This website could have been completed a couple of weeks ago by a professional designer, and in relation to the amount of time I have spent working on it, that could have been doing someting more constructive, and the cost of the software purchased to create the site etc, I have no doubt that I could have spent about the same amount of money, whilst either earning money from other sources, and / or had a more relaxing time with family and friends (and had a flashier site to boot).
So why did I choose to design my own site? I'm not particularly tight with money, but I am always looking for a new challenge... and something new to get my teeth into, even if it means learning something from scratch.
Over the years, we have all seen individuals that are happy to pay an experienced professional to do a job, such as web design. Often thay are not happy with the outcome... "It's not what they visualised" and then moan because their money has been wasted. But 99% of the time, that is not the professional's fault - it is the client's responsibility to clearly define exactly what they expect from the very start. Or is it? Perhaps in reality, it is the professional's fault (the party with the supposed experience) for not asking the right questions to extract the right answers before they start?
By designing my own site, I am feeling a great sense of achievement (and more than a little frustration) but I am slowly seeing the site come together as I want it. Changes can be made as I want them, rather than reviewing several hours of someone else's work, and during this process I am learning the basic skills of webdesign.
However, I am not conceited enough to believe that my finished product will be good enough to compete against some of my
So, what has this got to do with hypnosis? Or is it just another rambling blog posting from another wierdo in cyberspace? Well, this attitude to getting what I want to see as a final product, is reflected in my view of how a working performer should treat his client and audience; I want to ensure that every one of my clients get what THEY want - not just the same old show that many other performers in my industry might be able to perform automatically, and almost, ironically - with themselves in a trance!
That is why before every show, I sit down with a client, either face to face, or on the phone, and discuss their needs, and ensure that even before a show starts, we both know exactly what each other expects of a show... then during the performance I challenge myself to the highest level, reading body language, using audience feedback, the reaction of the volunteers on stage, along with information gathered from the client during the pre-show consultation, to choose the best, and most suitable routines for each show, so that everyone leaves every performance content.
Don't get me wrong... there are other hypnotists out there who do the same, but unfortunately they are few and far between... (but I am always happy to recommend these to potential clients when I am unable to take the booking due to other commitments). Others, in my view, are not much better than renting a video of a ten year old show and projecting it on a large screen where the stage should be.
But you wouldn't dream of booking an act like that for your venue, would you? After all, your reputation, guests and customers are worth more than that... aren't they?
