Don’t Settle for Less

Posted on May 15, 2012 by jasonmichaels

I was just in Chicago for several bookings and I want to share an experience that I had with you.

So, my crew and I drive up to Chicago from Nashville with all of my stage equipment, illusions, etc. to perform a large stage illusion show at the Navy Pier Ballroom for one of my corporate clients. I had made reservations for us to stay at the Chicago Hilton downtown on Michigan Avenue. When we arrive at the hotel, I am told that the only rooms they have available are the adjoining rooms of suites (which don’t have permanent beds in them). What!?! I explained to the person checking me in that the whole reason for choosing to stay in this beautiful hotel is so we would be comfortable and would get a great night of rest before our performance the next day. She tells me that these rooms are the only ones that are available.

So, we go upstairs to check out the rooms. When I lay down in one of the rollaway beds they brought in for us, my feet hang off the end of the bed! So I drag my whole crew back downstairs to the check-in desk and tell the lady who checked me in that this situation just won’t work. She disappears for a few minutes to go speak to her manager. When she comes back she tells me that the hotel is going to put us in one of their Imperial Suites which has over 2,000 square feet, two bedrooms, a huge living space with fireplace, and an insane view of Lake Michigan.

We get back in the elevator and hit the button for one of the top floors of the hotel. We exit the elevator to a huge lobby with a grand piano and sitting area. There is one Imperial Suite to my left and one to my right. When we open the door to our suite, I realize that the suite takes up half of the floor we are on. It’s incredible! The crew and I get comfy and enjoy a relaxing, fun rest of the night in this incredible suite. Check out the pictures below.

So what’s the lesson here? It’s very simple. Don’t settle for less than you deserve. When you book a hotel, or hire an entertainer, or do anything, you should demand that you be treated the way that you deserve to be treated. You deserve the best and you should hold people and businesses (and government) accountable.

Consider these two scenarios…

Scenario #1 – My client, the one who had hired me to perform the big illusion show at Navy Pier, was very interested in an illusion I offer where a company’s corporate logo magically appears in a flash of fire. Unfortunately they had spent their entire budget and couldn’t afford to add that specific routine to the show. Knowing how big of a deal it was to Cindy – my contact – I decided to include this illusion at no cost to the client. In fact, it actually cost me money to include this illusion in the show since it has several pieces that have to be manufactured by a professional print company. I did it happily. You should have heard the crowd reaction and seen the client’s face when their logo appeared. In fact, the head of the company said this after the show was over, “Best ever!” Do you think it was worth it?

Scenario #2 – Several days later I worked for another very high end client who wanted to impress a group of stock traders and brokers. She chose to have me come in from Nashville to Chicago (again!) and share my interactive, close-up magic with them. The whole idea was to celebrate these people and truly ‘Wow’ them. From my conversations with her, I knew how important it was to make an impact on these very savvy, sophisticated, intelligent business people. I decided to perform several brand new tricks with money (remember these folks are stock traders, money speaks volumes to them). I specifically found out who the VIP in the room was and I went so far as to create a brand new routine that he would never forget. The routine is a little complicated to describe, but when the magic happened to one of the managing partners of the company he freaked out! I couldn’t have asked for a better reaction. My client was thrilled! Again, do you think it was worth it?

When I spoke to the lady who had hired me, I asked her why she decided to use me. She told me that she had initially been referred to another company, but thought they looked a little cheesy. When my name was given to her, she looked at my website, watched the videos and read the letters of recommendation. That, along with the initial recommendation and a phone consultation with me, put her at ease. She knew that I was going to go above and beyond to make sure they had an amazing experience.

So, let me just reiterate. Don’t settle for less! When you pay for something, you deserve to be treated like a celebrity and a VIP. You deserve the best! Demand it.

The Imperial Suite at the downtown Hilton Chicago.

A view of Lake Michigan from the suite.

