Body Language and Influence in Sales Speaker

"The Magic of Body Language: It's no Illusion" is an in depth training program and keynote program by me, Rich Ferguson. It's designed for sales people and managers alike. Programs run up to 2.5 hours and include the fundamentals of body language and human behavior before digging deeper into shift of behavior and how to capitalize on opportunities. Once we are familiar with the various aspects of body language, we shift to influence and NLP and how it can dramatically improve your sales, life and relationships. It covers all these areas in an order than makes sense and is digestible by complete novices and intriguing by those quite familiar with human behavior. I can guarantee you have not looked at body language this way before. Why? It's because it's my technology based on real-wrold application, observation and survival.

Curious what subtle messages you might be sending that you shouldn't?

Interested in knowing how to adjust in sticky situations or when to walk away?

Want to know how to CLOSE THE DEAL?

Do you want to outsell your competition? 

These are just a few areas that scratch the surface of what's possible with my real-world approach to body language, influence and psychology of sales. As an award winning mentalist and magician, I've adopted certain skills and methods that work. This is not theoretical psychological guess work that leaves you wondering what to do. I share techniques and principles based on common sense and human tendencies. I share exactly what I use to capitalize on opportunities and persuade people to help create those opportunities. 

Consider having me at your next retreat or convention. Having me as your specialized expert in body language and psychology is fun. You are treated to a coupe psychological tricks and learn how these techniques are the complete backbone to HOW I do what I do as a mentalist. In addition to the training, I'm there for you and your staff as the entertainer for the after parties in the event you have one. I make the experience of learning heavy material quite engaging and fun. Here's a fun video followed by just a few of the hundreds of slides in the full program

Did you know that when someone shakes your hand and brings up a bag, purse, folder or some sort of object between you, that they are subconsciously blocking you. It could be from fear, intimidation, lack of confidence or a variety of reasons. My full program will give you the tools to decipher exactly what it means based on each situation. It's all about what I call a "shift in behavior."

Here's an important question regrading the misuse of power. Have you ever sat on the other side of your desk? You might be surprised at what you discover. Think of it this way; you are already in the power position since someone is entering your office and sitting across from you. It's essentially your territory. Why is it then that so many people offer a seat to a worker or potential client that is uncomfortable? Uncomfortable how? There are numerous reasons. Here's just one example: The person on the left is sitting at the bosses large, intimidating table and has to be crowded by all those personal items. It might look good from the bosses side, but it psychologically puts the other person in a position that is not inviting or comfortable. You will get 35% less out of a person put in this position. 

There is a huge difference between confidence and dominance. These are often misused in daily life, dating, business, sales and more. In this picture, the guy on the left is dominating me by forcing my palm to turn upwards and literally taking "the upper hand."  In the program, I discuss many ways to deal with or avoid these sitautions. You will learn the strategy to body language and see it in a new light. For instance, I can regain the power in this position by simply stepping forward and initiating an invasion of the other person's space a bit. On the other hand, you may choose to do nothing except take note of this persons controlling intentions! The simple fact that you are now aware gives you the upper hand in negotiating. 

Along the way, you get some great tips to deciphering truths. For instance, in this next photo, notice the difference in how I shrug. On the left, I shrug with two shoulders. Subconsciously, I've revealed that I likely do not know. However, on the right, I've revealed that I know much, much more and am not interested in telling you. A single shrug may reveal some deception. We visit a tremendous amount of easy to spot positions pertaining to hand movements, finger movements, facial expressions, shift of feet and much more. 

I've developed a whole new take on body language called Shift in Behavior. In my line of work as a mentalist and magician, I have to be a step ahead of people or my effects or demonstrations will not work. I must gain knowledge of what someone is truly thinking regardless of the acting they are putting on. In my explorations and growth as a mentalist, I realized that all the books and common knowledge regarding body language was missing a key point. What's that? Body language means very little without context! For instance, someone has their arms crossed at a party. It might mean a dozen things if the arms where already crossed when you arrive to the person. However, if they crossed their arms after you said something, that might be a strong sign that you caused it. What you do with that information depends on your strategy. We talk about influence and strategy.  

