Improv Shows

Kansas City magicians every Saturday at the Kansas City Improv! November 5th: Devin Henderson. www.improvkc.com

Mind Madness at the Improv

My Marketing Strategy

Recently I performed at the University of San Diego. A lovely young lady named Kate helped me out in the show. The next day she emailed me, telling me she appreciated me coming and that she enjoyed the show. She also asked me a question about my marketing strategy and how travel life works for me. I gave her a very long answer and I thought I would share it here. I hope you enjoy but most of all I hope you find inspiration.

Kate,

First of all, I am so glad you enjoyed the show and I appreciate you saying so. Believe it or not, even after performing professionally for 8 years, a good word of encouragement is needed every now and again. I THRIVE off affirming words. However, as my wife can tell you, I am always in the process of seeking God’s approval above all others – a lifelong process. I just tell you this because glorifying the Lord is the most important part about my job. As far as your question about marketing, touring, etc., it is so hard to know where to start, but here goes…

The Lord has blessed me with an entrepreneurial spirit – something I don’t think everyone possesses. When you have an entrepreneurial spirit, no one really has to tell you, “this is how you go do it, and these are the steps to get you there.” Instead, you just know what has to be done and you go do it. Not that someone without the entrepreneurial spirit cannot be successful – they just have to work much harder at finding a process that works for them. Entrepreneurship is full of unknowns, challenges, risks and at times, complete let-downs. On the other hand, it is extremely rewarding.

I started out as a restaurant magician in Kansas City, hopping from table to table, just like I was doing in the cafeteria at the University of San Diego before the show. I actually started out doing 2 restaurants as a Kansas City magician. But to land those 2 jobs, I walked into 40 restaurants looking for work as a table-side magician. I actually started by calling restaurants and introducing myself. After about 5 calls I realized the phone wasn’t good enough – I had to go there in person. That’s when I dressed up, grabbed a deck of card and some homemade business cards and began driving around to various Kansas City restaurants, approaching general managers, trying to convince them that my services would be to their benefit. After many “NOs” I finally heard 2 “YESs.” (I tell you this story to make the point that no one was telling me what to do and how to do it – I just wanted a gig so bad I could taste it and nothing was going to stop me. THAT is the entrepreneurial spirit).

When I began the actual restaurant work, I would place my business card on the table after each “performance” whether the customers asked for it or not. Then the phone started ringing: I landed birthday parties, church events, school carnivals, and even some corporate work right away. I also cold- called high schools to see if they wanted entertainment for after proms and project graduations. And it worked. Over the next few years, I would continue to craft my stage show, develop a website, and formulate my brand, which is still evolving and always will be.

Many small business owners ask me how they can “get their name out there.” I heard Steve Martin address this concern in an interview that has helped shaped my marketing strategy. He said something along these lines (and I paraphrase) – “Don’t worry yourself about finding agents and how you are going to get your name out there. Just worry about being so good that people cannot ignore you.” And THAT has been my marketing strategy. I haven’t made a cold call in I don’t know how many years. 90% of the work that comes my way is from repeat clients and word of mouth. Maybe 10% of my business is a result of online marketing, and that is being generous. So, my “marketing strategy” has been first of all, to work to be as good as I can be. And second, to be sincere, genuine and appreciate people properly. My aim is to treat people well (the way Christ would) whether they are a client, competitor (another Kansas City Magician), family member or stranger on the street. And last but not least, prayer has been a big part of my “marketing strategy.”

I realize you are going into marketing. My story and my point isn’t to say that there isn’t a place for marketing. Companies need it. But for me, if I would have hired a marketing strategist years ago, I would have gotten my name out there before I was ready, and my skill level wouldn’t have matched up to the demands. For me, the natural progression of developing my craft has lent itself to “bigger and better” clientele. The application for someone who is marketing as a career would be to believe in what you are marketing for and to be involved in the process of brand development. If you don’t genuinely believe your product or service is superior, you will never be able to promote it with confidence and failure is a guarantee.

This may be a longer answer than you asked for – but I thought I would just say what was on my mind and hopefully you can pick something up from this. Even though you are not wanting to become an entertainer, many of these concepts are universal to any career path. Granted, my method of starting out will not work for everyone. You have to realize what you want, the best way to get it, and find your own way of getting there. If you are trying to follow someone else’s formula, you are doomed, because then when things aren’t working, you begin asking yourself, “So what do I do now?” But when you are creating your own path, hindrances don’t set you back – they are just motivation to keep trying harder.

For instance, about halfway through my process of trying to land the restaurant gigs, I became extremely discouraged. I remember pulling the car over into a parking lot and asking God, “What do I do if this doesn’t work out?” But at that point failure was not an option, and fortunate for me, I was not going off of a formula for success – I just kept doing what I thought needed to be done. And this process helped me seek God and trust Him for the answers. I am not saying we shouldn’t seek mentors, read books, listen to CDs and go to conferences, because I do all of that. I am just saying that we have to be careful to let one person, formula or concept completely shape our plan of action, goals and mindset. These should come from an accumulation of bits of advice, education, personal experiences and what your heart is telling you.

As for the touring part of what I do…

I do about 4 shows out of town every month. About half of those require a flight and the other 2 are road trips. Everything else is relatively close to the Kansas City area. I don’t necessarily tour – only on rare occasion am I doing 2 out of town shows in a row without coming home in between. I have two daughters – ages 2 and 4, and we are expecting our third. My wife and I agree that me going out of town is good for all of us – the time away makes us all appreciate each other more. But, I don’t like being away for very long. We are trying to find ways to be a family despite my travels.

