Stage Hypnosis Business & Marketing

The Business

of

Stage Hypnosis The Best of the Stage Hypnosis Center

Volume 1

Geoff Ronning & Chris Frolic

THE BUSINESS OF STAGE HYPNOSIS The Best of the Stage Hypnosis Center © MMIX by Geoff Ronning No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form electric or mechanical without permission in writing from the copyright holder. First published in 2009. For more information visit http://www.StageHypnosisCenter.com ISBN 1448697379 Printed in the United States of America

For Wendy. Everyday I love you more. GR For my boys. CF

Comments about Authors Geoff Ronning and Chris Frolic I’ve been a hypnotist for more then forty years, and I still learn new things from Geoffrey Ronning, Geoff ’s words are pure gold! Rick Allen, Ohio

Geoff Ronning is not only a great hypnotist—he’s also an excellent teacher and has a complete comprehension of the ‘business of show business’. Without him, many would still be standing on the sideline—thanks to Geoff we are playing the game, making our dreams come true! Leon West, South Africa

Geoff is an amazing instructor and resource on all things hypnotic! He has helped me throughout my entire career, from training to follow-up advice and direction. I truly owe my success to him and the Stage Hypnosis Center! John Raven, Pennsylvania

Geoff is a consummate professional that is truly a master in the world of stage hypnosis. He is a treasured resource for stage hypnotists internationally and a role model for all. Geoff is sincere in his desire to further the craft of hypnosis and ensure that his students succeed. He walks the walk and talks the talk, sharing his vast experiences in his teachings. His products are gold. You can be assured that you are getting the best in any product that Geoff has authored. His guidance has changed my life. Dr. Scott Styles, Canada

Chris Frolic’s phenomenal success as a comedy stage hypnotist is unsurpassed His story is one to be studied by stage hypnotists everywhere. Bill Mogolov, Iowa

Meeting and working with Geoff Ronning has been one of the highlights of my life. I am forever grateful for his impact on the quality of my performance as well as the increased income from his sharing his knowledge of marketing. Ronnie Baras, Maryland

Chris Frolic is an inspiration for those of us who want to make a living in stage hypnosis He went from virtually nothing to full time in record time his advice is priceless to any performer. Jesse Lewis, Saskatchewan

Geoff enables each and every one of us to be the person we want to be, and most importantly, become unbelievably successful along the way.Thank you for making my dreams come true. Paul Rheaume, Missouri

Geoff Ronning is the master promoter and entertainer with insights that even the most experienced stage performers are listening too. While Geoff has created the preeminent destination (stagehypnosiscenter.com) for aspiring AND professional stage hypnotists—it is the community forum itself that is the most valuable resource for the new and experienced alike. And Chris Frolic stands out among this group. As I was getting started with my own stage career, it is Chris’s story that was the most memorable and real for me. His sense of humor and willingness to tell it all compels me follow his story to this day. Tobin Slaven, Maine

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Table of Contents INTRODUCTION Chris Frolic Geoffrey Ronning

SECTION ONE: PERFORMANCE ARTICLES

7 7 8 11 12 14

3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Hypnosis Show The American Idol Lesson for Stage Hypnotists How to Get Even the Most Stubborn Audiences to Volunteer 16 for Your Stage Hypnosis Show—Part 1 How to Get Even the Most Stubborn Audiences to Volunteer 19 for Your Stage Hypnosis Show—Part 2 All About Hypnotic Show Pre-Tests 22 Quick Tip: How to Boost Your Ability to Hypnotize 25 Anyone, Immediately! Performance of Stage Hypnosis 26 Most Important Part of a Successful Show 30 Show Leads 30 How to Protect Yourself from Hypnotic Show Lawsuits 33 Simple Steps to Create Successful Callback Stage Hypnosis Suggestions 36 3 Ways to Make Your Performance more Powerful 38 Four Items that May Save Your Next Show 40 Stage Names? Fake, Real or Something Else 43 How to Avoid First Show Pitfalls and be a Successful Stage Hypnotist 45 from the Get-Go How to Solve Every Induction Problem You May Encounter 47 No Volunteers 50 “Great Show! But from Now On We Will Go With Karaoke” 52 How to Rock a Room; What Stars Know that We Don’t 54 You’re the Devil! 57 The Zone 59 What a Stinker of a Show 61 Quick Tips for Successful Radio Station Appearances 62 Story from the Front Lines 65

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A Situation to Laugh About Now The One Minute Guide to the Stage Hypnosis Field Lessons from a Rock Star How to Brand Your Stage Hypnosis Show When to Have Your Hypnosis Show Volunteers Open their Eyes? Everything will be Great, Just as Soon as I Bomb! The Simple Man’s Guide Improve Your Show Today, Tomorrow and Everyday—NEW A Bullet Proof Vest—Mandatory Stage Hypnotist Equipment? Boosting Your Show’s Success with Smart Pre-Show Music Programming How I Joined the “Free Haircut” Club! How to Handle “Walk-Offs”—NEW