There is a lot going on in this simple picture. Without a full seminar, I can simplify it by revealing that the girl is enjoying whatever the guy on the right is dishing out. Her arms and palms are upwards, revealing a very strong subconscious sign of security and attraction. It's a vulnerable position to be in and nobody would every turn their hands upwards if they were uncomfortable or not interested in whatever message you were feeding them. 

I bet you'd think the guy on the right is the confident one. You'd be wrong. The guy on the right is flexing to purposefully convey he's "confident." How do I know? Look at how much room he is trying to take up. He's trying to appear big and confident. Secondly, the smile appears to be forced. Thirdly, his thumbs vanished. That's right! His thumbs vanished. On the picture to the left, he is leaning forward a bit, revealing a strong interest and engagement. His thumbs are also upward, revealing a strong sign of confidence. In the full training, we cover so many misinterpretations like this. The goal is to help you avoid loosing sales or not seeing doors that are wide open for you. I will show you how to capitalize on opportunities... or avoid assumptions. 

Here's a shot from the various photos in the program explaining things as subtle as thumb placement. In these shots, the man is showing high confidence due to the thumbs being exposed or upward. 

One of the most fundamental aspects of body language is determining the difference between dominance and confidence. It is not okay to be controlled. However, it's entirely fine to be in close proximity to someone that exudes power or confidence. In fact, it's attractive. Knowing the difference is very simple and we cover dozens of scenarios. This simple handshake below reveals a tremendous amount about someone's intentions. The guy offers his hand face up and allows the girl to have the "upper hand." She will "feel" like he can be trusted, is there for her needs and will listen. However, if the girl turned him to this same position, it means something entirely different. It would reveal that she is taking strong control, asserting her dominance (not confidence), revealing that he is not equal to her, and revealing the he is weak. The two roads will end in very different sales, relationships and negotiations. I reveal how to notice these behaviors easily and how to adjust for them. 

Did you know it's not uncommon for people to mingle at a business function with a stack of businesses cards in their hand? Do you realize, if you do this, that the message being subtly sent to those you give your card to is, "I do not care about your services. I just care about getting my card into your hand." Be careful of the intention you might be sending. An important aspect of body language is realizing what message you might be sending, intentional or not. Many more warning signs and tips are shared within my programs. 

I've created two simple golden rules for body language and here are the basic two rules for influence. In short, you must observe and read people before you can influence them. Otherwise, you are just pushing your agenda without any care of their needs or interest in absorbing what you have to offer. With simple observation, you can adjust your strategy or message to be accepted by someone who would not have otherwise been receptive. The real magic of body language and influence is putting those arts together to help with your goals, sales or relationships. 

There are many forms of influence from right and left brain conflict, association, conditioning, NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) to visualization and more. Here's a simple point about the power of visualization. A parent might tell a child, "Do not knock that glass over!" In the very act of saying what you do not want, you paint the picture in the kids mind of a glass being knocked over. You see, the brain can not decipher negatives. If I asked you to NOT think of a dog, you'd think of a dog. Therefore, you can realize that it's just as much the parent fault for a glass being knocked over as it is the kids. A glass might have been precariously placed or a child might have been roughhousing... but the kid never was hoping or thinking of knocking a glass over. What's a simple remedy? It's as easy as asking what you want. For instance, "Hold that glass securely." Painting a picture of what you want is essential in influence. 

There's many areas where we can see how we reduce our success in deals. Here's just an example of how common language has negative results. There are subtle suggestions and influence in how we phrase things. It also reveals someone's arrogance, dominance, comfort, respect and much more by how we structure our points. See the examples below for some insight. 

The holy grail of influence is NLP (your re-framing of information). We discuss the many forms and uses of NLP, the framework and strategy. Here's a basic form of structure that will give you great results in business and sales. I give you the tools to avoid situations or capitalize on opportunities. We dive into several type of uses and structures of NLP. 

Finally, the program ends with some humorous common sense... or lack thereof!

We have just scratched the surface of how a program like mine can help you in sales and I hope I can talk to you more at a convention, retreat, training seminar or sales meeting soon. I've have a unique perspective of how body language works with influence. From learning to read at the late age of 12 and having to learn to be a step ahead of people to having a career in the arts of magic and metalism, I truly believe I can help you and others see the science of human behavior in a powerful new way. Let me join you and show how revealing the world is around us. 

Please visit my official site to book me or discuss details. I hope this introduction was useful, fun and intriguing.

