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Dilanyan New user USA 13 Posts |
Hey Guys, Im a young magician, 17, I live in Glendale California, I am I Junior Member at the Castle and I perform all around. I have a Restaurant Gig, at Café 50's 2 or three times a month, a side job.and Iv performed at Many Many Private Gigs. But that's not the point. Im looking for a restaurant job that is stable, 2 or 3 times a week at least.
Iv tried many places, but maybe Im approaching them in the wrong way. What I do is, I ask for the manager, politly introduce myself. and offer him the deal. I will perform one whole day for free, and if he likes it, he may hire me. I don't know if that is the right way to go, which is why I'm asking you guys. Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you, Regards, Hayk Dilanyan |
patrick flanagan Inner circle lisle, illinois 1045 Posts |
Hayk,
Without seeing or hearing your pitch, it's hard to say, but you don't seem to be doing anything wrong. It's sales, that's all. It's a numbers game. Ask enough people and someone will eventually say yes. Just keep being persistent. Re-visit some of the places that rejected you, as the management team may have changed. Patrick |
Dilanyan New user USA 13 Posts |
Patrick,
Thanks for the Advice, Most the time I know what I'm doing, But where I live, There isn't that many restaurants at a close radius to my house. Now I have to go and do more driving:) -Hayk Dilanyan |
Matty Moriates New user 71 Posts |
Hey Dilan,
From what I have read on the Café and in books your approach is definately the right way to go. The only thing I can think of is that you aren't selling yourself well enough. Make sure they know how much you can benefit their restaurant. I highly recommend that you check out Kirk Charles' Manual of Restaurant Magic. Not only is this a terrific book, but in it he gives great reasons for how a magician would benefit the restaurant. If you feel like this might be your problem then definately check this out. Hope I helped some, Matty
-3-
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MagicSanta Inner circle Northern Nevada 5841 Posts |
Lately the trend is to just walk in, do whatever, and you get the job.
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Dilanyan New user USA 13 Posts |
I guesse Ill do just that, Thanks MagicSanta.
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MagicSanta Inner circle Northern Nevada 5841 Posts |
Keep on the trail and follow the North Star.....
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Magic_Steve Inner circle Maryland 1476 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-08-08 14:37, MagicSanta wrote: Hahahahahaha!!! Did anyone else get that or just me?? To the OP, A few things about what you said concerned me. One being perform the whole day for free??? Are you nuts?? I only offer to perform for 1 hour for free. Not the whole day, hell, not even a whole night by most standards of a strolling magician. Also, are you talking to the decision maker?? That's NOT the manager. It's going to be the owner or the GM. Those are the only people that are in authority to say yes. The manager will just waste your time and get in the way...seriously. Make sure you're prepared, dressed nice, look professional and well groomed. First impressions are huge, and you only get one chance to get it right (or something like that). Best. Steve |
derrick Inner circle I dug holes for 1044 Posts |
Hayk,
Sounds like you are doing great for 17. You perform semi-regularly at Café' 50, a Jr. Member of the Castle, and you're a veteran performer at private gigs. We all (at least I do) want to work at an upscale eatery of some type (you already do) because the clientele is middle to upper middle class, the pay is decent, they tip well without being asked or prompted and you often get great leads for private parties. The truth of the matter is, there are a lot of CiCi's Pizza Parlors, Shakey's Pizza Parlor's, Pizza Huts, Chick Fillet's, Billy Bob's Pig and Chick's, Toot and Moos, Mi Burrito's, etc, etc. that will hire you if you go to them. I worked at a CiCi's pizza for a couple of years until I, quite frankly, just got worn out. The mix of demographics in that place made for some great stories for another time and place. Anyway, it was the busiest I have ever been at a restaurant. I was paid pretty well for a place that is known for all you can eat for $4.99 (or something like that) and I was working every night. Just something to chew on if you really want to work two or three nights a week. Oh and like Steve said, offer an hour of your time. To offer A whole day is just crazy. |
stevepowell New user 22 Posts |
Quote
Make sure you're prepared, dressed nice, look professional and well groomed. First impressions are huge, and you only get one chance to get it right (or something like that). You mean I should of gotten a haircut BEFORE I went and talked to the restaurant?? No wonder.....lol |
stevepowell New user 22 Posts |
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Make sure you're prepared, dressed nice, look professional and well groomed. First impressions are huge, and you only get one chance to get it right (or something like that). You mean I should of gotten a haircut BEFORE I went and talked to the restaurant?? No wonder.....lol |
scottds80 Special user Victoria, Australia 730 Posts |
Hi Dylan! It's great to see your enthusiasm for work at 17. You're at the age where you could do with some real-world lessons. You were probably cute as a kid, but when it comes to business and money - you need to lose the cuteness and become a businessman.
