10 Bits of Advice for Life

1. Primacy and recency : People most remember the first and last things to occur, and barely the middle.

When scheduling an interview, ask what times the employer is interviewing and try to be first or last.

2. If you work in a bar or in customer service of any kind...

...Put a mirror behind you at the counter. This way angry customers who approach you will have to see themselves in the mirror behind you and the chances of them behaving irrationally lowers significantly.

3. Once you make the sales pitch, don't say anything else.

This works in sales, but it can also be applied in other ways. My boss at an old job was training me and just giving me pointers. I was working at a gym trying to sell memberships. He told me that once I got all the small talk out of the way and presented the prices, that the first person to talk will lose. It didn't seem like a big deal but it actually worked. Often there were long periods of awkward silence as the person tried to come up with some excuse, but usually they bought.

4. If you ask someone a question and they only partially answer, just wait.

If you stay silent and keep eye contact they will usually continue talking.

5. Chew gum when you're approaching a situation that would make you nervous like public speaking or bungee jumping.

If we are eating , something in our brain reasons 'I would not be eating if I were danger. So I'm not in danger'. It has helped me to stay calm a few times.

6. People will always remember not what you said but how you made them feel.

Also most people like talking about themselves so ask lots of questions about them.

7. If you get yourself to be really happy and excited to see other people, they will react the same to you.

It doesn't always happen the first time, but it will definitely happen next time.

8. The physical affects of stress - breathing rate and heart rate - are almost identical to the physical affects of courage.

When your feeling stressed from any situation immediately reframe it : Your body is getting ready to be courageous, it will NOT feeling stressed.

9. Pay attention to people's feet.

If you approach two people in the middle of a conversation, and they only turn their torsos and not their feet, they don't want you to join in the conversation. Similarly if you are in a conversation with a coworker who you think is paying attention to you and their torso is turned towards you but their feet are facing in another direction, they want the conversation to end.

10. Avoid saying "I think," and "I believe" unless absolutely necessary.

These are phrases that do not evoke confidence, and will literally do you no good.