Thanks, RICH Ferguson, aka "The Ice Breaker"

Thanks for sharing the magic! E-mail Rich Official Website Local: 805-234-7469 National: 877-RICH-FUN

Dating Magic Tricks on Kindle Amazon

That's right! Trick to Pick Up Chicks is now available on Kindle at Amazon! If you've just come across this blog, Tricks to Pick Up Chicks is a combination of Magic Tricks, Bar Bets, Psychology and so much more. It's the perfect book for anyone looking for fun tools, tips and tricks to break the ice and have fun meeting people. It's not a seduction book to get women to sleep with you! Rather, we teach you to open doors and get women or everyday people attracted to you. What you do once doors are open and people are eating out of your hand is up to you. The dating game has never been so fun and easy!

Here's the fun content of this unique magic and "dating" book:

• Chapter 1 - “Quickies”
Tricks, ice-breakers and pick up lines that can be done to instantly get the attention of any dream-girl.

• Chapter 2 - “One Night Stands"
Full blown magic tricks, bar bets and scams to meet girls, make you stand out and make them want more.

• Chapter 3 - “Threesomes”
Gain an advantage by secretly using your “wingman” to trick, scam or set-up your target!

• Chapter 4 - Body Language
Learn how to read body language, gestures and expressions so you know exactly what she is really thinking!

• Chapter 5 - Rules of the Game
Become aware of the dating rules that separate the men from the boys. Learn the do’s and don’ts of the dating game.

Tricks to Pick Up Chicks is available at Amazon as a Book or in Kindle Edition.

Thanks for sharing the magic! E-mail Rich! Official Website Local: 805-234-7469 National: 877-RICH-FUN

Reading Women Body Language

Reading Body Language, Non-Verbal Communication, Gestures, Tells and Expressions are essentially the same thing. I've done workshops for poker players and I've spoken for elite business groups about body language in sales, but the most curious are guys wondering about how to read women!

One of my books, Tricks to Pick Up Chicks, has a chapter devoted to understanding a woman's body language specific to dating. Here's a quick trailer which includes a tip or two about shifts in behavior.



Have fun guys!

Lastly, if you are interested in the book, it's loaded with Magic Tricks, Pick Up Lines, Bar Bets and more. Get your copy or one as a gift at Amazon.com and please share this idea with friends!

Thanks for sharing the magic! E-mail Rich! Official Website Local: 805-234-7469 National: 877-RICH-FUN

Shifts in Behavior - Poker and Life

It’s been said many times that how you carry yourself in life is how you play poker. There’s something much deeper than the generic thinking that “if you are a bully in life then you are a bully at the table or if you are weak in life then you are an easy target in poker.” Yes, there is something much more important and revealing about people in life and poker... It’s shifts in behavior, body language and all sorts of non-verbal communication. That’s right, I said it! Very key tells are equally apparent in life as they are at the poker table. Once you know when and what to look for, you wont look at people the same again.

Before I reveal a few “tells”, you need to be aware of when a tell is accurate. For instance, if you see a girl next to you at a bar with her arms crossed, does that mean she is uninterested in you? Who knows? You first have to notice how she was standing prior to you approaching her. Perhaps she was cold, upset at some issues in life, conscious about a bad bra or uncomfortable with her arms hanging at her sides. The real secret to tells is noticing shifts in behavior! See, if she was standing with her arms at her side then they shifted to this closed off position when you said something, now you have learned something much more accurate. In this case, it was clearly something you did or said (or any immediate induces stress) that caused the change. This concept of shifts in behavior is key. Another important element, especially in poker, is the difference between acting out a tell and a subconscious, natural and accurate tell. An example of this in real life might be when you are talking to someone you are attracted to at a party and they act uninterested. However, if their body is facing you, their legs are open toward you and their palms are up (among many other tells) they are into you too - regardless that they are “acting” uninterested with attitude and their face. On the contrary, if someone is acting nice and appears interested but they slightly turn their midsection away, their legs close up and their hand retreat, they are not into you and are simply being nice. Does that make sense? Acting and the subconscious signs are often the opposite of each other! 

