Anyone who wants to make a living from performing has, at some point, to make a transition in the way they view the work they do.

Magicians start with tricks.  These are simply the units of our trade.  The thing we do that is different from everybody else.  Accountants do the books, brick-layers lay bricks and magicians do tricks.  The professional performer however has to stop seeing what they do as a series of tricks and has to start thinking of them as effects.  Why?  Because the moment he does he has acknowledged the audience.

I can do a trick to my self and because I know the workings,  (okay “the magic”), it can never be an effect for me,  it will always be a trick.  I must know what the effect is, and I have to consider what reaction it will evoke, but it is always from the moment I know the secret, a trick.  An effect needs an audience and an audience needs effects.

So what is the difference?  How do you make a trick an effect? The answer, or one of them, is to consider the “white space” that every trick provides.  This is the same white space that experiential marketers consider when plotting the sequence of events that create a customer experience.  They are the bits that don’t directly influence the trick but are fundamental to the effect.  If the trick is simply demonstrated and the white space left white the magician has failed to maximise the effect, in fact they may have failed to consider the effect at all.  An example may clear up what I’m talking about.

[WS]=White space.

[WS] A spectator selects a card.  [WS]   The card is returned to the pack.  [WS] The cards are shuffled.  [WS] The chosen card is found.  [WS]

There are 4 phases in this trick but 9 opportunities to create an effect. A common approach is to crash through the white space opportunities and focus on the trick.  The reason being that tricks are what magicians know best and many believe that this is the service they are being paid to provide.  They eliminate over half of the effect  in order to demonstrate a trick!  Many people struggle to understand how they should fill the white space and unfortunately I can’t answer that for you because it is as individual as the performer.  The thing to do is recognise the fact that there is white space there in the first place and then consider what the effect is that you wish to share.  Great magicians may do the same trick but very often the overall effect is different.  The trick is the trick, you are the effect.

So what do you do?  I know you’re probably not a magician but if you’re in business then you are a performer. You know tricks that your clients don’t know and that’s why you’re in business. So ask yourself the question “what’s the effect I want to share?”  then set about looking for the white space and making that the canvas for creating a great experience.

Having been a professional conjuror for over 20 years now I have become familiar with the objections some people in the business world have to hiring a magician for anything other than pure entertainment.  The truth is I can’t blame them for missing the link between the magic world and theirs.

The magician on the other hand is desperate to cross the line that divides entertainment and business.

Corporate magicians worldwide claim to teach the “powers of persuasion” or the secrets of reading a person’s inner most thoughts so that you can implement these skills in your business, and it’s all wrapped up in the “infotainment” framework. Now I don’t want to rain on anybody’s parade but the bulk of this information is reverse engineered, coming from psychology and then adapted to the magic or the magic adapted to it.  In truth any demonstration of reading a persons body language or predicting their actions is more than likely assisted by a few magical secrets that won’t be in the handout or in the book that’s sold at the back of the room.

That is not to say there is no value in these types of presentation, any information delivered with passion, integrity and the goal of actually improving the lives of an audience is worthwhile. If the magician and the magic serves to make it more memorable then it’s a job well done.

Which brings me to the crux of the matter:

What does magic mean to your business and what does it offer in terms of serving you outside of the realms of entertainment?

Magic is a platform, a blank page on which you can write any story you like. The right effect, (magic trick to non-magicians), provides the bare bones of a story, a beginning a middle and an end. There is an introduction, a climax and a resolution to even the simplest piece of magic and the role of the magician is to act as the story teller out in the open and the puppeteer behind the curtain.
If you watch much magic you will notice that the majority of presentations, even from the best and most famous magicians are descriptions of the plot, just the bare bones. They very rarely have a sense of theatre or story and the reason is that as the magician we put the effect at the centre of what we do because that IS what we do.

For you my corporate booking friend, there may be a different purpose. You may want to motivate your staff, plant an idea in the minds of possible clients or just tell the world how great your service is, this is your story and now you need the story teller.  If you story is clear, if there is a problem solved or a conflict for which you have the resolution, in fact as long as you do have a story then there is, I promise you, a piece of magic that will slide into it like a hand into a glove. If the hand and the glove are not a perfect match then you will need an experienced story teller, (read amazing magician), who can weave any loose ends together until the fit is right.