I am a business owner and have some advice you could take on board. Don't take anything criticising I say to heart, but store it in your mind and become smart about it and you will go far! My first impression of you is you are unconfidently begging for work. If you approached me like the way you do, I would politely say sorry but I don't have (time, funds, the need) for another employee on the books. However, I would be more likely to consider you if you smoothly displayed to me how my business would benefit by you working for me! The best way to coldly apply for a job is not by coming across as a beggar for work. The restaurants get this every day and night. You ought to be different than that, ESPECIALLY if you're an entertainer. Not be too willing to do work for "free" for a short while, which is the oldest trick in the book. The restaurant owner will feel a sense of desperation and stick you in a category with all the other job hunters. Granted, you are an entertainer and this makes you stick out from the majority of job hunters who would be looking for bar work, waitering, cooking or cashier. If you will lose your desperation and display confidence in your worthwhileness to be on the team, that's a start. How about instead of offering work for free (as your current main advertising feature), use your "free time" to produce a DVD, brochure or website instead? Then use your advertising as a more confident approach to gain employment. This shows far more genuinity than walking in with a bag of tricks hoping to impress a few people. I'm sure with your experience at the castle you would be a great entertainer!! You will only gain a serious consideration once you have established a desire for the business owner to put you on. Not your OWN desire to have work, but theirs. An hour of work for free is still charitible of you, but only when it's you being chased, not you being the chaser for this position. You need to earn respect. Don't forget in your advertising to carefully set out reasons why you would be beneficial to their business. The business owner wants to be convinced of your worthiness to be responsible for the entertainment of their diners. Here are a few points I can think off from the top of my head: -Your entertainment will help cut perceived waiting time by diners. -Diners will generate more word of mouth about the restaurant because of you. -Diners will have more reason to have fond memories of the restaurant, leading to more return visits. -Larger bookings will result because of extra family & friends who want to see "the magician". -Having a magician is a great advertising feature for the restaurant -The restaurant will have an edge over their opposition who don't provide entertainment. So I hope you realise you need to be professional in your approach to finding employment. Still approach the business owners, but be short, sharp & hand them preferably your DVD, or brochure. Depending on the business owner, he/she might want to see a bit of your magic impromptu. Always have something ready to show, but don't fall into the trap of pushing to show them. That would display a "cute" but unprofessional approach. You could come off as a showoff. But how gracious would you look if you let THEM ASK YOU FIRST? See my point? Get them chasing you. Arouse their desires to have you part of the team. One thing that I keep in mind & practice is the "fruits of the spirit" from the bible. These genuine qualities will help you in all social & business situations in life. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Picture yourself being a boss and dealing with someone with all these qualities compared to someone who doesn't quite strive for them. Most of my clients chose me over other opposition for the friendliness & sincerity in my tone when I give them a quote. So attitude is important for a good quality relationship between you and your employer (and anyone, really!). I hope this helps! Scott
"Great Scott the Magician", Gippsland
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magic_man_jim Regular user 118 Posts |
The buisness part of restuarant magic is the "hard" part for a lot of us magicians. We practice non stop for years to perfect our shows however when it comes to promoting ourselfs, more often than not we fail. Scott had a lot of helpful advise, the only thing I have to add to that is using your magic that you have practised for years to earn a meeting with the owner or GM of the rest. you want to perform at. Example, get a group of your friends and go out to eat at that rest. eat have a good time. Then start showing your magic to your friends, more often than not other tables with start to notice along with the wait staff. If a waitress or waitor takes a second to watch you play to them for a second, after you have done an amazing trick for the wait staff produce your buisness card. You will be surprised how fast the word of mouth will travel to a manager especially when other tables are responding well to your magic. I recently did this very same thing at a resturant I was persuing, and guess what before I got out the door I was approched again by the waitress asking if I was avaliable to show a trick to there manager...boom...i was in the door. After showing the manager a few of my select tricks I pitched my 30 second comercial for myself I am now awating a call back to schedule the best days for me to work there. Basicly I skipped the work for a hour free right of the bat. hope this helps.
Magic is not to fool...but allows you to believe!
Jim Boothe www.jimboothemagic.com jim@jimboothemagic.com |
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-08-09 09:05, scottds80 wrote: So your telling us that a guy who is 17 who knows relativly little about magic and almost nothing about restaurants is going to do all those things for them? Don't make the mistake of over promising, and under producing. That is what happens with too many guys. It is why guys don't keep jobs for more than a few months. As for not working for free, well I agree completly. Try to keep the attention AWAY from things like "more families", "choosing then instead of the competition" and such. It makes claims you can't back up quickly. There are 1000 other factors and IF the numbers happen to go up it has as much to do with gas prices as with you. If they go down it has as much to do with the weather as with you. Don't tie your star to something completly out of your control. Think of it like this. The place may be run by a moron. I am not saying it is, but it could be. IF you are bringing in people, (which again you can never prove) and he is driving them out with the way he runs the place at a higher rate, then the net is a loss, and YOU have claimed credit for it. It is out of your control. So why make it part of the occasion? Center your pitch on things you can control. Perhaps how guests will enjoy themselvs, how ambiance is improved and so forth. Not as sexy as "helping the bottom line" as so many put it, but it is honest and will keep th job a lot longer for you.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
Dilanyan New user USA 13 Posts |
Thanks everyone, I appreciate any kind of Advice, And involving the being cute when I was small, Haha, that was nicley said. But when I Lived in Europe, I used to Do a little business on the side, import export, Electronics, VCR's, Perfectly Legal and Legit. I just knew the right people.
But yes, this kind of business is alittle different. And I will Use your advice. Regarding Magic Mans Jims Post, I have done that before, I went into Clancy's and when the waiter is taking order, I just started floating the suger pack, with all the presentational skills I have, I blew him away, I used loops, and he lighting was perfect. The timing was great, he was so amazed, He asked if I hadA business card, I handed it to him. He asked me to show the staff some. But when they proposed to the manager that He HAd to see this, He was too busy, and thought I was a joke, because of my Age. THis is where the DVD and advertisement would come in. I only had my Business card that day. During my free time, I personally Make movies, Edit and make DVD for families and Wedding videos. I have a lot of Magic footage, but I need better for something like Advertising. Please Understand me, Im not Some proffesional, I can do it, But I just need better equipment Which I will get soon. But thank you all for your advice, I will let you know how things Go in the Future. Regards, Hayk Dilanyan |
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