Let’s get into some straight forward poker examples. The most common and obvious tell is when someone is dealt a monster hand and they act like it’s a difficult decision to bet or not. They will smack their mouth with an “Oh, well. Let’s try... I guess I’ll bet...” type behavior and acting. All the while, the highly trained body language at the table watched as this same person was dealt their cards. The expert noticed that the moment the cards where looked at that the person sat a little higher in their chair (a strong subconscious sign of engagement), glanced quickly at their chip (a strong subconscious sign that they are committed to betting big already) and proceeded to cover their cards more than previous hands (a strong sign of subconscious protecting of what is valuable). The acting, combined with the subconscious behaviors, make it clear to an expert that this person has premium cards and a winning hand. This simple series of events is an example of how you need to look for shifts in behaviors and not just behaviors by themselves.  

Now that you are aware of the timing between acting and the truth of subconscious tells, lets reveal a series of wonderful behaviors that are equally useful in life or poker. One of the most revealing tells are “pacifying behaviors”. These are signs that someone is under stress. In this picture, the girl is rubbing her neck. 

If I was betting after her in a game of poker, I’d likely be able to bet very large to get her to fold due to the fact that I’m seeing an honest stress. It should be apparent that she is torn on what to do. Meaning, a strong push in one way or the other by you will give the results you want! The pacifying behavior could have easily been one of many things such as rubbing the fingers, stroking the hair or holding the chest.

Another side to tells are the signs of guilt. Again, in life, business or poker, signs of guilt reveal themselves subconsciously. In this picture, notice the fingers curled over the mouth. 

This is a classic sign that this girl just got away with something. To me, based on nothing else, I might have a strong feeling that she is bluffing and trying to steal the pot. Based on other observations, I’d likely come far over the top and then watch her act for a while as if she pretends it’s a tough decision to fold! 

I have spoken to many business people about body language in sales and it is amazing how similar poker is. For instance, when I first shake someone’s hand in business, I look for certain behaviors. Does the person squeeze unnecessarily hard? Do they turn my hand up so they have the upper hand? Do they decide when we let go? These are all simple behaviors that let me know that the person has a dominating, aggressive type personality. Knowing this ahead of a poker hand or sales opportunity truly gives me the upper hand! If I was playing poker with this person and was on the fence about a move, I just might decide to bet knowing that they are cocky and bully their way through life. Isn’t it amazing how one’s behaviors in life will reveal itself on the battle field of a poker table?

Let me leave you with one more real world example of a very strong tell.  All the acting in the world often leave the feet telling the truth. That’s right, the feet! Profiler experts use this type of tell to get to the truth in crimes because the feet never lie. Specific to poker, the general idea is that a person with a confident hand will have feet that shift forward (a subconscious sign of strength). A person with a weak hand will shift their feet back in retreat even though they may look and act strong otherwise. Notice the girls legs have pulled back (assuming they were in a normal position prior to the introduced stress) which clearly shows a string sign of weakness and retreat.

Again, it is important to point out that you need to have noticed if the feet were positioned differently before a particular introduction of stimulus. If, as in this example, the feet where shifted back the entire game, then it means very little about a weak or strong hand. However, you might know that, in general, this person is in a constant state of retreat and might be easily bullied at the poker table.

Tells are powerful in tough situations if you pay attention to the details. Beware of those who like to act out those subconscious tells. You can tell the difference because acting comes after the fact and tells that are truly subconscious happen the instant some stimulus or stress is introduced. You are really interested in those short, honest moments when someone is first introduced to a thought. What comes next is acting. An interesting phenomenon to me is the fact that obvious acting reveals something too. If you have nothing else to go on, just do the opposite of what they are trying to convince you of.

I’ve used real world examples to reveal that poker is not a unique place for tells. Rather, it’s a place that has many opportunities to observe a lot in a short time. The three photos in this article were directly out of the body language chapter of my dating book, “ Tricks to Pick Up Chicks” (available at Amazon.com). I’ve spoken at business meetings about handshake meanings, traveled around the world with Full Tilt Poker sharing tells and lectured to magicians about psychology. In every case, it truly comes down to one simple word. Shifts. If you can watch for shifts in behavior, you will see another level of non-verbal communication that’s been staring you right in the face for years. Good luck shifting your observation and shifting some money from their side of the table to yours!

