4th April 2025
“Sinatra Test” is a concept, popularized by the book “Made to Stick,” that suggests demonstrating credibility by showcasing a single, highly challenging success that proves your ability to excel, implying that if you can succeed in such a difficult situation, you can likely succeed in others.
The Sinatra test is about credibility: if you want to convince someone or sell something, then you must make people believe in you.
If they believe in you, they will buy your product or service.
The Sinatra test comes from Frank Sinatra’s famous song: “New York, New York.”
A line from that song says: “if I can make it there (in New York), I can make it anywhere.”
Often seen in simple life encounters like, someone who has the right education pedigree, e.g from the IITs or the IIMs is assumed to be knowledgeable and has ‘proven’ credibility.
Someone from the Forces will have certain kind of values and a person, successful in one field is assumed to be a wise man in all the fields even though success may have come from luck rather than skill.
If you’re selling a product, you might highlight its success in a particularly demanding environment (e.g., a product used on Mount Everest).
In a job interview, you could mention a challenging project you successfully completed, demonstrating your ability to overcome obstacles.
If you are presenting a product, a solution, or even your own skills, you can use the Sinatra test to grasp public trust. That is to say, you should tell those who are listening to you that if you did it once, you can do it again.
The Sinatra Test is about finding the “one thing” that truly sets you apart and using it to demonstrate your capabilities and build credibility.
I love this test, with one personal nuance:
‘Don’t worry about establishing credibility externally—focus on establishing credibility internally.’
You do that by taking on the thing that scares you:
>Say yes to that talk on a big stage.
>Set that ambitious fitness goal.
>Create a short timeline to get your business rolling.
>Set a timeline for completing that certification.
Forget what other people think.
Do the hard thing, because after doing it, you will know that you can do anything.
You will know that if you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere & stay blessed forever.