Get the Truth: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Persuade Anyone to Tell All (12 page)

Susan relented. She left her car at the dealership, and drove the new car home. When she brought it back the next day, the salesman was delighted to see her.

“Let me get someone to help you move the things from your old car into this one,” he said matter-of-factly. When Susan told him to hold on, that she had decided not to buy it, the chipper expression on the salesman’s face turned to hurt, as if Susan had taken advantage of him. It didn’t work. Susan told him, in not so many words, to stick his guilt card back in his deck.

After a couple of additional unpleasant experiences that went nowhere, Susan resolved to go to the next dealership fully prepared so she could nip the games in the bud. She immersed herself in research—she decided what make and model she wanted, determined which dealership received the highest online ratings from customers, figured out what extras she needed and what she didn’t, and learned how sales commissions work at car dealerships.

When she arrived at the dealership, she was immediately approached by a salesman we’ll call “Steve.” Susan told Steve she had her eye on a particular car, and said the first thing she wanted to do was find out what she could get for her trade-in. Steve inspected Susan’s car, fumbled at his computer, and came up with an answer. “Ten thousand,” he said.

That was the first cliff moment of the encounter. That may or may not have been the most Susan would be able to get for her car, so she had to test it. It was as if she never heard Steve’s answer.

“For a car with mileage that low and that’s in such good shape, what’s the most you can give me on the trade-in?” Susan asked. Steve hesitated.

“We’ve got a phenomenal reputation for paying top dollar on trade-ins,” he said. “You wouldn’t be able to find another dealership that would offer you more than that.”

Those convincing statements told Susan that there was a possibility, perhaps a probability, that she’d be able to get more. It was time to go into what you might think of as a mini-monologue to persuade Steve to raise the offer.

“Steve, I really don’t want to waste your time, and I certainly don’t want to offend you,” she began. “But I’m working within a budget, so I have to work with you to get this within a certain range. I’ve heard you guys give great deals—that’s the reason I came here. A friend of mine was saying you’re willing to work with people, so I just need you to know, whatever you can do to get me a little more on that trade-in would really be helpful.”

Steve could see this wasn’t going to be as easy as he thought it was going to be. Susan eventually got him to commit to $12,500 for the trade-in, so it was time to find out how much she could get Steve to chop off the sticker price of the new car. The scene replayed itself with a couple more cliff moments, and when it was all over, Susan had gotten enough off the sticker price to match some of the best deals she had come across in her research.

At that point, Steve likely wanted to salvage as much as he could out of the deal, so he told Susan about a special warranty, maintenance, and roadside assistance package that he highly recommended she purchase.

“Especially as a woman,” Steve said, “the last thing you want is to be broken down in some unsafe area because the car wasn’t properly serviced,” Steve said. “This package will ensure that the car is always as dependable as it is when you drive it off the lot. It would make me feel better if I knew you were safe in the car I sold you. It’s renewed annually, so if you decide after a year that you don’t need it, you can cancel it.”

Susan let Steve’s “especially as a woman” insult go. But not without messing with him a little.

“If I buy the package for the first year, you get a commission, right?” Susan asked. Steve seemed startled by the question.

“Well, yeah,” he said.

“And if I cancel it after a year, you still get the commission?”

Steve paused. He was probably thinking,
Note to self: Don’t make a beeline to every blonde who walks in the door.
“Yes,” he said, recognizing that his “It would make me feel better” line made him look like kind of a jerk. Susan declined the package. And she walked out with a great deal.

9.

CRAFTING A SINCERE, EMPATHETIC MONOLOGUE: FICTION AS AN OPTION

When Phil told Lee, the translator at the World Cup who confessed to having been recruited by the FIS, that he had always longed to visit Foeland and meet the Foelandian people, that was completely fictitious. But it was a very effective means of demonstrating sincerity and empathy, vital components of a successful elicitation.

Now, let us make something very clear right up front: The use of fiction in any interview or interrogation situation must lie within some very strict parameters. We use it
solely
as a mechanism to convey sincerity and empathy, with the objective of raising the person’s level of comfort in sharing information with us. It is essential that you
never
stray beyond that boundary. Trying to bluff the person, for example, can backfire, big-time. If you tell the person that you have a witness who saw him commit the act under investigation, he can beat you with one word: “Who?” The moment you hesitate in responding, or refuse to respond, the person will feel like you’re out to get him, and that will create an adversarial situation that will make your job much more difficult. One clarification here: Understand that there’s a huge difference between a
bluff
and a
bait
. A bait question is a hypothetical question that’s designed to trigger that mind virus we talked about in Chapter 6, and we use this question type quite regularly, to very positive effect. We typically begin a bait question with the phrase “Is there any reason,” as in, “Is there any reason one of your coworkers would tell us that she saw you at Dan’s computer that day?” It’s a very fair question, because the truthful person can respond to it with no problem. The deceptive person has to process it, and that delay will be very telling.

It’s also absolutely essential that you never distort the facts of the matter under investigation. When you employ minimization in the monologue, for example, you can’t lead the person to believe that what he did isn’t a crime, when you don’t know that to be the case. And you can’t make promises you can’t keep. Ensuring the person of a particular outcome if he confesses is off limits.

With all of that understood, we can tell you that Michael demonstrated the efficacy of incorporating fiction in a monologue at the very outset of his career as an interrogator.

The year was 1975, and Michael had just been honorably discharged from the United States Army after serving as a military police platoon leader and detachment commander in South Korea. He found himself in Chicago, working on his Master of Science degree in Detection of Deception. The training was intense, and extraordinarily stressful—under the watchful eyes of seasoned instructors, Michael and his fellow students performed live interviews and interrogations. The following morning, the instructors pulled no punches as they critiqued the previous day’s “performances.”

