Why Your Last Audience Said You Were Boring. Many factors can contribute to boredom and disinterest during a presentation.   Avoid the blunders by creating content that is relevant and engaging  Deliver the presentation with enthusiasm and incorporating visual aids.  Be aware of the audience's needs and encourage interaction with the audience.   Join me for this week’s podcast on Edutainment, Engagement, and Energy.  You will discover that there is no such thing as a boring topic, only a boring presenter.  Learn how to be more dynamic, charismatic, and engaging for your next presentation. Do you have charisma? Do you have have what it takes to be successful in life? Take your free Charisma IQ here.

We all negotiate every day.  Only 10% of business professionals who negotiate every day have taken negotiation training.  The challenge is they estimate this has cost them millions of dollars.  Who is paying for these mistakes?  Usually, the companies that employ them.  Entrepreneurs know this will just cost them income. Join me for this week’s podcast interview with John Lowry.  We will focus on Negotiation Made Simple.  Discover how to structure a negotiation and what questions to ask before the process begins.  Learn if you should make the first offer and how to deliver that information.   For more info about John visit his website here. Do you have charisma? Do you have have what it takes to be successful in life? Take your free Charisma IQ here.

So, is that power of charisma good or bad?  I would say is gravity good or bad?  Just like gravity, charisma is neutral.  It is how you use the power that will define you as good or bad.  Some say Adolf Hitler, Charles Manson, Mussolini had charisma.  Sure they did have many of the tools of charisma.  6 Questions Reveal How Charismatic You Are There are many cases of someone who had some of the skills of charisma and they used them in an unethical way.  Let’s think about this.  You could probably count more people in history and in your life that had this skill and they used charisma to change your life (in a good way).  So what is the difference? So how do you master this C-factor?  How do you get that RIZZ and empower others to want to do what you want them do do?  Join me for this week’s podcast on Do You Have The C Factor - chaRIZZma, Charm and Confidence.  Discover the simple things you can do to inspire and motivate others.  

We live in a world where people are less trusting, more cynical, and full of skepticism.  Corporate loyalty is a thing of the past.  Belief in government has eroded away.  Everyone around us is confused, overwhelmed, and more difficult to influence and lead.  Now more than ever, charisma is a vital and critical life skill.  Can charisma be taught? Tests of two interventions. Restaurant Tap Water Test Joke The challenge is that some think they have the Rizz (charisma) but don’t.  Just because you can get somebody to do something doesn’t mean you are influential or charismatic.  We know there is a direct correlation between the manager/leader and the employee that dictates the amount of productivity. What is your RIZZ ranking?  Do you have it?  Can you improve it?  Can you deliver a presentation that inspires and influences?  Join me for this week’s podcast on What Is Your RIZZ (Charisma) Ranking?.  You will discover the secrets of charisma. WHAT IS YOUR CHARISMA IQ? CLICK HERE to find out ( FREE )

Do You Attract or Repel Others? It’s Either The Rizz or Fizz.   The skill of charisma can propel you into leadership and success.  When someone is charismatic, they can connect, bond, and lead everyone and anyone.  Charisma allows you to be more efficient and effective.  Think about this.  It could be you if others aren’t responding to you or your influence.  Sure we like to say it is them, but when you do not influence others, are empowered by you, or even want to help you – it is you.  Remember:  When a sports team has a losing season or they don’t perform up to expectations, the coach gets fired. WHAT IS YOUR CHARISMA IQ? CLICK HERE to find out ( FREE )

Have you ever noticed how some people can lead without effort?  People instantly like them and want to be around them.  Have you seen them enter a room, and everyone notices?  Have you seen people always get what they want, and everyone around them wants to give it to them?  How do they command attention and influence with everyone they meet?  This is the power of charisma, and you will see that charisma can and must be learned. Rizz is Oxford's word of the year for 2023   Charisma is the ability to empower and influence others into believing in you, trusting in you, and wanting to be influenced by you.  You inspire them.  You help them see themselves in the future by carrying out your vision.  They are moved and energized by your passion and enthusiasm.  They are magnetized and driven by your charisma.  They are lifted and inspired by your optimism and expectations.  You’re a source of empowerment, encouragement, and inspiration. Join me for this week’s podcast on Got The Rizz (Power of Charisma).  We will deep dive into what it takes to improve your Rizz Ranking and get that secret ingredient of influence. TAKE YOUR PERSUASION IQ

When negotiating, you have to be prepared for anything.  You need to know the ins and outs, the wants and needs of both sides.  The more you prepare, the more knowledge you have, and the better deal you will get. How to Spot a Manipulator in 5 Seconds or Less Negotiation is part of everyday life.   As they say - You deserve what you negotiate.   The challenge is negotiation has changed.   Many people are using some old-style, outdated, cheesy tactics that need to be retired. Join me for this week’s podcast  - The Unknown And Forgotten Rules of Negotiation.  We will talk about your blunders and how to fix them to increase your success and influence. It is a proven fact that millionaires think differently than everybody else. What beliefs are holding you back?  ​Enable your powerful subconscious mind to work for you, not against you. With these audios, you will be able to achieve all your goals, dreams and desires. CLAIM NOW - Millionaire Psychology DEAL OF WEEK - $69  NOW ONLY $19.99 FOR LIMITED TIME ONLY  

Knowing when to shut up and stop talking in persuasion is a major blunder.  Are you able to take their temperature, gauge their interest, or respond to their needs?  Are you the data dumper (Vomit) and overwhelming them with too much information?  What signs or signals are you looking for when wrapping it up and asking for their business? When Is It Time To Shut-Up? By paying attention to these cues, you can determine exactly when it is time to close the sale or get the yes.  You must continually take their temperature to see where they are in persuasion.   Join me for this week’s podcast on When Is It Time To Shut Up?  You will discover additional cues and techniques to know when you are done and seal the deal.  I will also talk about ways you can take their temperature and know exactly where they are in the persuasion process. LAST CHANCE for Black Friday - Cyber Monday Deal Join Influence University Gold for LIFE Normally $297, you can now get a LIFETIME Membership to my GOLD program for just $97. PLUS receive access to all my archives, which has ALL the programs I've ever created! JOIN NOW MORE INFO  

You are trying to influence someone to change and improve their life.  It will enhance every aspect of their life, BUT all you get is resistance.  What is going on?  How can you get others to accept worthwhile positive change that will benefit them? Where does this resistance come from?  Let’s explore this resistance and those common reasons why people may resist positive change. For more info about John visit his website here. Want to get others to want to change?  Want to make change stick in your own life?  Change can be easy.  Join me for this week’s podcast on The Science and Mastery of Change – Interview With John Fisher.  Discover the steps to implementing sustaining and long-term change. Take your FREE PERSUASION IQ Assesment. See where you rank! CLICK HERE TO SEE WHERE YOU RANK  

Influencing and motivating children requires a different set of persuasion tools.  Their brain is not fully developed until they are 25.  This means you have to adapt to their way of thinking and adjust your influence tools to them. Why Do Teenagers Take More Risks Want more tips and techniques on How to Persuade Kids, Teenagers, And Those Without Frontal Lobes?  Join me for this week’s podcast, where you will discover the ten specific tools you can use to persuade those younger people, whether it be at work or at home.  DEAL OF the WEEK: When you can understand how your mind really works you can harness its unlimited power. With these audios, you will be able to achieve all your goals, dreams and desires. Get Millionaire Psychology Now $69 NOW ONLY $27 for a limited time only  

How do you build value so you don’t have to fight on price?  Only rookies fight on price.  We all know you get what you pay for – so why is everyone fighting on price when only 6 percent of our purchases are based on price? If they say it is too expensive – you have blown your presentation.  So, how do you create value or demonstrate the benefits of our product or service?  Here are a few ways to get started on your path to sell value, not price. Do you build the value or vomit the features of your product/service and hope they see the value?  Join me for this week’s podcast on The Value Sale - How to Prove ROI and Win More Deals - Interview With Ian Campbell.  We will discover how to build the value and create an irresistible ROI.  This will make the purchase a no-brainer.     For more info about Ian visit his website here. PS Lifetime membership to Gold Influence University Save 65%     Why Do 3% Make 97% of The Money? Warning: Influence University is the most complete and comprehensive course I have ever released. This system is USUALLY reserved for my advanced coaching students. This online University will reveal cutting-edge influence techniques that will increase your income and enable you to persuade on command. Influence University is the difference between knowing what you want– and getting it, anytime, anyplace, from anybody.   Create unimaginable wealth, transform your career, and close more sales. Influence University is the first and only website to combine scientific research, persuasion software, training videos, downloadable audios, and proven exercises. More Info http://influenceuniversity.com/special   Buy Now https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=ZTSLKM9ST8WHS  

I know you love to use Powerpoint.  Those slides make everything so much easier, and you won’t forget anything.  You don’t need as much preparation time, BUT your audience hates it, and it is not persuasive. Let’s discuss the top 3 complaints about Powerpoint and how to fix them. So, Why Did Jeff Bezos Ban Powerpoint From His Meetings?  Do you want to know more about the science of visuals and how to rock a presentation using PowerPoint and being persuasive?  Death by PowerPoint Join me for this week’s podcast on Why Powerpoint Makes Us Stupid And How To Fix It.  You will discover additional tips and techniques to give a persuasive presentation and the comfort of using a slide deck. PS Lifetime membership to Gold Influence University Save 65%   Influence University is the difference between knowing what you want– and getting it, anytime, anyplace, from anybody.   Create unimaginable wealth, transform your career, and close more sales. Influence University is the first and only website to combine scientific research, persuasion software, training videos, downloadable audios, and proven exercises. More Info http://influenceuniversity.com/special   Buy Now https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=ZTSLKM9ST8WHS  

Have you noticed the dramatic changes in presentations, communication, and training?  The focus used to be on education.  The latest research reveals that we need to spend more time grabbing your audience’s attention and maintaining their interest. Creating and delivering persuasive presentations can be challenging.  Anyone can inform, but is it influential?  Does your message have an impact?  Is it too complicated?   Join us for this week’s podcast on Quickly Simplify Your Message - Davina Stanley Interview.  Discover how to simplify, improve, and deliver a clear and concise message. PS Lifetime membership to Gold Influence University Save 65% Influence University is the difference between knowing what you want– and getting it, anytime, anyplace, from anybody.   Create unimaginable wealth, transform your career, and close more sales. Influence University is the first and only website to combine scientific research, persuasion software, training videos, downloadable audios, and proven exercises. You will discover life-changing skills. More Info  Buy Now  

Is silence overused and abused?  Yes, but you still need to use.  When it is used in the wrong way or with the wrong person, you can come across as unprofessional and create the wrong type of tension.  The goal of silence is to indicate that you are approaching the end of the negotiation, and the silence is the signal to make a decision. Listen for a few keys to help you use (not misuse) silence to seal the deal. The 5 Core Skills Of Hostage Negotiators Want to know more about silence and other negotiation tools?  Join me for this week’s podcast on Using Hostage Negotiation Skills In Business.  I will reveal the tools hostage negotiators use that you can use in business negotiations.  These techniques will enable you to close more deals and win more negotiations. Influence University is the first and only website to combine scientific research, persuasion software, training videos, downloadable audios, and proven exercises. CLAIM YOUR OFFER - INFLUENCE UNIVERSITY - LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP  Save 65%

The thought of using the "dumb is smart" technique in persuasion and sales may seem counterintuitive because your prospect wants to deal with the expert.  This strategy has two parts.  This is the ability to simplify your message and simplify your presence.  Sometimes, your presence with a prospect can be too complicated or arrogant.  Believe your own lies Join me for this week’s podcast on Dumb Is More Persuasive Than Smart - Dumb Is Smart.  We will explore how to use this technique to bond with your prospects.  You will discover certain things you are doing that repel your potential customers because they feel you don’t understand them or your message is too complicated. P.S. Millionaire Psychology is over 50% off With MY Millionaire Psychology program you will be able to: ​Understand how your mind really works and harness the incredible power   ​Enable your powerful subconscious mind to work for you, not against you  ​ Overcome your natural skepticism and hurdle obstacles on your way to success ​  Discover and achieve your true potential  ​ Redirect your thoughts to help you win the game of life  ​ Free yourself from false ideas about your relationship with money  ​ Develop an irresistible attraction to wealth and success ​An easy formula to get yourself to do things you want to do  ​Power tools of millionaires:  Wealth is an open book test   ​How life alignment can harness your ability to succeed exponentially   $69   NOW ONLY $27 for a limited time only Get Millionaire Psychology Now    

  I want to explore ways to resist another person’s unethical persuasive attempt on this podcast.  This is good to know for you as a person and as a persuader.  As a person, this information will help you resist unwanted persuasive attempts.    How to build a habit in 5 steps, according to science   As a persuader, you will see some of this resistance or behavior in your prospects and need to adjust your presentation.  So how do you resist persuasion or even manipulation?  Join me for this week’s podcast on How To Resist Those Super Persuasive People. DEAL OF the WEEK: When you can understand how your mind really works you can harness its unlimited power. With these audios, you will be able to achieve all your goals, dreams and desires. Get Millionaire Psychology Now $69 NOW ONLY $27 for a limited time only

Influential individuals have the ability to understand nonverbal cues. By learning to read body language, you can gain insights and adjust your approach accordingly. Look for clusters of these nonverbal signals, as one alone may not provide a complete picture. 8 Ways To Identify A Liar Why do people lie?  Want to know how to spot a liar?  Would it be beneficial to be able to detect deception?  Discover additional ways to spot deception and leverage it during the persuasion process.  Join me for this week’s podcast -  How to Leverage The Liar - Detecting The Lie And Dealing With Deception. It is a proven fact that millionaires think differently than everybody else. What beliefs are holding you back? If you have always wanted to be wealthy and wondering what was taking so long, you need these audios.  When you can understand how your mind really works you can harness its unlimited power. CLAIM YOUR OFFER OF THE WEEK - MILLIONAIRE PSYCHOLOGY  

Join me for this week’s podcast on How To Influence As The Underdog (Dark Horse) - The David And Goliath Effect. I will explain the David and Goliath Effect and how to leverage it to persuade with power.  I will explain additional techniques on how to use these concepts to get more support and increase your sales. Coffee Cup Test Charisma is the 20% that gives you 80% of your results. Charisma is the skill that will give you the quickest return on your time and dramatically increase your success and income.   The Secrets to Charisma - 33 Videos - 50% OFF - PODCAST LISTENER SPECIAL

Charismatic individuals and psychopaths have mastered the ability to influence others.  Both have the tools and traits to get others to see their point of view.  10 insights into the mystery of charisma The Quality That Makes Some Psychopaths So Successful  Those are the similarities, but there are also many differences.  Join me for this week’s podcast: Are You Charismatic Or A Psychopath?  You will discover the differences Between Charisma and Psychopaths.  We will also discuss how to know someone is a psychopath.  You will be surprised many CEO’s, and your favorite politicians are considered Psychopaths.   Charisma is the 20% that gives you 80% of your results. Charisma is the skill that will give you the quickest return on your time and dramatically increase your success and income. The Secrets to Charisma - 33 Videos - 50% OFF - SPECIAL OFFER OF THE WEEK        

Why do people tend to resist you?  For some reason, the moment they sense you are trying to sell them or persuade them to do something – they go in the opposite direction. So why are you getting resistance?  Are you causing it or is in coming from your prospect?  Join me for this week’s podcast on Selling through Resistance and Stigma - Interview With Franco Perez.  You will discover how to deal with resistance, stigmas, objections, and the new form of communication. For more info about Franko visit his website here. Take a quick Presentation IQ assessment. Let’s identify how to take your presentation and influence skills to the next level. You will also receive my Perfect Persuasion Presentation template and video training for helping out with my research.   Click here    

Studies show how people use, react to, configure, and occupy the space around them.  We all want our own space and feel uncomfortable when people violate our personal territory.  While it may sound overly obvious, research shows that many persuaders get too familiar too fast.  Disrespect for your audience’s personal space—especially when you are first meeting them – you can’t build rapport and cause resistance. Many persuaders don’t know they are violating their audience’s space. They may think, for example, that by reaching out and touching their audience members on the arm, they will be seen as warm and friendly.  This can turn off and repel your prospect. Bad Habits That Make You Less Attractive Close talker Seinfeld Join me for this week’s podcast on Personal Space, Proxemics and Violation of Boundaries.  You will discover how you are violating other people’s space and boundaries.  Find out your prospect's top complaints against you and how to easily fix them. And don't miss out on OFFER OF THE WEEK How to enable your powerful subconscious mind to work for you, not against you With these audios, you will be able to achieve all your goals, dreams and desires. Details ---->   HERE $69   NOW ONLY $27 for a limited time only

Selling is changing every day.  This is due to advancements in technology, shifts in consumer trust, and evolving markets. You speaks to me - Effects of generic-you in creating resonance between people and ideas Join me for this week’s podcast on The Trifecta (3 Traits) of a Perfect Sales Person.  Now you know what has changed in the sales world – Discover the 3 traits and characteristics of a perfect salesperson.  Find out the key area you can develop to change your sales success. OFFER OF THE WEEK - Perfect Persuasive Presentation I Will Take You By The Hand To Show You How To Create And Deliver A Charismatic Presentation That Closes Anyone At Anytime. I WANT IN  

The Mum Effect refers to the phenomenon where individuals in a group or crowd are less likely to help a person in need when other people are present. This happens because individuals assume that someone else will take action, leading them to do nothing.  The Mum Effect also occurs when you have food in your teeth or your zipper is down, and no one tells you. Praise for intelligence can undermine children's motivation and performance. How do you influence others to help you without getting stuck with the Mum effect?  Especially when you need their support?  Join me for this week’s podcast on The MUM effect – Why People Don’t Tell You If You Have Food In Your Teeth Or Your Zipper Is Down.  Discover how to use these tools to your advantage and get others to open up and not get stuck on MUM (or saying nothing). DEAL OF the WEEK: When you can understand how your mind really works you can harness its unlimited power. With these audios, you will be able to achieve all your goals, dreams and desires. Get Millionaire Psychology Now $69   NOW ONLY $27 for a limited time only

Adapting your selling approach to customers who are high in Influencer (DISC) and have an Expressive type personality can be beneficial in building trust and increasing your chances of persuasion and influence.  How do you know if a person is this personality type, and how do you adapt your persuasion? Baseball reveals that specialists excel after leaving comfort zones Constantly adjust your persuasion approach based on your prospect's style and needs. This will increase your chances of influence.  Want to discover how to read, understand and adapt to this personality?  I take a deep dive into how this personality thinks, makes decisions, and needs to be persuaded.  Join me for this week’s podcast on How Do You Persuade And Sell That Influencer, Energetic, Spirited, Expressive, Yellow Type Personality? With MY Millionaire Psychology program you will be able to: ​Understand how your mind really works and harness the incredible power   ​Enable your powerful subconscious mind to work for you, not against you  ​ Overcome your natural skepticism and hurdle obstacles on your way to success ​  Discover and achieve your true potential  ​ Redirect your thoughts to help you win the game of life  ​ Free yourself from false ideas about your relationship with money  ​ Develop an irresistible attraction to wealth and success ​An easy formula to get yourself to do things you want to do  ​Power tools of millionaires:  Wealth is an open book test   ​How life alignment can harness your ability to succeed exponentially   $69   NOW ONLY $27 for a limited time only Get Millionaire Psychology Now    

Adapting your selling approach to customers who are high in Steadiness (DISC) and have a C-type personality can be beneficial in building trust and increasing your chances of persuasion and influence.  How do you know if a person is this personality type and how do you adapt your persuasion? The unconscious mind can detect a liar–even when the conscious mind fails Always adjust your persuasion approach based on your prospect's specific preferences and needs. This will increase your chances of influence.  Want to discover how to read, understand and adapt to this personality?  I take a deep dive into how this personality thinks, makes decisions, and needs to be persuaded.  Join me for this week’s podcast on How Do You Persuade And Sell That Harmonious, Steadiness, Relater, Type Personality. Take a quick Presentation IQ assessment.  Let’s identify how to take your presentation and influence skills to the next level.  You will also receive my Perfect Persuasion Presentation template and video training for helping out with my research. Click here    

Adapting your selling approach to customers who are high in Dominant (DISC) and have a Red (Color Code) personality can be beneficial in building trust and increasing your chances of influence.  How do you know if a person is this type of personality? How to make self-affirmation work, based on science Always adjust your persuasion approach based on your prospect's specific preferences and needs. This will increase your chances of influence.  Want to discover how to read, understand and adapt to this personality?  I take a deep dive into how this personality thinks, makes decisions, and needs to be persuaded.  Join me for this week’s podcast on How Do You Persuade And Sell That Red, Dominant, Driver, Direct, And Assertive Type Personality. PS  -  90% Off (Only $37) 111 Sales Hacks Video Training Special Of The Week – Beta Special - 90% Off Master All Of Those Subconscious Triggers, Imagine If You Could Persuade Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere! Visualize Your Own Personal Bottle of Persuasion Spray Click Here to Persuade With Charisma  More Info  Buy Now  

Adapting your selling approach to customers who are high in Conscientiousness (DISC) and have a white (Color Code) personality can be beneficial in building trust and increasing your chances of influence.  How do you know if a person is this type of personality? The Psychological Study of Smiling Always adjust your persuasion approach based on your prospect's specific preferences and needs. This will increase your chance of influence.  Want to discover how to read, understand and adapt to this personality?  I take a deep dive into how this personality thinks, makes decisions, and needs to be persuaded.   PS  -  90% Off (Only $37) 111 Sales Hacks Video Training Special Of The Week – Beta Special - 90% Off Master All Of Those Subconscious Triggers Imagine If You Could Persuade Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere! Visualize Your Own Personal Bottle of Persuasion Spray Click Here to Persuade With Charisma  More Info                Buy Now  

We already know you should adjust your influence and persuade people how they want to be persuaded.  This is true for personality, culture, and especially age.  So, do you know how to adapt to Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z?   Here is a quick reference guide of what to adjust for each generation. Cutting back on social media reduces anxiety, depression, loneliness Generational Differences in Workforce This is just the tip of the iceberg on how to adapt and persuade each generation.  It is essential to understand the why of each generation, how they think, and the do’s and don’ts of the influence process for each target audience.  Join me for this week’s podcast on How Do You Sell And Adapt To Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, And Gen Z? and you will discover exactly how to understand each generation and how to adapt to each generation. PS  -  90% Off (Only $37) 111 Sales Hacks Video Training Special Of The Week – Beta Special - 90% Off Master All Of Those Subconscious Triggers Imagine If You Could Persuade Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere! Visualize Your Own Personal Bottle of Persuasion Spray Click Here to Persuade With Charisma  More Info                Buy Now  

Overcoming the fear of failure is essential to unlocking one's potential for success.  Understanding your EQ, anxiety, fear, and just getting stuck on your way to success.  Join me for this week’s podcast on ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ Get Unstuck – How To Eliminate Fear, Anxiety, Worry In Your Life.  I will interview a Psychologist on the skills needed to take your life and success to the next level. P.S.  Lifetime membership to Gold Influence University 65% off your membership Influence University is the difference between knowing what you want– and getting it, anytime, anyplace, from anybody.Create unimaginable wealth, transform your career, and close more sales. Influence University is the first and only website to combine scientific research, persuasion software, training videos, downloadable audios, and proven exercises. JOIN NOW MORE INFO

You find yourself in a tense team meeting, striving to defend your stance on a significant project, but you begin to sense that you're losing ground.  Your volume escalates, and you interrupt one of your colleagues to correct their perspective. Your Brain Is Hooked on Being Right How do we use brain chemicals to change minds?  Join me for this week’s podcast on Brain Chemicals That Help/Hurt Influence - Cortisol, Oxytocin, Dopamine, And Serotonin.  I will reveal how to use these different brain chemicals to help you persuade and influence.  You need to know some drawbacks before triggering this feeling/chemical in your prospect.  Discover more persuasion tools for your influence toolbox. P.S.  Lifetime membership to Gold Influence University 65% off your membership Influence University is the difference between knowing what you want– and getting it, anytime, anyplace, from anybody.Create unimaginable wealth, transform your career, and close more sales. Influence University is the first and only website to combine scientific research, persuasion software, training videos, downloadable audios, and proven exercises. JOIN NOW MORE INFO

While it is essential to maintain ethical practices in persuasion, it's important to be aware of common deceptive techniques that some salespeople may employ. Understanding these tactics can help you recognize them and avoid falling victim to them. They are here to understand how they are used and not to use them.  On being happy and gullible: Mood effects on skepticism and the detection of deception Want to know more about these tactics?   Where are people crossing the line between persuasion and manipulation?  Discover the correct way to refute these tactics.  Join me for this week’s podcast on Top Deception And Dishonesty Tactics.   P.S.  Lifetime membership to Gold Influence University 65% off your membership Influence University is the difference between knowing what you want– and getting it, anytime, anyplace, from anybody.Create unimaginable wealth, transform your career, and close more sales. Influence University is the first and only website to combine scientific research, persuasion software, training videos, downloadable audios, and proven exercises. JOIN NOW MORE INFO

Imagine a life where fear has no power over you. A life where you confront your fears head-on, just like the most successful individuals. It all starts with a crucial realization: unless you face your fears, how can you ever overcome them? Now, imagine unlocking the remaining steps to success. Envision programming your mind for the success and abundance you truly deserve. There's one crucial ingredient that most people overlook or postpone. Join me on this week's captivating podcast episode: "The Missing And Forgotten Tool Of Success And Wealth." Together, we'll explore the keys to success and unveil that elusive ingredient you may have been missing. 10 Easy Ways to Elevate Your Active Listening Skills Embrace your potential. Unleash the power within you. It's time to conquer your fears and embark on a remarkable journey toward the life you've always envisioned. P.S.  Lifetime membership to Gold Influence University 65% off your membership Influence University is the difference between knowing what you want– and getting it, anytime, anyplace, from anybody.Create unimaginable wealth, transform your career, and close more sales. Influence University is the first and only website to combine scientific research, persuasion software, training videos, downloadable audios, and proven exercises. JOIN NOW MORE INFO        

Let’s talk about where negotiation fits into the world of persuasion and the difference between the two. Persuasion occurs when your ideas are so convincing that the other party adopts your viewpoint. With persuasion, there is no compromising as there is in negotiation.  Negotiation, on the other hand, is a process of give and take. It’s overcoming objections on both sides of an issue and ultimately reaching some common ground. The challenge for most people during a negotiation is what they are doing wrong vs what they are doing right.  These mistakes create others to either withdrawal or retaliate in the negotiation process.  Are you committing any of these negotiation blunders? Join me for this week’s episode on The Key Factors (And Mistakes) Of A Successful Negotiation.   You will discover the keys to success in any negotiation.  Take a deeper dive into those negotiation mistakes and know when to persuade and when to influence. P.S.  Lifetime membership to Gold Influence University 65% off your membership Influence University is the difference between knowing what you want– and getting it, anytime, anyplace, from anybody.Create unimaginable wealth, transform your career, and close more sales. Influence University is the first and only website to combine scientific research, persuasion software, training videos, downloadable audios, and proven exercises. JOIN NOW MORE INFO

It’s the old “80/20 Rule.”  The most highly successful people expend 20 percent of the effort and get 80 percent of the results, while the less effective folks put out 80 percent of the effort only to get 20 percent. Sound unfair?  Let me give you a tip for entering the world of 20 percent work/80 percent results.  Great persuaders understand that time is more important than money.   They are fanatically aware that while we can accumulate money, we cannot accumulate time. How Do You Use Your Limited Time & Brain Cycles How Not Using Keyboard Shortcuts Makes You Lose 64 Hours Every Year Want that extra hour a day?  Discover on time management hack that can save you over 60 hours a year.  Join me for this week’s podcast on 4 Time Management And Productivity Hacks – How To Gain an extra hour a day.  These 4 hours can dramatically change your productivity, and you can accomplish more in less time. P.S.  Lifetime membership to Gold Influence University 65% off your membership Influence University is the difference between knowing what you want– and getting it, anytime, anyplace, from anybody.Create unimaginable wealth, transform your career, and close more sales. Influence University is the first and only website to combine scientific research, persuasion software, training videos, downloadable audios, and proven exercises. JOIN NOW MORE INFO

Are you tired of feeling like your success is just out of reach?  It's time to unlock your full potential with the power of charisma!  Charisma isn't just a trait that a lucky few are born with - it's a skill that can be learned and mastered by anyone.  YES, anyone. Charismatic Leadership 16 Compliments You Didn’t Realize Are Actually Pretty Insulting Revenue AI and Sales Trends Want to become more charismatic?  Want to know the formula for instant influence?  There are significant benefits to becoming more charismatic, but there is also a negative side to the tool of influence.  Join me for this week’s podcast on Weighing the Pros and Cons of Charisma and using Insulting Compliments.  You will discover the keys, tools, traits, and shortcomings of using the technique of charisma.    P.S.  Lifetime membership to Gold Influence University 65% off your membership Influence University is the difference between knowing what you want– and getting it, anytime, anyplace, from anybody.Create unimaginable wealth, transform your career, and close more sales. Influence University is the first and only website to combine scientific research, persuasion software, training videos, downloadable audios, and proven exercises.   JOIN NOW MORE INFO

AI has the potential to revolutionize the sales process and provide numerous benefits to salespeople. By leveraging AI tools to automate routine tasks, analyze data, and provide personalized messaging, salespeople can increase efficiency, improve customer service, and ultimately close more deals. However, it's important to note that AI should be used in conjunction with human expertise and judgment, not as a replacement for it. How to Respond to Rude or Inappropriate Remarks Pause…… How crazy is it that the above text is written with Artificial Intelligence or ChatGPT.  This can be a game changer for you in the world of sales and influence.  BUT there are some negative consequences to using AI in the persuasion process.  Join me for this week’s podcast on How AI (Artificial Intelligence) And ChatGBT Will Help/Hurt Sales And Persuasion.  I will take a deep dive into the good, the bad, and the ugly of using AI. P.S.  Lifetime membership to Gold Influence University 65% off your membership Influence University is the difference between knowing what you want– and getting it, anytime, anyplace, from anybody.Create unimaginable wealth, transform your career, and close more sales. Influence University is the first and only website to combine scientific research, persuasion software, training videos, downloadable audios, and proven exercises. JOIN NOW MORE INFO

Have you ever found yourself scrolling through your social media feed, only to be captivated by a clickbait headline?  You're not alone.  Clickbait is here to stay. There's a scientific reason why you can't resist clicking on that link. We don't want to miss out on anything we could own.  We want to get around any restrictions placed upon us. We feel uptight and want our freedom back. This causes tension and unrest. The Law of Scarcity not only pertains to physical products, but also to time, information, price, and knowledge.  10 Clickbait Examples That Will Make You Cringe How Does Clickbait Work? To increase your persuasion, you need to improve your clickbaitness or scarcity.  Get people to beg you to purchase your product or want to be convinced.  Join me for this week’s podcast on Clickbait Your Way To Influence.  Discover ways to use clickbait ethically to increase your ability to persuade and influence. P.S. Lifetime membership to Gold Influence University 65% off your membership Influence University is the difference between knowing what you want– and getting it, anytime, anyplace, from anybody.Create unimaginable wealth, transform your career, and close more sales. Influence University is the first and only website to combine scientific research, persuasion software, training videos, downloadable audios, and proven exercises. JOIN NOW MORE INFO

Have you ever met someone utterly clueless about their incompetence?  Or worse, have you ever worked with someone who thinks they're a genius but can't seem to get anything right?  If so, you may have encountered the Dunning-Kruger effect, a cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate their abilities and underestimate their weaknesses. We Are All Confident Idiots Dunning–Kruger effect Join me for this week’s podcast on Do You Work With A Confident Idiot?  How To Persuade Through The Dunning–Kruger Effect.  I will explain how to identify, deal with, and persuade the person with it.  The tools needed to persuade this person with the illusion of confidence will surprise you. Find out where you rank below What's Your Presentation IQ?

  Times are changing.  There is no doubt we have more options.  Communication over the phone poses unique challenges.  A first impression over the phone is just as important as in face-to-face contact, but the first challenge is that your audience can’t see your face, body language, or presence.  Everything about you is being judged entirely through the phone.   Hybrid B2B Sales Will Be The Norm By 2024. How To Embrace The Future Of Sales Now. The challenge is the phone sales call is slowly eroding away.  We usually have to use other forms of contact.  Where should you start?  What has the biggest persuasion impact?  Should you use email, text, phone, or face-to-face?  The answers are here.  Join me for this week’s podcast on  How To Lead, Persuade And Sell In A Hybrid Digital Changing World.  You will discover how to leverage each form of contact and when each one should be used during persuasion.

  So, there is this difficult conversation you need to have.  You know that person is going to get emotional.  You might even feel a chance that you could get a little angry or they could trigger another negative emotion.  How is your EQ - Emotional Intelligence?  Can you read their emotions?  Can you control your emotions? There is a fine line between logic and emotion.  To influence someone, you have to have both.  Emotions will override logic every time.  I am going to assume that you can form a logical argument here (I know I shouldn’t do that).  'Dad jokes? That’s the way eye roll…’ The Dubious Art of the Dad Joke How do you prepare for this difficult conversation?  What formula should you follow?  Are you putting it off?  Join me for this week’s podcast on How To Have That Difficult Conversation You Are Avoiding And Maintain The Relationship.  We will explore ways to keep emotions in check and the major mistakes people make during this conversation.        

Based on over 20 years of study, research, and experience in the field, my findings astound even me.  People aren't won over by tactics and gimmicks.  In fact, they 're are tired of them.  A New York Times poll found that 56 percent of respondents felt you can't be too careful in dealing with most salespeople, and 34 percent said most people would try to take advantage of you if they got the chance.  When asked what they thought about persuaders, only 32 percent of respondents said, "I have a positive attitude toward salespeople." How to Deal With Annoying or Frustrating Salespeople So…. Are you an irritable, annoying pest or a welcomed guest?  I’ll bet you have a little bit of both in you.  There are things you are doing that attract prospects and things you are doing that repel your prospects.  Join me for this week’s podcast, Are You That Annoying, Frustrating, Irritating Salesperson?  The Science And Solutions.  Discover the traits of frustrating salespeople and learn how to implement the techniques that help you close the deal. OFFER OF WEEK

Stories are powerful tools for persuaders. Compelling storytelling automatically creates attention and involvement with your audience. We can all think of a time when we were in an audience and not paying attention to the speaker. We were off in our own world when we suddenly perked up and started to listen because the speaker had begun to tell a story. We sat up, listened attentively, noted what was being said, and wanted to know what would happen next. The ability to tell a story is a powerful tool for all influencers.  What is the structure of a great story?  Is there a downside to telling a story?  What is happening in the brain when you tell a story?  How can you leverage stories to influence on command?  Join me for this week’s podcast on How Story Selling Persuades Without Detection And Under The Radar.  We will discover the lost art of story selling.   OFFER OF WEEK 

Moods, hunger and emotion can affect our thinking, judgment, and willingness to say yes. When the person you are trying to persuade is in a good mood or feeling a positive emotion, they are more likely to accept your offer.  The opposite is also true.  If they're not in a good mood or feeling a negative emotion, chances are much higher they will say no.  A good state is a huge advantage to you when it comes to persuasion.  Great persuaders create the right state. 13 Amazing Facts About Costco's Rotisserie Chicken How to Be a Less Hangry Person Here’s Why You Get Hangry, According to Science So how do you get your prospect into a better state?  How do you get yourself in the right mood or state before you attempt to influence?  What about those negative emotions or dealing with those that suffer from Hanger?  Join me for this week’s podcast on How To Persuade, Understand, And Sell A Hangry, Mean Person.  We will discover the techniques to understand and flex your EQ to persuade with power.

What is the question you need to ask yourself?  Is now the time?  Are you done with mediocrity?  Is this your year?  If the answer is yes, things will start to change and improve for you.  If your answer was, hopefully, that would be nice, or maybe then we need to back up and look at your why.  I spent 5 years interviewing 233 millionaires—here are the 6 habits that made them ultra wealthy The goal is to understand how much potential we have.  It's been said how tall will a tree grow? And the answer is “as tall as it can.” That is so important for us to understand in today's world.  I have college students that say, “What's the least amount I can do to get a B in your class?” Or people on their jobs, what’s the least amount I can do to keep from getting fired?  That doesn’t increase happiness, and that doesn’t equal success.   How successful should you be – as successful as you can?   Want to be more successful?  Want to be a millionaire?  Join me for this weeks podcast on The Proven Simple Habits And Behaviors Of Millionaires.  You will discover that the formula is quite simple.  You just have to start thinking and acting like a millionaire.  I will reveal the tools and techniques of the super-successful.

FOMO or the fear of missing out, is human nature 101.  When anyone feels their freedom to act or choose is restricted, they will attempt to restore it.  With this restriction or fear, we are psychologically driven to latch on to something we fear will be restricted even more.  Suddenly, that restricted item or information is even more important to us. Can you judge trustworthiness based on looks -  Rice research says no Join me for this week’s podcast on FOMO vs Trust -  10 Ways To Create Instant Action.  We will explore ways FOMO does work and when it doesn’t.  Also I will reveal the 10 (or more) ways to get someone to act, make a decision or instantly do what you want them to do.

We think we are logical creatures, but most of the time, we don't know why we do what we do. The majority of influence involves a subconscious trigger. This tendency means that inclinations like "It just feels right," "I trust this person," or "I don't like this person" are all based on unconscious emotional reactions. Conscious and Unconscious Thought Processes So how should you sell the brain?  How can you understand what is happening in the unconscious mind?  Can you leverage this knowledge to persuade on command?  Join me for this week’s podcast on Brain Selling - How Current Brain Research Empowers You To Influence The Subconscious Mind’.  You will discover how to use the latest science to influence under the radar. INFLUENCE UNIVERSITY GOLD More Info.   Buy Now  

Sales professionals use words carefully. They know that one wrong word can send their prospect's mind somewhere else and lose them the sale.  Some examples of language that salespeople use to help diffuse a potentially tense situation. Words also have a strong bearing on how we remember certain details. In one study, subjects were asked if they had headaches "frequently" or "occasionally." Those interviewed with the word "frequently" reported 2.2 headaches per week, while those interviewed with the word "occasionally" reported only 0.7 per week. What are other subconscious triggers?  What is happening with your brain?   How can you use these triggers to become more persuasive?  Join me for this week’s podcast on The Iceberg Of Influence - Those Hidden Persuasion Subconscious Triggers.

Having courage (or being brave) does not mean you don’t feel fear.  It means you have the heart and emotional stability to face the fear and do what’s needed anyway.  This is a process of learning about yourself—who you are and what you are able to do.  Identifying your weaknesses, changing your habits, and fixing your attitude all require personal bravery. Courage is about helping yourself and helping other people become better, knowing as you grow and help others develop that you could be subject to criticism. Laws of Charisma-Geeky Article Join me for this week’s podcast on The Keys to Instant Courage - Fortune Favors The Bold (Brave).  I will use the acronym B.O.L.D. to define courage.  You will discover how to be more persistent, stand up for your beliefs, and have more confidence in everything you do.  If you don’t feel confident, your prospect won’t feel confident doing business with you.

Trust is critical in persuasion. Unfortunately, we live in a day and age when people are more skeptical and mistrustful than ever.  Twenty years ago, the mindset was: “I trust you; give me a reason not to.”  Now the mindset is: “I don’t trust you; give me a reason why I should.” Trust is at an all-time low and still falling. Global Trustworthiness Index 2022. The Most And Least Trusted Professions In America Lawyers per Capita by Country 2023 Trust is also magnified or diminished based on your occupation or profession. For example, medical professionals enjoy higher trust levels than lawyers do. An individual’s general trust of a certain industry or profession is dictated not only by experience, but also mainly by rumor and reputation (especially if they have had no direct experience with that industry).  All things being equal, people will do business with and refer to those people they know, like, and trust.  Join me for this week’s podcast on World Trust trends and Tools.  I will give you the numbers from around the world about who has instant high trust and automatic low trust.  Once you discover where you rate, I will give you some tools to help build trust or the glue to the persuasion process.

These skills are essential in persuasion and leadership.  What about managers and politicians?  Are they leaders?  Do people trust them?  Probably not.  What needs to change?  Join me for this week’s podcast on Why Politicians Are Not Leaders And Have Low Trust.  Why Democracy Produces Incompetent Leaders – And How to Fix it Discover how to adjust your influence/leadership style.  Find out if you are a true leader or one of those politicians/managers.  Let’s become true charismatic leaders.

We were taught through the years that closing skills were all you needed to persuade and sell. You had to learn more closing skills if you did not sell enough people.  Nowadays, sure, it's nice to have a few closing skills in your persuasion toolbox, but shouldn't you spend more time opening up your audience before you even think about closing a deal with them?   24 Sales Mistakes to Avoid in 2022 (and Beyond) When closing skills are used at the wrong time, in the wrong place, or with the wrong person, another brick is added to the wall of resistance.  When people sense that they are about to be hit with a hard close, the wall increases in thickness and strength. What other mistakes are you making in the persuasion/sales process?  What do you need to fix for 2023?  Join me for this week’s podcast on Top Sales And Persuasion Mistakes To Fix This Year.  Learn what you need to do to get better skills to persuade with power in 2023.

"Door-in-the-face" is one of the most common techniques for implementing the Law of Contrast. An initially large and almost unreasonable request is made, likely to be declined—hence the "door slammed-in-the-face" as the prospect rejects the proposal.  Then a second smaller and more reasonable request is made.  People accept the second request more readily than if they'd just been asked outright because the contrast between the two requests makes the second one seems so much better. Does the Door-in-the-Face Technique Really Work? Want to know more about how to use Door-in-the-Face?  You can also discover when DITF will backfire on you.  Find out the do’s and don’ts of this great persuasion technique.  Join me for this week’s podcast on DITF – When, How, Can It Backfire (Door In The Face Technique)

During each persuasive encounter, you must be careful with what gestures you use and don’t use.  Your gestures can attract your prospect and build trust or repel them and trigger distrust.  When you are aware of your body language, you can synchronize your nonverbals to create instant likeability and rapport.  You can create positive subconscious triggers.  If you don’t have to understand these nonverbals, you could come across as lying or nervous.  Masks can put cognitive performance in check Are you unknowingly doing some of these gestures and triggering distrust?  These are just a few of the things you are doing that could hurt your ability to influence.  Join me for this week’s podcast on Negotiation - Deception and Dirty Mind Tricks #2.  I will reveal the why, what to look for, and how to deal with deception.  

What dirty mind games do people play during negotiation and persuasion?  What do they use to intimidate or change your perception of reality?  They tactics are not to use but help you be aware of when someone is trying to use these dark tricks to get their way. Psychological Power is people's ability to influence you while disguising their true intentions. People who are adept at using Psychological Power seek to alter another individual’s perceptions.  10 Moves to Reduce Deceptive Tactics in Negotiation Join me for this week’s podcast on Negotiation - Deception and Dirty Mind Tricks #1.  I will detail many of these dirty tricks and why people still use them.  We will also talk about some solutions to each one of these tactics.

What does it take to persuade with power in any encounter? Think about it. When was the last time you didn't get something you wanted?  What happened? Did you fail to get your point across? Were you persuaded by someone else? Our understanding of persuasion and influence has changed dramatically.  In the past, we did not know or care how consumers thought or what prompted them to buy or take action. The challenge is that many of persuasion rules and sales are changing fast.  What worked a few years ago – no longer work.  You must be aware of adjusting your persuasion and sales techniques to the new world of influence. 16 Latest Sales Trends & Forecasts for 2023 Join me for this week’s podcast on Surprising Sales and Persuasion Trends.  You will discover what has changed and how to adjust for the future.  Where does technology fit in?  Join me to get the tools and techniques to understand the game of sales

The mental trigger of potential loss causes such great anxiety in people that they act to prevent the loss—even though they might not be completely interested in the product itself. Imagine making a decision where you have all week to make up your mind, and you have the reassurance that when you return tomorrow, the item will still be available at the same good price. You could take days, weeks, or months to make that decision. How do you create legitimate scarcity?  How do you make them feel it is urgent to make a decision ASAP?  How does this affect the human brain.  Join me for this week’s podcast interview with Mindy Weinstein.  We will discuss How To Create Legitimate Scarcity And Urgency To Increase Buying Desire. For more info about Mindy and her work, visit her website here.

Humor can be a powerful tool to create rapport. Humor makes the persuader seem more friendly and accepting. Humor helps gain attention, enables you to create rapport, and makes your message more memorable. It can relieve tension, enhance relationships, and motivate people.  Appropriate use of humor increases trust in your audience. Another aspect of humor is the smile.  A smile is free, generates a great first impression, and shows happiness, acceptance, and confidence. Your smile shows you are pleased to be where you are, or you are happy to meet this person. As a result, they become more interested in meeting you. Smiling also conveys a feeling of acceptance, which makes your listener more trusting of you. It has been shown that sales representatives who smiled during the sales process increased their success rate by 20 percent. However, as with traditional humor, use a smile appropriately. Global collaboration led by Stanford researcher shows that a posed smile can improve your mood Does a fake smile work?  Can a smile backfire?  Can humor hurt influence?  The answer is both to all of these questions.  Join me for this week’s podcast on How A Smile (Certain Ones) And Humor (Targeted) Increases Likeability And Influence.  

The Law of Verbal Packaging states that the more skillful a person is in the use of language, the more persuasive they will be. People are persuaded by us based on the words we use. Words affect our perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and emotions. The words we use in persuasion make all the difference in the world. Language misused will trigger the wrong response and decrease your ability to persuade.   ‘Annoying’ people say these 75 things, according to Reddit users I take a deeper dive in this week’s podcast with all those words you are using that repel people and cause a bad association triggers.  The votes are in, and I am going to say you are guilty.  You will be surprised by the top picks.  This week’s podcast is Top Words You Are Using That Repel, Offend And Annoy.

Have you heard about foot-in-the-door" (FITD),  or the "sequential request theory? Basically, it is a means of using a person's self-perception to motivate them to take a desired action  When an individual complies the first time, they perceive themselves to be helpful.  If they are asked to comply a second time in an even greater way, they are more likely to consent.  The key to using FITD is getting the person to initially agree to a small request. Join me for this week’s podcast on Triggering The Right Response: Yes vs No.  How do you use FITD?  Do you know when to get the yes, the no, and maybe?  You will discover how to be more influential by triggering the right responses.  Even find out how to turn a no into a yes.

You could have the greatest product in the world, but if there is no trust, there is no sale. Trust can be ambiguous, but certain things are pretty clear: 1) You can’t get others to trust you unless you first trust yourself; and 2) your message will not be convincing to others unless it’s convincing to you. Whenever someone tries to influence us, in our minds, we ask ourselves, “Can I trust this person? Do I believe him? Is she concerned about me?” We are less likely to be influenced if we sense that the person trying to persuade us is driven solely by self-interest. Trust is the glue that holds the entire persuasion process together. Trust is created when you put your audience’s interests and wants before your own. Research shows that, deep down, people want to trust others. Gaining and keeping trust for both the short and long term is vital to your success as a persuader.  Do people trust you?  Are you sure?  What is the one element of trust that most people don’t have on their radar?  How to you create that instant trust from your prospect?  Join me for this week’s podcast on Increase Trust -  How Will Power Affects Character.  Discover your missing element for massive trust.

Not only do charismatics use your gestures in the right way, they also have the ability to read and interpret nonverbal gestures.  You can read people like a book and obtain the knowledge you need to adjust yourself and your presentation based on what body language you are reading.  When you can read and be aware of your body language, you can synchronize your nonverbals to create instant likeability and rapport.  You can create positive subconscious triggers.  If you don’t have control of your nonverbals, you could come across as flustered, nervous, or out of control.  Jobs That Need Peop le Skills Are The Most Recession Proof Be more aware of your body movements and nonverbal behavior.  Sure it takes some effort, but the rewards will last a lifetime.  Join me for this week’s podcast on How to Instantly Connect With Anyone:  Your First Impression – Rapport or Repel?  I will go through each body part and non-verbal so you can identify in others (and yourself) how to instantly connect with people or cause resistance.    

What makes someone successful? Why do some people achieve wealth while others don't? How can we predict who will make it big, who will barely make ends meet, and who will fail? How do we quantify the characteristics of highly successful people? Emotional Intelligence Has 12 Elements. Which Do You Need to Work On? Given that increasing your EQ is critical for your success, you need to master this skill.  Influence is on1 of the 12 areas of Emotional Intelligence.  Join me for this week’s podcast on Fine Tune Your EQ or Emotional Intelligence.  You will discover the areas that are critical for your ability to master your own emotions and reading/adapting to the emotions of others.

Imagine that there is a giant rubber band inside of you. When dissonance is present, the rubber band begins to stretch. As long as the dissonance exists, the band stretches tighter and tighter. You've got to take action before it reaches a breaking point and snaps. The motivation to reduce the tension is what causes us to change; we will do everything in our power to get back in mental balance. Sleepless And Selfish: Lack Of Sleep Makes Us Less Generous We like to feel a level of consistency in our day-to-day actions and interactions.  This harmony is the glue that holds everything together and helps us cope with the world and all the decisions we have to make. Dissonance causes us to distort our memories or remember what we want to see or how we want it to happen.  This blurs reality and allows us to cover our mistakes. Do you want your persuasion to stick?   Do you want your sales never to have buyer’s remorse?  What causes that dissonance or regret for saying yes?   Join me for this week’s podcast on Saving the Sale: Refunds, Regret, And Remorse.  You will discover the techniques used to get those sales to stick.  

Let’s talk about where negotiation fits into the world of persuasion and the difference between the two.  Persuasion occurs when your ideas are so convincing that the other party adopts your point of view.  With persuasion, there is no compromising as there is in negotiation. While persuasion is the ultimate ideal, anytime any one of us presents our ideas, the other party is often equally committed to their convictions, thus making negotiation the next best path.  When we hear the word “negotiation,” we often think of a complex deal in the business world.  However, in reality, all of us are involved in multiple negotiation processes every day. 10 Hard Bargaining Negotiation Skills What about negotiating a raise?  What if your boss is going to use those hardball negation tactics?   What do you do?  Join me for this week’s podcast Negotiating A Raise – Mistakes To Avoid.  I will focus on which tools work best, which techniques to avoid, and how to deal with those difficult mean tactics of the other side.  

Moods affect our thinking, judgment, and willingness to say yes. When the person you are trying to persuade is in a good mood, they are more likely to accept your offer. The opposite is also true. If they're not in a good mood, chances are much higher they won't bite. This is a massive advantage to you when it comes to persuasion. Great persuaders create the right mood. Leading with Humor Using humor is the fastest way to get someone in the right state.  Yes it works and yes, you can get better?   Do you get people to laugh?  How about a smile?  Join me on this week’s podcast on How Humor, Happiness, And Mood Increase Sales.  Discover how to use appropriate humor to get your prospect in the right state and easier to influence.

Do you know how long waiting times affect persuasion? Do they bave a negative or positive influence? Listen now to see how waiting is either helping or hurting your persuasion. Psychology of Waiting Lines Starbucks still has a problem with long lines Long Waiting Times Cost You Sales

Many times, when we are trying to be persuasive, we want to highlight all the perks and plusses. It's only natural. Wouldn't helping someone see the potential gains of your product or service be a good thing? Yes, but here is the issue: Your audience will buy for their own reasons and only their reasons. How managers can spark, not squelch, our motivation They don't care about why you like the product or service. They don't care how much you know about it—don’t bury them in detail. The more you spout off about features, the more your audience mentally checks out.

Do you think people are trying to flatter you into submission?  Are they using manipulation tactics and want to know how to resist.  Are you seeing signs of gaslighting and feel like they want to take advantage of you?   Let me give you the answers.  How to Spot Manipulation Tactics, gaslighting, coercion Join me for this week’s podcast on Resisting Manipulation And GasLighting – The Dark Side of Influence  

A poll with your prospects found that Trust is at an all-time low.  Their default setting is not to trust you.  In fact, only 12 percent of the prospects trusted their persuaders, while 88 percent of the persuaders felt they had established trust with their audience.  Wow, what a disconnect. It’s harder to gain credibility nowadays than in the past. Are you good at what you do? Bragging about it could make people trust you less Are you credibile?  Are you sure?  You say yes, and your prospects say no.  What are you doing that destroys your credibility?  The answers and science surprised me and will surprise you.  Join me for this week's webinar on How Being Too Qualified Hurts Trust.

Our task is not only to realize humor’s profound influence but also to develop the necessary skills to use it powerfully and ethically. As you become more and more skilled at incorporating humor into your presentations, you will discover that humor almost always has a place. Humor puts your audience in a good frame of mind. Your audience is in a good disposition and less likely to disagree with you. When you develop rapport with your audience, they will like you more. Humor also increases trust. Top commercials of all time   The skill of using humor can be learned and mastered, but only with consistent practice. Sometimes you may fail but keep at it until you have harnessed the power to make others laugh. Then others will always feel good when they are in your presence. They will also take what you have to say more seriously. Humor will give you the power to motivate and influence others in a productive, positive way. shrinkflation examples   What else is used to persuade below the radar?  What are companies doing to their slightly deceptive products that you are not even aware of?  How do JND and Shrinkflation sway your thoughts and opinions?  Join me for this week’s podcast on JND, Shrinkflation, Advertising - Brilliant Deception?  You will discover how to persuade below the radar.

