When I was a kid, I absolutely loved magic. My parents used to take me to see the Sooty and Sweep magic show (I’m sure that really shows my age). I also loved The David Nixon Show, and of course, Tommy Cooper. These days, I’ve recently gotten into the amazing Dynamo and the incredible Derren Brown.
The point is, I’ve always been giddy about a really good magic performance, so it was exciting to attend the GKIC SuperConference this year in Minneapolis, where their keynote speaker was none other than Penn Jillette! Penn is one half of the American comedymagic duo Penn and Teller, and he was an engaging and wonderful speaker. I even got to meet him and get a picture with him afterwards, which I think turned out brilliant.
However, what really excited my inner “magic enthusiast” was that the whole SuperConference was based on the theme of magic — and I was so inspired that I thought I’d make my newsletter magic-themed too (imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all). Here are a few of my thoughts on how you can learn to do magic too — and why you should!
First, let’s look at Penn Jillette as an example. Penn started a juggling act with a friend immediately after graduating high school in 1973, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that he and Teller teamed up to do their internationally-known “Penn & Teller” act. It took at least a decade for Penn to become the master magician he is today — and that doesn’t even count the many years he spent watching and appreciating magic as a spectator.
Penn maintains what most of us already know, which is that magic isn’t real. Rather, it’s an entertaining illusion or deception. How does magic as an illusion relate to business? Well, anyone who becomes a master of their trade or field can perform what may look like magic — but of course, it’s not really magic. Just like Penn, all masters hone their craft for many, many years until it finally looks like magic!
I’ve spent years fine tuning my “act” as a loss assessor, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of my clients felt that my work was like magic. (Check out the success story inside for my latest “trick.”) In your business, it’s probably the same way. What you do as a matter of routine is so useful for your customers that it’s like magic — which is exactly how it should be.
And just like in magic, you don’t necessarily want to know the secret to how a trick is performed. I don’t need to know how the plumber unclogs my drain, but I’m certainly glad to see the result of his plumbing magic! All of these insights fall under the first definition of “magic,” which is “The power of apparently influencing events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.” You should keep honing your expertise until your efforts are as compelling and enigmatic as an elite magician’s. If you aren’t already there, you certainly can be with further practice and improvement.
On the other hand, something “magic” can just mean something that’s wonderful or exciting. All of our family came out to celebrate my daughter Rosie’s 21st birthday not long ago (I’m showing my age again), and that was truly magical!
And you know what? That’s what it’s all about. We all work to create magic in our business so that we can enjoy magic in our lives with those we love and cherish. If that’s not magical, then I don’t know what it is.
Abracadabra!
Steve Lazarus
