Advice from Professional Santa Claus School - Don't be a BORING Santa Claus



1 to 500- Special Santa visits
by Susen Mesco, Master Santa Claus Trainer,
on Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at 12:02am

Santa Claus, We are just about half way through the 2010 season that we planned all year long for! How magically are your presenting yourself?

Some of these days are getting longer and longer as we have more and more Santa Claus appearances. Weekends are rough & too busy for all of us at the ripe old age of centuries. Santa Claus mall visits, Santa Claus home visits, Santa Claus promotional events, endless parades and Santa Claus charity gatherings… 

The stress of the season can wear upon even Jolly ol’ St Nick!
What we all need to remember is that perhaps this is your 437th visitor of the day but your visitor, is seeing you for the first and maybe only time this year! Your little ones have dreamed of this moment, planned for this moment with Santa Claus, obsessed, practiced, rehearsed, and waited for these few precious seconds with YOU, Santa Claus! 
These next minutes are the highlight of their year that has been filled with so much reality!

What are YOU doing to make every moment, visit, hug, SO VERY SPECIAL for THAT individual visitor? Have you truly thought about 437 different things to say? Do you treat EVERY visitor, not just the pleasant, talkative 6 year olds with the same joy, brightness and fresh conversation that you gave to your very first visitor of the season? Of the day?

Santa should greet each child by name, find one special thing to compliment or recognize about that visitor, naturally pose the child for a photo & get the photo taken so you and the child can visit- personally, genuinely & with great intensity.

Yes the malls want their photos sales up… But if it wasn’t for the magic of you being in character, there would be no anxious child, begging and dragging parents with credit cards to the mall to come see you.

Your visits NEED to be about the CHILD first and foremost. Focus on THAT visitor! 
BE IN THE MOMENT WITH THEM! Draw energy from their excitement to keep you refreshed!
Take time each day to reflect on how you can improve your interaction with each child on a one-on-one basis, beyond the candy canes & redundant “What do you want for Christmas?” broken record statements that create boredom and monotony for you, stealing your magic! 

Write in your Santa journal and draw on the wonder of the children to propagate more magic!

Try this… Between visits, take a big deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Sit up straight. Close your eyes for just 2 seconds. Bring back the energy you had with your first visit of the day. RENEW YOURSELF for the sake of the next special child who has been awaiting their visit with you. Both of you deserve a GREAT SANTA CLAUS!

The act of saying, "Ho Ho Ho” clears the carbon dioxide out of your lungs! Quality energy foods (not candy, burgers, coffee or sodas) can improve your immune system and your performance through better energy levels.

Pump it up! We still have 18 days to keep the tradition alive in those little hearts! It is a HUGE responsibility! Take it seriously & be a better Santa Claus each day that you suit up! You’ve thought about your suit, your jobs, your business cards, the incomes, the children, the fun… NOW THINK ABOUT… How YOU can bring a better Santa Claus into every life you touch by making it REAL with your 500 visits- whether they are in one season or in one day!

Susen Mesco
Master Santa Claus Trainer since 1983!

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