Most people don’t address why it is taking so long to achieve their goals or find their success.  The first step is always self-discipline. When we hear the word self-discipline or willpower, we tend to get a little tense, tune out or think about something else.  We think of all our bad habits, things we don’t want to do, or all the times we tried to exercise willpower and failed.  It is something we are constantly working on and can never neglect.  Cinemark link How Far Away is the Moon? What can you do to strengthen your willpower and your self-discipline?  It is easier than you think.  You already have the desire, and you already know you are capable of more.  You know you want more success in your life. This is a critical life skill.  Are you ready for the next steps?  Join me for this week’s podcast on how to Reprogram Your Brain For Success And Wealth.  You will discover wealth is an open book test, and now it is time for you to have all the answers.

Optimistic persuaders outpersuade pessimistic persuaders every time. Not only is optimism essential to influencing others, but is also a critical for success in life. Optimism is more than a positive mental attitude. It is not constantly saying positive things to yourself and then hoping they will come true. Rather, true optimism is a state of mind that dictates how you look at the world. An optimistic view of life and the world around you can inspire hope and courage in others. We all want to feel inspired and encouraged. When a persuader can deliver this type of message, we want to follow that person. This tendency is how optimism helps you in influencing others. Pessimism on the other hand is always taking the negative view. Others will consider a pessimist as irritable and always looking for the negative in every situation. Pessimists are the ones who will be the first to complain and tell everyone else that nothing goes right. As a result, they never get the success or recognition they deserve. Article : A little anger in negotiation pays Countless studies have shown that optimists do better in school, persuade better, have more friends, perform better in their careers, and live longer than pessimists. Pessimists, on the other hand, frequently battle depression, have fewer friends, find it difficult to persuade, and give up faster and more easily. To illustrate this point, in one study, those who sold insurance were monitored on their optimistic or pessimistic outlook in relation to setbacks. The optimistic persuaders sold more policies and were half as likely to quit. Great persuaders have what we call “influential optimism.” This means that they see the positive in all situations. Rather than focusing on disappointment, cynicism, or negative feelings, they look for ways to move forward. People want to be persuaded by individuals who have a positive view on life. As an optimist, you see the world as a series of exciting challenges. You inspire positive feelings about everything you stand for. People want to be around you because they live in a very pessimistic world. The optimistic mindset is contagious and helps to empower other people to believe in you and in themselves. As an optimist, you help others see failure or setback as temporary. You have no doubt that success will happen. Free Book

How did you learn what you know about money? You likely picked it up, a piece here, a tip there.  You absorbed attitudes from your parents and from the media. You absorbed the examples of friends. You proceeded through trial and error—the school of hard knocks.  You learned haphazard, mostly wrong, and certainly out of context.  Money is one of the most important subjects to study in your entire life. Some of life’s greatest enjoyments and most of life’s greatest disappointments stem from your money decisions. Wealth is an open book test, and the answers are obvious.  What small results can you add to your life that can bring you large financial results?  How much do you know about the wealth formula?  Join me for this week’s podcast on Wealth Formula Secrets - Tom Painter Interview. Click HERE for more info about Tom & his work.

By adding Expectations to your persuasive toolbox, you can change your audience's expectations of you—and their expectation of buying your product, service, or idea—and you will be infinitely more persuasive. Staring at yourself during virtual chats may worsen your mood The challenge is you are creating negative expectations – they feel the desire to say no because of your mindset, body language, or word choice.  When we suggest (subconsciously) that it is OK to say no – they do.  Join me for this week’s podcast on  Resistance: Do You Create Your Own NO?

When you become a great Persuader, you will learn to love objections. You will understand that when people voice their objections, it indicates interest and shows that they are paying attention to what you are saying. The key to persuasion is anticipating all objections before you hear them. Fielding questions and handling objections can make or break you as a persuader. These skills will help you in every aspect of your life. Praise and intelligence: Why telling kids they are smart make them act dumb Handling objections has become a lost art.  Very few persuaders know how to turn an objection into a sale.  There are three other lost persuasion tools that most influencers have forgotten to use.  Have you ever needed a persuasion technique that would reduce resistance and turn a no into yes?   Join me for this week’s podcast to learn more about  3 Critical BUT Forgotten Sales And Persuasion Techniques.

Life is change; persuasion is change. As a Persuader, you must be able to create and motivate change. Understanding human nature is knowing that most people will resist change and burrow into their comfort zones. We tend to follow the path of least resistance. BUT when done it the right way, people are very accepting of change. Mood Has Less Control Over Behavior Than We Think Those are some good fundamentals to change, BUT most persuaders want to get it done better and faster.  How can you get people excited to change?  What tools do you need to have people beg you to change their product/service?  Join me for this week’s podcast to learn more about  The Quickest Way To Get A YES To Change.

Persuaders know emotion will override logic every time.  I will assume here (I know I shouldn’t do that) that you can form a logical argument.  Reading emotions and your emotional intelligence is the missing piece for most people that want to become more influential.  Very few know how to read and trigger the right emotional states. 16 top reasons cited for getting out of a speeding ticket What emotions do you need to trigger with your message?  Can you read and change your prospect's emotions?  Is it helping or hurting your ability to influence?  Join me for this week’s podcast to find out more about emotions and what to do when anger hits – for you or them.  As a bonus you will also discover How To Get Out Of A Speaking Ticket.

A great persuader can connect with anyone in thirty seconds or less. First impressions take only seconds to form, but they last a lifetime. This is a critical skill to develop because the cement dries fast. How do you ensure that you’re making those early seconds really count? ‘Mind’s eye blink’ proves ‘paying attention’ is not just a figure of speech So do people like you?  Can you develop rapport?  Are you sure?  It is doubtful in the current climate.  What are you doing that destroys connectivity?  What can you do to instant connect with more people?  Join me for this week’s podcast on Conversation Starters For People to Like You.  I will focus on critical areas to increase likeability and enhance your ability to get anyone to like you.

All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like, and trust. People choose healthier food when with outsiders for fear of being negatively judged So do people trust you?  Are you sure?  It is doubtful in the current climate.  What are you doing that destroys trust?  What can you do to increase trust?  Join me for this week’s podcast on 7 Reasons People Don’t Trust You.  I will focus on critical areas to increase trust and enhance your ability to influence command

Let’s talk about where negotiation fits into the world of persuasion and the difference between the two. Persuasion occurs when your ideas are so convincing that the other party adopts your point of view. With persuasion, there is no compromising as there is in negotiation. Why Do Hugs Feel Good? This Chemical Messenger Want to know when to use negotiation tools?  What about when to know when it is time to negotiate and when it is time to persuade.  We tend to go to negotiation too fast and don’t get the best terms possible.  Join me for this week’s podcast on Sales vs Negotiation: Different Tools For Different Times.  I will focus on which tools work the best and when to use them.

Do you repel people?  Most people say no. Howeve statistics show that this is happening to you.  What are you doing that turn people off, and cause them to run?   Want to take a deeper dive into the boomerang effect?  What else could you be doing that is antipersuasive?  How can you connect more with your prospects?  Do Zoom Meetings Kill Creativity? Join me for this week’s podcast on The Boomerang Effect And Why People Resist You.  Get more people to connect with you, open up and become more influential. 

Join me for this week’s podcast on Shut-Up And Sell: No More Data Dump.  During this podcast, I will reveal how to know when it is time to ask for their business.  What do you look for in their body language to know the persuasion process is done and they are ready to roll.  Upward Physical Movement Brings Back Happy Memories Click on the link and get a few more influence tools that help your prospect persuade themselves.

As a persuader, you need to help your audience be one step closer to taking action. As a Power Persuader, your goal is to decrease the distance someone has to go to reach your objective. Your task is to make it as easy and simple as possible. You need to decrease the mental, social or physical distance they need to travel to be persuaded. How to Get People to Speak Up in Virtual Meetings If your prospect is not listening, doesn’t care, and is not participating in the process – you can’t influence them.  Is it you?  Is it them?  Take some ownership and admit that you can be more engaging and even more charismatic in your online and offline presentations.  Join me for this week’s podcast on How To Increase Meeting (Zoom) Participation, Engagement And Influence.  I will focus on key things you can do today that will get more people to listen, increase their online participation, and keep your audience wanting more.

The moment people sense that you are attempting to persuade them, their resistance increases in size and strength. To counter this tendency, persuasion and sales must take place below the conscious radar. Women seen as happy and men as angry despite real emotions Great persuaders have cultivated a sixth sense regarding the "push and pull" aspect of persuasion. You must encourage without pushing. Entice, but don't ensnare. You have to sense and then predict what you can do and how your audience will respond based upon knowledge, instinct, experience, and nonverbal cues. With this sensitivity, which you can learn, you can persuade and influence below their resistance radar. Are you causing resistance?  Are your influence tools outdated?  Join me for this week’s podcast on The 3 Keys To Increase Your Power Of Persuasion. You will discover the most important things you can do to reduce resistance, adapt to your prospect and get more YES in your life.

Most of the time, closing skills are overused or used in the wrong way. When closing skills are used right and sparingly, it can have a powerful effect by helping others say “yes faster. The key is to use closing in the right way in any aspect of persuasion. This is where you get the yes. It is not a time to beat around the bush or hesitate. Want to know how closing has changed in the last few years?  Ever wonder what closing mistakes you could be using?  Want to know how to close more sales?  10 Sales Mistakes Reps Make Way Too Often Join me for this week’s podcast cast on Top Ten Closing Mistakes. You will discover how to balance the best closing techniques in the new world of sales.  

Join me for this week’s podcast cast on Negotiation Techniques, Tactics, Tips, and Psychological Tricks With Marshall Wilkinson.  Marshall has negotiated over 2 billion dollars in contracts.  We will discuss how negotiation has changed, techniques that seal the deal, and psychological tricks that are being used against you. For more information about Marshall visit his website here. 

What are you doing that causes your prospect to feel – This does not feel right?  Maybe what you are doing causes them to think – I need to think about this because something is not quite right.  What can you do to reduce these feelings and roadblocks to influence? The Fallacy of Multitasking Join me for this week’s podcast cast on How Colors, Symbols, And Aromas Help/Hurt Your Ability To Influence.  

Do you repel people?  Most people say no.  Although most of us do things that repel people.  You have met people that just rubbed you the wrong way.  They repelled you, you did not like them, and you did not want to be around them.  The key is that they never told you what you did wrong or how you made them feel; they just left.  The color red influences investor behavior Statistics show that this is happening to you. Want to know other things you are doing that repel people?  Ever realize that common thing you are doing drive people away?  Want solutions to those influence blunders that are costing you money?  Join me for this week’s podcast cast on Top Persuasion Mistakes/Blunders Of All Time #2.  Discover those mistakes and how to persuade like a pro.

Want to know the top persuasion mistakes?  Want solutions to those influence blunders that are costing you money?  17 Things Keeping You From Getting Rich Join me for this week’s podcast cast on The Top Persuasion Mistakes/Blunders Of All Time.  Discover those mistakes and how to influence like a pro.

Do you want to know more about your body language and how to use it to persuade with power?  Did you know many of your gestures tend to repel others and cause resistance? 33 Nonverbal Communication Tips Oscar Mayer selling mask inspired by its bologna Join me for this week’s podcast cast on Nonverbals that Influence vs Body Language That Repels.  Discover the keys to reading body language and understanding what gestures repel your prospect.

Do you want to be able to think on your feet?  Adjust your presentation on the fly?  Adapt to your prospect and persuade them how they want to be persuaded.  Can you prepare for an impromptu speech?  The Psychology of Your Scrolling Addiction Join me for this week’s podcast on How To Think On Your Feet:  The Creative Art Of The Spontaneous, Impromptu Presentation.  Discover the secrets of your creativity and adapt your presentation.

Are your presentations persuasive?  Are you sure?  What about your ability to engage and influence on zoom or other video conferencing platforms?  These skills are critical for influence and upward mobility. Stanford researchers identify four causes for ‘Zoom fatigue’ and their simple fixes Eye tracking reveals where people look during Zoom, Webex 20 Astonishing Video Conferencing Statistics for 2021 Join me for this week’s podcast  - How To Make Video Conferencing (And Zoom) More Influential.  We will talk about the science and skills needed to persuade during video conference calls.

Great persuaders gain control over their destiny by controlling and directing their thoughts.  Considering that our actions are emotion-driven and our emotions are thought-driven, we've got to get our thoughts on track. They determine everything! What’s the Cost of Self-Control? New Study Tabulates the Bill What are the other elements of your success?  What pieces are you missing?  How can you reprogram your brain for massive success?   Join me for this week’s podcast on The Mindset Of A Successful Salesperson.  We will take a deep dive into success skills, personal mastery, and self-persuasion.

No one can follow through on an act or message without first thinking or seeing in their mind that it is possible to accomplish it. You can mentally achieve participation by helping your audience visualize and see in their mind how your product or service will help them. How are you doing creating images in the mind of your prospect?  Are your prospects questioning your credibility?  Have you lost trust with people?   Evoking the Imagination as a Strategy of Influence Join me for this week’s podcast as we tackle both issues that hurt your ability to influence.  The podcast is Lost Trust? - How To Rebuild Credibility In A Skeptical World.

There are many studies the reveal the relationship between visualization and success in sports.  There is a well-known study done by Russian scientists.  They wanted to know the relationship between physical and mental training and what is the most important. What Is the Ownership Effect Are you able to help your prospect visualize using your product/service?  Do you want more tools to help people visualize the solution?  It is all about increasing mental involvement and painting that picture.  Join me for this week’s podcast - Paint The Persuasion Picture – Keys To Mental Engagement.  We will discover the keys to visualization and influence.

Just because you can create a PowerPoint does not mean you know how to communicate, inspire and present.  Sure, you can give a presentation, and no one leaves the room; it doesn’t say anything negative, but did you really have charisma?  Did you influence them to your point of view?  When preparing your presentation, be sure you have several ways to support and enhance your message. Great persuaders use presentation aids that will, concisely, and efficiently deliver their main points. Visual aids should improve your presentation and help keep people’s attention, but visual overload will distract from your message. Are your visuals persuasive?  Are you abusing powerpoint?  Are you violating the common powerpoint mistakes?  Want to know how to use powerpoint to become more influential?   Well, I have the answers….Join me for this week’s podcast - Break Your Powerpoint Addiction – Mistakes Draining Your Influence.  We will discover how to use visual aid that will help you persuade and influence.

Preparation is the magic ingredient to all successful negotiations. When negotiating, you have to be prepared for anything. You need to know the ins and outs, the intricacies of both sides. The more you prepare, the more knowledge you have, you will get a better deal. Five Presentation Mistakes Everyone Makes Negotiation is part of everyday life.  As they say - You deserve what you negotiate.  The challenge is negotiation has changed.  Many people are using some old-style, outdated, cheesy tactics that need to be retired.  Join me for this week’s podcast  - The 7 Deadly Negotiation Sins - Mistakes Costing You The Deal.  We will talk about the blunders you are making and how to fix them to increase your success and influence. 

The research shows that when you create a positive perception with your prospect, you have an 85 percent chance of influence.  On the other hand, you have only a 15 percent chance of influence when you make a negative perception. Rapport is key to influence, networking, and building future strategic relationships.  Know when you are connecting with someone or repelling them.  Join me for this week’s podcast on Networking and Building Strategic Relationships – Interview with Ivan Misner.  We will take a deep dive into the keys of how to build strategic relationships.  We are also going to talk about the new tools for prospecting for these new times.

Persuasion occurs when your ideas are so convincing that the other party adopts your point of view. With persuasion, there is no compromising as there is in negotiation. Instead, the other party willfully and enthusiastically abandons their position to embrace yours. Want to learn more about emotion and ego in negotiation?  Wonder the best raise to ask for a raise and earn what you are worth?  Join me for this week’s podcast as I interview the author of Mindful NEGOtiation -  Gaetan Pellerin.  We will take a deep dive into how negation has changed in this new Pandemic world.  

Join me for this week’s podcast for some incredible free gifts.  This is podcast 400 and will deliver some great content and influence gifts to take your skills to the next level.  This podcast will do a 180 from other podcasts.  Instead of helping become more influential, this podcast will reveal the art and science of resisting the persuasive attempts of others. "FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO"-A STUDY OF SITUATIONAL AND DISPOSITIONAL VARIABLES IN HELPING BEHAVIOR Help me celebrate podcast 400 on How to Resist Influence and Coercion.

Influential people not only express themselves in positive nonverbal ways.  They also use nonverbal behavior to captivate and persuade their prospects.  During each encounter, Influential people are careful what gestures they use and don’t use. Being Nice To Others Makes Them More Likely To Be Nice To You Body Language Guide – Crossed Arms and 17 More Cues to Know Discover how to read other people's body language and what it means.  Especially how to read their arms movements and what it means.  I will also reveal that what you are doing with your arms could help or hurt your ability to persuade.  Find out how to use your arms to be more persuasive.  Join me for this week’s podcast on Reading Body Language - What Your Arm Movement Says About You

The Law of Verbal Packaging states that the more skillful a person is in the use of language, the more persuasive they will be. People are persuaded by us based on the words we use. Words affect our perceptions, our attitudes, our beliefs, and our emotions. The words we use in the persuasion process make all the difference in the world. Language used incorrectly will trigger the wrong response and decrease your ability to persuade. Word skills are also directly related to earning power. People prefer friendliness, trustworthiness in teammates over skill competency Successful people all share a common ability to use language in ways that evoke vivid thoughts, feelings, and actions in their audiences. 

Great persuaders all adhere to an intensive personal development program. They know that "dull knives work the hardest," so keeping themselves sharp is of the utmost importance. Average persuaders don't consider personal training to be worthwhile. They figure working harder is the answer. They also assume that they'll figure it all out on their own sooner or later, maybe from reading a book or two. They also think it's too expensive, or a waste of time to learn from somebody else. What do you need to learn and master?  What is your weak link to success? Are you wasting valuable time to get there? Just like a computer, if you don't upgrade yourself, you will become obsolete to both yourself and your future. Mentioning facial imperfection early in a job interview helps Personal development is the first thing you can do to leverage your success.  Leverage speeds up the success process.  Join me for this week’s podcast as I discuss 3 additional success principles used to increase your speed to success.  Click to join me for PQ Skill 10 - The Secret Sauce Of Success.

What are the subconscious triggers that cause you to buy more?  Face can reveal if you’re rich or poor Join me for this week’s podcast as I talk about those subconscious retail triggers that cause you to spend more money.  The science is in --- Do they cause you to purchase too much? 

Why is the tendency to procrastinate so prevalent? We know it does us no good, and yet it plagues even the best of us. Putting things off until the last minute never gives the best results. What are some reasons we procrastinate? Another big one is indecision. We fear being wrong and making mistakes.  Sometimes we procrastinate because we are tired or we don’t have the energy.     Hey, do you have a second - The upside of workplace interruptions Let’s talk about the solution to accomplish more in less time.  What are the ways to overcome procrastination and be more effective with your time?  It is impossible to talk about procrastination and not end up talking about time management.  Join me for this week’s podcast as I talk about traits and characteristics of people know how to turn time into money.  This podcast is called PQ Skill 9 - Secrets to Accomplish More In Less Time.

We tend to judge rapidly, and that snap judgment is usually correct. When you meet someone for the first time, he will tend to categorize you like someone he already knows.3 The positive or negative characteristics of the person you resemble tend to be transferred to you (fair or not). The bottom line is that your audience is pretty good at sizing you up in the first seconds of your meeting. Great persuaders know how to create magic in those first few seconds, and those feelings will last a lifetime. Seven Personality Traits of Top Salespeople Join me for this week’s podcast as I talk about an HBR article about some of the traits and characteristics of power persuaders.  You will be surprised about the studies on people skills, rapport, and how connectivity has changed.  This podcast is called Learnable Personality Traits of Top Salespeople

Great persuaders are great communicators. Well-known motivational speaker and best-selling author Jim Rohn said it best: “When I learned how to effectively persuade and communicate, my income went from six digits to seven digits.” The False Consensus Effect Your communication skills are critical for your success, yet this is another set of overlooked skills that are not effectively taught in school. Communication includes phone skills, face-to-face interactions, Zoom presentations, and even email. Do you want to be more persuasive on the phone?  Want to influence over zoom?  These skills are critical to your ability to take a interested prospect to a happy customer.   Join me for this week’s podcast as I take a deep dive into these presentation skills and the keys to influence when you are not face-to-face.  This podcast is called PQ Skill #8 - How To Sell Over The Phone - Tools to Persuade With Your Voice.

Are Your Authentic and Congruent Or Fake and Unlikable? One interesting study found that physical gestures that convey less immediacy (lack of eye contact, leaning back, reduced proximity) communicate you don’t like the person.  It communicates a lack of congruence.  It destroys your authenticity and coming across as genuine. Imposter syndrome Are you congruent with your past history and your last interaction?  Does your nonverbal behavior match your actions?  Are you sure?  Are your emotions congruent with your message?   The current research shows that authenticity is one of the most important traits to have in the current situation.  Join me for this week’s podcast as I take a deep dive into imposter syndrome and the keys to radiate authenticity.  This podcast is called The Missing Piece To Your Persuasion Toolbox – Authenticity.

Two of the big motivation inhibitors are mindset and the people we associate with. Take a look around you. Are the people in your life pulling you up or pulling you down? Are they encouraging you or discouraging you? How do they view your goals, dreams, and aspirations? Turning Off Your Camera Can Reduce Zoom Fatigue What’s holding you back? What are the chains and stakes in your life? What would it take to make you want to leap out of bed each morning? If you have dull dreams, it is difficult to stay motivated.  Join me for this week’s podcast and understand how to motivated yourself and the people you persuade.  Understand the science of motivation.  This podcast is called How to Motivate Your Prospect (And Yourself) - Every Time.

Understanding human nature is essential to maximizing your greatest persuasion potential. Have you ever wondered how the mind works? Why do we do what we do? Why do many people do the opposite of what is best for them? Great persuaders can find patterns in human nature and customize their ability to persuade accordingly. 6 psychological tactics behind the Starbucks menu Join me for this week’s podcast, where we explore how these triggers get you to pay more in retail – especially at Starbucks.   These triggers can help you understand the world of persuasion and influence.  This podcast is called How Starbucks Does Not Fight On Price - And You Pay More For Coffee

Great persuaders have charisma. We can all think of charismatic people. They have a confident presence and charm about them; they are captivating. They command our attention; we hang onto every word out of their mouths. Their energy prods us, motivates us, and inspires us. We feel better for having met them, seen them, been persuaded by them, and interacted with them. 4 Signs of Decision Fatigue  What are other forms of influence and charisma you can use to increase your ability to persuade?  You will be surprised by how easy it is to apply these forms of influence.  Remember, influence is a higher form of persuasion.  Persuasion is what you do and say – Influence is who you are.   Join me for this week’s podcast, where we explore other forms of influence that will increase your ability to convince other people to your point of view.  This podcast is called PIQ Skill #6: Using Your Charisma For a Referral Program

Appearance affects your authority. External objects and the environment also affect perceptions of power. It is therefore wise for all of us to check out our appearance and surroundings to make sure we're sending the right message. Article 1 Article 2  What are other forms of power you can use to increase your ability to persuade?  You will be surprised to know there are many different forms of power.   And these are good legitimate forms of power.  Join me for this week’s podcast, where we explore other forms of power that will increase your influence.  This podcast is called PQ Skill #5: How Your Personal Power Leverages Your Ability To Persuade.

Are you congruent?  Do you feel authentic?  Does your prospect think you are genuine?  Are you coming across as truthful?  These are the new buzzwords that your prospect is looking for…  Join me for this week’s podcast with David Wood that reveals techniques and ways to be more authentic and congruent in your persuasive presentations.  Discover how to be Transparent, Authentic, Genuine, And Vulnerable And Become More Influential – Interview With David Wood.

The MOST important aspect of Trust is credibility It’s harder to gain credibility nowadays than it ever was in the past. Most people are fairly sophisticated and have grown cynical with all the exaggerated and unsubstantiated hype that is thrown at them. People who have been burned in the past develop thick skins against almost every persuasive message they are exposed to. Want to sound smarter? Avoid these 24 overused words and phrases Do people trust you?  Are you sure?  I would say that you are not creating the trust you need or deserve in the persuasion process.  Trust is the glue the creates your ability to sell and influence.  Join me for this week's podcast on PQ Skill #4: How To Establish Instant Automatic Trust      

It is human nature to mirror and match, or to “synchronize” with the people we connect with. We don’t even think about it. It happens so quickly and so subconsciously - one is unlikely to even notice it. What if you were aware of it? Could it be used to help you be even more persuasive? Research says definitely yes. When you mirror your audience, you build rapport with them. Do you want to know how to instantly connect with anyone?  Do you want to make anyone your friend?  Did you know influence is easy when people like you? Join me for this weeks podcast on PQ Skill #3: Instant Rapport and Social Synchronization

Are you a leader or a manager?  When you influence people do they do it because they have to or they want to?  Isn’t that a tough question?  What do you think?   Are you able to boost people up, motivate them and inspire them to new levels?  Because that is the role of a long-term leader. Join me on this week’s podcast on influence and leadership with Ben Ward.  Ben is a leadership expert that is going to teach you the tools and techniques of how to influence others.  You will discover more about praise and how to motivate people to the next level.  Influence Like A Brick - Interview with Ben Ward

Did you know that 80 percent of all new products fail or don't even come close to projected forecasts?3 Large corporations spend billions on focus groups to see if their product or service is viable. Do you want to know how to balance logic and emotion during the persuasion process?  Do you want to know how your prospect makes decisions?  Discover how to create a persuasive message that resonates with their heart and their mind.    What happens in the brain when we imagine the future? Join me for this week’s podcast on Persuasion IQ Skill #2: How Your Audience Thinks And Makes Decisions Offer - 111 Sales Hacks- Beta Special 90% Off- $385 Value - $37  More Info.    Buy Now

How Conflicting Beliefs Are Stalling Your Success Beliefs are only one of the pieces to a successful mindset.  I spent years monitoring, interviewing, and watching successful influencers.  What are their traits and characteristics?  What are they doing differently?  How is their mental programming making them more successful?   Join me for this week’s podcast on Persuasion IQ Skill #1 –   Mindset of Influential People. A new factor in success: a strategic mindset 111 Sales Hacks - Beta Special 90% Off - $385 Value - $37  More Info  & Buy Now    

I'd say now is the time to take a careful look at your personal development program.  Are there ways it can be enhanced?  Every day, you are either learning or deteriorating.  You are either closer to or farther away from your goals.  Learn to model the best in your field.  Find those who excel in your industry and benchmark what will work for you.  Pay the price to become an expert in your field. Don't settle for mediocrity. Salad or cheeseburger - Your co-workers shape your food choices Do you catch the keyword?  That keyword is change.  Personal development is the key to the knowledge to be successful, but then you have to create change in your lives to apply these new principles.  People actually love to change when it is done right.  People don’t always resist change.  Would you resist if I changed (increased) your income?  I don’t think so…  Join me for this week’s podcast on Why People Resist Change And How To Persuade Them. 111 Sales Hacks- Beta Special 90% Off - $385 Value - Only $37  More Info & Buy Now  

Great influencers can create the right mood at the right time.  They can put people in a happy state.  When they are feeling happy, they tend to think more positive thoughts and to retrieve good experiences from memory.  When they are in a negative or foul mood, they tend to think unhappy thoughts and to retrieve negative information from memory.  10 Ways to Defuse the Hostility of People Who Are Angry What is the emotion that derails most persuasion and negotiation?  That would be anger!  How do you handle that angry person?  How do you defuse anger and turn it into your advantage?  Join me for this week’s podcast -  How To Sell And Persuade An Angry, Hostile And Bitter People.  PS  -  90% Off 111 Sales Hacks Persuade Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere! Your Own Bottle of 'Persuasion Spray' Beta Special 90% Off $385 Value - $37 More Info Buy Now

Influential people can read and interpret nonverbal gestures.  You can read people like a book and you can obtain the knowledge you need to adjust yourself and your presentation based on what body language you are reading.   8 Ways To Identify A Liar Want to know how to spot a liar?  Would it be beneficial to be able to detect deception?  What to learn those FBI interviewing techniques?  Join me for this week’s podcast -  How to Identify A Liar - The Science of Detecting Deception.

Trust is critical in persuasion. Unfortunately, we live in a day and age when people are more skeptical and mistrustful than ever before. Twenty years ago, the mindset was: “I trust you; give me a reason not to.” Now the mindset is: “I don’t trust you; give me a reason why I should.” You could say trust is at an all-time low and still falling. Stanford researchers study trust in autonomous products Want to know the trend in trust?  The trend is going from trust to trustless.  It is a new concept in persuasion derived from the digital age.  An idea that has come from Bitcoin and Blockchain.  Join me for this week’s podcast -  As Trust Erodes - Become Trustless.

One of the major distinctions between mediocre persuaders and highly successful persuaders is the amount of talking they do and the number of questions they ask. We have found that great persuaders ask 2.7 more questions of their audience than average persuaders do. Want to know what questions to ask when you are attempting to influence?  Discover how to change a conversation and persuade under the radar.  Learn how to get the answers you need and to help people persuade themselves.  Join me for this week’s podcast -  How To Use Forensic Interrogation Techniques To Influence – Interview With Michael Reddinton.

Learn how to be prepared to handle hecklers and those that will ask the tough questions.  Learn to connect on a personal and emotional level.  Make sure every member of that audience feels like you are talking to them.  Practice your presentation so it becomes part of you, instead of a slick PowerPoint or a tired outline.   Manage your fear, anxiety or nervousness, so you can radiate charisma.  How can you present with power?  What can you do to fine-tune your presentation skills?  How can you master the world of public speaking?  What do you do with your fear?  Join me for this week’s podcast and discover How To Use Emotion, Mood And Vibe To Persuade A Jury Or Prospect - Robbie Crabtree Interview.

So how can you use subconscious triggers and options to be more persuasive?  What do you need to understand about these triggers that are hurting your sales?  How can you persuade better and faster understanding why we do, what we do?  Join me for this week’s podcast and discover The10 Psychological Techniques (And Tips) To Sell More And Persuade Faster.   Pausing Before Replying Decreases Perceived Sincerity

One of the biggest challenges we face is that we think, and our audience thinks, we are logical creatures. But most of the time, we don't know why we do what we do. In fact, up to 95 percent of persuasion and influence involves a subconscious trigger. This tendency means that inclinations like "It just feels right," "I trust this person," or "I don't like this person" are all based on subconscious emotional reactions. Stanford researchers identify four causes for ‘Zoom fatigue’ and their simple fixes So how can you use subconscious triggers to be more persuasive?  What do you need to understand about these triggers that are hurting your sales?  How can you persuade better and faster understanding why we do, what we do?  Join me for this week’s podcast and discover The10 Psychological Techniques (And Tips) To Sell More And Persuade Faster.

To maintain order of the world, our brains link objects, gestures, and symbols with our feelings, memories, and life experiences.  We mentally associate ourselves with such things as sights, sounds, colors, music, and symbols.  These associations create quick subconscious triggers.  The feelings you generate can help or hurt your ability to persuade.   You could be using symbols that are repelling your prospects. 40 Common Symbols and Meanings (& How to Use Them) Did You Know Selling A Left Handed Person Is Different? Find out what symbols and images are helping and hurting your ability to persuade?  What feelings are being triggered when you meet someone?  What external unnoticed symbols that surround you are triggering the wrong feelings?  On this week’s podcast, I answer these questions and more!  Join me for…. How To Use Images and Symbols To Persuade Below The Radar.

What can you do in the first thirty seconds of your encounter to capture your audience’s attention?  Can you prove to them that you are worth listening to?  Think about this: Every time you communicate with someone, they are paying with either time or money.   Do you want to know how to magnetize your message?  Get and keep the attention of your prospects?  Ever thought about how to brand and position yourself in this new media market?  Well, you are in luck.  On this week’s podcast, I interview Jeremy Slate.  We discuss ways to make your presentation/message ring true and understand this new market.  Join me for…. How To Position Yourself And Create An Irresistible Message For more infornation about Jeremy visit his websites here  and here

Did you know that cost is often the first objection raised, but usually it's not the true reason for rejecting a product or service?  Whether you're selling an actual physical product to consumers or an idea to your stubborn teenager, there is always a price involved. Want to know how to make price a non-issue?  Want to know how to charge more and help your prospects be more successful?  Want to get past the mental block or raising your rates?  Join me for this week’s podcast as I interview Chris Kenney.  We explore all the tools you need to quit hearing – It is too expensive! 10X Your Income - Interview Chris Kenney  

As humans, (when we listen) we have the ability to read people from facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, or even a smell.  This comes from our early programming as humans to be able to meet a person and instantly decide if they are a friend or foe. Want to know how to make better decisions and use your intuition?  Want to know what changes are happening with your prospect and customers?  Ever wondered what the new expectations are going to be?  Listen to this week’s podcast interview with Tiffani Bova.  She is the author of GROWTH IQ: Get Smarter About the Choices that Will Make or Break Your Business. For more information about Tiffani visit her website here.  

Voice plays a critical role in influence.   Our voice is a powerful instrument that can motivate the troops or lull them to sleep. There is a huge difference between presenting and persuading, informing and influencing, and communicating and convincing. Want to know how to grab attention and increase the influence of your voice?  Ever felt your voice was not very impactful?  Listen to this week’s podcast with Denise Woods.  She is the vocal coach of the stars.  Find out how to change your voice and change your future. Denise Woods -Vocal Coach of the Stars - Crucial Instrument Of Influence

Want to know how to create dissonance?  Ever want to change someone’s mind?  Have you ever wanted to change someone’s beliefs about politics?  The key is to get them to persuade themselves.  Listen to this week’s podcast on How To Change Someone’s Political View Point – Influencing Minds.

I had a great interview with the author of The Hype Handbook on this week’s podcast.  Hype is important (when used correctly) to grab attention and get people to focus on you or your product/service.  If you don’t get noticed and get them engaged – you can’t persuade them. Want to create more excitement for you or your product/service?  Listen to this week’s podcast as I interview the author of the Hype Handbook – Michael Schein.  We are going to take a deep dive into attracting attention and getting people to adore you.  Listen to How To Create Hype And Understand Mind Control

Do you think color is important in the world of persuasion?  The answer is absolutely.  What Super Productive People Do Differently Want to get more techniques on how to use color to influence?  How to manage your time using Harvard time management hacks?  Find out how Covid affects your ability to influence.  How to discover their true pain?  Join me for this week’s podcast on What Are The Most Persuasive Colors?

Almost everyone wants to accomplish their dreams, achieve more, change their habits, or pursue bigger and better goals. And we often know exactly what we need to do to make these things happen.  So why don't we do them?  Why do we fall short of our dreams and aspirations?   Want to understand the science of getting yourself (or others) to change?  Do you want to get more techniques on the power of habit?  Want me to reveal why goal setting does not work most of the time?  How to motivate yourself and others?  Join me for this week’s podcast on The Science of Change And The Power of Habit.

Of all the tools in your persuasion toolbox, strategic questioning is probably the one most often used by Power Persuaders.  Questions are used in the persuasion process to create mental involvement, to guide the conversation and to find out your prospect pain. The Neuroscience of Trust Want to get more techniques on how to find your prospect’s pain?  How to discover their true problem?  Get them to reveal what is really happening?  Join me for this week’s podcast on Peel The Onion – How To Find Their Pain Or Problem.

Most people waste the majority of the day because of their inability to focus and concentrate.  It is difficult to influence others if you cannot stay focused or are unable to work on the current task.  Do you want to know the latest research on top persuaders?  Ever wonder how technology can help/hurt your influence?  Do you want to manage your time better?  Join me for this week’s podcast on New Research On Top Performers - Interview With Lisa McLeod and find out.

How To Persuade UNDER The Radar The best way to reduce resistance and help your prospect persuade themselves is by using a story.  Stories are powerful tools for persuaders.  Compelling storytelling automatically creates attention and involvement with your audience.   Want to master the art and science of telling an engaging story while you persuade without detection?  Ever wonder how to structure that perfect, hypnotic story?  You are in luck – Join me on this week’s podcast, where I take a deep dive into How To Tell An Engaging PS. our Black Friday special starts next week!  It is holiday time and everyone wants to know about that special deal.  Well, if you are tired of 2020 and all the craziness and ready to make 2021 your year – then this will rock your world.  Stay tuned for next week!

Great persuaders have mastered their fears. You will be tempted to leave your fears buried, but they will invariably come back to haunt you. It is much better to deal with fears directly, especially considering that whatever we fear most is never as bad as we think. Want to know more about your prospect being scared to make a decision?  Why people delay saying yes?  How fear can be instantly overcome and help people become easier to persuade?  Join me for this week’s podcast on When Your Prospect Feels Scared, Fear Or Wants To Delay That Decision and get more tools for your persuasion toolbox.

Crazy times right now where people just can’t get along or even have a discussion about society or politics.  Most people forget that the human brain needs to be right. It is hard for us to admit we are wrong.  Even if we are shown proof that we are wrong. We are programmed to justify what we are doing or thinking is right and avoid taking responsibility when things go wrong. It is easier for us to find ways to prove ourselves right (even when we are wrong) then to admit why we are wrong.  Why are we so divided by our beliefs?  Do you want to discover additional insights and techniques on how to persuade others during a conflict?  Do you know what to do when someone does a persuasion sucker punch?   If you want to get more persuasion tools - listen to this week’s podcast on The Persuasion Sucker Punch – Blinded Sided By Rhetoric. 

Are you a Seinfeld fan?  Have you seen the episode of the close talker?  Is that you?  Are you sure?  Do you know others that consistently violate your space?  Let’s talk about proxemics or the science of space. Do you want to discover additional insights and techniques on space, touch, handshakes and what repels others?   If you want to get more persuasion tools - listen to this week’s podcast on How Space, Touch, and Proxemics Can Attract or Repel Your Prospect.  

It is impossible to talk about time management and not end up talking about procrastination. Why is the tendency to procrastinate so prevalent? We know it does us no good, and yet it plagues even the best of us. Putting things off until the last minute never gives the best results.  Tell tale signs your coworkers despise you Do you want to know additional insights and techniques on how to manage your time and accomplish more during the day.  Every thought maybe a few tweaks to your day can dramatically increase your income?  If you want to know more than listen to this week’s podcast on  How to accomplish 10x more in half the time.

Do you want to know additional insights and techniques on how to program your mind for success?  How to thrive in strange and different times?  If you want to know more than listen to this week’s podcast with my guest Chad Hymas.  Discover your motivation, renew your hope, and be inspired by the Phil Mickelson Story.

I am not going to be politically correct today.  I know it is not fair.  I know we should not judge, I am here to help you with reality.  Everyone judges your online photo and some things you can fix – some you can’t. Focus on the things you can improve and don’t worry about the rest.  Let's talk about the Halo Effect. It operates by making one positive characteristic of a person alter other people's overall perception of him. Because of this halo effect, people automatically associate traits of kindness, trust, and intelligence with people who appear attractive. Food psychologists eyeball cereal characters 16 Tricks To A More Attractive Profile Pic [Backed By Science!] www.photofeeler.com Do you want to know additional tips and tricks on how to appear more attractive?  Do you understand how to make your online pic more persuasive?  If you want to know these key elements of your online pic/image then listen to this week’s podcast on Are You Persistent or A Pain In The Butt? Plus Photo Persuasion Hacks. 

Influential people have excellent communication skills that captive, inspire and rivet the audience.  They can articulate their vision and make that vision come alive in the audience’s mind.  It is like listening to a movie, they have created a mental picture so strong that it feels real.  Why some people lie to appear more honest Do you want to know how to use Edutainment (Education + Entertainment) in your presentations?  Do you understand how to implement Gamification during a persuasive encounter?  How to do you keep your prospect engaged and listening while you are influencing?  If you want to know these key elements of a great presentation then listen to this week’s podcast on How Edutainment and Gamification Are Used to Deliver Influential and Engaging Presentations.

How do great persuaders prepare their minds for success?   The mental aspect of the game is one of the most important (and usually most neglected) traits of success. This mind training or self-persuasion is what gives great persuaders the psychological edge.  It's true that "you'll only achieve it once the mind believes it."  By "programming" our minds, we dictate our future. It's just that simple. Why Cognitive Load is Hurting Your Conversions I take a deeper dive into mental training and mindset on this week’s podcast.  I also explore if the Law of Attraction is real and if the movie “The Secret” really works.  If you are wondering why success and wealth are taking so long – this is your missing link.  Click here for this week’s podcast – Using Law of Attraction to Motivate and Persuade Yourself And Others

One of the very best ways to establish and maintain rapport is to be a good listener. Most of us hear—but don’t know how to listen. Listening is one of those skills that gets a lot of lip service, but we still stink at it. We think we know all about it and therefore are already good at it. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Studies show that poor listening skills still account for 60 percent of all misunderstandings.  Is being generous the next beauty trend? Get to understand how to influence below the radar and directly into the brain on this week’s podcast – Why 95% of Persuasion and Influence Involves a Subconscious Trigger.

Closing skills were the big thing when the internet did not exist.  Back when a persuader had to explain your product/service from A to Z.  We were taught that closing skills were all you needed. If you did not persuade enough people, you had to learn more closing skills. Being a selfish jerk doesn’t get you ahead, research finds Listener Email Link:  Want a list of closes that still work?  How to deal with people that are jerks?  Get up to speed how opening and closing the sale has changed.  Then join me on this week’s podcast – Closing vs Opening the Sale: Proven and Old School Closing Techniques

"Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another." -Napoleon Hill Learn more public speaking and critical business skills.  Find out what Bill Gates and Warren Buffet claim to be the most important skills you need to master to be successful in life and business.  Join me this week’s podcast  - What Bill Gates and Warren Buffet Say Is The Most Critical Business Skill.

Find people who are experts in their field, ask questions, attend seminars and workshops and take college classes. Success is an open book test; the answers are all there right in front of you when you're willing to look for them. Learn more about mentors and success.  Join me this week’s podcast with the mentor of all mentors.  I Interviewed Shark Tank’s Kevin Harrington.  We focused on Keys to Business, tips to Success, and how to find mentors.  Shark Tank’s Kevin Harrington - Keys to Business and Success    To find out more about Kevin and his new book visit  www.GetMTM.com and you will and receive 30 days of free mentorship from Kevin and Mark.

Want to know more about the traits and mistakes of power persuaders?  Join me for this week’s podcast on The Forgotten Trait Of Influence - And Covid Makes It Worse.  I take a deep dive into common persuasion blunders of most people and traits of influencers. Article from the podcast: Increases in physical activity tend to be followed by increases in mood

Your voice is your calling card.  Your voice must exude confidence, courage, and conviction.  We judge others by their voice:  arrogant, nervous, weak or strong.  If you sound uncertain and timid, your ability be accepted as an expert will deteriorate.  Your voice will either connect you with your audience or disconnect with them on a subconscious level.  What does your voice trigger in people?  What words do you use that are repelling people?  Your voice must be interesting and easy to listen to in order to help, rather than hinder, your ability to gain charisma and influence others.  Lemon Scent May Bolster Body Image Discover the keys to the right way to get someone interested in you or your business.  Join me for this week’s podcast on The Death Of The Elevator Pitch. 

The right negotiation techniques will make a difference in your success and income.  Many of the negotiation techniques you have learned in the past - no longer work.  Top persuaders have mastered the art and science of communication and negotiation.  Let’s talk about negotiation blunders.  14 habits of the most likable people Want to know more about making the first offer?  How likability affects persuasion?  Want to know the best way to justify your high/low offer?  Then join me for this week’s webinar where I will take a deeper diver, offer additional tools on negotiation.  Join me for Should You Make The First Offer In Negotiation?

When you are not disciplined in all aspects of your life, it will pull you down.  Let’s say you are disciplined in 4 areas of your life and in 2 areas you are not so disciplined.  Each weak area of your life affects the strong areas of your life.  Self-discipline is critical in every aspect of your life.   Ask yourself where are your habits taking you?  Then ponder about what are the long-term consequences of this habit?  The key is coming up with a game plan on how you are going to replace this habit and what are you going to do when your self-discipline is feeling weak.  Choose your weakest habit today and find your solution, and create a game plan. If you want to understand self-discipline and success – listen to this week’s podcast for success expert James Malinchak.  We take a deep dive into what it takes to be more successful and how to make your business grow. To learn more about James visit his website here.

Do you repel people?  Most people say no.  Although most of us do things that repel people.  You have met people that just rubbed you the wrong way.  They repelled you, you did not like them and you did not want to be around them.  The key is that they never told you what you did wrong or how you made them feel, they just left.  These mistakes are a silent influence  killers.  Most people will never say anything to you that will alert you to the fact they are feeling this way.  They are more comfortable lying to you—so they don't hurt your feelings.  Download the Free Report on Do You Repel People Or Listen to the Podcast - Do You Repel People - Rethink Your People Skills Or Watch the Video - Top 10 Things You Are Doing That Annoy And Repel People

Successful persuaders all share a common ability to use language in ways that evoke vivid thoughts, feelings, and actions in their audiences.  Typically, news broadcasters are trained to inflect their voices downward at the ends of sentences because doing so suggests confidence and authority.  Upward inflections tend to suggest a lack of confidence and doubt.  Your voice is who you are.  It is your trademark and your calling card.  Your voice must exude energy, confidence, and conviction.  We tend to judge others by their voice:  confident, nervous, relaxed, energized, tired, weak, strong.  If you sound unsure and timid, your ability to persuade will suffer. Want to know more?  Join me for this week’s podcast on Your Zoom Voice:  How to Make Your Voice Captivating and Persuasive In An Online World. You will Discover....other elements needed to make your voice more influential, how to know if someone is smiling while they are wearing a mask, and how to know when you have developed and created rapport with a stranger.

Increase your scarcity with your product or service and you will find your prospects begging to get started.  Make sure you follow the 3 critical aspects of scarcity.  Make sure your urgency is immediate, legitimate, and believable.  The Sweet Psychology of Indulging During a Pandemic Want to know how to increase scarcity and urgency?  Want to know how to keep prospects and coworkers to keep their deadline?  How to get them to say yes now – instead of later?  Join me for the podcast on How to Get Others to Take Immediate Action (not I’ll do it later)

Deep down we want everyone to listen to our message and we want to influence them to our way of thinking.   Every day you either persuade others to your point of view or they persuade you to theirs. We have learned from society to use intimidation, coercion, control, force, or sometimes compromise to get what we want. Candidates who use humor on Twitter may find the joke is on them One of these differences most of us don’t think about is those that are left-handed.  Did you know around 10% of the world is left-handed and most left-hander's brains are organized differently?  How you persuade someone that is left-handed?  You must adapt and learn to speak their language.  Join me for the podcast on Did You Know Selling A Left-Handed Person Is Different?

There is a strange psychological phenomenon in regard to drawing conclusions.  If someone tells us exactly what to do, our tendency is to reject that forced choice.  Especially when we feel like it is our only option. The solution is to offer your prospects a few options so that they can make the choice for themselves.  People feel the need to have freedom and make their own decisions.  If forced to choose something against their will, they experience psychological resistance and feel a need to resist the decision. Testing the objectivity of vision and BIAS The challenge is there are a few downsides to using options and choices.  For example, too many options can paralyze your prospect.  Discover a few more “what to do,” and a few more “what not to do,” on this week’s podcast.   Join me for the podcast on The Power of Choices and Options - A Key To Your Close.

We can’t fix this habit in ourselves or in our prospects until we understand the WHY of procrastination or the WHY or putting things off.  While there are many different psychological factors motivating a person’s tendency to procrastinate, the number-one reason is fear of failure or rejection. We often exhibit avoidance, reluctance, apathy, and rationalization when we are afraid. Does your prospect take their sweet time to get you a decision?  Do your kids put things off until the last minute.  Do you tend to misjudge how long it takes to get things done?  These are all forms of procrastination.  Let’s take a deep dive and understand the why of procrastination and how to overcome this challenge.  How much money this has cost you?  Let me share with you a few keys to overcome your procrastination and help your prospects overcome their procrastination to make a decision.  Join me for this week’s podcast on Procrastination Is Self Sabotage Based On Your Fears.

No one can follow through on an act or message without first thinking or seeing in his or her mind that it is possible to accomplish it.  You can mentally achieve participation by helping your audience visualize and see in their mind how your product or service will help them. Another key aspect of creating an image or vision in their mind is to use metaphors and similes.  These persuasion power tools instantly create an image in the mind.  They also help with objections and hard to understand concepts.  Join me for this week’s podcast on How Metaphors And Similes Increase Influence.

As a persuader, you need to help your audience be one step closer to taking action. As a Power Persuader, your goal is to decrease the distance someone has to go to reach your objective. Your task is to make it as easy and as simple as possible. You need to decrease the mental, social, or physical distance they need to travel to be persuaded. Do you want to know how to simplify the persuasion process?  How to make it easier for them to say yes?  How to decrease the distance with your prospects?    4 Ways to Communicate When You Can't See Someone's Face Join me for this week’s podcast on The Persuasion Easy Button.

What makes someone successful?  Why do some people achieve wealth, while others don't? How can we predict who will make it big, who will barely make ends meet, and who will fail?  How do we quantify the characteristics of highly successful people? Are you prone to feeling guilty? Then you’re probably more trustworthy, study shows Sales Hacks Great persuaders don't even have to use closing techniques. That's because their audience is ready to purchase before the end of the conversation has even been reached. Want more tools in your persuasion toolbox?  Want a better understanding of influence triggers that will help the people persuade themselves?  Join me for this week’s podcast on Sales Hacks - Triggers to Persuasion. Don't forget to take advantage of my introductory special for 111 Sales Hacks  

The Law of Involvement suggests that the more you engage someone's five senses, involve them mentally and physically, and create the right atmosphere for persuasion, the more effective and persuasive you'll be.  Your prospect’s could listen to an entire presentation and not feel or do a thing.   How do you keep attention during this new world of online meetings? We have Zoom, Gotowebinar, and Skype to add to our persuasion arsenal.   How do you keep people engaged during these meetings.  How do you influence when you are not physically there?  Join me for this week’s webinar on How to have Captivating, Engaging And Influential Online Meetings/Webinars.

The great persuaders I have found and interviewed are happy people.  They love and enjoy life. They are very successful.  They attract people to them.  How does society define success?  By fame, fortune, achievement, or material wealth.   When Likes Aren’t Enough: A Crash Course in the Science of Happiness Notice that every single one of these measures is external.  None of them has anything to do with inner peace or purpose.  We think we will be happy when we finally make our fortune, graduate from college, retire, are promoted, or end up at the top in business. Want to understand the science of happiness?  The role of using humor in persuasion?.  Join me for this week’s podcast on the Science of Being Happy (And Creating Happiness).  I will take a deep dive into the simple things we can do to increase our happiness and the happiness of everyone around us.

Has this ever happened to you? You enter a retail store and you're approached by a sharply dressed persuader. You are interested in buying, but the salesperson is a little aggressive. You get an alarming feeling in the pit of your stomach and then do what many of your customers do to you. You lie! You say, "I'm just looking; I'll come back later," or "It's too expensive," or "I have to talk to my spouse before I decide." How Passion For Your Job Can Backfire There are things you are doing right now that cause people to resist you and your message.  These mistakes are simple to fix, but expensive to have.  Join me on this week’s podcast on Why You Are Causing The Resistance And Rejection.  Discover simple ways to reduce resistance and be more influential.

Why do you get so much resistance, especially when it is a no brainer for them to say yes?  It usually comes back to a bruised ego or low self-esteem.  It can be easily fixed with a little praise and understanding of human nature.  Most people don’t praise because they are concerned it will appear phony, their prospect won’t believe them or they might even get upset.  Impostor syndrome is more common than you think Have you ever heard of Imposter Syndrome?  Do you have it?  Do you work with people that do?  A few of the causes can be low esteem, lack of praise and unrealistic expectations.  On this week’s podcast, I talk about imposter syndrome and how it hinders your ability to influence and how to persuade past it.  Click to listen to….. Imposter Syndrome, Ego, And Influence

What skills do you need to influence in these crazy times when everyone is full of fear, doubt, and despair?  You need to have personal courage and radiate confidence in your prospects. The Latin root of the word courage means heart, bravery, will, and spirit.   People eat more when dining with friends and family How do you get your prospects to have more courage, overcome their fear and make a decision?  How do you provide a safety net that provides confidence for them to move forward?  What are the key ingredients to reduce their risk and get them to move forward?  Find out on this week’s podcast - Risk Reversal And Your Prospects Safety Net.

The question of the day is about mood. Does your prospect’s mood affect your ability to influence them? Does your personal mood affect our ability to persuade others?  Let’s find out! Mood plays a major role in how people make decisions about time management Learn to be aware of their moods and your attitude.  Great persuaders know when it is time to help your prospect change their mood.  How do you change their mood and even switch your mood?  Join me for this week’s podcast on How Mood Helps Or Hinders Influence.

Want Success?  Want Wealth?  Wondering what is taking so long?  The formula is simple.  Start thinking, acting, and doing what successful people are doing.  Success is an open book test.  Time to get the answers.  The key is to model professional athletes or millionaires.  We call this the “success mindset” or “mental programming.” marshmallow experiment Join me for this week’s podcast that will get you back on track on how to inspire others (and yourself).   How To Inspire And Energize Anyone Podcast.

