Friday, September 13, 2013

One Thing Leads to Another

You've heard the saying "well one thing lead to another . . ." Its usually used to explain why someone got into a particular situation. Most times, this is reference to a sort of flow of circumstances that weren't planned and just moved a person along a certain path. And that may be true.

In  my world of doing magic shows, I change the saying to "one show leads to another". Why? Because that's how my business grows. Only I'm not leaving it entirely to chance. I aim to create a great show and present a fantastic performance which leaves people wanting that experience for themselves, for their group or their party. Case in point. I spent months designing, creating and preparing for the program which I offered to libraries this past summer. I asked myself, 'what are my goals with the program?'; 'what tricks back up those goals in the best way?'; 'how can I inject a healthy dose of humor into the show?'. That takes a long time to flesh out. But that's the best way to get the results that customers want.

The proof for me that I succeeded, comes after the show. Oh I monitor the response during a performance, but for me the real proof comes when people come up after the show, compliment the performance and then ask me "Do you do _________?"  That blank might be 'school shows', 'birthdays', 'company events' or in one case 'scout shows'? My answer has always been a hearty "yes!".

That's what brought me back to the middle of Wisconsin this past weekend. Back in July, the local scout leader saw my show at his library and asked me if I could perform for his Cub Scout kickoff this year. I explained to him that I have a different show designed especially for the scouts and that I would be happy to present that. So on Saturday following a show in Illinois, I packed my car and headed 3 hours north back into Wisconsin to present my a program for the scouts. It has taken a long time to come up with and perfect that show of course. While I performed, I watched for the reactions of the audience -- pacing my routines to bring maximum impact, enjoyment and laughter.  And after the show, this one woman came up to me and after complimenting me on the show asked "Do you do ...?" -- Why, yes. Yes I do!