As a pickpocket magician, you only survive if you can put down a great act , even in very bad or difficult circumstances. In this post I will describe 3 unexpected situations that really happened to me…

Foot on wallet

When I started as a pickpocket, I was often hired by Area Information Networks and the police to give lectures on pickpockets and how to protect yourself against theft. On one of those occasions, I asked a man onstage who put his wallet on the floor and his foot on top of it! But the poor man didn’t realise that I already had his watch and smart phone in my possession. The wallet followed later in the act, to the great amusement of the audience!

Hands in pockets

At a corporate party in Breda for Boehringer Ingelheim, I found myself with a select company, composed mainly by men, all of them without a suit. At the beginning of my act, I had stolen a few watched and had handed them back. Later in the act, I asked a man to come forward. As he was very suspicious, he put his wallet and smart phone in his front trousers pockets  and put his hands on top.  I tried to get him so far to take out his hands from his pockets but without any result.  What he didn’t realise, is that I used this byplay as  misdirection to steal his belt.

TEC 7

During one of my stage acts, I wanted to steal a leather band watch from a man as I went into the audience but it was completely impossible to open it. I thus went to another person, stole his watch and continued my act with him. After the show, I was still wondering how it was possible that I couldn’t steal the watch. So, I asked the man about it. He told me dead seriously that his watch band was broken some time ago and that’s why he glued it with TEC 7.  At least, my honour has been saved!

What’s the pickpocket’s approach and how can companies benefit from it?

In all three situations, I had to be flexible and adapt my strategy to the situation. In the two first ones, I even saw it as a new opportunity to make my act better and funnier.  In the part with the TEC 7, I was left with a mystery myself and I looked for the answer so I could learn from it.  In general, as a pickpocket, you learn to anticipate and foresee problems. In being several steps ahead  and stealing a few things before revealing them, I can easily cope with difficult spectators or situations.

The same principles apply for companies. Companies that are flexible, can adapt themselves easily to fast changing markets.  Those who anticipate possible problems and who welcome them as a new opportunity.  will stay way ahead of the competition…