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I can still remember the first time I saw a magic trick. I must have been about 5 years old. I remember it like it happened yesterday. My dad’s friend vanished a coin right in front of my eyes. Impossible! To a 5 year old, it was not a trick, it was magic… real magic! Nothing could have felt more real. That’s probably why I still remember today, over 4 decades later.
What I experienced that day was a moment of pure conviction. I absolutely believed that magic was real. I even knew the exact moment the magic happened. The ‘magician’ wiggled his fingers over the hand holding the coin…paused… then snapped his fingers. I knew it was at that moment that something special had happened. I believed anything was possible.
I hope you’re not thinking yeah, yeah, yeah, you were just a kid. Anyone can fool a kid with a silly magic trick. I didn’t understand why that moment was so important back then, but I thought about it for many years.
One day I realized why I was affected in such a profound way. Since that day I have seen a lot of magicians perform amazing things. Every time I saw someone perform, I wanted to believe it was real. I wanted to believe magicians have extraordinary abilities.
It’s the same with personal and business relationships. When you meet someone for the first time, you want to believe they are a good person. When you purchase something, you want to believe it will solve your problem.
As a business owner, when you sell something, your customer wants to know you will stand behind it and provide support. They want to know they made the right decision. It’s your job to fulfill that belief.
Magicians do this by creating a magic moment. They do it with a simple gesture like waving a wand, wiggling their fingers, or snapping their fingers. Does this really do anything? No, but it creates a moment when people are convinced something just happened. It works because in the context of the performance, the magician believes that he really has magical powers. That belief creates conviction.
Does this mean you have to run out and buy a magic wand to create conviction for your customers? No. It simply means you have to believe in yourself first, before your customer will trust you. Remember, they want to believe you can help them. They look to you for guidance. If you believe you have something of value, so will they. Conviction is contagious.
The first step to getting people to believe in you is to understand What You Do Is Important. Your work is not trivial. It means something to your customer. There’s an old story about two brick layers. When asked what they do, the first says “I’m laying bricks”. The other said, “I’m building the city’s finest monument!” The second worker understood the importance of what he does.
Start thinking about the value you really provide. Your belief will transfer to your customers.
What do you do to get people to believe in you? Leave a comment below. I would love to hear what’s working for you.
Many magicians, and especially performers who apparently read the minds of their audiences, will use a disclaimer at the beginning of their show. They want to make sure no one thinks they have super powers or real psychic abilities. It is typically referred to as ‘suspending disbelief’. It’s like saying “Hey, I’m going to show you some things that look like I have supernatural powers. I assure you I don’t. But just come along with me and pretend it’s possible for the next hour and enjoy the ride.”
