How To Find A Good Hypnotist
With so many choices, it can be a bewildering task
trying to separate the wheat from the chaff when choosing
the best hypnotist entertainer for your event. If you
have never hired a professional performing hypnotist
previously, please allow us to offer the following
recommendations.
First of all, keep in mind that all hypnotists
are certainly NOT created equal, and hiring a hypnotist
based on the cheapest fee is a HUGE mistake, in more
ways than one. There are plenty of Stage Hypnotists
who sell themselves cheaply and unfortunately this
is often the primary consideration when hiring a hypnotist.
Think about it. This is NOT the kind of entertainment
where you want to cut costs. If you cannot afford a
good hypnotist entertainer, I suggest you don't hire
one at all. Please read on...
Stage Hypnosis is a terrific
form of entertainment when used properly, and by a real
entertainer. Hypnotism
entertainment is truly a unique production which requires
special
skills
and conditions for a successful show. What separates
the excellent quality act from the poor quality act
is largely professionalism. That includes the experience,
respect for the medium, and the natural showmanship
one exhibits in practicing their craft. Lately, the
market place has become saturated with weekend-wonders
who take a wimpy weekend training
course, come home and put up a flashy website proclaiming
themselves to be the world's greatest hypnotist! These
wannabe stage hypnotists are easy to spot to the trained
eye, but not so easy for the inexperienced entertainment
buyer.
That's why this piece was written, to try to address
this issue.
Good
entertainment is your objective. Not all hypnotists
are good entertainers. In fact, some are pretty darn
lousy. Whether or not a hypnotist is "certified" has
no bearing on whether or not they put on a good show.
While it shows they have a basic understanding of the
mechanics of hypnosis, it means little else. A good
hypnotherapist may not be such a good entertainer.
A talented, experienced entertainer is what you seek.
Because
there is no central agency or National standard-setting
authority
for stage hypnotism and those who practice it, there
are many "weekend
wonders" out there who barely know what they are
doing, yet pass themselves off as 'professional' hypnotists.
Half-way through the show, or when something goes wrong,
is when you realize that this person is less than the
professional quality act you expected.
It is not always
easy to spot the weekend-wonder before hand, but, there
are some important clues. For
one, they are "bottom-feeders". Just ask several
hypnotist entertainers for their performance fee. The
bottom-feeder is the one whose fee is way lower than
everyone else. That's how he gets work. He is not good
enough to charge the going rate, so he charges half
the fee of a good hypnotist, and the entertainment
you get will likely be half as good.
As mentioned earlier, hiring a hypnotist is not the
type of entertainment where you want to cut costs.
Think about what's on the line. For one, *your* professional
image. Do you want to risk that? For another, the image
and integrity of your company. Also to consider is
the dignity and respect of your guests, friends and
co-workers. The more experienced and well trained the
hypnotist, the less likely you will run into problems
in with
these issues.
It is possible
you might get lucky and find a diamond in the rough,
but why chance your special event just
to save a hundred bucks? There is a very large difference
between a refined hypnotism show and that of an amateurish
'weekend wonder'.
You can classify hypnotism entertainers
in three classes, much the way movies are generally
classified; the 'A'
list performer, the 'B' list or the 'C' list performer.
For an 'A' list hypnotist, you should expect to budget
$2,500 or above. For this fee, you will be rewarded
with a truly memorable show from a skilled and talented
performer. You will know that you have just witnessed
a pretty special event, and your cheeks will hurt from
maintaining a very wide grin for such an extended period
of time.
For a 'B' list hypnotist, the fee will generally
range between $1,200 and $2,000. Many hypnotic entertainers
will offer at least some flexibility to work within
a client's budget, depending on the "who, what
and where" of the venue. The 'B' list hypnotist
will usually give you a pretty decent show without
incident, but may not be as polished or pay attention
to details the way a more skilled and refined hypnotist
will do. An excellent performer is all about details.
Small details can have a huge impact on the quality
of a hypnosis show. The B list hypnotist is usually
a safe bet. Look for professionalism and ask for a
video demo.
And finally, the 'C' list hypnotist. We suggest
you be very cautious about hiring a hypnotist of this
level.
They are generally under-trained and not very good
entertainers, but may possess the skills necessary
to plod their
way through a low grade performance. Hypnotists in
this category often have little regard for the integrity
of the medium in which they practice, nor do they have
much regard for the dignity of their subjects. NEVER
hire one for a corporate event, or any event where
your
professional
image, or that of your company, is on the line.
Until
the 'C' list performer acquires the skill, experience
and showmanship to move them up the scale, and the
respect for the special privilege they are granted
with the minds of their subjects, you will want to
leave this entertainer to the small time
venues
where there lack of professionalism, skill and experience
will do the least harm, to themselves, their subjects
and the public in general.
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