If you want to learn more about body language specific to dating, check out Tricks to Pick Up Chicks at it's official site or directly on Amazon.com

Thanks for sharing the magic! E-mail Rich! Official Website Local: 805-234-7469 National: 877-RICH-FUN

Gift Idea for Boys, Men and Single Guy - FREE for sharing

A great holiday gift or birthday gift for single guys, boys or men can be partially yours for FREE! That's right, as a gift to you for helping us, we'll give you a link to a pdf version of portions of Tricks to Pick Up Chick just for sharing it to a friend. Just click the link and either post the message that appears (can be altered to anything you want) on Twitter of Facebook. This is a fantastic way to see if it's a book you might want to keep for yourself!


Tricks To Pick Up Chicks is the ultimate secret weapon to meeting girls and/or entertaining friends. The title is a play on words and not to be taken the wrong way... any of the jokes, riddles, magic tricks, scams, etc can be done by anyone, anytime, anywhere to break the ice and be the life of the party.

You’re about to learn a variety of magic tricks, bets and scams to break the ice in no time flat. You’ll also get the secrets of body language and how to use your friends to get the attention of any girl. You do not have to be a guy to impress your friends with this book. Anyone can start amazing people today at clubs, school, bars, work, parties or anywhere! You also don't have to be a rich stud to start today with this amazing collection of tricks, scams, lines, bets and much more.

Look at the insane content in this bad boy:

Chapter 1 - “Quickies”
Tricks, ice-breakers and lines that can be done to instantly get the attention of any dream-girl.

Chapter 2 - “One Night Stands”
Full blown magic tricks, bets and scams to impress girls, make you stand out and make them want more.

Chapter 3 - “Threesomes”
Gain an advantage by secretly using your “wingman” to trick, scam or set-up your target!

Chapter 4 - Body Language
Learn how to read body language, gestures and expressions so you know exactly what she is really thinking!

Chapter 5 - Rules of the Game
Become aware of the rules that separate the men from the boys. Learn the do’s and don’ts of the dating game.

Included in this book are 88 photos and expert instruction sharing 26 specialized magic tricks just to break the ice, over 100 of the best Lines for every situation, over a dozen top quality Card Tricks that make you look like a professional magician, 5 Tricks with Money magicians don't want you to know, 7 mind-blowing Mind Reading Tricks, 22 Tricks with Everyday Objects to use anytime anywhere, 24 of the best Bet's ever created, 15 Scams to get a girls attention, 8 Magic Tricks using your Wingman, 5 Scams with your Wingman sure to get you in with your dream-girl and 6 sure-fire way to get your Wingman to Set Up your girl! That's well over a 100 awesome magic tricks, dozens of scams and more!



Plus 45 detailed secrets to reading a girl like a book with important photos you've got to see. From micro-expressions, body language, psychology, gestures to expressions, we have it covered. This is the stuff guys around the world want to know. It is finally explained specifically regarding women. As a final bonus, the final chapter shares the top 60 ways to play the game right!

The hundreds of tricks, bets, scams, lines and tips are taught by world class magician Rich Ferguson, AKA "The Ice Breaker." http://www.TheIceBreaker.com
The Introduction was written by Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell
Paperback, B/W Interior, 184 pages. Copyright 2010. ISBN: 1450560180



Get your copy now and buy others for that perfect gift! You'll be happy you did.
This perfect gift idea is available at Amazon.com, TheIceBreaker.com and select bookstores for $19.95.

Body Language Handshake Analysis at Nipomo Chamber of Commerce

As far as handshake meanings, body language and demonstrations of profiling, I've had a blast. Today was an intimate setting with the Nipomo Chamber of Commerce. About 40 people converged on the Black Lake Golf Course, had lunch, networked then watched me give my unique perspective on body language. With only 30 minutes, I wish I had more time to dazzle the folks with some magic as well! It was a funny time of year to be the guest speaker with all the folks campaigning for office! However, it was great to see some familiar faces I hope do well in their campaigns. Also in attendance was my good buddy Sean from AMS Entertainment. He got to be my "assistant"!

Full, in-depth trainings of body language and influence for sales with a full 2+ hour Keynote program are available. Please go to our site or this detailed page "Body Language: It's no Illusion" for more information.

If you want to see part of small segment from another meeting, it can be viewed on YouTube. 

If you know of any company party or events that can use my services, please send them to my site. 


Happy Halloween to you all!