It’s the Little Things
June 4, 2009
Learn how serious mistakes, when taken as opportunities to learn, can literally transform us into new people.
One of the ways I help participants remember key points in my presentations is to incorporate magical effects that make the programs more memorable and much more fun. And just as my participants come to my programs for specialized training, I also need training from time to time to improve my own skills in magic.
At a recent magical convention, where I witnessed magic from some of the best performers in the business, I had the good fortune to spend some time with Michael Close. In addition to being a brilliant performer of close-up magic, he is a gifted teacher as well. (For those of you who have ever seen me do the “frog prince” or “lie detector” magical effects, you have witnessed some of Michael’s outstanding creations.)
At one of his lectures, he explained that at magic conventions, as at other social gatherings, you’ll find those individuals who are new to the field simply trying to find their way around, while the “heavy hitters” are off in some corner sharing their special “insider knowledge.” He went on to explain that when he was a newcomer he couldn’t wait for the day when he would be good enough to mingle with the experienced magicians so he could learn the “big secrets” of performing magic.
When he finally reached the level where the advanced magicians accepted him as a peer, he discovered something very important: there were no big secrets. Successful magic was, in fact, a collection of hundreds of little secrets. The environment, the relationship with the spectators, the emotional attachment to the effect, the context of the trick, and many other areas all contributed to the creation of a successful magical effect.
Similarly, in your own business, there probably is no “one big secret” that will make you successful. Rather, it’s the hundreds of little things you do for your customers that create the loyalty that will propel your organization to success.
Instead of looking for the “silver bullet” that will take your organization to the next level, or keep it from sinking, focus instead on the little things that will help you build an overall image of quality. You’ll find that some of the small things you do for your customers will help create big rewards for you.
Comments
Got something to say?