Being Prepared

Posted on May 9, 2012 by jasonmichaels

I had a very interesting conversation with a client once about how his company hired certain types of vendors to provide services such as entertainment, supplies, employees, and more. I found our discussion extremely fascinating based on what he told me and thought it was cause for further reflection.

Before we get into it, let’s quickly review who most people do business with. As I talk about in my marketing keynote presentation The Magic Business, the vast majority of us choose to do business with other people that we know, that we like, and that we trust. This is a basic marketing concept and it is important to remember. However, this specific client appears to be the exception to the rule.

He told me that the woman who owned the business would hire people, work with vendors, etc. even if she didn’t like them, as long as they were prepared. He said, that when you sat down to meet with this lady as long as you were well prepared with your presentation and represented yourself and your company well, it didn’t matter to her if she liked you as a person or not. She was able to see a level of quality and professionalism and recognize that she wanted to be in business with that person or that business.

I never forgot that conversation and I thought I would share it with you today. So, what can we take away from this lesson? Think about it then let me know by leaving a comment below with your thoughts.

Trade Show Traffic-Stopping, Lead Generating & Sales Producing Secrets Revealed! Secret #4

Posted on May 1, 2012 by jasonmichaels

In secret #3, we discussed how creating a shared experience can lead to natural conversations that then lead to sales opportunities. To review that blog post, click here.

In this entry, we are going to discuss just how effective personalizing your message to fulfill your client’s wants and needs can be.

Personalize Your Message

There are two very different, yet important, ways to personalize your message.

#1 – You should find a way to personalize your company’s message, products, or services to speak to your attendee’s specific needs. In other words, why do they need what you are offering?

Well the easy answer is that they don’t need your product or service. Yep, I said they don’t need it. Yikes! What they actually need is the end result that your product or service promises. Let’s examine this.

People don’t need cars. Cars are fun to own and bring a certain level of freedom. But most people don’t buy an expensive car just to have one. What most people are buying is the ease of being able to quickly and safely get from point A to point B. When you need to get from your home to your office, there are numerous ways you could get there. An automobile is just one of them. You are buying a convenience.

The same holds true for your product or service. I don’t need your widget, but if you can explain to me how it will solve my problems, I might just want to purchase it. If you can personalize it and help me see how it is going to improve my life, then I probably will want to own it.

#2 – The second way of personalizing your message is to do so in the context of entertainment. When someone stops to laugh and have fun their natural defenses and walls come down. They become interested in what they are watching or listening to and become susceptible to the messages that are embedded in that entertainment.

Ever wonder why celebrities get paid so well to endorse products? It’s because the public has built up a certain comfort level with that celebrity. We trust them, because of their level of celebrity, and we put certain weight on their words. If a celebrity that you are a fan of puts their endorsement behind something that you might already be interested in purchasing, the chance of you purchasing that specific product goes up.

The same holds true with personalizing through entertainment. During a performance, the person telling the jokes, or singing the songs, or doing the magic tricks becomes an instant celebrity. Since they are there representing your company they hold a certain level authority. If they are fun and enjoyable, then their likability goes through the roof and their words hold weight. Once the entertainer makes the subtle shift from pure entertainment, to entertaining the audience gathered with your company’s message or one of your products, the audience pays attention to what they say.

That style of personalization through entertainment is extremely powerful. It’s an instant endorsement from someone creating a great experience for the audience. That is a message that holds weight in the minds of your audience and that message is very valuable.

Stay tuned to the next entry where we’ll take a look at why there is always a market for fun.

This blog series is based on a twenty page special industry report I wrote titled Trade Show Traffic Stopping, Lead Generating & Sales Producing Secrets Revealed! In the report I go into full detail how to creatively grab people’s attention and naturally draw them into your trade show booth. If you would like to download the full special report, click here.

Who Is Jason Michaels and Jason Michaels Entertainment?

Jason Michaels and his team at Jason Michaels Entertainment specialize in creating and designing trade show experiences that brand companies as leaders in their respective fields. By driving traffic into booths, creating entertainment that grabs the attention and connects with attendees, and converting promising leads into actual business, Jason Michaels Entertainment has become an in-demand firm.

