|
|
Go to page 1~2 [Next] | ||||||||||
suspectacts Elite user Boston 493 Posts |
Here's a question for the workers -
We all know that here in the States, at corporate shows, there is often a preconception that volunteering for a hypnosis show is 'dangerous' because 'you're going to get me to embarrass myself in from of everybody'. I have been experimenting at different stratagem to break this reaction prior to the show. If I can, I try to approach each table over dinner and do mini pre-talks to establish safety and comfort with me as a performer and an interloper within the group (to establish rapport, yes?), but I'm beginning to think it's not all that worthwhile. Here's the standard way each conversation runs: "Hi folks, just wanted to stop by and introduce myself: I'm Peter Gross, tonight's entertainer and I'm a hypnotist. Has everyone here seen a hypnosis show before? Gentlemen 1: " Bruce! (pointing at his friend) Make him do it!!" (His friend Bruce reacts in shock and horror, hands up in defense) Me: "Actually I only work with volunteers, sir, so pointing at people doesn't help, unless Bruce wants to do it." Bruce: "Well I don't!" Me: "That's fine! But maybe you should consider it: The people who decide to volunteer often tell me that have the best time, even better then people who only watch the show." Bruce: "But you're going to humiliate me!" Me: "Actually I promise not to; besides hypnosis doesn't work that way, even in trance you would never do things you really weren't comfortable with" Bruce: "That's right, because I ain't doing it!" (he crosses his arms and smiles because in him mind he's won) I know I will need to deal with the wrong preconceptions, but I would love suggestions on re-framing the conversation out of the adversarial nature of the conversation. I know you NLPers will have suggestions about how to frame the whole experience so that I walk away with people eager for the show to start and to be the first one's on stage. I await your replies. peter |
|||||||||
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
Really all that is needed is to cover it during the opening of your show. I don't do things like that much before the show, because you have the chance to sort of "lose control of the message" once you move to another table.
When you cover them in the show, they have no chance to discuss it amongst their peers, and decide things right or wrong. It is more just accepted because the guy on stage said so. Nobody has a chance to change their mind on them. This is the way I like to do it. I have to do this almost every night as they may or may not be expecting to see a hypnotist. They buy a vacation, and a hypnotist happens to be there. They don't buy a ticket to see a hypnotist. Sometimes the are jazzed, sometimes not so my opening is far different to accomidate such a thing. Over the past 3+ years every night, I have developed that. Now it is not the same as co workers and not wanting to be made a fool of, but it is close only because they see these people for the whole week. An advantage I have is that people talk through out the week and tell others the sort of show it is, so that embarassment factor is eliminated. I also think what you lose, (by breaking curtain) is not offset by what you gain. This is just one theory, it does not make it right, or wrong, just one way of a million.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
|||||||||
Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
"I also think what you lose, (by breaking curtain) is not offset by what you gain."
I agree with this perspective but I must say I applaud you Peter for first identifying this all to common scenario and trying to deal with it by going table to table. I could or would never do this. I am a stage performer and any type of interaction with guests before a show is something I am not comfortable with. The problem I see is that by going table to table you could be offering them a true and even personal explanation that could interest or persuade them into wanting to volunteer. BUT, you could also get them to have the opposite effect and become even more crossed-armed and "no-way-in-hell-I'm going-to-do-this" to be against you. Plus the perception, even though I understand it's not the case, is that you may be trying to "prearrange" something with some of them. I guess what I'm thinking is it may fuel their fire against you in the big picture. Using the perspective of "being one of the stars of the show" doesn't work with a a corpoate audience like it does with high school, college or fair/festival audiences. Plus with most corporate events you have the additional dynamic of having their supervisors, bosses and co-workers there too (and in some cases spouses or significant others that will be left on their own for a lengthy period of time if they volunteer). Going table to table in my opinion allows them not only to make up their mind not to do it, but through peer affiliation and the immediate dicussion that will follow after your brief talk, will bond the table against you. Even if a person decided they wanted to do it, the perspectives from the rest of the table may prevent them from actually going ahead and volunteering. As I said I applaud you for tackling such an big issue, and I too am interested in any alternative methods or suggestions as this dynamic is definitely prohibitive in a corporate setting. |
|||||||||
suspectacts Elite user Boston 493 Posts |
I don't want to drive the conversation too tightly, but I can't seem to keep myself from responding:
