Ryan Joyce AMA: How to become a professional magician in just 495 easy steps :)

From Reddit:

Great question! Here are some to ponder:

• Invest in your visual sales medium --- have awesome photos and videos. Doesn't mean you have to spend thousands, but get a promotional photo done that makes you unique. Get video of you in action. This isn't vanishing anytime soon, its a long term investment. I modelled my promotional material after seeing a Ritz Carleton ad on a flight to the middle east.
• Learn to pick up the telephone --- the idea here is that shows aren't going to always come to you... you've gotta work for them. This part sucks because we are artists not marketers. It's a tough pill for many to swallow.
• Be personable --- there is no room for ego in this business.
• A good sales job and a bad show will get you booked only once. They need to be in harmony
• Over deliver --- do something that will make them remember that you thought more of them than just a "client." One of my "clients" shared with me that he and his wife loved indian food, when we rolled into town I brought with me a chutney from home and an extra souvenir I had bought in India. Means virtually nothing to anyone else, it cost me virtually nothing... but I gained a client for life.
• The bottom line if you can add value to someone's life you can be rewarded greatly.

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[via Owen Anderson]