While many of us probably wouldn’t want to admit it, there’s something satisfying about managing to get your own way or using a little bit of manipulation to secure the outcome you desire. It might not be an advisable way to live your life all the time, but mastering the occasional bluff is a good psychological trick that may well come in handy in a range of scenarios, from business to social life.
Of course, bluffing is most commonly associated with card games and according to 888poker’s guide to getting a bluff right, there has been much research undertaken into the best ways to gain an advantage in BeastsOfPoker. These range from using a positive facial expression as a “poker face”, holding back your bluffs until after the flop and also bearing in mind that confident arm movements from other players often hint at a good hand.
But when else is a good opportunity to get away with a bluff? And what situations should you consider next deploying one?
At work
Depending on the strength of your moral compass, there are a range of times when you may wish to bluff yourself through the working day. This might be to get some gossip or information from a co-worker or perhaps to try and convince a manager that you’re worthy of a pay rise.
However, writing for Fortune.com, Ken Staut, CEO of Growth Fountain, says there are times when a bluff is definitely acceptable in the workplace. He outlines how being hit by unforeseen incidents or problems is part of business and often the best way to provide reassurance to colleagues, customers or clients is to react confidently and quickly – regardless of the level of certainty you hold about the future yourself.
He added that a positive result which highlights business as usual is also a good way to follow up, provide reassurance and keep morale high.
Getting a deal
We all know the feeling of being a long-time customer of a company and perhaps not feeling particularly valued. While new additions to their client list are being enticed with special offers, you’re still paying full price for services.
According to the “Money Saving Expert” Martin Lewis, customers can save a significant amount on bills for items such as mobile phones by simply getting in touch with a provider. You could either try it armed with research or simply by having a go and bluffing for a better deal by pretending your current one is too expensive.
Not many people probably believe that haggling with providers is effective these days, but the truth is it still works in a number of cases, as no company likes to lose customers. With so much uncertainty in the world, there is no harm in seeing if you can save up to £100 on a phone bill – even if it means threatening to move to another service.
Social situations
Again, we’ve all had moments when we’ve met people and they have an interest in something you know nothing about. An ideal way to avoid looking out of your depth the next time you see them may well be to bluff your way through such conversations.
The topic could be anything from football or cricket to wine and politics, but going along armed with a couple of key phrases and points might be all that you need to get through looking like the odd one out. There’s even an entire series of books – the Bluffer’s Guides – devoted to this idea of quickly acquiring the knowledge you need for any situation.
Many more uses
Of course, as mentioned the odd bluff can be used in a range of situations but we think it is just about acceptable in the ones referenced above. But then again, we could be bluffing.
