Kids Entertainer Podcast

To earn a good client's business, sometimes—or oftentimes—it's not about the fee we charge, but the quality of customer service we provide. And for Matt Fore, this has proven to be true throughout the 25 years he has been in the kids entertainment business.

A full-time comedy magician and a lecturer, Matt offers a load of helpful and actionable tips that you can do straight away to offer your clients a refreshing dose of excellent customer service and make an indelible, fantastic impression in the process.

In this episode we discuss:

• How consistently providing good customer service builds you a good reputation and benefits your business
• A shift in mindset: It's not about you and what you're selling; it's about your customer and how you can solve their problem.
• Empathic listening
• Examples of bad customer service
• The Ritz-Carlton mindset
• Simple things you can do starting right now to stand out and be a customer service rock star

Legal gibberish turns off many of us, and that may be why you've put off having your own contract in place. Drafting one also seems like a painstakingly meticulous business as you need to cover a lot of bases.

But in this podcast episode, Michelle Uulf shows that making your own contract does not need to complicated. Here she shares how you can create this legal document simply but effectively, and even how you can automate the process of having it signed.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why are contracts important and how do they benefit you as an entertainer and/or employer (if you have staff)?
• Should you DIY contracts or should you employ the services of a lawyer?
• Can you just copy and paste contracts you see online?
• Can you change your contract over time?
• 5 steps to making your own contract
• Do people really read contracts?
• How can you automate the signing of a contract?
• What do you do when disputes happen?

As entertainers, we want our audience to have their eyes glued to us, hanging on our every word and applauding with delight. And more often than not, the key to achieving this lies not so much on the tricks or routines we have prepared (although of course they are an integral part of how to get that reaction), but on our presence.

In this interview, comedy genius Robert Baxt talks all about improving our presence and he gives anecdotes and specific examples along the way to illustrate his points. He also shares a lot more in this episode, so we recommend hitting the Play button right now.

In this episode we discuss:

• Robert's background in law
• How to read the mood of an audience and get them to respond
• What do clients pay you for and the audience applaud you for, your magic or your presence?
• Is it a good idea to simplify your show/performing setup?
• Getting the audience emotionally involved
• Robert's one major tip for professional entertainers
• Outsourcing what you're not good at: Robert's comedy writing services
• Improv and theatre training: are they recommended for kids entertainers?
• The importance of being present and aware

Whatever type of children's entertainer you are, you'll find having easy-to-do but extremely fun kids party games in your arsenal useful. They not only help you give the children a delightful time; they also make you stand out in the adults' eyes as you're able to show how you can maintain control of excited kids and keep chaos at bay.

And in this podcast episode, Simon Sparkles gives you some go-to games to add to your show. Be sure to download the extended notes to get more details about these games.

In this episode we discuss:

The competitors of kids entertainers: bouncy castles, mascots, etc.

How to stand out from them: your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)

Games you can play with children at your show:

• Musical Bumps
• "Pre-party" games: Before the party "officially" starts, Simon lets the children do some free play, like with spinning plates, short walking stilts, etc.
• Limbo

Audience control tips

As entertainers, we usually worry if we are funny enough. And it's understandable. Laughter is a good indication (though it is by no means the only indication) that our audience is indeed being entertained.

If comedy is something you wish you're better at, or if you simply want more tips and inspiration on how to be funny, David DeVito, who has been voted "Best Stand-Up" in the Los Angeles Comedy Festival, shares a good number of solid tips in this interview. (We've listed them all in the extended notes, so be sure to get a copy.)

In this episode we discuss:

• David's average performing week and his shows
• Why David says "If there are adults in the audience, you're not doing a children's show."
• An easy way to engage the kids and make the adults laugh: Take cue from Art Linkletter's Kids Say the Darndest Things
• Do you need to be funny or can you learn to be funny
• Tips for funnier and better shows so you can charge higher and score more bookings
• The anatomy of a joke
• The comedy technique that you can learn from Everybody Loves Raymond
• The importance of being willing to fail and putting yourself out there
• The experimental segment in David's shows
• Bigger laughter = More money

Roger Blakiston's career in professional entertainment spans over 50 years, and it also spans both sides of the Atlantic. Theatrically trained and having run his own children's entertainment agency in the UK before moving to the US—where he is still an active kids comedy magician—Roger is filled with stories and insights about all these fun and games we call work.

Listen to our interview with him and see a life in children's entertainment through his eyes.

In this episode we discuss:

• Roger's comedy influences
• Difference between UK and US audiences
• Difference of children and adult audiences over the decades
• For how long can you be a children's entertainer
• Roger's story about how he started in magic and became a kids entertainer
• Why it's a smart move to do kids entertainment over adult entertainment
• Theatre training and success in children's entertaining
• Why Roger offers a different preschool show every month
• How Roger came up with his practical costume

Zivi Kivi is back on the Kids Entertainer Podcast and in this episode he offers smart, easy-to-do marketing strategies that will help you get better—and more—shows while keeping the kids quiet and cooperative. Zivi has road-tested these techniques in his own shows, so you know they truly and effectively work.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why it is important to remember names
• How Zivi helps his customers remind the guests to attend the event: 4 different ways
• A great tip on how to get your brand in front of more people: The Gift Box Tactic
• Thank you note from the birthday kid to the guests: not only a marketing tool that gets your name in front of more people, but also a tool for managing and empowering the kids
• The Pre-Approved Time Method: How Zivi handles requests of "Can you stay longer" and earns in the process
• How to get text and video testimonials: 2 doable and effective tips
• Zivi's courses

Eric Knaus, aka the Great Zucchini, is one of those people who have an intuitive marketing sense. Instead of spending dollars to promote his brand, he relies on something that's low-cost but astoundingly effective: relationship marketing.

Listen to our interview with him and learn how he does this type of marketing, as well as how to gain easy name recall, maintain controlled chaos, and build rapport with your clients from the first phone call.

In this episode we discuss:

• Eric's market and typical show
• His marketing style: relationship marketer and performer
• How he handles children and unruly behavior: controlled chaos
• How he stays faithful to his brand and makes himself relatable to his clients
• How Eric turns his show into an entertaining infomercial
• How he gains name recall
• How to get 'defenders' to back you up against trolls
• How he humanizes himself to clients during phone conversations

Struggling to stand out from other kids entertainers and snag the attention—and business—of more clients? For James Munton, the key is in creating a unique, strong, memorable character. But how to do it and where to start?

Hit play and get the answers.

In this episode we discuss:

• James' market and the edge of those who do kids shows
• How to build and market your image to gain the business of today's bookers
• How his websites sell his services
• How to create a strong performing character that fits and is unique to you
• How to stand out with what James calls 'TOTTR' (The One Thing They Remember)
• His review from former president George Bush featured on his website
• His thoughts on franchised shows

This podcast episode is all about building strong routines and creating kids shows that thrive on audience interaction and keep the kids bursting with laughter.

And who better to talk about comedy, entertainment, and captivating audiences than the wacky and creative Christopher T. Magician?

Hit play and pick up techniques and insights that would help you come up with shows that are hilarious and highly engaging.

In this episode we discuss:

• Christopher's market and the camaraderie of magicians in his area
• How his background in acting and theatre benefitted his entertainment career
• Tips for creating and improving kids shows and finding inspiration
• His style that's distinct from other magicians and also from his shows that he did in New York
• What influences and inspires his shows
• Terry Seabrooke and treating the audience as the ultimate authority in building shows and routines
• Kid control tips
• Organic vs. inorganic interactions and how they work in a kids show