To partner with Jason and the team at Jason Michaels Entertainment, contact Jason’s office at www.jasonmichaelsmagic.com or 888-212-2863. Jason can be reached directly at jm@jasonmichaelsmagic.com.

Jason Michaels Entertainment…Turning Your Event Vision Into Reality With Exceptional Entertainment!

Control Your Environment

Posted on April 24, 2012 by jasonmichaels

As a performer who received much of my initial training in a theatrical setting, I have always placed a high importance on creating a mood. It’s one of my goals to create a mood from the moment someone walks into a theatre to see one of my shows until they leave. I think that proper pre-show music as well as proper lighting can build anticipation and get your audience excited about what is to come.

Some of my favorite moments when I attend shows are when you file into the theatre and feel the ambience. I believe that getting an audience into the right mindset to enjoy the upcoming show is just tremendously important.

About two years ago I performed for a very high end corporate function and was immediately reminded why it is so important to control all elements of a production, especially the environment.

This specific event was lavish. It was in a beautiful hall that had been exquisitely decorated with the finest linens, flowers, stage settings, etc. Everything had been thought of and prepared perfectly.

I had been engaged to create an original, themed five minute sequence of magic that would add to the atmosphere. It really wasn’t a situation where I had very much control. I was a guest in someone else’s home, so to speak. I was supposed to come in, do my act, and that was that. Unfortunately I didn’t get to call the shots.

So, I arrived, set everything up, and waited until I was on. When I got my cue to take the stage, I took my place and executed my act. Everything went flawlessly. Unfortunately, nobody cared. Only a tiny portion of the five hundred guests paid any attention to what I was doing. It was painful.

Please understand this; I’m a very dynamic performer who commands the stage. I also have worked numerous events. I have had great success entertaining groups exactly like this one. This was an anomaly. But it’s the type of thing that drives me crazy and I just had to figure out what happened so I make sure that it never happens again.

I’ve thought a lot about what happened and I have a few ideas on why it went so poorly. There were two major issues here. The first one was that I took the stage at the exact same time that the food was served. That one is really my fault. I shouldn’t have agreed to start the show when there was such a massive distraction. Honestly, I know better. I’ve known not to do that forever. Why I let it happen this one time, I’ll never know. Well, actually I do know, but I’m not going to lay the blame on other people. I’ll take the blame here. Chalk one more up to experience and things that I won’t let happen again.

However, in my opinion, the main problem here was that the environment was not controlled. If the environment had been properly focused on what was going on, this performance could have been a major hit. I really believe that it was as simple as dimming the lights. That’s it. If the lights in the main hall had been dimmed down to about 25% and the lights on the stage had been brought up to full intensity it would have been obvious that the program was beginning and everyone would have quieted down and started watching the program while they ate. You know, this one simple thing would have helped me, but it also would have helped the program chairs who went on immediately after me to deliver a presentation and were also ignored for the first few minutes of their speech.

I really believe that it is as simple as that. If you work in corporate settings, please take a lesson from this. If you want to focus people’s attention on a show or a speaker, you must control the environment and give your program or speaker every chance to succeed.

Listening to the Audience

Posted on April 17, 2012 by jasonmichaels

I find myself interested in comparing notes with other entertainers. Specifically, I am truly fascinated with a performer’s choice to edit themselves and their show while that show is going on. You may ask yourself why an entertainer would choose to edit themselves during their show. Well, this isn’t common practice. Typically, only the most experienced and intuitive entertainers do this.

The most common reason I find for it is that the audience is responding to certain routines and parts of their scripts early in the show. The audience’s responses early in the show lead the performer to edit the show as it goes on and select material that he or she believes will be the most effective. Editing the show or the lines they choose to deliver is done to optimize the entertainment experience. In fact, comedians follow this line of thinking all of the time. Ok, this sounds a bit too theoretical, let’s talk specifics.

