If you are meeting a client who is interested in booking you, and when they ask you to show them some tricks, is it wise to do your best stuff right there and then to secure the booking?

Do you go for:

a) show them a sample, hoping that they will want more?

or

b) go all out and do all your showstoppers? I'm sometimes afraid to do this, because at the actual gig, the people think "hmm...thats all he does? He can't have much of a repertoire."

This came into my head because I am doing a wedding fair next week. I am so tempted to do anniversary waltz at the wedding fair....but then on the wedding day, I can't exactly do it again can I?

I would have to go with option a. You could do it again but then people know the outcome of the trick..

Showstoppers don't normally pack small, despite the advertising on some packages. The best thing to do is give one or two free samples--things that are quick, visual, and show off your personality. They are booking you, not your magic tricks.

Houdini would gather a crowd hanging upside down in a straight jacket and escape.
He used this to publicize his show.
So using that train of thought, show them some wow tricks, but not the show stoppers. You have to tease and leave the people wanting more.

Got to get the job now don't you?