Great persuaders are great communicators. Well-known motivational speaker and best-selling author Jim Rohn said it best: “When I learned how to effectively persuade and communicate, my income went from six digits to seven digits.” Your communication skills are critical for your success, yet this is another set of overlooked skills that are not effectively taught in school. Communication includes phone skills, face-to-face interactions, group presentations, and even email. Emotionally intelligent bosses make for happier, more creative employees Persuasion Blunder What is the one skill most presenters don’t have?… Are you sitting down?  It is the ability to handle a heckler.  Someone that says something mean, throws out a venomous comment or tries to show the group how they know more than you.  Do you know this type of person?  Every group has one.  Join me for this week’s podcast as we discuss How to Handle The Heckler, Clueless people and pointless disruptions.

Closing skills were the big thing twenty years ago. We were taught that closing skills were all you needed. If you did not persuade enough people, you had to learn more closing skills. Nowadays, sure, it's nice to have a few closing skills in your persuasion toolbox, but shouldn't you spend more time opening up your audience before you even think about closing a deal with them? Join me for this week’s podcast interview with Jeremy Miner.  We explore NEPQ Selling.  Discover why closing no longer works and how to lead your prospects down the path to persuasion and influence.  Jeremy is the CEO of 7th Level a Global sales training firm.  His clients include Google, Kia Motors, and Lyon Financial. He has pioneered an internationally recognized sales training methodology that to date has helped more than 200,000 salespeople in over 40 countries achieve exceptional results.  Click Here for Selling With NEPQ.

More than anything else, passion recruits the hearts and minds of your audience.  Great persuaders radiate heartfelt passion.  When the audience can sense your passion and genuine conviction for your cause or product, they will emotionally jump on board.  We all love people who are excited and filled with believable zeal for their subject.  Passion is critical to influencing others, yet less than half of all persuaders interviewed have a passion for their product or service. Nearly 40% of beer-drinking Americans won’t buy Corona due to coronavirus, study shows Do you want to increase your passion?  Do you want more presence?  Do you want more people to notice you?  In this week’s podcast, I focus on Persuasion, Passion, and Presence.  Discover how to get your prospect to want to do, what you want them to do – and like doing it.

Great persuaders know and understand how to use different forms of power, but if you're like most people, you just cringed at the word "power."  Is power something we're really allowed to talk about?  Is it good or bad?  Can we have power over our audience? Eyes and citrus smell could help cut hospital infections There are many other positive forms of power that can be used during the persuasion process.  You will be surprised how many different kinds of power exist and how you can add them to your toolbox of influence.  Join me on this week’s podcast titled How Personal Power Increases Your Influence. We will discuss the various forms of power and how to use this power during persuasion.

Do you suffer from the Wobegon Effect?  What is it that you've been telling yourself and everyone else you do really well, when in fact you don't do it well at all—or at least you're not above average, as you've been trying to convince yourself and everyone else?   Join me for this week’s podcast on 10 Sales Mistakes Costing You Money.  Find out what mistakes you are making (and don’t even know it) and how to fix those mistakes.  New Research Suggests We Shouldn’t Trust Facial Expressions

Let’s discuss how the fear we all have can destroy your ability to persuade and influence.  We all experience rejection in small doses every day.  But what about when we persuade for a living?  Rejection seems to take a higher toll. We avoid rejection like the plague, but it affects your income.  Running away from the rejection solves nothing. Letting our fears overtake us and paralyze us also solves nothing. People bend truth, even at personal monetary cost, to avoid appearing dishonest Do you have sales phobia?  Do certain fears hold you back from achieving greatness?  How much money have these fears cost you?  Did you know you were only born with 2 fears?  Did you know fear is easier to conquer than you think?  Join me on this week’s podcast as I address: "How To Conquer Your Sales Phobia."  

Scarcity plays a large role in the persuasion process. Opportunities are always more valuable and exciting when they are scarce and less available. We want to be the ones to own the rare items or to get the last one on the shelf. The more the scarcity of an item increases, the more the item increases in value, and the greater the urge to own it.   Now the key with scarcity and urgency is in the application.  There are key elements that have to be implemented to make sure scarcity works.  Most people use scarcity the wrong way and it becomes high lactose or cheesy.  Join me for this week’s podcast The Most Abused, Overused, Still Need to Use Persuasion Technique

Commitment has a lot to do with perspective.  When you consider your personal perspective, do you see the big picture, or are you swept up by the whims of the moment?  You have to make sure your perspective is rock solid; otherwise, your commitments will be flimsy.  We all know that when someone says, “I’ll try,” it will never happen. “I’ll try” versus “I will” are two different attitudes.   With one, you are committing. With the other, you’re leaving yourself room for a way out.  Make sure the commitments you make in a moment of excitement have the sustaining motivation to take you to the next level.  Great persuaders make their commitments stronger than their moods. One of the key ways to make sure our commitment remains strong is to develop willpower and the ability to delay gratification. How can you increase your commitment level?  How do you keep those promises to yourself?  Is there a goal that keeps nagging at you?  Good news!  There are solutions.  Join me for this week’s podcast as I interview Jason Hewlett.  We are going to discuss three questions and reveal the solutions.  

Join me for this week’s Podcast on How To Apply Behavioral Design to Persuasion.  We will discuss the two simple psychological shifts that will increase your ability to influence.  Discover  how to get your prospect in the right “MindState” that will open the doors to persuasion. I also interview Will Leach, who wrote : Marketing to Mindstates.”   He said: If you're a salesperson, you can likely attest to the fact that selling is more difficult today than it's ever been. Landing that meeting with a prospect is nearly impossible because we're all dealing with endless distractions and overtaxed schedules. And when you do land that meeting, you must often overcome their psychological feelings of choice overload and aversion to making the wrong choice. To put it simply, we (and prospective buyers) are overwhelmed. These twin forces — choice overload and loss aversion — can paralyze our prospects from making decisions, which can cause us to lose time and sales. Check out Will's Book:  "Marketing to Mindstates - the Practical Guide to Applying Behavioral Design to Research and Marketing" and his website: www.Triggerpointdesign.com  

It is common sense to realize you have to keep your audience's attention in order to persuade them.  If you lose them, you lose your chance for them to understand and accept your proposal. We know from our own personal experience that we tend to let our minds naturally drift when we are listening to other people.   Another helpful tip is the primacy and recency effect.  You should strategize the sequence or order of your presentations.  Sometimes you should go first in the persuasion process.  Sometimes you should go last.  Join me for this week’s podcast as I explore The Primacy vs Recency vs Von Restorff Effect.

Great persuaders can maintain the attention of their audience. Research shows that people’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter.  The moment you lose their attention, you can no longer persuade them. You could have a great Website, be a sharp dresser, publish a great brochure, or have any manner of impressive credentials. The reality is, however, that the number-one persuasion tool is you, and a big part of how you present yourself is through your communication. Long gone are the days of counting on the subject matter to speak compellingly for itself, compensating for your inadequacies as a presenter. Nowadays, you’ve got to get inside your audience’s minds, and you’ve got to get there fast.

It is not your new goals that will cause you to fail this year – it is how you motivate yourself to stay on track to keep your goals.  Motivation is everything to a great persuader.  Motivation is critical not only for achieving the big goals but also for making all the little steps in between.   Unlimited Long-Term Motivation Join me for this week’s podcast on how to consistently stay motivated to achieve your goals.  The great news is this is also the same formula you can use to motivate your prospects.  This groundbreaking research will help you stay motivated and achieve all your goals. 

Do you know when it is time to shut-up? Are you talking too much? Do you data dump, vomit or do the show up and throw up? Upward Physical Movement Brings Back Happy Memories Many times, when we are trying to be persuasive, we want to highlight all the perks and plusses. It's only natural. Wouldn't helping someone see the potential gains of your product or service be a good thing? Yes, but here is the issue: Your audience will buy for their own reasons and only their reasons. They don't care about why you like the product or service. They don't care how much you know about it—don’t bury them in detail. The more you spout off about features, the more your audience mentally checks out. Santa Sweater Walmart Article

We have all heard that during the persuasion process you need to focus on getting the “yes” from your audience.  Does that work?  Is that true?  The answer is – it depends.  Great persuaders look for times when they can get affirmation from their audience.  They engineer their persuasive message to get as many verbal, mental, or physical "yeses" as they can throughout their presentation.  And there is good evidence to support this practice. Listen for all the answers!

The objection you get the most is the objection you still have. So you need to go back to the drawing board.  Do you really believe in your product or service?  Do you really believe it's worth that price?  Do you really believe it's helping out, changing lives and making the world a better place?  You have to believe in your product or service. What Your Desk Reveals About Your Personality Join me for this week’s podcast as I take a deep dive into objections and how you are manifesting objections and creating unnecessary resistance.  I focus on The Fake No - The False Perception of Resistance.

Do you have RBF?  I sure do.  I have it bad.  Do you know what RBF is?  Well the nice version is resting brat face.  The “B” is actually a word that is a little harsher.  (I will let you google it.)  What is RBF?  Well, it is when you are neutral or unemotional – your face looks mean and upset.  You look unapproachable.  In this state, you will have a harder time with influence,  building trust and creating a connection.  This is more common than you think.  So, how do you fix this RBF? Neuroscience Says Doing This 1 Thing Makes You Just as Happy as Eating 2,000 Chocolate Bars Join me for this week’s podcast on How Your RBF Hinders Influence, Likeability, and Trust.  I explore where RBF comes from, why it exists and how to fix it.  I also take a deep dive into how RBF affects mood and how mood can destroy your ability to influence others. Articles from show:  RBF : CNN, testRBF , Photofeeler  Worst Product Names        

One of the biggest surprises in 20 years of influence research is the importance of self-esteem.  We have to understand human nature and ego. Now, what is Self-esteem? Basically a simple definition is how much you like yourself. So what do we need to know? You need to understand the trend, that self-esteem is at a all-time low. Two out of three Americans suffer from low self-esteem and I'll put it this way. We all suffer from low self-esteem in some aspects of our life. Is it in a swimsuit? Is it public speaking? Is it closing? What is your area? You have to massage their esteem while you persuade.  If you don’t – You will always get the no. Another reason is low self-esteem is a cause of bullying, threats, and intimidation.  Join me for this week’s podcast as I discuss "How to Stop The Bully:  How to persuade difficult and aggressive people."

Are you perceived as competent? Are you sure? You could be the smartest person in the room, but your verbal and nonverbal behavior could tell your prospects something else.    Competence is your knowledge and ability in a particular subject area. Competency exists on many levels. When we are observing someone from a distance, or when we are meeting them for the first time and our experience with them is very limited, we subconsciously perceive and assign them a certain competency level.   You are more likely to believe polls when your candidate leads   Can you really do what you say you can do? Can you deliver? Does your audience think you have the skills, the knowledge, and the resources? Whether or not you have this deeper level of competence becomes glaringly obvious as people interact and work with you.   Listen to Episode 312 to find out the answers!    

A great persuader can connect with anyone in thirty seconds or less. First impressions take only seconds to form, but they last a lifetime. This is a critical skill to develop because the cement dries fast. 7 Simple Behaviors That Make You More Attractive Do your prospects like you?  Are you sure?  How do you make sure you’re really connecting? You want to be friendly, but not fake. You aim to be engaging, but not annoying. You’re enthusiastic, but not overbearing.  What are the 2 rapport building biggest mistakes? Listen to this Episode to find out!

Power Persuaders know that each audience and individual has a different balance between logic and emotion. Your analytical type personalities need more logic than emotion. Your amiable personalities require more emotion and less logic. Always remember, you have to have both elements present in your message, regardless of the personality types listening. Emotion is a power you can harness and use in practically every aspect of persuasion. Remember, logic is important, but emotion helps you catapult an otherwise dull or flat exchange to the next level. You must know when to create positive or negative emotions. The key is your EQ (Emotional Intelligence). You have to be able to read your prospect and know what emotion to use and understand the proper dose. Great persuaders have learned the ability to read and use the right emotion.  71 percent said they value high EQ over IQ Sales Stats Join me for this week’s podcast as I take a look at the elements of a high EQ and how to persuade using emotion and your EQ. Have you claimed your FREE book yet?

Want success?  Wondering what is taking so long?  Ask yourself this question.  Have you given yourself permission to win?  If you are not winning - think about this.  If you are playing the game of success not to lose, you are going to lose.   Imposter syndrome When you decide to play the game to win, you are eventually going to win.  Striking power poses won’t boost your confidence or make you feel more powerful Listen to find out how to handle your conflicting beliefs.  Learn how to  Enable your powerful subconscious mind to work for you, not against you

Have you ever felt something was not quite right?  That something was out of whack?  Your motivation was decreasing instead of increasing? Just as in a mutual fund, where one bad stock can pull down the fund’s overall value, one bad area in your life can pull you down and destroy your motivation. When we look at life, we have to realize that it is not lived in segments, but rather, it is part of a greater whole. Every aspect of your life will either help or hurt your success. Our aim is to get all areas of our life working together to create a high-performing fund.  If you want balance in your life.  If you want achievement – you must have alignment.  Tune in to find out those 6 areas of your life that are part of your life alignment.

Every aspect of success and wealth includes your ability to generate multiple streams of income. I just finished a training in San Diego, CA. talking with entrepreneurs on creating multiple streams of income. I am very passionate about this topic because so many people just don't have the right vehicles to generate wealth.    This is a key factor to success and many people have a great vehicle, but the challenge is they just don't have the gas.  We know the gas to your vehicle are the soft skills.  This would be your mindset, people skills, EQ, and your ability to influence.  The rest were missing the proper income vehicle, (Multiple Streams Of Income) It’s a volatile future. You’d be wise to have multiple streams of income flowing into your life.  In the future, people will need a portfolio of income streams—not one or two—but many streams from completely different and diversified sources. So that if one stream goes, you barely feel the bump. You’re stable. You have time to adjust. You’re safe. Do you have multiple streams of income flowing into your life at this time? Maybe it's time to add another one. Join me for this week’s podcast when I interview industry expert Jim Cockrum.  Jim has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, Men’s Health magazine, eBay radio, and in countless news and radio programs as an Internet and online business expert. His podcast is consistently ranked in the top of the business/marketing category on iTunes. His best selling book “Silent Sales Machine” has been read by an estimated 800,000 people around the world and is a consistent top 10 seller on Amazon best seller  Since he believes the internet is where the most compelling business opportunities reside, he focuses his training and business models on what he calls, “the most effective communication and relationship building tool ever given to mankind – the internet.” For more information about Jim and his work visit: www.silentjim.com  

It all starts with your thoughts. Your thoughts lead to emotions and your emotions lead to your daily actions. Take an honest look at your life right now. Where do you find yourself? That place is the sum total of your thoughts over the course of a lifetime. Where have your thoughts taken you thus far? Where will they take you tomorrow, next week, or next year? Join Kurt as he interviews expert Dana Wilde. In this interview, you will discover: * What to do if you feel "stuck" and how to get moving again; * How to change your results QUICKLY. * How to use mindset if you were raised in a negative environment or if “positive thinking” has never worked for you; * Easy mindset shifts for people who feel like they're lying to themselves when they use affirmations. Dana Wilde is the bestselling author of Train Your Brain and the creator of The Celebrity Formula. After growing her own business from zero to a million dollars a year in under 19 months, Dana shows you how to make money by being happy and get paid for being YOU! With nearly 100,000 followers in 87 countries, she is featured in the movies The Abundance Factor, The Truth About Prosperity, and Dream Big. As the host of The Mind Aware Show, she reveals how to intentionally and systematically change your mindset so you get better outcomes. Get a copy of her book for FREE: danawilde.com/kurt 

One of the major distinctions between mediocre persuaders and highly successful persuaders is the amount of talking they do and the number of questions they ask. We have found that great persuaders ask 2.7 more questions of their audience than average persuaders do. Think about that statistic. An average persuader will ask six questions; a great persuader will ask sixteen.   As you apply this principle in your persuasive encounters, always engage your audience with "easy" questions first. Let general questions precede specific ones. You want your audience to feel comfortable and relaxed, and people are encouraged by answers that they know are right, that don't put them on the spot, and that don't arouse anxiety.   Want to get past just hearing and learning how to listen with your ear, eyes and heart? Want to know why introverts outpersuade extroverts? 1 of the 10 reasons is listening, but there are many other factors to influence below the radar.    Join me for this week’s podcast and you will discover the key factors of persuasion and what has changed in the world of influence.

On this episode Kurt interviews Dave Kurlan. They discuss the biggest mistake that sales people make, baseball and sales, biggest mindset obstacles, self-limiting beliefs and how to reprogram your beliefs, how to get your prospect to pay more attention to you than to your competition, the sales process, good closing techniques, how to create urgency early, how to get past a "slump," how to know whether or not your prospect is qualified, and how to deal with resistance. Dave Kurlan is a Sales Development Expert and a top rated speaker, and the best-selling author of Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He hosts Meet the Sales Experts, a weekly radio show and is the leading expert in Sales Assessments and Sales Force Evaluations. He is a contributing author, along with Deepak Chopra, Brian Tracy and Jack Canfield, to the new book, Stepping Stones, and a contributing author, along with Jeffrey Gitomer and Zig Ziglar, to the new book, Mastering the World of Selling. He has published more than 800 articles on his popular sales management Blog, Understanding the Sales Force. He is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, and Kurlan & Associates, both Inc 5000 companies. For more information about Dave and his work visit his site here.  

The proper use of humor will boost your confidence and increase your likeability.  It enables you to establish instant rapport and they will trust you more.   Practice your humor.  Make sure it works.  The brutal bottom line is they will either laugh with you or feel sorry for you. Supervisors driven by bottom line fail to get top performance from employees You will be surprised how easy it is to use humor.  You will discover ways to use and borrow humor in your persuasive presentations. Humor opens the door to influence.  Find the ways to make your prospect easier to influence.  Use the 4 secret motivators to inspire others to get what you want

The good news is you can change many characteristics of your voice.  What does your voice project?  Does your voice work for you or against you?  Find out the ways to make your voice more persuasive on this week’s podcast -  “How to Make Your Voice More Persuasive.”  There are easy tools you can implement to create that perfect persuasive voice. Article: Our pursuit of happiness makes us sad

How do you mirror someone that is successful?  How do you benchmark a thriving business?  How do you find the answers to that open-book test on success?  There are 10 free to very inexpensive ways to get the answers to your success.  You can get the answers to take your life, your income, your business to the next level.   A Trick That Makes People Like You More Join me on this week’s podcast on “The Forgotten Shortcut to Success.”

We have all seen great persuaders in action. We have been in the presence of persuasive experts who automatically attract everyone to them. Wherever they go, people are captivated and influenced by such individuals' radiant energy and dynamic personality. People just naturally want to be persuaded by them.  What makes them successful?  These persuaders have adjusted or changed their persuasion techniques to match this new world of influence. Persuasion and influence have dramatically changed in the past twenty years. Social media has changed the way we communicate.  Persuasion has changed.  Your consumer, your prospects, and your customers all have changed. According to Advertising Age Magazine, they are bombarded with more than 5000 persuasive messages a day. This is the digital age. People are better educated and more skeptical than ever before. If you use only the same out-dated tactics that you learned years ago, you'll lose your ability to influence. Techniques that worked 5 years ago have lost their lustre. Why? Our understanding of persuasion and influence has changed dramatically. In the past, we did not know or care how consumers thought or what prompted them to buy or take action. Most people in sales and marketing were shooting in the dark. We hoped that what we were doing was working. Dr Antonio Damasio of Iowa College of Medicine sums it up best: "More may have been learned about the brain and the mind this decade than during the entire previous history of psychology and neuroscience." Why haven't most persuaders caught up with the times? Why are so many still using the old tools that should have been put to rest long ago? Are you one of them? When you are meeting with prospects, clients, or employees, are you a guest? An enemy? A pest? A product pusher? A pushover? Are you welcome or are you annoying?   Think twice. Most people think they are a welcome guest, but the reality is—and the research shows—that you are more likely to be an annoying pest. They just never tell you. Times have changed, and we are no longer able to push people into buying a product or service. How can you adapt? We need to be able to help them persuade themselves. To be an effective persuader, you must be able to bring your audience around to your way of thinking.  You can’t be the one that is throwing persuasion darts – hoping one of them will stick and win you the deal.  You must learn to adapt to the times. Join me for this week’s podcast – Episode #300 (Woo-Hoo!!!) as I discuss all the changes in the world of persuasion and how to adjust.  Now only are you going to learn “How Persuasion Has Changed - And How To Adapt,” but also I will give you a free gift.  Listen to find out the new tools and techniques and how to get your free gift – Power Negotiation Tools. Instagram: @maxinfluence Twitter: @influencemax Facebook: Maximize Your Influence

You are being persuaded all around you – And you don’t even know it.  Your environment (colors, smells, music, symbols, etc.) all have an impact on persuasion and influence.  That impact can help or hurt persuasion. City parks are only as good as the trip to get there In his book Triggers, best-selling author Joseph Sugarman reveals that 95 percent of the reasoning behind a consumer's purchase is associated with a subconscious decision. In other words, most buying is done for reasons a person hasn't even put into logic. Listen to find out more!  

You are being persuaded all around you – And you don’t even know it.  Your environment (colors, smells, music, symbols, etc.) all have an impact on persuasion and influence.  That impact can help or hurt persuasion. City parks are only as good as the trip to get there In his book Triggers, best-selling author Joseph Sugarman reveals that 95 percent of the reasoning behind a consumer's purchase is associated with a subconscious decision. In other words, most buying is done for reasons a person hasn't even put into logic. Listen to find out more!  

You are being persuaded all around you – And you don’t even know it.  Your environment (colors, smells, music, symbols, etc.) all have an impact on persuasion and influence.  That impact can help or hurt persuasion. City parks are only as good as the trip to get there In his book Triggers, best-selling author Joseph Sugarman reveals that 95 percent of the reasoning behind a consumer's purchase is associated with a subconscious decision. In other words, most buying is done for reasons a person hasn't even put into logic. Listen to find out more!  

Listening is one of the most crucial human relations skills. Listening is how we find out people's code, preferences, desires, wants, and needs. It is how we learn to customize our message to our prospects. Of all the skills one could master, listening is probably the one that will pay you back the most. Bosses who phone snub their employees risk losing trust & engagement There is a positive relationship between effective listening and being able to adapt to your audience and persuade them.  So, what are the big complaints about you and your listening skills?

There are those dirty techniques that are very old school and can be very intimidating.  These dark mind tricks are being used against you.  These tricks are still being taught today especially in the world of negotiation.  I want to talk about these dirty tricks so you can be prepared against when they happen to you – not for you to use them. 10 Hard Bargaining Negotiation Skills You have to understand the game of negotiation.  The challenge is many of you don’t want to play the game. Think about this…. If your prospect has come to play the game and you don't play the game, you're going to lose the game.  Why?  Because they were expecting to play the game. What does this mean? If you are looking to purchase a home and the listing price was perfect. You are thinking to yourself– that’s a fair price.  So you offer the asking price for the house knowing it is a win-win for both of you.   An hour later you're getting a phone call as they back out of the deal because you created questions in their mind.  They start to think, wait a minute, that was way too easy. We were supposed to negotiate. What do they know that I don’t know?  Did the market change?  What happened?  You did not play the game.  So, if they're wanting to play the game, you've had to play the game. Different players seem to play the game with different rules.  Some play dirty in the negotiation game.  Some have more experience, some are new, and some want to win the game at any cost.  Want to know how people cheat?  Listen to this week’s podcast on “Hard Negotiation Techniques – Those Dirty Tricks” to find out how the negotiation game is played.

Did you know that being nice or unselfish could hurt your ability to persuade?  What about those people that are so optimistic that you want to hit them?   People don't really like unselfish colleagues There are many tools of influence that are used in excess (or in the wrong way) – that can backfire on you.  What are those good things?  It could be any of the following:  ·         Always volunteering to help ·         Being so nice that it repels ·         Unrealistic and unrelenting optimism ·         Proxemics and space ·         Wrong use of humor ·         Trying to connect, but bruising their ego Join me for this week’s podcast on “How Being Nice Or Optimistic Hurts Persuasion.”  I will detail everything we have been taught we thought was a good thing, actually destroys the persuasion process.

We have all heard about first impressions.  You have less than 30 seconds for someone to judge you – That could be a positive or negative perception.  How do others perceive you?  Is your first impression helping or hurting your ability to persuade and negotiate? Bad smells make our memories stronger Join me for this podcast as we explore first impressions.  These impressions can come from either a nonverbal gesture or your tone of voice.  Most people don’t even realize how they are being judged.  

Last week we talked about self-persuasion and your “Brakes to Your Success.”  The things holding you back from reaching your potential.  You can’t go very far if you are always driving with the emergency brake on and stuck in first gear!  Many choices seems promising — until you actually have to choose  This week we are going to supersize that topic and talk about your “Speed to Wealth.”  The formula is quite simple.  If you are wondering what is taking so long to achieve your goals – join me for this week’s podcast on Speed to Wealth - Get On The Fast Track To Success

Almost everyone wants to accomplish their dreams, achieve more, become a better person, or pursue bigger and better goals. And we often know exactly what we need to do to make these things happen. So why don't we do them? Why do we fall short of our dreams and aspirations? Stay Funny, My Friends This week’s podcast will address what is holding you back – what are the brakes of success?  What is taking so long?  Success is an open book test.  Join me this week for the answers to your success.

What are the most talked about psychological persuasion theories?  What are those techniques that people are using to get deep in the human mind and persuade under the radar?  Some might sound familiar,some have been used against you and some will be new to you.  Which ones are still working and which ones have become high lactose (cheesy).  Join me for this week’s podcast of Persuasion Tricks That Still Work, as I take a deep dive into the world of persuasion and influence tricks, techniques and proven theory.  

So who is this gatekeeper? Well, that's the person that's trying to stop you from getting to the person that you need to talk to you.  This is the person you are attempting to persuade. This can be one of the biggest obstacles to sales, prospecting, and persuasion.  How can you talk to the right person?  This could be a secretary, a receptionist, a personal assistant, anyone that is answering the phones or that is stopping you from getting to your prospect. Don’t be the one using those gatekeeper blunders that are keeping you from your prospect.  It is easier than you think to get past the gatekeeper.  Join me for this week’s podcast on Cracking The Gatekeeper Code.  

Tired of hearing that nasty word – The word NO.  That NO is costing you money and costing you business. (Maybe costing you dating opportunities. :)   There are things you are doing that can guarantee a NO AND there are things you can do to guarantee a YES. Article: Crime, commitment, and the responsive bystander: Two field experiments.  It is easier than you think to get more yeses and the science of influence is clear about how to do it.  Join me for this week’s podcast on How to turn the NO into a YES. 70% off Influence University for a limited time!! Run!!

We have all been there – someone did not promise what was supposed to be delivered.  What was your reaction?  Has it happened to your company?  What causes buyer’s remorse?  What causes someone to ask for a refund? These questions and more will be answered on this week’s podcast.  What causes, how do you eliminate and how do you solve these issues.  It does not matter if you have a perfect product or service – this will happen to you.  Personality Traits May Affect Susceptibility to Persuasion Join me for the podcast on Dealing with Remorse and Refunds. Whats your Persuasion IQ? Find out and get a copy of my best-selling book for free for helping me out with my research!

I was traveling with a famous personal development speaker (not going to reveal His name).  It had been a very long day and we arrived at our next destination.  It was very late at night and we were checking into our hotel for our speaking engagement the next day.  He asked the young lady for an upgrade and she said that they did not have any upgrades available.  He said, do you know who I am?  No, she said.  Do you know how often I frequent your hotel?  Sorry sir, I don’t, she politely responded.  He started to raise his voice and get angry.  When she would not give him a complimentary upgrade, the anger escalated as he asked to see her manager.  She slowly said I am the manager.  He left disgruntled and he did not get his upgrade.  I approached the desk and said I am sorry for that, nobody should treat you like that.  She said that’s OK it is part of the job.  We chatted for a bit and I made sure there was a connection and at the end of our conversation she said, thank you for your patience, would you like a complimentary upgrade? We have all had the experience of feeling an instant connection or bond with someone after just a few seconds of being in their presence. This is the Law of Connectivity. On the flip side, we have all met someone that rubbed us the wrong way or even repelled us.  We instantly did not want to be around them.  Then we meet some people we need to persuade and they don’t want to connect.  They want to get down to business.  Their face says, “Quit trying to be friendly – What’s the bottom line?” 6 Reasons Salespeople Win or Lose a Sale How do you know in that first 30 seconds if you should try to connect with them or go straight into credibility?  What signs are you looking for?  How should you start your presentation?  Join me for this week’s podcast as I discuss when to know when to connect or when to build credibility.  

Is most your business or sales based on referrals?  Do people instinctively remember to refer you to their friends or colleagues?  Getting referrals makes persuasion easier, trust is not a barrier, and you know they need your product/service. Did you know there are ways to get referrals without asking for them?  There is a simple formula to get people to refer others to you – no questions asked.  Join me as I interview Stacey Brown Randall.  She is the author of Generating Business Referrals Without Asking.  Listen to this week’s podcast. Expert Guest: Stacey Brown Randall www.staceybrownrandall.com/quiz Stacey is the author of Generating Business Referrals Without Asking, host of the Roadmap to Grow Your Business podcast and teaches small business owners and solopreneurs how to grow their business through referrals without asking and sticky client experiences. She is the wife to one, mother to three and a supporter of the entrepreneurial dream for all.    

Does appearance matter?  We are all taught not to judge each other by appearance. But at the end of the day we all end up judging each other subconsciously and and a lot of that is based on your physical appearance. The wrong judgment means your ability to influence decreases.  Think Looks Don't Matter? Think Again Do you look athletic, tall, fat or fit?   It all changes the way we get judged.  The shape and look of your face and body will also affect judgments.  I know it is not fair, but it is time to deal with reality.  Your appearance is judged by your positive and negative characteristics.  Find out what is being judged by others.  What is hurting your credibility and lifetime earnings?  What can you learn and to be more persuasive?  Listen to this week’s podcast to find out!

Are You Credible In The Eyes Of Your Prospect? Credibility is a huge aspect of influence. You could be the smartest person in your field or even the most qualified, but if that is not the perception, there is no credibility.  You have to be careful about how you explain and exhibit your credibility. If you launch into a laundry list of your accomplishments or of your education and titles, you might be perceived as a self-centered. The Diet Linked To Higher Intelligence You can transfer (borrow credibility) from others.  Since trust and credibility is at an all-time low – sometimes the only option is to borrow credibility from others.  Remember even though you are a good trustworthy person, it does not mean people trust you.  Join me for this week’s podcast on how to borrow credibility in any situation. 

Never fight on price.  Price in not the issue – you are the issue.  Only 6% of things are bought on price. Anybody can fight on price.  Let’s learn 14 techniques to make price a non-issue.  This is all about human perception. The human mind has to find a benchmark or comparison to make judgments, especially when we are talking about unfamiliar situations or new products. People need to make comparisons with their past experience and knowledge.   If the price comes up – you have blown your presentation.  Join me for this week’s podcast on Price Is Not The Issue – YOU are.  Learn how to master the influence skill of making price a non-issue. Discover why most objections are lies and solving them hurts your ability to persuade  

Can you use fear to persuade?  Does mood matter when you are attempting to influence?  What about resentment, worry, depression and happiness – How do these emotions affect your ability to persuade? Your emotional intelligence and triggering the right emotion is a major aspect of influence. An experimental study of audience recognition of emotional and intellectual appeals in persuasion  Join me for this week’s podcast on Emotions (EQ) That Hurt Influence.  I will reveal the latest research on EQ and talk about the emotions that can help and hurt your ability to influence.

Did you know your Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is more important indicator for success and wealth than your IQ?  This EQ is also critical in your relationships and your ability to read people.  Emotional intelligence is a critical factor in detecting deception or detecting any type of emotion.  How are you in reading people and identifying deception? What is the Face of Truth? Join me for this week’s podcast on Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Lying.  I will reveal the latest research on EQ and how to apply that to the world of detecting deception.

How do you spot a liar?  How do you know if someone is really telling you the truth or they are trying to take advantage of you?  Deception and lying has been in the news lately.  How do you know who you can trust?  Who is telling the truth?  This knowledge will help every aspect of your life.  The other challenge is when you get nervous or uneasy you might be showing signs of deception.  What I am saying here is that even if you are telling the truth, you might be sending signals of deception.  Your audience can’t always identify exactly what is making them distrustful, but they feel that way and that is all that matters to them.  What happens is we all have micro expressions that happen so rapidly the conscious mind can’t see them, but the subconscious can sense them.   The Newest Way to Tell When Someone Is Lying to You Join me for this week’s podcast on How to Spot a Lie.  I will reveal the latest research on lying, deception and how to detect when someone is trying to deceive you.

Does gender make a difference in sales, and in persuasion? The last 10 years of research says – YES. Your gut instinct says – YES. Men and woman like to shop differently, and be persuaded differently.  They have different motives, viewpoints and are looking for different things while being influenced. Understanding these differences can make you a power persuader. It will enable you to adapt your persuasive presentation to their point of view. You will be able to approach and persuade more effectively.    Do These 5 Things to Increase Your Emotional Intelligence   Let’s take a look at the differences of the male and female brain and how you can tailor your message, and adapt to each gender. Join me for this week’s podcast on How to Persuade Men vs Woman.   Learn how to use the 4 secret motivators to inspire others to get what you want

What is a meta-program and how does it help you become a better persuader?  A meta program is the way we lean most of the time in terms of the way we act and react to most stimuli.   We all hate to be put in a box and categorized, but the reality is that (most of the time) we are predictable.  Sure, people can never be 100 percent predictable, but you will be amazed at how predictable we actually are Meta-programs are essentially the “looking glasses” through which we view the world.  The classic “Is the glass half full or half empty?” is a perfect meta-program example.  Meta-programs control our personality and therefore how we behave and how we liked to be influenced. For instance, do you tend to be more of an active or passive person?  Do you focus more internally or externally about the world around you?  Two people may interpret the exact experience from totally different angles. Find out your own meta programs and how to adjust your persuasion for each meta program.  Join me for this week’s podcast on Meta Programs and Mindset Get my best-selling book for FREE  

Do you negotiate with people of equal authority?  Do you have to deal with other managers or senior management?  Do you have to sell to people that feel like they know more than you?  Understand the ability to gain trust, persuade people and influence without authority is a key component of persuasion and negotiation.  This week’s podcast will focus on how to influence when there is no authority, no title or no power.  Master this skill of influencing up (and to the side) – it is easier than you think. How to Appear Confident, But Not Arrogant Join me for this week’s podcast on How to Influence Up (and to the Side) Learn how to Get others to not only want to do what you want them to do… but beg you to do it.

There are many ways to double your income this year, but one of the easiest.  Is to double the number of referrals you are getting.   Half of your business should be based on referrals. It is so easy to do, but most people are neglecting it. They’re not asking for referrals or they're doing it the wrong way. Language study reveals best words to use when selling products Referrals are your greatest source of social validation. Don’t overlook your current customers.  Nobody sells you or your company better than a satisfied customer.  So in your efforts to gain sales from new prospects, remember that you can build sales better through customer referrals.  Now, if that is the case – Why is it that only 12% of salespeople ask for referrals after every visit?  It is because no one has properly trained them.  Join me for this week’s podcast on Unlimited Referrals. Email kurt@maximizeyourinfluence.com to find out how to get a FREE coaching session.  

Do people like you?  Can you connect with anyone?  When introduced to someone – Are they really happy to see you?  Are you sure? This week’s podcast is going to explore “Psychological Tricks To Make People Like You Immediately.”  You know when you feel that connection and have created rapport.  Was it a smile, their touch or their sense of humor?  Or was it something else?  Scientist have found the answers to these questions and you will be surprised.  Listen to the podcast and find out how to instantly connect with anyone. Get the Power of Charisma

Why do your prospects keep saying NO?  Are you the cause of the objections you are getting?     What mannerism or things are you doing that turn people off and trigger objections?  The Clothes That Increase Your IQ  You may think you're just being friendly or even concerned, but it is just triggering objections.  Let me remind you, that everything you are doing during your presentation will attract or repel the person you are communicating with.  I am not here to sugar coat this.  Let’s get into some of these complaints and things you could be doing that is causing resistance.  Listen to this week’s podcast on how YOU are causing objections. Click here if you are tired of getting No’s or people not calling you back

The psychological edge gained by top persuaders cannot be overemphasized.  How do great persuaders prepare their minds for success?  This mental aspect is one of the most important (and usually most neglected) traits of success. Almost everyone wants to accomplish their dreams, achieve more, become a better person, or pursue bigger and better goals. Why do we fall short of our dreams and aspirations?  Let’s find the answer on this week’s podcast. This week’s guest is Lisa Wimberger.  She is the founder of the Neurosculpting Institute.  Her mission is to teach others how to reprogram the brain, change their beliefs and to share powerful stress management techniques or what she calls Neurosculpting. Listen to this week’s podcast and discover the power of Neurosculpting and self-persuasion. For more information about Lisa and her work visit : www.neurosculptinginstitute.com   "When you can understand how your mind really works you can harness its unlimited power. " - Kurt Mortensen on Millionaire Psychology Get My Copy  

How persuasive were the superbowl commercials.  What worked?  What bombed?  Just because you liked or remembered a commercial does not mean it was influential.  Just because you laughed, does not mean you will remember the advertiser.  Let’s explore the superbowl commercials to find the persuasion “Ninjas” and the persuasion ‘blunders’.  Also a huge bonus….. Time for a guest interview and a world expert on Marketing and the world of Amazon.  Adam Hudson is the founder of Reliable Education and a seven-figure Amazon seller. Adam is a highly sought-after Amazon expert and coaches new & established Amazon sellers in 16 different countries. Adam is also passionate philanthropist having funded over 6,000 interest-free micro-loans to entrepreneurs in third world countries and more than 1,000 blind people have been healed as a result of his giving. What you will learn: ·         How to market on the internet. ·         Why Amazon is taking over the world. ·         How to market yourself online. ·         How to break through the marketing clutter.  For more information about Adam and Reliable Education visit https://www.reliable.education Best superbowl commercials  Bud Light and HBO, ‘The Bud Night’    https://youtu.be/8fhOItB0zUM  Pepsi, ‘More Than OK’  https://youtu.be/9sYElEbRzKA Humor Amazon, ‘Not Everything Makes the Cut’ https://youtu.be/8y-1h_C8ad8 Microsoft’s - Adaptive Controllers https://youtu.be/_YISTzpLXCY Verizon "The Coach Who Wouldn't Be Here" https://youtu.be/8SKJVV0e9Ek   Worst superbowl commercials  Turkish Airlines https://youtu.be/t14pSbXsd7Y  MintMobile “Chunky Style Milk” https://youtu.be/LhkcQbhiOiM  Wix https://youtu.be/yVpM3fjFUYQ  Kia “Give It Everything” https://youtu.be/u_awpNKfjDk

How do you deal with those jerks?  You know the ones I am talking about.  How can you get them on your team?  How do you influence them to be nice and to accept your ideas? To be a rock star of a persuasion, you cannot use the same techniques for all people all the time.  You have to customize your message to fit the demographics, interests, and values of your prospect. This also includes mean and hostile people.  They can be persuaded, but you need another set of tools.  When you understand human psychology and the ways to handle resistance – you can influence anyone. Article on Abusive Bosses We take a deeper dive on this week’s podcast on how to deal with hostile audiences and the mean people you work with.  Find out how to deal with that jerk and how to easily influence them. Free Membership to Influence University

Embedded Commands In persuasion and influence, it is the little things that can make a big difference.  For example, does icing the kicker in football work? – You will be surprised.  Does planting a seed that it might be too hot (or cold) to play sports affect how people play?  Does the way you use your voice or use embedded commands increase your persuasiveness? Icing the Kicker Article Article on Heat Signs  What is an embedded command? An embedded command is a technique used to communicate to the subconscious mind. The idea is to actually bypass the conscious mind and talk directly to the subconscious mind. Embedded commands are commonly used in marketing and advertising. Embedded commands are hidden suggestions within written or spoken language. The conscious mind is unaware of their existence. Embedded commands create expectations without creating inner resistance. Embedded commands are used to reinforce potential behavior and can help the reader come to a faster decision.   We see them in advertising and sales copy on the internet.  Using embedded commands can increase your marketing efforts by 10-20%. Can you smell fear? Join me on this podcast and find out how to use these subtle influence techniques. Get your FREE copy of Best-Selling book Maximum Influence 

Why Do 80% of New Products Fail? Why do new products suffer from such a high failure rate? Even multi-billion dollar companies agonize over product failures. What is going on? It comes down to either too much logic or too much emotion. I want to Share with you some examples of when all the sound, logical reasoning and research in the world was used to predict the future, but it was still no match for people's emotions and instinct. Large corporations spend millions of dollars on focus groups to see if their product or service is viable. Then, even after focus group participants are sold on the idea, the follow-up research shows that only a small minority of those in the focus group actually bought the product. Logic made it sound like a good idea to the focus group participants, but emotion ruled the day. Let's look at some specific business blunders. Some of the strangest products ever released – you will see from their mistakes, how to change your product launch to be more successful. Listen to the podcast and get the solutions to a perfect product launch.  Worst Product Launches Worst Product Flops of All Time Have you activated your FREE membership to Influence University yet?

This was the most popular episode of 2018. Listen and tell me if you agree…. The Modern Way To Ruin Relationships  Most persuader’s don’t understand feature – benefit or emotion vs logic.  They throw these persuasion darts at their prospects (the target) and wonder why these darts never stick and/or hit the target. Listen now to hear the solution.   Whats your Persuasion IQ?

On this episode you will learn: -Secrets to good copywriting -How to attract more customers on the internet -The missing piece to your call to action You only have 3-5 seconds to attract customers on the Internet...What should you say?  What is the formula to get an email reply?  How do you create legitimate, believable urgency to get an instant response? A website or email that’s too cluttered can’t convey a message quickly enough to engage the reader and is wasting everyone’s time.  A confused mind says no.  A preoccupied mind says no.  If they don’t read your sales copy – that would also be a no.  Effective copy must immediately capture the audience’s interest and pull them into your website, funnel or email.  12 Obnoxious Sales Phrases That Make Prospects Hang Up on You  Join me this week as I finish up the keys to persuasive copywriting.  Discover the keys needed to master (it's easier than you think) this critical influence skill. Listen now to hear the solution.

This week’s podcast is going to talk about 2 important things to increase your influence.  How can you learn to write compelling copy that can influence anyone?  This could be writing an email or marketing on the internet.  How can you engage and excite others through the written word?  It is easier than you think. What are the Reasons Salespeople Lose (or Win) a Sale?  The Harvard Business Review has revealed some compelling statistics on persuasion and influence.  Did you know…. Prospects have become “price immune” The committee was only a committee of one They don’t care if your company is #1 in the market Some prospects want the challenge, not the solution  Listen to the podcast and find out how to influence on command. 6 Reasons for winning or losing a sale FREE BOOK

Intuition is a big part of your future success.  Intuition helps you read and understand people.  It comes in an instant and we have to be ready to act simultaneously.  Some call it a hunch, gut reaction or a feeling.  Intuition is real and can be harnessed to increase your ability to influence and transmit charisma.  Leaders who are able to distinguish between random thoughts and intuition are more successful in life and in business.  Face it, just take a look at CEO’s of large corporations.  They have access to all the logical research they need to make a good, educated decision.  The successful ones will admit that ultimately they have to follow their heart and use personal intuition.  Studies show that the majority of people use intuition, but had a difficult time verbalizing to others why or how it worked.  As humans, (when we listen) we have the ability to read people from facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice or even a smell.  This comes from our early programming as humans to be able to meet a person and instantly decide if they are a friend or foe.  Those that have the ability to follow their intuition correctly would be able to sense danger or make a new friend.  We know when we have met someone for the first time that we have categorized them in the first 30 seconds.  We have decided if we like or dislike the person and this comes from our intuition. Creativity Lessons Article Intuition expands our ability to tap into our previous experience, our knowledge and our stored memories.  We might not remember what memories or experience we are drawing on, but it was something we already have learned and it is expressed as a gut feeling.  The main obstacle that impedes us from following our intuition is convincing ourselves that it works and should be taken seriously.  What are you listening for?  How does your intuition talk to you?  It can be called impulse, urge or even that inner voice.  Start listening and you will save yourself a lot of time, energy and money.  Listen to find out how to master intuition and the other secrets of Charisma. FREE Copy of Maximum Influence

Are you magnetic? Are people drawn to you? People who know where they are going are able captivate, are passionate and are charismatic. You can tell when you meet them and when they enter a room. People are drawn to them because deep down people want to be passionate about something and when they see that passion in your eyes, you become more charismatic.  They sense that you can help them and improve their lives.  This does not guarantee everyone will like you, but they will respect you for your conviction and your passion.  Passion is very contagious.  When you transfer this passion, the people around you start to radiate that passion.  They perform better, if it is at work, it is no longer work.  They become more proactive, more willing to work as a team and become more optimistic.  When you have tapped into this passion you become more determined and it increases your persistence.  It starts to become a burning desire and consumes you and it radiates to others.   The Bottomless Bowl Study A word of caution, just because you are passionate does not mean you can forego learning the skills you need to be successful.  It is a critical piece of the charisma pie, but you still need more pieces of the pie to radiate powerful long-term charisma.  How do you transfer your energy and enthusiasm? Listen and find out…. Email kurt@maximizeyourinfluence.com to get a free coaching session!

Do you have that chemistry?  Do you feel charismatic?  Do you radiate optimism?  It is no secret that the majority of the wealthy and successful business executives attribute their success to their optimism and attitude more than any other factor.  How can you inspire, how can you transfer charisma if you don’t have the right attitude or optimistic outlook.  Your attitude about the rain on your Hawaiian vacation can ruin your vacation or make it more fun and more memorable.  Groups are often smarter without opinion leaders  An optimist tells you that your problems are only temporary and pessimism tells you they are permanent and there is no way out.  As an optimist, you will attract people to your cause and you will radiate charisma.  Studies have shown that optimists do better in school, perform better in their careers and live longer than pessimists.  Pessimists tend to battle depression and give up more easily. Optimism is more than PMA (positive mental attitude).  It is not constantly saying positive things to others and hoping they will come true.  Rather, true optimism is a frame of mind that governs how you look at the world.  Optimism means having expectations that things will eventually turn out OK.   Being optimistic means that you really believe that you will eventually accomplish everything you set out to do.  You will be able to help others achieve their goals.  Optimism is when you can transfer your hope and courage to others and will be more inclined to be led by you.  How do you gain that chemistry of charisma? Listen and find out…. Learn how to ENABLE your powerful subconscious mind to work for you, not against you

Can your prospect sense your fear?  Are you sure?  Confidence is a trait that increases charisma, influence and attracts people to you.  People love to follow and be influenced by others, when there is confidence in you and in your abilities.  Most people you meet suffer in the self-confidence arena, but your high confidence tends to make up for it.  Confidence breeds trust.  Demonstrating confidence in your field, in your industry and in your life, increases confidence in you.  The people we admire and look up to the most are usually the type of people who know what they want and have the confidence to get it.  You must learn to communicate with great confidence and authority.  The perception of confidence is critical to maintain charisma.  The higher your confidence, the more charisma you radiate.   People read your confidence via your tone of voice, body language and other subconscious triggers.  Those Wine Snobs…. True confidence is a state of mind.  At times in your life and in your career, your personal confidence gets smashed and it needs to be rebuilt.  Charismatic people can maintain confidence in all situations even if there have been defeats, setbacks or unpredicted outcomes.  We all have a tendency to feel insufficient or inferior at times.  When you lose faith in yourself or have had failures in your life, you lose confidence through fear.  Lack of confidence can be summed up in one word: fear.  Fear can be defined as a magnified doubt.  All worries, questions, concerns, insecurities—can ultimately be traced back to fear in one form or another.   How do you exude charismatic confidence? Email kurt@maximizeyourinfluence.com to get a free coaching session!

Power increases your charisma and ability to influence.  When we have certain forms of power, that power increases our perceived charisma and increases our ability to influence.  When we have legitimate forms of power, people will be more willing and want to take action.  Nearly every organization has some type of authority structure.  There are rules (written and unwritten) that dictate how people react to power and authority.   There are many forms of power and when used in the wrong way that power will back fire on you in the long term.  Managers always think they have great power, but it is much less than they usually realize.  The ability to reward and punish is not the power that will help in your ability to radiate charisma.  Your internal power will always outlast external power.  Charismatics instinctively know and understand how to use different forms of positive power.  Power builds when you can help them get something they need or want.  Power is different from force.  It comes back to your intent.  Power creates trust, it strengthens, and it empowers.  Force must always be maintained, enforced, and warranted.  Force sucks the energy and life out of people.  True power encourages, revitalizes, and creates unity and synergy.  Power causes us to listen and obey.  Force causes us to be skeptical and run.  How The Dining Room Mirror Might Make You Eat More  Charismatics don’t have power trips or feel the need force themselves on others or make other do things just for fun.  They understand how to use the proper forms of power and its ethical use.  Positive power opens up their audience and enhances their charisma.  Knowledge, expertise and authority are all forms of positive power.  Can you get the POWER? Listen and find out Have you ever met someone that did not seem that sharp, but was making 10 times more money than you?

One element that increases your presence, charm and likability…..Is humor.  Great persuaders naturally develop rapport while using humor.  It is very unlikely that your audience will feel angry, depressed, anxious, guilty, or resentful while enjoying your humor. Your humor can have a domino effect of goodwill and of instilling positive emotions in your audience. If you can help your audience members to feel happier, you will in turn open the locked doors of persuasion and influence. Humor also increases energy and productivity, which will feed your audience’s positive emotions even more. Is Caffeine Persuasive? Humor for persuaders not only connects you to your audience but also increases people’s attention to you and your message.  Humor also puts your audience in a good frame of mind. When your audience is in a good disposition, they are less likely to disagree with you.  When you develop rapport with your audience, they will like you more.  Humor also increases trust.    How do you use this tool of charisma? Charisma Series: Get others to believe in you, trust you, and be influenced by you

Do you have Presence?  Are you able captivate your audience or prospect?  You can tell when you meet a charismatic personal and when they enter a room.  People are drawn to them because deep down people want to be passionate about something and when they see that passion in your eyes, you become more charismatic.  They sense that you can help them and improve their lives.  This does not guarantee everyone will like you, but they will respect you for your conviction and your passion.  Passion is very contagious.  When you transfer this passion, the people around you start to radiate that passion.  They perform better, if it is at work, it is no longer work.  They become more proactive, more willing to work as a team and become more optimistic.  When you have tapped into this passion you become more determined and it increases your persistence.  It starts to become a burning desire and consumes you and it radiates to others.  How Mental Rehearsal Preps Us For Action  A word of caution, just because you are passionate does not mean you can forego learning the skills you need to be successful.  It is a critical piece of the charisma pie, but you still need more pieces of the pie to radiate powerful long-term charisma.  Can you learn this skill? Listen and find out…. 4 components to win an audience every time

Touch can help you influence and connect with people.  Touch can be a very effective psychological technique.  Subconsciously, most of us like to be touched; it makes us feel appreciated and builds rapport.  It is true, though, that we do need to be aware and careful of a small percentage of the population who dislikes being touched in any way. In most instances, however, touch can help put people at ease and make them more receptive to you and your ideas. Touch increases influence.  When you are able to touch your prospect they usually becomes more agreeable, enhances mood and increases the chances they will agree and do what you are asking. Touch can create a positive perception.  Touch carries with it favorable interpretations of immediacy, similarity, relaxation, and informality.  In one research study, librarians did one of two things to university students: either they did not touch the person at all during the exchange or they made light, physical contact by placing a hand over the student's palm. Invariably, those students who were touched during the transaction rated the library service more favorably than those who were not touched at all.   SMART Study Touch Story  Waiters/waitresses who touched customers on the arm when asking if everything was okay received larger tips and were evaluated more favorably than those waiters who didn't touch their customers. Touch also induces customers to spend more time shopping in stores. In one study, physical contact on the part of salespeople induced customers to buy more and to evaluate the store more favorably.  Even a handshake is touch.  Handshakes tell a story about you and if they will remember you.  It dictates your first impression that will last forever.  A good handshake will make someone feel appreciated and connected to you.  A bad handshake could set you back an hour in rapport building.  Are you touching too much?  Not enough?  Do you have a good/lame handshake? Listen and find out! Learn how to get others to believe in you, trust you, and be influenced by you

We have all had the experience of feeling an instant connection or bond with someone after just a few seconds of being in their presence. This is the Law of Connectivity. On the flip side we have all met someone that rubbed us the wrong way or repelled us.  We instantly did not want to be around them. This is caused by a lack of connectivity and usually takes only a few seconds to manifest itself. This disconnect closes the door to persuasion. NINE WAYS TO MAKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU WITHOUT SAYING A WORD The Law of Connectivity states that the more someone feels connected to, similar to, liked by, or attracted to you, the more persuasive you become. When you create an instant bond or connection, people feel more comfortable and open around you. They will feel like they have known you for a long time and that they can easily relate to you. When we feel connected with someone, we feel comfortable and understood; they can relate to us and a sense of trust ensues.  This connectivity is critical on the phone, during a presentation or using social media. Listen and find out….           

