As Halloween approaches, let’s talk about something even more powerful than ghosts, goblins, and gimmicks: the real-life magic happening every day in your practice.
Influence Is Magic. Magic Is Influence.
Today, what I want to share with you boils down to one powerful idea: influence.
I’ve always loved magic. But not just the Disney kind. I’m talking about real-life magic, because…
Influence is magic. Magic is influence.
Think about it: what does a magician actually do? They influence you to believe something. Whether through illusion, sleight of hand, or pure misdirection, they transfer belief to the audience. That’s why they call them “magic tricks.” It’s really about creating a shift in perspective.
And I’d like to suggest something bold: You are a magician.
The 5 Steps to Influence: Your Real-Life Magic Formula
Let me walk you through the steps. As I do, think about how this shows up in your practice (whether on the phone, in intake, during diagnostics, or in the delivery of care).
1. Start with a Vision of the Outcome
Every magician starts by showing you where things are headed.
You start by planting subconscious seeds – by sharing the goals, the destination, the result. That vision is the anchor. It gives the brain something to hold onto.
2. Begin with Reality
Then you bring them back down to earth. Grounded. Believable. Real.
This is where you use the three Ps: Pictures, Proof, Pain
In diagnostics, that means asking the right questions to get the patient to understand where they are today. But you always start with the vision. Then reality. Then back again by…
3. Cast the Future
Now that they’re grounded, you bring the future back into focus.
Sometimes the future means, “Here’s what happens if nothing changes.” Other times, “Here’s what’s possible if everything does.”
This is where you choose what kind of influence you’re going to have. And remember people won’t invest in a future they don’t believe in.
So the future vision must be inspiring and motivating, it has to spark belief.
4. Bridge the Gap
In magic, this is the moment the trick happens.
The majority of the setup has been building toward this. Now comes the “misdirection” … not in a deceptive way, but in a transformative one.
This is where we show the pathway forward.
In dentistry, the “trick” might be a demo, a conversation, an education, or getting the patient to verbalize how their life would change. This is where the flip happens.
5. The Clinical YES
This final step is where belief becomes action.
That’s when the patient says “yes” not because they’ve been convinced, but because they’ve been influenced. Because they now believe in a better future.
This five-step sequence applies in every part of the patient journey. From the first phone call to the moment they leave the chair.
Your Practice Is a Stage where Every Day Is a Performance
This doesn’t just happen in clinical settings.
It happens in: how your front desk handles calls, how your team presents care, how you lead huddles, how you respond to objections.
Every moment is a moment of influence.
And this is what separates transactional practices from transformational ones.
Each patient interaction represents a choice:
Do you play small or do you expand what people believe is possible? Do you settle for case presentations or do you deliver belief transformations?
Remember influence is magic. And every day in your practice is a chance to perform a little real-life magic. But you don’t need more tricks. You need more truth.
This Halloween, forget the costume. Instead, be the magician your patients actually need.