Magic is about people and people are what make business possible.

Magic is about stories and stories change features into benefits, information into emotion.

Magic is about exceeding expectations.  Isn’t that what your business is all about as well?

Let me know what you think, or if you would like to learn more about telling your company story in a compelling way then please get in touch – if not that’s fine too.

Image courtesy of Angelo González - Flickr

When I started out as a street performer there was just me.  I had no kids, no partner and no other dependants which meant that there was little to loose by striking out on such a diverse lifestyle choice.  The lifestyle however became ingrained in me, it got under my fingernails,  I began to be defined by the choice I had made and I started to see the world from that perspective alone.

Now my life is very different.  I have two children, I am in a long term relationship and I have a lot of financial responsibilities thrown in for good measure.  For the longest time my ability to busk, to fly by the seat of my pants and to always have something “turn-up” was good enough, it seems however that isn’t true anymore.  I have become a victim of my own skewed perspective, the belief that I was successful has resulted in me failing to achieve success.  I acted “as if” only to realise that everyone around me had started to believe the hype as well.  I was walking along a narrow ledge, now it seems to be getting narrower and the wind is picking up.

I know that some people will frown on my openness with regards the difficulties that I face as a professional performer, they will see it as “bad for business.” But you see that’s who I am and I can’t, or more probably won’t, change that for anyone.  We all have our individual battles to fight, it’s these turbulent moments that shake you from your slumber and remind you that you’re alive.

I have been given the advice that I must do what it takes to ensure my survival but there is something fused into my spirit that allows me to walk along the ledge for slightly longer than most, longer than is comfortable or indeed sensible.  That doesn’t mean that I’m not scared, truth be told I’m terrified.  I don’t want to fall because I know the damage that would do to lives of everyone I care about, but I have walked this way before and I’m still here.  Nor am I blasé about it – I appreciate fully the implications of treading such a dangerous path, however I have walked this way before and I am still here.

Fear is a powerful motivator but only if you can control it.  If you let it win then you will loose all focus and almost certainly fall.  It can also paralyse you, rooting you to the spot and rendering you useless.  I’m not brave by any stretch of the imagination but I understand fear.  Maybe not the fear of the adrenaline junkie or others who find themselves in harms way through no choice of their own, but I understand fear.  Nor do I believe in a God who I can turn to, no greater power that will offer me comfort.  I am and always will be one man and as such I have learnt to rely on myself, which by my own admission is sometimes not enough.

The hardest part convincing my family that it will be okay without having a shread of evidence to base that on.

So what is there for me to do as I balance so precariously on the edge of the unthinkable?  Should I run away into the safety of the masses, to the comfort and apparent security that mediocrity has to offer?  Do I settle for less than I had dreamed of, less than I believe I am really worth?  Or do I turn and face the fears, look into the abyss and see it as another extraordinary opportunity?

Just a few more steps and I’ll be careful, I promise.

For the last 12 months I’ve been working hard, really hard. I was blogging regularly over on 52IDEAs and posting interviews on Magic State of Mind whenever I could.  I also put together a new website for my service as a Tradeshow Magician and began promoting myself as a speaker.  Phew!

The problem is that I’m now a little bit confused as to what it is I actually do.  Now if you know about running your own small business you will realise that not knowing what you actually do is as close to fatal as it gets.  All I have really achieved with this hard work is more hard work.  I have to an extent neglected the core of my business and busied myself with the glossy side of it all.  A new website is great but if you don’t do anything with it then it might as well not exist. Promoting yourself as a speaker is wonderful but if that “promotion” is irregular and inconsistent then it simply confuses people, especially those who thought you were something else.

The blogs and the interviews have been great.  I have managed to attract a healthy number of subscribers with very little promotion and that’s good in one way but suggests I haven’t really focused on the important stuff.  I could have built a really strong list of subscribers and created something far more worthwhile if my focus had been in the right place.

