Dunno if this has already been quoted elsewhere:

"You might find better magicians than me, or cheaper, but you won't find one as good as me as little as I cost."

***ized from Nick Murray's "The Excellent Investment Adviser."

Or to paraphrase a line from the video editing field "GOOD - RELIABLE - CHEAP - Pick any two."

I would not use that at all. In fact I an booked solid and I will openly tell people I am the most expensive magician in the area. When I hear a prospect say "Magic Al (or whoever) is much cheaper that you." I always respond with either "you can not buy a Rolls Royce for the price of a Yugo." or "Well yes, however I have a deal with othr entertainers. they don't match my price and I don't lower my quality."

I got this technique from Sandler Sales Systems and it works for me. Yes these are gutsy and egotistical things to say, but they WORK. When I have had to use these techniques I have booked the gig every time.

Peter

Yes, it is a hard fact of life that very often the competitive winner is not the qualitative best, but the most aggressive and self-confident.

According to Randi's "Conjuring" Houdini was far from the most skilled magician, but his marketing and self-promoting image was unassailable. He was the master escape artist, but a middling prestidigitator. Yet he is the best known magician in history (I think).

Yeah, Randi's book definitely shows that successful magicians never hesitate to elevate themselves in their own eyes to "the best" or the greatest, even when they're not. What singer adds the appelation "The amazing" etc to the marquee?

One would think that the best would always rise to the top: even with movies, some that do poorly at the box office end up as re-run beloved classics (It's a Wonderful Life, Office Space). The average layperson has never heard the name of many of the best, e.g., Paul Harris, Richard Osterlind, Harry Lorayne, or Dai Vernon (or Sean Fields) but they have heard of Siegfried and Roy. How many magicians do you know that look to S&R for inspiration? (There are exceptions to this of course, and I'm not saying that the famous are necessarily not the best. Kreskin is awesome and a household name eg)

So, Peter, you're right. It's just a continuation of the misdirection principle: tell them you're the best. How will they ever know? Even if your competition is equal to you, they'll believe you when you demadn they believe you're better.

This is a hard fact of life that I have always had a hard time inculcating. It's the reason I'm not in financial sales anymore: I couldn't lie to people and tell them our mutual funds were better for them than the no-load funds they were comparing us with. They weren't: but around me, misdirectors were raking in the cash, because they didn't offer the objective reality facts or care about the client's best interest, only the sale. That's life, that's business-- it's the way it works.

Oh, and if you're looking to get into investing, go with the no-load fund.

Peter,
I don't think these are egotistical at all... I've been a sales trainer for years, and one of the methods that I teach is very similar to what you're saying. It comes from the Brian Tracy school of thought. Find the biggest objection that you're getting, and open your sales pitch with it.

For example: "Mr. Prospect, let me just start of by saying that I'm the highest priced entertainer in the area, yet I have the most bookings in the area... would you like to know why?" Of course he will want to know why, and you've got him.

Hey guys,

I've got my MBA in marketing...and let me tell you lowest price does NOT equal best deal...its a common misbelief. People may say they want to purchase something that is the lowest price, but in honesty that usually isn't the case. For example would you pay for the "Cheapest" dentist, or would you perhaps splurge on a more reputable physician. Do you always look for the "cheapest" house? It seems like you want to market yourself as a "Value" magician. You might want to use less emphasis on price, and more empahsis on a great show for a "reasonable" price and not employ the word "CHEAP" or "cheapest" I also would HIGHLY reccomend you not say someone is better then you.

Best of luck!

I gladly state that I am the most expensive magician in the area. I've had other magicians at metings state "yeah, but I did 3 shows on Saturday to your one!" Well, the one I did made more than his 3 put together, but for some reasone he didn't get it.

Azrael (The Lord of Illusion)