Larry Chiang writes about business school. After a Harvard Business School event, they wrote: “What They Don’t Teach You at Stanford Business School“. He spoke at a BASES event, did Q&A via text message and now teaches us what. If you liked his BASES keynote, the Q&A via text message, “What They STILL Don’t Teach You at Stanford GSB About Scamming” and, “What They STILL Don’t Teach at GSB About Screwing Someone Hard” you will like his latest post: Raising Your FICO While You’re in an MBA Program.
by Larry Chiang
There is a secret society that I’m going to introduce you to.
Members of this secret society experience a hotel like an owner of an NFL franchise with an AOL email. Your entry into this secret society depends on your ability to communicate by tipping. In the same way that opposing cold war admirals would move 13 submarines a grand total of 250 yards to communicate acceptance of a back-channel offer, you’ll read first-hand how to out flank 100 Stanford Business School graduates in front of you.
If you’re working the conference circuit to promote yourself or your business you’ll need these five tips for “Tipping Bribing and Comping” which can be found in my YouTube video channel: “What They Dont Teach You at Stanford Business School”
-1-… 8-10 nickels will significantly change your hotel experience.
A nickel here means a $5 bill. A hitter I know tips 8 five dollar bills before he steps into his hotel room. Instead of shunning the bell-hop, he seeks him out and tips him two nickels. Instead of cringing at the $65 day rate to park, he tips 3 more 5s to take the care, pull the bags out AND CALL UP TO THE FRONT DESK from the parkway/driveway.
The last person to tip is 3 5s for the front desk manager with the statement, “Anything you can do by way of a room upgrade I’d greatly appreciate. I apologize for being such a bore to deal with :-))
-2-… Outmaneuver everyone at a marquee conference hotel location.
First thing that you must know is the lay-out of the facilities. Second thing you need to do is put your lap-top bag down or check it. An advanced strategy is to host something “after hours”. Another advanced strategy is to buy Wall Street Journals (and do an insert or staple an teaser) and pay the bell captain to deliver to the conference attendees (at many conferences, I also get the list).
-3-… Goal is to turn a strange hotel into home-field advantage.
You must work out 10-20 min in the micro hotel gym facilities. It’ll help metabolize the seven gin and tonics you ingested last night.
-4-… Tip $20 at an open bar and use man-charm
Most conference cocktail parties are open bar so tip a $20 and order bubbly and remember the bartenders name.
-5-… Profiling who you are gonna tip at the hotel
This is critical at the front desk when there are five people checking in guests… I pick a person that’s most likely to upgrade me on these criteria
– are they just waiting to go on break?
– are they fresh outta HRM school like NAU (HRM- Hotel Restaurant Management and NAU is Northern Arizona University) and can’t risk breaking any rules?
– My favorite is the most senior of staff… they’d most appreciate the Andrew Jackson I’m slipping underneath my credit card
-6- Bonus Tip. These even work when you Priceline.com the room
Usually, those room sold online are low-floor crap rooms. You won’t get a corner room high floor unless you bribe and tip your way there.
The biggest tip (pun intended)is to be a vacation for the hotel staff. Any type of self deprecating humor goes a long way in breaking up the monotony of dealing with the public.
Enjoy membership into this secret society… If you have questions email them to chiang9@duck9.com and include your cell phone in the subject line. I’ll ping back all emails.
Good luck hustling hard and watch your back. If you sponsor a party, I am hosting events at Sundance and SXSW, don’t change my deal 
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Follow me on Twitter @larryChiang or join my 7 9 person fan club on Facebook. Remember, my book’s 14 chapters are reprinted free at a website called BusinessWeek. If you cannot sleep, watch my 90 minute panel that would’ve put half the room to sleep were it not for my dog Baxter storming the stage to co-moderate.
Good luck hustling hard and effen follow up. If you have a start-up, you can sponsor a party I am hosting at Sundance and SXSW
DISCLOSURE: I don’t make money from Fraiche. I don’t make money from Topix. I do appreciate the monopoly that Congress granted and the FTC is enforcing: It’s the law that states only companies that get college students to high FICO scores (Duck9) can sell a credit card to that college student.
Larry speaks on stuff they don't teach in B-school to help you get street smart in doing business. In college, he started a business that helps college students with their FICO score. He loves entrepreneurs, Ben and Jerry's ice cream and after parties. You can reach him at:
