 Last time I touched on the topic of magic in business. Here are some places where magic is regularly performed in that context. Trade shows have been utilizing magic for years to gather a crowd at the booth and cover basic information about a product in an entertaining way. This approach sets the stage for the sales staff to take over after the show. Conferences are always looking for interesting ways to get attendees to want to be at general sessions, breakout sessions and workshops. Magic can draw people in and keep their attention. A skilled magician can even customize the program with product information or with a message you want those in attendance to receive. Don’t forget magic as pure entertainment. A magician can set the mood at a banquet, reception or other social get-together. Staff meetings are another business setting where magic might be the perfect solution. (Look at the photo above of members of the Saddleback Rancho Capistrano staff and me after a morning meeting that ended with a magic show. Notice all the smiles.)
The end result of magic in business is improved communication as well as happy customers and employees. Each of these factors will have a positive effect on your bottom line. Try magic and see for yourself. If you have questions, feel free to contact me.
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 Magic is for kids. Right? Okay, maybe there are a few places where magic is appropriate for adults. But, certainly not in a business environment! These words are often spoken by those who don’t understand the power that magic can have on the bottom line.
Motivation and Reward Do you need a motivator for the sales force or an attention-grabber for that new product launch? Magic can do that. Do you need something special on the program to reward the staff for a job well done? A magician might be the solution. Do you want to show your best customers how much they mean to you? Hire a magician to perform at your next thank you event. Next week, I plan to cover these aspects of magic that can help to improve your business. I will also touch on a few more. Some of my insights may seem obvious but my real goal is to show how you can make and keep more money by doing some things that you may never have thought of. In our discussion of magic as an aid in motivating and educating, we have already established that magic is different, interesting and fun. The fact that the impossible is happening in front of people who are watching a live performance instead of a video makes it even more powerful. It establishes you as one who is worthy of being listened to. After that, it is up to you to keep the audience’s attention and to include the information that you want them to get from you. You can use more magic or switch to something else to mix it up a bit. (Watch the above video clip and note the audience reaction at a Vacation Bible School presentation in which I used magic to illustrate the lesson.)
Magic has been used in math and science classrooms for many years to spark interest in the subject matter. Today, others are finding it useful in therapy, churches and corporate settings. I encourage you to find out more about using magic to get your point across to your audience. If you have questions, please contact me. I will be happy to point you to some additional resources.  So, you have a group of learners and you want to get them to better understand the subject matter. It doesn’t matter if they are children, teenagers or adults. Magic will get the attention of all ages of people. First, because it is unexpected. Most of us don’t regularly see magic performed right in front of us. In fact, many people have never seen a live magic show. Secondly, a magic trick combined with a well-crafted story can draw the audience in and keep their attention. Sometimes that is all you need to do. Adding additional illustrations using magic works great for longer presentations.
For example, in my “Ag Is Magic” show (shown above), I explain how food and other agricultural products get from the farm to the consumer. The audience is so busy having fun that they don’t mind that they are learning about farming and marketing farm products. At the end of the show, I provide additional resources that interested individuals can use to find more information. Next week, I’ll discuss how to use magic to educate in just about any situation. |