Santa All the Time

By Santa Jac Grimes

Are you Santa all the time? If you’re reading this, it means you are a member of AORBS. I know you have a real beard and many more of you than not stay in character all year long. We all have stories of Santa getting caught out and about but keep in mind that every time you’re recognized as Santa two things happen.

1. You have an opportunity to market yourself as Santa.

2. You represent all of us.

Marketing

Whether you work at a mall, do free lance parties, or only do Santa for charity, when someone, child or adult, asks if you’re Santa, you know your efforts at being Santa are successful. If they recognize you, as Santa in June, there’s a good chance that if they need Santa during the season they’ll think about you. Assuming they know where to find you.

How many of you have business cards? Let’s see a show of hands. Hold them up high where I can see them. Uh Huh! If not, why not?

I’ve said this over and over. Unless your work as Santa is totally dependant on someone else, (mall, agent, employer, so forth) you need business cards. They should at the least have your photo on them and at the best be clever enough that when you hand them out people will say “Wow, that really cool!” It’s that wow factor that will set you apart from other Santas.

Your card should also have your web address and the phone # you use to book gigs. If you do your own booking, you may want to consider having your Sleigh Phone listed. Street address is optional but a web address and phone # is critical.

If you’re Santa all the time you should also carry stickers or trading cards. These are good to promote Santa’s image and good will even if you don’t do Santa for pay.

You represent all of us.

I was making a hospice visit last September to a little girl that did not see Christmas 2006. When I returned to the office, my volunteer coordinator asked if I’d walk through the office and say hello to all the staff and nurses. Later that week a trainer told me when she saw me she was 4 years old again. We have that effect on people whether we are in Red Suit or red shorts. If you don’t believe me look at the light in their eyes.

There’s been considerable conversation on the Santa lists about background checks and a code of conduct for our organization. These are still in the formative stages but they are necessary for the work. Here’s why: Being Santa is a sacred trust. Let me say that again. Being Santa is a sacred trust.

If Chuckles the Clown bonks a rude kid on the head with a rubber chicken and gets fired from a gig, it does not affect Mr. Floppy Shoes or any other clown. If Marvello the Magician makes a pass at a kid’s mom at a birthday party, it does not affect other magicians. The same cannot be said about Santa! When Santa got fired from a mall for telling kids they were fat, ripples were felt in our whole community. I don’t even want to think about the creep on the motorcycle that abducted the little girl last year. These are extreme examples but what you do in public affects me and all other gentlemen that take on this very important work. With that said, your behavior in public should be above reproach. I like a cold beer on a hot day as well as the next guy but if there’s any chance I’ll run into a child, it’s Diet Coke. I don’t mean to sound preachy but someone is scrutinizing, when you’re in public, everything you do. Whether you know it or not.

Tips on being Santa all year.

It’s the beard, brother.

You may be Santa because of what’s in your heart, but you’re known as Santa by what’s on your face. Keep your beard and hair neatly trimmed, even if it is long, and if you bleach get those roots done and condition, condition, condition!

Dress the part

If you are going somewhere that you will run into people that have the potential to hire Santa, you should dress as Santa. Ask yourself in each situation, “What would Santa wear?” Red pants and shorts, Hawaiian shirts, a red hat, cap or beret all tell people “yes I’m him!”

Don’t be shy

When you hear a kid say “Mom that looks like Santa”, don’t be afraid to interact. Make sure you speak directly to the child but make sure it’s ok with Mom or Dad first. If I’m asked directly if I’m him I usually respond “What do you think?” or “What do you know about Santa?” I lead the conversation from there but I never say I’m the one the only Santa Claus. I let the child decide.

Get educated

Being Santa year round is not for the faint of heart. You will find yourself in situations where the questions come rapid fire. You’d better know the answers to the basic stuff and have a good feel for shooting from the hip on the not so well known. Santa Tim Connaghan’s book Behind the Red Suit has a good section on Frequently Asked Santa questions.

And finally if you get a chance to go to Santa school, GO! I hope to see several of you in Atlanta in August. I’ll be attending the IUSC to obtain my Master’s of Santa Claus.

All my best for a great summer!

Santa Jac Grimes, RBS, BSC

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