We’ve all been told, “Never judge a book by its cover.” Yeah, right. Everyone is judging everyone else. Intentionally or not, people are constantly judging and categorizing others, compartmentalizing them into boxes. There are many boxes—sharp, strange, weird, intelligent, dense, geeky, powerful, annoying, and more. A great persuader can connect with anyone in thirty seconds or less. First impressions take only seconds to form, but they last a lifetime. This is a critical skill to develop because the cement dries fast. How do you ensure that you’re making those early seconds really count? That first judgment or opinion about you is vital to your success. In this fast-paced world, you probably won’t get a second chance—you have to make it happen the first time. Many persuaders can’t tell if they’re connecting. They think that they’re doing everything right, that they’re doing all the stereotypical rapport-building things: being friendly, enthusiastic, or fun. But the reality is that in most cases, they are not building rapport and are failing to connect with their audience. Studies show that not only do 75 percent of people not like all the “gushy, chit-chatty stuff,” but 99 percent of them won’t even bother to stop you when they’re annoyed. Changes In Human IQ Are Frightening The proverbial bad salesman comes to mind here. He acts too chummy and tells stupid jokes, all the while thinking everyone loves him. You’ve probably met him. What did you do when you met this person? If you’re like most people, you politely endured the encounter, made up some excuse to get him off your back, and then swore to yourself that’d you’d never get stuck talking to him again. Reality check: This annoying person could be you. Do you know your Persuasion IQ?

Why is it so easy to lose at a casino?  Why do they know about human nature that you don’t?  It is all about the subconscious triggers.  In his book Triggers, best-selling author Joseph Sugarman reveals that 95 percent of the reasoning behind a consumer's behavior is associated with a subconscious feeling. In other words, most behavior is done for reasons a person hasn't even fully formulated. Whether we realize it or not, we love shortcuts to thinking. When we buy an item, we don't always take the time to research the product or read the latest consumer guide's ratings on the product. Instead, we could rely on the salesperson's advice. We might just buy the most popular brand, the cheapest, or rely on a friend’s opinion. Although we would never admit it, we sometimes even buy an item just because of its color, smell or packaging. Certainly, we know this is not the best way to make decisions, but we all do it anyway, even when we know we might make a mistake or feel regretful afterward. If we considered every single decision, we would constantly be overwhelmed our brain would be shut down and we'd never get anything done. This tendency means that inclinations like "It just feels right," "I like this product," or "I don't trust this person" are all based on subconscious triggers. This thought and emotional reaction occur in the unconscious mind, without our awareness.   The reason this happens is the Amygdala.  Joseph Ledoux of New York University says the amygdala allows emotions to dominate and control our thinking.  The amygdala has control over the cortex in the brain.   What does that mean?  The cortex is responsible for memory, perceptual awareness, thought, and consciousness.  The amygdala stores our memories that we associate with emotional events.  This means subconscious triggers are always occurring and triggering feelings and emotions usually without our awareness.  How-To Questions Each State Googles More Frequently Than Any Other State What triggers are getting you?  How do Las Vegas casinos utilize these against you? Listen and find out. FREE BOOK OFFER

Want to negotiation tips from a FBI hostage negotiator?  What negotiation tools are working?  Which tools lost the value? Listen to this interview with Chris Voss. Meet Chris: Prior to 2008, Chris was the lead international kidnapping negotiator for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as the FBI’s hostage negotiation representative for the National Security Council’s Hostage Working Group. During his government career, he also represented the U.S. Government at two (2) international conferences sponsored by the G-8 as an expert in kidnapping. Prior to becoming the FBI lead international kidnapping negotiator, Christopher served as the lead Crisis Negotiator for the New York City Division of the FBI. Christopher was a member of the New York City Joint Terrorist Task Force for 14 years.    During Chris’s 24 year tenure in the Bureau, he was trained in the art of negotiation by not only the FBI but Scotland Yard and Harvard Law School. He is also a recipient of the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement and the FBI Agents Association Award for Distinguished and Exemplary Service.  For more info about Chris and his work visit: https://blackswanltd.com/ Chris has taught business negotiation in the MBA program as an adjunct professor at University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.  He has taught business negotiation at Harvard University, guest lectured at The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, The IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland and The Goethe School of Business in Frankfurt, Germany.   Get your FREE copy of Maximum Influence

How do you get a raise?  How do you strategically negotiate a raise to earn what you are worth?  Or is it better to persuade?  What is the difference between the two?  Persuasion occurs when your ideas are so convincing that the other party ends up adopting your point of view.   With persuasion, there is no compromising, as there is in negotiation.  Rather, the other party willfully and enthusiastically abandons their position to embrace yours.  The other party clearly sees the gains and advantages of doing business with you. Negotiation, on the other hand, is a process of give and take, give and take, give and take. We meet somewhere in the middle.  It’s being able to overcome objections on both sides of an issue and ultimately reaching some kind of common ground.  Remember, always persuade first, negotiate second.   What is the number one predictor for personal success? While persuasion is the ultimate ideal, anytime one of us is presenting our ideas, the other party is often equally committed to their own convictions, thus making negotiation the next-best path.  Salary negotiations are different because you are negotiating with a known party (your boss), This requires a different set of tool.  Listen to the podcast and get those tools! FREE copy of Best-Selling Maximum Influence 

Of all the tools in your persuasion toolbox, questioning is probably the one most often used by Power Persuaders. Questions are used in the persuasion process to create mental involvement, to guide the conversation and to find out what your prospect needs. Questioning is a very diverse and useful tool. An important study observed hundreds of negotiators in action in an attempt to discover what it takes to be a top negotiator. Their key finding was that skilled negotiators ask more than twice as many questions as average negotiators. Much like movements, questions elicit an automatic response from our brains. We are taught to answer a question when it is posed to us. We automatically think of a response when asked a question. Even if we don't verbalize the answer, we think about it in our head. Most people want to be cooperative. We don't want to be considered rude because we don't answer the questions. In this way, a question stimulates our thinking response.   The Cheerleader Effect How do you form a good question? First, design your questions ahead of time. The structure of your questions dictates how your listener will answer them. When asked to estimate a person's height, people will answer differently depending on whether the question asked is "How tall is he?" versus "How short is he?" In one study, when asking how tall versus how short a basketball player was, researchers received dramatically different results. The "how tall" question received the guess of 79 inches whereas the "how short" question received the guess of 69 inches.  Words have a definite effect on how people respond. "How fast was the car going?" suggests a high speed, but "At what speed was the car traveling?" suggests a moderate speed. "How far was the intersection?" suggests the intersection was far away.  How to turn a no into a yes and a yes into a sale

 What is NLP? Neuro-linguistic programming, or “NLP” as it is called today, is a very interesting science. NLP was first developed by UC Santa Cruz professor John Grinder and graduate student Richard Bandler.  Its basic premise is that one’s thought patterns, beliefs and attitudes can be used to “preprogram” actual experiences that are yet to happen. NLP is very focused on how we think, what influences the way we think, and how we structure what we think. Subscribers to the science are encouraged to closely study and then model those individuals who do things well. When studying them, you don’t ask them how they did it—just what they were thinking when they did it. The Negative Side of NLP For example, if you asked Michael Jordan how to play basketball, he could give you a big list of dos and don’ts. He might outline a series of necessary drills, but that is not what NLP is about. Instead, you would find out how Michael Jordan perceives basketball in his mind. What are his beliefs and attitudes about basketball? When he makes a decision on the court, what is he thinking? Click here for FREE cutting edge influence techniques that will increase your income Many academics are haters of the science of NLP.  On this podcast, I will reveal what upsets them and what aspects of NLP work/don’t work. – Listen and find out

Mind Control and Expectations We communicate our expectations in a variety of ways. It may be through our language, our word choice, voice inflections, or our body language. Think of a time when you've been introduced to someone. Usually, if they introduce themselves by their first name, then you do the same. If they give their first and last name, you do likewise. Whether you realize it or not, you accept cues from others regarding their expectations and you act accordingly. Similarly, we all unknowingly send out our own cues and expectations. The power is in using the Law of Expectations consciously! Exercise Changes Your Personality Numerous studies have shown how the Law of Expectations dramatically influences people's performance. For example, in one study, girls who were told they would perform poorly on a math test did perform poorly. In another, assembly line workers who were told their job was complex performed less efficiently at the same task than those who were told it was simple. Another case study demonstrated that adults who were given complex mazes solved them faster when told they were based on a grade-school level of difficulty. Then there is mind control.  What are the negative approaches to mind control and what are the techniques used in everyday persuasion?  What are the mind control tools that are appropriate to use?  Which one's are being used on you?  – Listen and find out Whats Your Persuasion IQ?

The psychological edge gained by top persuaders cannot be overemphasized. How do great persuaders prepare their minds for success? What is their mental process before, during, and after the persuasion cycle? This mental aspect is one of the most important (and usually neglected) traits of success. Almost everyone wants to accomplish their dreams, achieve more, become a better person, or pursue bigger and better goals. And we often know exactly what we need to do to make these things happen. So why don't we do them? Why do we fall short of our dreams and aspirations? Writing down your goals coupled with a strong desire to reach them won't automatically bring success if you overlook this one vital detail: Successes are not achieved if they aren't first conceived mentally. We are told all the time to be positive, to change that attitude, to have a good outlook. In fact, we are so bombarded with these messages that they are easy to tune out. We gloss over "think positive" messages, saying, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've heard that before. Now get to the meat." Achieve Your Goals: Research Reveals a Simple Trick That Doubles Your Chances for Success In this chapter, we're going to talk about much more than just positive attitudes—I call it "mental programming." This mind training or self-persuasion is what gives great persuaders the psychological edge. It's true that "you'll only achieve it once the mind believes it." By "programming" our minds, we dictate our future. It's just that simple. Think of your loftiest goals, your greatest aspirations.  Do you really believe you can achieve them, deep down? Do you? If you can't visualize your success, you are unlikely to ever experience it in real life. We are always thinking and processing information, and our thoughts either propel us closer to our goals or drive us away from our dreams. We have a choice. It is critical that our "mental programming" is always geared to our advantage. How do you program your mind for success – Listen and find out Claim Your FREE Book

There are only two things that motivate us in life: inspiration and desperation. We either move toward that which inspires us, or we move away from that which fills us with despair or discomfort. Most people only use desperation’s motivational energy. Any persuader can motivate an audience with desperation, fear, and worry. The problem is that motivation spurred by desperation does not last. People who are moved by desperation or fear are typically so preoccupied with what they’re trying to get away from that they can’t think of anything else. If you want personal motivation to last, you need to rely on inspiration, which is rooted in our emotions and vision. The positive results that come from using inspiration as a motivator are obvious. And, inspired people don’t need a carrot dangling in front of them to get something accomplished. They are self-motivated and don’t wait for external factors to drive them one way or the other. SCIENTISTS SAY THEY CAN MEASURE YOUR CHARISMA WITH ONLY SIX QUESTIONS Motivation is not stagnant; we all will require different types of motivation. Every day, every hour we will require a different form of motivation. Great persuaders know when, how, and what type of motivation to use not only as a persuader but also in their personal lives. It is also critical to know what which combination of motivation to use in each persuasive situation.

Life Alignment When we look at life, we have to realize that it is not lived in segments, but rather, it is part of a greater whole. Every aspect of your life will either help or hurt the rest of your life. Our aim is to get all aspects working together to create a high-performing fund. Realize, however, that you can invest too much in one aspect of your life. When you do, you can get unbalanced just like a tire on a car. Even too much of a good thing can lead to disaster. As you invest in yourself, you must make sure you are diversifying in the following six areas: Financial: If you can’t take care of your financial needs, then you can’t take care of your basic needs. If you neglect your finances, imbalance will ensue. We all know that an inability to pay the bills affects every aspect of our lives. Financial freedom enables us to find true balance in our lives. Physical: If you don’t feel well, you can’t even begin to think about the other aspects of your life. You need to have a health plan in place. Do you understand nutrition and exercise? If you don’t, your lack of health or energy will drop the value on your own personal mutual fund. Emotional: By our very nature, we are emotional creatures. Our emotions are like a thermostat or gauges in a car; they tell us when and where to make changes in our lives. You cannot allow emotions like anger, resentment, frustration, hate, and envy to control your life. You are in control. If you are not able to control your emotions, you will be unable to control your actions. Emotional mastery is essential to a balanced personal mutual fund. Defeating Pathological Liars: 5 Things You Must Do Intellectual: Personal development is what keeps you excited, motivated, and enthusiastic. We are at our best when we are continually learning and growing. Personal edification is something we need to achieve every day. That’s because a lack of personal development causes us to become negative, cynical, and pessimistic. Spiritual: You have to be in tune with yourself, with who you are, and with where you are going. We are spiritual beings; we all have a spiritual side. We all define spirituality differently. It could be serving others, religion, meditation, or getting back to nature. You need to take the time to listen to your inner voice and to tap into your spirituality.  Most Americans Still Believe in God Social We are also social creatures. Our greatest strength and well-being stems from our relationships. As such, relationships are an integral part of your happiness and balance. You have to have a sense of meaning and purpose to lead a fulfilled life. No man is an island in and of himself. FREE Copy of Maximum Influence

Getting Over That Slump (personal or team) Anytime you’re in a leadership position, you are faced with the question of how best to motivate yourself and those who work under you. There are countless philosophies and ideas out there, all claiming to be exactly what you need. The truth is, there is no one perfect answer. What works at one time will not always work the next time. There are team dynamics that you must always be in tune with.  This Type of Exercise May Help Relieve Depression For example, suppose you offer a trip to Hawaii for the quarter’s highest closer. If newer or less experienced reps feel like they can’t stack up against the competition, then not only will they feel discouraged, but they may actually feel like there’s not much use in trying. They will then become even less productive. Some reps will respond to cash rewards, while others are incited even more by praise and recognition. As Maslow said, “If the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, then you will treat everyone like a nail.” The truth is, everyone is not a nail. To be an effective motivator, you need to become an acutely attuned student of human nature and understand what makes people tick. Not until you do this on an individual level can you integrate your observations into a team-incentive approach that will work for the whole. If you can’t motivate yourself – it is very difficult to motivate others.  The good news is the formula is the same for motivating a team or motivating yourself.  Listen to the podcast for specific tools to get out of any slump. Power Tools that Millionaires Use

We usually explore the obstacles and mistakes in the world of average persuaders. Now I want to look at the flip side. We'll look inside your audience's mind and reveal all the things that Advanced Influence research tells us "persuadees" love about their persuaders. You will notice that some of these qualities are emotion-based. You made your audience feel good about themselves or comfortable about you. There's nothing here about price, quality, or warranties. These traits keep the brick wall of resistance from forming.  After countless intercepts and interviews with your prospects – here are the results.

The worst time to learn a sales skill is when you need it. Persuasion and sales must be mastered before it is needed, or the opportunity is lost forever. In all the years that I have worked in persuasion, sales, influence, and leadership, I have never yet found a perfect persuader (especially me). I have met many very skilled persuaders, but none that have completely mastered all that they were capable of achieving.  This is understandable. It's demanding enough just to keep up with the bills, maintain existing customers, lead the organization, prospect for new customers, outmaneuver the competition, and increase product knowledge. Faced with so many tasks, it's difficult to find the time to spend on developing yet another skill.  Ironically, one area of sales that is easily overlooked is the very one that would make everything else fall into place. You've probably heard the old adage, "Dull knives work the hardest." Working hard is not the same as working smart. Are your knives sharp? Are you working smart? If you sharpened up in this one area, you'd likely be working more efficiently overall. 21 Mind-Blowing Sales Stats  Check yourself. Are you just going through the motions? Are you still using the same old tools over and over again without seeing the desired results? Or worse, are you making the same old mistakes over and over again? Are you making less than you could because of common "old-school" persuasion mistakes? 4 secret motivators to inspire others to get what you want

Persuasion Vomit (Data Dump) Many times, when we are trying to be persuasive, we want to highlight all the perks and plusses. It's only natural. Wouldn't helping someone see the potential gains of your product or service be a good thing? Yes, but here is the issue: Your audience will buy for their own reasons and only their reasons. They don't care about why you like the product or service. They don't care how much you know about it—don’t bury them in detail. The more you spout off about features, the more your audience mentally checks out. When you want to draw attention to the benefits of a product or service, the best thing to do is uncover the features or benefits your audience is looking for first. Why spend precious time and energy highlighting things they don't care about? Let them tell you what they're looking for, and then center your discussion around those few key points. It is critical to remember that most people already know what they want. In fact, your audience's mindset often is looking for reasons not to buy. It is a natural defense mechanism. They're thinking, "How do I make sure I'm not getting myself into something I'll regret? What could go wrong?" How managers can spark motivation There is another way spouting and spewing too much information can backfire: You might actually feature something they're not interested in or something they even see as a drawback. Why give them reasons not to buy? Again, let them tell you what they're looking for. After you've discussed what they care about, after they've made the decision to buy, then and only then should you fill in any remaining blanks with other benefits or features. Don't oversell by cluttering or distracting the few most important key points. Ask yourself the following questions to determine whether or not you ever vomit or data dump: · Do you interrupt your audience in your eagerness to highlight another point before they have finished? · Are you worried about making the sale or satisfying a new customer? · Do you ever lose their eye contact or get a glazed look? · Does your audience seem overwhelmed or confused? · Are you concentrating on what you need to say next instead of listening? · Do their nonverbal signals tell you they are getting ready to run? · Are you talking about yourself instead of discovering their needs? Have you claimed your FREE book yet?

 Psychological Power: The Mind Game Psychological Power is the ability people have to influence you while disguising their true intentions. People who are adept at using Psychological Power seek to alter another individual’s perceptions. Two (the other 10 are on the podcast) of  the most common Psychological Power techniques are outlined below. # 1: Time Pressure       People are slow at making decisions because they’re afraid of making mistakes. Negotiators hate to leave deals open-ended too long because the more time passes, the more time their prospects have to think of all the reasons why they should walk away. The reverse is also true: The more quickly you get a commitment out of your prospects, the more likely it is they’ll follow through. Basically, people who utilize this psychological tactic are leveraging the moments when emotion is high and judgment is suspended. It’s the “get ’em energized, seal the deal while they’re still soaring” mentality. It is from this mentality that we get promotions like “This offer only good for next hour” and “This offer won’t last long.”  I remember once negotiating a contract for the marketing department of a big corporation. I had a million other responsibilities weighing on me, so I felt rushed to hammer out the details of the contract that morning. The person I was negotiating with, on the other hand, was in no hurry whatsoever and had nowhere else to go. We bantered back and forth for six hours and still had not reached a resolution on a contract we were both happy with. My urgency to leave the meeting affected the terms I was finally able to get. #2: Unpredictability Sometimes, negotiators try to use unpredictability to throw the other person off. Humans are creatures of habit; we love the familiar and predictable. We love routine. Hence, when something unpredictable happens, we feel out of control. Think of a person you know who has an unpredictable personality. You never quite know if s/he is going to be happy or angry, thankful or resentful, elated or depressed.  How do you feel when you’re around this person? People sometimes do this on purpose to intimidate your or to feel a sense of control over you. Some negotiators will work through lunch, yell, lose control or be seen tearing down a colleague. These examples will often throw rookie prospects off guard. Be aware of these psychological negotiating tactics that could make you feel intimated or out of control.  Why Can Some Politicians Lie and Get Away With It? link to FREE BOOK

Anger is a secondary emotion. A prospect's anger is usually an indicator that something else is askew and that he needs or wants attention.  When we are angry – we want attention or action now. You can assist in diminishing his anger by determining the key issue he is upset about. It is also often effective to ask for his help, opinions, or advice.  This will usually diffuse his anger or even change his attitude and demeanor completely. In some circumstances, you may want to use anger to make a certain point or to evoke a certain reaction. However when someone is angry they are more likely to blame someone else. In their mind it is not their fault. When they are sad they will usually blame the situation. Writing Secrets That Sell  When people become angry they tend to rely on intuition or an educated guess.  Anger triggers non analytical information processing.   Anger causes us to use mental shortcuts to decide if the argument is right.    An experiment was done that induced anger. The participants that were angry tended to discriminate between weak and strong persuasive arguments more than those in a neutral mood.  In other words, those that were angry tended to be more influenced by heuristic cues (intuition) than those in a sad or neutral mood.

The Brick Wall of Resistance Has this ever happened to you? You enter a retail store and you're approached by a sharply dressed persuader. You are interested in buying, but the salesperson is a little aggressive. You get an alarming feeling in the pit of your stomach and then do what many of your customers do to you. You lie! You say, "I'm just looking; I'll come back later," or "It's too expensive," or "I have to talk to my spouse before I decide." What you're really thinking is "I don't like this guy," or "I don't trust her," or "Something didn't feel quite right." In the end, you never go back to this store, you never recommend it, and neither the store owner nor the persuader ever knows why. This is a large brick in the Brick Wall of Resistance.  This obstacle is truly a silent persuasion killer. Most people will never say anything to you to alert you to the fact they are feeling this way. They are more comfortable lying to you—so they don't hurt your feelings. They walk away and simply never deal with you again. The reason this obstacle is such a killer is because we don't even realize we're doing it. We are offending people and don't even know it. You may think you're just being friendly or enthusiastic, but be careful. While friendliness and enthusiasm are great attributes, if there is even so much as a hint of force, deception, hype, or selling underlying any of it, you've pretty much sunk the deal.  Audiences are tough. Ever-smarter consumers have built a lot of resistance to the old style of persuading; many people have a brick wall of resistance up before you've even started your presentation. They assume you're going to be the sleazy, manipulative sales guy before you've even had a chance to speak. They are all ready to resist you before you start. What do you do to overcome this tendency? Your persuasion attempts must be nonthreatening and very natural. Forget loud and flashy. That strategy only encourages resistance. And most definitely forget about high pressure. Not only does that solidify the wall of resistance in that particular moment, but the wall will increase in size. When people feel they have been pressured, bullied, or coerced into buying or doing something they don't need or want, they are resentful. They will never do business with you again. They will detest you for "tricking," "manipulating," "selling," or "forcing" them. They will bad-mouth you to all of their friends and family—even to people they don't know! You can end up losing not only this one person but, as the grapevine goes, potentially hundreds of others as well.               Great persuaders have cultivated a sixth sense when it comes to the "push and pull" aspect of persuasion. You must encourage without pushing. Entice, but don't ensnare. You have to sense and then predict, based upon knowledge, instinct, experience, and nonverbal cues, what you can do and how your audience will respond. With this sensitivity, which you can learn, there won't be any smacking head first into the brick wall of resistance.

Many times, when we are trying to be persuasive, we want to highlight all the perks and plusses. It's only natural. Wouldn't helping someone see the potential gains of your product or service be a good thing? Yes, but here is the issue: Your audience will buy for their own reasons and only their reasons. They don't care about why you like the product or service. They don't care how much you know about it—don’t bury them in detail. The more you spout off about features, the more your audience mentally checks out. Article: ‘Phubbing’: The Modern Way To Ruin Relationships When you want to draw attention to the benefits of a product or service, the best thing to do is uncover the features or benefits your audience is looking for first. Why spend precious time and energy highlighting things they don't care about? Let them tell you what they're looking for, and then center your discussion around those few key points. It is critical to remember that most people already know what they want. In fact, your audience's mindset often is looking for reasons not to buy. It is a natural defense mechanism. They're thinking, "How do I make sure I'm not getting myself into something I'll regret? What could go wrong?" There is another way spouting and spewing too much information can backfire: You might actually feature something they're not interested in or something they even see as a drawback. Why give them reasons not to buy? Again, let them tell you what they're looking for. After you've discussed what they care about, afterthey've made the decision to buy, then and only then should you fill in any remaining blanks with other benefits or features. Don't oversell by cluttering or distracting the few most important key points.    

   Great persuaders are congrooent, but what is congrooence? When things match, we don’t notice, but if something seems off, it grabs our attention either consciously or subconsciously. Just like the misspellings in the first sentence of this paragraph. You noticed it and your mind told you something was wrong with that word. Congruence is when your words match your actions. Agreement and harmony between what you say and what you do are paramount to instilling trust in those you work with. The more consistent and congruent you are in every aspect of your life, the more honest and genuine you’re perceived to be. If you believe in your message, you’ll practice what you preach. If you practice what you preach, you’ll be more authentic, and the door of trust will then swing wide open for you. When you possess congruency, there’s no need to manipulate or camouflage your behavior. Article: Is Oxytocin the Trust Molecule   Are you congruent with your history, your last interaction, and your reputation? Does your nonverbal behavior match your actions? Are your emotions congruent with your message? What are your audience’s expectations of you and your message? When your past history and your message don’t match, flags of incongruity will wave in your audience’s face. Suspicion will be roused and your audience will start to look for things that are wrong with you or your message. This inconsistency will decrease your ability to gain influence and trust. That’s because humans are natural lie detectors. When we attempt to fake congruence, we must also spend our time and energy trying to fake our message.  

 You have to be careful in how you explain and exhibit your credibility. If you launch into a laundry list of your accomplishments or of your education and titles, you might be perceived as a self-centered. Take advantage of less direct or less self-proclaiming ways to show your audience how competent you are. For example, you can hang your degrees on the wall, have someone else give a brief bio, or have someone else offer his recommendation of you. You can borrow credibility from others using a testimonial or statement from them. Credibility can also be defined as “having expertise, trustworthiness, goodwill, dynamism, extroversion, sociability, composure, or expertise.”(7)  Trust builds with dependability. Do you have a track record? Are you a person of your word? When you make an appointment, are you there on time? When you commit to doing something for someone, does it get done as promised? Do you think they will forget—well they don’t? They usually just won’t bring it up. When you make a promise, do you make sure it is kept, or are you full of excuses and alibis. Be reliable and follow through with all your promises. Credibility is “the single biggest variable under the speaker’s control during the presentation.”(8)  Another way to boost your credibility is to present yourself in a calm, organized, and authoritative manner. Being overly emotional or flustered throws your credibility out the window. Consider the most highly successful attorneys or CEOs. Article:  Public Trust on the Decline No matter how rushed or pressured they are, you don’t ever see them running into the room, slamming their stuff down on the table, and throwing themselves into their chairs. No! They are absolutely composed at all times. That’s because they must always convey an air of authority and control. Jury studies show that lawyers who appear well organized are thought of as being more thorough and better prepared than their disorganized counterparts, which of course increases their credibility.

Does confidence affect your ability to persuade? The answer is a resounding yes. It is important that you do not come across as cocky or arrogant. How can you tell the difference? It’s all about the intention. Confidence is motivated by a sincere desire to serve—you can help make a difference, and you know you can do a great job. You know that you have the tools, resources, ability, and inclination to do the job that’s required of you. In contrast, cockiness is driven by a need to serve yourself, instead of serving others. Article: How Easy/Hard Is It For Us To Trust? Deep down, cockiness actually reveals insecurity—the very opposite of confidence. The distinguishing feature seems to be intent. Cocky individuals seek approval, recognition, and honor from all the wrong sources, in all the wrong ways, and for all the wrong reasons. They are really looking for pats on their own back. Cockiness is self-centered, whereas confidence is people-centered. Cockiness is about the persuader and confidence is about the customer. Cocky or arrogant behavior usually elicits these types of complaints: He acted like he owned the place. She treated me like a child. She did not listen to what I wanted. He didn’t ask permission to . . . He blamed others. She did not own up to her mistake. He never answered my question. She always has to be right. He is arrogant and condescending.  

Competence is your knowledge and ability in a particular subject area. True competence comes from lifelong learning and experience. Competency exists on many levels. When we are observing someone from a distance, or when we are meeting them for the first time and our experience with them is very limited, we subconsciously perceive and assign them a certain competency level. These assumptions are usually based on external things, such as their title, their position, their height, how they dress, their demeanor, which kind of car they’re driving, the décor of their home or office, how they talk, their tone of voice, how they carry themselves or even things like what kinds of electronic devices they use. These initial impressions are important, because they can influence whether or not someone will pursue working with you. But then you have to be sure you possess true competence—not just perceived competence. Can you really do what you say you can do? Can you deliver? Does your audience think you have the skills, the knowledge, and the resources? Whether or not you have this deeper level of competence becomes glaringly obvious as people interact and work with you. Article: Six stats on the importance of trust in influencer marketing  One of the key ways to keep your competency on track is to be a lifetime learner. We consider others to be competent when we see them continually learning and advancing their training and education. I can remember going to buy computer products and discovering that I knew more about the product than the sales reps did (and I didn’t know much). In an attempt to cover up their lack of knowledge, these ill-informed salespeople tried to bluff their way through my questions. If they had kept themselves educated about the product, the field, and the industry, then they would not have lost my trust in them as competent professionals—and they would not have lost a customer. Learn to become the best in your field.

Character is the combination of qualities that distinguishes one person from another. These qualities make up who you are on the inside—not the external front you may sometimes put up. Who are you, really? What do you do when no one is watching, when there is no one to impress? How do you treat people when you don’t need something from them? Character is also made up of such qualities as integrity, honesty, sincerity, and predictability. I consider solid character to be at the very foundation of one’s ability to succeed. No success is going to be profound or lasting in its effects if it stems from questionable ethics, motives, or behaviors. In his best-selling book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey offers a powerful explanation for how character is crucial to one’s ultimate success: If I try to use human influence strategies and tactics of how to get other people to do what I want, to work better, to be more motivated, to like me and each other—while my character is fundamentally flawed, marked by duplicity or insincerity—then, in the long run, I cannot be successful. My duplicity will breed distrust, and everything I do—even using so-called good human relations techniques—will be perceived as manipulative. It simply makes no difference how good the rhetoric is or even how good the intentions are; if there is little or no trust, there is no foundation for permanent success. The right smile could boost trust—and giving Even if you’re an honest person of admirable character, it is human nature for people to cast sweeping judgments and formulate opinions without all the facts. So, if you want genuine trust and lasting persuasion, you must avoid even the slightest appearance of anything that might be considered dishonest. If you never place yourself in a situation where one might be misled about you or your integrity, then your good, hard-earned reputation will never be compromised.  

Whenever someone tries to influence us, in our minds we ask ourselves, “Can I trust this person? Do I believe him? Is she really concerned about me?” We are less likely to be influenced if we sense that the person trying to persuade us is driven solely by self-interest. Trust is the glue that holds the entire persuasion process together.  Trust is created when you put your audience’s interests and wants before your own. Many times trust comes when your audience feels you are predictable. For some people, trust is a leap of faith; they simply want and need to believe in the persuader’s intentions. Research shows that, deep down, people want to trust others.  If you can’t assume that your audience automatically trusts you, then your next focus should be on how to acquire this sense of trust as early on in the persuasion process as possible. To do this, it’s helpful to understand how trust works. Most people can’t explain why they trust certain people more or less than others.  Usually there is not a lot of rational thought behind it; more often, it is an instinct or feeling about the particular person. Your audience will feel you out, trying to discern whether or not they can trust you and how much. Remember it is a sliding scale. This means that you want to be perceived as trustworthy right away, before your audience members even know you (because, fair or not, they’re already making judgment calls about you at this point).  Then, you can demonstrate that this trustworthiness is genuine through your correspondence and interactions. Gaining and keeping trust for both the short term and the long term is vital to your success as a persuader. Article: Why we trust some strangers more than others

The more a brand is advertised, the more popular and familiar it is perceived to be. We as consumers somehow infer that something is popular simply because it is advertised. When people are buying gifts for others, social proof is one of the most effective techniques that a salesclerk can use." Many salespeople find great success in telling clients that a particular product is their "best-selling" or "most popular" on hand because social validation increases their credibility of the product. When customers feel that something is more popular, they spend more money to acquire it, even if there is no proof other than the salesperson's word. So it is with advertising: Asserting that a product is in super-high demand or that it is the most popular or fastest selling, etc., seems to provide proof enough. When consumers perceive a product is popular, that's often all they need to go out and purchase it. Link to Article: Making Social Validation Work or Application The power of social validation can be used to your benefit in any persuasive situation. When your product or service is socially validated, people are most likely to use it or switch to it. People are always looking around and comparing themselves to see if they line up with everyone else. If they feel a discrepancy between where they are and where everyone else is, they will most likely conform to the group standard. How Can You Increase Social Validation?  Is Your Product/Service…  Best-selling Number one Top 10 Fasting growing Most Popular Newest trend Standard issue

  Competence is your knowledge and ability in a particular subject area. True competence comes from lifelong learning and experience. Competency exists on many levels. When we are observing someone from a distance, or when we are meeting them for the first time and our experience with them is very limited, we subconsciously perceive and assign them a certain competency level. These assumptions are usually based on external things, such as their title, their position, their height, how they dress, their demeanor, which kind of car they’re driving, the décor of their home or office, how they talk, their tone of voice, how they carry themselves or even things like what kinds of electronic devices they use. These initial impressions are important, because they can influence whether or not someone will pursue working with you. But then you have to be sure you possess true competence—not just perceived competence. Can you really do what you say you can do? Can you deliver? Does your audience think you have the skills, the knowledge, and the resources? Whether or not you have this deeper level of competence becomes glaringly obvious as people interact and work with you. Article One of the key ways to keep your competency on track is to be a lifetime learner. We consider others to be competent when we see them continually learning and advancing their training and education. I can remember going to buy computer products and discovering that I knew more about the product than the sales reps did (and I didn’t know much). In an attempt to cover up their lack of knowledge, these ill-informed salespeople tried to bluff their way through my questions. If they had kept themselves educated about the product, the field, and the industry, then they would not have lost my trust in them as competent professionals—and they would not have lost a customer. Learn to become the best in your field. Demonstrate you know your area of expertise.

Optimistic persuaders outpersuade pessimistic persuaders every time. Not only is optimism essential to influencing others, but is also a critical for success in life. Optimism is more than a positive mental attitude. It is not constantly saying positive things to yourself and then hoping they will come true. Rather, true optimism is a state of mind that dictates how you look at the world. An optimistic view of life and the world around you can inspire hope and courage in others. We all want to feel inspired and encouraged. When a persuader can deliver this type of message, we want to follow that person. This tendency is how optimism helps you in influencing others. Pessimism on the other hand is always taking the negative view. Others will consider a pessimist as irritable and always looking for the negative in every situation. Pessimists are the ones who will be the first to complain and tell everyone else that nothing goes right. As a result, they never get the success or recognition they deserve.  Article : A little anger in negotiation pays Countless studies have shown that optimists do better in school, persuade better, have more friends, perform better in their careers, and live longer than pessimists. Pessimists, on the other hand, frequently battle depression, have fewer friends, find it difficult to persuade, and give up faster and more easily. To illustrate this point, in one study, those who sold insurance were monitored on their optimistic or pessimistic outlook in relation to setbacks. The optimistic persuaders sold more policies and were half as likely to quit.  Great persuaders have what we call “influential optimism.” This means that they see the positive in all situations. Rather than focusing on disappointment, cynicism, or negative feelings, they look for ways to move forward. People want to be persuaded by individuals who have a positive view on life. As an optimist, you see the world as a series of exciting challenges. You inspire positive feelings about everything you stand for. People want to be around you because they live in a very pessimistic world. The optimistic mindset is contagious and helps to empower other people to believe in you and in themselves. As an optimist, you help others see failure or setback as temporary. You have no doubt that success will happen. FREE BOOK

Even for the strongest individuals, their commitment level or willpower is not always constant. Willpower is like a battery. As you exercise your willpower throughout the day, the battery power starts to decline. What drains your battery? Fatigue, negative emotions, low blood sugar, suppression of emotions, and even peer pressure will drain your willpower battery faster than anything else. An interesting study gives more credibility to this idea that willpower may actually be made stronger if given periods of recess. Researchers had college students arrive to participate in an experiment regarding taste perception (or so the students thought). The students were instructed to come to the study hungry by abstaining from foods for three hours prior to their arrival. When they entered the room, they were greeted by the scent of freshly baked chocolate cookies, which were piled high on a side table, next to a bowl of freshly washed and trimmed radishes. As they entered the room, they were divided into two groups. One group was told they could only eat the chocolate chip cookies and the other only eat the radishes. They were then left alone to walk around the room as they waited for the researchers. Obviously, the radish group of students had to exercise their willpower to refrain from eating the chocolate chip cookies and only eat the plain radishes. After five minutes, the students were told that they needed to wait for their sensory perception of the food to fade before performing a new task. This next, unrelated assignment (or so they thought) was to solve a puzzle. Unbeknownst to the students, the puzzles were unsolvable. The researchers just wanted to see how fast the subjects would give up on the puzzles. Remember that the researchers were suggesting that willpower and self-discipline would weaken after doing sequential tasks, much like an overused muscle that has been strained to fatigue or a battery that has lost its charge. In looking at the two groups—one that ate cookies (requiring no willpower) and one that ate radishes (exercising their willpower against the tantalizing cookie smell)—the results proved interesting. The cookie-eating group worked on the puzzles for 18.54 minutes before they gave up while the radish-eating group worked on the puzzles for only 8.21 minutes before giving up. In other words, the radish group, the one that had exercised willpower, gave up 2.25 times faster than the group that did not exercise any willpower at all. The bottom line is the more we sequentially exercise our willpower, the more we have drained our battery. Why mental health is deteriorating

Understanding different types of audiences will also help you determine their acceptance level. Following are some different categories of audiences and how to deal with each of them. The Hostile Audience This group disagrees with you and may even actively work against you. For a hostile audience, use these techniques: Find common beliefs and establish a common ground. Use appropriate humor to break the ice. Don't start the presentation with an attack on their position. You are only trying to persuade on one point; don't talk about anything else that could trigger disagreement. Because of your differences, they will question your credibility. Increase your credibility with studies from experts or anything that will support your claim. They will try to find reasons to not like you; don't give them any. Don't tell them you are going to try to persuade them. Express that you are looking for a win-win outcome rather than a win-lose situation. If possible, meet with the audience more than once before challenging them on areas of disagreement. Show them you've done your homework. Respect their feelings, values, and integrity. Use logical reasoning as clearly and as carefully as possible. Use the Law of Connectivity and the Law of Balance. The Neutral or Indifferent Audience This audience understands your position, but doesn't care about the outcome. The key to dealing with this group is creating motivation and energy—be dynamic. To persuade the indifferent audience: Spell out the benefits to them or the things around them. Point out the downside of not accepting your proposal. Identify why they should care. Grab their attention by using a story. Make them care by showing them how the topic affects them. Get them to feel connected to your issues. Avoid complex arguments. Use concrete examples with familiar situations or events. Use the Law of Involvement and the Law of Social Validation. Check out this article.

When you become a Power Persuader, you will learn to love objections. You will come to understand that when people voice their objections, it actually indicates interest and shows that they are paying attention to what you are saying. The key to persuasion is anticipating all objections before you hear them. Fielding questions and handling objections can make or break you as a persuader. These skills will help you in every aspect of your life. Check out this article:  How to predict which Olympic athletes won’t choke Here are some tips on how to handle objections: The first thing is to find out if the objection is something you can solve. Suppose you are negotiating a large office furniture order and the objection comes up about not being able to afford your furniture. You then find out your prospect just declared bankruptcy. Obviously there is nothing you can do or say that will resolve such an objection. Let your prospect state his objection: Hear him out completely, without interruption. Wait until he is finished before you say anything. Hold your response until the other person is receptive to what you are about to say. This is the first time your prospect has voiced his objection; he will not listen until he has said what is on his mind. Always ask your prospect to restate or repeat his key points. Every time he replays his objection it becomes clearer in both your minds. Letting him speak, particularly if he is upset, drains emotion from his objection. Allowing him to voice his concerns also gives you time to think about a response and helps you determine his intent in bringing up the objection in the first place. Always compliment your prospect on her objection. As a Power Persuader, you should appreciate a good objection; it dictates the direction in which you should take your presentation. You don't have to prove you are right 100 percent of the time. Skillful persuaders will always find some point of agreement. Stay calm. Scientific tests have proven that calmly stated facts are more effective in getting people to change their minds than are threats and force. Don't be arrogant or condescending. Show empathy with your prospect's objection. Let him know others have felt this way. Talk in the third person; use a disinterested party to prove your point. This is why we often use testimonials—to let someone else do the persuading for us. Give the person room to save face. People will often change their minds and agree with you later. Unless your prospect has made a strong stand, leave the door open for her to later agree with you and save face at the same time. It could be that she did not have all the facts, that she misunderstood, or that you didn't explain everything correctly.

The Law of Expectations AND The Impact of Suggestion  The Law of Expectations uses expectations to influence reality and create results. Individuals tend to make decisions based on how others expect them to behave or perform. As a result, people fulfill those expectations whether positive or negative.  Expectations have a powerful impact on those we trust and respect, but, interestingly, an impact on strangers. When we know someone expects something from us, we will try to satisfy him or her in order to gain respect, trust and likability. Check out this article.  You know the saying, "What gets measured, gets done." The same is true for expectations. That which is expected is what actually happens. People rise to meet your expectations of them. This is a powerful force that can lead to the improvement or destruction of a person. You can express an expectation of doubt, lack of confidence, and skepticism, and you will see the results.    We communicate our expectations in a variety of ways. It may be through our language, our word choice, voice inflections, or our body language. Think of a time when you've been introduced to someone. Usually, if they introduce themselves by their first name, then you do the same. If they give their first and last name, you do likewise.  Whether you realize it or not, you accept cues from others regarding their expectations and you act accordingly. Similarly, we all unknowingly send out our own cues and expectations. The power is in using the Law of Expectations consciously! FREE BOOK

A great persuader can connect with anyone in thirty seconds or less. First impressions take only seconds to form, but they last a lifetime. This is a critical skill to develop because the cement dries fast. How do you ensure that you’re making those early seconds really count? That first judgment or opinion about you is vital to your success. In this fast-paced world, you probably won’t get a second chance—you have to make it happen the first time. Check out this article from the show. Rapport is equivalent to being on the same wavelength with the other person. Rapport is the key to mutual trust. With rapport, we can differ in our opinions with someone else yet still feel a strong bond. Rapport can even exist between two people with little in common. Many persuaders can’t tell if they’re connecting. They think that they’re doing everything right, that they’re doing all the stereotypical rapport-building things: being friendly, enthusiastic, or fun. But the reality is that in most cases, they are not building rapport and are failing to connect with their audience. Studies show that not only do 75 percent of people not like all the “gushy, chit-chatty stuff,” but 99 percent of them won’t even bother to stop you when they’re annoyed.  The proverbial bad salesman comes to mind here. He acts too chummy and tells stupid jokes, all the while thinking everyone loves him. You’ve probably met him. What did you do when you met this person? If you’re like most people, you politely endured the encounter, made up some excuse to get him off your back, and then swore to yourself that’d you’d never get stuck talking to him again. Reality check: This annoying person could be you. Free Book

Research demonstrates that 81 percent of persuaders talk more than necessary during the persuasion process. They are talking too much,7 and you are likely talking too much. Check this out. When we talk too much and fail to allow our audience to ask questions, it increases the thickness of the brick wall of resistance. Consider the doctor analogy to persuasion, meaning you have to listen and ask questions before you can diagnose the problem. The doctor does not come into the examination room and try to sell you on a prescription without first asking questions or trying to discover what you really need. Like a physician, you need to step back and be able to absorb and evaluate everything your audience is saying. While monitoring persuaders, I have found a constant epidemic of overpersuasion and regurgitating too many features. FREE BOOK Ask yourself the following questions to determine whether or not you ever overpersuade or flood them with too much information: Do you interrupt your audience in your eagerness to highlight another point before they have finished? Are you worried about making the sale or satisfying a new customer? Do you ever lose their eye contact or get a glazed look? Do they seem stressed, indifferent, or agitated? Does your audience seem overwhelmed or confused? Are you concentrating on what you need to say next instead of listening? Is your audience giving you excuses and objections that you've already covered or that you know aren't really true? Do their nonverbal signals tell you they are getting ready to run? Are you talking about yourself instead of discovering their needs?

Common Obstacles That Limit Your Persuasion Success The worst time to learn a persuasion skill is when you need it. Persuasion must be mastered before it is needed, or the opportunity is lost forever. In all the years that I have worked in persuasion, sales, influence, and leadership, I have never yet found a perfect persuader.  Ironically, one area of persuasion that is easily overlooked is the very one that would make everything else fall into place. You've probably heard the old adage, "Dull knives work the hardest." Working hard is not the same as working smart. Are your knives sharp? Are you working smart? See article here. If you sharpened up in this one area, you'd likely be working more efficiently overall. Check yourself. Are you just going through the motions? Are you still using the same old tools over and over again without seeing the desired results? Or worse, are you making the same old mistakes over and over again? Are you making less than you could because of common "old-school" persuasion mistakes?  There are things you are doing right now that cause people to resist you and your message. My research shows that there are common obstacles mediocre persuaders make that limit their success and income.  Each obstacle is like driving around town with your emergency brake on. You are wondering why your car never has much power. These problems are simple to fix, but expensive to have. Persuasive Presentation SPECIAL.

Zeigarnik Effect When we feel we've been left hanging, it drives us crazy! We want to know the end of the story. What is the missing piece? We want our tasks to be completed so we can check them off our list. This is also known as the "Zeigarnik Effect," named after Bluma Zeigarnik, a Russian psychologist. This effect is the tendency we have to remember uncompleted thoughts, ideas, or tasks more than completed ones. The story goes the Bluma Zeigarnik was sitting in a café in Vienna when she observed that a waiter could remember everything someone had ordered, but once the food was delivered the waiter forgot everything.  This led for her to realize that it is easier to remember everything about an uncompleted task, but once the task is completed the memory will immediately fade.  That uncompleted task will hold onto our memory, improve the recall and help us remember. We experience intrusive and almost nagging thoughts about a goal or an objective that was left incomplete.  It is built into our psyche to want to finish what we start. We see the Zeigarnik Effect on the television news and other programs. Right before a commercial break, the newscasters announce some interesting tidbit that will come later in the hour. This piques your interest and, rather than flipping the channel, you stay tuned. Movies and dramas on television also leave you hanging in suspense. By leaving something uncompleted right before the commercial break, the programs draw our attention, keep us involved, and motivate us to continue watching. We don't feel satisfaction until we receive finality, closure, or resolution to the message, our goals, or any aspect of our life.  Incomplete tasks trigger thoughts. The thoughts of the incomplete task trigger more memory retention.  More memory retention triggers anxiety that triggers more thoughts of the uncompleted business. You also see the Zeigarnik Effect in the courtroom. We already know that people feel more confident and impressed with information they discover for themselves over time. This dictates that persuaders slowly dispel information, rather than dumping large volumes of information all at once. A good lawyer does not disclose everything he knows about the case or the plaintiff during his opening statement. As the trial progresses, the jury can fill in the blanks for themselves with the additional information they gradually receive. This works much better than dumping all the information on them in the beginning. It holds the jurors' attention longer and gives the message more validity. The jury discovers the answers for themselves, and is more likely to arrive at the desired conclusion. 

 "Buyer's remorse" is also a form of dissonance. When we purchase a product or service, we tend to look for ways to convince ourselves that we made the right decision. If the people around us or other factors make us question our decision, we experience buyer's remorse. On feeling this inconsistency, we'll look for anything—facts, peer validation, expert opinion—to reduce the dissonance in our minds concerning the purchase. Some of us even use selective exposure to minimize the risk of seeing or hearing something that could cause dissonance. Often people won't even tell family or friends about their purchase or decision because they know it will create dissonance. Asking for a refund, complaining about the product or representative, or having remorse can all be forms of dissonance.  If you handle your prospect the wrong way it increases dissonance and they will demand a refund.   FREE BOOK

I am not going to be politically correct in this section.  I know it is not fair.  I know we should not judge, I am here to help you with reality.  Everyone judges and some of these items are things you can fix – some of them you can’t.  Focus on the things you can improve and don’t worry about the rest.  This attraction is also called the Halo Effect. It operates by making one positive characteristic of a person affect other people's overall perception of him. Because of this halo effect, people automatically associate traits of kindness, trust, and intelligence with people who are attractive. We naturally try to please people we like and find attractive. If your audience likes you, they will forgive you for your "wrongs" and remember your "rights." Check out this article. In fact, studies show that people who are physically attractive are better able to persuade others. They are also perceived as friendlier and more talented, and they usually have higher incomes.  "Attractive" means more than just looking beautiful or handsome. It also encompasses having the ability to attract and draw people to you.  Your physical attractiveness will influence attitude change, enhance your expertise and increase agreement. The effect of attractiveness transcends all situations. For example, the judicial system, which is supposed to be based upon evidence, has documented cases where attractiveness made a dramatic difference. In one Pennsylvania study, researchers rated the attractiveness of seventy-four male defendants at the start of their criminal trials. Later, the researchers reviewed the court records for the decisions in these cases and found that the handsome men had received significantly lighter sentences. In fact, those researchers found that the attractive defendants were twice as likely to avoid jail time as unattractive defendants. In the same study, a defendant who was better looking than his victim was assessed an average fine of $5,623; but when the victim.   Get your FREE copy of Maximum Influence.

Almost everyone wants to accomplish their dreams, achieve more, become a better person, or pursue bigger and better goals. And we often know exactly what we need to do to make these things happen. So why don't we do them? Why do we fall short of our dreams and aspirations? Check out this article on goal setting Writing down your goals coupled with a strong desire to reach them won't automatically bring success if you overlook this one vital detail: Successes are not achieved if they aren't first conceived mentally. We are told all the time to be positive, to change that attitude, to have a good outlook. In fact, we are so bombarded with these messages that they are easy to tune out. We gloss over "think positive" messages, saying, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've heard that before. Now get to the meat." In this chapter, we're going to talk about much more than just positive attitudes—I call it "mental programming." This mind training or self-persuasion is what gives great persuaders the psychological edge. It's true that "you'll only achieve it once the mind believes it." By "programming" our minds, we dictate our future. It's just that simple. Think of your loftiest goals, your greatest aspirations. Do you really believe you can achieve them, deep down? Do you? If you can't visualize your success, you are unlikely to ever experience it in real life. We are always thinking and processing information, and our thoughts either propel us closer to our goals or drive us away from our dreams.

How to Command Attention with Power and Authority  Great persuaders know and understand how to use different forms of power, but if you're like most people, you just cringed at the word "power." Is power something we're really allowed to talk about? Is it good or bad? Can we have power over our audience? Check out the article here. The answers to these questions depend on what form of power it is, how it is used, and what the user's intentions are. We all possess different forms of power in different situations. It is human nature to respect and follow power and expertise, and power certainly has legitimate, ethical, and necessary uses. Of course, we know that power can also be used unethically to manipulate and control Power is different from force. It is all about your intent. Power creates trust, it strengthens, and it empowers. Force must always be maintained, enforced, and warranted. Force sucks the energy and life out of people. True power encourages, revitalizes, and creates unity and synergy. Power causes us to listen and obey. Force causes us to be skeptical and run. David R. Hawkins said it best: "Power gives life and energy—force takes these away. We notice that power is associated with compassion and makes us feel positively about ourselves. Force is associated with judgment and makes us feel poorly about ourselves." Have you gotten your FREE book yet?

I was asked an interesting question last week on a radio interview.  I was asked, “How can you resist or repel an unwanted persuasive attempt?”  He also asked, “How can you stop someone that always tends to manipulate you?” I discuss this article here, and the persuasion ninja of the week. On this podcast, I talk about ways to resist another person’s unethical persuasive attempt.  This is good to know for you as a person and as a persuader.  As a person, this information will help you resist unwanted persuasive attempts.  As a persuader, you will begin to see some of this resistance or behavior in your prospects and will need to adjust your presentation.  So how do you resist persuasion or even manipulation?   Offer of the week

On this episode Kurt interviews Dave Kurlan. They discuss the biggest mistake that sales people make, baseball and sales, biggest mindset obstacles, self-limiting beliefs and how to reprogram your beliefs, how to get your prospect to pay more attention to you than to your competition, the sales process, good closing techniques, how to create urgency early, how to get past a "slump," how to know whether or not your prospect is qualified, and how to deal with resistance. Dave Kurlan is a Sales Development Expert and a top rated speaker, and the best-selling author of Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He hosts Meet the Sales Experts, a weekly radio show and is the leading expert in Sales Assessments and Sales Force Evaluations. He is a contributing author, along with Deepak Chopra, Brian Tracy and Jack Canfield, to the new book, Stepping Stones, and a contributing author, along with Jeffrey Gitomer and Zig Ziglar, to the new book, Mastering the World of Selling. He has published more than 800 articles on his popular sales management Blog, Understanding the Sales Force. He is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, and Kurlan & Associates, both Inc 5000 companies. For more information about Dave and his work visit his site here.

