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Winning through Intimidation

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A book about negotiation and closing business. How to use your position and leverage in any negotiation to get what you want and deserve. Gain calming perspective on closing deals as well.

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Winning Through Intimidation Book Summary

Ringer is a pessimist with a no-nonsense attitude and he writes that way. He had some really interesting things to say as well as some great perspectives. One of the things that he talks about in this book is the Ice Ball Theory.

The Ice Ball Theory: In 50 billion years, the sun is going to die, the earth will die, and everybody's going to be dead. SO, what does it matter if you end up putting yourself out there and cold call someone, start a business and fail, or close a deal or not. It doesn't matter because in 50 billion years no one's going to remember you and the earth will be completely dead.

From one perspective this is a very negative way to look at life. From another, it is freeing. It's a good perspective to keep in the back of your mind when you have what Seth Godin calls “the resistance” barking at you about whether you should do something or not. His book Linchpin shares much more detail on this.

Ringer is a pessimist. His perspective is very controlled and narrow, which is good if you're just trying to accomplish a goal or task without having negative thoughts and concepts hinder you and get in your way. Here's one of the perspectives that he has on the “working world” and the common mindset of people going into it.

The business world is a very tough place. You need to be more controlled with your mental state and the way that you allow yourself to think about others. This book talks a lot about that. Ringer says:

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“The illusions created by the oftentimes flowery and enthusiastic people are exciting, but the reality that confronts a man when he goes out into the business world jungle and gets clawed and kicked is quite another thing.”

Striving for a positive mental attitude will get you nowhere unless you have the ammunition to back it up. You develop a positive mental attitude, Robert believes, by being prepared, by understanding the realities of what it takes to succeed, and by being well versed in the necessary techniques to get you there. Another strategy for mental preparation for outcomes can be found in the book How To Stop Worrying And Start Living.

It's a cycle. The more prepared a person is, the more positive their attitude, and therefore the better their chances of succeeding.

As a salesperson, Robert realizes that salespeople can lose deals all the time. It's very hard to sell, so keeping a positive mental attitude, for him, is all about being prepared. Understanding and properly implementing all the techniques and strategies you need to be confident enough that potential customers can see it. Once you're confident, then you can go with your head held high and do battle over and over without fading out or giving up.

The Theory of Sustenance Of A Positive Attitude Through The Assumption Of A Negative Result.

Remember Robert Ringer is a salesman and this is a book about sales and closing business, making quota. That means facing rejection. That said, he's always assuming that he's not going to win something. That the deal won’t close or he won’t win the sales contest. Through that assumed loss, he's able to maintain a positive attitude because he's working his hardest, but if he loses something because there are so many factors out of his control, he's not necessarily heartbroken. He doesn't lose his positive attitude towards his craft because he already had the prospect of gain written off as a loss.

Negative Outlook + Preparation = Positive Attitude

As Ray Dalio says in his book Principles: “You can’t predict, but we can prepare.” So prepare for the worst possible outcome mentally and you won’t be let down if it happens. That will help you keep a positive mental attitude.

The Three Types Theory

Type Number One: This person lets you know right away through their words and actions, that he/she is definitely out to get your chips. Not some of them, all of them. Chips, of course, being money.

Type Number Two: This type assures you that he's not interested in getting your chips, and he usually assures you that he wants to see you get everything that you deserve. Then when everything is said and done, he acts just like type number one and tries to take all of your chips anyway.

Type Number Three: This type also tells you that he's not interested in your chips. The difference here is that, unlike the second type, he actually means it. That is the only difference though. Circumstances arise that always come down to simply rationalizing what's right and wrong, and type number 3, like the others, still ends up trying to get your chips.

That is Ringer’s attitude towards everything in business. To him, life is all about protecting yourself, being prepared for the situations that can arise, and being confident in your abilities through knowledge. Another wonderful sales book that speaks to some of these subjects is Chet Holmes The Ultimate Sales Machine.

About The Author Robert J. Ringer

Robert J. Ringer (born 1938) is an American entrepreneur, motivational and political speaker, and author of several best-selling personal-development and political books. Winning through Intimidation, was his first book. It faced 23 rejections from publishers. Ringer went on to publish the book himself and it became a bestseller in no time. It spent 36 weeks at the top of The New York Times bestseller list. He has written many other successful books as well.

Ringer has appeared on The Tonight Show, Today, The Dennis Miller Show, Good Morning America, ABC Nightline, and The Charlie Rose Show, as well as Fox News and Fox Business. He has been the subject of feature articles in such major publications as Time, People, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Barron's, and The New York Times.

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