The Approach
By Scott Wells
Have you ever approached someone to entertain
him or her with magic only to be told that they
were not interested in seeing your tricks? Is
it your style, your manner of approaching them,
your timing, your appearance, or perhaps the unwilling
volunteer him/herself? It could be any of these
things or a combination of them. It could even
be something unrelated to you that is beyond your
control.
You can control several of these things;
however, some factors are controlled by
the emotions and previous experiences of
the spectators. For example, they may have
religious reasons for not wanting to watch
you. They may be engaged in a deep personal
or business conversation. Perhaps the unwilling
spectator is having a bad day and just wants
to be left alone. Or they have had a great
day and they want to share it with someone
rather than taking the time to watch your
performance just now. They may ask you to
come back again later, so remember to return
to these guests as they have requested.
Be conscientious of those you plan to approach
and try to quickly ascertain if they would
be amenable to watching your performance.
You will come across people who just don't
like magic and feel threatened by your very
presence. Asking them to select a card may
be a mistake unless you plan to restore
the card that they are about to tear up!
Perhaps they have had a bad experience watching/helping
another magician and they never want to
see another magic trick for the rest of
their lives. I am reminded of Pearl S. Buck
who was asked by a magician if she would
like to see a card trick. She said no, then
he proceeded to show her 37 card tricks.
We can't always work at the Magic Castle,
the Magic Island or one of the few other
places where Magic is the main form of entertainment,
where people intentionally go to see magic.
Most of our performances are given in more
ordinary venues like restaurants, picnics,
cocktail parties, corporate banquets, Christmas
parties, etc. where someone who likes magic
books us. But not all of the employees or
guests may share that same feeling. Not
everyone in attendance cares to see a magic
show. I have had some people leave after
dinner before I began my stage show. They
had no idea what they were about to miss
nor did they probably care until the next
day when everyone talked about it at the
office. When approaching people to show
them some close-up magic, remember that
they are reluctant volunteers at best. They
don't want to be fooled or to be made a
fool.
They may see someone approaching them who
is dressed a little different, someone whom
they don't know, someone who is obviously
not the host. They are unsure how to react
so they pretend that they don't see you.
You are the outsider, the intruder into
their sphere of familiarity.
Timing is important not only in your magic
but also in your approach. You must treat
them kindly and not force yourself on them.
Wait for the right opportunity, a time when
there is a break in the conversation when
they look at you and acknowledge your presence.
This is your time to introduce yourself
and try to get on their side. Remember that
you are trying to get on their side, not
trying to get them to come over to your
side. You need to engage them in light conversation
before trying to put a sponge ball into
their hand. They need to know you and to
know that you are not threatening but rather,
you are a friend that is there to show them
a good time for a few moments. People like
to be entertained by friends. It's also
harder to say no to a friend.
If you have tried this approach and you are still
rejected, then shake it off and go on to the next
table or group. Even professional athletes learn
early on that you can't carry one bad play over
into the next or you will dwell on that bad experience
and cause you to louse up again. Concentrate on
the positive and forget about the previous rejection.
Every good magician gets rejected occasionally
for reasons usually beyond his control. If you
have done everything else right, your approach
and your appearance is perfect, and they still
don't want to see any magic, then just remember
that it is not your problem but rather their loss.
Go find someone who is ready to be entertained
and to have a good time.
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