The term ‘con artist’ is short for ‘confidence artist’. So what lessons can we learn from some of the world’s most confident criminals? Here’s how to fake it ‘til you make it at work.
Lesson #1: Listen
Back in 1925, conman extraordinaire, Victor Lustig sold the Eiffel Tower. Twice. Without ever owning the deed.
How? He listened and observed so he could pretend to know what he was doing. And people believed him.
Lesson #2: Dress the part
Fake ‘it girl’, Anna Delvey, defrauded hundreds of thousands of dollars from friends, hotels, banks and more.
How? She acted the part of a German-heiress by dressing like a millionaire, so people believed her.
Lesson #3: Do your research
A gang of pensioners, known as the Hatton Garden Thieves, stole nearly $34m of assets from an underground safe deposit facility.
How? They did their homework. After 3-years of planning at the local pub, the gang got to work.
Lesson #4: Use positivity
Jordan Belfort (A.K.A the Wolf of Wall Street) served 22-months for money laundering schemes. He’s now a motivational speaker.
How? Be impossibly positive. Use it to create a vision, establish a strategy and work hard to make it happen.
