Let me share with you a short, personal story. Years ago I was in the process of purchasing my first home. I interviewed several real estate agents, and they all seemed competent, professional, and pleasant. One of the agents that I met presented me with a binder that was filled with dozens of hand written and typed testimonial letters from previous clients. They all thanked the agent for the wonderful job he had done in helping them find their dream homes, and they were all incredibly happy with the entire sales process.

I read page after page. Each was a glowing review of the person sitting in front of me. After reading about a dozen or so letters, I realized this was the person I wanted representing me in my first home purchase. I’ve never forgotten the impact those letters had on me.

Testimonials accomplish three things.

1. Promote Credibility. Testimonials provide social proof that your products and services are as effective as you say. Instead of tooting your own horn, other people do it for you. Prospects are more inclined to believe what others say about you as opposed to what you have to say about yourself.

2. Build Trust. When customers with nothing to gain are saying wonderful things about your products and services, it decreases the level of skepticism surrounding your business. Knowing that others have had positive results in dealing with you, others feel a sense of security laying a foundation for trust.

3. Help Close The Deal. In the example I gave with the real estate agent, it was the plethora of testimonial letters that helped close the deal. Given a choice, customers want the best products and services they can afford. If past customers are raving about their experience in doing business with you, others won’t want to be left out.

One of the best ways to get a testimonial is to shoot a video of your customers immediately after they’ve done business with you. If you’ve delivered the goods, your customers will be happy to give you a raving review.

Testimonial videos can be much more compelling than a written or printed testimonial. The viewer will have an easier time identifying with the people in your video, which can enhance the effectiveness of the testimonial.

The video above was edited using iMovie. It’s a very simple editing job, but its quite effective. This video and others will be used in conjunction with text testimonials on my new website that is currently under construction.

To your success,

Los Angeles magician, Lou Serrano

In the past I’ve talked about the importance of having a blog, and in particular about having a video blog to grow your business, about the value you can convey to your prospects and customers, and the benefits to you and your business of having a blog (see Top Three Reasons For Having A Blog / Feb.10, 2011).

In April of last year I posted a vlog where I shared some simple yet effective tips on How To Get Started With Vlogging. At that time I recommended the Kodak Zi8 pocket video camera. Well, I just recently purchased the Kodak Zi10 Play Touch, and I wanted to share my results.

In the above video you can see a comparison of both video and audio quality of the camera I used to use and the Kodak Zi10. I think you will be amazed by the contrast.

There are two features that attracted me to the Kodak Zi10. First, is the price. For less than $100 you can purchase this 1080p HD quality pocket video camera. It’s basically the size of an iPhone, so it fits in your pocket and you can take it anywhere. Second, it’s the only pocket video camera currently on the market that has an external microphone jack. This feature was the most important to me. Now along with crystal clear video, you can also get crystal clear audio.

Check out the video above and you’ll see and hear the difference. If you’re looking for an inexpensive camera that gives quality results for your video blog, the Kodak Zi10 is definitely worth your consideration.

Corporate Magician and Keynote Speaker, Lou Serrano

Sunday, January 15, 2012 I’ll be lecturing at the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, CA. This will be held in the Parlour of Prestidigitation starting at 3:30 P.M.

This lecture will be on The REAL Secrets. how to build your business faster, easier, and more effectively without spending a fortune. If you want to make 2012 drastically better than 20111, financially speaking, than you owe it to yourself to be here.

This is for Magic Castle members only.

Los Angeles Magician, lou Serrano

Magician Profile from James Kim on Vimeo.

James Kim, a photojournalist at USC, created an audio slide show of my performance last Friday night at Mo’s Bar & Grill in Burbank, CA. He followed me around for two hours and interviewed me between sets. The slide show above is the end result of his project.

Anybody that has followed my blog for any length of time knows that I’m a huge proponent of using video to tell your story. Whether it’s the story of who you are and what you do, or the story of information that you want to impart on others, video can be much more compelling than reading text alone. In the past I’ve also said that video is more compelling than photos. James only shot photos for this project. By integrating audio and presenting it within the context of a slide show, I believe he was able to tell his story in a way that is, in some ways, even more artistic and more compelling than video.

