My first pitch – it’s been a long time coming (Sam Cooke - January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964)

After a long time preparing ( I've been hovering for about 9 months..) - securing stock, rehearsing Don's pitch - I finally got my first pitch sorted out. Big show in our area - a kind of ”Ideal Homes" event, held in one of the hotels. It's an annual thing, and attendance is pretty steady.

I'm across from the Wind Turbine man, the Screenprint man, and next to the Life Insurance/Financial advisor gang. You get the picture.
Next door stall is Pine Furniture and flooring. I'm pitching the Svengali deck, and the Worm, and giving away the 2CM. The double backers never arrived, so I had to stick a few hundred old bikes back to back..

I'm under-rehearsed, but reasonably confident. I've had a week to organise the pitch joint, banner, lighting, rope lights, printing, stapling, bags..I've got crib sheets for the pitch in case I get stuck for verbals - all laminated - (how sad is that???!!)

It's an easy show - noon till six, 3 days, starting Easter Saturday. The first hour, I was all over the place - couldn't remember my lines, there was no fluidity, but sold my first deck after 20 minutes - not bad considering the volume of people at that time. Was only selling the deck on its’ own - mainly cos I hadn't learned the turn, with the worm and all - and the first lot of customers were young teen lads - I didn't think they'd spring for the whole setup, including the worm at 10 Euro. ($13.00) The deck was priced out at 6 euro ($8.00). I settled in after an hour or so, and by the afternoon, I was a VERY different performer from the one who started 3 hours ago!

It was flowing, and going pretty well - I started to lump the lot together - and it was working!

Like Don said, they'll just as soon spend 10 as they would 6.. By the end of the first day, I was FLYING! Went home and learned the Larceny trick, and worked on the turn.

Next day, Easter Sunday - off to a slow start, with Sunday Mass and all that keeping the crowds away, but I kicked off good. No sign of nervousness, the pitch was working well, I went straight in with the 10 euro package, and eventually managed to sell 3 from the one pitch - my modest target. Was kept busy most of the day, pulling anyone in that I could stop. I needed to get as many pitches in as I could - if there were no likely punters around, I was speiling to anyone, just to sharpen up the dialogue and timing. A six hour stretch without a formal break is ok when it's a new thing, and when you can take a rest in between the crowds, but I can see that you'd need time off when you're "on" time after time with a rolling pitch.
Sales at the end of the day were 50% up on the first day, with less people through the door. Good sign that I'm getting better.

I have to say, after all the pitch rehearsal I had, there really IS no substitute for getting our there and DOING IT.
No matter how many times I tried to get the pitch down perfectly, I always stumbled and faltered when trying it out at home, or out walking – I have the script on my Ipod – I walk the dog on the beach. “How would you like to get caught in a poker hand with a game like this” – was a favourite tongue twisted line..(means nothing unless you have Don’s DVD)

At the end of the second day, I'm now so comfortable with it I can cajole the crowd, and joke with them, while still keeping the place. Making them laugh is VERY important. I've surprised myself at how good I am with the pitch recital now. I still have loads to learn, but these 2 days so far have proved invaluable. I would have done the show for free - just to get the experience.

The end of the show. Third day – Easter Sunday – designated as “kids day”. Which means you have characters walking around dressed up in big furry suits.. supposed to be Bungle, or Sponge Bob. Fine by me… but when they come and stand in front of MY stall… they block the view .. – they can take a hike – and I had to tell them to do so.

Another problem I had today was a troublesome kid – was blabbing all about the short card, etc – he’d been at the stall for around 3 pitches – I clumped him round the ear, and told him to keep quiet, etc, in no uncertain manner.
My woman, who was manning the Worms, told me later that he went off, crying..! I was concerned – not so much for him – but he had a Dad.. and an extended family – who could have caused trouble if they so chose. Big mistake on my part with kids - I don’t look like much, but apparently, I come on strong, like Arnold Whatsiznager with handshakes, and clumps round the ear, and “friendly” taps, etc, with kids.

At the end of the 3 day show, 18 hours of potential selling, I’ve learned a MASSIVE amount. I’ve earned money in the process. I’ve made several good contacts. As a bonus, I got firm bookings for 3 magic shows (although – I played down the magic part - I DO look like a magician – I can’t help it!!), but most importantly – I’ve done it! I’ve done my first pitch! And I only sold 4 boxes of cards – no great big deal – point is – I got paid for learning to pitch! 105 decks of cards. And the worms.

