What are some ways to upsell your client without floating their kid on a "rug" or a "chair suspension"?

Not trying to start some kind of "Hey, what's wrong with those tricks?" flame war, and I won't respond to that anyway. I just want to challenge your squishy noggins, that's all!

I'm hoping that Kyle (who requested I start a new thread because if I don't he'll turn me into a cute little frog) will offer some brainstorming, as well as Harris, of course Al, Dennis, Ken, Tricky Ricky and everyone else.....just brainstorming for fun (and maybe even some profit!).

Rules: an upsell without an extra trip to the car, and not BOR or an animal.

::getting out his magic wand and trying to remember what that frog spell was again:: hehehe

Let me think on this some and I will get back to you with some ideas. =)

Kyle

Performing in a wizard outfit.
At least $50 more to put up with the beard & hair.

Offering a nice magic set to appear at the end of the show for the bday kid.

The Silly Billy inflatable wands...are great...every child gets one and they can be imprinted with your info.

I just did a $100 upsale to do "Shrinker" at a 5 y/o party. Since you wear the gimmick, there is no extra trips to the car. I love body magic, and I am incorporating that as an upsale. You can't get much more "packs flat, plays big, instant resets" than that.

What are some ways to upsell your client without floating their kid on a "rug" or a "chair suspension"?

This is a question I have thought about for years and have made a list of items to think about. The problem I found is there are so many it is hard to choose!

• Make an cheap magic kit as a gift for the birthday child.
  
• A Mommy Pack: Check out the KIDabra Guru on Marketing http://www.WadeMagicProducts.com
  
• Inflatable Wands or Magic Wands for all the Children (Clear Mini-Label on it with Name Website and Phone Number)
  
• Offer a themed show sich as A Wizard or Harry Potter.
  
• Offer a holiday program
  
• A Magic Club.
  
• Business Cards: Preferable in color & a "Keeper."
  
• Postcards: Color mini Autographed Photograph
  
• Bookmarks: For Schools, Parents, and Kids (Rolled up it is a wand)
  
• Magic Trick:
  
• Big Bucks: Large Bill with advertising and magic tricks on the back
  
• Million Dollar Bill: Parent's love this one, Advertising on back
  
• Autographed Photo:
  
• Magic Coloring Book:
  
• Magic Activity Book:
  
• Magic Booklet:
  
• Party Planner Booklet:
  
• Mini-Magi Booklets:
  
• Discount Coupons:
  
• Magic Goody Bag (Party Favor Bag):
  
• Magic Kit Gift Package for Birthday Child:
  
• Membership Certificate in the Secret Order of Magicians:
  
• Membership Card:
  
• Assistant Certificate:
  
• Magic Wand:
  
• Video/DVD: Dennis Michael's Easy to Do Magic:
  
• Trading Cards:
  
• Coloring Page Contest:
  
• Puzzle Pages:
  
• Magic Kits:
  
• Optical Illusion:
  
• Fortune Telling Fish:
  
• Flyers:
  
• Testimonials:
  
• Client List:
  
• Letter's of Reference:
  
• Star Website Page:
  
• Walking Illusion (Giant Rabbit) in Parades:
  
• Restaurant Color Page Place Mat:
  
• Restaurant Puzzle/Optical Illusion Page Place Mat:
  
• Web Site with Domain Name
  
• 800 Phone Number
  
• Email Address
  
• Walking Illusions
  
• One Sheeter
  
• Concession Stand
  
• Back of the Room Sales (BOR)
  
• Answering Machine
  
• Phone Scripts
  
• Booking Sheets
  
• Cinema Ads
  
• Stationary
  
• Refrigerator Magnet
  

Brain Storming: Below are additional ways to sell oneself...

• Access To Co-Op Funds (Free)
  
• Access To Marketing Materials (Free)
  
• Ad Specialties And Gifts (Giveaways)
  
• Advertising
  
• Attire (Free) Wizard-Hary Potter, Giant Rabbit Walkaround
  
• Audio Tapes (Cassette) (Teaching Magic)
  
• Audiovisual Aids (Signed Photographs)
  
• Availability Of Financing (Free) Grants for certain organizations
  
• Books And Articles (Free) (Magic you can do)
  
• Books (eBooks)
  
• Booths For Malls or doing walkarounds in Resturants
  
• Brand-Name Awareness (Free)
  
• Brochures
  
• Business Cards
  
• Catalogs
  
• Circulars
  
• Classified Ads
  
• Club And Association Memberships (Free)
  
• Color (Free)
  
• Column In A Publication (Free)
  
• Community Involvement (Free)
  
• Competitiveness (Free)
  
• Consultations (Free)
  
• Contact Time With The Customer (Free)
  
• Contests And Sweepstakes
  
• Courses And Lectures (Free)
  
• Credibility (Free)
  
• Credit Cards Accepted
  
• Customer Mailing List (Free)
  
• Days Of Operation (Free)
  
• Decor
  
• Demonstrations (Free)
  
• Direct-Mail Letters
  
• Direct-Mail Postcards
  
• Distribution
  
• Door Hangers
  
• Email
  
• Email Canned Messages
  
• Email Signature
  
• Enthusiasm (Free)
  
• Fairs And Flea
  
• Follow-Up (Free)
  
• Gift Baskets
  
• Gift Certificates (Free)
  
