evening special and was told that under no circumstances did they want to be disturbed . This required quick thinking in order to impart a gracious exit .
Cleanliness - I ' m not just talking about your shoelaces and fingernails . I ' m talking about everything from your breath to your personality . You ' re representing the restaurant , so you need to be clean and presentable . That means dry cleaning your suit every few weeks , shining your shoes before every shift , replacing or washing your sponge balls with soap each night . Replace your silks every once in a while . Trust me , no one wants to see old , worn-out props , dirty hands , shoes or suit jacket .
Provide an experience : Don ' t just show off some card tricks . Leave your cardistry at home and give your audience an unforgettable experience . Make them laugh , gasp , and most importantly , come back for more . You also need to stay practiced . Keep working on your tricks and make sure they ' re entertaining , even if they ' re just simple ones for kids . “ Perception of value ” is the key . You want your patrons to feel like they ' re getting more than their money ' s worth .
How to approach tables - I consider myself an expert at approaching tables , I walk up and introduce myself but I give them some room and I stand at a slight angle so they know I ’ m not committed unless they say yes . I understand some people will say no maybe to religious beliefs , having a business meeting or just grumpy … I get that . I don ’ t take it personally . I now lay a blank faced “ NO ” card onto the table so when they say “ NO ” I can say “ CORRECT ” and thank them for coming , and if they want to see more to call me over . Most times they want me to come back because they smiled at my stupid joke .
You will have to know how to handle the typical questions “ Can you make my wife , husband or check disappear ?, Can you give me tonight lotto numbers ?, I have one answer …. “ I can but I don ’ t do requests ” or I pull out a metal counter that ’ s hooked onto reel under my coat , look at them , roll my eyes and say “ I ’ ve never heard THAT before ” Click it , smile , and then carry on .
You want to be aware if there ’ s a computer on the table , notes all over the table , are they doing business , are they signing checks ? I still go to the table , as I ’ m paid to do so and I say “ I see that your busy if you want a break and see a Trick wave me over .” I say this to the table “ captain ” because every table has one person who is on charge of the table . All of which you want to be aware of . After a while you will be able to tell what tables will say YES and what tables will say no just by the body language , conversations and what ’ s happening at the table . Either way you still have to ask .
With cell phones and Ipads in every kids hands at the tables I very politely say that I don ’ t compete with crayons , coloring books , cell phones or Ipads and the parents get that message and they are usually set down or put away . If someone is on their phone or picks up their phone to answer a text or something during my set I always say jokingly “ What are you doing , looking it ( the secret ) up on youtube ?, my magic is not on youtube ”. Then they get the message that I ’ m also watching them and the phone usually goes back onto the table . If a person keeps texting or scrolling I continue on and I don ’ t pause or repeat anything and by the table ’ s reactions , they know that they have missed something special .
Be committed or have a replacement – Be aware that once you get a return following that people will drive from all over to see YOU !!! You have to be there each week with a smile on your face and your shoes shined . If you can ’ t make it make sure you tell the manager and arrange a friend in magic who can replace you for a week and have your replacement tell the table when you will be back and that you will have a special gift for them when you get back . I carry a box full of beginner tricks in my car for such situations . I never cancel at the last moment and not have a replacement . Keep the train rolling ….. When people come in at 7:59pm and your done at 8:00pm I always go to the table before I leave even if it ’ s to make a balloon because I ’ m paid until 8:00pm . I also stay some nights longer for free just to say thanks to the restaurant for hiring me or I will come in on Mother ’ s day , Family day , or other holidays for FREE . Tips are usually good those days anyway . I also offer to do
12 DECEMBER | 2023