I have tried to be all things to all men and that is a mistake, a big mistake.

I was reminded recently of a conversation I had with a friend who is one of the UK’s most successful and profitable magicians in which I was discussing my various projects.  His response was simple and to the point, “I’m just a magician” he said and that I believe is the mindset that helped him build the astonishing career that he has now.

I can’t be “just a magician” I’m afraid.  It isn’t in my DNA, I’m wired differently to my friend although I admire his single mindedness and can’t argue with the results he has had.  That doesn’t mean however that I can’t have a clear path, it just has to be one with multiple lanes. (The irony is that my friend is really much more than just a magician, he is Tradeshow presenter and is booked as a speaker).

My first move towards working smarter is to bring everything together in one place.  I intend to combine my current email lists, (4 is way too many), and use this site as a central hub of all my activities.  The Magic State of Mind site will be the only other site that I regularly update which should hopefully mean that I can maintain a good quality of content.

In terms of work that pays the bills I can spend more time letting people know that I am a magician and a speaker and making sure my existing clients are happy. What  I have learnt from my friend and from all my hard work is that to succeed at many different things you first have to succeed at something.

Funny really as this is the main reason I haven’t managed to finish a post for a while – lack of clarity.

I’m still working to clear my workspace of all the books, props and other crap that I don’t need to achieve my end goals. I want to create a clear space between me and my desired results so:

1. I’m not distracted and

2. I can filter through the white noise that can cause me a mental blockage.

It’s an ongoing project and one that has taken me far longer than I ever anticipated. My aim is to strip back to the essentials and rely on the knowledge and understanding that I already have as opposed to seeking comfort in other peoples thoughts and ideas. It’s a leap of faith, I know I don’t know everything but I have to be confident that I know enough. Of course I am still influenced by others but I want to obtain some kind of ownership of my own perspective which in the past has been prone to be ever changing. So how am I going about this? Well primarily I am following a method of restriction. I’m restricting the number of “live” projects that I’m working on. This by default limits the number of reference/magic books and props that I need and everything else is being boxed and stored. Hopefully this will mean I can lift some of the fog that has been clouding my thinking of late. I’m also setting an arbitrary 40 books rule that states I can only ever have 40 books in my office at any one time, if I get a new book I have to eliminate one of the old ones. Let’s face it 40 is probably too many, you can only read 2-3 books simultaneously in my opinion. I know that we all love to have those materials ‘to hand” and that the more books on display the smarter we look and feel, but they are contributing to a lack of progress, they are the visible equivalent of white noise. Eugene Burger writes about the Tyranny of the New in his “Experience of Magic”, it’s also referred to by some as “Shiney Object Syndrome”, if you have young children you see it every day. The thing is that kids have a sponge like capacity for taking in the new where as the majority of adults are a little like blocked toilets in the knowledge department. (Not pretty I know).

In “Making Ideas Happen” Scott Belskey talks about the Project Plateau, the stage in a project when enthusiasm has faded and hard work is required. This is the point says Belskey when we look around for a new distraction to revive our flagging levels of productivity. The result is a series of unfinished projects or half baked ideas. Seh Godin has written a book on that phase, it’s called “The Dip” and it’s well worth your attention.

So what am I working on? Well some of you may know that I have started a new site, The Magic State of Mind, which is aimed at helping magicians be more creative and productive. (Don’t worry the irony isn’t lost on me). In order to help me however I have involved others. I have asked a number of working professionals for interviews and by them making the commitment I am forced to deliver, I have a responsibility to them. I also enjoy the process of talking to other performers and everyone I’ve spoken to so far has taught me something. I enjoy the editing process as well, I’m not particularly good at it but again I’m learning. The project has a bigger meaning for me than just being a website. It’s building towards something that I want to achieve as an individual so there are a number of intrinsic motivators as well.

I ‘m working on 2 routines for events that are already confirmed, again a built in commitment.

I’m revising and preparing a keynote speech that I have to deliver in October to 500 people – a real deadline.

