For 20 years I've been doing kid's shows off and on, along with family reunions, school workshops, etc. During the past two years I've been working on a new show for the daycare market. Because of my *real* job, it's taken me this long to actually get the time to learn the script, work on the various routines, etc. I've finally done it.

I did a show last week at a daycare for free. It went well, and the director even gave me $40 as a token of her appreciation. They also videotaped it for me, and will get me a copy in a couple of days.

This week I've decided to start calling a few daycares to book a few free shows, in order to work out the bugs of the new show. I got out the yellow pages a few minutes ago, and made my first call to offer a free show. It went something like this:

Me: "Hello, may I speak to the director please?"

Director: "This is she."

Me: "Hi, my name is Brian Lehr, and I'm a local magician here in Edmonton. I'm in the process of calling daycares throughout the city, to see if they would be interested in having a magic show for the kids..."

Director: "When can you come?"

Me (caught by surprise): "Oh, well I'm available for Tuesday, March 15."

Before I could explain that I'm willing to do a free show for her, she asks ...

Director: "How much is the show?"

Being in marketing and sales for my *real* job, I recognize a "buying signal" when I hear one!

Me (caught by surprise again): Um, well, the cost of the 45 minute show is $100. The show is filled with magic and comedy, and the kids will have an wonderful time. What's the best time of the day for you?"

Director: "3:00". (In other words, show booked -- that easy!)

I got the details, gave her some info, and before I got off the phone I asked her if she had any questions. She said, "No, as long as the kids have a fun time, I'm happy."

For my first cold call to a daycare, that went much better than expected, and it even worked out to be a paying job (bonus!). Now I've only got 297 daycares to call.

Brian

PS. I hope my new rubber chicken shows up before Tuesday.

Congrats Brian,
Kyle

Brian,
Sounds like a great deal. Have fun with it. What is the age group you are targeting?

Enjoy,
- Brian Nadworny

Brian,

Just make sure you feel 100% comfortable with the new show before you start charging for it. You do not want to get yourself into a false sense of security and realize the show is not where it needs to be yet.

I am sure it is probably fine as you have performed amny times before. I just thought I would bring it up though.

You will find that many daycares and other suspects may act the same way. Use it to your advantage and make sure to mention your features but also the BENEFITS your show has to them. How can your show make their jib easier?

Kyle

Good advice, Kyle. Thanks.

The age market that I'm targeting is 4-6 years old, with material that can be easily adapted to, and enjoyed by, the 7-9 year old group. In this way, the show can, with a few changes, be adapted to birthday parties as well.

The problem with the daycare market is that it is quite difficult to do these shows while still working a 9-5 job. It's during those hours when the shows take place. Now I've got to figure out how to convince my CEO that I need to take off a few hours each week for these shows, and make up the time either earlier in the morning or later in the evening.

Brian

Brian, you are right aboiut trying to do daycares and work 9-5. I often have the same problem myself. However, you can work around it at times because some daycares will use you for their picnics or family affairs or outings or festivals they host each year. So, that is an option for you as well.

If you can do a flex schedule at work, then you can target daycares in the morning hours. If your show packs up fast and resets quickly, you should have no problem getting in, doing a great 30 min show and packing up and being on the road again.

Daycares are always looking for soemthing different, fun and unique. If you can also tie it into soemthing they are teaching that month to the kids or have an educational twist, you will add more benefit offerings to your daycare client as well.

Keep me posted on how it goes for you Brian.

Kyle

Way to go Brian. Now bend over backwards to please these folks, because now you will have a name to use when calling the other centers. “I did a show over at the abc center last week, etc, etc.” Be sure to find out if the director is friends with any of the other directors. See if she can suggest another center to call.


Yeah, you may have to take a long lunch hours. Lol

Good luck,
Tom

What you will also want to do is create a thank you kit that you give to the daycare contact after the show. I do this for all my shows and it works great. The idea is that it includes a thank you letter, my simple multiple choice evaluation form, a SASE, some business cards and a simple gift. This is all wrapped nicely and tied with a bow.

They remember it and it works great because the evaluation forms do get mailed back. From these forms you can find out how your show went over and you can also get some great quotes, comments and even letters of reference that you can use.

If you care for more information on this, just PM me.

