talkmagic.co.uk

I just had a phonecall from a random guy on my mobile. It went little like this (from memory);

B: "Hi is this Shuffle?"
S: "Speaking"
B: "Hi - I've been given your number by [Magician friend of mine]"
S: "Oh, ok, how can I help?"
B: "Well its my Brothers stag do on Saturday - we are going to bournemouth. Ive arranged a minbus and we are leaving at 9pm and should be home by 2pm [other details of people etc].
S: "Oh I see - so you are looking for me to come along and do some magic... with you on the minibus?"
B: "Yea i though it would be cool if you show us magic all night, and you can just come out with us"
S: "Ok... how much we're you thinking for this?

Ok, lets take a pause here... I was expecting him to say something along the lines of; "i'll pay you X amount of money....."
And in my head i was already thinking it would have to be a lot to justify taking up an entire Saturday evening (a day I already work) .

Lets get back to it...

B: "Well the minibus is paid for so you will just have to bring enough for whatever you want to drink and food" (!!!!!????)
S: "Oh right. Well I have another work commitment so I may have to come back to you - is that ok?
B: "Ok.. no problem thanks speak to you later etc....


Someone please explain to me how I am meant to deal with this?! Is this request as utterly ridiculous as it seems, or am I just an idiot?

Since when was a night out with some drunk men acceptable payment for my work?
In fact, do you not think that if I ever do get a weekend off i would like to go out with my own friends who I barely get to see as it is?

-Shuffle

omg!! He sounds like a man without a plan!! The only thing that would confuse me is who was the guy that gave him your number? Do you have any friends that like pulling practical jokes?? Think I will take this with a pinch of salt, unless he gets back and offers you around £150 for the nights work.... Regards Garry

No money, no workey!

It sounds pretty much like the guy doesn't have a clue that you usually pay for services like this.
I've been in my local pub a few times and I've had "offers" along the lines of "come along to my wedding in a few months time" (even though I didn't know them) .... no mention of any payment - in fact I could tell that they would be expecting it for nothing ..... yea, right ......

I would suggest you politely inform him of your usual fee and that although the offer is both kind and generous, you will have to respectfully decline (if you really don't want to be a guest on a stag do of people you don't know)

Just remember word of mouth is a powerful thing and just try and let him down gently, or outright lie and say you're already booked....

Seems to me that he was just trying to find something a bit different and don't think he meant to cause any offence or upset?

I always try and see the positive though!!

Much love

Aza

You want paying!

Well the minibus is paid for so you will just have to bring enough for whatever you want to drink and food

5 hours work and you have too pay your own way for drink and food, tell him its just like phone sex, he has to pay and do all the work and pay through the nose for quality like you.

seriosly just point out people usualy pay you to be there in advance and throw in food and drink as standard your just that good an entertainer.

I suggest you advise the chap to go forth and multiply.... OK, perhaps not. The only time you do freebies is when you, and only you, decide to and you really want to do freebies. Otherwise you deserve payment for your skills and entertainment just like any other performer.

Why not just call back and say that you are available, that you usually charge £xxx, and ask if that is acceptable to them.
Just assume that they always knew you were charging, they might not question that, or if they do, apologize and say that you are a professional and that you have to charge for your services.

I would just tell them that you can't make it, because you already booked up for that weekend.

I think you handled it pretty well so far, just don't bother to go back to him!

Just looking at how you've set about negotiating the price. Your remark "S: "Ok... how much we're you thinking for this?"" you ask him to suggest a price. And then he's come back with a figure and its confusingly low. If you ask him how much he wants to pay then that's always going to be a buyers figure. The sensible response I think is to suggest to him a figure that is higher than you want to encourage him to move towards a mutually acceptable figure.

Remember if its a drunken stag evening they may have otherwise spent money on a stripper instead of you. Or they may have paid for that too already. So if he questions the extent of your fee then ask him how much he'd expect to pay the stripper for her 10minutes of work? And she won't ask him to name a figure, she will just tell him the set price, take it or leave it. What I'm saying is that if you are allowing him to barter the figure (as the above comment suggests) then you may need to give him some guidance through the initial negotiation as he may not have done this before.

Hope this helps.

Agreed - i have set prices.. but in the moment i was baffled at his astonishing request.

Up have not informed him of my set prices, he laughed and hung up. Also I have just been offered a 3 hour gig that night on my set price, so no harm done there then!

How rude. You should have offered to pay for your seat on the minibus.