• Hours Of Operation (Free)
  
• How You Say Hello And Good-Bye (Free)
  
• Identity (Free)
  
• Infomercials
  
• Inserts
  
• Internet (Web Site)
  
• Inside Signs
  
• Internet
  
• Invoice
  
• Letterhead
  
• Location
  
• Logo
  
• Magazine Ads
  
• Magic Books And Articles (Free)
  
• Magic Trading Cards
  
• Magic Tricks
  
• Magic Wand Certificates
  
• Marketing On Phone Hold
  
• Marketing Plan (Free)
  
• Markets
  
• Matchbooks
  
• Merchandise Displays (Free)
  
• Music
  
• Name (Free)
  
• Neatness (Free)
  
• Newsletters (Mailed)
  
• Newsletters (eNews)
  
• Newspaper Ads
  
• Niche (Free)
  
• Order Form
  
• Outdoor Billboards
  
• Outside Signs
  
• Packaging
  
• Phone Demeanor (Free)
  
• Phone Answering Machine Messages (Free)
  
• Phone on Hold (Background Message)
  
• Postcard Decks
  
• Posters
  
• Pricing (Free)
  
• Public Relations (Free
  
• Publicity (Free)
  
• Publicity Contacts (Free)
  
• Quality
  
• Radio Commercials
  
• Refreshments
  
• Reprints Of Ads And Publicity
  
• Reputation
  
• Reputation (Free)
  
• Research Studies (Free)
  
• Roadside Stands
  
• Sales Presentations (Free)
  
• Sales Representatives (Free)
  
• Sales Training (Free)
  
• Samples
  
• Satisfied Customers (Free)
  
• Search Lights And Blimps
  
• Selection
  
• Seminars And Workshops (Free)
  
• Service (Free)
  
• Smiles (Free)
  
• Special Events (Free)
  
• Speed (Free)
  
• Stationery
  
• Take-One Boxes
  
• Team Sponsorships
  
• Telemarketing- Scripts (Free)
  
• Testimonials (Free)
  
• Theme (Free)
  
• Tie-Ins With Others (Free)
  
• Toll-Free Phone Numbers
  
• Trade Show Displays
  
• Trading Cards
  
• TV Commercials
  
• Uniqueness (Free)
  
• Video Tapes
  
• Window Displays (Free)
  
• Word-Of-Mouth (Free)
  
• Yellow Pages Ads
  

I hope you can choose three good ones!

Everyone is welcome to expand on these methods to sell oneself. For instance:

Uniqueness: Such as Ken Scott's Fantasy Magician, or Axtell's Big Babies or Axtell's Meter, or Puppet Routines, better yet come up with your own unique routine that is so powerful the moms talk and they must have you!

Convert your choices to a benefit on how it benefits the reader. Example:
Fantasy Magician: Benefit will read... Your child is the star of the show and will perform a series of easy to do magic tricks under the guidance of the Magician.

In Brainstorming, take the word and think of it's possiblities.
Search Lights And Blimps: Hmmm how can I use this? I could have a lighting effect to introduce myself using Tim Hanning's Funny introductions, and I know there are blimp balloons which could point to the party house with my Name, Website and Phone Number on it. (All of this I just thought of as I was typing this in a potential way to upsell, promote and avertise myself using Search lights and Blimps.)

Magic Café members: Pick one or more, and help Chris by adding your brainstorming idea!

Things that help me is respectability..(though the spelling gene is sometimes absent. My connection to a well known school district and mental health agency).

Quick return phone calls and emails. I am surprised how much that helps.
Nigel (who 7 years ago, my nearly normal wife suggested) is a big plus.
Key words that link to my web site(s).

Great suggestions from all above...Kyle I know has some great ideas..He is the only one of you wonderful people that I have had a face to face talk with(and his great wife).

Getting something from potential clients is also important. (PM me if interested).


Harris

I think "uniqueness" might be the key. Whether it is a live rabbit or doves, or puppets, or whatever. I think anything that adds quality to a show and is not being done by others in your area can probably be used as an upsell. There are many things that can potentially make us different and "unique".

Regan

Try not to do the same routines as your competitor. Be unique as Regan says in his post.
All of my routines are from my own thinking. Put a stamp on everything you do, make it your own.
Lucy (bunny) also performs for the audience.She's not treated as a prop,but, as a part of the show.
One signature piece with Lucy is ---at the end of the performance,she stands on her hind leg to acknowledge the applause.
You'd be surprise how many parents request that Lucy does that at the end.
Be different from others.
Richard (Tricky Ricky)

Even within my show there is lots of differences between programs.
This due to my improvisation pieces within the shows. Even my well set pieces have some flexibility.

That way kids that saw me on one side of town or down the street don't shout out the punch line or outcome of an effect.

Harris

Some that has worked for me in the past or currently....

Magic workshop after the show...
Performing close up magic after the show... if you are performing for a kids best way to sell this would be... Close up magic for the adutls after the show....

Also, making the guest of honor magically appear usually can bring in the big bucks. I have recieved fees as high as $6200. for a prive event.

A signature trick or a delux show is a great upsell too.....

What on earth would they be paying you to break your back lugging in some chair suspension or magic flying "widget"?
I sell firecrackers as my upsell.....the good stuff that really leaves a mark...