I pay very close attention to the audience before I take the stage and then as the show goes on, as well. I am trying to get a feel for the energy they are giving off and how they react to certain magic. For instance, I was recently performing and got to the part of the show where I had my razor blade swallowing routine planned. As I thought about what I had planned, I looked out at the audience and saw mostly families. The room was full of moms, dads and young people. They were laughing at all the right jokes and having fun watching a lighthearted magic show. I realized that the razor blade routine that I had planned was a dark, moody piece that would totally change the energy of the room. While the razor blade routine is a perfect piece to perform in a theatrical show for a theatre crowd, it didn’t feel right for this room. So I substituted a much less theatrical routine, The Linking Rings, in its place. The way I perform the rings gets an audience member involved and makes them the center of a fun, laugh-filled few minutes. It turned out to be the perfect choice. I selected a young man who had the perfect temperament and knew how to play to the crowd. He was a massive hit and he received a huge ovation for coming up onstage and giving the audience exactly what they wanted, to laugh and have fun.

So, why do I bring this up? I guess my point in writing this article is to say that I believe good entertainers listen closely to their audiences. It’s important to keep in mind who the audience is made up of and why they are watching the show. Instead of performing material that the entertainer may want to perform, he or she should perform material that will best fit the situation. Think about it. If you were hiring an entertainer to come in and entertain your family, friends, or coworkers, wouldn’t you want that person to pay close attention to how everyone is reacting and edit their show to maximize their responses and the entertainment experience? I know I would.

What Motivates You?

Posted on April 10, 2012 by jasonmichaels

As an entrepreneur, small business person and professional entertainer, one of the hardest things to do for me is to not let complacency and mediocrity creep in to my life and my business. There are so many different things to juggle every day, from marketing to creating to performing; it is easy to get lost in it all. Sound familiar?

So how do I keep up with everything? Well…I work hard to stay motivated. Sounds easy enough, I guess. But it’s not, really. It takes conscious effort to stay on top of the game. I thought I would share some of the techniques that I use on a day to day basis that motivate me.

There are numerous authors and subjects that get my creative juices going. Personally, I’m a big reader. I’ve found that when I find an author who challenges me, I read everything that person has written. And if they haven’t written much, I read the authors that that author recommends. By programming my mind with authors who I respect and who energize me, I am able to push myself to new levels.

Lately, I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on by Seth Godin. Somehow Seth is able to write in a style that truly challenges me as a business person, but also as an artist and entertainer. He speaks directly to me and I want to take up his challenges. I’ve not only purchased all of Seth’s books, but I’ve made gifts of several of his works. If you’re interested in his style, check out his blog. And if you like what you see, pick up a copy of his latest book, Linchpin. It’s excellent.

I also try to immerse myself in communities that can further my education. I’m very involved in the magic community. I attend local meetings of magicians. I attend conventions where I can challenge myself. And I read the latest news, journals and magic magazines. As far as business goes, I am currently a member of an online marketing community specifically for entertainers. By being involved with this community, I am able to share business ideas and learn from others who have already accomplished what I am aiming for.

One of the most useful things I do is the mastermind group. The mastermind group is a technique that I learned by reading Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. In it, Hill champions creating local groups of like minded individuals to brainstorm ideas together and to hold each other accountable. By being involved with others who have high goals and are high achievers, I am motivated to hold myself to a higher standard. I’m sure my competitive streak plays a role in wanting to be my very best in front of these other people. When I see the others being successful in their businesses, I am driven to push myself harder and to accomplish more.

When I am not feeling particularly motivated, I’ve found that by having others who will hold me accountable for my actions, I can push through the funk and continue moving forward toward my goals. That’s another big one…accountability. By sharing the things that I want to accomplish with others, it forces me to stay focused because I know that these people are going to hold me accountable. Years ago, I used to date a professional dancer who worked in a production show that was in a casino. The company she worked for had weekly weigh-ins of the girls to make sure they were staying in shape. Talk about accountability and motivation!

