I know that product reviews are usually supposed to go under the products pages, but I feel that this review is more suited to Tricky Business because there are very few people interested in reading about it under a page all about magic tricks. This course is ALL business. I bought this course a year ago, and finally took the time to use my business consultation call to Lou. Therefore, I think its time I can give a full and honest review.

I'm about to give an honest review of the course. Lou DID NOT ask me to write a positive review (or any) about his course. I am doing it so those who are interested in booking more gigs can understand the benefits of this course and whether they feel it is right for them. I bought the Platinum Edition, so for the roughly $300 price tag, I think it would be beneficial for others to know if this course is truly worth it. I haven't bought other courses (such as Jim Snack's), so I can't compare it. If you are unfamiliar with Lou's course, you can see it at http://www.sixfiguremagic.com

Also, I have learned A LOT of information from these forums. And the people who post are very knowledgeable and I appreciate that. But for as much as these free forums offer, I still felt the need to see a direct marketing system on paper that I could apply to my own business. You could (and should) research marketing materials that are not magic related. My personal situation is that I am moving to a new city soon and I felt it would be worth seeing these concepts applied to magic first hand. As a college student, I will not have been able to put this FULL course into action until the new year. But I have applied most of what Lou has taught me, and I am excited to put the rest into action. So here is my view of his course:

The Real Secrets of a Successful Close Up Magician
By Lou Serrano

My rating: 9/10

This course offers a wide variety of marketing tactics. They are HONEST marketing tactics (no dirty tricks here) and have the ability to give someone the tools they need to start their business from the ground up. Not only does Lou take you through all of the necessary things, like websites, business cards, etc. but he also gives his own materials for you to model after. He explains what he uses, why he uses it, and how effective they can be. He discusses the importance of having an actual PLAN, and not just to take marketing stabs in the dark. There were many concepts that I was not aware of before reading his course.

The course is perfect for those who want to be part time pros, or full time professionals. It gives you the understanding of what it takes to actually run magic as a business. In this age of magic, hobbyists are constantly bombarded with new tricks and DVD's. This course is not that. It is a formula to understand how to create a thriving business. I HIGHLY recommend this course for anyone who wants to have a physical business model in front of their face that they can adapt to use on their own. That being said, let me go over the pro's and con's of this course:

Pros:
- It gives the reader an understanding of what it takes to book and REBOOK shows (repeat business, as I learned, is crucial)
- It gives physical comparisons of real promotional materials.
- It applies marketing concepts directly to the magic world. Those who were unfamiliar with marketing before this course will find this helpful.
- Lou actually takes the time to give an hour long consultation on your business. I just used mine. We got to talking and it lasted longer than that. And he gave me his honest opinions of the real questions I had that didn't seem to get fully answered on the forums (because forums are a limited form of communication). It took me a year to use the phone call because I didn't feel ready with my materials until now. Which leads me to the cons

Cons:
- As much as Lou is encouraging to take his materials and adapt them to your own situation, he didn't give a full description of how to do that (in my eyes). Its easy to say, "Here, change this around to suit you." And its another thing to understand how to do that. To Lou's defense, and this in a way adds to his credibility, he IS a successful magician. He is not a beginner. He fully understands the way marketing should be done for him, and probably doesn't remember the same doubts that you and I go through. However, if you are having trouble with this Lou is available to help you with it. Granted, this sort of thing takes self exploration and time. But to me, I think there could have been something more to help me understand that adaptation process.

- For those more experienced pro's, this course may not teach you anything new. If you've been in business for a long time, you probably don't need it. That doesn't mean you can't learn anything, but I'm not sure if it would justify the cost. This course IS perfect for guys like me, who are either part time pros or wanting to start out in the full time.

- Lou's approach CAN come off as too "salesy". This is in part true, only because I think we may be prone to comparing him to all other marketers that exist. Also, the "salesy" aspect may also be due to the fact that his videos are clearly scripted, and therefore may not seem as genuine. The Lou I talked to on the phone was MUCH more casual and humanized than in his videos. His video messages are clear, but could probably be more relaxed and therefore tone down the "sales" feeling.


With all of this being said, what it comes down to, is the reason I felt confident in buying Lou's course in the first place is because of his 100% back guarantee. And I can say I would never return this course or throw it away. I bought Lou's marketing course BECAUSE of the marketing tactics he teaches, that alone should prove that what he teaches does work.

I think my review should be summarized into 3 main points:

1. Lou is not just trying to sell you a product. He WANTS you to be successful and isn't full of you know what.
2. Lou's system works because it makes sense. It is broken down clearly and will help you if you take the time to apply it.
3. This system will EASILY pay for itself. At $300, you could make that back, with profit, from landing 1 restaurant gig or close up show with the techniques he teaches.