I had no input whatsoever on James’ project, except for letting him shadow my steps at the restaurant and answer his questions. The end result is a photojournalistic piece that captured the true essence of what it is that I do on a typical Friday night. Sharing the experience of magic and bringing smiles to the faces of complete strangers is a joy that is difficult to describe. This audio slide show does a great job of capturing some of those moments.

Sometimes we have to step out of our box and view the world through the lens of another human being. By letting another person share his vision of what he sees in your story, you are able to tell your own story in a way that can be much more compelling.

To your success!

Los Angeles Magician and Corporate Speaker, Lou Serrano

P.S. (Shameless Plug) You can see me at Mo’s Bar & Grill every Friday night from 7 to 9 p.m. and Sunday Brunch from 11:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. If you’re in the area, I’d love to see you there.

Q: What does playing guitar have to do with marketing?
A: It has everything to do with marketing.

I’d like to talk about social media marketing with an emphasis on Facebook. Over the last few years I’ve been able to use Facebook as an effective marketing tool for my business, and I’d like to share some insights.

There is a school of thought that says you should only make posts on Facebook that are related to your business. You should never make posts regarding your personal life. I completely disagree.

In this day and age people are tired of dealing with big corporations that give no human interaction. People are more inclined to do business with others they know, like, and trust. It’s been this way since the beginning of the human race; people doing business with others they know, like, and trust. By sharing your personal life with others, people get to know you, and assuming you’re a likable person, will be more inclined to do business with you.

This is why I decided to share a video of me playing the guitar. It’s a part of my life, and although I’m sure there will be some who may knock my playing ability, I’m rather proud of the fact that I had the guts to put this up considering that I no longer practice on a regular basis. Still, it’s a joy to play the guitar, and I hope to eventually have the time to perform again.

Share your personal story through your social media networks, and you will soon see relationships develop that can lead to an ever growing business.

As always, I welcome your comments.

Los Angeles Magician & Corporate Speaker, Lou Serrano

Lead Creed is a system for generating more leads and getting more business. For the price, you definitely can’t go wrong. I do not make any money by endorsing this product. I just thought I’d pass along the information. It’s worth checking out.

To your success!

Corporate Magician & Speaker, Lou Serrano

I recently booked a country club gig where I perform magic on a bi-weekly basis, and I’ve received emails from people that have inquired on how to book these gigs. The above video describes one simple technique that can allow you to get your foot in the door without having to cold call the clubs

Country clubs can be a gold mine of opportunity for acquiring new clients that have the means to hire you for high-end private and corporate events.

Keep in mind that successful people ask for what they want. It’s in the asking that they are able to receive. Take advantage of the opportunities that come your way, and never be afraid to ask.

I welcome your comments.

Corporate magician & speaker, Lou Serrano

I previously posted a video on the Top Three Reason For Having A Blog. If you haven’t seen that video or read the accompanying article, please check it out, as it has valuable information on the importance of having a blog and the benefits it can have on growing your business and increasing your income. I also believe that having video on your blog can greatly increase the impact your posts have on your audience.

Get Started For Less Than $200

Getting started is much easier than it looks, and you can start from scratch with less than $200. All you need is a quality, consumer level video camera, a tripod, lights, a Youtube account, and a WordPress site.

The camera I’ve been using for these videos is a Canon PowerShot SD630 pocket camera that I bought several years ago. At the time, the camera cost just under $400. Now, you can buy a Canon PowerShot SD pocket camera that takes better quality photos and video for less than $100. The only problem with these cameras is that they don’t have an external microphone input, so you have to use the onboard mic. This mic is adequate for most situations, but isn’t the best quality, and can create problems the farther you get away form the camera.

I recently watched a webinar by Peter Temple, The Media Maestro, who gave a recommendation for a consumer level camera that records 1080p HD video. This camera is the Kodak Zi8 pocket video camera. You can find it online for under $100. The wonderful thing about this camera is that it has an external mic input, which means you can get quality audio regardless of the distance you are to the camera. I’ve seen video taken with the Zi8 and the quality is excellent. It’s now on my list of things to get to increase the quality of my vlog posts.

