Magic Tricks in Public Speaking

Using magic tricks in public speaking, business presentations and school assemblies is a great way to make yourself stand out, surprise, hold attention and above all, get your message across in a powerful, entertaining and memorable way.

However, if you are going to use magic in public speaking of any kind then you have to think carefully about how you present it.

You need to be sure that the magic trick or tricks that you perform during your speech or presentation are made integral to the substance of what you are saying, not merely tagged on because you read somewhere that magic can help your presentation stand out!

It's true of course that magic can help your presentation - it's the first statement of this article and the basis of its argument; but it would be more accurate to say that magic can add a powerful new dimension to your presentation when it is made meaningful in the context. The meaningfulness of the magic in the context is what makes it memorable, otherwise it is merely a distraction.

The easiest way to make the magic meaningful (and therefore powerful and memorable) is to choose a magic trick or routine that directly illustrates your principal point. This can be done at the start to capture attention and then you go on to extrapolate your argument from that point, or at the end to encapsulate visually what you have been saying.

Using a magic trick in the middle of a presentation tends not to work; simply because no-one is expecting it, it becomes a distraction and what you say afterwards may not be properly heard. No-one is expecting it at the end either, but there it serves as a surprise which emphasizes what you've said and as you won't be saying anything else it simply 'wraps up' in an impactful and memorable way.

You can see that using a magic trick in this way serves as a kind of 'group mnemonic'. The visual and emotional impact of the trick will impress itself on the minds of your listeners for weeks, months or even years afterwards; and the points you have made will be associated with that memory.

And here's the real power in it: your speech will be associated with a positive emotional experience. And that is the greatest power of persuasion that you will ever be able to harness.

Magic has other bonuses for business speakers in the international arena as it is an entertainment that crosses cultural boundaries.

Particularly if you are involved in trade with Japan or India, where magic tricks are adored and magicians highly revered. Introducing magic into your presentation in those contexts can do no harm at all.

There are also certain ways that you can use magic at conferences, for example, even when you are not in the spotlight or on the podium. A favourite of mine is to magically produce a business card, or seemingly 'print' the card by magic on a blank paper. Both of these, performed with confidence and panache can give a very cool impression.

Finally, don't go over the top, as they say: you should use magic tricks sparingly; one or two at the most in any single presentation. Don't try turning it into a magic show! It's the surprise factor that gives it the impact and it's the precision of its meaning within the context that makes it work to carry your message forward.

Some of the best tricks for using in business presentations, public speaking and school assemblies can be learned quickly and cheaply by anyone prepared to put in a little bit of time. They don't need any fancy props or gadgets. Most can be done with things that come readily to hand at any conference, business meeting or public or school event such as coins, bank notes, handkerchiefs, drinking glasses, pens etc. Inflation and devaluation, for example, can be illustrated by transforming coins or bank notes into higher or lower values magically. Business cards can be magically produced or printed in front of your colleagues' eyes.

To select and present magic tricks appropriately and effectively in your presentations will require intelligence, creativity and confidence. Do you have those qualities? I hope so, or you shouldn't really be in business!

There's an added bonus, too. learning magic tricks has been scientifically demonstrated to increase concentration, perceptual, problem-solving and rapport-building skills; all essential to contemporary business practice.

Put yourself to the test and boost the impact of your presentations. Have a look at the example tricks below - you can see free demonstrations and download tutorials by following the link - and ask yourself if you are creative enough to find a way to use them to empower your work. Then buy the tutorial (they cost little more than loose change) and get to it. If you aren't able to do anything with the examples here, then follow the link at the bottom for hundreds more possibilities. Get creative and get ahead of the game.

By Austin Hackney