I say with full confidence that you will get many useful things out of this course if you APPLY it. Its easy to spend the money, have the course, but do nothing. Buy this course and put it into action. I did, and I don't regret it.

So that's my review, I hope it helps someone who may be considering buying a course on marketing their magic.

Sincerely,

Dave

I too have Lou's course and only have positive things to say about it. Like any course out there, it will take ACTION on the part of the reader to get any results. But what of the things Lou does recommend in his course is to pick 1 or 2 of his suggestions a week to implement. This way your now overwhelmed at once by trying to do it all.

I think Dave said it all with one sentence. Lou is not just trying to sell you some stuff. He REALLY does want everyone who buys his things to succede. This is a HUGE difference in approach from some. Good for Lou.

He ALWAYS wants to help and to make sure people have the best shot possible.

Thanks for the write up Dave. I'm glad you received value from my offering and I look forward to hearing about your future successes once you make the big move.

I should note that I'm offering free shipping world-wide until the end of December. There's no need to enter a coupon code. Simply place your order for The REAL Secrets and I will take care of the shipping charges.

I'm wishing everyone a very successful holiday season!

Lou Serrano

I too will vouch for Lou. I don't own his course personally, but have had the opportunity to get to know him a bit over the past year. He truly is one of the nicest guys in magic. Very humble, very generous, and very skilled. It's rare to find somebody who hits the trifecta these days. We've talked briefly about marketing, and he definitely knows his stuff. There is a reason that Lou is able to charge rates that many magicians dream of. And as much as we would all like to think that our prices are a direct reflection of skill, Lou knows that there is MUCH more to the equation. From everything I've heard about his course, he does his best to distill his thought process so that you can benefit.

Worth $300 for the platinum edition? Book one show from one idea, and the course pays for itself. Something to think about . . .

Today I joined my fiance looking at a site she loves called pintrest.com (random people "pin up" their interests). I had her search "magician", and look who showed up:

http://pinterest.com/pin/405013843/

Wow, quite an old thread! I too have been working with Lou's course for a year or so, thought I'd post a few comments for anyone else who like me had been thinking long and hard about buying this course. You've beaten me to it as I'd agree with everything you say in your very thorough post. I've found it to be useful, practical and valuable and it continues to help me shape my business.

I thought the Phone Consultation that comes as part of the package was excellent. Not only does the prospect of this consultation help focus the mind, but Lou went the extra mile to make sure I got as much useful information as possible.

I've found that as you work through the material in this course you start to pick up a mind-set on how to view your business, talk to customers, relate to your competition etc. This has subtly affected my whole approach in a way that is, put simply, more positive and more professional.

I've got so much more to implement from the Real Secrets course - that truth is, it's almost embarrassing I haven't done it yet. But thanks to Lou's system I do at least know exactly what needs to be done, and I have a plan on how to go about it. If like me you are looking to turn your hobby into a professional business then I'd highly recommend it.

Tom,

Thanks for the great review. If you ever need future assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Lou

Wait a sec! You mean someone else charges money for information?! How can this man live with himself?!?!?!?! (Hopefully those in the know will get my joke on this). Lou, love you stuff man!

I've just finished Lou's course and it is phenomenal! So many magicians stumble through the minefield, trying to put a business together, instead of following someone who's been there and is successful. Lou breaks down all of the components needed to run a successful magic business (or any business for that matter) from booking new clients to retaining them. Lou's phone consultation was extremely helpful and he is such an easy guy to talk to. Lou goes above and beyond what's required of him and it's so obvious that he genuinely wants to help his others succeed. I can't recommend his course enough. Thank you Lou.

That review was written over two years ago, and I've gotten a lot of experience since then that would lead me to want to add on to this review. I will try not to give too much away about the course as one must read it to get the full effect of what it is about.

First of all, reading a course and then implementing it are two different things. And, I would say it is unrealistic to hope that it would all fall into place perfectly and result into six figures of income right off the bat. In fact, even with the help of the course there are still going to be many mistakes to be made, as well as adaptations to your specific situation. I truly hope no one buys the course with the expectation of earning six figures (realistically, within five years) simply because they read this course and try to put it into practice.

The promo materials Lou provides are good to see. As my previous review mentions, the course was not specific in recommendations on how to adapt them to one's personal style and approach. Two years later I've found this is a HUGE aspect of being a professional entertainer. One will have to keep educating themselves on this area in order to continuously improve and to be effective. In my opinion this is a particularly hard thing to teach as everyone will gain new opportunity and insight when life takes you where it will. The course is not a replacement for this aspect that has to be learned.