Kyle

It's like Deja Vu...all over again...
I think what you're doing is great, Brian! I hope you can flex out your schedule..I ended up,after a lot of work and I'm sure a lot more to go..actually leaving my job and going full time. I don't know if you're looking at eventually doing the same thing or not, whatever you choose, full-time magic eventually or that balance between magic and 9-5, I wish you all the best! The video tape is really important, it's amazing what we think we did or said and what the spectators actually saw. I've been video taping myself for years and love it when people give me tapes to watch, it's one of the best ways to improve your act!
Keep it going, and put that $100 into some marketing!
Chris

Marketing is the key and video taping your performances is a great way to alwayslearn to self-evaluate your show and performances so you always learn and grow with your magic.

Kyle

Hey Brian,
I guess this question is a bit off topic but you say you live in edmonton and that is not far off from where I live. I was just wondering how the edmonton market holds out for magicians, and I wanted to see if you purchase your stuff from Dennis' or if you prefer to buy from elsewhere. I am new to this Café thing so if you aren't aloud to write personal stuff like this send me an email or whatever. (I think it displays the email adress somewhere.
Thanks
Chris

Kyle, the gift idea is excellent. I'm also working this weekend to put together some coloring sheets, with my info, to hand out to the kids. I don't have a nice "magician" picture of myself yet, so I'll be hunting down some good clipart or drawings from the internet. If anyone has any suggestions on this, I'd be happy to hear it.

DemuMagic, Welcome to the Café. I've emailed you regarding your questions. If you haven't had a chance yet, be sure to scan through the Little Darlings Index. You'll find a wealth of info there that will help you in your shows.

Brian

The thank you kit is one of the key concepts in our greatest trick ever -- being rebooked!

There is a lot of quality royalty free clip art for use out there. Good Luck!

Peace,

Vinny

Brian-

I want to give you some sound advice from a professional entertainer who specializes 100% in children's programs- that would be me.

It sounds like the show went well for you. My hat is off to you! The only word of caution I want to give you is to make sure that your show is on the daycare level. So many performers think they can go into a daycare center with their regular kid show and pull it off. This is not entirely true! Remember that most of the time you are going to be performing for very young kids ages 2-5. In the summertime things are different, there are older kids there.

I have seen magicians try to pull of mentalism for daycare kids. I have seen sword swallowing, cups and balls, etc. etc. etc. and none of these are for that age group. What you need to do is very very silly stuff for that age group. You really need to be a clown without the makeup- seriously.

I highly recommend that you get in contact with Dave Risley. He is the master of the daycare market and you can learn a ton from him. He is a great guy and a good friend. His website is http://www.daverisley.com Please let him know that Todd sent you his way.

Hope all works out for you!

I couldn't agree more with Todd75, my first show I thought Fearson's Fab Floatation was in order. The kids just stared at me with no reaction, the adults gasped, but the kids didn't get it at all. When I pulled out Run rabbit run they went wild trying to tell where the rabbit was, and had a wonderful time. Play it up and make yourself the sucker.

Todd,

Thanks for the great advice. The key area that I've been working on is to make sure the show is specifically geared towards that audience. As Silly Billy says, "It's the ride, not the destination." The younger kids are more interested in the bits of silliness than they are in great magic.

Right now, these are the effects I use:

1. Intro with Appearing Cane
2. Blooming Bouquet
3. Story of the Three Bears (Professor's Nightmare; 3 kids all dressed up, and playing the part of the bears).
4. Charlene the Chicken (Change Bag; child attempts to make Charlene, my pet chicken appear, but ends up producing a Rubber Chicken, much to my shock; uses breakaway wand, multiplying wands, and the magic pompom wand)
5. Rocky the Raccoon
6. Coloring Book routine (lots of byplay with child)
7. Making a Magician (child gets turned into magician via chick pan; she tries to make a spongecake, but does something better by making a Spongebob Squarepants; snake can and egg vase are also used here).

For older kids at birthday parties, I would add other effects such as the Vanishing Bandana.

Seems to work so far. More tweaking will come as more shows are done.

Brian

That sounds great! Also, try adding in some oversized items such as a foam banana, giant comb, baby bottle, etc.

The daycare kids want to laugh more than anything. Don't do anything that requires sleight of hand, etc. Instead, do silly stuff where you are the sucker and the kids are always right. The blooming bouquet is the perfect exmaple of this and I do it in every daycate show because it gets a HUGE response.

Rock on and have fun!

P.S. One more tip: your daycare show should setup in less than 5 minutes. You should not have any giant props. The directors appreciate the fact that you don't require a lot of space.

Best of luck to you dude!