Forceful and smart selling advice by Machiavelli

Forceful and smart selling advice by Machiavelli

The sales advice was probably adopted from the lines taught at Machiavellis Prin

There are 5 tactics:

The Illusion of Choice Technique (advanced closing strategy) ✔️ How to create scarcity and urgency in sales ✔️ The power of psychological triggers in marketing ✔️ Narrative control and authority positioning ✔️ The Strategic Retreat Method (reverse psychology in selling)

1. The illusion of choice

Control the choice. Do not give the customer unlimited choice

But actually the choice has been made. By employing the good

better strategy. Good is the more expensive and then presenting the

more affordable. It is often a used word: decision becomes inevitable

2. Creating scarcity:

Fear sells. It is better to be feared rather than loved

Either by telling shortage in inventory, or time frame. When there is risk or danger, a person rush to make decision We are adopting this in Temu marketing promos beginning March 16. Limited promo items, and campaigns running 4 weeks at most.

FOMO (fear of missing out)

3. Psychological triggers

Mask of authencity. Perceived authencity. Skill appears trustworth.

One who can give a good advice to build trust.

Appear to be one with them, but actually pushes own agenda

4. Narrative control of authority

Ask question vs defending. Stay on offense.

Appear to be the expert

5. Strategic withdrawal

Dont be desperate. Appear to be not needing tthe agent.

1. Now is not the best time

2. Maybe you need to have more research

Do you appear to be manipulative? But are you not selling everyday. ?

Machiavellis thought on selling

Firehose situation; hell week at MIT, how to raise P100,000 in one month - they force you to be resilient and entreprenuerial, and resourceful

Be better than before, than yesterday...

The MIT monk mentions his stint at MIT about firehose, (and or Hell Week)  Having a situation where there are so many tasks that seem to be impossible to finish.    Then you learn to delegate, collaborate, and have a system.  Otherwise you will fail.

Then at Golman Sachs, their assignment in real world (and this is for the sellers) to raise P100,000 in your personal income in one month.  That is tough if you are not resourceful and you are thinking 8-5 worker.  I am happy that when this was assigned to the latest batch of trainees, they came through.   Marketing people should be subjected to that kind of situation or given that exercise

Hacks that could have been learned earlier for earlier success by MIT monk

Be better than before, than yesterday...

The author became a street boy (a runaway) monk, MIT student, later a CEO of tech company (even AI)

He lists down in this video hacks that should have been learned earlier.

Some of them:

1.  Differentiate between savings and investment.    Or you can have both.  Savings let you earn 1/4 of 1% while investment tied to S & P can get you more, Compounding plays out better.

2.  Stop believing in the American dream.  Limited opportunities now,  less jobs, heavy taxation.   

    Only 4% make it through and become successful, the 96% suffer. 

3   Practice practice practice in what you are good at.   (There is no inherent genius.  Only practice creates geniuses.    Some people who are determined are good in practice.  Athletes, musicians, actors practice this  Even doctors.  What are you good at?  Do you practice constantly

4.  Look at yourself as an investment portfolio.  Do you spend on your education and self improvement?   Are you gettting desired returns.  Wilkinson said that fortune are preceded by education and intelligence

5.  Move where the opportunites are:

     NY, Boston, SF, Chicago. Where the talented and fortunate are.  They are not in  the boondooks

6.  Equity and salary. 

    You become rich early.  You behave differently when you are the owner.    Salary is a trap is an addiction.  

7.  Humble yourself.  Get a mentor

     Not the coaches who are paid exorbitantly.  Be coached by someone who has made it.  Some will coach you free if he can get an action of your venture.  

8.  Have an emergency fund

       1.  For medical emergency

       2.  When you are laid off

       3.  Acts of God:   flood, typhoon, 

9.   Have your own FBI.   (Financial Bureau of Investigation) to find out where your money goes.  

     In this priority/order:

     1.  Emergency

     2   Equity

     3.  Essential

     4.  Enjoyment

     Allocate $ or PHP first in 1-3 before going to # 4

10.   American dream can become the American debt.  Avoid debt at all costs.   Buying homes early while young can be a catastrophe.           

11.  Be financial literate.   There are apps you get into or YT videos .    There is no excuse.  There are books:    Psychology of Money, and the Algebra of  Wealth Compounding.  These are precious guides. 

