Winning Through Intimidation by Robert J.

Ringer
The Theory of Reality:
Reality isnt the way you wish things to be, or the way they appear to be, but the
way they actually are. You either acknowledge reality and use it to your benefit,
or it will automatically work against you.
Most people wish that business took place on a nursery school playground, with fairness
being enforced. The reality is that the game of business is played in a vicious jungle.

1. Theory of Sustenance of a Positive Attitude Through the

Assumption of a Negative Result
a. Prepare yourself for long-term success by being prepared for short-term failure
b. A person shouldnt enter a sales situation feeling he cant make the sale, but he should
realistically assume that he wont make the sale. If youre prepared, then youre able to feel
confident that you are capable of making the sale if it is possible to be made. Hope for the
best, but realistically assume the worst.
c. No matter how well prepared you are, only a small percentage of deals actually control,
because there are an endless number of factors beyond your control.
d. Each negative result is an educational experience from which you can extract lessons
learned, and then forget about the negative result.

2. Uncle George Theory

a. If you keep your nose to the grindstone and work long, hard hours, youre guaranteed to
get one thing in return: Old. Hard work will not, in and of itself, assure a person of success.

3. Theory of Relativity

a. Language is relative and subjective; you have to make sure that you define exactly what
peoples statements really mean.

4. Theory of Relevance
a. The most important factor to consider is whether something is relevant to what youre
trying to accomplish. Work only on things that are relevant.
b. For example, the builders cost is irrelevant to a buyer. All the buyer cares about is cash
flow. Also, whether or not a person is honest is irrelevant. What matters is what he puts
down in writing.

5. Thirty Year Theory

a. You are going to die. Therefore, you should go after all you can get, as quickly as you can
get it, because the reality is that your time is limited.

6. Ice Ball Theory

a. In 50 billion years, the sun will burn out and the Earth will be a frozen ice ball. Nothing you
do now could possibly matter then. So dont take yourself too seriously. Life is a game, and
play to win. Theres no reason to be afraid to be aggressive or take chances. The reality is
that theres no way youre going to get out of this thing alive, so why play conservatively.

7. Three Type Theory

a. There are only three types of people in the business world

i. Type 1: Lets you know that hes out to get all of your chips. Then he tries to do just that.
ii. Type 2: Assures you that hes not interested in getting your chips. Then he tries to grab all
of your chips anyway.
iii. Type 3: Assures you that hes not interested in getting your chips, and honestly means it.
However, in the end, he tries to grab all of your chips anyway.
b. In business, no one ever does anything for anybody else without expecting to gain
something in return.

8. Leapfrog Theory
a. A person has no legal or moral obligation or, for that matter, logical reason to work his
way up through the ranks. The quickest way to the top is not by fighting your way through
the pack, it is to leapfrog over the pack and simply proclaim that youre above it. However,
you must be prepared to be above it, or reality will knock you back down.

9. Theory of Intimidation

a. The problems most people have in reaching their objectives revolve around the fact that
they constantly allow themselves to be intimidated.
b. The results a person obtains are inversely proportional to the degree to which he is
intimidated.

10. Posture Theory

a. Its not what you do or say that counts, but what your posture is when you say or do it.
You need to maneuver yourself into a position of power.

11. Types of Power

a. Money: The ability to walk awaynice if you can get it

b. Image: The ability to prompt respect
c. Legal: The law, plus the Law of Universal Attorney-Attorney Respect. Always have
everything in writing. Dont be afraid to ask for it.
d. Performance: Be the best at what you do and deliver. Be fanatical about execution. This
backs up your Image and Legal Power.
i. Dont let anything get in the way of making the deal. If there are questions, dig out the
answers yourself if necessary, rather than waiting for someone else to do it.

12. The 5 Steps of Sales Success

a. Obtain a product to sell
b. Locate a market for the product
c. Implement a marketing method
d. Be able to close the sale
e. GET PAID.

13. Generating Image Power

a. Ringer used a spectacular, expensive, hard-bound brochure to intimidate potential sellers.
b. Every interaction was designed to show the buyer or seller that they needed to sell Ringer
on working on their deal
c. When he went to meet them, he brought along everything that he might need, from
typewriters, to law books, to 2-3 secretariesso that nothing could hold up the deal, and to
intimidate the hell out of people.

14. Makeable Deal Theory

a. Its more efficient to work hard on finding a few makeable deals, rather than working hard
on an endless number of unmakeable deals and clinging to the faint hope that youll
somehow close one. People have a masochistic tendency to work on pie-in-the-sky deals
that have little possibility of closing.

15. Phrasing Matters

a. Dont say, I can sell the property, say I can do something with the property.
b. Dont call a contract a contract, call it a one-page understanding.
i. Try to avoid looking legal and attracting the attention of the Deal-Killing Attorney.
ii. Ringer would have a contract done and signed on the spot, rather than waiting and
allowing time to pass.

16. Fiddle Theory

a. The longer a person fiddles around with something, the greater the odds that the result
will be negative. Time is always against you when trying to make a dealany kind of deal.

17. Boy-Girl Theory and Better Deal Theory

a. If boy plays it cool, then girl wants boy. If boy comes on like hungry dog chasing a squirrel,
then girl doesnt want boy. A man will usually want the deal he cant have, and wont want
the deal he can have.
b. Before a person closes any kind of deal, he always worries that there may be a better deal
down the road.
c. To combat the effect of these factors, bring the deal as quickly as possible to the point
where the money is on the table and the papers are ready to be signed. Then its put up or
shut up time.
i. Dont let the speed depend on everyone else. If necessary, fly a secretary to the office to
pick up the documents and hand deliver them.
ii. You MUST take matters into your own hands and move swiftly once you smell victory. At
the crucial moment, the great quarterback takes control of the game.

18. Attorney Goal Line Defense

a. Attorneys are not subject to intimidation like normal people, but if you cower, they will
smell blood and strike. Instead of being tough or humble, play it cool. Be calm and matter of
fact. Adopt an air that indicates you have no concern over the deal, that everyone knew the
deal would happen.
i. Problems dont represent obstacles to the closing, but just normal points which had to
be handled as a natural part of every deal.
ii. Thats a darn good point. Im glad you brought that up. Here are many ways we can
handle that particular point. The only reason all are gathered is to handle the normal
points that always come up.
iii. As a last resort, indicate the willingness to walk away. Well, I guess thats it. It looks like
we just cant make this one happen.

19. Dirty Laundry

a. There will almost always be several major undisclosed deal-killers that pop up at the 1yard line. Soften the blow by setting expectations with the buyer ahead of time. That way,
the dirty laundry reinforces your posture of expertise.

20. Bluff Theory

a. The best way to bluff is not to bluff. Wealthy people are good bluffers because when they
threaten to walk away, they mean it. They cant be intimidated.
b. If youre not wealthy, the best substitute is guts. Its more painful, but it works. Draw a
clear line, and stick to it.