The Greatest Time and Energy Saver for the Amateur Magician
/The first trick I generally show to someone is a good trick. Not an average trick, but also not a great trick. A solid 7.
The first trick you perform for someone will, generally, get a better reaction than you might normally receive for that trick, because that spectator has no expectations. If anything, they probably have low expectations based on the magic they’ve seen in real life. So there’s no need to do a really strong trick at first. In fact, a really strong trick can be so overwhelming to some people that it can be off-putting. So that’s something you’ll want to build up to.
So, again, I start with a good trick.
What kind of reaction does it get? A good reaction… a great reaction… an incredible reaction? These are all legitimate and suggest someone who will be open to more performances in the future.
But what if I get a bad reaction? And by “bad” reaction, I don’t mean they’re booing or something. I mean that they just shrug it off.
What trick do I use to win this person back?
Nothing. I don’t try to win them back. You can’t.
I used to think I needed to do a better trick for them, and that would make them like what I was doing more. And so I spent a lot of time and energy trying to “win them over” with a really good trick.
What I didn’t understand then, but know now, is that these people didn’t dislike the trick. If it’s a good trick (good enough that you can be certain they don’t know how it’s done) and it gets a bad reaction, that’s because they don’t like the sensation of mystery or not-knowing. A stronger trick isn’t going to win them over, it’s going to push them further away because it’s more of what they don’t like.
If you get a legitimately bad reaction, it’s because they don’t like magic or they don’t like you (or both). Either way, more of those things are not what they’re looking for.
So let them go.
If they end up being in your social circle for an extended period of time, and they see or hear about you performing for others who are enjoying what you’re showing them, then they will come to you and ask about seeing or trick or something you’re working on or whatever.
They may hint at it indirectly, or they may say something like, “Why don’t you ever show me a trick?” This is VERY common if they’re feeling left-out of something fun going on between you and others.
When this happens, I simply say, “Oh, I just didn’t think it was your thing. I’d be happy to show you something sometime.”
That’s the way to phrase it. Not, “Well, you didn’t appreciate that one trick I showed you enough!” It’s just, “I didn’t think it was your thing.”
Next time you show them something, there will be a dramatic difference in their response. (I’ve never had it play out any other way.)
Usually, people’s initial negative reaction is caused by them thinking you were seeking approval or validation. Or that you wanted to make yourself look smart or cleverer than them. Once they sense that’s not what it’s about for you, the hesitation normally drops away.
The secret, as it is so often in life when you’re trying to appeal to someone in some way, is to make them chase you.
Don’t waste your time and energy trying to get people into what you’re doing if they’re not inclined to be. Cultivate an audience of people who enjoy participating in this stuff with you. Perhaps counterintuitively, this is actually the best way to draw in those who are initially unwilling to engage.