12  Automate personal finance.  There are apps that can do this for you.

13.  Go analog.  Read read read books.

14.  Failure as a teacher like as on the spot firing being jobless, being homeless.  Be prepared and develop resilience from that.  Find something positive in bad experiences to bring out the best in you.  Find the strength that you have missed.  It can let you see the road beyond the corner and find the best you

15.  Find the krypto in you (what destroys Superman)  find the antidotes and seek people who can support you and give your strrength.  

16.  Dont play victim

       Dont hold grudges.  Stay friendly even with those people who wronged you.  

17.  Find the right partner.  Who can give you support in the worst of conditions.

18.  Forgive yourself and live away from the past -   Abusive parents, bad employers, misfortunes.  Stay in the present find something positive and be a good person now.

19.  Think of yourself as someone living for others to be their best   Find out how can that happen  By finding love and service.  What impact can we have on others lives.   

\

20.   Happiness =      Resources/need   Thus increase your resources and decrease need   If your need is 0 your happiness becomes infinite

Why smart people do not become rich?

Be better than before, than yesterday...

They are so analytical, sees more than 15 downsides in an opportunity, and prefers to be analytical.  The less educated, less analytical fail to see the risk breeze through the process, and gets the roi...

I saw this.  The educated PO dumped two multi billion projects which we passed on to other allies.

Mindset needed at the Board Room by MIT Monk

These are the things we need to be qualified for the Board Room

1.  Find the missing note  the ghost note  (the missing data)

    Ask for the data that you do not see.    E.g.  the bombers that made bank saw the bullet homes decided to provide armor for the 

   Upgrading your mind for data that do not show up.   

   Look behind the curtain and do nto look into things that are shown.  Be curious

   Look at the silent ghost.

   How the 1%  must think

2.  Optimize mistakes

     Learn from mistakes.  Mistakes and learning from them create new neural networks.    Those who do not make mistakes plateu

   1.  Define metric -  What does better  mean -   faster, better, more accurate, 

    2.  Define the outcome

    3.  Deliver

    4.  Find exact failure point

    5.  Change one thing iterate  

3.  Find the hard.  

     Explore difficult challenges and learn from this  Say difficult nego.

     Stay with it.  

     High tension conversation:  how to navigate hard conversation nego later

     1  From people to facts ;  where do we suggest  we change 

     2  Lesson the tension   are we with you or against us

     3.  No poinitng fingers   -  we want to work together

     4.  Acknowledge their presence;   appreciate what you are doing.  We care about the outcome and you

      Later you will be known as the person 

 4.  Time horizon - say  7 years.   Your action differs if you think long term

      Beams from dining room;  started to rot  The original architect all ready grew the oak so that the beams can be made in the future.  Cathedral thinking. 

     Hedge funds investors invest in long term.  Warren Buffett focussed on the long term.    40 years that passed is very fast

               90 day timeline -   be visible

              12 - 18 months -   decision that willl contribute to the company

              5 years be visionary

             ARE YOU PLANTING FLOWERS OR TREES.  ?

 5.  Your identity  -  you can architect  what yourself 

     Getting more than you deserve

      Deserving more than you get

     When you make a decision?    

     1  What will I be if I make decision?

     2  Is it a decision that is safe but will not make your better.

     You do not see around the corner.  You were made to make the world better.

     You will be better You will be for the world that will be better

     You will be better if someone believe you and sponsor you

Important learnings at MIT that makes their alumni entrepreneurs and CEOS - e.g you do not graduate alone!!!

Be better than before, than yesterday...

The author became a MULTIMILLIONAIRE.  Do you want to be one.  Just like him ?  (He became CEO of his company.)

I worked under one such grad when I became an EVP of Savings and Loan Assocation.   I used to hate him, but adjusted him and we became a friend in Land Rover club where we now show our own vehicles and as equals.  Learned a lot from him on leadership and management

Learning from MIT (an Ivy League School)

1.  Understand and love the system

 There were many hacks committed at the top of dome of MIT:   cars assembled on top, flags, and many more done by the students.  They beat the system and they had fun.

    You must love the system and then have fun.  You cant beat and hate the system.

(We have people who say we dont have system.

    Be even able to hack the system.  (Many do cross the line and become criminals.or our competitor)

2.  Firehose test.

    Students were exposed to loads of work that they cant seem to finish.   This develops ingenuity of what should          be finished.   You ask the question, how can I cope?