SECTION TWO: BOOKING STRATEGIES

The Five Minute Guide to Becoming a Profitable (or more profitable) Part Time or Full Time Stage Hypnotist How to Get Bookings with Entertainment Agencies! Advertising Options: The Yellow Pages The Effective Stage Hypnosis Office A Simple Way to Generate Hypnosis Profits that You Can Start to Duplicate in Under 25 Minutes—Part 1 A Simple Way to Generate Hypnosis Profits that You Can Start to Duplicate in Under 25 Minutes—Part 2 A Simple Way to Generate Hypnosis Profits that You Can Start to Duplicate in Under 25 Minutes—Part 3 How to Avoid Entertainment Contract Disputes The Easy Way to Book Corporate Shows Finding Corporate Clients to Book You How to Contact Clients to Get Show Bookings The 3 Keys to Getting More Stage Hypnosis Shows from Every Client How to Immediately Charge Higher Show Fees How to Book a Hypnosis Show Tour for Fun and Profit Finding Agencies Online that can Give You Shows 3 Mandatory Rules for Stage Hypnotists Working with Agents How to Find Agencies that Can Book You The Key to Eliminating All Objections when Booking Your

66 67 69 70 73 76 77 80 82 84 86 87 88 92 95 98

101 104 107 110 113 119 124 128 130 133 136 139 141

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Stage Hypnosis Show Operation Quick Start: How to Always Have a Steady Stream of Bookings—Even When You Don’t How to Eliminate Bad Customers Gracefully To Have an Online Video or Not You are Sitting on a Treasure Chest How to Immediately Increase Your Business by 20% with Zero Cost On the Brink of a Career, 6 Rules to take you from Failure to Success in the Corporate Stage Hypnosis Industry No-Brainer Strategy! Successful Headshots Direct Marketing Secrets to Book a Massive Amount of Stage Hypnosis School Shows—Part 1 Direct Marketing Secrets to Book a Massive Amount of Stage Hypnosis School Shows—Part 2 Fundraising Secret The Shockingly Easy Way to Instantly Add Cash to the Bottom Line, Stability to Your Future and Diversity to Your Business! How to Book Several Extra Shows Every Year— Without Failure or Rejection Why Should I Take Your Show? Stage Hypnotist Pop Quiz; Nothing Happens Until… Strategies for Having a Cash Cow Stage Hypnosis Business The $120,000.00 a Year Agents Plan Get Press the Easy Way Triggers of Success for Agency Bookings The Single Biggest Opportunity of the Week Booking Power; A Real Life Example of Booking Strategy! The Way to a Secure, Reliable Stage Hypnosis Business (if that is your type of thing) Analysis: Easy Show Bookings How Many Schools Should be in Your Prospect List to Create a Landslide of Show Bookings How to Build a Secure, Stable Stage Hypnosis Business Fast How to Use Agents to Get Bookings

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One of My Simple Strategies that Pays Big Dividends The Five Easy Steps to Appear in the Media Now, to Book More Shows Today! Opportunities at Every Corner by Thinking Like a Marine Sometimes You Have To Throw The Little Ones Back Stage Hypnotist School Booking Tip from Chris Frolic’s “Black Ops” Tool Chest Easy Niche that is Begging for Your Stage Hypnosis Show Even if You Have no Promo, Testimonials or References The Secret to Maximizing Your Singles’ Bookings How to Find Singles Clubs in Your Area that Want to Book Your Hypnosis Show Now! Digging for Gold at the Public Library Why I Don’t Concern Myself with Bottom Feeders (and how you can do the same) Don’t waste time, land the big gigs with your own “Glengarry” leads

SECTION THREE: BOR/EXTRA INCOME

The Simple Way to Sell More Products at Your Stage Hypnosis Show or Lecture How to Create Hypnosis Products (or My BOR Studio) When, Where and Why to Offer BOR Wow…Untapped Market that is Poised for Big Success for any Stage Hypnotist Become a Smokin’ Celebrity Explosive Opportunity for Stage Hypnotist Trend Alert for HHP Trend Alert: Big Picture for HHP Push Button Instant Press for Hypnotists Knockout Strategy: The Super Secret Place That Buys TONS of Our BOR Products that Nobody Knows About Year End Consideration that May Be Worth Tens of Thousands of Dollars to You How to Get a Cash Grab of $9386.00 in 14 Days How to Get a Cash Grab of $9386.00 in Two Weeks—Part 2 Bookings from Heaven

211 214 217 219 221 223 225 227 229 231 234 237 238 241 244 247 250 252 255 258 261 262 264 266 268 270

