Manipulation

I can hear a few objections from the back of the room. “Uh, yo, uh, Dominick—isn’t manipulation just a form of lying?”

No.

Next question.

Seriously, the fact that you have to treat someone fairly by not lying and not conning them doesn’t mean that you don’t:

• Present the best arguments in your favor

• Do what you can to put them in a frame of mind where they’ll accept those arguments

I’m not talking about fraud, I’m talking about persuasion. And I think most people can recognize the difference. I’m not expecting the Chevy salesman to tell me the Silverado’s bad points; I just don’t want him to give me out and out BS about his bargaining position. I’m not upholding truth, justice, and the American way—that’s Superman’s job. I’m just looking for an honest deal. In the case of a car sale, that deal involves not just the vehicle, but the service and maintenance on the vehicle, and the backup if something goes wrong. A dealer who encourages his employees to flat out bullshit like that—well, would you trust them with anything more serious than an oil change?