You have no idea how much this means to me – it’s a HUGE landmark – I’ve ALWAYS wanted to pitch Svengalis - and I owe it ALL - EVERYTHING - to Don Driver, and his series of DVDs. Don lays it down, and tells it like it is, in no uncertain manner. There’s no filler – it’s all killer! Each and every one of Dons’ DVDs are solid gold - seven days a week, 24 hours a day. They will live forever. I do hope he’s aware of that – he’s made a huge mark, and for me, he will always be a big figure, as far as influences go. We’ve spoken on the phone, and it’s clear that he’s one of the special ones in this world.

In conclusion:

The Easter show wasn’t a big earner. It's not the best show for selling this kind of stuff. My target age range is really 10 yo to 24. But of course, you can convert the others - but it seems to me, the biggest, and most eager to buy group were the 10 yo to 24.

I sold just over 100 decks of cards. In 3 days. I'm a beginner. Next year, if I don't double that, I'll resign!

We sold a fair amount of worms. We made as much money as most people make working 40 hours. We were “on stage” for 18 hours.

But – and this is a BIG but. It was a GREAT intro to cushy (comfortable) pitching. The punters were tame, there were no animals. If I’d started off in the street, with the drunks and the troublemakers, with an under-rehearsed script, I’d have struggled. Much better to ease into it, in the comfort of a nice hotel. (The show was held in a major hotel).
The bigger money is there – in the harsher world of street fairs and street markets, festivals and the like.
NOW – I can do that – with the help I’ve had from Dons’ DVDs. It’s not easy – you NEED the personality to do it well. You NEED the confidence to do it well. You NEED a teacher – and Don is the man to teach you.

His website address is “http://www.dondriver.com

Take a look – he don’t charge for lookin’ – he only charges for … etc!!!


I’m over the moon. I’ve done, and been, many things – and still am - but this has been a landmark.

I worked Covent Garden market in London for 6 years in the 70’s – this weekend has been as big, if not bigger adventure….

Any questions – just ask..

Regards, all, with special thanks to Don Driver, Seth, Jon-O the Great, and everyone else that’s been of assistance to me… in my quest.. and I’d like to mention Lark Mewis – but I’m not allowed to – he, too, in his own inimitable way, has been instrumental in my conversion… !!

DCB

Thanks DCB for all the kind words.I'm glade you did well your first time out.You're on your way !

As I type this I have a young man pitching the squirmle in Times Square for his first time.He's on cloud nine...(another life changed for the good...what more could a guy ask for)

Later,Don

Way to go DCB, you'll do go with it.

George P

DCB,

So great to hear about your pitch and more importantly your enthusiasm for the pitch. All the best to you this summer.

Don

DCB, congrats to you, sounds like you have earned your "Svengali Stripes"!

You are correct, no matter how many times you watch the Don's DVD or practice the pitch, there is no substitute for live pitching in front of a live audience. But the good part is that you get to perform the same pitch over and over in front of different people all day long, just like a real professional magician would do. So as you noted, it doesn't take very long to figure out what works, what doesn't and how to improve. And once you get comfortable with the pitch, you can concentrate on connecting with the audience and putting across your personality, which will really increase the effectiveness of the pitch.

As you also discovered, it doesn't pay to be nasty to anyone, except as a last resort. At almost every show, it seems there is always some wise-ass kid who wants to "spill the beans" in order to show everyone how smart he is. I deal with this by first ignoring him. If that doesn't work, I tell him that as a fellow magician, he is supposed to keep the secret, too, sort of an "us against them" idea; it has worked well so far. If all else fails, I would get the show organizer to have the kid removed, so I'm not the bad guy (but never had to resort to this yet). Although I have been sorely tempted, I would never bawl out or touch a kid, for obvious reasons. Even if you are in the right, the parents will not appreciate it, and the show organizer will see you as someone who either can't deal with the public or is a troublemaker, and you may not be invited back.

As Don will undoubtedly tell us, it takes all kinds -- and most of them eventually seem to show up at your pitch table! But most people are very nice and a pleasure to deal with. As you said, it's a tremendous amount of fun.

Congrats to you again, I know it must be tremendously satisfying. And moving almost a gross of decks and worms is no mean feat! May your tips increase and your turns be fruitful and multiply! SETH

P.S. Don, it looks like you have another satisfied customer!

During my pitch, My favorite stopper when someone tries to butt in with the secret ("I know how that works.")was, "That's okay. This isn't a contest. You don't win any prizes." The parent usually laughed and told their kids to shut up.

