A Russian businessman said to me once...

13 years ago

Disagree.

You need to play wisely with your money, not bleed money if business is not going well.
I've heard a lot of people saying that you have to look and act as a rich man if you want to eventually become one but I think that's bull.

If you don't manage your money wisely you'll ruin everything.

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Wizardofwisdom

13 years ago

"Thinking from the end" - in other words feeling as if your goal has been realised certainly works.

Buying a Mercedes on expenses when business is s**t to try and anchor the feeling or to convince others would not work, however! It would be short lived in terms of any glory or gain because the businessman is going to run out of funds or his customers will see through the BS - I'm just not sure which would happen sooner.

The key is to believe in your success before the outward symbols of it have necessarily shown up. Your certainty and your integrity and congruence, (your words and deeds match your emotions) will carry you there.

Muhammad Ali was possibly one of the best exponents of this in modern times.

Thanks for an interesting question.

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Odahh 13 years ago

maybe he just new the cycles of his business. work ed his butt off when thing where going good.. then treated himself when things dropped off. Reading into it to much as an expression of fake until you make it is a bit dangerous.

Running up huge expenses before running up income is dangerous.
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vok

13 years ago

Living beyond your means, is a bankrupt way of living life.

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tobyR

13 years ago

I like the philosophy behind it to a degree but if someone takes it to extremes then yes it gets dangerous and not to be advised (ie the bankrupt route) its about degree

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EliteIM

13 years ago

He had nothing to loose so he can try anything he can to get the business back on track, lol

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Odahh

13 years ago

Ok .. i wonder if i wasn't negative enough when i attacked such a statement as pie eyed fake it until you make it crapola. This business man had made it already a few time most likely. he has been through the ups and downs. Probably had nothing at a few points and worked his way up .

He has made it so he doesn't need to fake it. he most likely understood his business cycles. Things might have been down then . though he knew he could rebound so why panic and act like it is the end of the world and start living poor.

So Attaching the right principles to the right quotes is kind of important. This is not Fake it until you make it.

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DireStraits

13 years ago

Originally Posted by LetsGoViral

A:"Just bought a new Mercedes S500".
B:"So business is going good?"
A:"No. It's bad. That's why I bought the Mercedes."

Am I the only one here with the inclination to believe that this was likely a sarcastic response? :p

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Jonathan 2.0 Banned 13 years ago

Originally Posted by DireStraits

Am I the only one here with the inclination to believe that this was likely a sarcastic response?

Well - everyone is seeing that they want to see.
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Odahh 13 years ago

Originally Posted by DireStraits

Am I the only one here with the inclination to believe that this was likely a sarcastic response? :p

It could be sarcasm
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jjoshua

13 years ago

I think the story by the Russian businessman is highly exaggerated.

What he means is to not be stingy on investing your time and effort into your business despite seeing no or little results.

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oliviasmith

13 years ago

Well at least you should have something in your hand to fake it. Buying a Mercedes and saying that your business isn't doing well, He is a rich guy lolzzz

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feiyin85

13 years ago

I kind of disagree.The car is a liability rather than assets.The business man should focus on his biz rather than getting a car which adds on to his expenses which becomes debts.This shows a lack of financial intelligence.That is my point of view.

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LetsGoViral

13 years ago

Actually the point is - if you don't own a Mercedes or a similar car, people won't take you seriously. Especially in business. I know a person who bought a Vertu mobile phone just because he was going to Russia on business meetings. Many guys drive Porsche Cayenne's, but can't afford to pay for rent or gas. These are the values in ex-soviet states unfortunately.

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feiyin85

13 years ago

Originally Posted by LetsGoViral

Actually the point is - if you don't own a Mercedes or a similar car, people won't take you seriously. Especially in business. I know a person who bought a Vertu mobile phone just because he was going to Russia on business meetings. Many guys drive Porsche Cayenne's, but can't afford to pay for rent or gas. These are the values in ex-soviet states unfortunately.

Thanks,probably it's the culture.

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paulie888

13 years ago

Originally Posted by LetsGoViral

Actually the point is - if you don't own a Mercedes or a similar car, people won't take you seriously. Especially in business. I know a person who bought a Vertu mobile phone just because he was going to Russia on business meetings. Many guys drive Porsche Cayenne's, but can't afford to pay for rent or gas. These are the values in ex-soviet states unfortunately.

That must make it incredibly risky to be in business then over there, because when you overstretch yourself like that, you're only one expense/bill away from disaster.

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xdmannet

13 years ago

You cant be a boss with a cheap car !!

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Richard Groom

13 years ago

haha i remember hearing something similar on the english version of 'the office.' david brent offered some of his expert advice about what a failing salesman should do.

I understand some logic here...in hard times people often want to be associated with the successful guy with the nice car.

