The Two Token System
/Determining how frequently to perform magic for someone can be surprisingly difficult. In the past, I've burned people out on magic by showing them too much too soon. It wasn't that I was forcing it on them or that they didn't enjoy it—the pacing was just off, and it overwhelmed them.
The Teriyaki Turkey Jerky Problem
I remember in college I got this teriyaki turkey jerky that was really good. My girlfriend's mom gave me a package, and after finding out that I really liked it, my girlfriend would pick some up for me every time she went back to her hometown.
Then, one winter break, I was visiting her at her parents' house and found myself near the store that sold this jerky I really liked. "I'm going to get $80 worth of this stuff," I thought. So I got $80 worth of it—20 packs.
I brought them all back to college and filled up one of my cupboards with the bags... and promptly got sick of it after a few bags and ended up throwing out the rest.
Whatever receptor in my mouth or brain that loved the taste blew itself out when it got overwhelmed with repeated exposure. It lost the ability to appreciate it.
In another world, where I only got one package every few months, I'd still be traveling through that area a few times a year and picking up a bag, looking forward to it days in advance. Instead, I haven't had it in decades. I don't even know if it still exists. I have no interest in it whatsoever.
And this is where we get that old phrase: Magic is a lot like teriyaki turkey jerky.
Why Frequency Matters
Figuring out how much magic to perform for people is critical for the amateur magician who performs for the same individuals over and over. But you can't come up with one standard because everyone is different. Some people want to see magic whenever they can. Some people are into it, but more occasionally. Some people get the itch to see something very rarely. And some just hate it.
The Two Token System
Here's the system I use.
For every person in your life, you get two tokens.
Every time you decide to perform a trick for them, you have to use a token.
When you don't have any tokens left for that person, you can't show them any more tricks.
How to Get More Tokens
Can you get more tokens? Yes.
Every meet-up you have with the person where they mention magic, you get two more tokens. So if they:
Directly ask to see another trick
Ask if there's anything you're working on
Mention a trick you've shown them in the past
That gets you two more tokens.
Example: Mary (The Unlimited Token Machine)
Let's say I meet Mary and show her a trick. I started with two tokens, and now I'm down to one. The next time we get together, she asks to see something else. I have three tokens now (soon to be two after showing her something else). Pretty much every time we meet up, she asks to see something, adding two more tokens into her "bank" (a net of one if I end up showing her something).
Mary is, essentially, an unlimited token machine. I can show her a trick whenever I want because she's always asking for it.
I will still sometimes say I don't have anything to really show her, so that it doesn't become too regular or predictable. But Mary has given me enough tokens that I can show her something whenever I want.
Example: Bob (Two-and-Done)
Now let's imagine Bob. I meet Bob and show him a trick. The next time we meet up, I show him another. I'm now out of tokens with Bob. He seemed to like the magic—maybe even really enjoy it—but he doesn't mention anything about it in future meet-ups. So I stop performing for him.
And it may happen that I never perform for him again. If he's not interested enough to mention magic in the future, I don't feel the need to show him more. I'm perfectly content to interact with people in my life without magic, so I'll save it for those who truly enjoy it.
But, if we're being honest, that essentially never happens.
What usually happens is some time will pass and they'll say, "Are you ever going to show me a trick again?"
And I'll reply, "Oh, yeah, of course. I didn't know if you were interested in seeing more."
Now we've established that I'm happy to show them stuff—all they have to do is express some interest, and we get back into a more regular performing schedule.
Strategies for Borderline Cases
Another thing I'll do, if they seemed to enjoy the tricks they saw but don't mention magic after getting together a few times, is leave a deck of cards out on the table or somewhere visible when we meet up. In most cases, this will spur them to say something about seeing a trick. Clink! Clink! Two tokens.
A lot of people just don't know that they can request to see something. They might think they're going to catch me off guard or that if I had something to perform, I would show it to them without them requesting it. Putting a deck of cards or something similar out in the open is a low-pressure way to open the door for them to bring the subject up.
If nothing else, after months of regular meet-ups, if they don't mention wanting to see something ever, I would give it one last shot. In that situation, I would use a sort of oblique approach. Not, "Can I show you a trick?" But, "I'm working on a new trick—can I get your help with something?"
They may be more comfortable playing the role of "helper" than they were in the role of "audience" when I initially showed them magic. Either way, it’s a last chance to gauge their interest.
Eventually, you don't have to really track the Two Token System. You'll grow to know the pace for how often you should show people a trick. The system is simply training wheels that help you develop that social awareness and prevent you from overwhelming people (or boring them) with too much magic too soon.