Svengali Pitch https://bthesideshowcommunity.runboard.com/t325 Runboard| Svengali Pitch en-us Thu, 28 Mar 2024 21:35:14 +0000 Thu, 28 Mar 2024 21:35:14 +0000 https://www.runboard.com/ rssfeeds_managingeditor@runboard.com (Runboard.com RSS feeds managing editor) rssfeeds_webmaster@runboard.com (Runboard.com RSS feeds webmaster) akBBS 60 Re: Svengali Pitchhttps://bthesideshowcommunity.runboard.com/p1611,from=rss#post1611https://bthesideshowcommunity.runboard.com/p1611,from=rss#post1611I decided that there was no other subject I would like to use for my first post on the sideshow board. Don Driver is an absolute pleasure of a man to deal with, and he knows the material. He has done everything from magic to sideshow, from illusion to blockhead. He is a performer, and a prince of a guy. I am not being paid for this endorsement, but I will tell you this, it will make money for you. Among the magic community, they are going nuts for Don's stuff, and are drooling over the upcoming DVD on building a tip. That one is being finished up by Whit Haydn of the School for Scoundrels. That is the type of folk who believe in the things that Don is doing. You don't know me, so there is no real reason to trust me, but Don Driver is the real deal, and you won't go wrong.nondisclosed_email@example.com (markjens)Mon, 01 Aug 2005 03:01:47 +0000 Re: Svengali Pitchhttps://bthesideshowcommunity.runboard.com/p1610,from=rss#post1610https://bthesideshowcommunity.runboard.com/p1610,from=rss#post1610Hi everyone I posted my thoughts on this tape at the magic cafe a while agao, and thought people would like to see a copy of the review here. ***************************** Hi all. I was lucky enough to manage to get a copy of this tape from Don and wanted to add my thoughts on it. Firstly, Don is a great guy to deal with. He is helpful, friendly, kind and, above all, highly experienced. I have heard of people traveling for hundreds of miles just to attend a flea market and watch him pitch. Well, with this tape you don't have to. I am a escape and sideshow guy mainly, so to be honest I didn't think I would get much from this tape other than the chance to see Don in action. I was wrong. As has been said above, if you are a pitchman or aspiring pitchman looking to sell the Svengali deck you WILL make the cost of the tape back on your first day out. Don's technique is strong. However I think anyone in the business of selling, whether it be talking to magic bookers about that potential gig or working on a used car lot will benefit too. The basic techniques contained here have plenty of use outside of the Svengali pitch. When I was first getting started I made my main living pitching balloons on the street. I would buy a few bags of modeling balloons for £3.50 a bag (containing 100) and sell the completed models at 50p - £1 each. Making about £60 per bag. I could go through two or three bags on a good day. I haven't done the maths but that adds up to thousands of percent in profits. Had I had this tape back then I would have made more, I have no doubt of that. Some days, the really good ones, I could make £250 +, on the bad ones it might have been as low as £20. I averaged at about £120 per day; not a bad income. With this tape I reckon that average would have been at least 20% higher---that's nearly twice the cost of the tape for every day I pitched. A pretty solid investment. Don's advice here stretches beyond the actual selling technique too. He lets you know where to sell, how to deal with problems, how to build your stand, how to get the best locations at the flea market and more. One criticism I had with the tape was that the real-life demo happens in a pretty empty street. It is at a street fair very early on in the day and before hardly anyone has arrived, the camera pans round and you seem to be able to count the number of people there on your fingers. I thought this should have been done when the place was busier. Thinking about it, though, this part really proved the whole technique, Don does his pitch to what seems to be a dead street and five minutes later his stall is full of people and he has sold about seven decks. That's $35 in five minutes to an empty street. It seems that everyone there crowded round Don's little stall and bought a deck. By the end of the day, and after lots more people have been and gone, Don will have had the time to perform his pitch many many times. I can only imagine how many decks he could have sold. I agree with Jason. The production qualities are low. If you buy a tape like this for pretty graphics and good editing, you will be disappointed. However if you buy a video like this for knowledge, real, honest knowledge which you can use to improve your pitching, sales or performance technique then you will find it's money well spent. Cheers all. David Straitjacket *****************************nondisclosed_email@example.com (David Straitjacket)Tue, 14 Sep 2004 16:24:06 +0000 Svengali Pitchhttps://bthesideshowcommunity.runboard.com/p1609,from=rss#post1609https://bthesideshowcommunity.runboard.com/p1609,from=rss#post1609If any of you want to earn extra money or just want to earn money.Try pitching.I have a tape out teaching the svengali pitch.I've been pitching for over 25 years. Check out my site: http://www.dondriver.tk   Have a Good One,            Donnondisclosed_email@example.com (DonDriver)Tue, 07 Sep 2004 22:43:50 +0000