Most of the time when I am on the road – they come with me. In fact, we are going on a road trip today for a show. They love hotels, mainly because of the pools! The University of San Diego show is the first time we have brought the kids on a plane. It wasn’t too bad. Also, we are considering homeschooling. That way, they will be able to come with me on trips when they can without having to worry about missing school. They can do their homework in the car or on the plane. I just don’t want my kids to say someday down the road that their dad was never around.

Geez, I’ve written you a book! I hope you can find some inspiration in all of this. Thanks again for your email and your question. It was great meeting you – and thanks again for helping in the show! You are a beautiful, bright young lady and I have no doubt you are going to be successful in whatever you do. Just remember to trust in the Lord. “I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Dr. Gary Chapman: “The Five Love Languages”

I recently presented at an event here in Kansas City for Marriage Vine Ministries. Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages and the “magician of marriages” as I like to think of him, was the keynote speaker. It was a pleasure to meet a man whose is so deeply passionate about helping make marriages stronger. Dr. Chapman spoke about his new book, Love as a Way of Life – Seven Keys to Transforming Every Aspect of Your Life. He is a very personable individual with a great heart and a wonderful presence on the platform.

"I recently shared the stage with Devin Henderson. He's a top notch performer and a gifted communicator. The audience loved him. I highly recommend him for your next event." - Dr. Gary Chapman, author of "The Five Love Languages"

Channel 41 Midday Magic

Here’s a clip from a news spot that I did earlier this year: http://bit.ly/he1xmM

Magic for Down Syndrome

On Saturday we will be doing another charity event at the Improv, this time for the Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City. Tickets are $10 at the door. Call 816.759.LAFF for reservations. Please pass this on to all your facebook friends and help us pack the house to support this awesome cause!

Breaking Down Barriers to Good Listening

My friend Robert Mayo commented on my blog post about the S.O.L.E.R. approach to non-verbal listening skills. This is what he said about eye contact:

“As always you share great advice Devin. Today I was meeting with someone at Panera Bread while someone else was cleaning the windows behind the person I was meeting with. It was hard to maintain eye contact while being distracted.” (By the way, Robert is a great guy and an amazing auctioneer here in Kansas City. I once witnessed him ever so skillfully execute a liquidation for a furniture store in Kansas City and it was pure magic. You can learn more about his services at www.auctionbymayo.com.)

The reason I bring up Robert’s comment is because he raises a very good point: even if we truly care about making the person our focus, circumstances can often times get in the way of good listening. In the book, “25 Ways to Win with People,” (by John Maxwell and Dr. Les Parrott) Mr. Maxwell lists 6 barriers you must overcome in order to, as he so eloquently puts it, “Listen with your heart.” The six barriers are:

-Distractions (cell phone ringing, television, etc.)

-Defensiveness (taking the person’s complaints or criticism as a personal attack and reacting accordingly).

-Closed-mindedness (you think you already have all the answers and don’t need to hear what the person has to say).

-Projection (”attributing your own thoughts and feelings to others”)

-Assumptions (jumping to conclusions)

-Pride (being full of yourself)

Mr. Maxwell says our goal should be to eliminate as many of these barriers as possible. Of course, as in the instance of my friend Robert, sometimes distractions are nearly impossible to eliminate. But as distractions arise such as people walking by or background music playing in a restaurant, focusing on the principles in S.O.L.E.R. works like magic in breaking down these barriers.

The book is full of great information on how to, as the subtitle says, “Make Others Feel Like a Million Bucks.” Do yourself a favor and get the book – I highly recommend it. Again, it is “25 Ways to Win with People” by John Maxwell and Dr. Les Parrott.

The Cross the Ultimate Mark

As a speaker whose topic is making your mark, in the corporate world I do not mention the ultimate mark of all time which was made at the cross. However, my lessons in making your mark, sharing your magic, and treating people well all stem from the golden rule, Christ’s second greatest commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. God is love, and because of Him we are capable of loving each other.

This Easter I count my  blessings as though it were Thanksgiving: an amazing family, wonderful friends, a great career, a home, food on my table, health, this incredible country, and the list goes on and on. I think of those less fortunate than myself and remember the best hope the world has is the hope found in Christ Jesus. As my pastor stated in his Easter message, “Without Him we have no way to deal with our sin.” I am eternally grateful to Christ who died, was buried, rose again, ascended into Heaven, and offers us eternal life when we invite Him into our lives. The mark Christ made while on earth was the ultimate act of selflessness and love and will echo throughout eternity. “By His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

“Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job”

I had a great time Wednesday presenting to the students of entrepreneurship at JCCC. We had a question and answer time and one student asked me the million dollar question: “How did you transition from a full-time job to starting your own business?” I answered by telling him I was fortunate to never have had to make that transition. Upon graduating from Kansas State University in the fall of 2003, I began my career as a professional magician immediately. I worked about 15 hours a week at an after school daycare for a while (my job during college), but within the first few months I was blessed with enough “gigs” to make a living right away. However, I suggested a book to this student…

Recently, Jon Acuff was featured on the Dave Ramsey radio talk show. Mr. Acuff is the author of the book: “Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job.” Mr. Acuff claims that his book offers valuable information for anyone wanting to make their dream job a reality. The book has not yet been released, but you can pre-order the book on Amazon.com (click here). It will be released on May 10th – I look forward to picking up a copy for myself.

JCCC Entrepreneurship

Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 20th at noon I will be presenting to the students in the entrepreneurship program at Johnson County Community College. This presentation is open to the public. We will be meeting in the Hudson Auditorium which is on the 2nd floor of the Nerman Museum which is on the northeast corner of the JCCC campus. My presentation is titled “Make Your Mark: Share Your Magic.” I inspire people to discover what “magic” they can bring to their daily interactions in business and in life. I hope to see you there for a time of magic, fun and inspiration!