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gman Special user Lancaster, pa 751 Posts |
For those who market to Daycare/preschools when crafting your marketing material what is the main pain point that the show solves? In other words why would they want the show whether it is an educational show or fun show? The reason I ask is that I have several marketing books for marketing to the preschool/daycare centers and they really don't do any analysis or even breakdown why the marketing works. So I thought I would start a discussion here.
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charliecheckers Inner circle 1969 Posts |
When you say you have several marketing books for marketing to daycare centers/ pre schools, are they discussions about marketing a performance? Do you have Tom Boleware's book? He posts often here and offers insights from the perspective of a person who owns and runs a daycare center.
I think the answers you seek are difficult to simply answer. I have been hired by numerous pre-schools and daycare centers for numerous reasons. Some desire a topical show while others do not. These are independent businesses that hire us as one way to differentiate their offerings from competitors. Jolly Roger shares a strategy he has used where he offered monthly themed shows to daycare centers. Daycare centers generally have tight budgets and pricing your show low would probably be attractive to the more budget conscious locations. I have parents who have viewed my shows telling the owners of their children's daycare center that they love my show and highly recommend it. That can create an opportunity that would not be available otherwise, regardless of the approach used. Owners have learned of my show through many other direct and indirect ways and then hired me with less concern about show content or price than if I had approached them. |
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Finally a topic just for Tom and he's yet to find it here. I'm sure he'll chime in with some inside perspectives.
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TomBoleware Inner circle Hattiesburg, Ms 3163 Posts |
Thanks guys.
Gman, I think you have my book, not sure. If you do maybe you need to reread it again. It’s easy to overlook things in a book, and then move on to the next book. I will say this, people buy for their own reasons, not for yours. Until you know your customers reasons for wanting to buy your product/service, you're lost. It doesn't matter how many reasons you give for believing your product/service is a great buy, they mean nothing unless your customers have good reasons of their own. Why should a daycare hire a magician? Unless we tell them differently most directors think the ONLY reason to hire a magician would be to entertain the children. And entertaining children at a daycare center is not a big deal, you just let them go outside on the playground and sit back and watch. They will run their little legs off laughing the whole time. Kids are very good at finding ways to entertain themselves. Not a lot of reasons to pay someone other than the teachers already there. So you must educate the director and teachers that what they are getting is more than just entertainment. It’s an opportunity for the kids to see a live show and in many cases for the first time. It’s an opportunity to give the kids/teachers a break from the same ole daily routine. It’s an opportunity for the daycare to be different from the other daycare centers. Let them know this is not just a magic show; this is an event that can cause word of mouth advertising through the parents. It is also an opportunity to perhaps get free newspaper coverage or even free TV coverage for the daycare business. Sell the many ‘opportunities.’ Tom
The Daycare Magician Book
https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/amazekids/the-daycare-magician/ My Blog - https://boleware.blogspot.com/ |
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Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
If I had to pick a guy to know about this it would be Tom.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 4, 2015, TomBoleware wrote: I think while this surely applies to the daycare market as Tom says, this is also very important in the much larger picture of booking our services or business in general. So often we as performers regularly focus on our perspectives or what we think/want the prospective customers to think, but often it is not the same as the reality of what the prospect wants, needs, are interested in or find important. Sometimes, especially for certain performance markets, entertainment is not enough. Most of all as Tom said, and I believe this for every entertainer on all levels, we must educate our prospective and interested/inquiring customers to exactly what we are, how it can be utilized and a clear description and understanding of the desired results. I truly believe it is this education combined with specific positioning that creates so much opportunity, separates us from others, and offers the best chance for getting the booking. This is why I am so opposed to those that mistakenly believe bookings can be done hands-off or only through an online booking form. This is greatly limiting. It is for this reason no online booking can ever replace live or live by phone education and selling. |
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charliecheckers Inner circle 1969 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 5, 2015, Mindpro wrote: While I agree with this, it is a weakness of mine currently. While I do not utilize on-line booking forms, I do not have well developed selling skills. Knowing this, I have relied more so on other means to create perceived value and probably left money on the table as well. I wish those who choose to utilize on-line forms and such would come in and pose the counter argument, as it would be an interesting discussion. While it is a bit wide of the OP here, it does tie in with the notion of how one conveys their benefits to a daycare (or any other customer). |
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
You are not alone. Today's generation seems to feel this hands-off/online booking process is the norm. That literally takes the personality and the personal relation, the soul, out of the booking process.
Nothing wrong with online techniques as a possible lead gen source, to then shift over to personal live contact and relationship development, but more and more (especially with the help of today's tech guys) want to reply only on mechanics to best sell and represent heir business. Sales does not have to be a bad or dreaded word. In reality it (sales and the sales process when done properly) can be one of the most beneficial and personally (as well as professionally) fulfilling aspects to running a business...especially an entertainment business. When done properly it leads to so much more in terms of long-tern benefits and profits. Developing good sales and people skills can be one of the best skill sets available for use and benefits over and over again in life. I do believe it applies for the OP and daycares. The whole daycare business is about personal, trust and caring. I would think that it is much easier to offer your services and establish trust by live, personal contact and marketing. Especially when it is a local market and so quite possible. Also remember, online content can only create "perceived value", where personal contact and relationships creates real value and security. |
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JoshLondonMagic Special user 675 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 5, 2015, Mindpro wrote: So Amazon had it all wrong? Sorry, but I disagree with this. Users can smell a rat a mile away when searching/shopping online. How many calls do we all get that start out with "I read your reviews on Yelp and liked them." --- Well everyone except Mindpro - didn't see any reviews on Minpro's Yelp page. Anyway, point is to say that only offline contact creates value is a misnomer and not true. Some Online companies are creating tremendous value, some more so than their offline counterparts. Why is Gigmasters, Gigsalad, thumbtack and others becoming the go-to resource for booking entertainment? Because they're perceived as the authority while local entertainers have crappy websites, don't make the buying funnel user friendly, don't appeal to user experience best practices and don't even get noticed because they don't practice search engine optimization. Josh London
Josh
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
Spoken like a true tech guy.