FIRST - Thanks to both of you for chiming in so quickly - I think of both of you as serious 'workers' so I respect both of your opinions highly. I think my solution may indeed turn out to be a dead end, but I'm not convinced yet. The value coming to the table is that upstarts can't 'hide' in the crowd and have to deal with a real conversation about what they are worrying about. I really want to go Milton Erikson on theirs asses, if I can figure out how. I'm looking for some Mental Jujitsu, you know? The reason I'm experimenting with preshow table work is that I have experienced the exact same exchange as above, except it happens during introductory talk (pretalk). Someone yells out the VP's name, that person yells out "HELL NO!" and then everyone is given a first class example of what to do: refuse to go up and stay in the back like the 'cool kids'. I sometimes find myself trying talk the group out of the mood, but by then it's digging 'out' of the hole. Besides it's a little like a comedian who gets too involved with a heckler and loses the crowd. PS It occurs to me, reading over my OWN post, that it suggests some solutions I haven't thought of before. I will return soon to document my new suggestions. Keep yours coming. |
|||||||||
TonyB2009 Inner circle 5006 Posts |
What I sometimes do is invite people up to play a game of imagination - no hypnosis - on the understanding they can step down before I begin the hypnosis. Then I have them go through a number of scenarios, unhypnotised. They are cowboys riding horses, washing machines in the spin cycle. I occasionally ask someone to act as if they were hypnotised, then show them how a real hypnotised subject would react to the command SLEEP (head flopping down, body relaxed). After a while they get into the fun of it. Anyone not responding in any way is asked to sit down. Then we begin the induction, and by that stage no one ever sits down. All remain on the stage. The induction can be very quick, because they are already conditioned to respond to suggestions.
This is not my normal approach, but I use it in corporate settings, and in small rural pubs where no one wants to come up. Another approach that I have experimented with, but not perfected, is doing an induction on the entire audience, then calling for volunteers. Everyone is a bit more relaxed when I call for the volunteers. A piece of advice an old hypnotist gave me was to say during the pre-talk that I have been hypnotised myself, and I know how much fun it is from personal experience. This breaks down the psychological barrier between you and the potential volunteers.
Check out Tony's new thriller Dead or Alive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Varrick-Bo......n+carson
http://www.PartyMagic.ie |
|||||||||
dmkraig Inner circle 1949 Posts |
Suspectacts wrote: "I really want to go Milton Erikson on theirs asses, if I can figure out how. I'm looking for some Mental Jujitsu, you know? "
Respectfully, I seems like this is the real problem. From your statements it sounds like you're trying to convince individuals to believe as you do. I would contend that the roll of a stage hypnotist is to entertain. Going "Erickson on their asses" and using "Mental jujitsu" on them, to my mind, has nothing to do with entertaining. I agree with Danny. Going into the audience before the show gives them a chance to overcome your message (as presented in the introduction) by taking it over with people who have no knowledge of the subject. When I do hypnotherapy, my goal is to help people change their behavior. When I give lectures, my goal is to inform people with facts. When I do stage performances, my goal is to entertain. I'm not going to waste my time with someone such as you described if I'm giving a performance. I wouldn't even want a person with that mindset as a volunteer. During a lecture I'd accept pointed questions from him. The description of your environment, a corporate show, implies to me an audience of at least 100 people. If you have a great introduction and a good pre-induction presentation, you'll get plenty of volunteers. If you don't, you might look at the beginning to your show as the problem, not trying to convince people to be volunteers on a one-to-one basis. |
|||||||||
Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
Peter, I sooo understand what you are say and trying to accomplish. Please do keep us posted as to your efforts and findings. I think any hypnotist working the corporate market can understand where you are coming from and should have an interest in your efforts.
|
|||||||||
Jon Stetson Veteran user 329 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-03-16 10:42, Dannydoyle wrote: I think Danny has hit the nail on the head. I fully agree. |
|||||||||
suspectacts Elite user Boston 493 Posts |
Quote:
It's so nice when my friends agree - with each other. Nice to see you here Jon |
|||||||||
Nongard1 Special user 664 Posts |
IM with Danny.
In my pretalk I say, "If you come up here tonight, I can promise you three things... 1.) You will have more fun than anyone in the house 2.) You will feel fantastic when the night is over. An hour of hypnosis is like 8 hours of sleep!" 3.) You will learn something new that you can use in your real life to feel good, manage stress and enjoy life... I also borrow a line from Michael Johns sometimes... "I promise nobody here gets humiliated but me. I am here to help you have a good time. Sure I'm going to tease you, that the half the fun, but you're going to tease me back, and that's even more fun...."