The next essential item is a camera tripod, which you can easily find online for well under $20. The tripod will help ensure you have a properly framed shot every time. The next item you want to look into is proper lighting. Outdoor light is usually best, but if you shoot indoors as I normally do, then you want to invest in at least one main light. I use a 100 watt light bulb with a 12″ reflector to light my face and body. I then use my existing house lamps to light the background of my shot. Lighting the background will give your video more depth as opposed to just using your main light, which can produce a very flat looking video.

Hosting Video On Your Own Site vs Hosting Video On Youtube

I host all my videos on Youtube. It easy to do, and EASY is the way I like to do everything. It gives me the opportunity to focus on the things I really care about. Start out by creating your own Youtube channel. You can then upload all your videos to your channel. From there, you can copy and paste the embed code into your website. I recommend using a WordPress site as it’s easy to use without having to learn HTML.

You can also host your video on your own site. The benefit of hosting your video on your site is search engines, such as Google, love video! It improves the SEO of your site and can help you get ranked higher, because the search engines will now view your site as a video hosting site. The downside is you have to know a lot more about the technical aspects of using video, such as compressing your videos so they upload quickly. If you’re technically challenged, as I am, I recommend hosting your videos through Youtube, otherwise, host the video yourself and reap the rewards of higher SEO rankings.

Please leave a comment, and let me know about your experience in the world of vlogging.

Corporate Magician & Speaker, Lou Serrano

A couple of weeks ago I gave my very first lecture for magicians at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, CA. Although I’ve done many speaking presentations for corporate audiences, this was the first time I’ve done a formal speaking presentation for a group of my peers.

For corporate audiences I usually speak about general success principles and I use magic as a metaphor or as pure entertainment during the presentation. This presentation used no magic. Instead, I relied on my specialized knowledge and skills on marketing and business development and I shared this knowledge with the attendees.

It was a very profound experience for me. I was able to impact the lives of people in a way that I’ve never been able to do before. People left inspired, motivated, and with specific tools to grow their businesses. I left this event on a high note.

The very next day, life had a very funny way of showing up. I was sitting at my desk doing some work. I started feeling light-headed. My arm became numb, and I felt pressure on my chest. My heart started racing, and my pulse was measured at 132 beats per minute. I called a friend and he took me to the emergency room. Once there, my blood pressure was measured at 186/122, which is basically a walking stroke victim waiting to happen.

After several tests (i.e. blood tests, x-rays) they decided to keep me overnight and give me a stress test in the morning. All of the tests checked out negative and my heart is in perfect condition. The incident was determined to be stress related. Since then, I’ve been going to the gym almost everyday doing cardio and lifting weights. My blood pressure is now normal, and it was all done very naturally.

Laying in my hospital bed I started thinking about what was really important to me. Although I love performing magic, I kept thinking there has to be something more to my life, and I realized that speaking is really what I want to do; speaking to people about my specialized knowledge which includes marketing, business development, and personal development. Having a greater impact on the lives of the people around me is really where my passion lies at this point in my life.

So my question to you is, what is is it that you really want to do with your life? What is your passion? If you want to be a professional magician, and have another job, but your passion is performing magic, what’s stopping you from attaining that goal. Life is too short and much too valuable to put things off for another day. If you really want to be a magician, why not take the necessary steps to get there. If you’re already a professional magician, and you want to take your business to another level, why not do what’s necessary do to so. And why not do that now? Why not do that today? This goes for any passion you may have for your life. Life is short. Take advantage of the present moment, and create the life you truly desire.

As always, I welcome your comments.

Corporate Magician and Speaker, Lou Serrano

On Tues. March 8, I am doing a Castle Perk at The Magic Castle. I will be teaching all the attendees concrete strategies that are guaranteed to grow your business and increase your income. I will be sharing concepts and principles that may forever change the way you view your business.

Mark the date on your calendar and if you’re serious about making more money and taking your business to another level, Don’t Miss Out!

Feel free to contact me for more information.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Corporate magician, Lou Serrano