The Crucial First Step In Going Full time Pro.
-creating a reliable crowd building routine.
Before you quit your day job, you will need to create a full crowd building routine that is as reliable as your day job's paycheck.
The crowd building routine is crucial to every professional street show. If he has nothing else, he must have this to create a steady reliable income.
Any amateur can go out there and wing it, get lucky, and get a show together, and then ask for money.
But the pro, is not getting lucky, he's not winging it, he has a method that gets him consistent shows started back to back, all day long, on schedule.
The pro is in control of his destiny, that's the big difference here.
This method creates a full work day with predictable daily incomes, which in turn can be estimated monthly and yearly.
So what is this serious method?
For future reference, the crowd building routine is called THE BALLY.
The Bally is also used by Carnival Game Operators, Side Show Barkers, Pitchmen, and even Telemarketers.
It is a public place marketing skill.
It is a scripted informative entertainment ROUTINE.
When you perform a magic trick, it is, in a sense, a routine. It has a beginning, a middle and an end. The magic trick is designed to hold attention, amaze, and to climax at the end.
In busking, a routine does all of this, plus, it is concerned with controlling crowds.
This extra crowd control element is the important thing to focus on here.
So when constructing a crowd building routine (or Bally) one must focus on crowd control.
You must take just as much time creating your Bally routine as you did your other magic routines, in fact your Bally routine should be your best routine, because it is doing the most important job.
To begin, different shows, need different crowd building routines.
One size does not fit all.
For instance, if you have a 40 minute circle show, you will need a longer slower crowd build routine. Because you need a lot of people and it will take a long time to get them all there together.
But if you do a quick six minute show, you will need a quicker crowd building routine, because you will need to get a small crowd together every six minutes.
Whatever the routine is that you need, it will need to be scripted, and repeatable.
If the routine doesn't work the first time, you will need to repeat it again until it does.
Do not be afraid to keep repeating if need be, it's part of the job.
Think of it as your show trailer that you repeat over and over until you get a crowd to watch the show.
When you get good at it, you will only need to run the trailer once.
When they stop on your first run, that's how you know you have a strong Bally or a good pitch.
This method of repetition, makes content very important. When writing your Bally, you will need to write it out in your head, out there on the street, while you're performing.
You will be experimenting with tricks, lines, mime, and various other skills, for the walkers, to see what gets the best reactions.
Watch the reactions of the walkers.
See if they stop, laugh, gasp, or give you a dirty look and walk off.
Whenever you do something that kills, you keep it, if it fails, you discard it.
If you do this long enough, a routine will begin to form itself, until one day you will notice people waiting in front of you for the show to start.
When doing your new Bally, you will need to remember to use color sound and movement.
Use quick visual tricks people can see far away, and don't be shy, really put yourself out there.
The more you do it the more you will be building character and stage presence which will aid the routine.
An important tip when getting started is to set your goal to be the world's greatest crowd builder, completely unconcerned with your show or anything else.
You will be putting all your eggs into one basket, which is, getting people to stop.
You should be completely unconcerned with how many days, weeks, or even years it takes, because your whole life's goal, will be, to be the world's greatest crowd builder.
It is a great goal, because if mastered, it will be the strongest tool you've ever used, and you will be able to use it in any other venture in your life.
In fact some buskers only have a Bally, nothing else, and they can support themselves just fine, Because the Bally is the key to our business.
Today's article was written because I have noticed many beginners who have never even heard of a crowd building routine, and can't understand why the pros are getting shows together so quickly and reliably.
I have even noticed seasoned pros (myself included) who have tried to work, But forgot to do their Bally Script first and can't figure out why nobodies stopping ha.
In our Crowd Building Section I have written extensively on how to create and use a Bally. If you do not have a Bally, it will be your homework to go to The Crowd Building Section and learn how to create and master The Bally. You will need to engulf yourself in this subject if you're serious about being a full-time pro.
Once The Bally is mastered, the operator can work on the rest of their show to bring up daily income, but before that can happen he must begin with the first step of professional busking.
The Old Reliable, The Mighty Bally.
I hope this helps.
Your Pal Jimmy
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