A friend of mind just emailed me this vid of a Svengali pitchman at a Marvins stand in London.I'm not too impressed.However if it works for him who am I to say.
I watched a black guy (american) at Toys are Us in Times Square that was working the Marvins stand.He was very good and I think much better.I just think English people are very dull.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORBICcgKLXc

What do you guys think? It will be fun to hear your comments.

Later,Don

This video points out the difference between a "pitch" and a "demonstration." There was no tip here, just one or two people. Of course, it might have grown into a tip with the right handling. But as it was, it was just a demonstration, and there was no real effort to sell the deck (turn the tip). The guy keeps saying that this is his "best-selling trick," but that's hardly a pitch! He apparently has a nice indoor location and a fair amount of foot traffic, but he isn't using it to the best advantage.

I also agree with Don, the fellow looked like he was just "phoning it in." While you do have to memorize the Svengali Pitch, there's no need to make it robotic and mechanical. This was more about "See How Good I Am" instead of "Think About What A Great Trick You Could Do." A fatal error, in my humble opinion. Plus, he was mumbling and speaking way too fast, in my experience. He was entertaining himself, but not anyone else.

Maybe the guy was on salary instead of commission, and he didn't care how many decks he sold? SETH

My friend Scott from over at the scoundrels fourm found this vid of Marvins at Toys are Us in Times Square.This isn't the guy I saw but hes still much better than the guy in the other vid from London.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clzqmLZ04......embedded

Scott pointed out this guy had the tip do tricks with the deck so they know how easy it was for anybody to do.A very important part of the Svengali pitch,where as the guy from London never let anybody touch the deck.

Here is Josh who I did meet.Hes not doing a Svengali pitch but you can see how in touch with his tip he is.Very good !He didn't even try to hold this bunch.I'm sure he could see it would be a waist of time so he did just a trick to amuse them to keep them happy and than got a good tip to turn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7hn0n_CC......embedded

That's the bad thing about working in any store,you can't be rude...you have to do some kind of trick if they ask.Even if it looks like they are just "tire kickers" and than move on...fast.

Later,Don

You're right, Don, the difference is like night and day. Look at all the energy that guy puts out. He's like a 100 watt bulb! Also notice that once he got his assistant's name, he repeated it a few times during the routine. He didn't just "ask to ask" and then forget it. Very important, the audience watches for such things.

On the second video, very good handling of the TT; this guy knows his angles and his misdirection. Very nice ditch of it, too.

But I think they both talk too fast! I learned the hard way that the slower you talk, the more attention people will pay to you. This doesn't mean you have to drag things out, but you do have to speak slowly and clearly so that everyone can understand you. Otherwise, you're not getting through! To see what I mean, watch Don's "Svengali Pitch" DVD. You can hear every word, but the tempo doesn't drag or bore anyone.

An added bonus for speaking slowly is that you have more time to think about what comes next, more time to size up the tip, and more time to emphasize the high points in the routine, with a lot less effort. You may do a few less pitches per day, but I bet you will have bigger and much better tips. SETH

And the marks have more time to think too ... which I feel is bad. The last thing I want is a mark that has the time to think about what he wants to do.

-JoeJoe

Speaking slow and deliberate Joe-Joe is the key to any good pitch.Just trust me on this one.

When I David Walker was breaking me in years ago ago he "drove" that into my head.He would tell me to speak HALF as fast as I am...over and over and over again.Thats is the very best thing I learned breaking in.I put that in my DVD and stressed that point...SPEAK SLOW AND DELIBERATE !

Later,Don

Great advice as usual from Don

The people must understand you as well as have a great time before the pitch

In over 5 yrs of Tradeshows & markets & Festivals Pitching the Svengali Professionally
I now have a routine of fun & Interaction-(the guest must handle the cards)

heres a few pics of pitching at different Indoor & Outdoor venues!!-Enjoy

Click here to view attached image.

Heres a crowd at a kids show fair at our Booth

We sold over 800 decks

Click here to view attached image.