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The Four Characteristics of Fast Selling BOR Products for the Stage Hypnotist How to Easily Add $12,000.00 to this Years Bottom line in Your Stage Hypnosis Business The 3 Things You Must Know About Your Business Maximize and Minimize to Profit Sky High How to Simplify Your Stage Hypnosis Business and Make it More Profitable How to Leverage Your Past Stage Hypnosis Activities to Increase your Business, TODAY

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272 274 276 278 280

282 285 Eleven Rules for Uncommon Stage Hypnosis Success—Part 1 286 Eleven Rules for Uncommon Stage Hypnosis Success—Part 2 289 Eleven Rules for Uncommon Stage Hypnosis Success—Part 3 292 Snap, Crackle and Pop 295 6 Success Lessons from a Lifetime of Experience 298 Brief History of the Entertainment Field and Why It Matters to You 302

SECTION FOUR: BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY

The State of the Entertainment Industry and the Impact it has on You Priorities of a Successful Stage Hypnotist Four Most Important People to a Successful and Profitable Radio Interview for Entertainers How to Set Profitable Goals for Your Stage Hypnosis Business Quick, Free tool to Find Thieves on the Net who are Stealing Your Promo Simple Way to Speed up Success Give Yourself a Raise Which are YOU? Your Hypnotic Future Groundhog Day is the Hypnotists Way The Most Important Time of Year Success Secrets for Next Year (my experience watching people succeed and fail) The New Years Income Boost (can you double your income?) The Big Drive

304 307 309 312 317 319 320 323 324 327 328 330 332 335

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The Elvis Rule Easy Money Quick Quiz to Boost Your Stage Hypnosis Business How One of the Richest Men in History Succeeded (before he lost his mind) Set Your Watch for Success Five Ways to Increase Your Productivity, Profits and Stage Hypnosis Success She Who Writes the Check Makes the Rules Hot Stories of Stage Hypnosis Success What is Your Metaphor? Long Term, You’re Sunk (when this happens) What Scares You? Is Your Future This Bad? Maybe Even Worse? Lets Hope Not The Final Drive to Make Your Stage Hypnosis Dreams a Reality The Ticking Time Bomb in Your Stage Hypnosis Business Punch the Numbers and Grow Your Business Dramatically 10 First Year Lessons for Big Success for Stage Hypnotists—NEW Know When to Double Down

INDEX

337 338 340 342 344 348 351 353 355 358 360 362 365 367 370 372 376 377

INTRODUCTION

Chris Frolic

I can’t remember how I first came across the Stage Hypnosis Center, but it certainly was a serendipitous chain of events that lead me there. I was like any of you, someone interested in stage hypnosis and the possibility of a new career. A few weeks later I found myself in Las Vegas for his renowned training and met Geoff Ronning for the first time. It would be the start of the best education I’d ever receive in my life. In a short amount of time I went from stage hypnosis newbie to a national performer, appearing on several television programs and meeting and exceeding my financial goals. The articles presented in this book are a big part of my success. I don’t think a book like this has ever been produced. You won’t find anything on how to hypnotize someone, but real applicable tips to make you and your hypnosis career a bigger success than before you read it. Some of the tips in this book have been hugely profitable to me and I’ll give you an example of one.

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!"#$%&#%'()*%)%+#,-. made me believe that going on tours isn’t the exclusive domain of the David Copperfields and AC/DCs of the world. That an unknown hypnotist can do very well for himself with some modest goals. I booked my first successful tour only a few months into my hypnosis career. Today I’ve made many tens of thousands of dollars and dozens of bookings because of that article. I’m totally serious. If not for reading that one article the seed never would have been planted in my head and I never would have thought it would have been a realistic goal. That article is just one of hundreds featured in this book. I’m honored at being able to present this compilation of some of the articles from Geoff Ronning of the Stage Hypnosis Center, as well as some of my own from lessons I’ve learned along the way. I hope you too can take some inspiration and make my achievements look amateur. The tools are before you. I look forward to hearing about your success. "#$%&

Geoffrey Ronning

When the idea arose for this book I was very excited. As I review the contents I’m ecstatic. I know I should probably be humble and down play it but I’m not going too. I’m amazed at the content. Inside is a combination of content from the StageHypnosisCenter.com and some brand new items that are just being released for the first time. And while I think the content is excellent it is not without its errors. I considered going back over each one and making the corrections to improve the grammar, etc. I then decided against it. You see, 20% of the net profits of this book go to support the following two non-profit organizations:

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1) The Jason Foundation, Inc The Jason Foundation, Inc. (JFI) is an educational organization dedicated to the awareness and prevention of youth suicide. 2) Geneva Centre for Autism Foundation Geneva Centre is dedicated to empowering individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, and their families, to fully participate in their communities. So, while on one hand I would rather have spent some big bucks on an editor to make this perfect (and hide my mistakes). On the other hand I thought retaining the original content mistakes and all, and donating the maximum amount of money far outweighed the benefits of tweaking the content. Besides that, it stands as a reminder that what we do—we improve at. Frankly some of my early writings are pretty poor. But you can see article-by-article improvement in my written communications. I think that is cool. I bet I’m really good in about another 4 books. But the bottom line is I hope you get far more from the book than what you invested. I hope your ROI is astronomical. Peace and love to everyone… but more to our better clients than anyone else. ! I will see you at the StageHypnosisCenter.com, GEOFF