If it works or not i have no idea...maybe just in russia!

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drmfitz

13 years ago

i had enough business skills to crack 7 figures in 2 years from zero-not even close to investment skills-took me 16 months to erase it completely in stocks. so the next go around, i paid my house off first before i bought a nice new car, and we were making huge $'s too-during that time, i socked away high figures (3 years to pay house off) my wife drove a 1993 subaru loyal. i still had my 1967 firebird to drive and was paid for. while i am not the smartest businessman in the bunch, a car is always a poor investment, unless the money your money makes pays for it, then hey, knock yourself out and have fun!

the book, ""the game of life, and how to play it" is a classic written florence skovel shinn in teh 1920's about "prosperity consciousness" where she gives many demonstrations testimonies of people doing just this such thing and coming through. Dr. Mike

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Matthew Shelton

13 years ago

Originally Posted by drmfitz

i had enough business skills to crack 7 figures in 2 years from zero-not even close to investment skills-took me 16 months to erase it completely in stocks. so the next go around, i paid my house off first before i bought a nice new car, and we were making huge $'s too-during that time, i socked away high figures (3 years to pay house off) my wife drove a 1993 subaru loyal. i still had my 1967 firebird to drive and was paid for. while i am not the smartest businessman in the bunch, a car is always a poor investment, unless the money your money makes pays for it, then hey, knock yourself out and have fun!

the book, ""the game of life, and how to play it" is a classic written florence skovel shinn in teh 1920's about "prosperity consciousness" where she gives many demonstrations testimonies of people doing just this such thing and coming through. Dr. Mike

Dr. Mike thanks for the story and for the reference - "the game of life, and how to play it" is available as a free pdf!

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Eduard Stinga

13 years ago

Originally Posted by LetsGoViral

Fake it until you make it.

I remember this exact thing being taught in some seduction course. And it works!

Well, most people in IM are faking it really, oh look at me I'm *so busy* running all my online businesses but I'll give you some of my *precious* time, I'm earning 6-7 figures/year, scoring $10k+ WSO's, selling thousands of copies, etc.

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om4457

13 years ago

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om4457 13 years ago

Wait. Maybe he means "if it would be good, I'd get a Ferrari, but since it's bad I'll settle for Mercedes"?
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MLJgirl

13 years ago

Sounds sarcastic to me... But if he was serious I would have to disagree

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abond

13 years ago

An alternative outlook:
Maybe he means that if business was good, he would buy a Maybach?

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seabro

13 years ago

There is some truth in it. When you drive a Porsche, people want to talk to you, they want to be friends with you, they want to do business with you. Even people who drive Porsches want to do business with you.

On the other hand, you need to be sensible with your money - so find a balance between the two.

ps. I used the Porsche analogy instead of Mercedes as I never really experienced it as much when I owned a Mercedes :-)

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WebPen

13 years ago

I think it depends on your business.

Are you going after high profile clients? If so, then the Mercedes is probably more likely to open up their ears (and maybe wallets)

If you're going after smaller mom-and-pop stores, car repair places, etc.- you probably will do better if you look like business sucks!

People want someone that they can relate to.

Try strolling down the street in the ghetto in a suit and see what happens. Or you can play it safe and buy tons of baggy clothes instead :p

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Markus Mustikkamaki

13 years ago

So I need to get a loan for a ferrari?

lol

Well... I totally disagree for that!

If I would have money to play with these... then it would be fun to fake until I make through some goal

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stopper

13 years ago

there is a saying that money tends to attract money so giving the impression of success is important to attain success

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SolaceRose

13 years ago

Originally Posted by LetsGoViral

A:"Just bought a new Mercedes S500".
B:"So business is going good?"
A:"No. It's bad. That's why I bought the Mercedes."

Do you get the idea?

To get the business going, you have to at least look like you have your sh** together, even if you don't.

Fake it until you make it.

Do you agree or disagree?

You are a geek! I'd love you have you as my mentor [seriously, not joking!]

The typa thinking you have at the moment will make you apart from the crowd, yes, in a very positive sense

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best2u

13 years ago

It's more like cultural issue.
Here's the good quote for y'all:
to amass lotsa money - courage, to keep them - wisdom, to spend properly - the ART

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hardraysnight 13 years ago

I think the Russian businessman is enough of a business man to know a good car
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Ping Geek

13 years ago

I agree somewhat. I agree you should tell yourself what you need to get yourself to believe, but not spend money you don't have.

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KingOfMusic

13 years ago

You have to be in a good psychological state, but you don't have to spend so much to get there. I just saw this recently, Anthony Robbins used to have fake hundred dollar bills in the front of his wallet and in the middle of the fake notes, he has his real small change when he was 24.