    It develops ingenuity.  

    1.  Time management

    2.  Prioritization

    3.  Cooperation and collaboration

    Effort  is NOT EQUAL TO  PURPOSE.

     Purpose is:

                 1  Impacful

                 2  Important

                 3.  Irreversible

   We have recruits who complain at slightest hint of hard work, and complexity

3.  Find the first principles

     Problems, challenges can be daunting.  Especially innovation.  Find the first principle.   Break down everything into basic parts.    And then it becomes easier.

     Steps:   Find   1.  Facts

                            2.  Aspiration (your goals)

                            3.  Do tests (experiments)

      Elon Musk used this in changing the business/rocket science.   He found out that

      single use rocket launches are very complex and expensive (NASA made it so)  and found out that rocket                  launchis only 2% of what NASA spends.  And from therEM built a multi million Space ex business

 4. Mind and hand approach

     Being practical.  Leave the academic and book part.  Do something practical

     FInd the MVP (Minimum Viable Product and improve on this)  An MVP is better 

     than no product at all.  You can improve a prototype but not on nothing.  Do it now 60% is better than doing it

     105% tomorrow

     Practice

     1    Building the product

     2.   Test

     3.  Go to the first principle

      At MIT they have a one month period where students do this to present to the VC.  And they end up owning new venures, financed by Venture Capital

  5.  You do not graduate alone even if you are the smartest guy in the room.  

      You need a team, you need collaboration. you need a mastermind.  though

     how smart you are.  John Maxmell term it as the Law of the Lid.  All of major

     discoveries and invention now are results of team effort.

     This idea makes you humble  and become less of pain in the ass. of others.    Your group becomes better

     and successful.   

Think and its shall happen Think about your reality - Nuero science

Be better than before, than yesterday...

This post read in an FB post about neuro science, things CIA wont tell you.  It is about your brain being programmed in 24 hours to see reality as the brain sees it in and not matching reality.  This can be used in creating spins and recruiting agents or conspirators.  There are several steps:

1.  Write down what you want to see

2    Read it aloud 

3.   Sleep on it.

There are several names given to this by experts:  sublimimal  autosuggestion.

Thus when an Indian soothsayer predicted that I would create wealth for family that would last for several generations my brain, or I sincerely believed that is true.  And my body worked hard for it for the last 40 years.  And they all came true.

All things that were created came from your mind other peoples mind. 

Do you have similar stories?

What unfair advantage you could have to be rich

Be better than before, than yesterday...

There is actually none.  You create your own advantage:

There are 3 things:

1.  Model   - find a new environment to learn what you have not learned before.  The similar environment can not give you that opportunity.  

2.   Mimic similar experience.    Get experience.    Pick up the phone.    Make the call.  

3.   Master.   Excel in what you are good at.  Just a little bit better.  Multiply yourself




It is great that I had the same initial experience.    Being a pharma rep.   

Training proteges can be daunting

Be better than before, than yesterday...

There are two proteges who have worked with me for the past two decades.  I have negotiated for them two major projects that amount to  10 numbers.  Probably  much much more than what I have worked for in the last 40 years.

However this post noticed certain weaknesses thast need correction:

     1  Need follow up;   need self direction and initiative

     2.  Always looking up to the mentor or me.   Be the authority or the mentor

     3   Entertaining self doubts or discouragement

     4.  Being fixated by small things /problems that drain their energy

     5.   Limited options and lack of creativity and innovation

     6.  Lack of clarity of lifes purpose

     7.  Need to be audacious and brave

I wonder how these can be developed.  otherwise they cant move forward.  They must develop these to move forward

Recruiting fresh graduates or those with experience

Be better than before, than yesterday...

Hiring practices - Forbes

Early on in my job career, my job was a recruitment and training asst at major commercial bank.  This post also trained with PMAP   One such interesting question during those years was to either hire a newbie (a fresh graduate) or an experienced staff with years of experience.   Higher pay but minimal training.