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3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Hypnosis Show Geoffrey Ronning, CH, CI

Contrary to what many think, the hypnosis is not the show. When you are doing a stage hypnosis show, you are in the business of show, not the business of hypnosis. Clients do not hire us to watch us hypnotize, we are hired to entertain. Many people get this wrong! And their audiences and shows suffer. Here are 3 simple considerations that will immediately improve any hypnosis show:

Your Induction

Ask yourself: 1) Is your induction reasonably fast? 2) Is it entertaining for the audience? 3) Is it theatrically satisfying? If not you should consider getting a new show induction. The days of using a PR (Progressive Relaxation) and doing a long, drawn out induction are over. Realize your induction is part of your show, and give the people what they want—entertainment from the start.

Your Blocking Blocking are the movements on stage. We analyze videos from performers from literally around the world, and if there is one thing I see more than anything else it is improper blocking, which usually shows up in the form of pacing. In fact, if the majority of stage hypnotists would stop pacing, it would immediately, substantially improve the quality of their show. If you are pacing onstage, plant your feet and move consciously, with purpose and notice your show quality improve. You will relax

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the audience, direct the attention of the audience and make their experience as an audience richer and more rewarding.

Your Character Development Are you interesting? Does the audience care about you? Have you shared with the audience the aspects of your character that will make them care about you? You don’t find a “real police officer” on the television show “CSI” and you won’t find a “actual doctor” on “ER.” What you will find is an actor playing the part so that viewers care about them, their challenges and their story. That is what you must deliver to your audiences. You cannot just be well versed in hypnosis, but also theatre. A poorly skilled hypnotist, with good theatre skill, will always out perform the most knowledgeable hypnotist, with limited drama skills. You cannot be a “hypnotist” on stage—you must be an entertainer, doing hypnosis. Consider the three keys above, and regardless of how successful you are currently, your show will improve.

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How to Get Even the Most Stubborn Audiences to Volunteer for Your Stage Hypnosis Show—Part 1 Geoffrey Ronning, CH, CI

I don’t know one full time professional hypnotist who has not at one time or another, called for volunteers and looked out into the audience to see nothing but frozen bodies, especially in the corporate sector. Sure it is piece of cake to get volunteers at a school or fair, but other times, it can be a little challenging. Particularly if you are playing to very conservative groups who are image conscious. Those are the groups I’m referring to. A couple of weeks ago we played to a group of banking executives. There were about sixty people, in a very sterile environment (a hoity toity museum). They had flown in from all over the country and did not know each other. The average age was about 55. Those are the types of groups I’m talking about! Those are the fun shows, the ones that give you a sense of satisfaction. I’ll take a fire alarm in the middle of my induction any day over the “another average show without challenges.” So, in this series lets talk about getting volunteers under difficult situations. I’m going to share with you some of our techniques so that you can insure that you have volunteers for your show! !

The Beginning Could Be a Good Place to Start If you are having trouble getting volunteers, ask yourself: Why isn’t the audience coming up to volunteer? When you really consider it, there are very few reasons. The majority of them being that your audience is: • scared of being embarrassed • uncomfortable with the other people in the audience • lacking trust in you

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not fully understanding hypnosis afraid of being hypnotized turned off by YOU

In most of the shows I have seen where hypnotists have trouble getting volunteers, it is the last reason that is to blame! Not all, but typically the hypnotist has created the difficulty for himself. Of course they would never admit it, but that is why it will happen again. Analyze your show. In your performance you should begin with a “pre-talk.” In these couple of minutes, you have to gain the audiences trust and tell them about hypnosis and what can be expected when they are in the trance state. It is best if it is done in an entertaining fashion.

Humor Starts Your Show Correctly Many people recommend against humor in the pre-talk, but we have found that using humor in the pre-talk is most effective. Making people laugh puts them at ease, and they are more open to listening to what you have to say. In addition, I figure since we are hired to entertain, and I was not there to sing or dance, humor is a good direction to head. At least it beats that third rate, Community College psychology / hypnosis lecture. Then again, may rendition of Ricky Martins “She Bang” would beat that! You are Nothing Without Rapport Do you have rapport with your audience? Do they like you? Do they connect with you? If they do not, you are in deep trouble. You need to be able to develop rapport with each audience you work. Or only work with those audiences you can develop rapport with. If you have a hatred of corporate America, and that shows, it is probably a bad place for you to work. If you think everyone in bars

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is a drunk and a low life, bars may not be the best place for you to work. You must get rapport. It is hard to sail against the wind, so why not turn the boat around and harness it the power it offers. Get rapport with your audiences and you can ride it for as far as you desire. If you don’t know how to get rapport with audiences, or struggle to get rapport, study rapport development tools. You are nothing without rapport, and everything with it.

