Saturday, August 30, 2008

Move 15: Overtip and Carry $50's

This one is simple. A 15% or 20% tip is normal. Don't be normal.

The smallest bill denomination that you care about is the $20, and I'd suggest getting used to $50's -- they are the new $20's; $100's are just a little over-doing it and the idea of a good move is to get the point across without going overboard. Round things to the nearest bill, and then starting thinking about how good the service was. $20 minimum, period.

Tipping is something that "Your People" can't really do -- it doesn't come off as personal -- so therefore do it right.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Move 14: Vacation Homes in Great Places

There are some things that you need for multiple reasons. Great vacation homes are one of those necessary luxuries that bring with them a variety of moves:
  1. Spending a week at your own house in Hawaii is great fun for you.
  2. Telling people about the trip and vacation, and showing them pictures is a move.
  3. Letting people use "The Tahoe House" for a getaway weekend gets you good press.
  4. Bringing people out to the summer lodge on the lake for a meeting sets the right tone -- that you only use this house on occasion and it is twice as big as their "every-day" house.
Great places include Hawaii, Aspen, Lake Tahoe, The Hamptons (not anymore), London, Paris, and a take your pick of the small coastal cities on the French Rivera (Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is a good one).

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Move 13: Have Great Seats

It is important to get out and about; you always want the opportunity to drop things lightly into a conversation about, "you'll never guess who we ran into at the Derby last weekend."

The trick to this move is that you have to have great seats. Season tickets at all the local sports teams and theatrical venues is critical. You want to run into important people and you want them to see where you are sitting. Also, your own box comes with perks such as VIP parking, great service, and your own carved-out and familiar territory (you are the master of your domain).

Additionally, having your own box at the race track is a must. How much better is it to hand someone a couple of tickets to your personal box (with engraved nameplate) at the track, and then have them talk about it later to everyone they know.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Move 12: Go to TED

Going to the TED conference every year means something. Most people don't know what it means, and therefore that is why it is a move. The TED Conference is an annual conference that brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers. The majority of those attending have been extremely successful in some field or other, and TED wouldn't want it any other way.

Getting those TED Book Club boxes in the mail is a pretty subtle move that really gets people curious about what they're missing. And if they look into it, they are blown away. Yes, $6,000 a year in dues and a long waiting list makes the TED Conference the place to see and be seen.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Move 11: The Right Watch At The Right Time


Wearing the right watch for any occasion is a smooth move. The Rolex is fairly overdone.

A Breitling makes more of a move these days. You'll still want to own a Rolex for certain situations -- just remember that The Moves are more subtle than the classic ostentatious Rolex, Ferrari, and other Vegas-style moves. You’ll make more of a show in Vegas with the smooth Moves than the over-the-top overdone Vegas for amateurs-trying-to-look-rich moves. Especially if you aren’t anywhere near Las Vegas!

Any watch that is exclusive, part of a "secret-club", and not extremely wel-known by the general public is perfect. Tag Heuer was good up until a few years ago when they showed up at CostCo. Patek Philippe and Cartier are old-school that are still good to go.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Move 10: The Black Card

An important move is to have an American Express card, because paying for membership does have its privileges.

The best Am-Ex card to have is the Centurion card, popularly known as the Black Card. It is the most exclusive charge card issued by American Express, and has a $2500 a year membership fee. It used to be available by invitation only, and can now be obtained by anyone with the means to pay the dues.

Your People should carry your Platinum or Gold cards for normal purchases. When you have to step up personally to buy something, nothing is a better move than slapping down that Black Card.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Move 9: The Cell Phone

Most people have a cell phone now, so just having one is not enough to be a move any more -- it used to be a great move. Now you can do the opposite and have one of Your People carry a cell phone, and you actually don't have one -- that is a big move; you are above cell phones.

However, an acceptable variation of the Cell Phone move is to always have the very latest, greatest, and hottest cell phone -- whichever one costs the most, is the hardest to get, and is just started to get buzz. In early 2007 this was the Blackberry Pearl or the iPhone; in 2010 it is the iPhone 4 and the Droid X, and in the future it will be something even newer and more exclusive. The problem with those 2007 models in 2008 is that now eveyone has one... same as the 2009 models in 2010 -- they are so last year!

Your cell phone must be International, and you can complain that's why you only are "playing with" the iPhone and haven't fully moved over to it yet.