In my present experience, it is better to hire a newbie.    They obey are trainable and their horns have not emerged.  But those with just 5 years of experience are difficult to persuade or train.    There is a lot of drama.   Those young are ambitious and are not shackled by bad experience nor feeling of entitlement.  I am seeing this with a trainee about 40 years old and we can not even train her correctly for making PO doing AP process and using computer printer to print checks

She has overrated herself and another one asserts seniority and resists effort to correct her and follow right procedure

Would invidividuals who got very rich because of their connections with the very rich and or illegal activities

Be better than before, than yesterday...

1.  A realtor/developer who is a protege of a former Country's Chief Officer who suddenly had huge mega projects after her term of office

2.  A whiz kid whose talent is supposed to be monetizing an agri company but turned out to be well connnected to a MM city chief officer involved in his Batangas real property and later in a subway project;

3.  A local exec who would have gathered a large tract of land by backfilling large portions of the Laguna Lake.  The LLDA law says the Lake cant be reclaimed

4.  One of the Philippine wealthiest but who conned stockholder with property valuation, buying land along the path of highways (while others do not know)   and lately being involved in flood control projects

5.  A lady CEO suddenly became a billionaire and was featured at social media.  There are however allegations that she is doing ML for frmr congressman who was seen at Portugal.  (She went to Portugal too)

Must they be respected.  I did so for a while.

Clarity in observing listening, Sunnao (open mind) communications

Be better than before, than yesterday...

Memorandum

To:     All

Thru:    CCS

CC: xxxxx

Subject:   February 19,, 2026

Objective:

    1.  To achieve efficiency by having people follow a uniform process  or system

    2.  To move as a community forward

    3.   To achieve viability and continuity by being profitable

Background

   1.   An elderly employee was less than truthful regarding her timing in and then

         attending to personal matter, and doing the payroll herself, failed to deduct

         her undertime

   2.  A staff mentioned about her previous employer (not a nice topic when we

       are enjoined to observe FAR

  3.  An elderly staff discussed generically about cash advance, but the topic assigned was about revolving fund and pcf.  not a good communication or initiative to research

  4.  An elderly staff answered that we do not have system!!??

  5.  Closed mind talaga isa pang elderly:    injecting her agenda despite a prescribed

        agenda

What to do:

    1.  Practice SUNNAO.   Empty your cup.   Nothing will be poured into your cup if

        its full.

    2.  Observe ABCD DOCTRINE

         ACCEPT

        BELIEVE

        COOPERATE

        DANCE WITH THE MUSIC

   3.  LISTEN

        1  Hear with your ear,  LISTEN WITH YOUR HEART

        2.  A doctor can cure you by asking you questions and listening to you.

        3.  Dale Carnegie prescribes listening as an important practice in winning

            friends  and influence people

       How can we achieve our goal and be successful when certain people are hell

       bent on disagreeing (rather than agreeing)  right even the conversation starts

    4.  A SYSTEM IS IN PLACE

      Many new hires comment in a similar manner as we have heard today:  But that is 

      being objected to vehemently by this post.  No effort has been spared to 

      strengthen our system by documenting this properly at:

      1.  MC

      2.  Handbook

      3.  Admin plans

      4  Memoranda

      5.  Gmeet and  and seminars /workshop

      The only problems lies in:

     1.  Closed mind

     2.   Lack of ABCD, FAR, 3fold duties

     3.  Living in the past:   mentioning past jobs always.  (They can always return

          to previous employers if they are so endeared)

My former classmates at the prestigious university remarked during a reunion that I got one of the best courses

Be better than before, than yesterday...

During one of the get togethers we had of alumni of a prestigious Catholic universities we went to the topic of courses taken at the undergrad and their values.   Mine was on behavioral sciences.  Most of them were on sciences and engineering, math.

They said they are fixed and and predictable but human behavior is not.

But even behavioral sciences is perplexed on human behavior -  no one can predict.  Maybe BF Skinner

behavioral reeenforcements works on birds, and dolphins but not much on homo sapiens.  Did you see the horror video on the  orcas devouring the trainer, or tigers too mangling trainers?

Some of the most ungrateful species belong to the homo species.  You do everything to please and motivate them but in the end they bite back (like the snakes) and are ungrateful.  And that you must accept.  No behavioral science theory can predict and or shape how people behave.  You have to be prepared for the worst

Just look at our well paid policeman teachers, and solons.    They have not changed.     

    Has the police force improved its public service?

    How about the quality of education?