Music Gets Your Feet and Heart to Sing We have found it is important to have some music playing while people are coming up, something light and fun seems to work best. It is also important to have music that is appropriate for the specific audience. There is not one song that is the magical song. You want something that fits your show and your audience. Something that is preferably from the last thirty years. So it is best to have several songs that you can choose from, and select the most advantageous song for that specific group. Why is music so powerful? Because music acts as a sound barrier between the hypnotist and the audience, so the audience can confer with each other on volunteering. In addition, music is a natural anchor, so it immediately can change the states your audience is experiencing and inspire and motivate them to volunteer. Now that you have a number of selections of music, have analyzed your pre-talk and polished your rapport skills, in the next article we will look at the sneaky ways we have come up with the beat the hesitant volunteer issue.

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How to Get Even the Most Stubborn Audiences to Volunteer for Your Stage Hypnosis Show—Part 2 Geoffrey Ronning, CH, CI

One of the common nightmares of stage hypnotists is that you call for volunteers, and no one stirs. In part two of this series we are going to discuss some of the techniques you can use to get even the most stubborn crowds to volunteer.

Don’t Walk the Plank In the case of no volunteers the first thing you must do is not let your audience see you sweat. The only person who knows this is not the standard way the show goes is you. No one else knows. You must act as if this is standard show process. Act as if it is completely natural for people to be apprehensive (remember the importance of rapport?) If the audience senses any situation that is outside of your control, you are in serious trouble, mutiny style. Stay calm, stand tall and be confident. If being confident is not an option, you need to at least act confident. To exhibit anything less will cause a show mutiny and you don’t deserve the treatment suitable for Captain Bligh. Never Cajole or Beg The first thing many people want to do is begin to cajoling people into doing a show by saying things like,“If I don’t get X number of volunteers there is no show!” or begging, “please come up, I promise you will like it, pretty please…” Psychology tells us is a huge mistake. Never cajole or beg anyone to come on your stage. Even if it seems like a last resort, this is a terrible idea. It has two important effects: 1) You Eliminate the Sincere In every audience you have sincere participants. If you start to

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beg or cajole people, you immediately hinder the sincerely interested in volunteering. They immediately begin to internally question,“Why isn’t anyone else interested?” and speculate, “There must be something wrong if I’m the only person interested in volunteering.” This is obviously not a valuable mindset you want to create. 2) You Invite Trouble to Your Stage If in your begging or cajoling you get people up on your stage who are insincere, then those participants will be weak anyhow. So in your efforts to get a show going, you will be getting it started, at the cost of how your show runs. So now you have taken even those people who would come to the stage on their own and given them good reason to remain in the audience, and you have swapped them for people who are going to be detrimental to your show. Clearly this is a poor exchange.

Remove Yourself from the Volunteers Path If the bodies aren’t moving in your direction, don’t go into a panic. Immediately move yourself to a position that is not in the path to the stage. If you are on a stage, move yourself so that you are not near the stairs. If you are performing on a dance floor, move yourself so that you are in a non-intimidating place and so that the major aisles to the performance area are free and clear. Often times people think just the opposite; they think if they stand on stage and welcome people to the stage (shake hands, etc.), it will improve the situation. The opposite effect is actually true; it is detrimental to getting volunteers. If that is Not Enough, Remove Yourself from the Performance Area Completely If after opening up the paths to the stage, people are still not volunteering, continue with your patter and clear the stage (performance

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space) completely. Walk out into the audience and around the room. Have fun with people in a light, non-confrontational manner. While you are doing this, participants will begin to take the stage. You just have to give up control of the stage territory.

In the End You dictate the show, not your audience. Be smart, be prepared and understand this is a audience participation show. You must work with them, not against them. You have the expertise; you now know many methods of getting volunteers even in the most difficult of circumstances. Will this solve every problem you ever run up against? No, but it will solve the majority. That is all we can ask, in a legitimate hypnosis show.

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Stage Names? Fake, Real or Something Else… Geoffrey Ronning, CH, CI

There are whole industries devoted to the naming of products. As a performer, like it or not, you are a product. In this article we are going to consider the three main points of whether you should use a stage name or not. This article offers my biased view of stage names. Assuming you don’t want to be called a one word name like other mega stars, such as Cher, Madonna, etc., perhaps you will find this article valuable. My perspective is that of a full time professional who is looking to create wealth, not making my priority to become famous. Many people look to establish a flashy, theatrical name, and while there is no wrong or right way to go, I would rather see you create a name in the industry that you can live with, that will support you in multiple venues, over the course of a full career. While you are considering your “stage name” here are three rules that should help you.

1) Eliminate Negative Connotations Some names have negative or questionable connotations. In those cases you would be best served to change your name to something more neutral. People do judge you based on your name and while you can go overboard making yourself too “vanilla neutral,” you would also foolish to use a name that instantly was identified with negative situations or questionable people. 2) Your Market Your market should dictate your name. Each market has different needs. A name that is appropriate in one market could be totally inappropriate in another. Analyze the market you are working and determine a name that is appealing and does not conflict with…

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3) Your Long Term Goals Your future should be one of the dictating factors of your stage name. If you are currently working bar shows and your stage name is Hypno “Wild Man” Jones, then your name maybe fine. But if in the future you are thinking about doing a stress seminar for corporations or doing shows for high schools, then obviously that name will hinder you, and probably even eliminate you from working most any type of conservative show, and certainly any educational program. If a stage name is more appropriate, then I would not hesitate to use one. If your birth name is fine, use that. My real name is Geoffrey Ronning, and it has also been my stage name for years. For the markets I work it is a good match. I want my show to sound “safe” and “corporate” like. I want my name to be appropriate for entertainment and educational programs. In addition, having my name be “formal” makes me sound like many of the other organizations these clients are already hiring: Arthur Andersen, Deloitte Touche, Ernst & Young, etc. The big question for yourself: Where do you want your career to take you, and what will the effect of your name have on your career? Choose a name that supports your future, one that does not detract from it, and that satisfies your current market interests. A name will never make your career, but it can kill it.

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How to Brand Your Stage Hypnosis Show Geoffrey Ronning, CH, CI

Branding is a component of marketing, yet most stage hypnotists never bother to think about it, much less learn marketing strategies. Here is how you should approach branding for your show business.

The One Minute Guide to Building a Brand Choose one of these: 1) (insert your name here) Worlds Greatest Hypnotist! 2) (insert your name here) Worlds Funniest Hypnotist! 3) (insert your name here) Worlds Fastest Hypnotist! Done. Joke people, that is a JOKE!

The Issue Back in the old days, a performers skill was often his “brand.” Many stage hypnotists, mentalists, etc. never had to do any branding because there was literally no one else in their business. Today that has changed, but only slightly. But that slight change comes predominately from the internet, and as you are probably aware, most stage hypnotists on the internet are not professionals, so the impact is really a false one, but an impact none the less. So, I’m actually really surprised at the number of older performers that never had to deal with marketing and branding issues in the past that now see this as some sort of competition issue. It is not, it is a business issue. Of course this attitude is not limited to the older performers only, it also affects younger performers that don’t know any better.

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Please Pass the Stage Hypnotist If you choose to brand yourself by your skill (Stage Hypnotist) then obviously you are placing yourself in a commodity category. If you brand yourself as a singular entity, you be the guy (or gal)! At that point money because a secondary issue, so assuming you are performing for money, it would be smart to pay attention to your branding. That be business 101. What is Branding? Branding is the way you: • Look • Answer the phone • Arrive • Dress • Talk • Your vocabulary • Poise • And support materials I purposely put support materials last. Most people that do branding leave everything else out and think they are branding when they develop a set of sales materials that communicate who they are, what their show is about and creates the image of them and the experience they deliver. But that is the smallest aspect of branding. You see you could have the most expensive, fanciest promo package on the planet, but if you hand deliver it in a beat up pick up, walk in while wearing a Sears suit and extend a grubby hand with cracked skin to shake their hand, it does not matter what sort of promo package you hand them. They will never equate you as the Hypnotist to the Wealthy. It won't happen.

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Once You Can Fake Sincerity You Got it Made Is a famous line, but few can do it. I recommend you not fake anything in your career! I recommend you be an authentic person that delivers results beyond the norm! Anyone can be average. What’s the fun in being that? I recommend you analyze who you are, what markets you work and create an authentic brand(s) that you can 100% deliver on and that is attractive to your market. Make the brand appealing to the most profitable end of your market and never forget, everything you say and all ways you behave are constantly building your image and creating your brand, and ultimately, it is your brand that is fixed into the minds of your clients and prospects. It is far better that the brand be a function of conscious choice, rather than the end result of half hazard thinking and the 50% off rack. Go big, think beyond the norms and seek to create the most profitable, most engaging, most entertaining, most successful brand you can. Doing any less is shortchanging yourself, your loved ones and your clients!

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How to Immediately Charge Higher Show Fees Geoffrey Ronning, CH, CI

Do you want to charge more money for your show? Do you want to have a more profitable business? Do you want a more secure and predictable income either full or part time? In this article we are going to tell you how you can immediately charge a higher show fee, and do so with no resistance from your clients.

Determine How Much You Want to Make The first step is decide how much more income you desire from your show business. Lets say you are currently doing 85 shows a year and you want to make an additional $15,000.00 next year. It all comes down to simple mathematics: on average you want to generate an additional, average of $187.00 per show. That is easy! Easy Income Generating Strategy Now that we know the amount we want to increase our total income and we have the dollar per show increase, it is time to construct the strategy that will allow us to achieve that goal. The easiest way to increase your per show profits is to offer your clientele more purchase options. There are numerous options that you can offer your clientele and you are only limited by your imagination to what you can create. The options may be in: • show length • performance pieces • customization • allied components • etc.

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You may have an educational hypnosis audio program that each person in your corporate audience receives, you may have a customization option for a routine or a set of routines that is available at an added cost, you may have an added cost for a longer show, or an added fee for any other option or options that you create that add value for your clients.

The Worlds Worst Question One of the worst questions entertainers ask when booking shows is the “what is your budget” question. The client knows the entertainer is just fishing, trying to figure out what they can charge (albeit in a ugly, unsophisticated manner). It makes the client distrustful, breaks rapport and forces them to be defensive and probably in most cases, lie. People do not want to put all their cards on the table in any negotiation. If you attempt to force them to do so, it is a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately many entertainers work this way! The Incredible Expanding Show Fee Instead of you determining the budget amount you want the client to spend—let your clients spend the amount they desire. By offering a series of value added options, the client will spend the amount they need, choosing the options that are most appealing to them, and rarely do they spend less than budgeted, but typically spending more. This strategy basically allows you to offer your show in a pricing structure that will expend with each individual clients situation. No budget questions, no prying, just a helpful series of options that the clients will select themselves to fill their needs, and that will allow you to expand your show fee to their maximum amount with no client resistance.

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Putting it in to Play Obviously you will not increase the fee of every show. Some clients will not want your options and will not have the additional budget, and that is fine. But you will certainly increase your average show fee and increase your total dollars generated, and do so easily and quickly with this strategy.

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Why Should I Take Your Show? Geoffrey Ronning, CH, CI !

Anytime this occurs with any customer we slam the door and lock them out. Avoiding these types of people will make your life easier and your business more rewarding. As a stage hypnotists we come in personal contact with prospects everyday, about every four months a prospect will say: “Why should I go with you over someone else?” That is not often, to be sure, and statistically irrelevant, but I have been thinking about it today, I have decided to analyze this question…

Wrestling is not my Business First let me state that as a stage hypnotist (as in any business) you should articulate your distinctions, but from a historical perspective I can tell you that while I can certainly articulate my distinctions, answering this specific question is typically a waste of time. I find people who ask this specific question to characteristically be poor prospects, more interested in “confrontations” than doing business, more interested in “challenging” than creating solutions. Articulate Distinctive Value in Print and by Action You should articulate your value in print and by your actions, doing it by conversation with each individual prospect is a waste of time. I think a true prospect is more inclined to gather information, weigh value, and then move forward based on the value you provide versus their needs. In talking it over with Wendy we both agreed that this question has historically been a sign of unsatisfying work to come. And these are the exact prospects we avoid.

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Big Surprise… I May Not Be the Best for Them That fact of the matter is I don’t know if they should use me; there is no one size fits all option, no perfect solution. It all depends on their individual needs. How anyone can ask me this question about their needs is ridiculous. Before I could answer this question there are a number of things I need to know. Asking me to answer that question at the outset is like eating your fish before it is caught—it doesn’t make any sense. We have found that people who ask this specific question are, at best, unrewarding to deal with, and more often than not, a waste a time. We only want to deal with people who are approaching a task as potential partners for mutual gain, not “tough sells.” That is why we don’t deal with these people. Respond in Like The next time someone asks you, “Why should I use you over someone else?” I recommend you say: “Why should I book your show over someone else’s?” Just as the customer has the right to do business with those they desire, we have the right to not do business with those we detest. Life is too short to deal with anyone but those you choose.

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Opportunities at Every Corner by Thinking Like a Marine Chris Frolic !

Just last week I was at my local Kinko’s photocopying some posters when I looked across the street at a bar in my neighborhood. There was a sign up for a Sunday comedy night, and it crossed my mind to go speak to them about a show. That made me realize that I look at the world through different eyes than I once did. Now when I’m out anywhere, I’m always spotting new opportunities for a hypnotist. They really are endless.

Making of a Marine That reminded me of an excerpt of a book I read in my high school English class a long time ago called “The Making of a Marine”. It was the story of a Vietnam-era soldier’s training. I can vividly recall one particular passage when the author talked about his first trip back home, and on the bus ride as he looked at the passing countryside. He no longer looked at it as that, but because of his training his mind now was always thinking about military tactics. How he would lead an assault on that same countryside, where were the best defensive positions, how to engage an invisible enemy. Now when I travel, I apply this same “Marine” mindset. A business district in a small community takes on a whole new meaning. It’s no longer quaint, but full of potential shows. A bar on the corner, a service club hall down the street, a hotel with a banquet facility, a nightclub that features bands. This is one particular town I’m thinking of and I translated it into 4 additional bookings. I wasn’t born into this mindset, it came over time through frequent application over the last several months, and there’s definitely a mental wall you have to break through before the world opens up to you.

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But once you do, and you begin to look through the world with your “Hypnotist Marine” eyes, there’s a never ending list of opportunities out there for you.

Challenge Yourself Challenge yourself today to see how many you can spot during your day, and then do it again tomorrow, and continue every day after that. You don’t have to necessarily book all of these places, but the exercise will help you find those real gems when you least expect to. You’ll roll your eyes at anyone ever saying “there’s no work out there” forever after.

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10 First Year Lessons for Big Success for Stage Hypnotists—NEW Chris Folic !

I just realized September the 9th is an interesting date. Some of you may have a copy of “The Chris Frolic Story”, or keep on top of my postings on the SHC forum, and it was one year ago on September 9th that I started a thread about a pivotal point in my career.That was scoring my first bar show, and everything after came as a result from that. It was exactly a year ago that I kicked things into full-gear and haven’t looked back since. Its been an incredible year, filled with amazing accomplishments, as well as a lot of hard work. To mark this occasion I thought I’d share some lessons that I’ve learned along the way. They’re presented in no particular order, just some things that come to mind. 1) I never concerned myself with the competition. This might go counter to everyone out there, but it was something I felt was highly effective for me personally. I went into a major metropolitan market filled with a ton of hypnotists, including other notable SHC members. I never looked at a single competitor website, requested promo covertly from anyone, collected tapes or anything else like that. I was single-minded on offering the best program I could, and it was best to keep my mind clear. To this day I still haven’t done any of that, and probably won’t bother. 2) I didn’t reinvent the wheel. When I talk about not letting people influence me, there was one notable exception, and that’s the proven systems that Geoff has developed here at the SHC. If I was going to follow someone, it might as well be (in my humble opinion) the best.

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3) I did what Geoff told me to. To me this seems logical. I trust in the fact that Geoff knows this business better than I do, so why would I pay him for all his products and mentoring if I was going to have it go in one ear and out the other? Some of the most difficult tasks Geoff asked me to do were in the very beginning, and those were the ones that reaped the most rewards. 4) I didn’t let early failures bring me down. My success may seem meteoric, but I wasn’t exactly printing money at the start. There were many postcard mailings that didn’t get the results I had hoped for, leads would go cold and my conversion rate was pretty lousy, but I never let that stop me. 5) I doubled my efforts when things weren’t working out the way I wanted. This ties into #4. There were some times, especially before my school campaign started to work for me, that I began to run out of money and didn’t quite know what to do next. I can think of a couple of times where I wasn’t sure if I could afford another mailing. But I knew if I let that moment beat me, the business would die right then and there. So I bit the bullet and things started to turn around. 6) I considered myself a “pro” from the get-go. Even before I walked into the Vegas training, in my mind I knew I was going to be a professional stage hypnotist. I never wavered from that thinking. 7) I read every post on the SHC forum and used some nuggets in there to make me a ton of money. I would spend each day going back in time in the forum and reviewing old threads until I had read all of them. There were some

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unbelievable golden nuggets just sitting there for the taking. Two in particular that come to mind single-handedly shot me into orbit when I implemented them. I didn’t have the skills or tools to use them initially, but when I did they were waiting for me. 8) Failure was never an option. I came into this after winding down my previous business of 10 years. I had little money, and if I couldn’t make it work I don’t know what I would have done with myself. Someone people might have thought that going the “safe” route of a regular job makes more sense, but I knew in my heart that if I did that the dream would die with it. So even though I have a family to support and it would have been easy to “do the grownup thing” and go punch a clock, it was never a consideration. 9) I spent little money on things I didn’t absolutely need for the business. I’ve observed a lot people going on a spending spree while starting their new hypnosis business, buying things they think are essential. The reality is the only thing that’s essential is to go out there and start making money! And that doesn’t take much to do at all. 10) There’s a reason why I haven’t spoken about my hypnosis show at all on this list. The “show” part of this business is the frosting on the cake, but the “business” is where you’ll need to spend your time and energy. Without it, there is no show. Well, maybe the occasional one but not the kind of success we all dream about. I probably could have easily written 50 lessons as there’s so much more to reflect on, but for now I will wrap this up. As with any of my articles, I hope some of this may be of help and inspire others out there. I don’t think there was anything particularly remarkable

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about anything I’ve done, yet most people won’t take those necessary steps. I look forward to continuing to update the SHC on my progress and sharing further experiences in upcoming articles.

Excerpted from The Business of Stage Hypnosis Volume 1 For the complete version of this 388 page book or to read reviews go to: http://www.stagehypnosiscenter.com/products/item211.cfm (above link has best price) or Amazon.com

For more free resources on stage hypnosis visit: StageHypnosisCenter.com