One of the Bricks - Fear of Rejection We all experience rejection in small doses every day. But what about when we persuade for a living? Rejection seems to take a higher toll. We avoid rejection like the plague, but it affects your income. Running away from the rejection solves nothing. Letting our fears overtake us and paralyze us also solves nothing. Ironically, whether we run or succumb, neither option helps the situation. Fear of rejection can also affect the bottom line by inhibiting you from getting out there and approaching people in the first place. If you are so incapacitated by fears of rejection that you retreat from attempting persuasion at all, then you have sealed your own fate. So we can hate and fear rejection all we want, but it's still going to happen. What do great persuaders do about this? How do great persuaders respond so that their fear of rejection doesn't paralyze them and affect their performance? The first thing to keep in mind is that even if your audience ultimately concludes that your product or service is not the right fit, they are not rejecting you personally. We generally understand this concept on a superficial level, but I ask you to give it some thought and really let it sink in. Do not allow yourself to feel inferior, embarrassed, or depressed based on somebody else's opinion. The ability to bounce back after being faced with rejection on any scale is critical in the persuasion world. Great persuaders have the ability to erase the negativity from their minds at will and move on with a clean slate in a matter of minutes. This tendency is worth noting considering the fact that most of us hang on to negativity and use it to nurse our wounds or make excuses for weeks, months, and sometimes even years. Another way to hasten your rebound from rejection is to realize that your worst fears are probably not even realistic. Suppose a sweet deal slipped through your fingers. No matter what you said or did, the client's words were final. In other words, you were rejected. Is your life really over? Does your audience now hate your guts? Are they going to smear your good name and come after your family in a mad rage? Are they going to spray-paint the office with slanderous, hurtful remarks? Of course not. The truth is, it just wasn't a good fit. They'll have forgotten about it in a matter of minutes or hours, and you should too. Offer: FREE BOOK

The Hostile Prospect This person disagrees with you and may even actively work against you. For a hostile prospect, use these techniques: ·         Find common beliefs and establish a common ground. ·         Use appropriate humor to break the ice. ·         Don’t start the presentation with an attack on their position. ·         You are only trying to persuade on one point; don’t talk about   anything else that could trigger disagreement. ·         Because of your differences, they will question your credibility.    Increase your credibility with studies from experts or anything that will support your claim. ·         They will try to find reasons to not like you; don’t give them any. ·         Don’t tell them you are going to try to persuade them. ·         Express that you are looking for a win-win outcome rather than a win-lose situation. ·         Show them you’ve done your homework. ·         Respect their feelings, values, and integrity. ·         Use logical reasoning as clearly and as carefully as possible. ·         Use the Law of Connectivity and the Law of Balance. Deal of the week: FREE BOOK

On this episode Kurt discusses the geeky article of the biggest causes of anxiety. Article here. He also discusses the blunder of the week that happened to him at a burger joint in Southern California. And why first impressions really are important. He also discusses the brick wall of resistance and how we sometimes create it. Has this ever happened to you? You enter a retail store and you're approached by a sharply dressed persuader. You are interested in buying, but the salesperson is a little aggressive. You get an alarming feeling in the pit of your stomach and then do what many of your customers do to you. You lie! You say, "I'm just looking; I'll come backlater," or "It's too expensive," or "I have to talk to my spouse before I decide." What you're really thinking is "I don't like this guy," or "I don't trust her," or "Something didn't feel quite right." In the end, you never go back to this store, you never recommend it, and neither the store owner nor the persuader ever knows why. This obstacle is truly a silent persuasion killer. Most people will never say anything to you to alert you to the fact they are feeling this way. They are more comfortable lying to you—so they don't hurt your feelings. They walk away and simply never deal with you again. The reason this obstacle is such a killer is because we don't even realize we're doing it.  What do you do to overcome this tendency? Your persuasion attempts must be nonthreatening and very natural. Forget loud and flashy. That strategy only encourages resistance. And most definitely forget about high pressure. Not only does that solidify the wall of resistance in that particular moment, but the wall will increase in size. When people feel they have been pressured, bullied, or coerced into buying or doing something they don't need or want, they are resentful. They will never do business with you again.  The moment people sense that you are attempting to persuade them, the brick wall increases in size and strength, and they will resist you. To counter this tendency, persuasion and sales must take place below the conscious radar.  Great persuaders have cultivated a sixth sense when it comes to the "push and pull" aspect of persuasion. You must encourage without pushing. Entice, but don't ensnare. You have to sense and then predict, based upon knowledge, instinct, experience, and nonverbal cues, what you can do and how your audience will respond. With this sensitivity, which you can learn, there won't be any smacking head first into the brick wall of resistance. Offer of the week: lawsofinfluence.com 

Join Kurt as he interviews Kristin Zhivago. Kristin is president of Zhivago Partners, a digital marketing management company, and the author of the book, Roadmap to Revenue: How to Sell the Way Your Customers Want to Buy. Kristin was one of the first to identify selling as a matter of supporting the customer's buying process. Kristen and Kurt discuss: Biggest blunder people make today in sales & influence Tips for entrepreneurs How to think like a buyer How to deal with a prospect who has found wrong information or too much information from the internet How to not bore your prospects What questions to ask to get your customers to buy Current trends in online marketing And much more! Content Marketing: How to go from Creep to Friend Why do they need or want what you’re selling? It is never, ever what you assume. Interviewing thousands of customers for my clients convinced me of that by the second interview. What roadblocks must be overcome, in their own minds, before they can reach for their wallet? Who do they have to convince? What else have they looked at, and why did they reject it (so far)? What makes them nervous about buying from you, because of their past experiences and because of the things you said – or didn’t say – on your website? What is the question they wish everyone would answer, but no one does? All of us marketers can easily suffer from a problem that is similar to the one salespeople have. Most salespeople listen only closely enough so that they can talk. In other words, their goal is to talk, not to listen. They listen so they can talk. Similarly, marketers gather facts about their customers so they can prove to their bosses that they “get” those customers, and so they can write. They are more excited about the output than the input, just like salespeople, and just like the graph above makes clear. For more information about Kristin visit: zhivagopartners.com Offer of the week: Find our your Persuasion IQ & get a free digital copy of my best-selling book! www.takeyouriq.com   

On this episode Kurt discusses the blunder and ninja of the day, and the psychology of waiting and whether or not is a good or bad thing and if it affects your ability to persuade. Atmosphere can also include the tension in the air. Is there a rush, or are customers relaxed? What type of climate are you trying to create? Do you want a quick, fast decision, or do you want your customers to feel comfortable enough to stay for a while? An interesting study on what happens when you create an atmosphere of being rushed can be seen in the following example: Princeton University psychologists John Darley and Daniel Batson wanted to see how students would respond if they were in a situation replicating the biblical account of the Good Samaritan.  As the story goes, a band of thieves beat, robbed, and left a man traveling alone by the roadside to die. A devout priest and a reputable Levite passed by.  Neither of the men stopped to help the dying man. Finally, a Samaritan, stopped to help him. The Samaritan bound up his wounds, took him to an inn, and even paid the innkeeper to care for him until he returned. Darley and Batson asked seminarians on a one-on-one basis to prepare and present a short speech on an assigned biblical topic. The test was set up so that on their way to the location where they would deliver their speech, each student would cross a man slumped over, coughing and groaning. Which students would actually stop and help? Before preparing their speeches, the students filled out a questionnaire asking why they had chosen to study theology. Then a variety of speech topics were assigned, including the story of the Good Samaritan. As the students were leaving to deliver their speeches, some were told, "You'd better hurry. They were expecting you about three minutes ago." Others were told, "They won't be ready for a few minutes, but you may as well head over now." Now, most people would assume that seminarians stating on their questionnaires that they had chosen to study theology so they could help people and who were then assigned to speak on the Good Samaritan would be the ones most likely to stop and help the ailing man on their way. Interestingly, neither of those two factors seemed to make much of a difference. In fact, Darley and Batson stated, "Indeed, on several occasions, a seminary student going to give his talk on the parable of the Good Samaritan literally stepped over the victim as he hurried on his way." The element that seemed to be most influential was whether or not the student was rushed. Of the students who were told they were already a little late, only 10 percent stopped to help. Of the students who were told they had a little bit more time, 63 percent stopped to help. We can learn from this example that we can create atmospheres where people are so involved that they ignore other factors they normally would not ignore.  On the flip side, if participants are too relaxed than they become difficult to persuade. Free Book Offer: Lawsofinfluence.com

Join Kurt as he interviews Travis Truett, the CEO of Ambition, the first sales performance management platform built for the modern workforce thats currently endorsed by Google, Harvard Business Review and more. On this episode they discuss the most common persuasion blunders, how to get in your prospects shoes, biggest changes in the sales & influence world, how to persuade millennials (check out this article), gamification and when it can backfire, why people buy and more! 4 Ways to Inspire Your Millennial Workforce #1. Encourage Them Regularly Along with Feedback This group responds well to reinforcement and finds great value by being noticed and receiving recognition for their efforts. Young adults within the workforce are also striving for leadership positions than before. Giving them an impression of being important is likely to make them feel contended and stay with their employers longer because they see the potential for growth.  #2. Offer Millennials Personal Time Along with Flexibility Millennial’s are particular about having a work-life balance to which they give extra importance. Companies and management that can offer flexible schedules will improve their chances for procuring millennial talent.  #3. Help Millennials Connect to the Business Organizations and companies are often making mistakes by failing to explain their vision to their employees. Companies are advised not to overlook explaining their values because it helps employees to connect to the overall vision of the employer. Millennial’s have a tendency to look out for methods where they can make a difference and if they are interested in the vision of the employer it will be just the ignition they need to perform better.  #4. Create New Titles Along with Steps In Between The best ways to inspire your millennial workforce is to create new titles because of their commitment to further their careers. Millennial's do not prefer waiting for a lengthy period of time for promotions. This is not an indicator for companies to be giving out rewards without reason but considering smaller incentives, as a bonus for a job completed efficiently will be significant. The objective must be to keep the Millennial’s understand they are on the right path. Offer of the week: Lawsofinfluence.com For more information about Travis and his work visit ambition.com  

The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance Leon Festinger formulated the cognitive dissonance theory at Stanford University. He asserted, "When attitudes or beliefs conflict with our actions, we are uncomfortable and motivated to try to change." Festinger's theory sets the foundation for the Law of Dissonance. The Law of Dissonance proves that people will naturally act in a manner that is consistent with their cognitions. What is a cognition?  Our cognitions is a mental process that uses thoughts, beliefs, experiences, and past perceptions.  Basically that means when people behave in a manner that is inconsistent with these cognitions, (beliefs, thoughts or values) they find themselves in a state of discomfort. In this uncomfortable state, they will be motivated to adjust their behaviors or beliefs to regain mental and emotional balance. When our beliefs, attitudes, and actions mesh, we feel congruent. When they don't, we feel dissonance at some level—that is, we feel awkward, uncomfortable, upset, or nervous. In order to eliminate or reduce that tension, we will do everything possible to adjust our beliefs or rationalize our behavior, even if it means doing something we don't want to do.   Imagine that there is a big rubber band inside of you. When dissonance is present, the rubber band begins to stretch. As long as the dissonance exists, the band stretches tighter and tighter. You've got to take action before it reaches a breaking point and snaps. The motivation to reduce the tension is what causes us to change; we will do everything in our power to get back in mental balance. We like to feel a level of consistency in our day to day actions and interactions.  This harmony is the glue that holds everything together and helps us cope with the world and all the decisions we have to make. The human brain needs to be right. It is hard for us to admit we are wrong.  We are programmed to justify what we are doing is right and avoid taking responsibilities when things go wrong. It is easier for us to find ways to prove ourselves right (even when we are wrong) then to admit why we are wrong.   Even when backed into a corner or shown evidence that proves we are wrong, we tend to not change our reasoning or point of view.  We will find reasons, proof, or social support why what we did was OK. We will start to believe our lies to ourselves, it couldn’t be our fault and we persuade ourselves why we were justified. Find all past podcast episodes with a free membership at www.influenceuniversity.com Get your free book at www.lawsofinfluence.com

Join us on this great interview with Dr. Ben Voyer.  We are going to talk about: How persuasion has changed Biggest persuasion blunder Loss avoidance Power and relationships Influential nature of stories Professor Voyer is Loreal Professor of Creativity Marketing ESCP Europe, and visiting fellow London School of Economics. Professor Voyer is a behavioural scientist that has investigated how self-perception and interpersonal relations affect cognition. He has authored & co-authored more than 150 scientific contributions to the field of applied psychology. He has appeared on CNBC, CNN, The Washington Post, The Economist, BBC, Financial Times, BusinessWeek and The Economist. 

Objection Obstacles All excuses and objections can be boiled down one or more of these seven potential objections: Once you understand that all objections stem from one or more of these seven key areas, you will have a much easier time identifying the root of your audience's discomfort. You will then be able to address their objections in a professional, caring, and non-threatening way. Many persuaders (without realizing it) show tension, uneasiness, or irritation when someone brings up an objection. Usually this unrealized conduct occurs because objection stirs up the persuader's own insecurities (often fear of failure or fear of rejection). The persuader thinks to him or herself, “Didn't I go over that already? I'm doing a good job explaining things! Why is this person still not convinced? Why am I bombing this persuasive encounter? Do I sound like an idiot?” As understandable as this reaction is, it will only makes things worse. Your audience will sense your uneasiness and feel even more uncomfortable. Don't set off more alarm bells than are already ringing!

Blueprint to Business is the ultimate guide to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Bestselling author and CEO Mike Alden puts aside the rainbows and sunshine, gets real about what it takes to 'make it,' and gives you the real-world guidance you need to hear. Through anecdotes and advice, he shares his experiences along with those of other top founders and entrepreneurs to give you a realistic picture of what it takes to build a business. It's a bit of tough love, a healthy dose of reality, and a tremendously motivating guide to striking out on your own; from motivation and commitment to business licenses and the IRS, this guide is your personal handbook for the biggest adventure of your career.  So you want to start a business: how much are you willing to commit in terms of time, money, and energy? How do you plan to bring in customers? What will set you apart from the crowd? What will convince clients to come to you rather than your competitor with an established track record? These questions must be answered before you even begin planning—and then, you have to make that canyon-sized leap from planning to doing. This book guides you through the early stages with practical advice from a real-world perspective. For more information about Mike and his work visit: thealdenreport.com

Inside the World of Objections and Concerns  When you become a great persuader, you will view objections differently than most people do. You will even welcome objections and enjoy handling them. Why? You will realize that when people voice objections, it indicates that they are both mentally interested and emotionally involved in whatever it is you are proposing, even if they are skeptical.  Interested and involved—what more could a persuader want from their audience? It may be surprising, but when there are no objections during the persuasion process, the persuader's success rate actually drops dramatically.  It is much better to get objections out in the open than to let them fester.  Top persuaders do not consider objections or audience concerns as opposition. Rather, they view them as part of the persuasion game. Your audience will naturally delay as long as possible the moment of decision—the moment they need to say yes or no. This stalling can be used to your benefit. Dialogue and exchange of ideas can create a long-term follower, client, or customer.  Great persuaders may even solve objections before they are voiced. No matter how good you get, objections will be raised, and the truth is that well-handled objections help you persuade. Your persuasiveness depends a lot on how you handle objections and concerns, and you can handle them best if you know what the most common objections are. There are thousands of excuses.     Many persuaders (without realizing it) show tension, uneasiness, or irritation when someone brings up an objection. Usually, this unrealized conduct occurs because objection stirs up the persuader's own insecurities (often fear of failure or fear of rejection).  The persuader thinks to him or herself, “Didn't I go over that already? I'm doing a good job explaining things! Why is this person still not convinced? Why am I bombing this persuasive encounter? Do I sound like an idiot?” As understandable as this reaction is, it will only makes things worse. Your audience will sense your uneasiness and feel even more uncomfortable. Don't set off more alarm bells than are already ringing!  A calm, natural demeanor opens the door to persuasion and will keep it open in the face of objections. Remember: your audience cannot feel at ease if you don't. They cannot feel relaxed if you aren't. They won't be enthusiastic if you aren't showing enthusiasm yourself. In a very real way, you must create what you want them to feel. These oxytocin genes may influence number of friends You may be as friendly as your genes  

Charisma is influence.  In other words, getting others to do what you want them to do and like doing it.  People get uneasy when you talk about influence, but just like power, it is neutral.  Some feel it can’t be learned, others get uneasy that it might get misused and some pretend it is not that important.   Charisma and influence go hand in hand.  It can be used with your leadership, your company, your children and even for making the world a better place.  Influence can get people to accept your ideas, brings people together and helps change stick.  I am not talking about selling skills.  I am talking about long-term sustainable change that people want to implement.  There is a direct correlation between your ability to influence, your charisma and your income. The challenge is most people influence the wrong way.  You tend to influence how you like to be influence and that is completely wrong.  You need to adapt to the person and to the situation.  Most influence happens with subconscious triggers (see the subconscious section).  Everything you do, everything you say or how you make them feel will affect how your audience feels about you.  You are repelling people and you don't even know it. When people sense a hint of force, deception, hype, or selling underlying any of your influence attempts, you will lose your charisma. Audiences are tough.  People have built a lot of resistance to the old style of persuading and influence; many people have built a brick wall of resistance even before you've even meet them.  What can you do to overcome this tendency?  Your influence attempts must be nonthreatening and natural.  Forget loud and flashy.  That strategy only encourages more resistance.  And most definitely forget about high pressure.  Not only does that solidify resistance, it closes the door to influence.  When people feel they have been pressured, bullied, or coerced into doing something they don't need or want, they become rebellious and resentful. The Benefits of Laughter

Negotiation: Face-to-Face, by Phone or via E-mail In our age of ever-expanding communication possibilities, researchers have been drawn to answer the question of which communication mode is most likely to lend itself to successful negotiation. Their answer? It depends.  Face-to-face communication is more likely to alleviate any possibility of miscommunication or deception. When you’re actually there, in person, you are more apt to pick up all the nuances of the exchange. That way, you will be better able to gauge what the other party is thinking and to determine the direction in which the negotiating is headed. For the same reasons, it is also easier to create and maintain rapport. If there is already a fair amount of tension in the air, however, negotiating by phone can take the edge off, can provide breathing room and can minimize the effectiveness of any pressure tactics that may have been employed. E-mail’s main advantage is that both parties have control over saying exactly what they want to say and how they want to say it.  Since there is no ebb and flow to live conversation, the involved parties can keep the floor as long as they want. On the flip side, e-mailing can tend to make the negotiating parties less restrained and more impulsive in their communication. This rashness isn’t always a bad thing, but it definitely can be if tensions exist. One study found that abrupt and unmannerly exchanges occurred 102 times when negotiating via e-mail as opposed to only 12 times when negotiating face-to-face.   Influence University  

Reduce to the Ridiculousness (JND): This technique involves paring down your request to something that seems manageable, easier to comprehend or easier to monetize. Let's say you are trying to convince someone to purchase a life insurance policy. The client wants a $250,000 policy and you feel that is not high enough for his needs. To adequately take care of his family, you suggest a $500,000 policy. His perception is that the monthly payment for a $500,000 policy is too high. So you break it down for him, telling him that for an extra 50 cents a day, or the cost of a can of soda, he can insure himself and adequately take care of his family if something were to happen to him. With this contrast, your client can see that the extra 50 cents is worth it to have the extra $250,000 in coverage. You have reframed your request into simple terms to help your prospect see it fitting into his way of life. If you are getting resistance from coworkers to participate in a new project, you could say we are only looking for your help for 10 minutes a day or 45 minutes a week.  Many times, we can fly under the radar with the contrast principle. There is a theory called the "Just Noticeable Difference" (JND),  which means the minimum amount of difference in the intensity of the stimulus that can be detected. That means the minimal amount of change the brain can handle before it begins to notice.  What does this mean? How much can you raise the price of a product without anyone noticing? This is also true for taste. Companies want the best taste for the lowest cost. The quality of the ingredients causes people to notice or not notice the quality of the product.  Many marketers would rather change the packaging and offer less of their product than resort to charging more. When we don't notice the difference, we think we are getting the same deal. Watching a sunset would be below the JND.  We really can’t see the sun move down the horizon as we watch it. When you raise the price of a product, you don’t want anyone to notice. Gas prices going up another ten cents is not noticed unless it breaks the dollar threshold i.e. $4.00-$5.00.  Is the yogurt cup now 2.9 ounces or 3 ounces?  We don’t notice especially since the cup size has not changed, but the bottom of the cup is more concave.    3 Negotiation Techniques from Harvard Business Review   REVISED OFFER

"Door-in-the-face" is one of the most common techniques for implementing the Law of Contrast. Basically, an initially large and almost unreasonable request is made, likely to be declined—hence the "door slammed-in-the-face" as the prospect rejects the proposal. Then a second smaller and more reasonable request is made. People accept the second request more readily than if they'd just been asked outright because the contrast between the two requests makes the second one seems so much better. The technique is effective because social standards state each concession must be exchanged with another concession. When you allow a rejection, it is considered a concession. The person you are persuading will then feel obligated to agree with your smaller request.  The reason DITF is so effective is because society and the Law of Obligation direct us that each concession must be given a concession.  When you give them a concession they will be more inclined to give you a concession. Demonstrating this point, researchers first asked college students to donate blood every two months for three consecutive years. Requiring a long-term commitment of not only time, but also of physical and emotional responsibility, the request was overwhelmingly turned down. The next day, the same students were asked to donate blood just one time, 49 percent agreed. The control group, where the students were only approached with the second request, (will you donate today) only demonstrated a 31 percent compliance rate. The main reason the door-in-the-face technique is so effective is because the contrast between the two requests makes your prospects feel like they are getting more/or less than if you didn’t adjust their perceptions. They feel like they've made a fair compromise, while you get exactly what you wanted in the first place.  Article: Smelling your food makes you fat OFFER:http://healthepain.com/

Never fight on price.  Price in not the issue – you are the issue.  Only 6% of things are bought on price. Anybody can fight on price.  Let’s learn 14 techniques to make price a non-issue.  "Price is what you pay. Value is what you get."  Warren Buffett  This is all about human perception. The human mind has to find a benchmark or comparison to make judgments, especially when we are talking about unfamiliar situations or new products. People need to make comparisons with their past experience and knowledge.  The brain will always attempt to contrast your product or service. Is it the best or worst, cheapest or most expensive? Is your product the safe or risky choice or is it familiar or strange? By presenting your prospects with contrast, you are creating those comparisons for them. The mind can't process everything at once and so it develops shortcuts to help make decisions. Instead of making a completely internal judgment, we look for boundaries, patterns, and polar opposites.  We want to know the difference between our options, so we naturally contrast the two items. We mentally create a value or price in our mind from highest to lowest. Do you want your prospects to compare your product or service to a second-hand used car or to a Rolls Royce? You get to decide where you want them to start their benchmark.   SPECIAL OFFER

Verbal Packaging & The Leverage of Language The more skillful a person is in the use of language, the more persuasive they will be. People are persuaded by us based on the words we use. Words affect our perceptions, our attitudes, our beliefs, and our emotions. The words we use in the persuasion process make all the difference in the world. Language used incorrectly will trigger the wrong response and decrease your ability to persuade. Word skills are also directly related to earning power. Successful people all share a common ability to use language in ways that evoke vivid thoughts, feelings, and actions in their audiences.  Carl Jung revealed that all words are full of symbols and each symbol triggers an emotional reaction or feeling.  All words have emotional meanings that are different than their definitions in the dictionary.  Understanding words and their emotional triggers will enhance your ability to persuade and influence. Word Choice  --- Article link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/scary-real-in-flight-announcements/ Understand that proper language varies from setting to setting, and from event to event. One word choice does not work in every circumstance or culture. Word choice can also be critical to defusing situations or in getting people to accept your point of view. Even one word can make the difference between rejection and acceptance. In a study by social psychologist Harold Kelley, students were given a list of qualities describing a guest speaker they were about to hear. Each student read from either one of the following two lists:    Cold, industrious, critical, practical, and determined Warm, industrious, critical, practical, and determined Of course, the students who read #1 had less than positive feelings about the speaker. The interesting thing, though, is that the lists are exactly the same except for the first word! They found that the first word at the front of the list conditioned how the student felt in reading through the rest of the list. It didn't matter that none of the following words were negative. Just reading the word "cold" tainted how the students read the rest of the list. As I mentioned the airline industry has mastered the power of words. They know word choice is critical to getting their point across and to reduce stress. In one situation, a flight attendant had run out of steak as an option for dinner entrée. Instead of telling the customers their only option was chicken, the flight attendant said, "You can have a piece of marinated chicken breast, sautéed in mushrooms in a light cream sauce, or a piece of beef." Consequently, people chose the chicken because it sounded better. Think about the words next time you read a restaurant menu.   Podcast #200 Special Master Offer – 70% off!                                Magnetic Persuasion – Create Instant Influence Magnetic Persuasion is one of the most incredible courses I’ve ever released. This program will give you a distinct advantage over your competition. WHAT YOU WILL GET: 18 MP3 Audios, Manual & Application Guide For a limited time, this is what you get with my Magnetic Persuasion Special: Magnetic Persuasion Audio Boot Camp (18 MP3’s) Next, we have Magnetic Persuasion Audio Boot Camp.  The easiest way to double your income is to double your persuasion skills.  Remember when you need to persuade someone, it is too late to learn.  Magnetic Persuasion is literally the difference between knowing what you want– and getting it, anytime, anyplace, from anybody. Create unimaginable wealth, transform your career, and strengthen your relationships. Magnetic Persuasion Audio Boot camp is the first and only resource to combine scientific research and documented studies into one comprehensive catalog of proven persuasion, influence, and motivation techniques. Never be told “I can’t afford it again” Effortlessly build rapport with any personality type The 5 objections your prospects always have and how to overcome them How to create huge value to eliminate price resistance Create instant action through ethical urgency Magnetic Persuasion ManualThe Magnetic Persuasion Manual has every piece of the persuasion pie. This manual is packed with over 15 years of scientific research and over 100 persuasion and influence tools. This includes over 344 pages packed with cutting edge research and application. You will learn about inoculation, Zeigarnik Effect, and advanced association triggers. You will also learn how color, touch, and smell affect every aspect of persuasion. Know exactly what the person you want to persuade is thinking and feeling. How to have absolute confidence in what you’re saying Overcome objections before they are even brought up! RESIST persuasion so you don’t fall into unethical traps! Harness the 18 most powerful words and put them to use Magnetic Persuasion Application Guide  Next is the Magnetic Persuasion application guide. This will crystallize the use of Magnetic Persuasion. This comprehensive guide will help you implement the following: The 12 Laws of Persuasion Why 95% of persuasion involves a subconscious trigger How to get the yes, when they say no. Things you are saying, projecting and doing that repel your prospect The Pre Persuasion Checklist Magnetic Persuasion is one of the most incredible courses I’ve ever released. This program will give you a distinct advantage over your competition. As you learn these skills you will Master your life and increase your income. You will learn skills known only by the ultra-prosperous. You will learn and master a new skill everyday for a full year. Every situation, you’ll feel in control. You’ll know exactly what to say and do. So invest in yourself and your future. You will not learn the old tired tactics of the Ben Franklin close or the ol bait and switch. You will learn how to influence the mind of your prospects, persuade them to join your business. Think with me, what would this be worth to you? As you study Magnetic Persuasion you will discover advanced psychological techniques that will expand your mind. You can Experience the Power of this! Imagine being able to overcome objections before they happen, Know what your prospect is thinking and feeling, feel more confident in your ability to persuade. Be the master of your destiny, and control your financial future. Invest in your future, invest in your income, and be proactive about who you are and what you want to become. Everything you want in life, somebody else has and you need to know how to persuade to get it. Imagine where you would be now, if you had Mastered these skills only a few short years ago. How many millions of dollars have you lost?  Remember when you need to persuade someone, it is too late to learn.

Robin Dreeke FBI Interview Did you ever leave an interaction saying to yourself, "That could have gone better?" Do you want to improve your leadership, interviewing, sales, and trust building skills for every aspect of your life? A counter-intelligence expert shows readers how to use trust to achieve anything in business and in life. Robin Dreeke is a 28-year veteran of federal service, including the United States Naval Academy, United States Marine Corps. He served most recently as a senior agent in the FBI, with 20 years of experience. He was, until recently, the head of the Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, where his primary mission was to thwart the efforts of foreign spies, and to recruit American spies. His core approach in this mission was to inspire reasonable, well-founded trust among people who could provide valuable information. The Code of Trust is based on the system Dreeke devised, tested, and implemented during years of field work at the highest levels of national security. Applying his system first to himself, he rose up through federal law enforcement, and then taught his system to law enforcement and military officials throughout the country, and later to private sector clients. Inspiring trust is not a trick, nor is it an arcane art. It’s an important, character-building endeavor that requires only a sincere desire to be helpful and sensitive, and the ambition to be more successful at work and at home. The Code of Trust is based on 5 simple principles: 1) Suspend Your Ego 2) Be Nonjudgmental 3) Honor Reason 4) Validate Others 5) Be Generous For more information on Robin Dreeke and The Code of Trust visit www.Peopleformula.com

Dave Negri’s Secret Price Weapon  Using “pricing” as a marketing strategy is often overlooked by entrepreneurs.  It may be a little scary, butsometimes all you need is a higher price point to become more attractive to your target market.   The affluent tend to associate higher prices with higher value. When someone is looking for the “best” - choosing the cheapest person is not the path he or she will take.  When you are QUALITY-focused, slogans like “highest quality AND lowest price” don’t fit together.  They are actually mutually exclusive.  Clients recognize this and are extremely suspicious if you try to pair quality and low prices in your marketing.  “Price Shoppers” exist at all income levels. A higher-income price shopper will be just as difficult and draining to work for as a lower-income price shopper.  The only difference is the higher-income price shopper has more expensive minimum and maximum price points, so you can spare the time and energy to accommodate him or her.  It is critical for your own sanity, to filter out bargain price shoppers by having prices preset at higher levels.  Higher prices indicate to prospects you are concerned about quality rather than quick sales.  Immediately this creates a level of trust. When prospects respond favorably to your rates, they are seeking quality products—not low prices.   For more information about Dave and his work visit: Www.contractorssecretweapon.com

Amy Cuddy – Non Verbal Link I have already spoken at length about the necessity of positive mental programming and the initial steps one must take to put this powerful tool into practice. Great persuaders gain control over their destiny by controlling and directing their thoughts. Considering that our actions are emotion-driven, and our emotions are thought-driven, we've got to get our thoughts on track. They determine everything! You can always remind yourself of this powerful reality by keeping in mind the acronym TEA: Thoughts → Emotions → Actions Take an honest look at your life right now. Where do you find yourself? That place is the sum total of your thoughts over the course of a lifetime. Where have your thoughts taken you thus far? Where will they take you tomorrow, next week, or next year? It is only natural that negative thoughts will creep into your mind from time to time. As soon as they sneak in, escort them right back out. Don't entertain them. They are destructive. Some people use a rubber band to snap their wrist every time a negative thought comes into their mind. The pain associated with this technique fixes their negative thinking very rapidly. If you don’t want to try the rubber band, you can send me a $2,000 check every time you have a negative thought. I am sure that would start to work for you real fast, because that is what it is probably costing you! Your thoughts are what programs your subconscious mind. Your thoughts are what program your subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind is the center of all your emotions. When your subconscious accepts an idea, it begins to execute it. And then your subconscious uses your ideas, knowledge, energy, and wisdom to find the solution. Now, it might occur in an instant, or it might take days, weeks, or even longer. Nevertheless, your mind will continue working on a solution. You need to understand that as you program your mind, you must ask yourself, "Do I program negative suggestions in my mind?" If you are telling yourself that you can't do it, you are right. When that inner voice tells you that you can't do something, it is important that you replace the thought or turn down the volume or intensity of the negative voice. Then you can change it to "I can do it," "I'm going to win," and "there's plenty for everybody." Altering your inner voice's perception is going to make a difference, and that's the important thing. That's because your subconscious mind will always accept what you program it to think. The bottom line is that you are what you think about, and you have the power to choose what you think. No one can do it for you. Great persuaders work on this mental training every day, while average persuaders think they have heard it all before and are doing OK. If we are going to squash our negative thinking, we must replace those thoughts with new, positive ones. As you practice mental programming, new and inspiring ideas will intuitively and instinctively arise on their own. But give yourself specific goals and targets to keep your thoughts centered on—this type of focus will nurture and augment your newfound inner strength. Sure your logical mind will fight you on these new thoughts, but eventually your new programming will win. I love what Napoleon Hill, author of the classic Think and Grow Rich, had to say about this:

Anthony Iannarino  -  Becoming The Trusted Advisor  What Is Not Advice  Your product is not advice. Nor is your service. Nor are the solutions that you happen to sell. The features, benefits, and advantages of what you sell are not advice either.  Your management team isn’t advice, and as impressive as your board members may be, they aren’t advice. You know what else isn’t advice? All of your locations, and all of the logos of the big, recognizable, widely-admired companies you serve. As remarkable as your clients are, they are not advice. Your differentiation strategy isn’t advice either. The things that make you different and make a difference for your clients may help you distinguish yourself in a crowded market, but they are not advice.  If you are spending the precious little time you have with your dream clients talking about you, your product, your company, your clients, and what makes you different, you are not “advising.”  What Is Advice  What are all the forces weighing down on your dream client and causing them to produce results that are less than they should be? How should they be thinking about these forces, and what should they do about them?  What are the risks of not responding to the systemic challenges that threaten your dream client’s business? What are their choices? What are the trade-offs? What are the risks of taking action now?  What opportunities are available to your dream client now? Which provide them with the greatest advantages and which hAve the fastest return on invested time, money, and resources?  How you engage with your dream client matters.  Where you start the conversation is important because you are defining your relationship. If you begin the conversation with the things that you are comfortable talking about but that don’t create value, then you are not establishing that you have the potential to be their consigliere.  If on the other hand, you start the conversation with strategically important issues, you demonstrate that you know something worth knowing, something that can benefit your dream client.  Business acumen is the new sales acumen. What is at risk by starting the conversation too low is nothing less than your relevance. To learn more about Anthony and his work please visit:  www.thesalesblog.com/newsletter

Negotiation Versus Persuasion Let’s talk about where negotiation fits into the world of persuasion and the difference between the two. Persuasion occurs when your ideas are so convincing that the other party ends up adopting your point of view. With persuasion, there is no compromising as there is in negotiation. Rather, the other party willfully and enthusiastically abandons their position to embrace yours. This abandonment is not brought about by manipulation because the other party clearly sees the gains and advantages of doing business with you. Negotiation, on the other hand, is a process of give and take. It’s being able to overcome objections on both sides of an issue and ultimately reaching some common ground. While persuasion is the ultimate ideal, anytime any one of us is presenting our ideas, the other party is often equally committed to their own convictions, thus making negotiation the next best path. Often when we hear the word “negotiation,” we think of a complex deal going on in the business world. In reality, however, all of us are involved in multiple negotiation processes every day. For example, when you want steak but your spouse wants lasagna, you may banter back and forth about why one is better than the other. In the end, however, you end up going to a place that offers a bit of both. In that instance, you may not have thought of yourself as negotiating, but that’s really what it was. Negotiation is so common in day-to-day life that you must master the skills of great negotiators to become a Master Persuader.   Offer Negotiation 3 day Bootcamp Audios     Article Link https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/lhb-lhb0000189.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11780104  

This episode features guest Scott Ingram - In this episode learn all about why mindset and belief in yourself is absolutely fundamental. And the tips and tricks in getting yourself there. And how to show your customers/prospects that you truly care.  Kurt and Scott discuss how important it is to be constantly learning, absorbing and surrounding yourself with the best. They also discussed how most top sales people are more than willing to talk you about their sales process and share the information that they’ve learned. People want to give back and know that they were once at the beginning too.  Who is doing it the best in your organization/niche? Figure out what they are doing and do the same thing. Scott points out the one of the most important things is understanding who you are, your unique strengths and what the unique value is that you bring to the way you sell, and do more of that. “ Play up those unique strengths and values and be a more authentic and magnified version of yourself. Scott Ingram is the host of the Sales Success Stories podcast where he interviews top sales people. Not just high ranking sellers either, everyone Scott talks with on his show is #1. He's also an active sales professional himself. I’m in sales, and I have always looked for ways to improve myself and achieve more but have been frustrated by the source of most of that content. Instead of hearing from “sales experts” who aren’t currently in sales (somebody selling themselves or some form of sales training doesn’t count); I want to learn from salespeople who are the best of the best. What are they doing to achieve more than anybody else While this is a very selfish project for me to learn and improve myself, I hope that you can benefit as well. Please subscribe to the podcast, and I invite you to join our Sales Success Community where you’ll find a growing group of like-minded sales achievers.    Listen to Link Discussed in the Show

The Value of the Simple Statement Simple is better than complex. Since we are unable to recapture or replay our spoken words, we hope that they will be correctly interpreted the first time they are heard. Unfortunately, spoken words can be the most misread and misinterpreted form of communication, and therefore, can be a great hindrance to effective persuasion. When you're in a persuasive situation, use simple, direct, and concise language, rather than fretting about how eloquent you're sounding. Persuaders normally try to speak to the lowest common denominator.  You might feel smarter using big words, but simple words are more persuasive.  Complex words will cause people to pretend to understand, but will not be persuaded.   Following are some simple guidelines to keep your speech and verbal packaging on the right track.   · Don't use technical language unless you are sure every member of your audience understands the meaning.   · Don't use profanity. In general, using profanity damages your credibility.     · Be sensitive to whatever language your audience might find offensive or politically incorrect.    · Speak in everyday language. You want your audience to relate to you and to feel as comfortable with you as possible.   · Use language that will make you seem familiar and easy to follow.   · Keep your language simple and clear.   · Keep your sentences short. Use as few words as possible unless you are painting the picture—just one idea at a time.    · Use words that will engage the audience. Use "you," "we," and "us."   · Don't use vague and abstract words. They muddle your meaning and confuse your listener.   · Don't talk down to your listener by using pompous and pretentious words.    · Use verb-driven language. By using verb-driven language, you will arouse a greater sense of action and motivation. Using action verbs will make your statement more convincing because your audience will engage their emotions, consciously and subconsciously. Verbs that are abstract or overused do not communicate excitement.   Attention-Grabbing Words   With so many words in the English language to pick from, you must be very particular about which ones to use. Some will grab attention more than others. The following 21 words are commonly used to effectively persuade:   1.         Discover 2.         Guarantee  3.         Now 4.         Improve 5.         Results 6.         Save 7.         Health 8.         Wealth 9.         Quick 10.       Easy 11.       Money 12.       Free 13.       Avoid 14.       New 15.       Benefit 16.       Proven 17.       Prevent 18.       Transform 19.       You/Your 20.       Eliminate Article Link:  https://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/social-psychology-theories/self-verification-theory/ Product Special Magnetic Persuasion – Create Instant Influence    

What Does Improv Have To Do With Business? With guest Kelly Leonard from www.secondcityworks.com   The ability to thrive amid change requires 4 things:   ·         The ability to recognize where you are in any given moment ·         The flexibility to choose a new path ·         A willingness to collaborate on a solution ·         The freedom to take a risk…and to learn from failure   Great tenets for doing business, right? But these just happen to also be the very same skills we employ in our arena. Improvisation is an art form developed from a need to enhance assimilation, empathy and collaboration.  We didn’t seek out this connection–the findings found us, to say the least. To be honest, we’re kicking ourselves that we didn’t see it sooner.  In fact, existing academic research and data already points to the power of improvisation. Here are a few of our favorite examples:   Divergent Thinking – “Improvisation encourages people to break away from set patterns of thinking.” –Carine Lewis, Peter J. Lovatt; University of Hertfordshire, UK Negotiation – “Cooperative improvisation yielded more successful negotiations.” –Paul Ingram, William Duggan; Oxford Handbook of Critical Improvisation Studies Decision Making – “Without improvisation, emergency management loses flexibility in the face of changing conditions.” –David Mendonca, Giampiero E.G. Beroggi, William A. Wallace; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Problem Solving – “Improvisation shows us creativity in action. If shows that – in art, as in life – failures and mistakes can be turned into chances for original and unpredictable achievements.” –Alessandro Bertinetto, University of Udino   How do we achieve all this? With two little words that can change everything:  Yes, and.  That’s it! Our big secret. We teach that by understanding and applying the core improvisational concept  of “Yes, And,” you can pretty much achieve anything. In business–and in life–we are constantly tasked with making something out of nothing: new products, new clients, new strategies, new bosses, new co-workers, new economies.  You can’t do new by saying no.  And you can’t stop at yes. What we’ve learned over more than half a century can bring out the creativity out in anyone. We can teach you and your team how to create an atmosphere that encourages risk taking and produces better understanding, real results and measurable success. visit secondcityworks.com for more information!

This podcast is going to focus on how to handle the heckler and maintain audience control in any situation.  One of the key factors is getting to know your audience.   It is critical that you understand where your audience is coming from and what their needs and wants are. What do they really want to know? What are they searching for? What information can you present to bridge the gap between what they feel and what they want? It’s important to understand your audience as a general group and also to get inside their minds as individuals.   Here are some questions you should ask yourself about your audience as you prepare:   •     Who am I trying to persuade? •     What is the common background or interest that brings them together? •     Who are these people as individuals (business people, students, mothers, etc.)? •     What can I offer that they will universally care about and understand? •      What types of things will they be looking to get out of my message? •      In terms of my key point(s), are they likely to agree, disagree, or be           indifferent? •      Do I need to be aware of their political, religious, professional, or other          associations? •       What is their average education and/or income level? •       What is their general age range? •       Will they tend to be more conservative or more liberal in their life views? •       Is this likely to be an easygoing or demanding crowd? •       How long will I be likely to keep them engaged? How much time is available? •       Is what I have to offer appropriate for this audience? •       What is my audience’s biggest challenge and how am I going to solve it?   Article link:  http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/03/health/distracted-driving-addiction-brain-impact/index.html

Synchronized Beliefs Very closely related to directing our thoughts are our beliefs or belief systems. Just as airplanes have guidance systems to direct them, so do we have systems guiding and shaping what we think, do, and believe. Without these influences, we will miss our intended destination, just like an airplane out of touch with the control tower would never be able to land.  What if you had two control towers telling the pilots what to do? The results would be devastating. What many of us don't realize is that we are tuned in to multiple guidance systems simultaneously. For example, we value the input of our parents, spouse, and close friends, and pay heed to rules of the community, society, and often religion. Since so many influences may conflict with one another, we have to prioritize who or what dictates our belief system. If we cannot synchronize these influences, we will wander through life, always missing the target because of our inability to synchronize our beliefs. Great persuaders hit their targets more often because of a well-synchronized belief system.   It may be a very helpful exercise to pinpoint the main beliefs that are shaping your life and to determine whether or not any of them are in conflict with each other.   Consider the following possible conflicts of interest:             The pursuit of wealth                      "Money is the root of all evil"             Job security                                       Entrepreneurial freedom             Making it to the top                         "Family comes first"             Love of eating                                   Healthy body             Adventurous                                    Ducks in a row             You only live once                           Restraint, moderation             More free time                                  Pursue financial independence             Reduce debt                                      Start investing             Successful business                         Successful parent             Spiritual                                             Wealthy   After you have identified which beliefs shape your life, you need to determine which beliefs represent personal truths for you and which ones you have simply acquired by social and cultural osmosis. Upon closer study, we often find that much of what we believe has not come through our own thoughtful searching. Rather, it comes through imitating what society teaches is appropriate, and what we have been exposed to at home, school, or work. In order to truly change, grow, and prosper, we need to be consciously aware of the rules we've made for ourselves, where they have come from, and what they're based on. Do they all serve you? Or are they sabotaging you? It is time to take ownership of your beliefs.   Article Link https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2017/01/07/these-9-mental-habits-suck-the-happiness-from-your-life/

Jon Gordon's best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous NFL, NBA, MLB coaches and teams, Fortune 500 companies, school districts, hospitals and non-profits. He is the author of numerous best-selling books including The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, Training Camp, The Seed, You Win in the Locker Room First and The No Complaining Rule. Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include The Los Angeles Dodgers, The Atlanta Falcons, Campbell Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, LA Clippers, Miami Heat, Pittsburgh Pirates, BB&T Bank, Clemson Football, Northwestern Mutual, Bayer, West Point Academy and more. The Power of Positive Leadership Great leaders understand that people drive the numbers, not the other way around; to win, you must win with people—and this book shows you how. It all begins with your decision to become a positive leader, and the understanding that leadership is not just about what you can do, but what you can inspire, encourage, and empower others to do. You'll learn to bring out the best in each of your employees by sharing the best within you; instead of running over people to achieve your goals, invite them on board—together, you can achieve more than you ever thought possible.  Difficult times call for leaders who are up for the challenge. Results are the byproduct of your culture, teamwork, vision, talent, innovation, execution, and commitment; this book shows you how to bring it all together to become a powerfully positive leader.  Discover the true drivers of short- and long-term success Learn what leadership is really about Cultivate the habits and outlook of successful leaders Strengthen your people and let the results speak for themselves Find the right people, invest in them, nurture them, and develop them; as they grow, so do you. The Power of Positive Leadership helps you become the person you want to be, and the leader your people need. For more information about Jon and his work visit: www.jongordon.com

Charismatics have the ability to focus quickly in the moment similar to great athletes.  To master the area of focus and concentration, we must implement what athletes do before, during and after the competition.   •           Visualize the win or the outcome before it happens •           Constant self-discipline even when it hurts •           Refocus after failure and learn from those mistakes •           Instantly replace negative thoughts with positive ones •           Have the ability to quickly change their state of mind •           Able to concentrate during heavy distractions    The key is to begin to focus and concentrate a little at a time.  Today try to focus and stay on a task for five minutes.  Where can you go?   What do you need to do to avoid distractions?  As you progress with this skill, add the length of time and your ability to limit distractions.  The second thing is to figure out what block of the day is your most productive time?  Is it the morning, the afternoon or the evening?  This is the time when you do your most important and difficult work.  Find that time when it is the easiest to concentrate and get things done.  When you truly master your ability to focus, not only is it easier to influence others, you will be able to accomplish ten times more in half the amount of time. Link to Article: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/107179190300900404  

Many think that when they get into positions of leadership or prominence that others should be serving them or looking up to them.  This is great way to turn people off and decrease your ability to be charismatic.  If your only focus is on you, then eventually all then the focus will be off you.  Sure others might run to your attention, but they are doing it for money or recognition, they are not doing it because of who you are.  When you start to focus on others, show some kindness and offer goodwill, offer some charity, and the focus will return to you.  When you look for the good in others you become better yourself.  When you start looking for ways to serve, not only do you open the doors to influence, it increases your well being and your happiness.   You demonstrate goodwill by focusing on positives and being careful with the negatives.  Don’t be harsh or forceful when dealing with people.  Remember most people can be highly sensitive or feel overly vulnerable. (Remember esteem)  Watch your statements and your actions and always show that you have the audience’s best interest in mind.   Never criticize someone unless you really need to and do it the right way.  Criticism damages your relationship and destroys the connection you have with them and hurts your charisma.  Instead, find something positive and show goodwill.  This will increase acceptance and self-confidence.  Many times we correct or criticize in the wrong way and this destroys the possibility for leadership, loyalty and charisma.  Anytime someone feels stupid or you are perceived as inconsiderate and your ability to lead or influence diminishes.  Little do most people know that their comments cause rebellion and resentment.  Show you care, show some goodwill and you automatically will transfer charisma.   A big part of goodwill is the mindset of abundance.  Abundance is a state of mind that allows you to give knowing that the universe will reward you.  You don’t do it for the reward, you do it because it is the right thing to do.  As author Stephen Covey said "the abundance mentality (which) flows out of a deep inner sense of personal worth and security.  It is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody.... It opens possibilities, options, alternatives, and creativity."  You know that when you give of your time, money or even skills that it is not only the right thing to do, it increases your abundance, your health and your happiness and your charisma.  Get past the scarcity mentality society has given you and see the abundance the world has to offer.  Realize we are all on the same human team and we all have different strengths and weaknesses.  Always be willing to share your strengths and someone will appear to help you with your weaknesses. Article link:https://www.fastcompany.com/3035120/4-steps-to-overcoming-failure-and-using-it-to-your-advanta  

Passion is very contagious.  When you transfer this passion, the people around you start to radiate that passion.  They perform better, if it is at work, it is no longer work.  They become more proactive, more willing to work as a team and become more optimistic.  When you have tapped into this passion you become more determined and it increases your persistence.  It starts to become a burning desire and consumes you and it radiates to others.  A word of caution, just because you are passionate does not mean you can forego learning the skills you need to be successful.  It is a critical piece of the charisma pie, but you still need more pieces of the pie to radiate powerful long-term charisma. More than anything else, passion recruits the hearts and minds of your audience.  Charismatics radiate heartfelt passion.  When the audience can sense your passion and sincere conviction for your cause, they will emotionally jump on board.  We all love people who are excited and filled with believable passion for their subject.  Passion is critical to influencing others and transmitting charisma.  When you have passion for something, you want to let everyone know about it.  You want to convert as many people to your cause as possible, and when someone disagrees with you, you are not swayed by their opinions or advice.   PS Remember to test out your personal pics.  The website we talked about was Photofeeler.com   Article Link: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2017/04/14/Science-says-Let-a-stranger-pick-your-profile-picture/8781492196442/

Rapport: The Instant Connection   Rapport is the secret ingredient that makes us feel a harmonious link with someone else. It is equivalent to being on the same wavelength with the other person. Rapport is the key that makes mutual trust materialize. Have you ever met a perfect stranger and just hit it off? Finding plenty to talk about, you almost felt as if you had met before. It just felt right. You could talk about practically anything and you lost track of time. You developed such a strong bond with that person that you knew what he was going to say. Everything just clicked between the two of you and you felt a connection with this person. You felt your ideas were in sync and you enjoyed your time with each other. This is rapport. In our discussion of rapport, we are going to elaborate on these concepts: humor, body language, touch and mirroring. Mastering these skills will help you to develop rapport faster. Humor   Humor can be a powerful tool to create rapport. Humor makes the persuader seem more friendly and accepting. Humor helps gain attention, helps you create rapport, and makes your message more memorable. It can relieve tension, enhance relationships, and motivate people.  Appropriate use of humor increases trust in your audience. Humor can also distract your audience from negative arguments or grab their attention if they are not listening.  Humor diverts attention away from the negative context of a message, thereby interfering with the ability of listeners to carefully scrutinize it or engage in counterarguments. If listeners are laughing at the jokes, they may pay less attention to the content of a message. Humor can "soften up" or disarm listeners.  Humor connects you with your audience and increases their attention to your message.  Humor must be used cautiously, however. If used inappropriately, it can be offensive and may cause your audience to turn against you. Humor should only be used as a pleasant, but moderate distraction. As a rule of thumb, if you are generally not good at telling jokes, don't attempt it. Be sure that you have good material. Nonfunny humor is not only ineffective, but irritating. Modify your humor so that it is appropriate for your audience.    Smile Another aspect of humor is the smile.  A smile is free, generates a great first impression, and shows happiness, acceptance, and confidence. Your smile shows that you are pleased to be where you are, or happy to meet this person. As a result, they become more interested in meeting you. Smiling also conveys a feeling of acceptance, which makes your listener more trusting of you. It has been shown that sales representatives who smiled during the sales process increased their success rate by 20 percent. However, as with traditional humor, use a smile appropriately.

Similarity: Similar Is Familiar Similarity theory states that familiar objects are more liked than less familiar ones. The same holds true with people: We like people who are similar to us. This theory seems to hold true whether the commonality is in the area of opinions, personality traits, background, or lifestyle.   I can remember walking in a foreign country, taking in the unfamiliar sights and sounds, and then running into someone from my own country. We could have been from opposites sides of the nation with nothing in common, but there was an instantaneous bond between us, all because we had something in common in a mutually unfamiliar place.    Similarity is also true even in the judicial system. If jurors feel that they share some common ground with you and, better yet, like you—even subconsciously—for that similarity, then you will have a markedly better chance of winning your case. Anytime we establish something about ourselves that others will identify with, we increase our persuasive powers. In one particular study, antiwar demonstrators were more inclined to sign petitions of those similarly dressed, and often didn't even bother to read the petition before signing!   Numerous studies conclude that your audience is most responsive to individuals who dress and act similar to them. Researchers McCroskey, Richmond, and Daly say there are four parts to similarity: attitude, morality, background, and appearance.  Of the four similarity factors, attitudes and morals are always the most important.  Power Persuaders are always looking for similarities or common beliefs to form the basis of common foundations with their prospects. We want to be persuaded by those who are like us and with whom we can relate.  We see real-world examples of this in advertisements. We want to see people we can identify with, and the advertising execs accommodate us. When we see a particular commercial, we think, "Hey, he is just like me! He is also Broke!  That couple has a messy, cluttered house, too." We see ads showing the average Joe or Jill because they create that similarity.    Your audience will connect with you when they perceive the similarity.  O'Keefe found two important points regarding similarity and persuasion. First, the similarity must be relevant to the subject or issue being persuaded. Second, to persuade someone, the similarities must involve positive rather than negative qualities.   The bottom line is we are interpersonally connected to others when they possess similar values and beliefs.

Emotional States: Understanding Feelings and Moods Charismatic people know there is a fine line between logic and emotion.  To influence someone you have to have both.  Emotion will override logic every time.  I am going to assume here (I know I shouldn’t do that) you have the ability to form a logical argument.  Emotion is the missing piece for most people that want to become more charismatic.  Very few really know how emotional states, feelings, subconscious triggers and moods affect other people and affect (good and bad) your ability to maintain charisma and influence.    Logic tends to be more temporary while emotion will carry your message into the future.  Emotion inspires us to take action, but logic justifies those actions.  We know it is difficult for most people to distinguish between logic and emotion.  We know that is difficult to identify many of the emotions that are felt throughout a day.  We know people can’t forecast what emotions they will feel, how long they will feel it and how strong the emotion will be.  Most people just sense if you or your message makes them feel good or feel bad.  Your goal is to change or maintain their emotional state or mood. These are the emotions that will detract from your charisma and decrease your ability to influence.  Anger Anger is a sign that something is out of line.   Anger is also known as a secondary emotion.  What they are angry about and really angry about are usually two different things.  You can help decrease a person’s anger by finding out the main reason they are upset.  It is also useful to ask for their help, opinions, or advice.  This will usually diffuse their anger or even help change their demeanor.  Sometimes the person doing the influencing may want to use anger to make a certain point or to evoke a certain reaction.  Worry When someone is worried or preoccupied with something occurring now or could happen in the future, your ability to change their mood or influence them declines.  Worry could cause you to feel nervous, uneasy or anxious.  Worry can be referred to as a negative vision of the future.  Help them by bringing them back to reality.  Worry will subside when you can substitute their negative images with positive ones.  Another way worry decline is when you help them make a decision.  Worry decreases with decisions.  Fear Fear is anxiety or tension caused by danger or apprehension.  The possibility of harm can be real, but it is usually an overactive imagination.  Fear motivates us and moves us away from perceived unpleasant circumstances or certain danger.  Logic rarely reduces fear.  The key to understanding fear is to realize that is has been learned from a past experience.  Remember that fear is very real to them.  Make sure when they are in fear that you can provide a solution for them.  Then your job as a great influencer is to help them feel capable of overcoming this fear. 

