7. “In the casino, the cardinal rule is to keep them playing and to keep them coming back. The longer they play, the more they lose, and in the end, we get it all.” —Ace Rothstein (Robert DeNiro) in ‘Casino’
You can’t simply give up after making that first sale to a client, Vegas gaming genius Rothstein is saying. You have to turn them into a repeat customer, retain their loyalty so they’ll spend with you over and over again. This applies not only in a commercial sense, but insofar as friends and lovers go. Once wooed, don’t consider a woman ‘won’, keep seducing her each and every day — or you can be pretty damn sure someone else will. Work hard to maintain friendships, or risk seeing important people walk out of your life. Keep ’em at the table, player.
6. “It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business.” —Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in ‘The Godfather’
You may begin to feel that your partners, clients, customers, co-workers, employers or employees are friends, but when it comes down to it, business is business, and really it’s all a matter of dollars and cents. Behind a friendly smile, most people will happily stab you in the back and walk all over you if it means saving a buck. You have to remember that, and act accordingly. Even when it comes to clear-cut rivals you’ve got no love for, you must remain dispassionate. “Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment,” as Corleone puts it in the final part of the Godfather trilogy.