Seth..

I wasn't intending to be nasty to the kid - I think part of the problem was that he probably considered that I'd become his "friend", and when he spoke out of turn, his new "friend" cuffed him round the ear in front of his real friends..
I sometimes forget, when I'm in "Magician" mode, how much young kids look up to the likes of me.

If I do a show for say, 50 or 60 kids, they all enjoy it, and on occasion, some of them will approach me after the show and tell me how much they enjoyed it. There are others who are too shy to do so. I live in a very close community, and I perform in a bar/restaurant most Sundays. I occasionally eat out there in the week, and if there are kids there who recognise me, there's always that sense of wonderment for them. They would recognize me from the show, but still be too shy to approach me.

I always take time to acknowldege them.

I WILL desist from cuffing kids round the ear in future... All I can say in my defence is that it was a reflex action, your honour!



BB.. I like that! I generally say "hey! This is MY party..!
But I DO like that...

Thanks!

DCB

A lot of kids (and some adults) view magic as a contest, in which they are supposed to figure out how the tricks work, instead of just being mystified by them. That's why I have always found it better to downplay the "challenge" aspect and emphasize the entertainment angle. Challenges worked well for Houdini, but I'm not Houdini!

You will still get all sorts of crazies, from the guy who yells that cards are the "devil's playthings" to the electrical engineer who has a great theory about how static electricity makes the Magic Worms move across your hands. Usually I just say something like "Oh, that's a very good guess" and keep on going. I also had a woman who wanted a refund because her Magic Worm wasn't actually alive. I was flattered by that and thought it was a nice compliment about my worm handling, so I gave her a refund anyway.

That's the neat thing about pitching: I usually learn something new almost every time I go out, and always find a way to tweak, improve or fine tune something. SETH

Seth,

I had a friend round yesterday, and I showed him the worm. "Is it a battery?" he asked...!! Now this guy is no dummy - he's a writer... but.. he couldn't figure it out. And he was no more than 2 ft away from me. It'll take him a long time to live that one down! And that was using the supplied line. I have the Kevlar - from your source.. but just didn't have time to jig one up with it. No need, under the conditions I was working. And I also cheated. I have a continuous VDU display of the pitch...!

The Worms arrived, delivered to me as I was setting up the stand, 12 hours before the show began. No time to do anything, really..

What makes me still laugh is the double backed card bit... two old cards stuck face to face...

Can't wait to get out there again, into the REAL action. Gypsy horse fairs attract huge crowds, and that's my aim. It'll be hardcore. A lot of horse traders, gypsies, drunks, loudmouths - very edgy. Looking forward to it!

Regards,

DCB

OK, I give up, what's a gypsy horse fair? Are we talking real Romany or what?

BTW, I find that the smarter people are, the more improbable explanations they will give you about the Magic Worms. A ten-year old kid will shout out, "it's a string," when there is obviously no string visible anywhere -- it's just a wild guess, really, but they say it anyhow. The adults are the ones who think it's gravity, static electricity, heat-activated, batteries, sound-activated, etc.

The worm principle is actually at least 100 years old, and I believe the worm is a recent relative of the little wax "Wonder Mouse" that ran up and down your arms, rolled over in your hands and crawled across your shirt in Victorian times. The one-point hookup is a real fooler because your hands are free.

I have now sold over a thousand of them, and with a little practice, they really are a great trick. Add in the Kevlar IT and you've got a real fooler, in my experience. They are also a great way to build a tip, it's like moths to a flame. But don't take my word for it -- see for yourself! SETH

P.S. A little baby powder (cornstarch, not talc) on your hands will keep them dry, smooth and friction-free on hot days. You'll break a lot fewer threads this way!

Seth,

Thanks again for that advice.. I don't know how many worms we sold over the weekend, but I'd guess at around 150. Shortly after we got back, my other half took to her bed with a strange tiredness and fatigue. Today, I took her into the village to see the doctor, and she wound up in hospital. Kidney infection. When I left her at around 8 pm, she was a lot better....

So... not had time to have count up. I know we started with 500.. and 2 gross cards..

However - as for your question regarding the Horse Fair - yes indeedy, Romanies, and the rest. Take a look at this. It's pretty representative of what it's like. There are hundreds of these fairs take place in Ireland every year. Ballinasloe is one of the biggest. And baddest.

see here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uds_GKvdT70&feature=related

Regards,

DCB

Actually, I just realized that this was a three-day event, so you are entitled to three sets of Svengali Stripes! I have never done more than a one-day show, because I felt that 6-8 hours of pitching, along with setting up and pulling down a tent, was more than enough for one day. After a show, my dinner appetizer is often two Tylenol!

