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Funny Business
Newsletter
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July 2005 Volume
16 Number 2
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| Meeting Place All American Balloon Supply, 1101 S. Grand Ave. Suite A, Santa Ana, Click for map . |
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Next meeting
Monday, July 11 2005, 7:00 PM
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This MonthOur Wonderful President Pam will be doing the lecture this month. Pam went to Wisconsin for two weeks. She and a friend stopped off in Baraboo Wisconsin for two days to see the Circus World Museum and then went on to Milwaukee to see the Clown Hall of Fame. She brought back LOTS OF STUFF to tell us. Also we voted for a cashier for the next meeting. You can read more about Pam's trip in This N That From President Pam. Just a note about our hosts All American Balloon Supply. They go out of their way to stay late for our meetings, sometimes after working really early in the morning so please can we be more considerate and be out of the building by 9:00 p.m. Last time Juan kept his whole family up to be there. (Thank you Juan)
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The Art Of Trade ShowsThis is the third article in a series on trade shows. If you have an interest in trade shows, these articles will help you immensely. ClosureFirst you need to find out exactly what your client expects you to do in regards to sales closure. This will determine the direction and length of our act. Companies and approaches differ, and nothing is worse than having the "big boss" stop at your show and pull you aside in front of patrons and correct you. Some clients want you to set up a draw only. This means that your sole job is to direct people to the booth. They have their trained salespeople to take it from there, approaching and corralling the potential customers towards their goal. The goals could be to asses needs, gather information or even close a sale of the product. Others expect your presentation will highlight features of their products. In other words, you are practically a salesperson, expected to acquire patrons with the features or convince them with the value of the product. In these cases, the salesperson will only have to expend on closing a likely sale. Then, in some instances, you will be asked to close sales. This is usually only for P.O.P. (point of purchase) products. P.O.P. products at a trade show are usually inexpensive items that are impulse buys. In these cases, you will not only include the magic or other entertainment, but actually end with you enticing the patrons to pick up a product from the display table or rack and take out their wallets. In some instances you will be hired as an entertainment extra post-sales. That is, the customers are rewarded with your magic show after they have already closed an order with the sales team. In this case, it is often better not to be pushy about the products (soft sell). Whichever approach is needed, you can begin to tailor your act to the client's needs only after you discuss this area thoroughly with them. (Laugh Makers Magazine - Vol. 16 - No. 1 - Fall 1998)
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Adult Participation Makes A Good Show!There is one area that is often overlooked in a performance. It is most often responsible for making the difference between an adequate and a great performance. It is adult participation. Everyone reading this probably is saying that they are usually at an event to entertain the children. But I ask you, who calls you back? Who pays the bills? And who are the ones who are in the back of the room/venue talking loudly? You cater to the children but there are also many ways that you can let the adults know that they are also included in a number of ways. It is very important that you let the adults know that they are suppose to be there and enjoy the show right from the beginning. At the start of your show you can say, "do you want to have fun?" A number of times (usually two) until you have the children at the right intensity. But just before you say it the last time (usually the third time), you can say, "none of the adults are having fun?" They laugh and that is the invitation you give them to also join in. Another way to get the adults to feel part of the event is to throw them a one liner that only they will know. But remember, it is important to let them know it was just for them. You can either look at the most fun loving adult directly when you say it (that can make others groan) or right after the one liner you can say, "that was for the over 12 audience" which will then get you another laugh. And the fun loving adult, you find out their name, and you can use it throughout the performance. Most of the time, the other adults will pick up on it and then you have a spontaneous running gag. At about this time the person who hired you is very proud of themselves for making such a good choice. Another way to get an adult involved is to say loudly, "who wants to volunteer and then pause (all the children's hands go up) . . . And continue on saying "their mom or dad to come up and help me?" The children start turning around looking for their parent(s) and the adults start ducking or pointing to the one they want to come up. Then that is total participation!
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Everyone Loves a ParadeThere were five of us who attended the July
Fourth Parade in Anaheim Hills. Ann "Happy Surprise" Inlaid
had her Spotty Dotty dog puppet, Paulette"Pom-Pom" Rosen was
the Dog Catcher. Stan "Skippy Dee Klown" Edwards had his bird
dog. Bob "Snikkers" House had his invisible dog and Pam "Pachy"
House was shoveling up after us. |
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