How to Be a Conartist #1: Small favors lead to big rewards

 Disclaimer: I know nothing about conartistry, nor do I condone it. However, I am reading a really good book called Influence by Robert Cialdin, it's about the psychology of influencing people. It has changed the way I see advertising, and I think is a must read for anyone who is interested in psychology. This entry is based off the first chapter about reciprocation. I chose conartist for my topic because it's just a lot more fun to write about than business men. 

            So you want to be a con-artist? You’ve seen them on the TV, you’re favorite movies are about amazing con jobs, so you think you know everything about them. All you need is good looks, and an ability to maintain a conversation, and if all else fails you can rely on your handsome smile. Wrong. A con is an art, if it were all about being attractive and your smooth talking then nobody would be trustworthy, since we would know everyone is out to get you. Reckon good looks do help, but they can be easily defeated. What you need is a firm grasp on the human mind, to dig deep into their thoughts and bend them to your will just buy using a few key words, and I’m here to show you how.

            The human brain is stupid, it takes shortcuts at every given moment, as a means to save energy. Only occasionally does one actually use their brain to think, and your goal as a con-artist is to make sure they don’t think. You are the one who does the thinking. So how do you show someone you’re capable of thinking for them? The answer is simple, you do them a favor. That’s it. May it be something as simple as buying their lunch to rushing into a burning building to save someone, you always have to do them a favor. We humans, that include you and I, have an innate desire to return favors of equal or greater value to someone who helps us. You will know this rule as the rule of small favors.

            Now how do you pull such a favor on somebody? Just follow these steps below:

            Step 1: Pick your target. I suggest for somebody new like you to pick some random person on the street, and then you can work your way up to the people you really want to con.

            Step 2: Do them a favor. This ranges from handing out free gifts, to offering to pay for lunch, and even to the elaborate partnered hoax where you stage something bad happening to them (e.g. a robbery) and then you come in to save the day. Remember, the size of payment they give you in return is only as large as the favor you give them. The point is to prime them to want to help you in return.

            Step 3: Befriend them. This step can happen before or after step 2, but I find it more effective after step 2. You want to activate something known as the halo effect, the feeling of trust between the two of you.

            You don’t know what the halo effect is? What are they teaching you kids these days? The halo effect is simple; it’s what they use in the movies, the good looks and the smooth talks. Of course it can be something different like smart intellect, but looks are the easiest to notice. It’s all about making them think that if you’re good at one thing, say being nice, they assume you’re good at many other things. Here let me pull up the definition on my phone. According to Wikipedia, “The halo effect is a cognitive bias in which an observer's overall impression of a person influences the observer's feelings and thoughts about that person's character.” So you want to make them think you’re a good guy all around.

            Alright, back to the next step, which one did I leave off on? Befriend them, that’s right.

            Step 4: Negotiate. Or in simple terms, ask for a favor in return. But remember it has to be equal or lesser than the favor you gave them. You can’t buy somebody a meal and then ask for two hundred bucks in return. You can ask somebody for a meal and ask for a car ride in return. You can’t fake a robbery then ask for twenty bucks as payment, that’s just stupid. You can fake a robbery and ask for a job at their company, and then use that as a means to get closer to your target and eventually con your way to the top and then drive that company to the ground while you run off with all their money.

Always use favors as a means to a greater goal, well once you’re more experienced. Until then, just test the waters and see what happens. Of course favors are not everything needed for a con, but they’re a great way to begin one. Come back to me after some practice and I’ll tell you some more tricks of the trade.