    How about the graft and corruption allegation vs solons and members of the executive branch

The question lies in the human character, will and integrity.     Not much of external carrots and sticks

Kaya the military excels in instilling internal changes in the mindsets of soldiers.  Hence theirs success

Lack of integrity, lack of corde seen in many quarters - "when the cat is away...."

Be better than before, than yesterday...

I have to do a lot of repeated travels to talk face to face with people.  The pandemic and the current "repre sent tibs"   "tong gressman"   have thrown integrity and character to the window and the dogs.    Our staff dont care about the community -  about the bayan   Forgot to become BAYANI.  Panay sarili.

That means:   no improvement, walang malasakit, walang unity, walang teamwork.  Poverty for the outsiders.   

No sense of mission.    Selfish.    Kanya kanya and with it comes feeling entitlement and with it theft and dishonesty.    Sayang mga Pinoy.    Sayang pinag aralan

Nawalang integrity...

All you need in life are your intellect and character - not cars, condos, watches or flashy gadgets

Be better than before, than yesterday...

Early in my life I built and reenforced my perceived success with its trappings:   expensive cars -  BMW, Range Rover  Patrol SUV, Land Cruiser etc watches, big house.  Of course you need to impress others with your achievements   You need trophies for them to trust you

But later on this post found more basic things in life:   good health, good family relationships, kindness to people, legacy, character

And to build your business you need speaking nego skills, knowing math and knowing how to balance your need vs the other negotiator and its going to be win win for both.    I found out that negotiation is not easily learned and some falter in negotiation and have not prepared well for it when the issue comes.

What does self improvement really mean?

Be better than before, than yesterday...

Does it mean being fitter, or reading more books or attending seminars and coaching sessions.

It means taken criticisms and reprimands to corrrect you to be better. It is humility to accept that some people are ahead, there are systems governing a work environment.  That there are legalities that dictate what can be and cant be.  

It means being honest and factual, No alibis, no excuses.    You cant pass the blame on others or circumstances   Own to the shit that you made

And from there on we can mature.  I have seen individuals remain the same  (Bob Seiger)

Still the same

Other self improvement tips

20 ways to improve yourself every day

Behavior change can be a long process, but it doesn’t have to be grueling. In author James Clear’s Atomic Habits talk, he discusses the power of improving yourself by just 1% every day. Reinventing yourself can be a series of small habit changes, like taking five minutes in your day to be more mindful. Or, it can be a more involved process, such as gradually exposing yourself to things that give you anxiety to overcome your fears.

Regardless of the impact you hope to achieve, the following exercises can help you learn how to improve your life and work toward personal development.

1. Make time for rest

You’ll never be the best version of yourself if you’re constantly mentally exhausted and overworked. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs says you must have your basic needs met before you can achieve your goals for self-improvement, and that means making time for sleep, rest, and self-care.

There are many different types of rest, including mental rest, physical rest, and social rest. Try to nail down where exactly you’re feeling drained, then work to identify moments in your schedule when you have the opportunity to take a break. Those quiet moments of rest can help you decompress and process your day. 

According to UW Medicine, a highly respected clinical system at the University of Washington, rest can also increase your brain’s capacity for attention, focus, and creativity. This can give you more bandwidth to work on yourself in other ways.

2. Read more books

Reading more books can help you explore your current passions, develop new interests, and learn new skills. Some books are written specifically to help you start working on self-improvement and personal growth. However, even becoming deeply engrossed in a novel can do wonders for you. 

Reading introduces you to new perspectives and can help you learn to set and achieve your goals. It can also help you work through your emotions and develop empathy by helping you view the world in new ways. All of these benefits directly contribute to self-improvement.

If you’re not a fan of reading, try listening to self-improvement podcasts or watching self-help videos to gain new perspectives on how to improve yourself every day.

3. Start a gratitude practice

One way to learn how to be a better person is by practicing gratitude for what you have. Research published in the Journal of Happiness Studies showed that practicing gratitude for just 15 minutes a day, five days per week for six weeks, can improve mental wellness and contribute to a lasting change in perspective.

You don’t have to feel grateful only for huge things, either. Try to notice the small, everyday things that make you happy, such as the gift of laughter or spending time with a beloved pet. Better yet, write them down each day to build a healthy habit of gratitude.

With practice, it becomes easier to naturally think of what you’re grateful for. This new perspective can change your life for the better.