How Easily Do People Fool You?

I developed one skill better than any after:

• running a business for 10 years
• circling the globe for 10 years
• engaging in serious mental science for 10 years

I am rarely fooled because I largely see through the illusion of fear.

As I mentioned yesterday, my wife and I are selling the house. Someone stopped by for a viewing recently. He is friendly. But he noted how the house needs work, as have a few potential buyers

I instantly see through these business tactics to get a lower price. People using this strategy do not fool me. We fully factored the amount of work and financial investment into the price. These folks have a steal, unless their clients have little money and little desire to fix the house. If not, no worries. We only deal with serious buyers who are a perfect match for our requirements.

We are serious entrepreneurs selling a home to the right buyer to make a fair profit. We are not desperate people looking for charity. As my no-nonsense, Romanian-German mom used to tell us growing up about all things in life:

“Poop or get off the pot.”

(She used a more colorful version.)

Illusion-Perception Fools Most People

Some realtors drive a nice luxury car but that illusion-perception does not fool me; most are working their way up, aiming for greater success.

I respect influencing people through perception but also know being 100% straight is the best way to build a business. I am no billionaire – yet – but I studied billionaires and have even chatted with one during my entrepreneurial journey. I learned from this particular icon how to be:

• honest
• genuine
• compassionate
• tactful
• generous
• abundant
• detached about business
• humble

Most importantly, I learned how seeing clearly ensures you are never fooled by fear, because you spot fear-fueled motives in people and instantly decide to release these individuals.

Desperate People Assume Desperation in Others

I noted yesterday how the first potential buyer made a silly lowball offer the realtor did not dignify with a response. He quoted half the asking price before we listed because he obviously is desperate, has little money and assumed my wife and I would be desperate to sell.

Unfortunately, you cannot fool us. We did our homework on local real estate. We also factored in the cost of renovations. Being armed with the truth – and a fair assessment from our realtor – I saw through the paper-thin business tactics of a desperate flipper. If he was successful, he would have:

• money to invest – or throw away – on the house
• been honest with us versus trying to fool us
• not bothered to quote a silly lowball offer

He tried to fool us by wearing a “contractor” t-shirt but even though he can fix homes he obviously does not know how to build a thriving business.

Do you want to know who did *not* try to fool me? The investor who offered 3/4s of the selling price, sight-unseen. Someone with that amount of money to throw away is honest and successful because:

• the investor offers a fair price for the real estate
• the investor has built up their cash reserves to where they could make a poor investment by the odd chance – not seeing the home – and not bat an eyelash at throwing away hundreds of thousands of dollars

Do you see why being honest helps you feel good, sleep well and live your dreams in the process? Plus, you can instantly see right through people who try to fool you.

The investor ready to buy this house sight unseen may not have shown up in a nice car or contractor shirt but their instant cash offer made 2 hours after the listing, the fairness of the offer and their clarity shows that they aren't trying to fool anybody.

Learn from both fools and honest people and you won't be fooled by anybody.