Munchkins Diplomacy: So Naive to Talk Like a Lawyer

No charge for a diagnostic peek by the car mechanic

Fast service and no charge for grinding pup's nails

An appointment in two days with a very busy medical center

Free application of sealant on car roof

And more.

All those good outcomes resulted from a strategic shift in how I managed transactions.

I used to talk like a lawyer. Very naive since the most effective lawyers such as Mickey Pohl from Jones Day and Brad Karp at Paul, Weiss usually don't talk like lawyers. Pohl is known for quips and irony, Karp for the language of soft persuasion (the kind we used to have hammered into us in freshman composition).

So, how did I, a street-smart kid, wind up talking like a lawyer? 

Well, I came of age during the heyday of leveraging law for massive reform. Everything from ending segregation in schools to forcing Detroit to make cars safe at any speed. I looked at all that and figured it was good. I would talk like a lawyer or how I decided lawyers talk.

There were some wins. For example, I let it be known I was considering suing a college acquaintance for being a public nuisance. That got the right kind of attention. But, pro se litigation requires plenty of work. Not easy to hire a lawyer on contingency. I backed off. However, not before the other party invested in legal consultations. Joy filled my heart. I had not spent a cent.

That, though, was atypical. Now, I realize that shooting my mouth off like a lawyer only hardened the stances on both sides in transactions. There's a reason some landlords don't like to rent to lawyers. 

What triggered the change in methodology?

Soul-deep fear.

It was about a car. That always involves money. Often too much. In a panic I slipped out of my usual MO and time traveled back to the old neighborhood in mid-1950s pre-gentrified Jersey City, NJ. 

We poor folks maintained a sense of self-worth and social standing by never visiting anyone without bringing cake. From the bakery. Not the A&P. Rigid code of decorum. 

Dunkin' was on my way to the car mechanic. I bought the Munchkins 25. 

Maybe they never experienced anything like that before. They checked out the car and let me know I could get by without a fix. At the desk, they told me to put my debit card away. No charge.

Now I preach the gospel according to Munchkins. Not getting any movement in a situation? Let them eat cake.

This is an effective solution to the reality that few individuals and even fewer institutions care. Munchkins have a softening effect. I guess lawyers and the Wall Street types would label it "sweetening the deal." 

There's also another takeaway: A little knowledge, such as about legal procedure, is a dangerous thing. I observe the disadvantaged using it. Whatever leverage they might have had collapses. 

Success is a mental game. Failure comes from being done in by the “committee” in your head.

Together, we liberate your thinking. Then we change your story. And, unleash success. Meanwhile, we focus on bringing in income. That puts you in a position of strength.

Intuitive Coaching. Special expertise with transitions, becoming a solopreneur and aging. Psychic/tarot readings, upon request. Complimentary consultation with Jane Genova (Text 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com). Yes, test out the chemistry. Zero risk.

Don’t give up before the miracle.


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