It was under those trying circumstances that Michael was briefed on the case facts for his first formal interview and possible interrogation of his civilian life. A young woman we’ll call “Donna,” who was working as a clerk at a Chicago pharmacy, was suspected of embezzling nearly $30,000 over a twelve-month period. The investigation revealed that the young woman’s mother was suffering from cancer. Because her family had no medical insurance, the medical costs of her treatment were growing at an alarming rate, and the family had fallen deeply into debt. That was music to Michael’s ears—not that the family was having severe financial problems, of course, but rather because Michael instantly recognized and, more important, understood Donna’s motive for stealing. If ever someone could justify breaking the law, stealing money to save your mother’s life is probably as justifiable as it gets.

Knowing full well that he would face the gauntlet of savvy instructors the following morning, Michael was highly motivated to make a strong first impression. In his interview with Donna, who had been unsuccessfully interrogated by several store security officers a day earlier, Michael decided to take a somewhat unorthodox approach with his switch into interrogation mode.

Michael:
Donna, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I wish I were you right now.

Donna:
Why would you want to be me right now? I’ve just been accused of stealing thirty thousand dollars!

Michael:
Donna, that’s fair, but let me explain. I am about to share with you something that I have only shared with a handful of people during my life. As a matter of fact, none of my colleagues here are even aware of what I am about to tell you.

After a long, dramatic pause, Michael resumed his monologue in a hushed tone.

Michael:
My mother died giving birth to me. [Another dramatic pause, and Michael is beginning to tear up.] You can only imagine what birthdays are like for me. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the sacrifice my mother made bringing me into this world. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the gift of life she gave to me or how much I wish she was still alive. I never experienced her loving touch, her proud gaze, her voice, her laughter. The little bit I know about my mother is what my father has told me, but he doesn’t like to talk about it. It’s almost as if he has held me responsible for her death all these years. I can deal with that. What I can’t deal with is that I never had the chance to tell my mom, “I love you.”

[Michael struggles to regain his composure, and continues.]

Michael:
Now, I’d be the first person to tell you that taking money that doesn’t belong to you isn’t right. But if anyone understands why this thing happened, it’s me.

Donna:
But I …

[Anticipating that Donna is going to make a denial, Michael holds up his hand.]

Michael:
Donna, hang on for a second, please. I know about your mother’s illness, and I am so sorry about that. The difference between you and me is that you’ve had twenty-four years to love your mother and to feel your mother’s love. In many ways, potentially losing her now is far harder to deal with than what I experienced. You have the memories, and I don’t.

At that point, Donna started to cry. It was a strong indication that what Michael was saying was beginning to resonate.

Michael:
Donna, what I’m trying to say here is you had the chance to help your mother, and I never did have that chance to help my mother. That’s what I meant when I told you I wish I were you right now. I know about the hundred sixty-five thousand dollars medical debt, and the financial pressure you and your mother are under as you fight to keep her alive. This has to be a living nightmare for both of you. I know it’s just you and your mother who are facing this together, and how close the two of you are. I know you must feel alone and helpless. Donna, I think it’s fate that has brought the two of us together this morning, because of what the two of us share. If anybody understands what you are going through, it’s me. But I can’t do this alone. I need you to work with me. I need your help. We really need to put this behind you so you can move forward, move on with your life. You’re only twenty-four, and you can have a bright future. I know you can. I know you will.

Donna:
[Crying] I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know. This is so hard.

Michael:
Believe me, Donna, I know it’s hard. You’re a good person who made a mistake. You have to give yourself a break. You’ve been carrying a very heavy burden for a long, long time. I understand that, people will understand that. Nobody’s perfect. Not me, not your mother, nobody. You need to understand that. I think you are being so hard on yourself right now. I know your mother is proud of you, and she will continue to be proud of you when this is over. But sometimes, good people do bad things. Donna, if your mother was here, don’t you think she’d want you to tell the truth?

Donna:
I know she would.

Michael:
That’s right, Donna, and I’m not surprised to hear you say that. Your mom is right, and you know she’s right. It sounds like you have a good mom. I know she raised you to do the right thing, and that’s what you need to do now—tell the truth, Donna. You’re a good person, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Michael sensed it was time to evaluate his progress with a presumptive question.

Michael:
Donna, tell me, did you take the money to spend on frivolous things like clothes and jewelry, or did you take the money to help your mother?

Donna:
[Sobbing, saying nothing as she contemplates whether to confess.]

Michael:
Donna, come on, work with me, work with me. You need to release this so it will be over. I know it’s hard. Like I said, people make mistakes all the time. It’s the good people who own up to it. That’s what shows someone’s true character. We all understand why this thing happened. All you were trying to do was to help your mother. It was for your mother, wasn’t it?

Donna:
[Nods her head in a “yes” motion.]

Michael:
It’s okay, Donna. It’s okay. We’ll get through this thing.

Donna:
I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. O Lord, help me …

Michael:
I know you are. It’s obvious you’re sorry. It’s obvious that you care. I’m so proud of you, Donna, that you had the courage to own up to it. It’s not easy to do. We’ll get through this together.

It was time to begin the information collection phase of the interrogation.

Michael:
Let’s talk a little bit about how this all happened, Donna. What would be the largest amount of money you ever took at one time?

Donna went on to share the full details of her embezzlement with Michael. What she didn’t know was that as she was speaking, Michael’s mother was teaching grades K through eight in a one-room schoolhouse, miles from nowhere on the plains of Nebraska. She lived for another twenty-nine years after that interrogation.