4 Techniques to Turn Inquiries for In-Person Shows into Virtual Bookings Text

By Katrina Kroetch (Magical Katrina)

There are many reasons you may want to decline in person shows over the next few months. It could be a safety issue such as you don’t want someone in your household who is immunocompromised catching Covid-19 or you may be at risk yourself. Perhaps it’s a legal issue -you may want to avoid getting sued because of an alleged lack of safety measures or avoid facing legal consciences for not following the local pandemic protection guidelines. If you’re like me you may just be a little lazy and have realized that you can make about the same amount of money as before the pandemic -but without having to leave your house. It’s way more efficient! Whatever the reason (and there are many others) it’s a good idea to have some talking points in your toolbelt if you’d like to start converting in person performance requests into virtual show bookings.

Before we get to the goods I want to start with a disclaimer: I am not judging or attempting to shame anyone who is saying yes to in person performances. I respect the many magicians who are safely making it work for themselves. 

On the other hand, if you are even the slightest bit uncomfortable with the idea of doing in person social distanced shows you may be having some issues currently and could avoid them by making the switch to virtual. You may find that often when you show up for an event you get “bait and switched” by the client whose guests aren’t following the proper safety guidelines. Sometimes members of the audience aren’t wearing masks or the venue for the show may have switched to a tight, enclosed and indoor location. You may simply just feel unsafe. You may also find the shows are more work than before and more trouble than they are worth. Clients may push you to lower your rates due to smaller audience sizes. Perhaps you’re getting tired of the driving, the set-up, sanitizing everything continuously, the daily grind and the constant worry that you may be exposed to the virus. If you relate to any of these issues you may want to use the following tips to convert requests for in person shows into bookings for virtual performances.

You should use these talking points just as you would read a “choose your own adventure” novel. Use all of them or cherry pick the concepts that work for you. When discussing a booking you should always let the client speak first about their event’s needs, and then gauge what their concerns and priorities are. When booking a show there is no “one size fits all” and not every approach I’ve written will work for all your clientele.

1. Make it About the Client! 

It can often be difficult to talk with prospective clients about safety. Despite being in the middle of a globally recognized pandemic (at least in America) unfortunately it has become a political discussion. When communicating about the safety aspect of a gig a wonderful tactic that often will not offend is to redirect the conversation to be about the client’s safety and your desire to make the event successful. No matter how deplorable you think a client is to have a large gathering you can avoid passing judgment on them, turning them off, or conflicting with their beliefs by making it about you being the potential hazard and how that may affect them and their loved ones. By changing the conversation it becomes not about their decision to hold an event but about how it can be a safe, successful and stress free event. You end up keeping them on your side and are perceived as looking out for them which -- coincidentally -- is excellent customer service.

It’s simple arithmetic. You can explain how many magic performances on average you would do in a weekend before the pandemic and compare how many virtual events you do now. If the answer is more than 1 (without getting tested in between) then an in-person performance potentially puts the client and their guests at risk. No matter how safe the client thinks they are by bringing their 30 “closest” family and friends together that still doesn’t guarantee their safety from YOU or the other many corporate clients and families for which you may do in person events. If you were to perform in person, then all of those shows you would do would put many people at risk. The problem exponentially increases as you say yes to more in person events. 

1. Give Them a Little Taste! 

Instead of discussing a possible event on a lengthy phone call you can ask the client to hop on a quick video chat with you and perform a trick or two. Not only does a quick demonstration provide value it shows potential clients that they can still have all the excitement and surprise of an interactive magic show without all the stress of an in person affair. Some people can be weary of Zoom and virtual magic because they associate those platforms with arduous corporate meetings and long classes, but you have just proved that a virtual event can also mean fun!

“I can pretty much book a show if they see me now rather than on the phone. If a client wants information I ask if they can Zoom chat and I have a set list of two-three tricks I have developed to help sell the shows which look great on zoom. It turns out to be way better than actually trying to give quotes over the phone.” -Paul Romhany (Vanishing Magazine)

1. Explain the Financial Benefits!

A lovely way to frame virtual shows as a more beneficial option is to explain your pricing for your various offerings and why in-person shows cost significantly more. You can try this if your virtual show is priced lower than your in person, socially distanced show (ordinary prudence dictates any in-person event should be social distance during this pandemic). - this is a great way to appeal to the client’s fiscal sense.

Virtual magic shows are much more amenable to a tightly packed schedule of performances and require much less physical set up, time and effort. The additional safety precautions and one-time-use props needed for in person shows such as cleaning materials, wet wipes, sanitizer, gloves, masks, cones or tape for social distancing are also financial factors. The per show cost for you to perform a virtual show versus an in-person performance is considerably less and therefore you can pass the savings to the client.

1. Remind Them of the Added Value!

Having a virtual event as opposed to an in person affair can often be easier and more stress free for your client to host as there are less things to organize and keep track of. Sometimes you simply need to remind your client of the added virtual benefits and the party sells itself! 

You can also bring more quality to your show by doing virtual-specific tricks that you couldn't get away with during live in-person shows. You can describe the highlights and your favorite magic routines that are unique to your virtual show. There are so many ways that you can utilize the virtual platform to make original magic online. You seriously can get away with so much more! For example, a favorite trick that I do in my new virtual magic show (that I could never do in real life) -is to magically make my cat appear. 

I love being able to tell my clients that I have a live adorable animal in my virtual show. I would never have subjected my feline friend to the stressful gigging life I had led before the pandemic. Now however, since I work from home all I need in order to make my kitty the star is a few yummy treats. It’s cute, fun, the families love it, and most importantly of all my cat doesn’t hate me...that much. She is still a cat after all.

One additional bonus to having a virtual show is that the client doesn’t have to limit the party to only their “30 closest friends” as they would for an in person event. If they wish they can continue to have an in person gathering and put the show onto a projector for all to see, and in addition invite even more people to attend virtually! They can send invites to their work colleagues, their family members on the other side of the world, their children’s classmates, their grandparents, and even the local girl scout troop. Everyone can watch, participate, and enjoy. Despite not being physically together the virtual performance adds value to the purchase because the client can share the show with so many more people. The audience can be miles apart yet all be together, sharing an experience of wonder and laughter in the same virtual space.

You can also use your Zoom premium account or equivalent as an upsell feature. With a premium Zoom subscription you can invite up to 100 people or more for as long as you want. If you don’t have another show right after you can even offer to let them use the “room” and your account to finish up their festivities and connect with each other for a longer length of time than zoom, facebook, and skype would normally allow unpaid accounts.

The possibilities are virtually endless! These are just a few talking points to guide the conversation. I hope these ideas can help you to convert in person performance requests into virtual ones and inspire you to think of even more unique selling points that are specific to you and your show. Now go forth and explore the Wild West that is virtual shows!