Life’s a Cabaret – an interview with Chris North

Using his finely tuned skills as a mind reader and mentalist, Chris North has built a reputation as one of the most creative professional entertainers on the circuit today. Having begun his showbiz career as an illusionist and magician – he first appeared in the TV talent show New Faces in 1978 – today he wows audiences in a variety of settings. He regularly performs at cabaret clubs, has made numerous television appearances worldwide, and has entertained on all the world’s major cruise liners. He’s also in demand as an ‘up close and personal’ performer at corporate events, trade shows and private functions. As you’d expect of someone who understands the power of communication, Chris has a Telnames .tel profile, so we spoke to him about his thoughts on how important it is for talented artists to get noticed and get recommended when it comes to keeping those work bookings coming in.
Tell us how social media has changed the way you reach audiences
When I first started out, it was all about sending your photo out to agents and waiting for the ‘phone to ring. But social media and digital communication has changed everything – today people want information fast, with no delays. They won’t leave a message and wait for you to call back. It’s why I created my website www.thementalist.co.uk where visitors can view videos of my performances and download all the promotional materials they need to make a decision about taking things to the next stage – booking my act. It’s also why I use Facebook and Twitter to promote my touring shows and boost ticket sales.
What attracted you to Telnames?
Having been in the business for many years, most agents know all about me. But I was really keen to set up http://chrisnorth.tel because it gave me an online performance CV that brings all my contact details together in one easy-to-access location. Now new and existing contacts can get an instant snapshot of all my online and social media links. With one click they can find out what I’ve been up to recently, get more details on my act, or simply get in touch with me direct. It was simple and fast to set up – and a real bonus as far as I’m concerned. Telnames makes it easy for any visitor to my .tel mobile website to share my details with other interested parties.
What tips do you have for others working in the entertainment business?
Keeping your name in the frame is the key to maintaining a regular stream of work. Recommendation is essential, especially when it comes to corporate gigs, so it pays to keep promoting your work and be visible and easy to find online. In the current economy, people working in the entertainment world have to keep chipping away at their own promotion – and make it easy for agents to tap into that promotional flow. From my perspective, social media is an easy and low cost way of creating a promotional wave that in the past would have cost a lot of money. It sounds obvious, but with a little creative thinking and effort you can control your professional profile and put your details in front of potential new audiences anywhere in the world.