Operation Mincemeat-ing Opposition Minds

An avid reader in my early school years, I lapped up The Man Who Never Was.

Also made into a terrific film, it tells the story WW2's daring Operation Mincemeat. How the Brits sought to distract the enemy through the sleight of doc of 'top secret' yet false landing plans falling into grateful hands.

I am reminded of this as Twickenham hosts a re-run twelve months on of that fateful rugby World Cup semi-final. Where South Africa pipped England.

To say that the coach of that day's victor is full of the dark arts wouldn't be the half of it. They might win, but without love from beyond their borders.

I was intrigued to learn of but one tactic of many such used in his career. When in charge of Bloemfontein's Cheetahs, he'd leave printouts explaining their set plays beside the ground. Somehow later 'found' by opponents when conducting final run-throughs in the ground the day before the game.

In true Mincemeat style, they were bogus.

Abracadabra, opposition minds duly scrambled.

In English sporting circles, such skulduggery is nowadays termed shithousery.

From bending the rules to outright flouting of them without fear of penalty, there's often an adoring fanbase cheering in approval as all-comers duly routed.

I'm not naturally minded that way.

Cheating Isn't Winning.

Yet there are times in our solution selling pursuit rife for a flavour of said treatment. I admit to being privy to some such devices.

Recently there's the company on a kind of plant tour as part of an invite-all Tender event. Knowing the Sales lead would walk around with papers in hand, I crafted a 'top sheet'. Easily seen through clear plastic cover. Which stayed in place throughout the trip. On it, assembled a large font size list of summarised tender criteria. All intended to deflect the brains of the competitor eyes that spied it as to what was really of salience or focus.

Then there's the occasions in the past when knowing a main ally prospect-side was duty-bound to hold turkey-talks with alternatives. So, with their aid, would helpfully provide 'pricing' in shall we say, slightly different format to the actuals. Which could be discreetly left among desk papers.

And the countless times when I was aware the next occupant of the client meeting room I was in would be those competing on the bid. I've long deliberately left a key page of a flip chart on show upon exit. Going back on the pad to ensure it greets next internals arrivals so can generate buzz. With a whiteboard on hand you can take this in a different step. I know one seller who cheekily wrote up a shorthand vendor label - not the one due in - and underneath listed a few attributes with ticks as bullets. None of said traits had any bearing whatsoever on the deal at hand.

Not for the faint-hearted. There is a line across which you must not traverse. Don't let such trickery consume you and take over. But do be aware of what's possible.