So here’s a challenge for you:

• Pick 2 or 3 effects / projects that you have been thinking of working on or are already involved with and make them your focus.
• Source the reference material you need and eliminate or store the unnecessary books, dvd’s etc.
• If you can scan or copy the stuff you do need then do that, get rid of the surplus, keep everything to a minimum.
• Set real deadlines. A specific event, or make a commitment to someone else. Give yourself a reason.

Now you’re clear to concentrate on the project and the actions that are needed to move you from where you are to where you want to be.

The Magic State of Mind

I have asked a number of successful magicians if I can interview them.  Most of them said “Yes”. The plan is to either accompany each of these interviews with “take-aways”, a summary of the key points and advice,  how it applies to the rest of us and how it can help us develop as magicians & performers.   I will post these, along with the videos on a new site soon, with the intention of getting one or even two videos up each month. Hopefully you’ll subscribe because if there is enough interest then people will be more inclined to say yes to being interviewed.  It’s a virtuous circle!

The new site is The Magic State of Mind, and will be live by the end of the week, (in one form or another).  It’s aimed at helping magicians with their creative projects and their productivity.  I have a number of great people lined up for interview with the focus being on their success and how they achieved it. All of the people I interview will have another angle on magic that isn’t just entertainment, let’s call it “Applied Magic”. Motivational Speaking, Trade Shows, Writing, Inventing, Publishing etc.  I don’t want to talk about tricks as there are enough sites already doing this.

You can subscribe on the site itself, or by clicking HERE.  If you are already subscribed to this blog then you will get updated automatically as I will post links to the videos here as well.  If you’re not subscribed to this blog then just fill in your email address in the box on the left and you will get updates about both this blog and The Magic State of Mind.

The Andy Nyman Interview

Andy’s interview was the first interview I did so please forgive any technical or artistic cock-ups.  Andy was great but my delivery of these can only get better.  The interviews are recorded from Skype calls so the quality of the picture and the framing isn’t perfect but I believe the content makes up for it.

I have to say a huge thank you to Andy for being my test pilot, he is an incredibly busy guy so I owe him big time.  As I said there were some technical hitches, not least the fact that we were cut off abruptly, mid sentence at the end which only adds to the mystery in my opinion.  Maybe in true horror genre style I can persuade Andy to make a sequel?

To see the video on the Magic State of Mind site and read my take on what Andy said click HERE

Please leave comments and join in the conversation.  Post on Twitter, Facebook etc.  I’ll be extremely grateful.

]]> http://peterwardell.com/the-magic-state-of-mind-the-andy-nyman-interview/feed/ 0 http://peterwardell.com/the-magic-state-of-mind-the-andy-nyman-interview/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Peterwardellcom/~3/dP17abSk6C4/ http://peterwardell.com/10-pre-show-tips-for-trade-show-magicians/#comments Sun, 18 Jul 2010 06:16:05 +0000 Peter Wardell http://peterwardell.com/?p=1010

So now you’ve got the gig what’s next? Well here are a few points that might help:

1. Meet with the client at least once before the show if there’s time. Make sure you know exactly what they want and talk through script ideas if you have them in place. I would always try to avoid “walking through” a half prepared idea as it may not come across in the office environment. Some people feel that charging for these meetings is worthwhile, personally I see it as part of the service and if you charge a good daily rate for the show then you can afford to be “all inclusive.”

2. Do your homework.  Ask for and read everything that the client will have on the stand during the show, (or at least look at it). Even if you don’t remember most of it it will help you understand the current approach your client is taking and which particular products they’re focusing on at the show other than the one (s) your pitching. One of the things that I love about trade show magic is learning about other businesses and how they operate.

3. Pick you position. If you get the opportunity have a look at the stand deign and offer advice as to where you will be best situated. If you can be “built into” the stand that’s even better as it gives you instant kudos and makes attracting people a lot easier.

4. Be heard. Try to get a sound system if you can or “hire” them your own for a small additional fee. Amplification not only saves your voice but it means you can relax the tone of your voice and bottom line it will help you attract a bigger audience.