Attracting a crowd before the routine begins
at a Indoor Trade show

I use a money effect to attract a crowd then start the routine that attracts even more etc.....

Had been performing for 6hrs at this stage...

Click here to view attached image.

Crowd having a good time-

Im the hot sweaty dude on the right

Did a street festival last Sat & blocked the footpath as well......

Click here to view attached image.

Large outdoor Mall-
Starting out!!!

Heaps of good advice from Don Drivers products/DVDs over the years keep you going for hours
and when youve done a routine thousands of times it becomes so natural-you concentrate
on the Interaction & then the Pitch...........

When I work I use up to 6 different decks with different cards for many who see more than 1 routine
I also use the names of 2 people right through the whole routine & make them get applause many times over
also I get 1 of them to cut the deck often as the reveal at the end with all the cards really floors the crowds
and adds to the sales...

Many times Ive had people say I'm the greatest card sharp theve ever seen even after Ive spent
5 mins telling them its a trick deck-Go figure........

Click here to view attached image.

Brent,
Great story.This is what keep me going,success stories like yours...I love hearing them and knowing I had a little something to help you along the way.

And yes just SOME help...if you don't have the engery and perseverance on your own to be in the pitch bussiness you won't last very long no matter what you learned from my DVD.

Thanks again for the posts...have a good one,
Don

Hey Brent, sounds like you had some really big tips! I have managed to pull those sorts of tips on occasion, and it's a wonderful feeling. It's almost like you are surfing and have managed to catch a giant wave! As you noted, a good pitch can run rings around even the most impressive static display.

Of course, I always apologize for blocking the street or pathway, even though I'm not really sorry at all! I have also found that a big tip just feeds on itself and attracts even more people. So when I ask everyone to move in closer so that the street isn't blocked, often that only attracts more people and makes an even bigger traffic jam. Those are also the times I'm glad that I invested in a decent wireless PA system!

But if you play it right, you can just roll that big tip over and get two or more pitches out of the same crowd (the ones that could see what you were doing, and then the ones that couldn't). So don't leave just yet folks, we're going to do it all over again for those of you that missed the beginning or couldn't get a good look at what we're doing up here! Stick around and watch the Magic Cards, ladies and gentlemen, it's amazing yet so easy to do once you know the sneaky secret, and the cards do all the work for you . . . . SETH

Thanks Don-

Always a pleasure!!-Thanks for the kind words-appreciated from the Master!!


Seth-

Like your idea of a repitch for the crowd at the back,
I usually am selling then need to reset & quickly start again etc

Sounds like you have had some good days as well!!-Great post thanks

Brent

Brent -- The other thing I have learned is to keep an eye on the size of the tip, and to expand the pitch as the tip expands.

If I start small with just a few people and am working mostly on the table, this means that as the tip grows, the cards need to come off the table and get up in the air. The gestures also need to get bigger and more expansive.

I also try to make sure that I am looking at and speaking to the entire tip, and not just the folks up front. I think it was Don who told me to work to the back of the tip, then I would know I that I was reaching the entire tip. SETH

Seth-

Good Post

I use 1 person at the front to choose the card& get the name

I use a second Person at the far side to select 1 of 4 piles

I use a 3rd person to name out loud any nos between 1-20
and count to that nos etc and they are usually at the back so
Im interacting witht the whole crowd as well as cracking heaps of gags
to keep the crowd laughing & stay to the end of the routine.......

cheers

Just finished last weekend another hectic 2 months of tradeshows doing the Pitch..
Svengali is as popular as ever.....

A few more Pics of Indoor Demo about Casino Syndicate card sharps with to about 250 people
we had great sound,and a massive overhead screen so all could see.....
The assistant was great & very funny during the demo-including a Svengali routine but no one knew....

Click here to view attached image.

Pic2

Click here to view attached image.

Pic 3-

The camera was zoomed closeup on the table top so really made it easier for the crowd as the response was really
good at the end....I do about 15 Casino card dealing / cheating demos a year for many events....

Click here to view attached image.