That first thirty seconds with your audience are critical. How do you start? Great persuaders craft and design their message. There is no room to wing it. Your opening is where your audience formulates and settles into their impressions of you. Think of your opening or introduction as comprising no more than 10 percent of your full presentation. Budgeting your speech in this manner forces you to organize your time so that you know exactly what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it.   As you move from the opening of your presentation to the main body, it is helpful to remember the acronym TESS, which stands for testimonials, examples, statistics, and stories. Top persuaders tend to incorporate each of these elements into their presentations. Our research shows that when speaking to an audience, each point of TESS will resonate with different audience members. On average, TESS resonates as follows: Testimonials                12% Examples                     23% Statistics                      18% Stories                         47%                   Testimonials. A testimonial is a person’s statement or declaration of what they believe and assert to be true. In your presentation, it can be your own, or it can come from a third party. Testimonials are a source of social validation—people assume that if others believe in it, then they should too. Great persuaders know how to use testimonials when their credibility is low. Make sure your testimonials are believable and unbiased and that they are qualified for your audience.              Examples. An example is an explanation or model that demonstrates or illustrates your point. Instead of just spouting off facts, examples make your points come alive. Examples reinforce your ideas and make them vivid and real in the mind of your audience. Examples can be taken from research studies, from articles you’ve read—and they can be personal anecdotes.             Statistics. In a consumer climate that is increasingly skeptical, I recommend using statistics sparingly. Everyone knows that you can “cook the books” and find statistics to prove almost anything; your audience wants credible statistics. Statistics resonate with the logical mind, and when convincing, they are very persuasive. In particular, the analytical minds in your audience will love you and want to know the source. Most statistics need to be explained and often work best with visual aids.             Stories. The most powerful of the four elements of TESS are stories. They draw your audience in while helping them understand and appreciate your message. I’m sure you can think of a time when you were in an audience, not paying much attention to the speaker. You were probably off in your own world, when all of a sudden, you perked up and started to listen because the speaker started telling a story. When we hear a story, we automatically tune in and want to know what happens next.

Structuring Persuasive Presentations Why should we be concerned with the structure of a persuasive presentation? Top predictor of professional success is how much you enjoy and how good you are at public speaking.   Studies also show the ability to give presentations was ranked as the most critical skill needed to move up in today’s business environment.   Before we jump into the meat of this topic, remember as you prepare your persuasive message that you want to focus on one defined issue. You are not there to persuade on ten different points. Stay focused and steer clear of sensitive issues that aren't on your original agenda. In other words, don't inadvertently offend your audience on one issue when your focus in on another. The structure of your persuasive message should follow the pattern discussed below.   Create Interest You have to generate an interest about your chosen topic. Your audience needs a reason to listen: Why should they care? What's in it for them? How can you help them? A message that starts with a really good reason to listen will grab the attention of the audience, enabling you to continue with the message. Without this attention, there is no hope of getting your message across.   State the Problem You must clearly define the problem you are trying to solve. The best pattern for a persuasive presentation is to find a problem and relate how it affects the audience. In this way, you show them a problem they have and why it is of concern to them. Why is this a problem to your audience?     Offer Evidence This is the support you give to your argument. Evidence validates your claims and offers proof that your argument is correct. It allows your audience to rely on other sources besides you. Evidence can include examples, statistics, testimonies, analogies, and any other supporting material used to enhance the integrity and congruency of your message.   Present a Solution You have gained your audience's interest and provided evidence in support of your message; now you must solve their problem. You present the argument you want them to believe and satisfy the need you have identified or created. You have created dissonance and now you are providing the solution. How can your product meet their needs and wants and help them achieve their goals?   Call to Action A persuasive message is not true persuasion if your audience does not know exactly what they need to do. Be specific and precise. In order to complete the solution to their problem, they must take action. This is the climax, the peak of your logic and emotion. The prescribed actions must be feasible. Make your call to action as easy as possible.   Using this type of structure facilitates people's acceptance of your message and clarifies what you want them to do. We all have a logical side to our mind, which results in our need for order and arrangement. If we don't sense some sort of structure, we tend to become confused. If you can't be clear, concise, and orderly, your prospect will find someone else who is.   Link to Article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25811633

Paul Smith (Author) - Lead with a story and Sell with a story  Leadwithastory.com  Storytelling has come of age in the business world. Today, many of the most successful companies use storytelling as a leadership tool. At Nike, all senior executives are designated "corporate storytellers." 3M banned bullet points years ago and replaced them with a process of writing "strategic narratives." Procter & Gamble hired Hollywood directors to teach its executives storytelling techniques. Some forward-thinking business schools have even added storytelling courses to their management curriculum.  The reason for this is simple: Stories have the ability to engage an audience the way logic and bullet points alone never could. Whether you are trying to communicate a vision, sell an idea, or inspire commitment, storytelling is a powerful business tool that can mean the difference between mediocre results and phenomenal success.  Whether in a speech or a memo, communicated to one person or a thousand, storytelling is an essential skill for success.     Paul Smith  Paul Smith is one of the world’s leading experts on organizational storytelling. He’s a keynote speaker, storytelling coach, and author of the books Sell with a Story, Parenting with a Story, and the bestseller Lead with a Story already in its 8th printing and available in 6 language around the world. Paul is also a former consultant at Accenture and former executive and 20-year veteran of The Procter and Gamble Company.

 Six stats on the importance of trust in influencer marketing  “Only 22% of brands are trusted.” (Havas Media)  That’s a frightening metric for any marketer. Without establishing trust between your brand and your audience, it’s nearly impossible to market your product or service. So marketers are faced with the difficult question of how to create and maintain trust with their audience.  “61% of women said they won’t engage with an influencer’s sponsored content if it doesn’t feel genuine.” (Bloglovin)  Trust and authenticity are critical for engagement in any influencer campaign. Without trust, the content that you’re hoping will build engagement won’t feel genuine and won’t resonate with your desired audience.  Low trust equals low engagement, and a pattern of this can erode an influencer’s audience over time. While this report references women specifically, these principles are applicable across the influencer marketing sphere.  “43% of millennials rank authenticity over content when consuming news.” (Forbes)  According to a survey of 1,300 millennials carried out by Forbes, young people prioritise trusting a company or news site before they will look at any content it produces. As Dan Schawbel of Forbes wrote, “Millennials connect best with people over logos.”  If trust isn’t established, millennials may not even interact with your content. An influencer can get a lot of attention, but the only attention that matters for your brand is authentic, genuine interaction that builds trust between you and the audience.  “60% of YouTube subscribers say they would follow advice on what to buy from their favourite YouTube creator over a traditional celebrity.” (TheYouTube Generation Study)  Celebrity spokespeople have long been considered a surefire way to build positive associations for your brand among your target audience. H&R Block wants to establish trust with their audience, so they recruit Jon Hamm to be their spokesman.  But savvy brands are turning to influencers on YouTube and other channels who have built audiences related to a shared set of interests. These placements are more authentic, and drive more brand-relevant recommendations than the generalized appeal of celebrity spots.  “83% of consumers trust recommendations from their peers over advertising.” (Nielsen)  Consumers take recommendations from their peers much more favorably than the ‘recommendations’ they see in ads. They trust the opinions of their friends because they know they’re both unbiased and providing recommendations that are personalized to the individual. Influencers fit this bill nicely.  The best influencers turn down deals that don’t have a natural fit in their feed and approach branded deals without bias. Either they already love a product and are happy to endorse it, or they agree to test the product and give an honest review or endorsement.  If you find the right influencers whose personas fit your brand values, targeted to your area of interest, the recommendations they share are more personalized for their audiences.  “54% of consumers believe the smaller the community, the bigger the influence.” (Technorati)  Although influencer marketing can help you reach a larger audience, ultimately, that audience doesn’t matter if it’s not the right audience. It is more valuable to show your brand to 30K likely buyers than it is to show it off to 200K totally uninterested viewers.  Finding influencers whose content and style perfectly match your brand, no matter their follower level, is a much smarter strategy than just getting as many eyes as possible. Influencers with smaller followings may have a more relevant, engaged and trusting audience because they haven’t “blown up” yet. Check the comment sections on a Kardashian-branded post and you’ll see what I mean.  To build trust with your audience, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. But you do need to foster trust between your brand and the influencer — trusting them to make content that will capture your brand values while also engaging their followers in the best way.  You can take advantage of existing marketing principles to build a playbook to engage your audience. Make use of peer recommendations from authentic influencers to drive engagement with your brand.  Brian Zuercher is CEO & Founder of SEEN, and a contributor to Search Engine Watch.

Proxemics: The Science of Space               The anthropologist Edward T. Hall created the science of proxemics, which studies how people use, react to, configure, and occupy the space around them. We all want our own space, and we feel uncomfortable when people violate our personal territory. While it may sound overly obvious, research shows that many persuaders get too familiar, too fast. Disrespect for your audience’s personal space—especially when you are first meeting them—will definitely not build rapport. Many persuaders don’t even know that they are violating their audience’s space. They may think, for example, that by reaching out and touching their audience members on the arm, they will be seen as warm and extending. Such as gesture may really be a turnoff, though. What does it feel like? Imagine that you go to a movie theatre and there are 150 seats but only ten people watching the movie. Social custom calls for everyone to spread out. Let’s say you take your seat and the nearest person is twenty feet away. How would you feel if a stranger came and sat down right next to you in this theatre of empty seats? That would be a violation of your personal space.                     Understanding proxemics requires an understanding of territory and the role of dominance. The bigger office, the armrest on the airplane, the larger chair, sitting at the head of the conference table, getting into someone’s face—all these things have hidden meanings. It could be unwanted touching or jumping into a conversation that damages likeability and rapport. Be observant. How is your use of space perceived by your audience? Always err on the side of giving extra space, instead of too little.              Does the science of proxemics really matter? The distance you keep or don’t keep when persuading someone communicates a message. Great persuaders understand rapport and interpersonal communication, and they respect personal space. You will find that the amount of space between a person and a persuader affects the way they are able to interact with each other and what message their interaction sends. When we sit at a table or across from a desk, we each draw invisible lines of our perceived personal space. When these invisible territorial lines are violated, tension is created. We all have regions or areas where we permit others to enter or prevent others from entering. Great persuaders recognize when an invitation to enter their audience’s private zone is being extended.             Your audience’s intimate area is not to be violated by you, the persuader. In North America, that area extends from your audience’s face out to about twenty-four inches. Most social interaction takes place between four and twelve feet of distance. This personal space preference not only varies by individual but also by culture. For example, in the Middle East or Latin America, it is reduced by almost 50 percent.37 In Germany, on the other hand, the space is larger. It is comedic to watch two people from two different cultures trying to communicate. One is violating the other’s personal space, while the other is backing up in an attempt to regain his personal space. The two are in some sort of dance to maintain and regain comfortable communication space. Article:http://captology.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/RSA-The-new-rules-of-persuasion.pdf

The Law of Obligation and Marketing We often see this method at work when companies give out complimentary calendars, business pens, T-shirts, or mugs.  This specialty advertising is an $18.5 billion dollar industry.  It not only creates obligation, but keeps your name in front of your future customer.  The studies show that 52% of people given a promotional product said they were more likely to do business with the person that gave them the item.     The same principle applies when you go to the grocery store and see those alluring sample tables. It is hard to take a free sample and then walk away without at least pretending to be interested in the product. Some individuals, as a means of appeasing their indebtedness, have learned to take the sample and walk off without making eye contact. The studies show that 70% will try the sample when asked and 37% of those will buy the product.   Although some have taken so many samples, they no longer feel an obligation to buy or even pretend they're interested in the products anymore. Still, the technique works, so well that it has been expanded to furniture and audio/video stores, which offer free pizza, hot dogs, and soft drinks to get you into the store and create instant obligation. Pre-giving is effective because it makes us feel like we have to return the favor. Greenburg said this feeling of discomfort is created because the favor threatens our independence.   The more indebted we feel, the more motivated we are to eliminate the debt. An interesting report from the Disabled American Veterans Organization revealed that their usual 18 percent donation response rate nearly doubled when the mailing included a small, free gift. A men’s clothing store offers free pressing for suits bought in their store. This creates a sense of obligation among their customers, who when they next decide to buy another suit are more likely to buy it from the store that offered the freebie.  Offering a free inspection or free estimate also will create obligation.  Remember this does not guarantee they will do business with you.  They will be more willing to listen and puts you higher on the list. An interesting side effect to obligation is what is does to the giver.  Those that help you or give you something feel more positive and have higher self-esteem.   The other bonus is that the giver also feels more committed to the recipient. Which means always let them reciprocate back to you. Link to article: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022103171900254

How You Can Tell If You’re Really Connecting               I’ve talked about common rapport-building obstacles and how you can know for sure that you’re not connecting. But how do you know that you are connecting, especially when your audience is not going to tell you? One of the most obvious signs of a good connection is that the initial defensiveness and skepticism begin to dissipate. The mood relaxes and your audience begins to relax. They begin to voluntarily offer personal thoughts and feelings without you having to pull it out of them. Openness increases, and resistance decreases. There is more eye contact and more open body language. It could best be summed up by saying things start to “feel right.” The exchange is natural, sincere, positive, and upbeat. You could compare it to how you feel when talking to a good friend.                       One of the myths about having rapport with people is that you have to agree with each other on every point. Rapport and agreement are not the same. When you have good rapport you will no doubt agree on many things, but this is incidental and not essential. Your ability to connect with people cannot be conditional. To be a powerful persuader, your persuasiveness cannot have any contingencies. You must be persuasive no matter who comes to your table, and that means accepting people as they are and still respecting them, listening to them, and caring about them. Some may think I go too far in saying agreement is incidental. Is it possible to have rapport with someone with whom you agree on nothing? Think of your friends and family. You can probably think of someone you like and connect with very well even though you don’t agree on financial, political, or religious matters.

Energy of Influence       Another way to enhance your ability to motivate yourself and others is to make sure all things are balanced in your life. Great persuaders lead a balanced life and keep everything in perspective. I call this delicate balance “life alignment.” Make sure there is balance in every aspect of your life. Imbalance can undermine motivation and cause inaction and unhappiness. Many times, we quit early because of imbalance, even when we don’t realize an imbalance exists. It may be only one area of our life that is out of whack, but it can still have a direct effect on other areas of our life. Just as in a mutual fund, where one bad stock can pull down the fund’s overall value, one bad area in your life can also have a disproportionate negative effect.              Ask yourself these questions: Would I invest in my own mutual fund of myself? Would I suggest that my family or friends invest in me? These are hard questions to ask, but the answers to them are necessary as you get your life on track. Take a look at the stocks in which you have invested in your own life. What stock is pulling the rest of your portfolio down? Are you a growing mutual fund or is your mutual fund losing money? Is your fund stagnant? If you won’t invest in your personal mutual fund (yourself), who will?              When we look at life, we have to realize that it is not lived in segments, but rather, it is part of a greater whole. Every aspect of your life will either help or hurt the rest of your life. Our aim is to get all aspects working together to create a high-performing fund. Realize, however, that you can invest too much in one aspect of your life. When you do, you can get unbalanced just like a tire on a car. Even too much of a good thing can lead to disaster.              As you invest in yourself, you must make sure you are diversifying in the following six areas: We often spend too much of our time spinning our wheels and investing in stock that has no value or that is diminishing the value of our mutual fund. We get so busy buying the stock society recommends that we forget to examine whether this stock is helping or hurting us. There may also be times when you need to sell a stock (change a habit or belief) because it is not performing. We always need to make sure that we are a growth fund and that we are continually investing the right things in ourselves. If we neglect any one of the life-alignment areas, our overall happiness and success will diminish. link to article:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2016/05/02/evidence-found-for-visual-stereotyping/102596.html

The Law of Obligation, also known as pre-giving or reciprocity, states that when others do something for us, we feel a strong need, or urge, to return the favor. Returning the favor rids us of the obligation created by the first good deed. The adage "one good turn deserves another" is a part of social conditioning in every culture. And, even beyond that, the maxim serves as an ethical code that does not necessarily need to be taught, but nevertheless is understood. For example, when someone smiles or gives us a compliment, we feel a great need to return the smile or compliment. Even when these gestures are unsolicited, we feel a sense of urgency to repay the person who has created the mental or psychological debt. In some cases, our need to subconsciously repay this debt is so overwhelming that we end up dramatically exceeding the original favor. The reciprocity trigger created by the car salesman's water is a classic example of this principle. Most of us keep a mental scorecard of these favors.   The drive to alleviate feelings of obligation is so powerful that it can make us bend toward people we don't even know. Accepting gifts or favors without attempting to return them is universally viewed as selfish, greedy, and heartless. It is often strictly due to this internal and external pressure that people conform to the rule of reciprocity. One university professor chose names at random from a telephone directory, and then sent these complete strangers his Christmas cards. Holiday cards addressed to him came pouring back, all from people who did not know him and, for that matter, who had never even heard of him.  I had a student raise his hand at a seminar and said, I know him and he is still getting Christmas cards from strangers over 20 years later.  Can you believe people have sent out Christmas cards all these years to someone they didn’t even know?     Article:  http://psych.colorado.edu/~vanboven/teaching/p7536_heurbias/p7536_readings/kruger_dunning.pdf

Smells: The Aroma of Persuasion We all know what the smell of movie popcorn does to us. Smell is directly linked to our emotions.  Our sense of smell is so powerful that it can quickly trigger associations with memories and emotions. Our olfactory system is a primitive sense that is wired directly to the center of our brain. By four to six weeks, infants can tell the difference between their own mother's scent and that of a stranger.  Almost everyone has experienced situations in which a smell evoked a nostalgic (or not so nostalgic) memory. Think of the smells that take you back to your childhood. For some it is the smell of fresh baked bread, or freshly cut grass, or of the neighborhood swimming pool. You can go back twenty years in a matter of seconds with the sense of smell. Smells require little mental effort to be experienced and the subconscious reaction happens with little conscious attention.   There have been numerous studies conducted on the impact scent and fragrances have on association. A study conducted among undergraduate students found that female students wearing perfume were rated as more attractive by male students.  Scents were even found to improve scores on job evaluations. Of course, offensive odors can also be used (and have been used) to evoke a negative response. This technique was once used while campaign committees were rating and appraising political slogans. Not surprisingly offensive odors caused the ratings for the slogans to go down.  The smell of citrus Windex helped people to be more generous with their money and time towards the habitat of humanity.  Cleaning aromas also help more people be honest and fair and their dealings with others. Article Link  http://healthland.time.com/2013/12/16/my-nose-made-me-buy-it-how-retailers-use-smell-and-other-tricks-to-get-you-to-spend-spend-spend/

Summary: Talking Too Much    Being an extrovert, having the gift of gab, or being able to make small talk with anyone you meet can definitely be used to your advantage, but watch yourself. How can you persuade if you are always talking? It will be very annoying to your audience if they sense that you like hearing yourself talk more than listening to their concerns. Remember, it's about them, not you. Great persuaders listen more than they talk. In fact, great persuaders use their listening and questioning skills to get their audience to persuade themselves.    Often when someone comes to you, she already knows what she wants. She already has something in mind. She just needs to talk through it with someone. Which approach do you think will have better, longer-term results: you persuading your audience, or you helping them persuade themselves? It's much better if your audience feels as if they have made the decision themselves, without perceived external influences. When you do have to talk, be succinct and to the point. A good rule of thumb is not to talk more than 30 percent of the time.    Now, with these general guidelines in place, it is worth pointing out that you must always be prepared to adapt and adjust to the personality type of your audience. For some people, talking 30 percent of the time will still be too much. Discussing only what is relevant to the matter at hand and keeping chit-chat to a minimum is best for these no-nonsense types. Your attempts at being their buddy will likely annoy and maybe even offend them. Some people feel that being overly warm and personable is not appropriate when you have just met someone for the very first time. Polite and professional, yes, but warm and fuzzy, no. The bottom line is, don't get too friendly too fast. Link to article: http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/discoveries/curse-chinese-buffet

Today I interviewed Dr. Stephanie Burroughs.  She is the author of Dating Your Business Prospect.  She looks at networking in a whole new light.  She calls it 360 networking.  She explains how to use social media and expanding you social media with face to face and belly to belly networking.  She will answer the following questions on the Maximize Your Influence Podcast   How to you prepare for this encounter with an important prospect? How do you approach them without looking like a fool? What does the perfect follow-up look like?   Stephanie Burroughs Bio Dr. Stephanie D. Burroughs, President of StephanieSpeaking LLC began her minority business advocacy in 1980, while working in the construction industry providing contract compliance monitoring for M/W/DBE programs. She later increased her competencies by providing program development, project management and diversity certification auditing services.    StephanieSpeaking LLC provides speaking, workshop facilitation and business navigation services for minority, women, veteran, and small business owners. The company helps business owners overcome fear, confusion and stagnation by providing clear instruction and easily integrated strategies on how to successfully navigate and compete for government and public contracts. Dr. Burroughs is known for her inspirational, holistic and common sense approach resulting in many clients and audience members experiencing thought-life transformation; thereby changing their outlook and approach to their business and life endeavors.   Dr. Stephanie D. Burroughs is a graduate of Rutgers University and currently resides in New Jersey.

The New Year is here and your influence skills are more critical than ever.  You have heard enough about goals – so let’s focus on those persuasion tools.  Does your eye contact help you influence or does it trigger deception cues?  Are you reading your prospect’s eyes to adjust your presentation?  Let’s find out the power of your eyes.   Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The eyes of men converse as much as their tongues." The more common phrase we hear is "the eyes are the windows to the soul." Through our eyes, we can gauge the truthfulness, attitude, and feelings of a speaker. Not making the proper amount of eye contact can have devastating results. Our pupils are one of the most sensitive and complicated parts of our body. They react to light, but they also respond to our emotions, revealing a variety of feelings.    Making eye contact can also convey love or passion. In a number of studies on eye contact and attraction, researchers found that simply looking into one another's eyes can create passionate feelings. In one particular case, two members of the opposite sex who were complete strangers were found to have amorous feelings toward each other after merely gazing into one another's eyes.   In another study, beggars were interviewed about their "tactics" for getting donations. Several of the beggars stated that one of the very first things they tried to do was establish eye contact. They claimed that making eye contact made it harder for people to pretend they hadn't seen them, to ignore them, or to just keep walking.  Other studies have shown that public speakers who make more eye contact, use pleasant facial expressions, and incorporate appropriate gestures into their speeches have more persuasive power than speakers who do not. What do we need to know about the eyes? Sunglasses – Hide the eyes and arouse distrust Avoidance of eye contact – Lack of confidence Less than 50% eye contact - Insincere and distant Increased eye contact – Starting to accommodate or acceptance Rapid blinking – Resistance to what has been done or said Extended eye contact – Anger, love or frustration Pupils dilate – Interested, and receptive  

Anger is a secondary emotion. A prospect's anger is usually an indicator that something else is askew and that he needs or wants attention.  When we are angry – we want attention or action now. You can assist in diminishing his anger by determining the key issue he is upset about. It is also often effective to ask for his help, opinions, or advice. This will usually diffuse his anger or even change his attitude and demeanor completely. In some circumstances, you may want to use anger to make a certain point or to evoke a certain reaction. However when someone is angry they are more likely to blame someone else. In their mind it is not their fault. When they are sad they will usually blame the situation. When people become angry they tend to rely on intuition or an educated guess.  Anger triggers non analytical information processing.   Anger causes us to use mental shortcuts to decide if the argument is right.   An experiment was done that induced anger. The participants that were angry tended to discriminate between weak and strong persuasive arguments more than those in a neutral mood.  In other words, those that were angry tended to be more influenced by heuristic cues (intuition) than those in a sad or neutral mood.

Willingness to confront your fears is critical to mental programming. Great persuaders have mastered their fears. You will be tempted to leave your fears buried, but they will invariably come back to haunt you. It is much better to deal with fears directly, especially considering that whatever we fear most is never as bad as we think. Human infants are born with only two fears: fear of falling and fear of loud noises. A newborn baby fears nothing else. All other fears are learned. The good news is that if we can learn fears, we can unlearn them. How do you unlearn a deeply ingrained fear? You must face it. That's right—you must deliberately put yourself in the situation where you are confronted with it and there is no escape. Any new skill comes only through extensive practice. There is no way around it. Let's say you have a terrible fear of public speaking. If you want to be a brilliant public speaker, then you've got a lot of public speaking to do. You must force yourself to present to others over and over again. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld jokes about how people are more afraid of public speaking than of dying. He says they would rather be in the casket than delivering the eulogy! The truth is, we usually find out, once we've stepped up and faced a fear directly, that it wasn't so bad. Most of our fears are exaggerated doubts or they are based on unrealities. How will you ever come to this realization if you don't look your fears in the face?

On Episode 167 of Maximize Your Influence, Kurt and Steve interview Matt Powell. Matt asks an important question other personal growth planning books never ask: what if you are choosing the wrong goals? Having taught thousands of students and selling thousands of books on learning methods, Matt brings his systematic approach to achieving goals and changing your future. The best planning process in the world won't help you if you are choosing the wrong goals. After cutting through the reality of the 'why' we fail instead of the 'what' we fail doing, Matt shows you how to stop failing in the future, a full proof method of choosing the right goals, and then build on your success.  Matt's book gives you one of the most in-depth 'how to' methods you've ever experienced...taking you from last year’s successes to fixing your failures, from understanding your routes to success to setting your calendar up for achieving goals. Topics include - How to 'undo' the past - cutting ties with the failures - The keys to understanding why you fail, not what you fail doing - Success planning for all areas of your life - Creating attainable goals you'll be able to achieve - The psychology and neurology of failure and how to change quickly - Learning from failure - how avoiding failure is a failure - How to reduce stress and increase time management - Understanding and using the four kinds of 'success capital' you have right now - Productivity planner and planning using the Hierarchy of Attainability - A method for achieving even the hardest goals immediately...plus much much more.  Check out the interview to see how Matt's power packed information on "Brain Wiring" will better help you achieve success!

If you've been in sales or business for long, you know that a "referred" lead is 10 times better than most cold calls.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve interview Donald Kelly, the Sales Evangelist about how you can double your referrals! Just like most of you, Donald Kelly is a real life B2B sales professional hustling in the world of software sales. If you're like him, you had no clue how to really sell when you started in sales. Over the years, Donald has received training/coaching from some of the industry’s leading experts. He applied what he was learning and started seeing a significant difference in his performance and income. He started doing “BIG THINGS”! He personally feels that when you find something of value you should share it! That’s why he love sales so much. He became very passionate and started “evangelizing” about sales and was dubbed “The Sales Evangelist”. Donald offers some of the top training on sales and referral generation in the market today!

Well, it's finally over.  The 2016 presidential election is in the books.  Wow.  Just wow!  Kurt and Steve discuss the election and some of the tactics used by both sides that ultimately led to the victory by Donald Trump. If you’ve ever conducted research on relieving stress, you’ve undoubtedly come across advice stating that a key factor for reducing your level of stress is to try to live more in the present moment. Most of the feelings that cause us stress, like anger and worry, are born from reliving moments in the past or trying to predict what will come in the future. We’re told to slow down, appreciate the here and now, and let go of the things we cannot do anything about. Unfortunately for most of us, as time goes by and technology evolves, it seems to become harder and harder to do that. We are bombarded by flashing lights, electronic tones and endless notifications prompting us to think about everything except what we are doing right now, at this very moment. You’ve most likely had at least one notification of some kind pop up on your computer or cell phone in the time it took you to read this far. We are constantly on the move, our minds are continually racing, and we are, mentally, always somewhere else. Author Eckhart Tolle may have put it best when he wrote the following lines in his book, “The Power Of Now”. Tolle writes, “All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry — all forms of fear — are caused by too much future and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.” It is possible for anyone to ease stress in their life by simply learning to be more mindful of the present, keeping their mind from running off into the past or the future and focusing on abundance. Except for very few specific circumstances in life, stress does not exist in the present, it only exists in the mind. Many studies have been conducted, which prove that hypnosis can have outstanding effects on reducing stress and anxiety. One such study looked at the effects of hypnosis when used to deal with stress experienced by first-year medical students as they dealt with exams. Results showed that those students who used self-hypnosis techniques experienced much lower levels of distress during exam periods. Hypnosis can help you to live more in the moment and reduce the stress in your life by allowing you to reach a relaxed mental state more easily. Hypnosis can help you remove the triggers that cause worry and anxiety, helping to stop runaway thoughts and allowing you to maintain your focus on the present moment. You will be able to enjoy life again, regain that young at heart feeling, and let go of all those things outside of your control that have worked their way into your subconscious.

Kurt and Steve start this episode by discussing how we can achieve effective presence as a persuader.  Kurt also laments the end of boating season.  They then continue their discussion about dealing with difficult people...specifically delving into low self esteem. One easy way to boost someone’s esteem is to offer sincere, genuine thanks.  Show a little gratitude for what they have done or even will do.  Never assume that they know how much you care or appreciate them.  Many leaders feel that the paycheck is enough to show thanks.  Sure most people like the money, but if you look at the complaints of people in the workplace, the top 5 are all esteem and ego related, not money related.  These people will either leave the company or do just the minimum at their job.  One of the main reasons you see dissatisfaction in the workplace is because they were never thanked or given any recognition for their efforts.  At first it might seem a bit unnatural to use thanks and gratitude, since of most of us have not experienced an environment where doing so was common, but it’s worth the energy and effort.  Praise not only is the right thing to do, but gives them sense of job security. It is important to be able to read people and understand the signals of low self esteem.  It might be the opposite of what you think.  It could be bullying, always having to be right, gossiping, quick to take offense, or resentment of others.   Charismatic people have the ability to read these signs and enhance their self esteem.  There has always been a link between esteem and performance.  Boosting their esteem increases their confidence, they have better attitudes and they perform better.  I am not saying you can never say anything negative or critical.  I just want you to be aware that one negative comment has more emotional impact than ten positive comments.  Just keep in mind that the use of praise affects us to the very core, so use it properly.  

On this episode, Kurt and Steve interview Jonah Berger.  Jonah is a Marketing Professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a world-renowned expert on word of mouth, social influence, consumer behavior, and how products, ideas, and behaviors catch on. He has published dozens of articles in top‐tier academic journals, and popular accounts of his work often appear in places like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review. Berger is the bestselling author of multiple books including Contagious: Why Things Catch On (hundreds of thousands of copies are in print in over 30 languages) and Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior. Berger is a popular speaker at major conferences and events and often consults for companies like Apple, Google, GE, Coca‐Cola, Vanguard, 3M, Kaiser Permanente, Unilever, and The Gates Foundation.

We all have them in our lives: difficult people. Admit it...when you heard "difficult people" you automatically thought of a couple by name, didn't you! So what is a difficult person?  This person is difficult by nature and/or disagrees with you and may even actively work against you. For a difficult person, use these techniques: Find a common belief and establish a common ground. Use appropriate humor to break the ice. Don't start the presentation with an attack on their position. You are only trying to persuade on one point; don't talk about anything else that could trigger disagreement. Because of your differences, they will question your credibility. Increase your credibility with studies from experts or anything that will support your claim. They will try to find reasons to not like you; don't give them any. Don't tell them you are going to try to persuade them. Express that you are looking for a win-win outcome rather than a win-lose situation. Show them you've done your homework. Respect their feelings, values, and integrity. Use logical reasoning as clearly and as carefully as possible. Use the Law of Connectivity and the Law of Balance. (Maximum Influence)

On this episode, Kurt and Steve read some listener mail from an business owner who finds himself dealing with a lot of calls from prospects just wanting quotes.  They discuss how the power of "no" can draw prospects into a conversation where actual value can be established. This then unfolds to a discussion about the power of questions. Of all the tools in your persuasion toolbox, questioning is probably the one most often used by Power Persuaders. Questions are used in the persuasion process to create mental involvement, to guide the conversation and to find out what your prospect needs. Questioning is a very diverse and useful tool. An important study observed hundreds of negotiators in action in an attempt to discover what it takes to be a top negotiator. Their key finding was that skilled negotiators ask more than twice as many questions as average negotiators. How do you form a good question? First, design your questions ahead of time. The structure of your questions dictates how your listener will answer them. When asked to estimate a person's height, people will answer differently depending on whether the question asked is "How tall is he?" versus "How short is he?" In one study, when asking how tall versus how short a basketball player was, researchers received dramatically different results. The "how tall" question received the guess of 79 inches whereas the "how short" question received the guess of 69 inches. Words have a definite effect on how people respond. "How fast was the car going?" suggests a high speed, but "At what speed was the car traveling?" suggests a moderate speed. "How far was the intersection?" suggests the intersection was far away. One facet of questioning is the use of leading questions. Stanford professor Elizabeth Loftus researched how leading questions influenced eyewitness testimonies. In one project, her subjects watched a one-minute multiple-car accident. One group was asked, "About how fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?" The second group was asked, "How fast were the cars going when they hit?" The third group was asked, "How fast were they going when they contacted?" The first group estimated that the cars were going about 40.8 miles an hour, the second group estimated 34 miles an hour, and the third group estimated 31.8 miles an hour.  The same question led to three different answers just by using different words. Leading questions not only alter the way we interpret facts, but they also influence what we remember. In another study conducted by Loftus, subjects who were asked, "Did you see the broken headlight?" were three times more likely to answer yes than subjects who were asked, "Did you see a broken headlight?" When you are probing for information, it is a good idea to ask open-ended questions. It is too easy to respond to a question that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." For example, instead of saying, "Do you wish you had decided differently?" ask, "How did you feel after you made that decision?" Then the person's answer can be used to lead into your more detailed questions—"Why did you make that decision?" or "What do you wish you could change about your decision?"— without seeming to intrusive. A good rule of thumb is to start with the easiest questions first. You want to draw your audience into the conversation and help them feel relaxed and comfortable. People are encouraged by answers they know are right. Begin the conversation by starting with a general topic instead of a specific subject. You need to get the wheels in your listeners' minds rolling before you ask them to answer the more specific questions.

On this episode, Kurt and Steve interview Rob Kendall, of www.conversationexpert.com.  Rob has devoted his life to understanding how humans converse with one another and what makes them go wrong...and right.  Rob its the author of BlameStorming and WorkStorming. If you know that you need to have a challenging conversation, it’s worth preparing thoroughly for it. The preparation time may be disproportionate to the length of the conversation itself, but if the conversation’s important enough, your preparation will rarely be wasted. As a friend of mine was always told, ‘Prepare thoroughly and deviate with confidence’. There are a number of things to consider: 1. Time and place. What’s the appropriate time and place for the conversation? If you squash it in between other meetings, you have no leeway for it to overrun. Is it best to have it now or later? And is it best to stay in the office or would it be more conducive to have it outside? 2. Set it up to succeed. Would it be beneficial for the other person to know (broadly) in advance what it’s about, or not? At a minimum, you may want to make sure that they’ve cleared enough time in their diary, so they don’t arrive and say they only have 15 minutes free. 3. Set the context. Once you meet up, make clear to them what you want to speak about. If you beat about the bush too much, the other person will wonder what on earth’s going on, and may not even be clear what you’ve said. 4. Make your commitment clear. This is vital and can often be missed. When you start a difficult conversation, you need to set the context. Take this example of Mia, who’s given some feedback by her boss. She’s highly regarded at work and is seen as someone with the potential for promotion in the coming year, but her boss assumes she knows this and starts their conversation by saying: As you know, we’ve gathered some feedback from your colleagues and there are a few areas that have come to light that I want to discuss.’ Mia’s immediately on the defensive, while her boss is surprised that she’s not being more constructive. It would help if he began by saying: ‘Mia, you’re highly valued and we’re really keen for you to progress to a more senior role. You’re already exceptionally strong in some areas, and need to develop in others.’ 5. Make the distinction between ‘facts’ and ‘stories’ or ‘opinions’. A fact may be: ‘You’ve been late 3 times in the last 10 working days’. A story or opinion would be: ‘You’re unreliable.’ There is nothing intrinsically wrong with having opinions, but it’s better to state it this way: ‘I have an opinion that you’re unreliable.’ 6. Acknowledge their perspective. Ask them questions so that you can understand their perspective (this doesn’t mean you have to agree with it). And then listen. If you’re not prepared to listen, don’t bother asking, but don’t expect much engagement from them either. Prior to a meeting most people spend their time thinking about what they want to say, but it may be even more important to consider what questions you want to ask. 7. Get clear what’s going to happen next. Obviously this depends on the situation, but it’s worth agreeing together a clear action or a date to review things after some reflection time. 8. Be aware. Lastly, be aware that – however well you conduct the conversation – what you say might come as a shock to the other person. In her 1969 book, On Death and Dying, Elizabeth Kübler-Ross introduced a hypothesis based on her work with terminally ill patients. In the majority of cases she found that patients went through a spectrum of different emotional states: beginning with denial then leading to anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Her model has since been adapted to fit a broader set of situations where someone receives unwelcome news. The instinctive response is often to deny it, followed by feelings of anger, withdrawing to lick their wounds, and finally coming round to acceptance.

The food industry is more successful than it's ever been.  Food is cheap, accessible. And many of us are eating A LOT of it.  On this episode, Brian Wansink of the of the Food and Brand Lab of Cornell University joins Kurt and Steve.   Brian is a leading expert in changing eating behavior – both on an individual level and on a mass scale – using principles of behavioral science. His research focuses on how ads, packaging, and personality traits influence the usage frequency and usage volume of healthy foods. His research on consumption volume has won national and international awards for its relevance to consumers. His findings have been widely featured on 20/20, BBC News, The Learning Channel, all news networks, and on the front pages of the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He is also  the author of Mindless Eating (2006) and Slim by Design (2014) as well as over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles. From 2007 until 2009 he was appointed by the White House as the USDA’s CNPP Executive Director in charge of the Dietary Guidelines for 2010 and the Food Guide Pyramid (MyPyramid.gov). He is a former bad open-mic comic and rock sax player. He lives with his wife and three girls in Ithaca, New York, where he enjoys both French food and French fries.

Worry When your prospect is worried or preoccupied with something occurring now or could happen in the future. The wrong type of worry can hinder persuasion. Worry is feeling anxious, uneasy, or concerned about something that may happen, or has already happened. Worry creates anxiety which creates tension—a fear that occupies our thoughts, which if encouraged will grow and continue to dominate our thoughts. I have heard worry referred to as "negative goal setting." You can combat worry in your prospects by modifying their anxiety. Bring them back to reality by having them realize we can't change many things in the past or forecast the future. Stress that most of the things we worry about are those very things we can't change or control and which won't likely ever happen in the first place. Help your prospects replace their negative mental images with positive ones.  Worry can also be caused by indecision.  Get them to make a series of minor decisions and their worry will decrease. Anger Anger is a secondary emotion. A prospect's anger is usually an indicator that something else is askew and that he needs or wants attention.  When we are angry – we want attention or action now. You can assist in diminishing his anger by determining the key issue he is upset about. It is also often effective to ask for his help, opinions, or advice. This will usually diffuse his anger or even change his attitude and demeanor completely. In some circumstances, you may want to use anger to make a certain point or to evoke a certain reaction. However when someone is angry they are more likely to blame someone else. In their mind it is not their fault. When they are sad they will usually blame the situation. When people become angry they tend to rely on intuition or an educated guess.  Anger triggers non analytical information processing.   Anger causes us to use mental shortcuts to decide if the argument is right.  An experiment was done that induced anger. The participants that were angry tended to discriminate between weak and strong persuasive arguments more than those in a neutral mood.  In other words, those that were angry tended to be more influenced by heuristic cues (intuition) than those in a sad or neutral mood.

Did you know that money can buy happiness? A recent study published in “Psychology Today” shows just that. Kurt and Steve discuss the ins and outs of this study and how money certainly can buy happiness…up to a point. Continuing off of recent episodes, Kurt and Steve cover how we can overcome objections before they ever occur in the first place. This concept is called “inoculation.” The term comes from the medical field, where patients are given a weak form of a virus so that their body can develop an immunity to it. This same concept happens on the psychological level. If we can introduce a weak form of the objection to our prospects, they will be better prepared for when the real one comes along at a later date. For example, do most of your prospects end up looking for more bids from competitors? Or do they end up getting serious resistance from friends and family? Letting them know very subtly that this will happen beforehand helps them avoid the shock and disappointment that will later surface. They’ll think “hey, you know what? He told me that the competitors would say this, or that my family would think that.” This even applies when raising children. Unfortunately we know that at some point kids will be exposed to and given the opportunity to take drugs. Pretending this won’t happen just increases the chances that they will be influenced by a drug dealer and not by you as a parent. Letting them know in advance “hey Jr, at some point somebody is going to offer you drugs. If you say know they’ll call you chicken, they’ll make fun of you, etc. But just say no no matter what and come talk to me about it. It’s okay.” You can’t, nor should you, inoculate against everything. Just pick the two or three most common objections your prospects have and pre solve them with stories, examples, statistics, and testimonials!

Labels   Let’s explore the space between offer and acceptance – the space between “yes” and “no” is labels.   “It seems like…” “It sounds like…” “It looks like…”  (Followed by an effective pause.)     It’s critical to not “step” on your label by following it with a question or some sort of an explanation. You’ve got to let them sink in.   “It seems like there’s some flexibility in this package?”   “It sounds like there’s more here?”   “It seems like you have some ranges in mind?”   “It looks like you’ve used certain criteria to come up with this offer?”   Labels are a great way to gather more information and to test positions.  They do it in a way that doesn’t make people feel backed into a corner. They’re effective in place of questions where basically you’d normally be looking for just a “yes” or a “no” and they always get more information. They open up dialog in a really gentle, yet quietly firm way.   Salary negotiations are particularly important because as I’ve said before, people are testing you as both a co-worker and an ambassador. They really don’t want you to be a push-over and they don’t want you to be a jerk. Salary negotiations shouldn’t be limited to just salary. Salary pays your mortgage but terms build your career.   “It seems like there’s a bigger picture here for this position?”   “It looks like your company has a future vision I fit into.”   “It seems like this position fits a broader need within the company.”   “It looks like there’s some built in opportunities for professional development?”   “It looks like this position fits a critical need.”   These labels can also be expressed as statements or questions (upward inflection – question; downward inflection – statement).   Employers appreciate someone with insight who “gets it”. Labels are a great way to demonstrate competence and insight. Both of these are characteristics that either merit a higher offer now, or position you for one down the line.   Please remember, plan for your success with good terms within the overall package that build your career. Labels help you flesh that out and build the success of both your career and your employer!

It is human nature to mirror and match, or to “synchronize” with, the people we connect with.28 We don’t even think about it. It happens so quickly and so subconsciously that without a replay, one is unlikely to even notice it.29 What if you were aware of it? Could it be used to help you be even more persuasive? Research says definitely yes. When you mirror your audience, you build rapport with them.             Mirroring operates at a subconscious level and demonstrates that the parties are starting to synchronize and get into rapport. People are inclined to follow and obey those they perceive as similar to themselves. If they shift in their posture, you should eventually do so, too. If they cross their legs, you should cross your legs as well. If they smile, you smile, too. When you mirror them, they will subconsciously feel that you have much more in common with them than may actually be the case. Why is this so? He likes you because you are like him. He perceives you the same way he perceives himself. When using mirroring and matching, you want your audience to subconsciously say, “It feels like I have known you for years.” Mirroring speeds up the process of connecting and effectively communicating with anyone.             Obviously, it is imperative that mirroring and matching come across as natural. Great persuaders know how to mirror or reflect their audience’s actions, not to imitate them. If people think you are imitating them, they may feel mocked and become offended. They will see you as phony, and they will no longer trust you. Instead of directly imitating, just mirror or match the overall tone and demeanor of your prospect. You can safely mirror things such as language, posture, gestures, and mood. The reality is that mirroring is the best predictor of rapport.30   You can develop rapport by mirroring your audience in the following areas: Emotional state Energy level Language Breathing rate Voice patterns and inflections Mood

If all my talents and powers were to be taken from me by some inscrutable Providence, and I had my choice of keeping but one, I would unhesitatingly ask to be allowed to keep the power of speaking, for through it I would quickly recover all the rest.                                                                            —Daniel Webster Have you happened to notice the dramatic changes that have evolved in presentations, communication, and training over the last twenty years? The basic focus used to be on education. Now, the latest research is all about how to grab your audience’s attention and then maintain their interest. We can no longer focus simply on educating; we must now entertain. We must keep our audiences mentally engaged. Great persuaders can maintain the attention of their audience. Research shows that people’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. You don’t have to be a stand-up comedian, but you do have to make sure your audience sticks with you, your words resonate with them, they pay attention, and they understand you. The moment you lose their attention, you can no longer persuade them. You could have a great Website, be a sharp dresser, publish a great brochure, or have any manner of impressive credentials. The reality is, however, that the number-one persuasion tool is you, and a big part of how you present yourself is through your communication. Long gone are the days of counting on the subject matter to speak compellingly for itself, compensating for your inadequacies as a presenter. Nowadays, you’ve got to get inside your audience’s minds, and you’ve got to get there fast. It can take only seconds before people’s minds start to wander. To combat this tendency, you have to educate, inspire, and entertain with passion, compassion, and purpose. Great persuaders are great communicators. Well-known motivational speaker and best-selling author Jim Rohm said it best: “When I learned how to effectively persuade and communicate, my income went from six digits to seven digits.” Your communication skills are critical for your success, yet this is another set of overlooked skills that are not effectively taught in school. Communication includes phone skills, face-to-face interactions, group presentations, and even email. Most persuaders feel, incorrectly, that they have above-average communication skills. Are yours “above average” too? Our research shows that 34 percent of persuaders feel they have mastered the ability to effectively communicate. However, by talking to your audience, we know that your presentation and communication mastery was rated at only 11 percent. Great persuaders work on their presentation skills on a continual basis. There is always something to fine-tune and improve. The studies show that, on average, a persuader communicates six to eight features of his product or service to his audience, but the average person will only remember one, two, or three of them. In over 40 percent of cases, the person will remember one of the features incorrectly. In 30 percent of cases, the person remembers a feature that was never even mentioned by the persuader. (Ouch!) We also found that 93 percent of persuadees misunderstood some part of a persuader’s message. The worst part is that most of them did not ask a question or even try to seek clarification. Remember, a confused mind says no. A “confused mind,” has to think about it. A “confused mind,” will get back to you. A confused mind is hard to persuade and influence.

Capturing Attention Immediately What can you do in the first thirty seconds of your encounter to capture your audience’s attention? Can you prove to them that you are worth listening to? Think about this: Every time you communicate with someone, they are paying with either time or money. Your audience is rooting for you; they want you to succeed. They don’t want their time or money wasted any more than you want to waste it. Then why is it getting wasted? Sometimes when you’re approaching something new, figuring out what you should not do is just as important as figuring out what to do. Let’s first take a look at some communication “complaints.”   Speaking in a monotone. Avoiding eye contact. Fidgeting and other annoying mannerisms. Using vocal fillers (“uhm,” “uh,” etc.). Lacking any emotion or conviction. Sounding mechanical or rehearsed. Rushing through the presentation, speaking too fast. Talking down to the audience. Not finding common ground. Failing to help the audience see value in the presentation. Pushing or pressuring the audience. Overloading the audience with too much information. Being disorganized, jumping from one point to the next without any flow. Not checking environment beforehand to limit interruptions and distractions. Exhibiting poor listening skills. Saying the wrong things at the wrong moments. Not adapting to the particular personality or personalities you’re working with. Displaying nervousness and fear. Jumping to conclusions. Constantly interrupting. Pushing a predetermined, one-sided solution. Listening selectively. Not being in tune with audience emotions. Allowing personal emotions to get involved.    Being knowledgeable in an arrogant way. The good news is most of these things are easily remedied once they are pointed out. We just don’t realize how often we commit them. Great persuaders have found their presentation weaknesses. They record themselves as they present and talk on the phone. Recording yourself will let you step into your audience’s shoes and give you a true-to-life representation that’s easy to evaluate. Plus, there won’t be any second-guessing—the recording doesn’t lie. Sure, it can be a painful exercise, but you will gain invaluable insights that cannot be found in any other way. Remember what they say: “No pain, no gain.” Great persuaders will endure a little pain to maintain their high income.

After discussing a few recent business trips, and of course, the food they ate on those trips, Kurt and Steve discuss a classic blunder: overuse of fear.  Fear is a useful tactic when persuading others.  It is very short term, however.  Kurt and Steve review some techniques to use fear effectively.  Steve then interviews Kim Ades of Frame of Mind Coaching.  Kim's company is designed specifically to meet the needs of ambitious, highly driven, and successful individuals who want to transform their lives to achieve their biggest goals.  During this interview, Steve asks Kim about how using a coach can help you see pitfalls that you were never even aware of.  Oftentimes, enhancing productivity involves busy people understanding what it is they really want in the first place and challenging assumptions that they thought were true.  You'll love this interview!  

You can use conversational skills as a tool with which to build new connections, while avoiding awkward pauses and uncomfortable conversations. After all, making a good first impression is all about making others feel good when spending time with each of you. Great conversationalists are made, not born. The following tips will help you make a positive impression every time: Don’t rush through conversations. Take your time, and be sure to remember names and use them frequently during conversations. Show an interest in every person you meet. By showing an interest you are creating a favorable impression of yourself. People, even shy ones, like to talk about themselves, so let them. Be prepared. Before entering an event, take a couple minutes and think of at least three conversation topics. Remind yourself of what you may already know about fellow attendees. Their hobbies, activities or interests. If you happen to encounter an uncomfortable silence, these conversation points will always come in handy. Always maintain eye contact. Eye contact is an easy way to make others feel comfortable, important, and special. Act confident through your body language, even if you are not. Nervous body language {twisting your hair, slouching shoulders, constant hand rubbing} can make others uncomfortable and anxious. Try to be aware of your body language when interacting with others. Be a careful listener. By listening intently to what others are saying, you are not only making them feel important, but you can gather cues you need to keep the conversation going and bridge to new topics. Don’t interrogate a conversational partner. Questions like: “Where are you from?” “Are you married?” “What do you do for a living?” can stop a conversation before it ever really starts. Be respectful of the opinions of others. Not everyone agrees on things, and friendly disagreements can be a gateway to a great conversation. Offer your opinion of your favorite football team, the state of public education today, or the future of the space program. Be sure to follow up with “What do you think?”, or “Tell me your opinion.” Have exit lines prepared. You will probably want to mingle with several people around the room.

  Have you ever felt like you put in a bunch of work only to pave the way for your competitor?  Many persuaders inadvertently do this only to find out too late that they lost the deal.  The key to avoiding this is generating genuine scarcity.  To create genuine scarcity, make sure you have as much of the following in place: 1.  Deadlines. Give your prospects a deadline or a point of no return. We all operate on deadlines in our personal lives and in our businesses. Deadlines are what cause us to take action. If there is no immediate reason to take action now, we won't. Many people don't pay their bills until they have to. Judging by the lines outside the post office at midnight on April 15th, most of us don't pay our taxes until the last possible second. No deadline, no consequence means no action.   2.  Limited Space, Numbers, or Access. If your prospect feels like they are competing for a limited resource, they will be much more motivated to take action. When people fear they're going to miss out on a great deal, they feel an urgency to act. Think of shoppers at closeout sales. They've got to speed over there and check things out before all the stuff is "picked over." Otherwise, with the store's limited supplies, they'll miss the deal forever! This limit can also include access to information. Our response to banned or secret information is a greater desire to receive that information and a more favorable outlook toward it than we had before the ban was set in place.   3.  Potential Loss. Prospects must recognize that they might be limited in their actions if they don't take advantage of your offer. People will always overvalue the thing you are restricting. Create a state of emotion in which your prospect will fear the loss or negative consequence for not taking action.  This is an overwhelming feeling they won't be able to ignore. Motivated by restriction, your prospect becomes an emotionally motivated buyer. They will not be denied. The more you deny them, the more energy you give to your cause. You have denied their right to something, so they'll do anything to have it.   4.  Restrict Freedom. We want what we can't have. When we are told a product is or will soon be unavailable, we want it even more. Our desire goes up and so does the urgency to act. Create a scenario where you tell your prospect that the offer is only good for so long. Tell them they have to act now to take advantage of the opportunity or they will lose out. This technique works so well because we have all walked away from offers like this before, and they weren’t there when we returned. Walk through clearance stores and you will see "Sold" signs on the furniture. These signs create urgency because somebody else has found a deal, and so should we.

