A Confidence Game, Silly Psychic and Rules of Business

I just have wrapped up a great meeting and am on my way to the subway .
A woman comes out of a diner nearby, “Excuses me, Miss,” she hands me her card “Please don’t give this to anyone.”

She proceeds to tell me about how she’s been gifted since she was 9 years old and how she only reads for very special people. She is not a psychic by trade, she is an interior decorator. She can see something very important is about to happen and she really wants to read for me.

As you may know, I enjoy a good hustle. I like to deconstruct them and figure out how they work. After all, being a good spy involves a solid understanding of the grifter’s craft. Surprisingly, the rules at play here for a confidence game are not much different than the basic principle for a solid business strategy. Without a doubt there are differences between the two, so lets break down the con-game and high light the difference between a good business strategy versus a hustle.

“How much for this reading?”
“$5”

All right. Five dollars is cheap for an education and a blog post.

< I am skeptical but express interest. This interest is like the initial foot traffic to your website. You’ve got their interest, what are you gonna do with it now? >

We walk down a few blocks and into her apartment.

< More Trust is gained. Trust is the most important element in both doing legit business and in any con game you are running. For an online business, it is the equivalent of subscribing to a list or giving out your email address. The customer just put their trust in you, what will you do with that trust? >

She lives in a tiny studio (150sq ft at best) with a bed, a small couch, a coffee table and nothing more (yes I can see you are an excellent interior decorator).

< The failed delivery. There is already a crack in the initial presentation. You say you publish on a bi-weekly bases. You say that you can ship within 48 hours. Make sure you can deliver on the story you tell.>

“Oh I am so excited to be reading for you! I can’t wait to get started. Now please don’t be mad at me for anything I am about to tell you.”

< Ah! The disclaimer and liability waiver. When the disclaimer comes this early in the transaction, the customer becomes suspicious. When you buy a dryer at the appliance store, the warning label to keep your small children away from it or they could get trapped in the dryer and die is not on the display model. You don’t see the warning label until the dryer is purchased and delivered to your home. One should aim to keep your clients’ hard won trust for as long as possible. In order to keep the customer’s hard won trust, an assumption of responsibility is a must. >

“I see that you give a lot of yourself but you don’t get enough of it back. You have very strong energy, so strong that it keeps people away. You have lots of friends. They like you to your face but not behind your back. You love deeply but you always hit a wall, you have loved but you’ve never known love.”

< The attempt to create doubt. Is your website getting enough traffic? Does your insurance cover mayhem like me? As humans we all want the same thing. Connection, love, acceptance and affirmation.  As a business, we all want the same results. High web-traffic, high conversion rate, positive cash flow, named by Wired Magazine as the company to watch. The principle of selling is connected to human psychology. Asking questions to cast doubt so the NEW business can find a way in is a tried and true method. There is nothing wrong with asking the question.
However, Janet the hustler here mis-stepped. Instead of asking questions, she is making assumptions and answering questions instead. Oh no you didn’t….you did not just tell me about my friends. Oh no, don’t you dare tell me about love, if I’ve known love…there are a few gentlemen who will come and give you an ass kicking to defend the years they spent loving me. Oh no you didn’t! >

I am not giving her anything to work with as I am offering up no additional information.  I just look at her with a smile on my face.

< Your customer is non-responsive. What do you do? She chose the fear route. >

“I see there are 3 people in your past who wished you ill. This is why you are not as successful as you would like to be. You need to clear that energetically. You get cramps don’t you? Its because of the curse!” I shook my head no.

“You don’t get cramps?”
“Nope! I cannot tell you how long it’s been since I’ve had a cramp.”
“Oh it is so strong I’m having cramps too!”
Seriously lady, you are starting to really annoy me now. You are not running a very good hustle here.

< Instead of asking your customer what is it they need, she choose to scare me with the “curse” non-sense. Instead of asking for customer feedback, how are we doing, is there a particular type of art that you are looking for but not finding? Ask the question, what would be of value to you? Fear based selling is not uncommon. The US government has sold us many wars based on fear. But is fear the place you want your decisions to be made from? This is a sales pitch that is failing me. You have not gained enough trust to scare me or to believe that you can help. >

“I can mediate on you and clear this up. I will need $200 to buy supplies.”

< The up-sale. This con is clearly a failure. This business has not solved any of my problems with the initial trust invested. It has not entertained me, informed me, enlightened me or inspired me. Instead of building a relationship, she chooses to immediately jump into the up-sale. Instead of proving to me the relationship is worth further investigation, it chooses to scare me to elicit further investment. Not a good strategy. >

This is where I get up, say thank you and walk out.

I related the story to a friend. My dear friend said, “You know what you should have said to her? F*ck You C*nt!”

I laughed so hard I almost fell out of my chair. I told her I’ve got something better.

You can’t trick a trickster.

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*My dismissal of her is not because I do not believe in the spiritual or the mystical. I dismissed the entire transaction because of the ineffective and poorly executed business strategy….not to mention her inaccuracy as a reader.