BTW, for outdoor fairs, you may want to look into a small battery-powered wireless PA system. These events are pretty noisy to begin with, and there are usually bands, strolling entertainers, DJ's, etc. Even if you have a great voice and wonderful projection, it's tough to compete with all that racket -- and it's also better to put your energy into the pitch, instead of yelling all day.

The idea here is not amplification, just "sound reinforcement," making sure that the immediate area in front of your spot has good sound coverage, so everyone can hear you clearly. As Don has already noted, a PA system also gives you more authority over the tip -- it does help in making the turn. I'm not sure why that is, but I have found it to be true (along with all of Don's other advice!).

If you take a look in "FX" section of the Café', there is a good discussion of various portable sound systems. I have used a PASO ProCast50 30-watt system (click HERE to view) for three years now and been very satisfied with it, although I have had to modify it to include an additional battery in order to extend the original 4-5 hour runtime to 10 hours for pitch work; click HERE for more info. The modified unit only weighs 19-20 pounds, is easy to transport, and sets up in a flash with a minimum of fuss.

For outdoor shows, the PA system been a great investment and has paid for itself a few times over, in addition to saving my vocal cords from self-destruction. Whatever PA you get, I'd also recommend getting a speaker stand (to raise the unit up to "ear level" and greatly increase its coverage) as well as a carry case to protect it and have room for the mic, transmitter pack, patch cords, adapters, MP3 player, spare AA batteries and so on. I got the lapel mic, which is less obtrusive-looking than a head or ear mic, in my opinion -- I want the mic to be heard but not seen!

Just check that the electrical arrangements in Ireland are compatible with the 110-volt arrangement here in the States, or that you can get the necessary adapters. And don't forget a heavy-duty surge suppressor, it's cheap insurance when you're recharging the batteries or operating on AC power. SETH

Seth - I was using a discrete headset with the Anchor Explorer Pro wireless amp/speaker setup. No-one else at the show was amped up, but I had 2 separate enquiries from other exhibitors. The nice thing about a powerful amp is that it never sound raucous. Turn it down low, and you can hear it clearly, but it doesn't intrude and annoy the others, a BIG thing. It was on a stand, just over head height..I've used it before for trade shows and kids shows, so I'm very comfortable with it. It does 6 hours straight off the battery.
here..

http://www.anchoraudioclub.com/explorer.html

Three days - no sweat. It was easy, as it was never actually "crowded", and it was only noon till 6, which I found very easy.
And, of course, my sales don;t look ANYWHERE near so good when taken over a 3 day period.
Still - it worked like I wanted. It was a great gig for easing into which is now becoming my Summer Obsession! I'm booking myself into all the big open air events...

Regards,

DCB

DCB, if you've got an Anchor Explorer, you sure don't need a PASO! <grin>

Anyway, nice to know that you recognize the value of a PA and put it to good use. SETH

DCB,
Glad your pitch went well. What I do for the rowdy kids is let them know that I'm there to sell not to entertain. I also keep some old demo items around and give the kid(s) one if they will play with it somewhere else.

Will

A few shows ago, had a kid of Chinese extraction, nervous kinda guy, maybe 10 YO, who really bugged me. I know a few (VERY FEW!) words in Chinese and of course, I misprounounced them. He watched several demos and after the 1st one, kept kinda dancing around, then whispering to the prospects about what was gonna happen. Really got on my nerves but finally he left. Came back and bought a deck.

Last weekend saw him at another show. He kept flapping his arms like a chicken and dancing around, not being particularly disruptive, just, in my opinion--STUPID! I tried to ignore him but finally said, "Hey, you know how to do this, don't you?" "Yeah but I left my cards at home...." And he left.

In a few minutes he came back with a friend, who wanted a full demo but then bought a deck. In a few more minutes he came back with another kid, who also wanted a full demo but also bought one. Later, another one. So, even tho he was acting really DUMB--I sold 3 decks because of him. He never talked much, just flapped around.

Maybe he didn't speak English much or maybe he's a budding magician but is too shy to talk to me--because he really never said much. Or maybe just a hyperactive kid. Who knows?

But I did sell a total of 4 decks because of him. Really wierd guy!

Jon