Michael Kras
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Am I Being Flippin' Unreasonable?Ok, recently I've been losing a few gigs here and there with complaints on my price. Many are fine with it, it is very fair considering my show (I charge $100 for a 45 minute kids show), however I keep losing gigs as soon as I say my price!!! Like a few weeks ago, I got a call for a gig at yet another library, for my 45 minute kids show, everything was going swimmingly until they popped the question: "How much moola are we talkin' here?"
I said "For 45 minutes of magic, some segments featuring music (for which I will provide my own sound equipment), the show is $100".
After that, the email tagging suddenly ended and I have not received an email since. Is there something wrong with my price? Am I being unreasonable here? Yes, it's a library, but I did another library show only weeks ago for $100! I have a more-than-competent kids show, what could be the problem? This is getting frustrating.
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Ben Train
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Let's use a simple formula to determine if there's something wrong with your price:
They want you to do magic
+
you tell them your price
________________________________
they no longer want you to do magic
What was the factor, in the above formula, that changed "Want you" to "not want you"?
Clearly the price. So, yes, something seems to be wrong.
WHAT'S wrong is a different story, and something I can't answer. But, ask on Sunday and we'll see if we can figure it out (I imagine it's one of three things).
Ben
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Reuben The Great
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Jeff, (Mike knows him), my "mentor" like person for stage and shows and such, told me to always speak on the phone to the person, they can more easily just not respond in email than say no on the phone. You ask them a few questions such as other performers, place, how many people, how long etc. and then decide on your price (if it's RBC Bank would you charge 100$? they'd laugh in your face, anything under 1000$ is peanuts to a large company).
Then, you state your price. If they say "uhh I don't know" or you don't immediately get the "ok" vibe, you then say "but that includes my sound system and extended show" or soemthing along the lines of that.
Not trying to be a know-it-all, sorry if you get that impression, just saying what Jeff said!
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BrianMillerMagic
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| ReubenGazer wrote: | | You ask them a few questions such as other performers, place, how many people, how long etc. and then decide on your price (if it's RBC Bank would you charge 100$? they'd laugh in your face, anything under 1000$ is peanuts to a large company). |
I seriously don't recommend deciding your price on the spot with a prospective client, at least not to the degree that you're suggesting. The reason you would charge $1000 to a bank and $100 to a birthday party is because they are two completely different venues and types of show, not because of the details you work out with them on the phone.
You should have your price set for different types of venues. If Mike gets 10 calls about birthday parties, I would expect him to give the same $100 quote to each prospective client. Sure you can bend a little after the fact in some cases, but I wouldn't bend much and definitely not often. If you find yourself having to adjust your price almost every single time, then that's an indication that you're pricing yourself incorrectly in your area for that type of venue/show.
What would happen if you charge a company $1000 and from that gig you get a booking with another company, who you decide on the spot to charge $500. Then the two people who booked you respectively end up talking some time and the price comes up - how do you think that is going to reflect on you as a business man? It's not going to look good and the one who paid twice the price for the same show is going to be pissed.
Just something to think about.
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Reuben The Great
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Yes, a median would already be established such as 100$, which is the "regular" in this case. You would only say what I said about sound system and such if they were skeptical.
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Michael Kras
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Brian is very right. My set rate is always $100 for children's parties or similar venues. It's much lower than virtually any other working magician in the area, so it frustrates me when potential clients just vanish.
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Ben Train
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Mike,
On sunday, after we're all done, I'm taking you ALL to a book store. It's a non-magic store that has a fantastic selection of books of all kinds. In the store there is a section for business and sales. You are going to head there first.
There are a TON of reasons you aren't getting booked (I say that because you AREN'T getting booked, so something must be wrong).
One thing that MAY be an issue is the price- because it's too LOW! If you're cheaper then everyone else in the area, guess what: you're the budget show. It's not unreasonable to assume that, in today's economy, that the cheapest thing is often the lowest quality.
On the other hand, your price may be too HIGH! You're 15, and I cannot imagine you're charging much less then other guys (most of the kid show workers I know charge beween $100-$125...). If you're all the same price who am I going to hire?- someone with 30 years of experiance, a slick promo package, and great testemonials, or you? No one expects someone as young as you (or really even Brian and me) to be as good as a thirty-year old. The truth though is sometimes we are... and sometimes we're even better. But ask yourself this: when going to see professional in any other field, who do you want?- a 15 year old or a 40 year old with 20 years experiance...
What's clearly the case is you aren't doing a good job selling yourself (or you would have the gigs). So, find out why and fix it. (then help me!).
Ben
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Michael Kras
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Is this the store that should have that book you and I were discussing over the phone? I have a lot of interest in picking that up.
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Ben Train
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it's a fantastic used bookstore, and yes, it should have the book (if not, you can get a copy new across the street for a few more bucks).
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Michael Kras
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Brilliant. See you sunday! Can't WAIT!
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Spellbinder
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Foot in the Door Techniques:
"I charge $100 for my 45 minute full show, complete with music segments for which I bring my own sound system."
Silence.
"I sense you are hesitating. You are probably wondering if my show is worth that much. That's because you've probably never seen me perform in front of kids before. Here's what I suggest. I have a smaller 30 minute show for $75. I don't have to carry the sound system and the larger props for my big show, so you can save some money and still have an entertaining half-hour of magic that the kids will enjoy."
You can, if you are willing and able, also have a 15 minute "Pre-view" show for $50. The library can "insert you" as a "guest" on one of their story hours and see how much excitement and enthusiasm you generate in their standard audience. Sometimes, doing shorter segments convinces the library to hire you again for your longer shows (assuming you knock their socks off the first time they see you perform).
The other thing you can begin doing right now is photographing and videotaping your shows NOT to plaster on your Web site in public, but to privately share with hesitant librarians... look how much fun we had at XYZ Library last month! See how excited the kids are! Here are some of the letters kids wrote to me after the show!
Keep in mind that librarians have small budgets to begin with. Hiring you might mean not buying a certain number of new books they were hoping to get. They might also have to consult with a group of other librarians or library trustees before getting authorization to spend that money. Can you come up with ways they can use your show to raise funds with which they can buy books? If so, they will see hiring you as an investment, not as just another expense.
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Michael Kras
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Thank you for the wonderful suggestions! As it turns out, there was slight miscommunication about the gig in question (the reason this thread was started) and I actually did end up doing it.
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