The document discusses the skills needed to survive if dropped alone in an unknown city. Three key skills identified are: 1) The ability to talk to strangers effectively and start conversations confidently; 2) Being flexible in thinking and seizing any opportunities; 3) Speaking persuasively to turn strangers into supporters by convincing them helping you benefits them as well. These skills allow one to fulfill their own and others' needs, resulting in willing assistance from new contacts.

2. If you were dropped in the middle of a
city you'd never been to, what skills
would you need?

3. I mean if you didn't know anybody,
only had enough money for a couple
days worth of food, couldn't call
anybody for help.

4. Basically on your own.

5. If you could build up three or four
"mind" skills, what would they be?

6. A bunch of successful entrepreneurs
were asked this question.

7. It kind of strips away any kind of idea
of relying on your "connections."

8. One skill was the ability to talk to
strangers effectively.

9. Meaning not to timidly walk up and
ask somebody the time, but to
interrupt a complete stranger on the
street, and self confidently start a
lengthy conversation.

10. Another skill was to be incredibly
flexible in your thinking.

11. For example, if you used to be a chef
in your old city, and you're only idea of
scratching out a living in this new city
was to cook, you may be in trouble.

12. On the other hand, if you could seize
any opportunity that came your way,
you'd be in better shape.

13. One more skill was language.

14. Being able to speak persuasively.

15. After all, you'd need to quickly turn
strangers into supporters.

16. Not to go and seize the castle or
anything dramatic like that.

17. But you'd at least need to get people
on your side.

18. I suppose you could just sit there and
ask people for money, but that may
not be the best idea.

19. If you could convince people that it
would be in their best interests to help
you, you'd be better off.

20. If you could further convince people
that THEY would be better off as well,
then they'd WANT to help you.

21. And this is the secret gold mine of
human communication.

22. Every single person alive today is a
HUGE collection of unfulfilled needs.

23. Nobody is ever satisfied for long.

24. Our mind-body systems are simply not
wired like that.

25. We're always on the move. Always
searching to fulfill some need.

26. When you learn to talk to people in a
way to elicit those unmet needs, and
show them that by helping you, they'll
also benefit themselves, they'll help
you do anything, create anything and
build anything.

27. Just stop and think for a moment how
good it feels to be working with
somebody else, and KNOWING that
everybody is going to benefit,
compared to working alone, or worse,
working where you suspect somebody
else is getting the better part of the
deal.

28. This is what that corny "win-win"
strategy REALLY means.

29. And right now, on Planet Earth, there
are literally BILLIONS of opportunities
just waiting for somebody like you.

30. mindpersuasion.com