Another thing, one must have realistic expectations regarding your local economy and your ability to grow within that marketplace. Lou lives in LA, one of the richest cities in the world. Most of us do not, and this will be a big thing to think about, particularly if you are unwilling to or unable to travel for work. The fees he recommends are definitely in line with what one could expect living in a large city like LA, particularly for private parties (I get the same fees for corporate, but my fees have grown beyond my local private party range). Again, it all depends on your situation and what you are able to do.

None of what I have said are necessarily criticism, just things to think about if you are planning on buying this course. $300 was a big investment for me at the time (as a college student).

I will say, that without a doubt it is much harder to thrive and compete in a large city than in smaller or medium size markets. Having done both, I would gladly take medium or smaller markets to larger cities and day. So expensive to operate, so expensive to market and advertise, many more and intense impressions need to be made at a greater cost...larger markets are terribly difficult to succeed in. Although I do not know statistics, I would venture to say failure rate of entertainment businesses is double or maybe even more than anywhere else. Of course there are variables, but generally speaking I truly believe this. Having businesses operations based out of Chicago L.A. and Las Vegas, I have consistently found this to be the truth. I have also found this true in my consulting business where I travel to all types of different locations to spend a few days to a week helping entertainers turn their business around, and here too I have found the same results. It can be done in larger cities, but is much easier in smaller or medium markets.

Actually many entertainers when they tour target medium and secondary size markets for this same reason.

This has no bearing on Lou's course, just as Dave said things to think about with all courses, programs and educational resources. Much also depends on your specific type of entertainment, branding, positioning and performance markets of choice, among other things.

Exactly. The size of the city wasn't to implicate that one simply makes more money because they are in a large city. Only that the markets fluctuate depending on where you are. And those fluctuations are important to consider during planning. In fact, it took me time to see those differences and to adapt accordingly.

Slydinirules,

Thank you for your post. I see you've been a Café member since 2004. Since your post is your very first, I consider it an honor.


Dave and Mindpro,

I agree with everything you both say. My course was written 4 1/2 years ago. In those years I've had to adapt to the changing economy, and the changing buying habits of my customers. I've also learned a great deal since then, and I learn something new everyday, so I keep updating and expanding the information found in The REAl Secrets course.

Dave, as I mentioned when we spoke during your free consultation, if you ever have any questions or concerns, or if you need clarifications or help with things going on in your business, I'm here to help. Please send me an email or give me a call. There are strategies that I currently implement that aren't included in the original version of the course, and I'm happy to share them with you and anyone else who has invested in the course and has already taken advantage of the free consultation.

When I finally update the website sometime this year, I will be offering as a free bonus, unlimited email consultation for a full year in addition to the free consultation. The consultation and the unlimited email follow up can be priceless.

Respectfully,

Lou Serrano

Hi lou;

Interesting thread. I note that the course is maybe 5 years old now? Just wondering how the material holds up, or if you've added any further updates to take into account new technology such as social media, crm software, business automation etc.

Keen to hear, thanks

Aukt,

Not only is the material just as valid today as when I first released it, I believe it's even more effective. I'm continuously updating the material, so the current version of the system does take advantage of modern day technology and systems.

I've also added material that wasn't included in the original offering. I'll give you a couple of examples.

1. In my original offering I stated I knew nothing about SEO, so I relied on Google Adwords to drive traffic to my site. Since that time I now rank organically on the first page of Google for several of my targeted keywords. Although I still rely on others to do the onsite SEO, I have a few offsite SEO strategies that I implement and are included in the current version of the course. One of these strategies I have never seen in print, and it's a strategy that I first heard about from a member of one of my mastermind groups.

2. In my original course, I talked about the use of Google Adwords. A thorough discussion on the effective use of Google ads could be a course unto itself, and there are many offerings that deal specifically with Google Adwords. I now share some specific tips that have served me well throughout the years.

These topics and more can be discussed when my customers take advantage of the free one hour phone consultation and one year email consultations.

I hope this answers your question.

Wishing you much success!

Lou

Hi Lou,

I am rereading the course right now as I am finally moving to Tenerife and will be starting again from scratch... I still have not used the phone call... Is the rain check still valid ...?

One more request: when you update the website can you change out my photo in the review area for this one...?
https://www.icloud.com/photostream/#A2GI......F46CDC4E

Thanks

How dare him!!!

Hi Tim,

I have made a note of it. will take care of it when I finally update the site.

Wishing you the very best!

Lou

I received Lou's course less than a week ago. As of last night I have read up to page 101 and found one MAJOR problem.

I have hundreds of these beautiful well designed business cards and now I have to change them.

I hate you Lou.

At least my unfinished website won't take much to modify...

Best,

Dorian Rhodell