The Twinge Factor

Several years ago Graff Pinkert had a deal with a fellow who made a good living buying surplus machinery from government stockpiles and reselling it around the world. We talked about his bidding strategy and he told us his approach.

He would assess his risk in bidding on a bulldozer or crane and put down a price he was comfortable with. Then he would put down successively higher figures. When he reached the number that made his stomach twinge, he circled it and let it settle in his body for a while.

He told us he had learned from hard earned experience that the stomach twinge bid was the one that usually succeeded. The comfort zone bids won occasionally, but generally were also-rans.

I think the “twinge rule” is one of the most important and difficult laws to master for a business person. In business we negotiate with fear every week. Over time, many people understand their personal risk tolerance.

Some are adrenaline junkies and look forward to their “twinge” moments. Most people despise the fearful reaches and value predictability and safety.

The writer, Wayne Dyer, has written about going to a spa where there were a dozen sitting pools with temperatures ranging from very cold to very hot. Almost everybody gravitated towards the two pools that were around 100 degrees. He tried every pool and found he enjoyed them all.

Fear and uncertainty are constant companions in business today. The “twinge test” still works for those of us who can live outside the tepid zone.


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