Speaking of goals…I almost didn’t list that one. I thought it was too obvious and basic. I hear about setting goals all the time. I hear about it so often, it gets annoying. But it’s probably the most important one. How else can you be held accountable? How else can you strive to achieve anything? You have to know what you are aiming for. I have been setting goals for years now and it’s one of the things that I can attribute a huge amount of my personal success to. By knowing what I want to accomplish and then programming that in my mind by reading those goals daily, I have been able to make things happen that I never would have accomplished otherwise.

So, if using these techniques helps me stay motivated and push me to be the best I can be, could they help you? I think they can. In fact, I would say that by applying these techniques, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. So, pick out the ideas that sound new and interesting to you, give them a shot and see what happens. Perhaps you will achieve even more and stay better motivated, too!

Are You a Linchpin?

Posted on April 3, 2012 by jasonmichaels

When I travel, I invariably find myself reading a lot more (which is a good thing). Lately, the books that have been catching my eye have been (mostly) about marketing. I’ve caught up on some of Seth Godin’s most recent books and I must say that they have been provocative and challenging.

In Godin’s latest book Linchpin, he says the following:

“One day, people are going to remember what you did. They might remember that you did what you were told, and that you were good at being responsive to instructions. Perhaps, though, we’ll remember that you made an impact, a connection and a difference.”

This quote is from the introduction to that book. He makes the argument in the book that each and every one of us has an inner artist who has certain skills and talents that we can bring to the workplace. He argues that we must embrace our inner artist and become leaders in our peer groups, our workplace and our communities. Part of the reason that the US economy is in such dire straits is because we have been brainwashed, repeatedly, to follow along with the crowd, to be happy stamping out “widgets” on an assembly line and to smother our God given talents and abilities so as to not challenge the status quo.

This book, Seth Godin’s Linchpin, is an important book. You need to read it. You need to hear what Godin has to say. Then you need to decide if you are happy just being one more person on the assembly line of life, or if, you want to embrace what makes you special and begin to lead those around you.

This book challenged me. It made me think about what I can do, both in my show and in my business, to share something special with those around me.

Imagine what would happen, in your life, your community and your workplace, if you fearlessly stopped worrying about the status quo, forced yourself out of your comfort zone, and challenged yourself to be excellent every day. It’s quite a challenge, but I believe that it’s worth it.

For more Seth Godin, click here and enjoy his excellent blog.

Get a Bigger Trumpet

Posted on March 27, 2012 by jasonmichaels

When I decided to go into business for myself, years ago, I quickly realized that I had to find a way to get the word out about what I do to people who can use my services. That was when I discovered the world of marketing. Up until that point, I had no interest in the subject. Ever since then, I’ve been absolutely fascinated with it. I’ve read marketing book after marketing book. I have purchased numerous marketing courses. I’ve hired business coaches to help me with my marketing efforts. The more that I learn (and apply to my business) the more success I seem to have.

I am fortunate to have a close friend who I also consider to be a mastermind partner. We constantly talk and bounce business and marketing ideas off of each other. We are a sounding board for each other. We offer each other (hopefully) useful ideas and we hold each other accountable. I look at myself as his unofficial business (and sometimes life) coach. And I’m sure he feels the same way.

My friend, who we’ll call Big (and no that is not a Sex and the City reference, that is a reference that he understands), is a one of a kind. He is a consultant in a very lucrative industry who offers an extremely valuable service that no one else is offering. Wow! What an enviable position, right? Well, I’m not so sure.

The other day, I was speaking with Big and he was frustrated with how little response he had been getting to some of his most recent marketing efforts. I thought about it for awhile, asked a few clarifying questions and came up with some ideas.

What I realized is that when you are an early adopter of a business, an idea, a technology, etc. and you are trying to spread the word, it can be a huge challenge. It seems to me that there can be two possible problems.