What is your message? What do you have to share that will make a difference in people’s lives? What is your main objective, the key thing you hope to accomplish? You’ve got to understand the big picture. Then, with the big picture in mind, you have to get more specific. Do you have a clear vision of how your product, service, or idea will help your audience? You’ve got to know your product inside and out, its pros and cons and how it stacks up against the competition. Use the following list, distilled from the work of great persuaders, to give some direction to your process of preparing and refining your message:   •           What do I want to accomplish? •           If I had to boil my message down to three main points, what would they be? •           How can I demonstrate my expertise? •           How can I increase my trustworthiness with this audience? •           What are the emotional reasons that will prompt my audience to respond? •           What are the logical reasons that will prompt my audience to respond? •           What is my “call to action”? •           What are some alternatives to my initial proposal? •           Does my plan have any potential pitfalls? •           What are the top five doubts or objections I will encounter? How will I respond? •           What information should I gather about my audience? My competition?

When Steve asked Kurt how he was doing before the show started, he did not expect that Kurt would tell him that he just got done dealing with a bear in his backyard.  Well, he didn't deal with it...animal control did.  But we're proud that Kurt didn't scream like a little girl when it happened!  Here's a picture: Kurt and Steve also give some sound advice that was once also given by the leading salesman of a Northeastern mid-size paper supply company.  The advice is timeless and will echo through the ages.  After an unusual amount of banter, Kurt and Steve decide to get into something that matters: negotiation.  Clients and customers expect to play the game.  So what do you do if there is no game to play?  It is a natural tendency for us to take in information and interpret it in a manner that will best serve our personal wants and needs. We do not always do this consciously. What’s more, the converse is also true in that we often pass over information that is critical to understanding the other side, particularly when the other side is in conflict with us. We naturally enhance our own position while vilifying the opposition’s. The result is that perceptions and beliefs are based on information that is highly inaccurate and exaggerated. Especially striking examples of this oppositional bias are seen in the Israelis and Palestinians or the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. A famous Harvard study involved giving some executives insider information about one company’s plans to acquire another. The executives were randomly assigned to role play the part of either the buyer or the seller. Unbeknownst to them, the information given to each side was identical. After analyzing the information, the executives each had to give their private assessment of the company’s fair value (as opposed to how they might present that value in negotiations). Not surprisingly, the executives playing the part of “seller” gave values that were more than double those offered by those who were playing the role of “buyers.” Interestingly, the results were driven by what would best serve the party in her/his randomly assigned role. It is to be expected that each negotiating side will bring its own biases to the table. Simply knowing that these biases exist will help those involved in negotiation to not be caught off guard. Put yourself in the other side’s shoes and think of what their most powerful case could be. This empathizing tactic always sheds light on new thoughts and ideas that you might not have thought of otherwise. Lastly, it will never hurt you to seek the input of an uninvolved third party.

Let’s talk a bit about deception.  I don’t need to say it here, but I will.  Deception is wrong and does trigger incongruence.  On the flip the side the challenge you could have is that when you get nervous or uneasy you might be showing signs or deception.  What I am saying here is that even if you are telling the truth and think you are congruent, you might be sending signals of incongruency and deception.  The audience can’t always identify exactly what is making them distrustful, but they feel that way and that is all that matters to them.  What happens is we all have micro expressions that happen so rapidly the conscious mind can’t see them, but the subconscious can sense them.  These are quick mannerisms in the face that reveal deception or nervousness.  Another one that causes an increase in their deception radar is a disconnect between your emotion and your reaction.  For example if you make an angry face, then hit the table with your hand 5 seconds later, that would be an obvious red flag you are not feeling that emotion.  Careful that you are congruent with every aspect of your message. Everyone can pick up on your nonverbal behavior.  We sense something is not quite right.  Others will sense when there is any form of incongruence or deception radiating from you.  Be aware that many of your nonverbal behaviors that you are currently doing will trigger incongruence.  It might be a natural part of your behavior, but it could look like deception.  Things that could trigger deception:   Forced eye contact Shifting back in chair Rubbing or touching lips Scratching your face Dilated pupils Yawning Pitch of voice rising   

It's the 4th of July, so Kurt and Steve did what they do best: took their boats out and bbq'd!  Back by popular demand, however, is the episode they did on Charismatic Power.  Check it out!

  "He kept his promises." Promises made during the persuasion process are fulfilled. Persuaders are honest and realistic in what they promise—they don't build false hopes or expectations. They "underpromise and overdeliver"—not the other way around! "She's really dependable." Successful persuaders proactively give their audience the attention they deserve, doing everything in their power to resolve any problem or concern. They are reliable; nothing stops them from getting the job done or from getting a call back. "He's clearly very well trained." Successful persuaders know the ins and outs of their product, including its strengths and weaknesses and how it stacks up against the competition. A great persuader is always an expert on the product, service, or idea he is handling. "She was very sincere, very genuine." Real persuaders don't act like they're just out for a hefty commission. They are sincerely interested in their audience and have their best interests in mind. "I consider him a friend." Taking the time to build rapport pays off. Personable, likable, caring, and friendly persuaders make the grade. They know that people buy from people they like. "She'd never argue with us." A good persuader is not so bent on making a point that she argues with her prospects. She is not consumed with her own need to be right; she knows she will not persuade by demonstrating that her audience is wrong, misinformed, or uneducated. "He provides solutions that work!" Helping an audience visualize their success brings the persuader and audience together to illustrate how the product or service will get them there. "She always takes 100 percent responsibility." No matter what happens, a great persuader accepts full responsibility for results. When challenges present themselves, she deals with those challenges rather than making excuses. "I can tell he is really behind his products." Successful persuaders love what they offer. They know they cannot get someone to believe in their product more than they do. "She is honest." It is always clear where a great persuader stands. She is always honest with herself and with others. From this position of strength, she is the audience's friend, advisor, and advocate. "He's really entertaining—his visits are always a treat." Winning persuaders are fun and enjoyable to talk to. They help others feel good about themselves and put smiles on people's faces. They are full of charisma, love to be around people, and are the ones to bring light to a room. Their presentations are lively, engaging, and informative.

You know we love talking about "Negotiaton's Dirty Deeds."  A recent article by the Harvard Business Review gave some great pointers on deflecting some of the more common negotiation tactics.   One of the best ways to insure a smooth transaction is through managing your clients expectations correctly.  Persuaders are most effective when they're persuading, not when they're stuck resolving client questions and concerns that could have been avoided in the first place.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss this very issue.   Expectations as Assumptions: Expect with Confidence Consider the profound impact this can have in your own life. Are the assumptions and expectations you have about yourself (or others) liberating or victimizing? There are countless examples of "self-fulfilling prophecies," or the Law of Expectations at work in everyday life. Ever notice how people who think they're going to be fired suddenly experience a drop in the quality and enthusiasm for their work? Then what happens? They get fired! Their belief causes them to act a certain way, and those expectations then work to bring about the very thing that at first was only a figment of their imagination. There was a study done on a military base that was used to train combat soldiers.  They created two groups of soldiers of equal aptitude and were randomly selected into three groups.  Now these 3 groups were assigned 3 different types of instructor’s.  One was high expectancy, regular expectancy and unspecified expectancy.  We already know the high expectancy group that was expected to perform better, scored significantly higher on achievement tests, felt more positive and had better attitudes. In another study, second graders listened to statements from their teachers before taking a math test. There were three types of statements: expectation, persuasion, or reinforcement. The expectation statements went something like, "You know your math really well!" or "You work really hard at your math." Persuasion statements involved sentences like, "You should be good at math." or "You should be getting better math grades." Finally, for the reinforcement statements, teachers said things like, "I'm really happy about your progress" or "This is excellent work!" Now, what do you think the results were? The scores were the highest in the "expectation" category! Why were the expectation statements the most effective? They created personal assumptions within each student. Those assumptions conditioned the actual external results. This can also be called implicit priming.  Let’s look at a few studies and how to apply this.  A study was done where they asked participants to complete a scrambled sentenced in a puzzle.  They were shown various groups of words to create these sentences.  Some of the participants were shown rude type words (obnoxious, aggressively, annoyingly, disturb, interrupt, impolitely). The other group was shown polite type words (respect, courteous, considerate, patiently, polite, and behaved).  When they went to the next room to complete a second task they would find the experimenter with another student trying to explain a task that the student could not comprehend. The group that was primed with the rude words waited an average of 5.5 minutes and the group primed with the polite words waited an average of 9.3 minutes. Here is an interesting study. Watch how these numbers prime your brain. Participants were given this set of numbers and were told to estimate (not calculate) the answer in 5 seconds. 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 Than they would find another person to estimate the following numbers: 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 x 7 x 8 Now logically we know the estimation should be the same for both (40,320). Remember one group was primed with the 8 in front of the problem and the other group was primed with the 1 in front of the problem. The average estimation for the first problem was 2250. The average estimation for the second problem was 512.  Isn’t it interesting how no one even came close to the right answer.

Francis Bacon once said, "Knowledge itself is power." Knowledge power is based on proficiency in a certain subject, procedure, or situation. Remember that you are the expert. People can be persuaded if they think you have more knowledge or expertise than they do. For example, lawyers, mechanics, and doctors possess knowledge power. People rely on these professionals' opinions, believe what they say, and trust implicitly what they do because of the extent of schooling or experience they have. We accept the arguments and data of people we assume have knowledge, whether it's real or perceived. In addition to coming from formal education and training, knowledge power also comes from life experience and innate intelligence and aptitude. Great persuaders use three different types of knowledge power: informational, resource, and expertise: 1.  Informational power. When you know something others need to know, you hold power over them. Informational power is exercised when someone needs, wants, or desires the information, facts, or data you possess. As Aristotle Onassis said, "The secret of business is to know something that no one else knows." 2.  Resource power. If you have access to key persons, commodities, goods, or services that are valued by others, you hold some power over them. As the saying goes, "It's not what you know; it's who you know." Are you perceived as having the right affiliations? What connections do you have? 3.  Expertise power. When you have special skill sets, expertise, or knowledge that others believe is relevant to their needs and which exceeds their own, they will do what you say or listen to your opinions. Why are you the expert?  

On this episode, Kurt and Steve interview Wes Schaeffer, the Sales Whisperer! There are ways to start implementing empathy in your daily contacts and conversations.  It does take some practice and evaluation.  After every encounter ask yourself what do you do well and what can you do better next time.  Try these steps to increase your empathy. •           Mentally prepare yourself to hear the message •           Listen with your ears, heart and mind •           Read their body language •           Evaluate the true message sent           •           Acknowledge the feelings and emotions being displayed •           Practice taking on their perspective •           Respond with empathy   Sure empathy takes some effort, but it is worth every moment until you perfect this skill.  You will be more trustworthy, empathetic, charismatic and it also increases productivity and inspires commitment.  Our rushed modern life does not cultivate the mindset or skills of empathy.  You need to look for opportunities to develop empathy.  Just start off by asking yourself two questions during your conversations.    “How would I feel if I were that person?” and “Why are they feeling that way?”  Practice that today.  Find one person you can demonstrate empathy and show them you truly care.

Happy Memorial Day!,  If you're not in the US, we hope you had a great Monday, May 30! If you have a tough negotiation coming up where your opponent will play the empathy card, we have good news. Acetaminophen can dull your sense of empathy! So next time you need to negotiate, pop some tylenol and turn yourself into a cold blooded shark of a negotiator.   How Moods Can Affect Persuasion Moods affect our thinking, our judgment, and our willingness to say yes. When the person you are trying to persuade is in a good mood, they are more likely to accept your offer. The opposite is also true. If they're not in a good mood, chances are much higher they won't bite. This is a huge advantage to you when it comes to persuasion. Great persuaders create the right mood. Great persuaders actually put people in a happy state. When we are feeling happy, we tend to think happy thoughts and to retrieve happy ideas and experiences from memory. Conversely, when we are in a negative mood, we tend to think unhappy thoughts and to retrieve negative information from memory. If you can influence the mood, you minimize the likelihood of objections and resistance. How do you influence mood? The most important thing is to make sure you are in a good mood yourself. Even if your audience is in a good mood initially, a bad mood on your part will quickly dampen their spirits (even if you are trying to hide it). Then, your chances at successful persuasion decrease significantly. One particular study demonstrated just how much the moods and attitudes of those around us influence our responses. Three individuals sat down to a meal together—two who were in on the study, and one who was unknowingly being evaluated on whether or not his companions altered his opinion of the food. The two conducted themselves in a very disagreeable manner and were unpleasant and contentious. On another occasion, this same individual was brought back to the same place and offered the same food. The only difference was he was given different table companions. This time around, the company was fun, interesting, and enjoyable. How do you think his evaluations of the food differed? You guessed it—the first evaluation was negative, while the second was positive, even though the food itself was identical from the one situation to the next. There is evidence across the board that mood is a major factor in persuasion. Even simple mood-boosting methods like eating a good snack or listening to pleasant music have been shown to make people easier to persuade.  An interviewer who is in a good mood tends to assign higher ratings to job applicants.  Happy moods also increase creativity, which is critical for great persuaders.  Consumers who are in a good mood will be more aware of positive qualities in products or experiences they encounter.  And as any kid has already figured out, parents who are in good moods tend to be more lenient. Just to reinforce the point, I will highlight one other study. The study was conducted in a hotel room that did not have a window or any other means by which the occupant could know what the weather was like. When the guest ordered room service, the server would describe the weather as cold and rainy, cold and sunny, warm and rainy, or warm and sunny. How do you think these pleasant or not-so-pleasant reports affected the amount of the server's tip? Interestingly, it did not seem to make much difference whether it was warm or cold, but when the weather was reported to be sunny, tips increased by 26.65 percent!

Did you know that if you think about what you ate earlier in the day, you're proven to snack less?  Kurt and Steve discuss a recent article by Psychology Today that studies this phenomenon.   Size of packaging, color, position...all of these things subconsciously influence what your prospect buys...and how much they buy.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss some recent books and studies that delve into how much we eat...and why you should care as a persuader.  Atmosphere can also include the tension in the air. Is there a rush, or are customers relaxed? What type of climate are you trying to create? Do you want a quick, fast decision, or do you want your customers to feel comfortable enough to stay for a while? An interesting study on what happens when you create an atmosphere of being rushed can be seen in the following example: Princeton University psychologists John Darley and Daniel Batson wanted to see how students would respond if they were in a situation replicating the biblical account of the Good Samaritan.  As the story goes, a band of thieves beat, robbed, and left a man traveling alone by the roadside to die. A devout priest and a reputable Levite passed by. Neither of the men stopped to help the dying man. Finally, a Samaritan, stopped to help him. The Samaritan bound up his wounds, took him to an inn, and even paid the innkeeper to care for him until he returned. Darley and Batson asked seminarians on a one-on-one basis to prepare and present a short speech on an assigned biblical topic. The test was set up so that on their way to the location where they would deliver their speech, each student would cross a man slumped over, coughing and groaning. Which students would actually stop and help? Before preparing their speeches, the students filled out a questionnaire asking why they had chosen to study theology. Then a variety of speech topics were assigned, including the story of the Good Samaritan. As the students were leaving to deliver their speeches, some were told, "You'd better hurry. They were expecting you about three minutes ago." Others were told, "They won't be ready for a few minutes, but you may as well head over now." Now, most people would assume that seminarians stating on their questionnaires that they had chosen to study theology so they could help people and who were then assigned to speak on the Good Samaritan would be the ones most likely to stop and help the ailing man on their way. Interestingly, neither of those two factors seemed to make much of a difference. In fact, Darley and Batson stated, "Indeed, on several occasions, a seminary student going to give his talk on the parable of the Good Samaritan literally stepped over the victim as he hurried on his way." The element that seemed to be most influential was whether or not the student was rushed. Of the students who were told they were already a little late, only 10 percent stopped to help. Of the students who were told they had a little bit more time, 63 percent stopped to help. We can learn from this example that we can create atmospheres where people are so involved that they ignore other factors they normally would not ignore.  On the flip side, if participants are too relaxed than they become difficult to persuade.

Kurt and Steve begin this episode by discussing how in anything we do, we default down to the level of our training.  Whether it's a sport, self defense, language, or persuasion...the mind and body default to what their trained to do when they are stressed.  Bottom line is when you need to persuade it's too late to learn!  Go to www.universityofpersuasion.com for some awesome ways you can train to be a better persuader! This isn't a surprise to you, but walking through the first class cabin when boarding makes coach passengers more prone to "air rage."  Kurt and Steve discuss this article and how airlines are violating the law of expectations.  Airlines are such an easy one to criticize.  Almost as easy as politicians.   How do you use mental programming effectively? The first step is to channel your emotional energies into specific desires. You're unlikely to get very far if you don't even have the desire in the first place. Embracing what's closest to your heart will unleash your greatest energy, imagination, and potential. And just like striking oil, you will experience a surge of greater productivity than you have ever had in your life. This burning desire will allow you to transform mediocre abilities into amazing successes…above and beyond what you ever thought possible. After you have a specific desire in mind, let it simmer in your subconscious for awhile. Many great persuaders work on "programming" right before they fall asleep. As the conscious mind winds down, the subconscious mind kicks into gear. You can take advantage of this transition to turn your thoughts and desires over to the subconscious mind to work on. As you drift off to sleep, try to summon the feelings and emotions that will accompany your success. Vividly imagine the events, the people, and the places that will get you where you want to go. The subconscious mind cannot discern that which is real from that which is vividly imagined. It will accept the positive or negative suggestions that it is given, particularly if they are accompanied by and reinforced with relevant feelings, emotions, and vivid details.  You can powerfully program your mind into believing certain things have actually happened. When your mind pre-accepts your victories as already won, you're halfway there. You'll find that promptings, instinct, and intuitions begin to emerge. You'll find yourself thinking, talking, and behaving in a more positive and productive way. In short, all of your energies will be aimed at your goals.

An interesting study was conducted with dentists, whereby an ad was put in the newspaper asking for people to participate in a painful dental procedure.11 The first amazing thing about it was that people actually showed up. During the first part of the study, the dentists were told that they would only pretend to use a painkiller on their patients. A placebo would actually be given. The dentists were instructed to do everything just as they would normally do during the procedure. Most of the patients in this half of the study felt pain during their dental procedure. During the second half of the study, the dentists were told to perform the exact same procedure, except this time they would be administering a real painkiller to their patients. When told that the dentist was going to numb their mouths, most of these patients did not feel pain. The reality was, however, that unbeknownst to dentist or patient, a placebo had again been administered again in place of the painkiller. Even though in the dentists’ minds they had performed the exact same procedure with both sets of patients, the first group of patients picked up on incongruities in the dentists’ behavior. Consciously or subconsciously, they knew that something was wrong and thus felt pain. Are you congruent with your history, your last interaction, and your reputation? Does your nonverbal behavior match your actions? Are your emotions congruent with your message? What are your audience’s expectations of you and your message? When your past history and your message don’t match, flags of incongruity will wave in your audience’s face. Suspicion will be roused and your audience will start to look for things that are wrong with you or your message. This inconsistency will decrease your ability to gain influence and trust. That’s because humans are natural lie detectors. When we attempt to fake congruence, we must also spend our time and energy trying to fake our message.

How do you overcome this lack of credibility? Here are several ideas great persuaders use to boost their credibility:               1. In this very skeptical world your prospect is looking for a weakness. If you don’t give them some type of weakness (personal or product), they will assign a weakness for you. Great persuaders increase credibility by revealing an apparent weakness and turning that perceived weakness into a desired benefit.             2. Credibility is enhanced by every minute of preparation. Great persuaders never “wing it” or leave anything to chance. If your audience ever feels you should know the answer but don’t, you have lost credibility. Plan, rehearse and polish your presentation. Always research your audience.             3. Your audience is going to judge you in the first thirty seconds. How do you really look? How are you really coming across? Can you maintain eye contact? Is your appearance professional, polished, and what your audience expects.             4. When you enter a low-credibility situation or when you audience does not know you, borrow the credibility from someone else. Who can endorse or recommend you? Who can introduce you that already has credibility with your audience? Learn to always ask and get testimonials from happy current clients.             5. One of the quickest ways to lose your credibility is to badmouth the competition. You don’t have to resort to pulling down others to enhance your own product or service. If you can’t persuade based on the quality of your product or service, it is time to change careers. If the consumer needs to be legitimately warned about the competition, provide ways for them to find out for themselves.             6. Pepper your presentation with credible facts, figures, statistics, or studies to reinforce your message. Never assume your audience thinks you are credible without using outside resources. Always remember to cite your sources.  Your audience will always believe someone else before they will start to believe you.             7. Find ways to reveal your qualifications without coming across as a braggart. You need to reveal (or display) your expertise, qualifications, education, and experience so you will come across as the expert. The moment your audience accepts you as the expert, you have their undivided attention. Reveal to your audience why you are the expert and why you have earned the right to persuade about your product, service or idea.

One of the key ways to keep your competency on track is to be a lifetime learner. We consider others to be competent when we see them continually learning and advancing their training and education. I can remember going to buy computer products and discovering that I knew more about the product than the sales reps did (and I didn’t know much). In an attempt to cover up their lack of knowledge, these ill-informed salespeople tried to bluff their way through my questions. If they had kept themselves educated about the product, the field, and the industry, then they would not have lost my trust in them as competent professionals—and they would not have lost a customer. Learn to become the best in your field. Demonstrate you know your area of expertise. You should know more about your subject than 99 percent of the population.   The following are some specific ways you can gain and strengthen your competence, both actual and perceived:   Degree(s) Professional standing Affiliations with respected organizations Publications Referrals Endorsements Reputation External surroundings Definite opinions Testimonials Passion

After briefly mentioning it on last week's episode, Kurt and Steve quickly learned that most have a lot of "feelings about" the urban phenomena, RBF (otherwise known as Resting Bitch Face).  So they dived in a little more and wouldn't you know it...there's an actual website that will tell you if you have it!  All we ask is that if you do, you send us your picture to maximizeyourinfluence@gmail.com.  We want to see what RBF looks like! Ingratiation: Make Others Feel Important Ingratiation is gaining favor by deliberate effort. Ingratiation techniques can include compliments, flattery, and agreeableness. Ingratiation can also involve a special recognition of someone such as, "We don't usually do this, but in your case I'm going to make an exception," or "I am personally going to take care of this matter and see that you get what you want." Many people consider ingratiation sucking up or brown-nosing, but it is an effective technique for making others more persuadable. The reason this strategy works is because The Law of Esteem increases likability and promotes an increase in their self-esteem Research has demonstrated these conclusions about using ingratiation. In one study, "ingratiators" were perceived as more competent, motivated, and qualified for leadership positions by their supervisors.  In another study, subordinates who used ingratiation developed an increased job satisfaction for themselves, their coworkers, and their supervisor.  In yet another study, ingratiators enjoyed a 5 percent edge over noningratiators in earning more favorable job evaluations.  Ingratiation works even when it is perceived as a deliberate effort to win someone over. Our esteem is so starved that we accept any flattery or praise we can get.  Interesting Ingratiation Facts •           It is better to use one great effective ingratiation method, than lots of smaller ones or in other words, less is more.   •           Ingratiators will be judged more positively using opinion or compliments conformity by the prospect than by a bystander.   •           Ingratiation will always work better when we are using downward influence (coworker, employee, you are their manager)   •           When we are attempting upward influence. (boss, CEO, power player)  Using apology, self- deprecation are more successful when you are persuading up or there is a large difference in status.  Using favors or compliments have little effect.   •           When ingratiating someone and they know you have an ulterior motive and it is transparent it will likely fail and decrease their liking towards you.

The worst thing for a persuader is that your audience members probably won’t ever confront you about your dishonesty or deception. They are not going to tell you that they think you are lying. They’ll just never work with you again and they’ll then tell all their family and friends about the bad experience they had with you behind your back.   Even if you’re an honest person of admirable character, it is human nature for people to cast sweeping judgments and formulate opinions without all the facts.  So, if you want genuine trust and lasting persuasion, you must avoid even the slightest appearance of anything that might be considered dishonest.  If you never place yourself in a situation where one might be misled about you or your integrity, then your good, hard-earned reputation will never be compromised.  Don’t embellish the story to make it sound better; don’t omit certain information to cover your own skin.         What are some nonverbal behaviors that will trigger incongruence and a sense of deception?   Forced eye contact Shifting back in chair Rubbing lips Scratching your face Dilated pupils Yawning Pitch of voice rising

self-perception bias Ever wonder why others can’t smell their own stink? (perfume or body order)  We are good at judging others and finding out what is wrong with them, but that analysis does not seem to work on ourselves.  The same is true for our skills.  We have to have the ability to honestly access ourselves – both our strengths and weaknesses.  Then find the skills and the discipline to improve our faults.  We always will feel we must gloss over our weaknesses to make things seem better than they actually are. We also lie to ourselves about our incomes, our debt, and our true weight.  When you ask husbands and wives individually about what percent of the housework they each do – the numbers never add up.  Most people will rate their people skills as above average.  We all know that is not true.  If you want to see human blindness and bias in action, all you have to do is go to a sporting event as a neutral party and listen to the bias and comments of each opposing side.   The Research To hit this point home we need to discover our own weaknesses and be honest with our own personal reality.  Let’s take a look at some of the studies on self perception bias.  To enhance your success and your influence, you need to know exactly what skills you have mastered and which ones you need work on.  Isn’t it amazing how we tend to overestimate everything from grades and physical appearance to the possibility of divorce.   If you were in sales and you were asked to rate your ability to connect with people or your product knowledge, you would be 90 percent likely to rate yourself above average on these skills, even though mathematically the validity of your assertion should be around 50 percent.     You know all those managers you have met over the years?  Over 90 percent of them will rate themselves better than the average manager.   Did you know 80% of individuals may perceive themselves as being brighter, better drivers and more able entrepreneurs than their average peers.   One study even found that most people believe they are more ___________ than the average person.   •           Athletic •           Intelligent •           Organized •           Ethical •           Logical •           Interesting •           Fair-minded •           Attractive    The Solution It is all about true self-assessment.  When I teach influence or self mastery seminars I ask my students to list the top ten reasons for their lack of success.  They find plenty of reasons why it is not their fault for their inability to achieve their goals, but they rarely take ownership of their weaknesses or admit that it could be them.  You can always ask yourself - What traits do I need to develop to take my life, my career and my income to the next level?  My research of human nature shows that there are five critical areas that most people assess to have much higher skills than they actually have.  When other people assess themselves of these skills, their scores are much lower.  These are the five areas.   1.         People skills/empathy 2.         Persistence/determination 3.         Communication/listening 4.         Personal mastery 5.         Persuasion skills

Keeping Attention:   A Bored Mind Says NO! It is common sense to realize you have to keep your audience's attention in order to persuade them.  If you lose them, you lose your chance for them to understand and accept your proposal.  We know from our own personal experience that we tend to let our minds naturally drift when we are listening to other people.  We cannot focus on one item for too long unless we are forced to do so.  Master Persuaders can make a person want to pay attention and stay focused.  You may lose your audience’s attention from time to time but it is your job to bring them back to full attention status.  You can help your prospect lose track of time. Some estimate that the average adult attention span is about 18 minutes.  What’s more, studies indicate that attention spans have been decreasing steadily over the past decade.  After our attention span is lapsed, we fall into boredom and no longer listen.  You have to be creative to maintain the mental involvement that is required to persuade a mind.  One way to keep the mind harnessed is to give your audience enough time to process what you are telling them. You can tell by the look in their eyes if you have lost them.  I'm sure you have taken seminars or college classes where you have been completely lost.  When the professor asks questions, you don't raise your hand because you have no idea what is going on.  Give your listeners enough time to absorb what you're saying, but obviously not so long that they become totally bored and detached.   Some more ideas on ways to help people choose to pay attention:   •Use questions                                    •Make startling statements •Use quotes                             •Change mediums •Speak in the first person        •Present new and innovative ideas   You can see that these techniques are used to grab back the attention of your listeners when their minds have started wandering.  Employed properly they will bring your audience’s attention back to you.

The old-school approach to persuasion put a lot of the emphasis on the final outcome: clinching the deal, closing the sale. Back then, it was a lot more about getting the sale than having a true and lasting relationship with an actual person. The problem with being so closing-oriented is that a persuasive encounter is not a static, one-sided arrangement. The “persuadee” is not some brainless lump who will unquestioningly accept everything you say. They are living, breathing human beings, which means the exchange is two-sided. You have to establish rapport very early on, making a good and lasting first impression, and you have to keep the rapport going. Many persuaders don’t know how to maintain rapport throughout the entire exchange. They’re good at breaking the ice and helping their audience feel comfortable, but when it comes to “getting down to business,” all of a sudden their demeanor changes. Their light-hearted, jovial manner may turn into intense seriousness as they launch into “the bottom line.” When this transformation takes place, what is the audience supposed to think? The person they were joking around with for the past ten minutes has now completely morphed into someone else. Which one is the real person?   Great persuaders don’t focus on their persuasive encounters in terms of initial “kick-off” and final “closing.” They maintain rapport and connection by keeping the exchange emotionally and logically on the same plane. Think of your audience as a friend you will see and do business with again. Do not allow yourself any abrupt mood changes; be flexible and willing to adjust to the many moods and emotions your audience may go through.

This week's article is sure to offend some listeners.  If you're a short man or an overweight woman, the British Medical Journal has bad news for you.  Hey were just the messenger!  Check out their recent study linking hight, body mass, and socio-economic status.   "Price is what you pay.  Value is what you get."  -Warren Buffett The Law of Contrast explains how we are affected when we are introduced to two different alternatives or options in succession. We know that contrasting two alternatives can distort or amplify our perceptions of price, time or effort. Generally, if the second item is quite different from the first, we will tend to see them even more differently than they actually are. As a Power Persuader, you can use this contrast to navigate your audience toward the object of your persuasion. The use of contrast is based on our perception of items or events that happen one right after the other. If you've had a rotten day because you found out you're losing your job and you come home to a new scratch on your car, you will have a different reaction than if you were having a great day because you're getting a promotion and then came home to the scratch on your car. It's the same scratch, but there are very different perceptions and reactions to it.  Contrast is used for negotiations.  When we offer a really low or high bid or when we ask for $200 and only expect $50. This is contrast. What if you thought it was a 60 minute meeting and then it only took 30 minutes.  What if that 15 minute meeting lasted 30 minutes? This is all about human perception. The human mind has to find a benchmark or comparison to make judgments, especially when we are talking about unfamiliar situations or new products. People need to make comparisons with their past experience and knowledge. The brain will always attempt to contrast your product or service. Is it the best or worst, cheapest or most expensive? Is your product the safe or risky choice or is it familiar or strange? By presenting your prospects with contrast, you are creating those comparisons for them. The mind can't process everything at once and so it develops shortcuts to help make decisions. Instead of making a completely internal judgment, we look for boundaries, patterns, and polar opposites. We want to know the difference between our options, so we naturally contrast the two items. We mentally create a value or price in our mind from highest to lowest. Do you want your prospects to compare your product or service to a second-hand used car or to a Rolls Royce? You get to decide where you want them to start their benchmark.   Adjusting Value Examples   Bonuses - 3 bonuses worth $25 each have more value than to get one bonus worth $75 Product – Having all your product arrive in one box has less value than receiving 3 separate shipments. Retail – Keeping the high prices at a grocery store increases the perception of value and savings when the savings is shown on the receipt Cars – We feel like we get a better deal on a car when we see the large retail price, and we get a rebate.  Payments - It is easier to swallow the monthly payments on a large purchase rather than seeing the whole price tag upfront. Gas – Getting a 10 cent discount when you pay cash is easier to swallow than a 10 cent surcharge for using your credit card. Payroll – There is higher perceived income when you separate all their benefits on their check versus putting it all in one large sum. Negotiation – Starting as high or low as possible will get you better terms.

All human beings yearn for direction and guidance. That’s why someone with a vision is so alluring and influential to us.  Charismatics are able to create a strong clear vision of the future.  People will jump on board when they can see that there is a solid vivid vision in place that they can touch, taste, feel, or see.  No one wants to get on a sinking ship.  People want to know: What’s the plan?  Where are we going?  What are we aiming for?  Your goal is to powerfully present how your vision is the solution to their problems. Your vision must bridge the gap between their present situation and their desired situation—where they are, and where they want to be. Vision is powerful because it keeps us focused on the future objective instead of getting stuck in the current preoccupations of the day.  It gives us focus and purpose for the future.  It creates a big picture.  A cohesive common vision brings people together and unites them toward the same goals and objectives.  Charismatic people have a clearly defined vision and are filled with great enthusiasm and expectation.  Remember more than anything else in life, vision—whether it’s yours or somebody else’s—dictates your daily decisions.  When the vision is clear, the right decisions are easier to make. A true vision diminishes the fear of failure, negative thinking and promotes synergy.  They want to know what is in for them in the long-term.  Why should they support you and your vision?  How does this affect the whole team?  Your vision builds a bridge from the present status quo to the future objective.

Have you noticed the dramatic changes that have evolved in presentations, communication, and training over the last twenty years? The basic focus used to be on education. Many people are still trying to educate and they always lose their audiences.  Now, the latest research is all about how to grab and keep your audience’s attention, while maintaining charisma.  We can no longer focus simply on educating; we must now entertain and influence.  We must keep our audiences attention.  We must be charismatic. Charismatic people can maintain and earn the attention of their audience.  We know that people’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. You don’t have to dance around or be stand-up comedian, but you do have to make sure your audience follows your message, that your words resonate with them, they pay attention, and they understand your message.  The moment you lose their attention, you can no longer influence them and they definitely can’t feel any charisma.   You could have a great product or cause, be a sharp dresser, publish a great brochure, or even have impressive credentials.  The reality is, however, that the number-one persuasion tool is you, and a big part of how you present yourself and your charisma is through your ability to communicate.  Long gone are the days of hoping people will listen, making them listen or hoping the topic will compensate for your weaknesses as a presenter.   Practice your presentation so it becomes part of you, instead of a slick PowerPoint or a tired outline.  Manage your fear, anxiety or nervousness, so you can radiate charisma.  

On episode 127 of Maximize Your Influence, Kurt and Steve start by discussing a recent article, the 7 Mental Blocks to Being Rich.  They then transition to part two of their series on qualities of great leaders.  Intuition is a big part of your future success.  Intuition helps you read and understand people.  It comes in an instant and we have to be ready to act simultaneously.  Some call it a hunch, gut reaction or a feeling.  Intuition is real and can be harnessed to increase your ability to influence and transmit charisma.  Leaders who are able to distinguish between random thoughts and intuition are more successful in life and in business.  Face it, just take a look at CEO’s of large corporations.  They have access to all the logical research they need to make a good, educated decision.  The successful ones will admit that ultimately they have to follow their heart and use personal intuition.  Studies show that the majority of people use intuition, but had a difficult time verbalizing to others why or how it worked.  As humans, (when we listen) we have the ability to read people from a facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice or even a smell.  This comes from our early programming as humans to be able to meet a person and instantly decide if they are a friend or foe.  Those that have the ability to follow their intuition correctly would be able to sense danger or make a new friend.  We know when we have met someone for the first time that we have categorized them in the first 30 seconds.  We have decided if we like or dislike the person and this comes from our intuition. I am not saying never to do any research. You should spend some time gathering and analyzing information.  The challenge is that you can gather information for the rest of your life.  At one point you will have to make a decision and it should be from your intuition.  At times you will have to make a quick decision and you should let your intuition guide you.  It is a combination of your feelings, your wisdom and your experience.  This will take a little faith and a little practice.  Learn to stretch yourself.  Don’t limit yourself to the facts or the opinions of other people.  You have to learn to follow your heart and tap into your priceless intuition. Some of us are afraid to talk about intuition because it is so hard to explain.  Let me tell you that successful people use it every day.  They don’t always openly talk about it, but it is being used.  Intuition is more valuable than you realize.  It is used to enhance our creativity, charisma and increases our ability to connect with others.  Sure, super analytical people tend to shoot down intuition as woo-woo or something that is just a myth, but it is a skill you can learn and master.  Just because you don’t understand how it works, does not mean that it does not work. Intuition expands our ability to tap into our previous experience, our knowledge and our stored memories.  We might not remember what memories or experience we are drawing on, but it was something we already have learned and it is expressed as a gut feeling.  The main obstacle that impedes us from following our intuition is convincing ourselves that it works and should be taken seriously.  What are you listening for?  How does your intuition talk to you?  It can be called impulse, urge or even that inner voice.  Start listening and you will save yourself a lot of time, energy and money. Our instincts can evaluate our previous experiences, sense the emotions of the moment and rely on past knowledge.  We are always receiving constant information through our intuition.  We just need to listen.  As you practice using your intuition, new and inspiring ideas will intuitively and instinctively arise on their own.  You will be able to solve problems fast.  Learn to focus and concentrate, this type of focus will nurture and augment your newfound inner strength and instinct.  Sure your logical mind will fight you on these new thoughts and ideas, but eventually your new found intuition will win.

After speculating about good dining in San Francisco and briefly insulting their listeners there, Kurt and Steve discuss a recent article about whether great leaders are born or made.  They then launch into a discussion about the qualities of good leaders.  People who know where they are going are able captivate, are passionate and are charismatic.  You can tell when you meet them and when they enter a room.  People are drawn to them because deep down people want to be passionate about something and when they see that passion in your eyes, you become more charismatic.  They sense that you can help them and improve their lives.  This does not guarantee everyone will like you, but they will respect you for your conviction and your passion.  Passion is very contagious.  When you transfer this passion, the people around you start to radiate that passion.  They perform better, if it is at work, it is no longer work.  They become more proactive, more willing to work as a team and become more optimistic.  When you have tapped into this passion you become more determined and it increases your persistence.  It starts to become a burning desire and consumes you and it radiates to others.  A word of caution, just because you are passionate does not mean you can forego learning the skills you need to be successful.  It is a critical piece of the charisma pie, but you still need more pieces of the pie to radiate powerful long-term charisma. More than anything else, passion recruits the hearts and minds of your audience.  Charismatics radiate heartfelt passion.  When the audience can sense your passion and sincere conviction for your cause, they will emotionally jump on board.  We all love people who are excited and filled with believable passion for their subject.  Passion is critical to influencing others and transmitting charisma.  When you have passion for something, you want to let everyone know about it.  You want to convert as many people to your cause as possible, and when someone disagrees with you, you are not swayed by their opinions or advice. 

One of the aspects of the Law of Association is the use of affiliation. Persuaders want you to affiliate their company with positive images, feelings, and attitudes. Our surroundings and environment trigger feelings and we transfer those feelings to those we are with. For example, one frequently used technique is to take someone to lunch. Food can also generate subconscious triggers (if the food and company are good). The studies show that subjects like people better when they were eating.  Food gives us good feelings and a better attitude. The idea is to link something positive in the environment with your message. For example, a good game of golf, a weekend at the beach, NFL tickets, or an exotic cruise would all typically build positive associations and feelings in your prospects. Do ever notice after a crushing victory, sweatshirts sporting the university's logo were seen all over the place? People want to be associated with winners. In fact, a study showed that when a university football team won, more students would wear that college's sweatshirts the next week. The bigger the victory, the more college sweatshirts become visible. When you bring positive stimuli into the situation, you will be associated with the pleasant feeling you have created.    Advertisers and marketers use affiliation to evoke valuable associations in the minds of their prospects. They know that babies and puppy dogs automatically carry great associations of warmth and comfort in the minds of their audience. Consequently, we see tire commercials with babies and car commercials with puppies, even though cars and tires aren't really warm and cuddly. These warm appeals grab our attention and create positive associations in our mind. One of the most common examples of advertising affiliation occurs with alcohol and cigarette advertisements. How often do you see a lung cancer patient in a cigarette ad? Instead, advertisers in these industries use young vibrant people who are in the prime of their lives. The beer companies want you to associate drinking beer with having fun and attracting the opposite sex. Their ads portray images of men and women having fun, while surrounded by beer. Their message is, "If you aren't drinking, you aren't having fun." On an intellectual level, we all know that these are just advertisements, but the associations they arouse in us stick in our minds and trigger future purchases. Sponsorship is also used in advertising. Companies and organizations sponsor events that they believe will produce a positive association in the eyes of the public. They hope this positive association will transfer over to their company. The SuperBowl pulls huge sponsorships—companies pay big money to get their name and products associated with the SuperBowl.

Neuroscientists have made significant progress on how the brain processes information.  Our brain can be very bias.  This is especially true in politics.  People will always see the good in their party and find the bad in the other.  During an election a scientist asked questions about their candidate and the candidate from the other side while getting an MRI.  When they were told information about their candidate that caused dissonance, the logical side of their brain would shut down and they could not see the bias. When participants were asked to view a political debate, it was found that the mere presence of a confederate who cheered for one of the candidates influenced the participant's overall evaluation of that candidate in a positive manner.  Obviously, when receiving information in a social setting, the audience can be skewed to perceive the information the way the group tends to hear it.

The Power of "Yes" Use questions that will create "yeses." As you create your marketing and persuasive presentations, you must engineer the number of times you get your audience to raise their hands, say yes, or nod their heads. How many verbal yeses are you getting? One easy and effective way to get more affirmative responses is to engineer questions that will receive a positive answer. For example, when a word ends in "n't" it will usually bring a "yes" response. Obviously this technique won’t work if they don’t like or trust you. Consider the following phrases:   Wouldn't it? Isn't it? Couldn't it? Doesn't it? Shouldn't it? Won't you? Can't you?                                                                                              Wasn't it? Great persuaders look for times when they can get affirmation from their audience. They engineer their persuasive message to get as many verbal, mental, or physical "yeses" as they can throughout their presentation. And there is good evidence to support this practice. One study brought in a large group of students to do "market research on high-tech headphones." The students were told that the researchers wanted to test how well the headphones worked while they were in motion (students were dancing up and down and moving their heads to the beat of music.) Following the songs, the researchers played a commercial about how the university's tuition should be raised. One group of students had been told to move their heads up and down throughout the music and the speaking. Another group was told to move their heads from side to side. A last group was told to make no movements at all.   After "testing the headsets," the students were asked to fill out a questionnaire about not only the headsets, but also the university's tuition. Those nodding their heads up and down (yes motion) overall rated a jump in tuition as favorable. Those shaking their heads side to side (no motion) overall wanted the tuition to be lowered. Those who had not moved their heads didn't really seem to be persuaded one way or the other.  In a similar study at the University of Missouri, the researchers found that TV advertisements were more persuasive when the visual display had repetitive vertical movements - up and down yes movements, for example, a bouncing ball.

Methods of Protecting Mental Alignment When we feel dissonance, we have to find a way to deal with the psychological tension. When the rubber band stretches, we cannot not live with this internal pressure.  We will instantly try to find a way to relieve this tension and reduce our dissonance. We have an arsenal of coping mechanisms at our disposal to help us return to cognitive balance. When you see your prospect exhibit one of these behaviors (except modify) you have stretched the rubber band too far and they have snapped.  The internal pressure was too much and they went down an easier or different path.  They will find another solution besides you.  The following list outlines different ways people seek to reduce dissonance.     Denial—To eliminate the dissonance, you deny there is a problem. You do this either by ignoring or demeaning the source of the information. You could attack (usually verbally) the source – making it their fault. This is somebody else’s fault! You are not to blame.  Reframing—You change your understanding or interpretation of the meaning, or what really happened. This leads you to either adjust your own thinking or devalue the importance of the whole issue, considering it unimportant altogether. Search—You are determined to find a flaw in the other side's position, to discredit the source, and to seek social validation or evidence for your own viewpoint. You might attempt to convince the source (if available) of his error. You might also try to convince others you did the right thing. Separation—You separate the beliefs that are in conflict. This compartmentalizes your cognitions, making it easier for you to ignore or even forget the discrepancy. In your mind, what happens in one area of your life (or someone else's) should not affect the other areas of your life.  Everyone else should do it, but it does not apply to me. Rationalization—You find excuses for why the inconsistency is acceptable. You change your expectations or try to rationalize what happened. You also find reasons to justify your behavior or your beliefs.  You could say this is not a big deal because everyone is doing it. Modification—You change your existing beliefs to achieve mental alignment. Most of the time this involves admitting you were wrong or off course and will make changes or adjustments to get back into alignment. How about real life example?  You told your friend about your new year’s resolution.  You are committed to lose weight.  This will be your year and you enlist your friend to help.  Your friend commits to help you and you are off and running.  Fast forward one month and your friend has caught you polishing off a large container of ice cream.  They call you on your commitment and your rubber band stretches. You feel dissonance. How to do you handle this tension?   Denial – You are fatter than I am, why ride me – remember the time you did….. Reframing- What I really meant was I will start my diet after I finish this big project. Search - I researched exercise on the internet and found exercise actually hurts your knees and your health. Separation – I meant to diet during summer for the beach.  It is winter now so I have time before I will start. Rationalization - I had a salad for lunch and a meal replacement drink for breakfast, so I am way below my caloric intake. Modification - You are right I am going to start right now.  Thanks for saying something.

The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance Leon Festinger formulated the cognitive dissonance theory at Stanford University. He asserted, "When attitudes or beliefs conflict with our actions, we are uncomfortable and motivated to try to change." Festinger's theory sets the foundation for the Law of Dissonance. The Law of Dissonance proves that people will naturally act in a manner that is consistent with their cognitions. What is a cognition?  Our cognitions is a mental process that uses thoughts, beliefs, experiences, and past perceptions.  Basically that means when people behave in a manner that is inconsistent with these cognitions, (beliefs, thoughts or values) they find themselves in a state of discomfort. In this uncomfortable state, they will be motivated to adjust their behaviors or beliefs to regain mental and emotional balance. When our beliefs, attitudes, and actions mesh, we feel congruent. When they don't, we feel dissonance at some level—that is, we feel awkward, uncomfortable, upset, or nervous. In order to eliminate or reduce that tension, we will do everything possible to adjust our beliefs or rationalize our behavior, even if it means doing something we don't want to do.    Imagine that there is a big rubber band inside of you. When dissonance is present, the rubber band begins to stretch. As long as the dissonance exists, the band stretches tighter and tighter. You've got to take action before it reaches a breaking point and snaps. The motivation to reduce the tension is what causes us to change; we will do everything in our power to get back in mental balance. We like to feel a level of consistency in our day to day actions and interactions.  This harmony is the glue that holds everything together and helps us cope with the world and all the decisions we have to make. Dissonance causes us to distort our memories or remember what we want to see or how we wanted it to happen.  This blurs reality and allows us to cover our mistakes.  The human brain needs to be right. It is hard for us to admit we are wrong.  We are programmed to justify what we are doing is right and avoid taking responsibilities when things go wrong. It is easier for us to find ways to prove ourselves right (even when we are wrong) then to admit why we are wrong.  Even when backed into a corner or shown evidence that proves we are wrong, we tend to not change our reasoning or point of view.  We will find reasons, proof, or social support why what we did was OK. We will start to believe our lies to ourselves, it couldn’t be our fault and we persuade ourselves why we were justified. This allows us to live with our thoughts, manage our day to day activities and allows us sleep at night.  Have you ever proved someone they were wrong?  Have you ever backed them into a corner? What happened?  You made the perfect case, but you never heard from them again. 

We are firm believers that we all have greatness within us. We believe that we each have within ourselves unwritten books, un-started businesses, brilliant ideas, great inventions, charitable ideas, and untapped energies. But sometimes we have a hard time knowing exactly what our purpose is. We may fill many roles—husband or wife, father or mother, school board member, coach, employee, or community advocate. How do we know which roles will give us the greatest joy and satisfaction? First and foremost, most of us would agree that investing in loving and fulfilling relationships with family and friends is most important. It is a critical part of emotional health and well-being. Beyond this fundamental basis, however, what is it that you live for? What is your purpose and passion in life? Where do your interests and gifts and talents lie? What is your mission in life? Dare to dream big. Have a purpose that will make getting up in the morning a pleasant task. Know that you are going to become what you want and get what you dream. Don't create a lifeless or unexciting purpose. Many people already know exactly what their purpose is. If you don't know, now is the time to find out. Great persuaders have tapped into and are using their purpose. Understand that for many, the self-discovery process is like sculpting. All you see at first is a big rock and you're not sure what masterpiece lies inside. You know something is there, but you don't yet know how you'll get it out.

The Hostile Prospect This person disagrees with you and may even actively work against you. For a hostile prospect, use these techniques: Find common beliefs and establish a common ground. Use appropriate humor to break the ice. Don't start the presentation with an attack on their position. You are only trying to persuade on one point; don't talk about anything else that could trigger disagreement. Because of your differences, they will question your credibility. Increase your credibility with studies from experts or anything that will support your claim. They will try to find reasons to not like you; don't give them any. Don't tell them you are going to try to persuade them. Express that you are looking for a win-win outcome rather than a win-lose situation. Show them you've done your homework. Respect their feelings, values, and integrity. Use logical reasoning as clearly and as carefully as possible. Use the Law of Connectivity and the Law of Balance.

Have you ever noticed how some people can captivate, inspire, and influence others without effort?  Other people instantly like them and want to be around them. Some individuals can enter a room and everyone notices. They seem always to get what they want because the people around them want to give it to them. How do they command such instant attention and influence everyone they meet? This is the power of charisma. Charisma is a vital persuasion and life skill that can and must be mastered if you are going to influence others. People often ask me what is the most important tool or skill in the entire influence toolbox? What is the one thing I can learn to achieve maximum success? The answer is simple. If there were one skill to master out of all the tools of persuasion and influence, it is charisma. It gives you the quickest return on your time and dramatically increases your success and income. This vital success skill permeates every aspect of your life. Your career, your relationships, your ability to influence, and your income are all related to your ability to radiate charisma. Have you ever wondered why two people with the same education, the same contacts, the same IQ, and the same experience get dramatically different results from their lives? One enjoys massive success while the other one is barely making ends meet. Some call this simple luck, but when you have charisma you are guaranteed to have good luck. Imagine your success in life when you can automatically get others to willingly do what you want them to do, beg to do it, like to do it, and tell all their friends that they should also do it. Charisma is the ability to empower and persuade others to believe in you, trust in you, and want to be influenced by you. You captivate and motivate them. You help them see themselves in the future carrying out your vision. They are moved and energized by your passion and enthusiasm. They are magnetized and driven by your charisma. They are lifted and inspired by your optimism and expectations. In essence, you’re a source of empowerment, encouragement, and inspiration.

Humor can be a powerful tool to create rapport. Humor makes the persuader seem more friendly and accepting. Humor helps gain attention, helps you create rapport, and makes your message more memorable. It can relieve tension, enhance relationships, and motivate people.  Appropriate use of humor increases trust in your audience.   Humor can also distract your audience from negative arguments or grab their attention if they are not listening.  Humor diverts attention away from the negative context of a message, thereby interfering with the ability of listeners to carefully scrutinize it or engage in counterarguments. If listeners are laughing at the jokes, they may pay less attention to the content of a message. Humor can "soften up" or disarm listeners.  Humor connects you with your audience and increases their attention to your message.   Humor must be used cautiously, however. If used inappropriately, it can be offensive and may cause your audience to turn against you. Humor should only be used as a pleasant, but moderate distraction. As a rule of thumb, if you are generally not good at telling jokes, don't attempt it. Be sure that you have good material. Non-funny humor is not only ineffective, but irritating. Modify your humor so that it is appropriate for your audience.   Another aspect of humor is the smile.  A smile is free, generates a great first impression, and shows happiness, acceptance, and confidence. Your smile shows that you are pleased to be where you are, or happy to meet this person. As a result, they become more interested in meeting you. Smiling also conveys a feeling of acceptance, which makes your listener more trusting of you. It has been shown that sales representatives who smiled during the sales process increased their success rate by 20 percent. However, as with traditional humor, use a smile appropriately.

Social Validation and Marketing The more a brand is advertised, the more popular and familiar it is perceived to be. We as consumers somehow infer that something is popular simply because it is advertised. When people are buying gifts for others, social proof is one of the most effective techniques that a salesclerk can use."   Many salespeople find great success in telling clients that a particular product is their "best-selling" or "most popular" on hand because social validation increases their credibility of the product. When customers feel that something is more popular, they spend more money to acquire it, even if there is no proof other than the salesperson's word. So it is with advertising: Asserting that a product is in super-high demand or that it is the most popular or fastest selling, etc., seems to provide proof enough. When consumers perceive a product is popular, that's often all they need to go out and purchase it. The creation and use of social validation is rampant: Clubs make their spots look like "the place to be" by allowing huge waiting lines to congregate outside their facilities, even when the place is practically empty inside. Salespeople often recount the many other people who have purchased the item in question. That's why referrals are some of your best prospects! Referrals are your greatest source of social validation.  Sales and motivation consultant Cavett Robert said it best: "Since 95 percent of the people are imitators and only 5 percent initiators, people are persuaded more by the actions of others than by any proof we can offer."

Your environment and the expectations of that environment should be persuasive. There is a concept called the Phillip Zimbado’s Broken Window Theory. This theory suggests that a building full of broken windows will cause people to assume that no one cares for the building or its appearance. This in turn will spur more vandalism and more broken windows. In other words, the environment's condition gives suggestions that lead people to hold certain assumptions, and people then act on those assumptions. The broken windows invite greater damage and crime.   Zimbardo did a study illustrating this point.  He left his car out on the street in Palo Alto California.  The first week the car blended in with all the other cars and nothing happened to it.  After the first week he broke one on the windows of the car and left it on the street.  Just by the one broken window he found that it dramatically increases the chances that it would be vandalized. In his book, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell uses an example of the Broken Window Theory as he explains the New York City subway clean-up. The subway system was in dire need of rebuilding—a multibillion-dollar endeavor. With the system about to collapse, the focus was understandably on issues like reducing crime and improving subway reliability. As a consultant hired by the New York Transit Authority, George Kelling urged officials to utilize the Broken Window Theory. They were hired to clean up the subways, they immediately assigned people to start cleaning up all the graffiti. Removing the graffiti seemed to be of such little consequence compared to everything else there was to worry about, but Gunn was insistent. In his own words: The graffiti was symbolic of the collapse of the system. When you looked at the process of rebuilding the organization and morale, you had to win the battle against graffiti. Without winning that battle, all the management reforms and physical changes just weren't going to happen. We were about to put out new trains that were worth about ten million bucks apiece, and unless we did something to protect them, we knew just what would happen. They would last one day and then they would be vandalized.  The entire anti-graffiti campaign took years, but finally, the incidence of graffiti subsided. In another study, volunteers were asked to participate in an experiment on prison environments. Half of the volunteers posed as prison workers, while the other half posed as prison inmates. The results were astounding. Previously tested to be psychologically sound people, the participants rapidly became more and more hostile, crude, rebellious, and abusive—both those acting as inmates and as guards! One "prisoner" became so hysterical and emotionally distressed that he had to be released. The study was supposed to last two weeks, but was called off after only six days! 

