I can’t very well ask someone
which gym he’s gone to if he’s totally out of shape. But even saying
something as simple as, “Man, that is a sweet haircut.” can
change someone’s day. For the better. Start doing this.

Make the day of everyone you meet better.

 
 
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The Approach
 
 
Chapter 12|Advice

Starting Conversations

People love to talk about themselves, that’s human nature. So ask

them questions. The key, though, is to ask them questions that they
can answer in a positive way, because for the most part, at gigs,
you’ll be asking them these questions in front of their friends or co-
workers. So asking them how their divorce is going is probably not
the best idea.

And before we go any further, let me tell you right up front that this
chapter is the one that will save you in a future gig. I guarantee it.
Because when you walk into a gig where there are supposed to be
three hundred people and only eight have shown up, it’s the best
conversationalist in the room who is going to be
earning the money.

Here are five of my “go-to” questions to get a conversation going:

1) “The ace of hearts, right?! Amazing!! I know!!! Hey, you look kind
of familiar, where did you go to high school?”

 
 
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2) “The ace of hearts, right?! Amazing!! I know!!! So, does everyone
work here?”

3) “The ace of hearts, right?! Amazing!! I know!!! Hey, who here is

from the groom’s side and who is from the bride’s side?”

4) “The ace of hearts, right?! Amazing!! I know!!! Hey, so what

exactly do you guys do here, anyway? I’ll be honest, I have no
idea what a flux capacitor is.”

5) “The ace of hearts, right?! Amazing!! I know!!! Hey, who’s the

biggest troublemaker here?”

Now, anyone can ask those questions. The first question isn’t
what makes a conversationalist. It’s how you respond to their
response.

So, what would you say if they responded with the following?

1) Quesnel.
2) Yes. Yes. No. We’re married.
3) Groom. Groom. Groom. Groom.
4) It’s a thing for your car.
5) John.

 
 
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The Approach
 
 
Write your follow up question here:

1)_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2)_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3)_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
4)_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
5)_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

And I’ll give you my responses:

1) What the heck is a “Quesnel? Spell it for me! Is

everyone okay if I curse? Really? Okay, where the
f^$^ is that?!”
2) “Lucky guy! How did you two meet? Has everyone
heard this story?”

 
 
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The Approach
 
3) “Who’s known him the longest?”
4) “C’mon, specifics man! But explain it in twenty words
or less. We’ll count.”
5) “Which one’s John? And, why? What does he do?”

They key is to not let them off the hook. People often
only hate talking at first and feel socially awkward when they feel
like they’re in the presence of a stranger. And the only way to not
be a stranger is to spend time with them. So buy time. The longer
you spend, the better they’ll feel about talking and chatting.
This is what will separate you from everyone else. Because if you can
do this and show them amazing magic at the same time, you’ll be
golden. Don’t forget, your goal isn’t reactions. Your goal is
connections.

Ask questions.

 
 
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I hope you've enjoyed these first free dozen chapters.
As with everything I do, I don't want there to be any
"surprises"- I want you to know exactly what you're
getting. And these first 12 are just the beginning. As
we go along further into the book, I'll tell you
everything I know about my work as a professional
Walkaround magician, from what my contract looks
like to how I approach groups. Not only that, but I''ll
also be telling you a couple of my secrets that I've
never shared with ANYONE.

I'm super excited! I hope you decide to continue our

journey together.

Your pal,

jamie
SendWonder@gmail.com
www.SendWonder.com