Dr. Richard Nongard, Professional Hypnosis Training
Learn how to master the art of SpeedTrance, Clinical and Stage Hypnosis |
|||||||||
MatthewH New user 96 Posts |
I really like that Richard. I'd really feel like I was missing a great opportunity if I was sat in your audience and didn't get up!
|
|||||||||
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
From the very ending when I am about to call for volunteers.
"I promise you a couple of things if you want to come up here and help me tonight. Frist is you are going to feel 100% better than you do right now when you leave the stage. Second, you are going to get to go places and see things that nobody else in this room is going to get to do. You are going to have more fun up here on stage with me for the next hour, than anyone else on this resort has the entire week they are here. So if you were planning on volunteering as I come out to the audience raise your hand for me, if you do not want to volunteer then use both those hands to applaud like crazy because without these people we have no show". I never vary it by a word. I speed up the pace after the opening, and sort of get my voice more excited, and therefore them more excited, then play the music and go get them. Mind you in the opening I dispell lots of things for them and this is the culmination of all that. But it is a prett good way to end. I mean if you just say "hey ok now who wants to volunteer, it is not going to be so easy.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
|||||||||
Rotten Special user 829 Posts |
Great stuff guys. Thanks for sharing.
Every stage hypnotist I have seen asks for volunteers to join him on stage except the man I learned from. He goes out into the audience and hand picks them. Danny, it sounds like you go into the audience and pick yours? How many of you pick your volunteers vs. having them walk onstage at will? I know this is slightly off subject but it is the same issue. Getting people onstage. Regards, Ted |
|||||||||
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
I walk into the audience. It lends itself to trust. I am not a fan of the "cattle call" as it is less personable.
It also establishes control right from the start. You may volunteer, but I PICKED YOU. Once their hands are raised I am walking around asking "did you want to try this, ok come on up with us". It shows that I am the one ALLOWING them to help and it just is one more little hint at following directions. This allows me to hand pick what my stage will look like as well. It allows me to properly represent the audience as it is made up. Not a single thing wrong with doing it the other way mind you. It works just fine, but the way my show is structured this is the best way to work it.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
|||||||||
Jon Stetson Veteran user 329 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-03-18 11:40, Dannydoyle wrote: A woman hypnotist friend of mine uses the same approach. I thinks it's the way to go (for me). |
|||||||||
Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
I agree, I too select my volunteers from the audience. For me it allows more control on my stage during my show. I will not select just anyone because their hands are up, if I feel they are not in the best interest of the show, the will not be selected. The only exception is when an audience member not originally selected to be on stage responds from the audience to what is being done on stage, at which I may bring them up on stage to remain as part of the show.
|
|||||||||
Rotten Special user 829 Posts |
I believe in this method and am surprised I haven't seen it used by more than one hypnotist. My teacher only picks people that are sitting with their hand raised and remaining calm. If they are waving their hand he will not pick them. If they could have been the prom king or queen he doesn't pick them. If he thinks they think they are the class clown he does not pick them. He chooses the library/book worm look over the beauty queen and it works very well.
|
|||||||||
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
I do not really work those high school shows, so not sure about those things. My goal is to sort of represent the audience make-up on stage. I look for a person who sort of represents each and every sort of person "type" I see in the audience. Not usually a problem with people jumping up and down and such to volunteer once they are out of high school.
High school shows you can be really selective. You will have 2x the number of volunteers as you have seats. It is playing tennis with the net down. Often in the shows Peter is talking about, it becomes more a sort of "take what you can get" situation. My criteria is more to represent the audience, and have people more "willing" than anything. If you have the luxury of being selective them by all means do it. Definately.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
|||||||||
Zoto New user 32 Posts |
Wow! It never even occurred to me that I could just go out and hand pick my volunteers. Eliminates the entire need to weed out candidates. And if things didn't work out I could quickly run out and get someone else.. Frees up time for the pre-talk and the induction. I don't think I will do it any other way now.
Jerry Bolduc A.K.A. Zoto! |
|||||||||
iramayami New user 11 Posts |
Ive got Richard NOngards stage hypnosis complete course its amazing its worth the investment, really!!! and ive just finished reading Ronnin guide to modern hypnosis also great.... and I can say truly that the only thing you would need after reading and viewing this two iteams its the courage to go out to perform ,nothing more nothing less , no more books for some time just go out and do it ,fail and learn and do it again ,and again and again ...after you have done that yo can read another book on hypnosis or dvds but you got to go out and do it ,no ifs or maybes other wishe you will be waisting a lot of time and money just sitting in your room doing nothing.
|
|||||||||
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » You are getting sleepy...very sleepy... » » Reframing Volunteering (0 Likes) | ||||||||||
Go to page 1~2 [Next] |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.05 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |