Welcome back to my series on “Just ASK!” — a collection of real world experiences where “just ask” was at the heart of the success.
Just ask for what you want even if it sounds outrageous or an overreach. Ignore the naysayers and your inner self who fears failure or rejection. Your chances for success are directly related to your knowledge of the person, company, and industry you are asking and your offer of something of value to them, which is based on this knowledge. Please check back each week and I will share more true stories that prove how this principle has worked time and time again.
MAGIC KITS
The Ask
Magicians to demonstrate for one week in J.C. Penney stores around the country for free.
The Circumstance
Reiss Games Magic Line had been successfully introduced to J.C. Penney the year before. Live demos in stores were in response to aggressive requests by Penney buyer. Approached the President of the Society of American Magicians (10,000 members) to have members demo magic in Penney stores free of charge during National Magic Week in October when magicians perform in hospitals, nursing homes, etc. to perpetuate the art of magic. He suggested I put my proposal to the magicians at their national conference in Miami Beach in February.
The Knowledge
* There was a society of Magicians with 10,000 skilled mebers and very few made a good living at it.
* There was a National magic Week every October to celebrate Harry Houdini and perpeturate by magicians performing in hospitals, nursing homes and other other venues of obscurity.
* Magicians love applause and recognition.
*National Magic Week was important to the Society of American Magicians, but the public was unaware of its existence.
* The inner workings of JC Penny, particularly how the Public Relations Dept. worked and their independent budget.
The Offer
Expose magic to bigger audiences during National Magic Week. Penney stores would run local newspaper ads with the magician’s name and picture in the ad.
The Result
After speaking to the Society of American Magicians, we had magicians queuing up to sign on to demo magic free of charge. The promotion was very successful for all parties, and we cemented our relationship with the Penney buyer and their management.
Next week…how this worked with the RUBIKS CUBE…
Photo by Jack Hamilton on Unsplash
