Honesty And Transparency

I recently performed for the executive staff of Macklin Motors/Toyota.

During the night, the ‘big chief’ took the floor to present a talk on the future of the company.

Obviously, I won't go into details, but it was very positive and inspiring. And the phrase that stuck with me was ‘Honesty And Transparency’

It's a phrase I try to keep alive in my own business… I hope my customers agree.

I want people to know what they're getting when they hire me.

To be honest, in my line of work, it's not going to be 100% obvious. They know I'll attend their event and perform magic. That's it. That's all they know. But that's enough.

I've made mistakes with this though. The first time I visited a school with a promised ‘anti-bullying magic show', the feedback was ‘There wasn't much magic,’ because I had over-thought the educational aspect, and tipped the balance too far that way.

I started making balloon models at an event once, assuming everyone would love it. I was quickly asked to stop as some of the children in attendance had allergies, and some didn't like the sound of the balloons…

I hadn't been crystal clear about what I was going to do.

I still don't tell clients exactly what I'm going to do, but if there will be balloons, I'll let them know. If there will be puppets, I'll let them know.

The only things I don't warn them of is the specific magic effects, and the fact that I'll always try to over-deliver.