Problem #1 – your idea is junk. It could be as simple as that. Every time that I have an idea that appears to be original, I always wonder why no one else thought of it before me. It could be that lots of people thought of this idea before me, tried it out, failed miserably and dropped it. That could easily be one of the reasons why I appear to be the first person with this idea. Another possibility is that the idea really is junk and it has no chance to succeed. Gosh, I hope that’s not the case, but it could be.

Problem #2 (and the much more likely one) – your trumpet isn’t big enough. I think it’s much more likely that your idea has merit. The problem with being an early adapter is that you are the one who has to inform the marketplace about your idea, you have to educate them about it, you have to explain why it’s a good idea, you have to help the consumer understand the problems that this idea solves for them, etc. Everything falls on you.

If you were to enter into a market that is already established then all you have to do is capture a portion of the marketplace. You have to grab the market’s attention and convince some of them that you are the solution to their needs. You are not the only one who is trumpeting your idea. In an established market, you have competitors who are also trumpeting about your particular market. That’s a good thing for you. The more people who are talking about what you offer the better. It keeps what you offer on their top of mind awareness. Then you just have to get a portion of the marketplace and you are set.

When you are the only one championing a specific idea, etc. you have a much tougher job. You have to hit your marketplace left and right with information about your idea. So you not only have to convince them that your idea is valid, you also have to convince them that you are the one to implement the idea. It’s a tough position to be, but if you can capitalize on it, it can be HUGE for you. You will become the expert on the subject and the one that everyone wants to do business with.

So, when and if you find yourself in this position, pick up a bigger trumpet and blow it loudly!

Career Day

Posted on March 20, 2012 by jasonmichaels

I recently enjoyed being a distinguished guest and presenter at Overbrook School’s Career Day. It was truly a pleasure to be in the company of Neurologists, SWAT team members, film makers, espionage agents, Tennessee Titans football players, and all the great students. I had a great time sharing with the kids what a magician does and amazing them with a few of my impossibilities. I thought it was funny that groups of adults kept coming over again and again to watch the magic that I shared with the students. Personally, I enjoyed watching the Nun’s faces light up when they experienced the magic with the kids. Who was it that said card tricks aren’t entertaining!?!

Trade Show Traffic-Stopping, Lead Generating & Sales Producing Secrets Revealed! Secret #3

Posted on March 13, 2012 by jasonmichaels

In the last blog post, we took a look at why being unique gives you a competitive advantage over everyone else. To review that blog post, click here.

In this entry, we are going to discuss how creating a shared experience leads to natural conversations that then lead to sales opportunities.

Create a Shared Experience

Talking to a stranger can be difficult. Many times, we don’t know what to say that will get that natural conversation flowing. As a business person you want to tell attendees about your business, but launching straight into a sales pitch is generally a bad idea.

By creating a shared experience, something that attendees and booth workers can use to get a conversation going, you make the experience the attendee has in your booth more natural and comfortable.

Ultimately you want to create a unique, shared experience in your booth. You want to be able to naturally transition from the experience you are offering in your booth into a conversation that leads to a new or renewed relationship.

To use an example from the last blog post on being unique, let’s say you have some form of live entertainment or show at your booth. So, how would something like that work?

People stop while the entertainment is going on to enjoy themselves, then the entertainer subtly shifts the focus from him or her-self to the product or service of the company. At the end of the performance, the entertainer invites the crowd of people to come further into the booth and learn more about the company who provided them with a few moments of fun and levity. People come in to the booth to meet the entertainer, you and your sales staff.

At this point, the conversation should flow naturally. The sales staff can begin by asking them how much they enjoyed the entertainment and then gradually steer the direction of the conversation to focus more on your company, what it does, and how it can make their lives better.

You’ve built up good will by offering something that they could not experience anywhere else on the show floor and they are willing to give you their attention in return for that gift.

So, how else can you tap in to the power of a shared experience?

Creating a fun, shared experience is an excellent way to build good will and likability as well as making that first meeting with a potential client a comfortable, natural one.

Stay tuned to the next entry where we’ll take a look at why personalizing your message is so important.