talkmagic.co.uk

The problem with a lot of magicians is that they won't actually divulge their price to other magicians for some strange reason. The so called 'going rate' is therefore shrouded in mystery and is a bit of a guessing game.

I'm quite happy to tell people that I charge between £175 and £225 for a 90 minute wedding or party receptionm deoending on the location and the brief. To me that's a sensible price.

I have to agree with Ian in that pople will often get a few quotes before making their mind up. It's a bit like hiring a builder in some respects. Some can be hundred of pounds more for the same job.

I charge what I am comfortable with and if people want cheaper then they can find cheaper. It's their choice but I would suspect that there are some in the area that charge £50 to £100 more than I do for the same. If they are not getting the work then they have to look at their prices and not expect others to put theirs up.

If someone works for free then they're doing themselves more of a mis service than they are to others.

I think that Davey and Pete both hit the nail on the head with this one. If the client is looking at hiring a magician then there's a good chance that she'll go with the lowest quote. You need to give her a reason to pay that little bit extra. Offer her something that little bit different, something that she's not going to get from anyone else. She needs to want to hire you rather than 'a magician'.

I freely admit I charge £100 an hour and normally perform for 2 hours. So I'm afraid I don't see £200 for a gig as a low 'under cutting' price. However, saying that, there is a professional magician local to me who frequently charges £100 for 2 hours work and that to me is rather low.

You'll never be able to enforce a system where we all agree on prices. Money does strange things to the human mind. Plus prices will vary from region to region, I live in the West Midlands, not exactly an affluent area!!!!

I have encountered far worse though by the way. I have had other magicians find out where I have a gig and try to poach it! Now that is unprofessional behaviour!

The only thing I tell myself and prospective clients is if they wish to pay someone half of what I charge, then they can expect someone half as good as me

To get an idea of how cut throat the "real world" (as opposed to the magic world) can be, try working in a normal industry!

Industries I have worked in before turning pro have included the drinking glasses business (for pubs, restaurants, hotels etc), safety equipment (!), and believe it or not cardboard boxes. These people thought nothing of phoning other companys' clients and undercutting them. In fact it was an every day activity - essentially it's what salesmen do. It also used to be common practice for office people moving from one company to another within the same industry to take a photocopied list of all their old employer's clients with them for their new employers to contact.

It's the free market economy, baby!

themagicwand wrote:It also used to be common practice for office people moving from one company to another within the same industry to take a photocopied list of all their old employer's clients with them for their new employers to contact.

I've done that one, well I didn't exactly take away a list of contacts but when leaving my last job, I contacted all my clients to let them know I was leaving and where I'd be if they needed anything. Most of them have followed me to my new place.

Many firms these days insist on a Confidentiality Agreement whereby employees sign legally binding agreement to not take information with them when they leave and certainly to not contact clients for a minimum period of time – 18 months from date of leaving in some cases. Not easy to enforce but it's becoming more common.

When I was involved with a mobile disco we had an occasion where somebody else had arrived very early and set up their gear insisting that they had the gig. We had signed paperwork, he had none but wouldn’t move until the booker arrived and put the matter right by telling the guy to shift or he’d call his mates in to ‘help’. Apparently the guy had overheard someone talking about the gig assumed if he got in first and offered to work for a low fee he’d be invited to stay.

Kinda like The Stoner?

pcwells wrote:Does the client want a magician, or does it want you?

I'm keen for people to see me as the product - not as the guy that delivers the product. In doing that, other people's rates are less important. There's only one of me.

Pete

YES!

It's called BRANDING and if you're not a brand (as noted in my previous post) you're simply not seen to be of value e.g. folks aren't going to pay the bigger dollar amount for you.

Part of the Branding Process is to stand out from all the rest and sometimes that means charging 10% more... I remember Max Maven some 25 years ago, barely covering rent here and there because he held to his brand and the value being built into it... he'd not do a single effect for any situation for less than $1,000.00. Folks laughed and mocked him but most of those that did so are still unknown while Max is a living legend that lives rather comfortably these days.

Aside from knowing what you are worth over the other clowns in the region you must also (even when you're hungry) be willing to turn down gigs when the cash isn't right or, as per the example above and a handful of similar scenarios I can think of, when folks aren't out to INVEST IN YOU vs. just wanting a Magician... there's a big difference and perception is everything.

I always find it interesting that the magician who is charging $250.00 and hour is staying busy while the guy charging $50.00 and hour is not. Okay I don't find it interesting. I know the reason. You get what you pay for. I also find the guy charging $250.00 is usually a professional and acts that way, and gets repeat bookings.

There was one magician I know who started off charging whatever the customer was willing to pay, be it 25.00 or 250.00 didn't matter. Two years later he was working steadily for not less than $350.00 an hour. He simply started out cheap to break into the market. Now he regularly hires the people he was undercutting earlier. And while I don't like those who undercut I have to say this magi was not undercutting at all. He had a business plan and a goal. His business plan was to get as many clients as possible early on and he did this by offering either a simply 1 hr show, or a full party package. Either way he always gave the client more than they paid for. He was always very good and very professional. He became King of the kidshow market, and more than a few corperate gigs.

And to be clear, he was new to the country and didn't even know the 'going' rate, nor did he really care. He did what he did to make a living.

Lenoir wrote:Kinda like The Stoner?

LOL!