5. Make it official. Send a contract to the client outlining what style of show you will do and your fee structure.. Are you working continuously or just on the hour? You need to have it signed and sealed so nobody has an unpleasant surprise. It’s important to have a set of terms & conditions that outline what happens if the show is canceled etc. that the client will read before they send a signed copy back to you. Also you it’s a good idea to have the client look over your finished scripts for the show so they know what you’re going to be doing. Obviously only do this if you’re SURE that you will present the routine you’re showing them. If it’s just an idea then don’t sell it a s a certainty.

6. Lead times. If you’re providing “magic gifts” for the client to give away make sure you have enough time to get them produced and delivered. Get them delivered to your own address whenever possible as then you can have a look at the quality for yourself and deal with any problems. Also if you had to over order then you can keep hold of the surplus as examples to show future clients. Send the client some samples but take them to the show yourself – it’s the only way you can be sure they’ll get there.

7. Rehearse your branded pitch! Okay I know it sounds like a no brainer but if you’re unsure about the pitch then I guarantee that by the afternoon of the first day you’ll be doing ambitious card and the branded trick will be consigned to the close-up case. It’s happened to me many times and it will leave you feeling unsatisfied about the show even if the client is happy. Even if you know the trick well you still need to rehearse it with the new, branded script or you could find yourself slipping into your normal routines. You should also rehearse your “build” routines and lines, which will help you attract a crowd. “What brings you to the show today?” is a standard “open” trade show question – surely we can be a bit more creative.

8. Book you car parking in advance! Boring I know, but it will save you quite a bit of money, (especially at shows at ECO in London). If you can get a extra bit of cash for accommodation instead letting the client sort it out, then do. Firstly you will normally be able to book cheaper and closer than the hotel the client is using and secondly the client will probably want a few drinks in the evening which isn’t always the best idea. If you’re in a different hotel you can make your excuses and leave at a reasonable time.

9. An old favorite. If you have new shoes wear them in before the show. The same goes for new shirts – wash them before the show. Trust me 3 days on your feet is tough in the best conditions why make it tougher.

10. Arrive safely and on time. If you can travel to your hotel the day before the event even if it’s only a couple of hours from where you live. Getting up at 5 is not impossible but a long day just got a hell of a lot longer.

So there you go, not exactly rocket science but hopefully useful.  If you have any tips of your own or any comments I’d love to hear them.

Remember you can subscribe to this blog either via RSS or Email – see the form up on the left.

The Foundations:

Personal Approach:

Business Approach:

So why is it so important?

But first thank you to everyone who took the time to get involved. Also thank you to the people who left so much positive feedback about the blog. So here are the results:

Performance Interest

Performance Skills – 70%
Act development – 85%
Technique – 37%
Effects & Routines – 65%

Non Performance Interest

Sales & Marketing – 57%
Web & Print Design – 30%
Business Development – 57%
Personal Development – 57%

Preferred Format

PDF – 12%
Video – 43%
Blog – 50%
Live Presentation – 65%

Now to be fair it wasn’t a great survey on my part and I probably didn’t think it through as well as I should have but the results were interesting. So here is my take on it:

It was good to see that many of you are intent on improving as performers which is something I want to blog more about. I will also be releasing a few effects and routines over the next few months when I get round to it. The biggest concern you all had was act development and so I will try to give as much valuable input as I can and will use my own progress as an example. It’s easy to build an act but very difficult to build a good one that people will pay to see.

Business and personal development didn’t rate as highly as I wanted but then this is a blog for magicians! I will keep writing about these however as it is important and there was enough interest to justify it. I promise not to give any design advice – probably best.

The last bit is a little confusing as you want live presentations but no video – difficult on-line but all I can assume is that you meant you preferred Live generally for information and not just from me. Like I said bad questionnaire. I am planning a number of online video presentations and will hopefully have some of those out before the autumn.

So I will finish with one last question:  What do you want – If you could have me build the ideal “product” for you, related to magic and the business of magic, what would it be?  Answers in the comments box please.