You're also kidding yourself if this is your belief about GM and the others. Nothing replaces personal contact and relationships, and standard booking practices still prevail more than any of these such sites. I think you get too wrapped up in being a kids magician and that level of the consumer booking market which is only a very small fraction of the overall entertainment bookings available. |
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
As a matter of fact, here's an idea. An experiment. Have the OP do a split test of 30 daycares he markets to only using online techniques and resources, and then also personally contact another 30 daycares and see which produces better and preferred results.
It may be skewed as we don't know the level of proficiency of the OPs show, business, materials and in-person selling/presentation skills, but I'm still sure what will prevail. Testing should be part of any entertainers business operations anyhow. Again, this is one of those posts that needs to separate facts from opinions. Having booked acts for 40 years I am speaking from fact and experience, not opinion. |
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JoshLondonMagic Special user 675 Posts |
It's cute you think I still do kids magic. In reality I've built a thriving business consulting for entertainers, variety artists and musicians. Very rarely do I perform anymore.
Josh
Josh
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Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
Well for me personally it is all about relationships and contacts and online means almost nothing.
For others the ratio is the exact opposite and it works for them. There is no magic formula. Everyone has and uses what is best for them. To tell me tech stuff is the way to go is idiotic. To tell a tech focused model that relationships are the way to go is idiotic. It is about what works best for the individual. Now all can go back to fighting.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
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Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
My understanding of the daycare / preschool market, is that most shows are generated by phone or by mailings. I have heard of one performer using email to successfully reach the market, but calls were made first to get the email addresses, so the emails were sent with permission (as opposed to someone grabbing an email contact list online, and just emailing without asking first).
- Donald
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
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gman Special user Lancaster, pa 751 Posts |
Wow, some interesting discussions here. For full disclosure I thought I would post the reason I posted this question was because I had gotten into a debate with someone who is taking marketing classes at a local college. He was mentioning some of the things from an online lecture he was listening to about using pain points as opposed to benefits in marketing. He asked me about the marketing I do as a magician. Specifically what was the main pain point I was addressing in my sales copy. Truth be told I could not answer him because I did not know what the point of the sales letters in the courses I have were about. I just reworded them into my own words and sent them out. I did what most people do; I took the easy way of marketing. That got me to thinking because, when I was in the mortgage business many years ago the marketing that I used to do was pretty simple. The main pain points were either saving money, getting rid of the debt, or improving the value of a person’s home. For some reason I never really transferred over to magic.
Tom: yes I do have your book, and I just started re-reading it again. I am glad you commented on this. MindPro: I disagree with you up to a point. You can market online and never actually speak to the booker. However, I think when marketing to Preschools and Daycares you should at least give them a call to let them know you are a real person and not some automated machine. On the other hand, I know a few magician’s who rely solely on automated emails and online booking forms that are successful. Josh, your example of comparing Amazon to magicians, is like comparing apples to oranges. Last I checked Amazon does not perform magic at kids parties or school shows. MindPro made an excellent point. One should make personal contact with a booker to build a relationship. You're right also, most magician’s websites (I am including myself and took my sites down because of this) they basically say the same things, which is surprisingly the same wording that is in most courses sales letters. Many of the kids entertainers are even moving towards using the same type of logo…a cartoon version of themselves. Now, before anyone jumps on me for saying that, there is nothing wrong with it. I just wonder if mom is looking at a bunch of websites or a Director of a Preschool is looking at different websites, and they all seem similar and say similar things how can they know who is better. |
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 5, 2015, JoshLondonMagic wrote: Well that's good to know. But it does seem you are still focused on consumer-level markets, price points and perspectives. Professional markets and higher price points will likely not book online without speaking to someone first and creating a level or comfort, trust and relationship. Especially when their job and corporate or association funds are on the line. |
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Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
Gman I can go a step further. Once the logos all look sameish and the content is so similar as to have no difference what is the only selling point?
Price is the answer and in my opinion that is not good.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
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JoshLondonMagic Special user 675 Posts |
What you fail to understand Mindpro is that I never once said that online marketing g is the only way to go. I believe solid online and offline marketing creates the most well rounded marketing campaigns. It's like being a marathon runner without shoes: Sure you can run but for how long?
The point of my posts isn't to make someone think they don't need any offline marketing strategies but to get you to think of how incorporating online marketing can help offline. That's why I want to read your new book. Press and PR is something I know very little of and would like to learn more.
Josh
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JoshLondonMagic Special user 675 Posts |
I should also mention that I find it hilarious that Mindpro, who thinks so lowly of the kids performer is the one with the most opinions on how to market to daycares haha
Josh
Josh
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 5, 2015, Dannydoyle wrote: How many of your hoity-toity resorts could you have booked without one on one personal contact and relation ships? I highly doubt you could have secured these by online means. |
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