The Moscow Rules

1. Assume nothing
2. Never go against your gut
3. Everyone is potentially under opposition control (except Iniesta)
4. Don't look back. You are never completely alone
5. Go with the flow. Blend in!
6. Vary your pattern and stay within your cover
7. Lull them into a sense of complacency
8. Don't harass the opposition
9. Pick the time and place for action
10. Keep your options open

Guess there's something to it - else we couldn't have won the cold war :)



About building rapport :

1. Don't come across as judgy. Avoid statements like, "I don't get why you would do or think that."
2. Avoid giving advice. What people want is approval. You want to say something along the lines of, "That was a smart move," rather than, "You should do it this way."
3. Don't be the person who has to win the argument - let the target win.
4. Don't be a one-upper. If the target tells you about his biggest sales coup, don't top it with a story about how you actually sold more.
5. Avoid interrupting the target when they're speaking.
6. Never downgrade their status or profession.
7. Never finish their sentences for them.