How CIA Training Made a Former Spy Millions in the Business World

The best way to motivate others may not be how you think. Former CIA field operative (aka spy) Andrew Bustamante has grown Every Day Spy to millions in revenue by applying his CIA training principles. In a candid conversation with Stephen Bartlett on Diary of a CEO, Andrew spills the beans from his new book on repurposing CIA strategies for a winning edge in business.

According to Andrew, people have four core motivations: reward, ideology, coercion, and ego (think RICE). While suave spies in the movies may make you think coercion is the most common target, hitting up ideology, stroking egos, or dangling sweet rewards tends to yield better results.

To tap into these motivations and take advantage, start by crafting an emotional message to resonate with a predisposition of your target. Then, follow that with a logical narrative and resolution. “Are you afraid of being the kind of parent that is not there for your child? Then try this app that sends you reminders and bedside stories every evening.” Sounds convincing, right?

Another barrier to peak performance for many people are emotions. Sure, emotions have their time and place, but don't let 'em cloud your judgment. Nervous your business casual attire is too raggedy? Guess what, nobody cares! So while you shouldn’t become a robot, you can train yourself to lean more on your perspective and think objectively instead of relying on emotions.

To connect with someone new, Andrew promotes the following combination: question, follow up question, and confirmation. This makes the people feel understood and engaged. Do you remember that person you met at a networking event that made you feel really good about yourself, but later you realized you learned nothing about them during the exchange? That was the two-and-one combination!

Some other tips that Andrew shared includes sharing a secret to create comfort and vulnerability, making the other person more likely to open up, and mirroring body language to establishes a deep connection between individuals (who doesn’t love a bit of themselves!).

In the end, building trust involves leveraging perception, perspective, and the four core motivations. By understanding this, one can create an unbreakable bond of trust. Even if trust is broken, the strong subconscious trust can remain. By gaining insight into customers' thoughts, needs, and future challenges, businesses can position themselves advantageously in sales and marketing strategies.

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