Touch is another powerful part of body language—important enough to devote a whole section to it alone. Touch can be a very effective psychological technique. Subconsciously, most of us like to be touched; it makes us feel appreciated and builds rapport. It is true, though, that we do need to be aware and careful of a small percentage of the population who dislikes being touched in any way. In most instances, however, touch can help put people at ease and make them more receptive to you and your ideas. Touch increases influence.  When you are able to touch your prospect they usually becomes more agreeable, enhances mood and increases the chances they will agree and do what you are asking. Touch can create a positive perception. Touch carries with it favorable interpretations of immediacy, similarity, relaxation, and informality. In one research study, librarians did one of two things to university students: either they did not touch the person at all during the exchange or they made light, physical contact by placing a hand over the student's palm. Invariably, those students who were touched during the transaction rated the library service more favorably than those who were not touched at all.  Waiters/waitresses who touched customers on the arm when asking if everything was okay received larger tips and were evaluated more favorably than those waiters who didn't touch their customers. Touch also induces customers to spend more time shopping in stores. In one study, physical contact on the part of salespeople induced customers to buy more and to evaluate the store more favorably. We know that certain areas of the body can be freely touched while other areas are off limits. Safe areas of contact include the shoulders, forearms and hands, and sometimes the upper back. This all depends on the situation, the culture and relationship between the two parties prior to the touch.

To maintain order of the world, our brains link objects, gestures, and symbols with our feelings, memories, and life experiences. We mentally associate ourselves with such things as sights, sounds, colors, music, and symbols. These associations create quick subconscious triggers.  The feelings you generate can help or hurt your ability to persuade.   Power Persuaders take advantage of association triggers to evoke positive feelings and thoughts that correspond with the message they are trying to convey. In this sense, you, as a persuader, can actually arouse a certain feeling in your audience by finding the right association key to unlock their door. Associations are not the same for all people—obviously, each person and culture has their own set of triggers. However, once you understand the general rules, you can find the right associations to match any situation. Why do you think restaurants decorate a certain way, have their lighting just right, and play certain types of music? All these things are defined in the Law of Association. 

The Law of Scarcity plays a large role in the persuasion process.  Opportunities are always more valuable and exciting when they are scarce and less available.  We want to be the ones to own the rare items or to get the last widget on the shelf.  The more the scarcity of an item increases, the more the item increases in value, and the greater the urge to own it. Whenever choice is limited or threatened, the human need to maintain a share of the limited commodity makes us crave it even more.  Scarcity increases the value of any product or service.  Scarcity drives people to action, making us act quickly for fear of missing out on an opportunity.  Potentially losing something before we’ve even had an opportunity to possess it drives people to action.  We don’t want to miss out on anything we could have had.  We want to get around any restriction placed upon us.  We feel uptight and want back our freedom.  This causes tension and unrest.  The Law of Scarcity  not only pertains to physical products, but also to time, information, price, and knowledge.

For this episodes article, Kurt and Steve discuss the top techniques of hostage negotiators.  Admit it, you're thinking of the movie "The Negotiator" all of the sudden.  Now that we got that out of the way, we can actually talk about negotiation.  While hostage negotiation can seem intimidating and have very high stakes, there are some critical lessons that we can learn that can apply to even the most seemingly mundane of everyday business interactions. Based on listener questions that have been coming in, it's time for a rapport tune up!  As Kurt likes to say, a lot of times closing skills are like trying to get a kiss after a bad date.  All the slick one liners in the world won't matter if you haven't developed decent rapport.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss rapports basic components that are sure to make you a rapport building machine!

The better you become at handling objections, the more persuasive you will be. The key to great persuasion is anticipating all objections, problems, or concerns before you hear them. Great persuaders are always able to accomplish three critical objectives during the objection process: 1. They can distinguish between a real objection and a knee-jerk reaction. Our studies show that most objections should not be taken at face value, because there are other issues involved. 2. They listen intently to the entire objection before attempting to solve it. They stay calm. Tests have proven that calmly stated facts are more effective in getting people to change their minds than becoming emotional. 3. Great persuaders are never arrogant or condescending. They give their audience room to save face. People will often change their minds and agree with you later, if they have the room to do so. Another great way to handle objections is to address each of the seven main areas during your presentation, before they become big issues in the mind of your audience. That way, you've stopped any potential resistance before it happens. As a result, there aren't any main objections left for them to bring up. Studies demonstrate that persuaders were four times more successful when they handled objections during the persuasion process, instead of waiting until the end.6 Also, nothing de-energizes persuasive efforts more than lingering doubts and concerns that remain unresolved in your audience's mind.

We tend to rate our skills that we want, that we need or that we require higher than they actually are.  To improve, grow and become more successful we have to know our weaknesses and be able to identify our blind spots.  If we don’t know what they are than we can never truly improve.   The reason self-perception bias has such a negative impact in our lives is because we are lying to ourselves. That's the bottom line.  We are blind from the truth.  We are deceiving ourselves.  Denial is our happy place where we can cover up our weaknesses to protect our self-esteem.  We set our expectations that are not based on reality or honest evaluation. It might seem nice to view the world through rose-colored glasses for a while, but in the end, you're setting yourself up for failure.   Self-perception bias manifests itself when we are evaluating a skill or talent that we expect ourselves to have or when others expect us to have that particular skill. When social pressure or social validation is involved, we make higher-than-expected evaluations of ourselves.   Self-perception bias ultimately gives us an unrealistic view of reality and a false sense of security. We become numb to reality and fail to see exactly where we stand and what we need to improve.   We are good at judging others and finding out what is wrong with them, but that analysis does not seem to work on ourselves.  The same is true for our skills.  We have to have the ability to honestly access ourselves – both our strengths and weaknesses.  Then find the skills and the discipline to improve our faults.  We always will feel we must gloss over our weaknesses to make things seem better than they actually are. We also lie to ourselves about our incomes, our debt, and our true weight.  When you ask husbands and wives individually about what percent of the housework they each do – the numbers never add up.  Most people will rate their people skills as above average.  We all know that is not true.  If you want to see human blindness and bias in action, all you have to do is go to a sporting event as a neutral party and listen to the bias and comments of each opposing side.

Are you good at flirting?  Admit it, when we asked you rolled your eyes but were A LITTLE bit interested, deep down.  As it turns out, flirting is related to your ability to influence.  A recent article by Psych Central discusses what makes somebody good at flirting.  Check out the article here.  At a minimum you'll be entertained. Thoughts → Emotions → Actions  It all starts with your thoughts. Your thoughts lead to emotions and your emotions lead to your daily actions. Take an honest look at your life right now. Where do you find yourself? That place is the sum total of your thoughts over the course of a lifetime. Where have your thoughts taken you thus far? Where will they take you tomorrow, next week, or next year? It is only natural that negative thoughts will creep into your mind from time to time. As soon as they sneak in, escort them right back out. Don't entertain them. They are destructive. Some people use a rubber band to snap their wrist every time a negative thought comes into their mind. The pain associated with this technique fixes their negative thinking very rapidly. If you don’t want to try the rubber band, you can send me a $2,000 check every time you have a negative thought. I am sure that would start to work for you real fast, because that is what it is probably costing you! Your thoughts are what programs your subconscious mind. Your thoughts are what program your subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind is the center of all your emotions. When your subconscious accepts an idea, it begins to execute it. And then your subconscious uses your ideas, knowledge, energy, and wisdom to find the solution. Now, it might occur in an instant, or it might take days, weeks, or even longer. Nevertheless, your mind will continue working on a solution. You need to understand that as you program your mind, you must ask yourself, "Do I program negative suggestions in my mind?" If you are telling yourself that you can't do it, you are right. When that inner voice tells you that you can't do something, it is important that you replace the thought or turn down the volume or intensity of the negative voice. Then you can change it to "I can do it," "I'm going to win," and "there's plenty for everybody." Altering your inner voice's perception is going to make a difference, and that's the important thing. That's because your subconscious mind will always accept what you program it to think. The bottom line is that you are what you think about, and you have the power to choose what you think. No one can do it for you. Great persuaders work on this mental training every day, while average persuaders think they have heard it all before and are doing OK.   If we are going to squash our negative thinking, we must replace those thoughts with new, positive ones. As you practice mental programming, new and inspiring ideas will intuitively and instinctively arise on their own. But give yourself specific goals and targets to keep your thoughts centered on—this type of focus will nurture and augment your newfound inner strength. Sure your logical mind will fight you on these new thoughts, but eventually your new programming will win.

Being in sales or being a business owner can be emotionally exhausting.  It's important to develop the ability to pick yourself up out of a bad mood.  To start this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss a recent article that gives you "8 ways to feel better in a hurry."   If there's one topic that people just don't want to hear about anymore, it's listening. Ironic, isn't it?  As we've researched successful persuaders, we've found listening to be one of their top attributes.  Listening is a habit we can lose.  If we aren't careful, months down the road we find ourselves jabbering too much with our prospects instead of listening to them.  

Can your personality type change?  A recent article from Psychology Today seems to think so.  It's not uncommon for many to become more friendly (or less friendly) the older they get.  Check out the article here for more info. Did you know there are over 60 different personality types?  This has led many to try and simplify the science of personality types down into sixteen, or even as few as four different categories.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve give a compelling argument as to why peresonality types could be scraped all together, due to the concept of "meta programs."  This allows a persuader to quickly isolate the key patterns in their prospects mind craft their message accordingly. On this week's persuasion blunder, we see a text book example of a teenager unable to assess long term consequences. 

Is Google rigging elections?  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss a recent article that thinks so.  Merely telling the masses that a candidate has a "high" approval rating tends to gender more support.  So how much influence do the "Googles" of the world actually have?  Check out the article here. Most persuaders would rather deal with an angry prospect than an indifferent one.  Indifferent prospects are tough to do anything with!  Enter the Law of Involvement.  Using the Law of Involvement helps us to get prospects to mentally focus and engage in what we are saying.  It's what gives you traction in the persuasion process. 

Everything that we understand and know about our world is based around words.  Words don't just have meaning, they have feeling.  That's why some words in some languages just don't directly translate.  One particular author has used this to apparently create a childrens book that makes children fall asleep.  When it comes to influencing, there are words you should never use.  Kurt and Steve discuss many of these on this weeks episode, as well as many of the most influential words in the English language.  Influential words can change, however.  Words that were effective 5-10 years ago are no longer.  Tune into this episode to find out more!

As we get closer and closer (even though it's a long way away) to the 2016 presidential election, more and more persuasion blunders will be on display.  A recent article shows that politicians who have deeper voices (yes, even women) are perceived as more credible by voters.  Check out the article here. Due to listener feedback, Kurt and Steve realized that they didn't cover the Law of Expectations deeply enough on Episode 101.  On this Episode (103) they return with more ideas on how you can prime your clients expectations to make your selling go more smoothly.   

You can't visit a business web page without hearing "follow us on Twitter!"  We're certainly guilty of this too.  Follow us on Twitter @influencemax!  A recent article from Psych Central shows that when customers complain about a business on Twitter, businesses can actually shoot themselves in the foot by responding too much!  Check out the article here. If you've ever been told your product is too expensive, you need the Law of Contrast.  This is the most effective way to set the terms of value.  Many times prospects come to the table with a preconceived value of your product (justified or not).  You can turn the tables with the Law of Contrast! Speaking of the Law of Contrast, this episode featues a horrible use of it which HAS to be the persuasion blunder of the year!

When you're an entrepreneur or sales person, being mentally tough is key.  If you want the rewards that come from owning your own business or being on commission, you need to put up with days that can be full of rejection and disappointment.  Check out a recent article posted  by Psych Central that discusses the Six Stages of Mental Strength. In any persuasive encounter, your prospect has certain expectations.  And so do you!  When things don't go according to expectation, people feel frustrated and are more likely to act out in anger.  This is a basic pyschological response that we can leverage in our favor as persuaders.  Tactfully letting our prospects know what we expect of them is a great way to get them to behave the way we want them to.  This also spins off into NLP (neuro linguistic programming).  Kurt and Steve discuss some of the merits of NLP and how to use them.

It's been 100 episodes!  After inserting some canned applause and patting themselves on the back, Kurt and Steve discuss why disobedient kids may actually make more money as adults.  They then proceed to insult people who don't listen to their show.  But if they're not listening does it really even matter? Different personalities relate to different persuasion techniques.  One method may resonate clearly with you but be completely useless on your prospect.  That's why it's important to use the T.E.S.S. system.  It stands for Testimonial, Example, Story, and Statistic.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss how to successfuly implement T.E.S.S. into your message.

Whether you think you love it or not, you love to procrastinate.  The brain thrives on it.  The reason is that we tend to treat our "current self" much better than our "future self."  We give our future self way to much credit.  We think "future me will save more money" or "future me will lose more weight."  But when the future gets here what happens?  Kurt and Steve discuss it during this week's article.  We don't like getting objections.  Nobody does.  But when they come, take it as a good sign!  Your prospect is actually listening!  There's nothing worse than an impartial prospect.  Some objections need to be dealt with as they come.  Other's need to be dealt with in advance.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss the difference. Finally, Kurt discusses a "blinja" (when a blunder meets a ninja) sales robot!  Yep.  A sales robot.  Tune in for details. 

Do you sort your mail over the trash can?  Do you delete most emails before you even consider them?  That's the reality of advertising today.  Messages to your prospects need to be compelling and grab their attention.  To start this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss a recent article about which is more effective: digital or print media? Ever now and then on Maximize Your Influence, we like to return to what is most imporant: mindset.  All the tactics in the world dont' change anything for a persuader who is negative, pessimistic, and just not right in their persuasion head.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve dive into what it takes for persuaders to have enough self discipline to make it.  Working on commission or in an industry where your living depends on getting other people to cooperate with you can be mentally taxing.  Follow the tips discussed here and you'll supercharge your discipline!

After Steve gives the full report on his recent trip to Puerto Rico (including a priceless blunder by the Ritz Carlton resort), Kurt discusses this week's "geeky article moment."  A recent article on Psych Central reveals the advantages of both active and passive communication styles. The rest of the show centers around a recent interview Steve conducted with Brad Harker.  Brad is the author of The Laws of Influence - Mastering the Art of Sales, Leadership, and Change.  He operates a sales company, FoundersInc.com and actively consults with professionals and organizations in the disciplines of sales, leadership, and influence.

To kick off this episode, the guys discuss what is likely the most offensive article they've ever featured on the show.  Kurt insists that it's Steve's doing.  We'll let you read it for yourselves, but just know that "hand's on" father's might be uhm...smaller.  For the main show topic, Kurt and Steve discuss some of the non-verbal habits that can kill your charisma.  Use these habits and your sales career will never get off the ground.  Conversely, they discuss some of the habits that the charismatic instinctively do.  Implement these habits into your behavior and you will be perceived as more charismatic.  We all want to do business with charismatic people!  

A recent study shows that if you want to look trustworthy, you should also look happy.  What's the catch?  Looking happy doesn't necessarily make you look competent.  Kurt and Steve discuss this study and how persuaders can walk the line to acheive maximum trust and competence at the same time. On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss recent obervations they've made about Negotiaton's Dirty Deeds (yes, they are done dirt cheap).  When your prospects resort to infantile tactics that have worked for them since childhood, you have to tactfully let your prospect know "that doesn't work here" without jeopordizing the potential business arranagement.  Finally, Steve throws a sleazy real estate developer under the bus for this episodes persuasion blunder. 

In persuasion, there are a few words and phrases that a lot of people say, but that they don't really mean.  In a recent article on Inc.com, 11 of these terrible sayings are reviewed.  It's an entertaining article and Kurt and Steve discuss it in detail. Have you ever received an annoying voicemail from a salesperson?  Or better yet...have you ever LEFT an annoying voicemail?  We all have.  Many think leaving voicemials is pointless.  Otheres will leave them for days and not get any results.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss how to leave an effective voicemail that will get your prospects to call you back. 

When it comes to persuading others (through owning a business, church, non-profit), it's all about networking.  Anyone who has ever been successful can attribute at least a part of that success to meeting the right people at the right time.  But what if you hate talking to strangers?  Can you be an effective networker?  A recent article published in the Harvard Business Review discusses this very issue.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve answer an email from a listener who wants to learn how to ask more effective questions.  Effective questions should move the conversation further and bring the prospects pain and or motivation into clearer focus.  They should make the prospect feel in control while the persuader is actually the one calling the shots.  There are a number of ways to accomplish this and Kurt and Steve discuss them in detail on this episode!

If you're like most people, you don't really enjoy paying taxes.  A study in the UK recently discovered how to vastly increase the rate of collected taxes, just by adding one simple sentence to collection notices.  Kurt and Steve discuss this on the show.  You can find an article from CNN Money here. Many say there is such thing as "beginners luck" in sales.  But is it luck?  Or is that beginners haven't learned some of the habits that plague veterans?  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss three of the key mistakes that verteran sales people make.  Getting back to basics and avoiding these mistakes will help you see an almost immediate increase in your sales results!  

Nobody has a perfect self esteem.  We all have insecurities in ceratin areas of our life. The same is true for your prospects.  Raise a prospects self esteem and you'll catapult your chances of persuading them!  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss a recent article that gives Five Tips For Raising Your Self Esteem. Is your prodcut or cause desperation or inspiration based?  Your prospects are all either running towards or away from something.  It's essentially the difference between inspiration and deseperation.  Using the wrong kind of motivation on your prospects will backfire everytime.  Tune into this episode for great tips on how to leverage the power of dual motivation!

Did you know that the noise of an aircraft engine can cause you to crave different foods?  A recent study by Cornell University makes some compelling links between decibel level and food cravings.  Kurt and Steve discuss the artice and also learn a new word!  There's one thing that annoys your prospect more than anything else: unsolicited small talk.  Many of the stereotypical sales annoyances (fast talkers, lack of knowlege) are still high on the list, but in this day and age your prospect wants to see value.  They want to feel like they have a reason to talk to you.  Only then does should you make a serious effort at buildng a connection with them.  Otherwise the unsolicited small talk will kill your presentation before it begins!

Is optimism overrated?  A recent study from the University of Utah thinks so.  Kurt and Steve discuss the study and what it means for persuaders. Some of us are better negotiators than others.  Some of us respond differently to different tactics.  Negotiation is all about researching your product and what your prospect needs and wants.  Failure to do so inevitably leads to insulting your prospect and that's a tough one to come back from.  On this episdoe Kurt and Steve discuss how to make an offer to your prospect that sets the negotiation playing field, without insulting them. 

Do you know somebody who is always blaming other people for their problems?  Is it you?  The fact is, we all do it.  And sometimes we're right.  A recent article, however, shows why blaming others is not productive...even when it's completely true.  We all know the stereotypical profile of a persuader: fast talker, slick, stretches the truth, etc.  And we all know that this style of persuasion is not nearly as effective as it used to be.  In this day and age, introverts are the best persuaders.  Kurt and Steve discuss why this is and we can apply techniques that come naturally to most introverts.

It's always helpful to learn more about what successful people do in their daily lives.  In this episode, Kurt and Steve highlight three key lessons we can learn form succeessful people.  For this week's Persuasion IQ question, Kurt and Steve talk about how to effectively build emotion at the right time during your presentation.  Measuring the rate of your speech during the credibilty phase and then changing to the right rate during your call to action can make or break you!

After discussing Kurt's recent trip to Las Vegas, Kurt and Steve discuss an article that may be helpful if you've been to Vegas recently: "Are White Lies Good For Relationships?"  You'll be surprised at the conculsion! How can we tell if our prospect is "visually oriented?"  Whe asking them a question that requires some thought, they often look upwards.  In contrast if they are "auditory", they tend to look side to side.  Finally, if they are "kinesthetic", they look downward.  How does this impact you in the persuasion process?  Tune into the episode to find out more!

Have you ever witnessed an animal "sniff" another animal and thought "wow I'm so glad I'm human?"  A recent study shows that you might rely on smelling other humans.  Check out the study here. On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss what attribute customers appreciate most about top persuaders.  They give some pointers on how to improve this characterisitc as well as minimize more harmful ones.  Check out the episode for more details!

Do you rely on email marketing to generate leads?  What about telephone prospecting?  As it turns out, there are specific times of day and the week that are more effective...and it's not quite what you think.  Check out this episode for the exact statistics. Colors shape our perception of products and services, period.  They can also be used to set the tone on how we feel when we go into a persuasive encounter.  Some colors instill a feeling of professionalism.  Some colors make us hungry.  Others grab our attention.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve break down colors and how we can use them to enhance our message as persuaders. 

They've talked about it a lot on Maximize Your Influence, but on this episode Kurt and Steve discuss a recent article entitled "10 Body Signs Somebody Is Lying To You."  They discuss the merits of the article as well as some additional suggestions that will help you detect deception. Have you ever had a prospect stall on you?  Your product is a perfect fit, it fits their budget, but they just aren't making a decision? On this episode Kurt and Steve discuss some of the techniques that will get your prospect off of the fence.  Tune in for details!

A recent study published by Psych Central discusses how to make new habits stick.  The article goes over a variety of techniques that will dramatically increase your chances of implementing new habits.  Check it out here. On episode 82, Kurt and Steve discuss another important Persuaison IQ Test question.  What is the main reason people do things they don't want to do?  Kurt and Steve discuss the answer and give some tips on how to use the pyschological phenomena of "Cognitive Dissonance" to your advantage. 

Have you ever given a presentation and had a tough time connecting with the audience?  Some audiences are just difficult.  Other audiences can be connected with if you know some basic pointers.  For this week's article, Kurt and Steve discuss an article released by Harvard Business Review that gives some great tips on connecting with any audience.  Connect to the article here. Does the mood of your prospect matter?  We're uncovering more and more research on the topic. No matter how appealing your product, if your prospect isn't in the right mood it doesn't matter.  Kurt and Steve give some tips for what to do when you run across a prospect in a foul mood. 

Have you ever encountered a prospect who had a skewed view of what they should pay for your product?  Would you like to have more control about what your prospects think your product is worth?  Tune into this episode for more information! On this episode, Kurt and Steve also discuss how to properly frame somebody's expectaitons without insulting them.  Doing this is the key between getting kicked out and totally resetting your prospect's perceived value!

On this episode, Kurt and Steve continue in giving you the "cheat sheet" for the Persuasion IQ test.  You can find the persuasion IQ test by visiting www.maximizeyourinfluence.com and clicking "Persuaison IQ" on the bottom of the page. What do all top persuaders have in common?  They're optimistic.  Chances are you've never met a top producer who also has a negative attitude.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss what it takes to maintain an optimistic attitude, even in the face of intense rejection. 

We've all heard of the sterotypical "fast talker."  They come across as too slick and like they're up to something, right? On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss what the most persuasive rate of speaking is.  They also discuss what kind of tone, pauses, and energy to use when you're speaking at the most persuasive rate.  Tune into the episode to learn more! 

With Valentines now over with, you likely know where you stand with your significant other.  However, Kurt and Steve still find it fit to bring up a recent study that shows how you can tell if somebody loves you...or lusts after you.  Check out the article here! It's been a few years since Kurt developed the "Persuasion IQ Test"... a way for you to get a straightforward assessment on how persuasive you really are.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve break down one of the questions on the test: the most effective way to create scarcity.  Check out the episode to learn the answer! Finally, Steve wraps the episode up with a blunder by a company who has been featured as the persuasion ninja on multiple occasions: Apple. 

Do you know people who are ALWAYS late, no matter what?  Do you find yourself telling these people earlier times in an effort to get them to unintentionally show up?  A recent article in the Wall Street Journal studied type A (aggressive) and type B (non aggressive) and found something shocking: some people perceive time to go by slower than it actually is.  This explains a lot about people who just can't show up on time!  Check out the article here.  Last episode, Kurt and Steve focused on detecting deception through verbal cues.  On this episode, they explore some of the non-verbal cues that reveal deception.  Tune in to hear all the great info!  

Have you checked out www.universityofpersuasion.com yet?  Did you know that you can enroll in our 52 week persuasion course for as little as $7 a month?  Shameless plug over.  On this week's episode, Kurt and Steve discuss a recent article that shows us how to exercise more effectively.  Yep.  Pushing through a difficult task (like exercise) is key to success in anything.  Kurt and Steve break down the article and discuss how we can use it in exercise and in business.  Due to listener demand, deception is back.  We all deal with it.  Prospects, family, kids, co-workers...they all have been known to deceive.  Hopefully most of the time it's harmless.  But we've all suffered due to taking somebody's word for it only to have them never come through.  There are two ways to detect deception.  Verbal cues and non-verbal cues.  On this episode Kurt and Steve focus on verbal cues.  The best "liars" are the ones who tell half truths with their deception.  Tune into the episode for some great pointers on how you can detect verbal deception! Finally...the blunder of the week.  Or is it a ninja?  Steve isn't really sure.  Due to a business trip he couldn't get out of, he didn't get to watch most of the Super Bowl.  From what he heard, the commercials during the Super Bowl this year were just downright depressing.  Kurt discusses whether this is an effective advertising techinique or not. 

Welcome to episode 74 of Maximize Your Influence!  On this episode, Kurt and Steve roll out an interesting article published in the Economist.  More and more, governments and intelligence agencies are analyzing body language to determine if somebody is a terrorist threat.  Kurt and Steve discuss the article and what it means for the study of body language.  You can check it out here. Well it's late January now.  How are your goals coming?  If you're like most people, they're quickly fading into the distance.  While it's only been a couple of weeks since they discussed it last, Kurt and Steve re-hash the main components of successful goal setting.  If for no other reason than to at least REMIND you that you set some goals a few weeks ago. Accomplishing goals requires YOU to consistently follow up on them, measure your progress, and to be realistic.  Other wise you end up like everybody else:  your in mid February and things are right back to where they were! On this episode Kurt and Steve also discuss vision versus worry.  When you're setting goals, trying to sell a product, or trying to promote a cause...do you do it out of vision or worry?  When it comes to you and your goals, this needs to be done out of vision.  Even though it brings on compelling short term emotions, acting out of worry never lasts.  Only a positive vision of the future will keep you going when times get tough!  Check out the episode for some tips on how to use this on your prospects and your marketing!

Have you ever met the kind of person who is always stressed, has a negative attitude, and who nobody wants to be around?  Oftentimes we later hear these people have major health problems down the road.  In this weeks article, Kurt and Steve discuss a recent study that shows why Optimism is heart healthy.  Not only is it good for your wallet...it's good for your health!  Oftentimes, persuaders run into the issue of their prospects having a miscontrued "value" of the persuaders product.  This usually isn't the persuaders fault.  It's just the reality of the market and the media that shaped the value.  So how can we "reset" the prospects perception of value?  How can we have home field advantage?  On this epsidoe, Kurt and Steve discuss how we can use the "door in the face" technique to gain the upper hand.  Remember, go to www.universityofpersuasion.com for more resources on how you can become a power persuader! And finally...this week's blunder features a waitress at Morton's Steakhouse who thought it would be a good idea to talk to Steve about the movie "Food Inc" while he ate a porterhouse. 

On this week's episode, Kurt and Steve lead off with the "Geeky Article Moment" as well as some banter about food, NFL playoffs, and seagulls eating hotdogs.  Yep.  It happened. A restaurant in Pittsburgh has recently decided that it will ban "tips" for its servers.  Instead, servers will receive a salary and annual bonuses.  Kurt and Steve discuss how this will impact staff performance and if it's a good idea or not from a leadership perspective.  After this, Kurt and Steve discuss presentation pitfalls.  Like it or not, we are all presenters.  Whether its one on one, on a web conference, or in front of thousands of people, we are all on stage.  Kurt and Steve discuss what the common pitfalls are that plague most persuaders.  Are you a power persuader?  Would you like individual feedback on your video/audio presentation...for FREE?  Record an audio or video of your presentation and upload it here.  Kurt and Steve will go through each presentation and provide you individually with feedback!  Just put your email address in the subject line of when you upload your video.  First prize will get a free year to www.universityofpersuasion.com! 

Happy New Year! We're back with the first episode of 2015!  If you we're asked "do you have a rewards card with us" last time you were shopping, you're not alone.  Business are loading up on rewards programs like never before, in hopes of enticing you to return and buy more stuff from them. As it turns out however, a good old fashioned "thank you" is more effective.  Kurt and Steve discuss this recent study on this episode. Well it's 2015.  It's time to set goals.  You're either excited about that or you're rolling your eyes saying "not again!"  Whatever you think about it, however, it's important.  Setting goals (in writing) is one of the main attributes that differentiates successful persuaders from failures.  Check out this episode for some concrete tips on how you can set goals more successfully in 2015!

If you have kids or employees (they're kind of the same, aren't they) you have probably used threats as a way to gain compliance before.  When we are in a rational state, we can all agree that most of the time threats are only good for very short term compliance.  But when we become emotional, it's easy for our brain to think that a threat is the best solution to the problem.  In a recent study by McGill University, researchers discovered that threatening children doesn't stop them from lying.  Here's some hope for humanity: researchers also concluded that kids are more likely to tell the truth when they feel like it's the right thing to do!  In Episode 79 of Maximize Your Influence, Kurt and Steve expand more on persuasive writing styles.  There are certain words that you should never use when persuading others.  Those words, however, may be beneficial when you are discussing the competiton!  Check out the episode for all the information.  Kurt and Steve will return in 2015 with more Maximize Your Influence!

Are you tired of faking that you like your boss when you really don't?  Michigan State University has good news.  Apparently, you don't need to fake it anymore!  Their study shows that your productivity and your bosses satsifaction with your work performance goes UP when you both can admit that you're just co-workers and not necessarily best buddies. After discussing the weekly article.  Kurt and Steve launch into the important topic of persuasive writing.  In order to persuade, you need people to talk to.  You need leads.  It's persuasive writing that does this.  Oftentimes, writing persuasively involves the use of pictures.  Yeah, this sounds like a bit of a contradiction.  But when we ssee words, how we feel about them is usually influnced by the pictures that accompany them.  Use pictures that involve attractive people, things, and places.  You can use bright colors as well as images that make others curious, happy, or even angry.  This makes them pay attention to what you write. Check out the rest of the episode for more information on how to structure your persuasive copy for optimal results. And finally, www.universityofpersuasion.com is half off for the rest of the year!  Wheverver you are in your persuasion journey, there's something on universityofpersuasion.com for you! 

Every year it happens.  Black Friday.  That one day where retailers apparently lose their mind and start giving away massive discounts in order to lure bargain hungry shoppers.  The urgency created on Black Friday is unparalleled! On this episode Kurt and Steve discuss what retailers do right on Black Friday as opposed to what they do wrong.  Using some of their tactics could turn your prospects away...or it could create massive legitimate urgency that will spike your sales, big time.  Tune into this episode for more info!

Do you work in an environment where you need to be motivated...but your boss just doesn't motivate you?  This is increasingly the norm, unfortunately.  A recent article by Harvard Business Review gives some helpful pointers if you find yourself in this type of environment.  Check out the article here. Are you your competitor's best sales person?  Let's rephrase.  Have you ever worked really hard building your products value with a prospect, only to have them go with a cheaper option or a competitor?  That's what we call "scratching the itch."  When you motivate your prospect to change, they often try to scratch the easiest itch they can find.  In other words, once you've identified the problem and created the pain, the prospect seeks to solve that pain in the easiest/cheapest way possible.  Kurt and Steve discuss some of the main methods for getting around the itch.  The first is obvious.  What are the cheaper options that your prospect will be tempted to go with?  Instead of covertly trying to sabotage these options, what is working best right now is to just drag the options all out into the light.  It's okay to tell your prospect: "look, a lot of individuals I talk to end up trying to find a cheaper version.  I'll tell you right now, it exists.  If price is all you're concerned about, you should go that direction.  Do you have other considerations besides price?"  This gets a critical yes from your prospect and they proceed to tell you all the things besides price that matter to them.  Now you can build value and take the sales cycle away from price.  Battling your prospect on price is seldom a winning proposition. Tune into the episode for more tools to manage "the itch."  And if you're ready to take things to the next level, visit us at www.universityofpersuasion.com.  There you'll see some of Kurt and Steve's top training programs...some of which are totally free! 

Are you one of those sports fans that feels like the officials are conspiring against your team?  Everybody has been THAT sports fan at some point in their life.  As it turns out you may not be that paranoid.  A recent study shows that shorter NBA refs call more fouls than their taller counter parts.  The question remains though: is this due to a bad case of vantage point or a bad case of "small man syndrome?"  Check out the article here.  It's a fact, though.  We judge people based on height.  The fact that this transcends into sports is no surprise. On episode 66 of Maximize Your Influence, Kurt and Steve discuss what all sales and business people deal with: rejection.  Dealing with rejection involves two key concepts: 1) how we think about it and 2) how we deal with it.  Having a healthy perspective on rejection and realizing that it happens to everybody, even the best, is where you should start.  Beyond that, there are various habits that successful persuaders get into that allow them to quickly move past rejection and even harness it to create more sales.  Check out episode 66 to learn more!

Persuasion is one of those skills that gives you a leg up on the competition.  When it comes to sales, there is no award for second place.  And advantage you can get goes a long way towards coming in first place!  Make sure you regularly tune up your persuasion ane influence skills.  These are skills that can atrophy over time if you don't use them.  And when you need to use them...it's too late to learn! So why not use Maximize Your Influence to stay fresh! In Kurt's geeky article moment, we learn what motivates people to pursue their dream job.  Because we all need money, most of us end up selling out our dream job.  But if it's something you really want, you need to have a vivid mindset.  Having a vivid, clear picture of your future will make you sink or swim.  This equally applies in sales.  If your prospects don't have a vivid and clear picture of what it'll be like to use your product, they'll say no. Continuing on, Kurt and Steve wrap up the series on the 4 R's of Resistance.  The 4th "R" is "Representative."  In other words...it's YOU.  Sometimes people will resist doing business not because of the product, the price, or something else.  It's just something about you.  This has been discussed at length on the show.  People do business with "better looking" people.  This doesn't mean you have to be a model.  But it is time to ask yourself some questions.  Are you dressing fashionably (but not over the top)?  Are you over weight?  Are you still sporting the same haircut you thought looked super cool in 1982? Take a hard look at yourself.  You want too look good...but not too slick.  Beyond looking good, it comes down to rapport.  Increasingly, however, prospects are getting a lot better at sniffing out the "bs" that sales people throw at them.  The best way to connect is to initially prove your worth.  Once you do this, your prospects will subconsiously give you permission to connect with them and "shoot the bull" as they say. 

After discussing Kurt's upcoming visit to the Middle East, Kurt and Steve launch right into this week's article.  According to a recent article from Science Daily, toddlers who exhibit low empathy are in for a tough life.  The study says that there will be long term problems with aggression.  The good news is, it's not too late to fix it.  After the article, Kurt and Steve get into the Third R of Resistance, which is "resources."  We're all taught in sales that we need to qualify our prospect.  Mostly this centers around money, but there are other resources that need to be in place such as time, support, staff, etc.  We know that most of the time when prospects tell us they don't have the resources, it's not true.  They've just learned over the years that lying about resources is a quick way to make you (the evil salesperson) go away.  When it comes right down to it, most of the things that we buy are not based on price.  Value is the key, and value is a perception. What are your prospects comparing your product or service to?  This allows you to benchmark value.  You get to decide what they compare it to!  Be careful to choose what other products and services your compare and contrast your product with.  Do it right, and people will pay a lot more.  Do it wrong, and they won't pay you anything!

Do you enjoy the Maximize Your Influence Podcast?  Learn more at www.universityofpersuasion.com.  You'll have access to all of our top persuasion and influence training!  You'll get our 52 week persuasion mastery course, our persuasion university library, persuasion software (solves objections for you), and much much more!   On this episode of Maximize Your Influence, Kurt and Steve discuss the second R of resources.  One of the main reasons we encounter resistance from prospects, employees, family, etc is due to perceived risk.  Whether it's time, money, respect, or some other resource, your prospect is not sure if what they are giving up to do business with you is truly worth it.  There's too much risk.  Sometimes they state this out loud...other time sthey feel it subconsciously.  Either way, your goal as a persuader is to get your prospect to feel like they have absolutely nothing to lose by doing business with you.  Part of this is through creating involvement (see our earler podcasts on the law of involvement).  When your prospect feels like they are participating in the product or service they begin to feel that it WILL be worth it.  Get them started down the right road and they will typically want to finish.  This is typically done through some kind of free trial of your product or service.  Sure, when you offer a free trial people will periodcially take advantage of you.  However, implementing a free trial usually increases sales so much that any "free loaders" are totally worth it. Another way is to establish a bold guarantee.  If you don't feel like you CAN guarantee your product or service, it's time to re-think things. What can you promise that will make prospects feel like they have a way "out" if the product doesn't work for them?  Remember, guarnatees are like free trials.  Most typically won't turn around and ask for their money back once they've purchased the product.  Guarantees more than pay for themselves! 

On this episode, Kurt and Steve interview the CEO of Entrepreneur on Fire, John Lee Dumas.  John is one of the most successful "virtual" entrepreneurs out there.  His podcast is by far one of the most popular business downloads on the internet.  He is known for producing massive amounts of valuable content and giving it away for FREE.  His audience is large and he has a very high level of trust with them. This allows him to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars of his products every month.  And even better...he documents it all!  His model of complete transparency allows him to cut right to the pain of what his prospects want and need.  He then provides it and makes huge profits in the process.  If you're an entrepreneur his show is a must!   Learn more by visiting www.entrepreneuronfire.com. 

Did you know that money can buy happiness?  A recent study published in "Psychology Today" shows just that.  Kurt and Steve discuss the ins and outs of this study and how money certainly can buy happiness...up to a point.  Continuing off of recent episodes, Kurt and Steve cover how we can overcome objections before they ever occur in the first place.  This concept is called "inoculation."  The term comes from the medical field, where patients are given a weak form of a virus so that their body can develop an immunity to it.  This same concept happens on the pscyhological level.  If we can introduce a weak form of the objection to our prospects, they will be better prepared for when the real one comes along at a later date. For example, do most of your prospects end up looking for more bids from competitors?  Or do they end up getting serious resistance from friends and family?  Letting them know very subtly that this will happen beforehand helps them avoid the shock and disappointment that will later surface.  They'll think "hey, you know what?  He told me that the competitors would say this, or that my family would think that."  This even applies when raising children.  Unfortunatley we know that at some point kids will be exposed to and given the opportunity to take drugs.  Pretending this won't happen just increases the chances that they will be influenced by a drug dealer and not by you as a parent.  Letting them know in advance "hey Jr, at some point somebody is going to offer you drugs.  If you say know they'll call you chiocken, they'll make fun of you, etc.  But just say no no matter what and come talk to me about it.  It's okay." You can't, nor should you, inoculate against everything.  Just pick the two or three most common objections your prospects have and presolve them with stories, examples, statistics, and testimonials!

Stay tuned as we will soon be rolling out Influence University...your way to access absolutely everything that Kurt has ever produced on Persuasion, Influence, Negotiation, and Leadership!  One of the greatest features of Influence University is Kurt's "Persuasion Software."  There are 77 potential objections out there and this software allows you to click on whatever one you've received and immediately see the course of action you should take! On this episode, Kurt and Steve follow their discussion on objection psychology.  Now that we know where objections come from, what do we do when they actually arrive?  There are a few steps to consider.  First, make sure you listen to the entire objection.  You might know the answer. You might think the objection is stupid.  But it's just as important for your prospect to completely verbalize the objection as it is for you to actually answer it.  The point is that you can never adequately answer an objection until the prospect has completely verbalized it. Second, repeat the objection back to your prospect to make sure you understand.  Pause.  Think it over.  A lot of times when prospects have completely verbalized an objection it takes care of itself.   There are five more steps that Kurt and Steve discuss on this episode, so download it here or subscribe to Maximize Your Influence on Itunes or Stitcher Radio to hear the entire episode! 

After a rant about Philly Cheesesteaks and Gourmet Grilled Cheese, Kurt and Steve continue to break down the psychology of objections.  Undestanding what's happening to your prospect mentally will help you overcome objections faster and many times, avoid them all together. A study done by Knox and Inkster shows us that people tend to justify and feel more confident in their decisions AFTER they have made them.  So if your prospects are not at least subconsciously making a decision to do business with you, they are looking for reasons to NOT do business with you This essentially comes down to small mental commitments and painting the picture.  Anytime your prospect is confused or feels ambiguous about the future, they will throw out knee jerk reactions.  This is why advertisements show pictures and videos of people using their product and smiling.  They want to paint a picture of a bright future where people are using their product and are satisfied.  How can you do this?  How can you help your prospects see, touch, taste, feel, and overall experience your product?  Take away that uncertainty and the decision gets made subconsciously now and it's easy sailing from there!

Have you ever had a conversation that just didn't get results?  Or even worse, one that felt completely fake?  On this episode, Kurt and Steve interview John R Stoker, author of "Overcoming Fake Talk - How To Hold Real Conversations that Create Respect, Build Relationships, and Get Results."  This is a fantastic new book (available at "overcomingfaketalkbook.com", by the way) that will show you how to have more productive conversations.  Whether this is with a co worker, a teenager, or a boss, you'll find it to be highly useful!   Fake talk is any conversation that no matter what is said, just fails to produce results.  You may be under the impression you received a commitment from somebody or that somebody is going to do something.  But what ends up happening?  Nothing.  We typically don't find out we've engaged in fake talk until after the fact, which is extrememly frustrating!   One of the reason's people engage in fake talk is because they are conflict adverse.  Most of us don't enjoy getting in situations where think we will disappoint them or make them angry.  This causes us to steer conversations around productivity in favor of not causing conflict.  However, most of the time when we are avoiding confrontation it's because we assume there will be a problem. This, many times, is just an assumption. Don't assume that somebody will necessarily be mad (unless it's blatantly obvious).  You never know how they will react.  In addition keep in mind...many times THEY want to avoid conflict too! 

Closing a deal isn't about a slick line at the end of your presentation.  It's about understanding what your prospect is REALLY saying when they say things like "I need to think about it" or "I don't have the money."  First we need to figure out if we are dealing with a real objection or one that is just pure "venom."  If somebody is just objecting to be a pain in the butt, there isn't much you can do there other than to cut your losses. But if they have a genuine question or concern, or even a "knee jerk" reaction, that's something you can work with.  So what's a knee jerk reaction?  This is an instinctual resistance to being persuaded.  Your prospect doesn't feel good about doing business with you so they throw out something that's common to say like "I don't have money" or "I need to talk to my spouse."  The best way to reply to knee jerk reactions is with questions.  The more questions you can ask the more you flush out the real objection and the reason they feel uncomfortable.  It's important to evaluate at least twice a year where your leads are coming from.  Are you talking to prospects that have the ability to buy your product?  Continually upgrade the quality of your leads (to the extent that you can).  Beyond that, focusing on questions and continually drilling down to the prospects core need will eliminate knee jerk reactions.  How do you know you've drilled down far enough?  When the prospect starts talking about their problem on an emotional level.  Now you know you're in the zone.  On this episode Kurt and Steve also discuss how to handle situations where you persuade somebody who then has to take your product infront of a committee or supervisor...without you being present.  Be sure to tune into the episode to hear more!

Have you ever met somebody that didn't seem all that sharp but could sell circles around you?  Here at Maximize Your Influence we help you hone your persuasion skills to generate the income and results you want! As always, send your comments, questions, and ideas to maximizeyourinfluence@gmail.com. Also: Kurt is willing to give you a FREE audio download of his book Maximum Influence if you leave a review of this podcast on Itunes!  Just log into Itunes and leave a review, then email us at maximizeyourinfluence@gmail.com and we'll email you a link to download the book, for free.  On this episode's Geeky Article Moment (yeah, we're capitalizing it now because it's officially a thing), Kurt discusses a recent study by Michigan State University.  As it turns out, when employees see superviors act verbally abusive or demeaning to employees, it gives subconcious permission for the rest of the employees to demean everyone else.  This really isn't a surprise.  The culture of a business is established from the top down! Next, Kurt and Steve discuss one of the oldest sales training categories: closing skills.  More appropriately, closing skills are a call to action.  Many persuaders think closing involves a clever line or two towards the end of their presentation.  Things like the Ben Franklin Close, the Alternative Close, or the Bait and Switch are old tired tactics now.  Car dealers are notorious for the "what do I have to do to get you into this car today" line.  Most of the time lines like this just don't work.  When closing skills do work, there is a common denominator: opening.  Effective persauders ask questions throughout the presentation to establish trust and help the prospect know that they are actually listening and understanding.  Closing skills are only effective once this trust and value has been established.  Once it's done they are quite effective in getting people across the finish line.  But using them without trust alienates and offends them!

In Episode 54 of Maximize Your Influence, Kurt and Steve start things off by discussing a recent study about the chemical oxytocin.  According to the study, the more oxytocin present in somebody's system, the more accepting they are of others.  This of course leads to better social skills and possibly, the more persuadeable they are.  Many business and marketing firms are trying to trigger the release of this chemical through smell.  Heaven help us all!  The core of this episdoe deals with how to help your prospects and employees see the overall vision of what you are trying to accomplish.  People like to follow somebody with a vision.  If you're having trouble getting people to buy your product or follow your cause, you aren't instilling your vision in others.  Those who can't articulate a clear and concise vision won't be successful, period.  One key part of instilling vision, however, is WIFFM (What's In It For Me).  Sure, being apart of an exciting vision helps...but if there is no perceived benefit (or realized benefit over time), your credibiltiy is permanently damaged.  We all like to be apart of a cause bigger than ourselves.  But call us shallow...we want something out of the deal too! Kurt and Steve relay this into a conversation about successful politicians.  The most successful politicians are those whow are able to instill a vision in their constituents, but not be too specific to the point that they can be held accoutable for not fulfilling their vision later.  That sure makes you want to show up and vote, doesn't it?  Not only is it important to instill a vision in your prospects and employees, but yourself.  If you can't see, taste, touch, and feel the big picture, you'll find yourself subtly resisting they key things you need to do to move forward.  A mind that lacks clarity will subconsiously avoid anything associated with that lack of clarify.  However when there is absolute clarify, fear is removed and we aggressively attack our goals.

A whole year of Maximize Your Influence Podcasts are now behind us!  And listenrship in the Islamic Republic of Iran is still strong (that has to be a fluke, right)! After two podcasts delving into the female brain, Kurt and Steve discuss a recent article that reveals that women get cheated at the negotiation table more than men.  Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and UC Berkely found that women were "warmer and more kind" in negotiations, and thus were more taken advantage of. Getting into the remainder of the podcast, Kurt and Steve discuss what it takes to inspire others in the work place.  But how can you do this when/if the person you are inspiring has a horrible job or a position that is just without inspiration?  There are a few ways to do this and you don't necessarily have to have an exciting job to do it.  Boosting the self esteem of those that work for you or who you work with goes a long way.  When people feel appreciated and liked, even menial tasks can beomce fulfilling to them.  Second, unite your team to a common goal.  If they feel like they are always in the trenches and don't see the big picture of what they are apart of they will never be inspired.  Third, find a common enemy.  Sure, this sounds a little dark but business leaders, religous leaders, and politicians have used it through all time to achieve their goals (both good and bad). Finally, create an atmosphere where people can offer input.  If they feel iike they don't have any say then they quckly just won't care...about anything.  You'll be stuck in a situation where your employees or partners "work just hard enough to not get fired, and where you pay them just enough so they don't quit."

Don't worry, it's still us!  We just have a new Itunes and podcast logo.  Kurt and Steve discuss the recent news in the Middle East and the conflict between Israel and Hamas.  They discuss the generations of emotion that are involved in the conflict and why a resolution is unlikely.  They probably offend both sides of the issue as well, which is par for the podcast! They also discuss an entertaining blunder by United Airlines.  Here's a link to the letter.  Judge for yourself what the blunder is or feel free to tune into the podcast to hear all about it.  Kurt and Steve conculde this episode by finishing their interview with Maureen Simon...an expert on the female brain and what it takes to persuade and influence females more effectively. 

The new www.maximizeyourinfluence.com is up!  Not so much running...but definitely up.  Pardon our dust as we continue to refine the new site.  You can still, however, download the latest podcast episodes and read the blog.  In the "geeky article moment" for the week, Kurt highlights a recent article from CNN.com.  A company in Chicago recently started timing how long employees were spending in the bathroom.  More than six minutes got you in trouble.  Kurt and Steve discuss why this is a bad move from a leadership and influence angle (like they really needed to point that out to you). On this episode, Kurt and Steve interview Maureen Simon, an expert in the differnces between the male and female brains.  From the time of birth, it's typically programmed in us that we are a man or a woman.  This doesn't mean that they don't cross over somewhat.  But typically men and women have different attributes and different expectations in the career path.  This interview with Maureen is part one.  Check it out for some great insights into the female brain and be sure to stay tuned for episode 52 for the rest of the interview!

Remember: please subscribe to Maxmize Your Influence on Itunes, Stitcher Radio, the Windows Market Place, or whatever service you use to download podcasts!  We appreciate you listening to the show! After giving some nots so great (and un-licesned) legal advice, Kurt and Steve discuss a recent study about "moral code."  Individuals are more likely to compromise their morals when they are in a group setting.  We do this because we feel more anonymous and less responsible.  This is all intuitive.  But keep in mind, this means that persuading a group is a lot different than persuading one on one.  As group numbers increase, we often see "mob mentality" set in.  This has a negative connotation but when persuading you can use mob mentality to your advantage.  This epsidoe continues into a debate as to whether there is a difference between rapport and people skills.  Kurt wins the debate as he often does.  People skills is being able to get a long with somebody and keep things amiable.  Rapport is deeper connection that makes us feel like we've known somebody our whole lives.  When we have rapport, we have a relationship that lasts a long time and that generates favorable persuasion and negotiation results.  While rapport might be difficult to define...we know what it is when we see it or feel it. Kurt and Steve continue by discussing some of the things that are evident when there is a strong rapport.  This includes relaxed body language, mirrored body language, physical touch, eye contact, and smiling (the real kind that you can see in the eyes).  One of the biggest blunders people make when they have rapport is to change their demenaor once they ask for "money."  This shatters rapport and is one of the top complaints about sales people. 

We hope you had a great Fourth of July holiday!  Even if you didn't celebrate American indepencence day and the 4th of July was just a regular day for you...we hope you had a great one anyway! Remember to subscribe to the Maximize Your Influence Podcast via Itunes, the Windows Market Place, or Sticher Radio.  And as always, you can listen to the show at www.maximizeyourinfluence.com. The show begins by Steve hijacking the Geeky Article Moment form Kurt.  This week's article discusses the new science of forensic handwriting style analysis.  This is different than analyzing material that is hand written.  This particular science analyzes how somebody forms words and sentences and can thus (allegedly) prove if somebody wrote something or not.  With more and more writing being done on keyboards (rendering handwriting analysis almost obsolete) Modern law enforcement may start using the acutaly syntax to prove the authorship of writing.  In the era of emails and text messages this is sure to catch on more and more! Have you ever dealt with a salesperson who avoided eye contact with you?  How did you feel?  Eyes are the window to the soul.  Effective eye contact can make or break a presentation.  On the other hand, too much eye contact can intimidate or come across as a threat.  So how often should we be making eye contact?  The first thing to understand is that we need to "mirror" eye contact.  If somebody isn't making a lot of eye contact with you you need to dial it back a little.  The general rule is, however, about 70%.  That gives enough eye contact to let somebody know you see them and understand...without creeping them out. 

After some useless banter about who should be allowed to wear bathing suits, the Fourth of July, and barbeques, Kurt and Steve launch into Episode 48.  First, they tackle an article about how word choice reflects somebody's mood.  It doesn't happen the way you think.  As it turns out, when somebody is feeling good they use more words with a long "i" vowell.  When they aren't feeling good they use more words with a long "o" vowell.  The human brain is amazing!  You can learn more about the study here. As they continue to break down the science of charisma, Kurt and Steve address people skills.  Thousands of books have been written on the topic and it's no secret we need to be good at it.  Kurt and Steve break it down by first discussing one of the key components: first impressions.  There are a variety of things that tend to sabotage a first impression.  Physical appearance, bad breath, bad posture, poor dress, demenanor, and vocal tone all affect people skils.  Another great way to show your people skills is to treat everbody equally.  Whether your dealing with the CEO of the company or a low level clerk...treat people well.  Be interested in them.  Make it your goal to make their day better from having come across you.  Brian Tracy said "you can tell a lot about somebody by how they treat the bus boys of the world."  Always always  keep the people skills swich on! Kurt and Steve finish the show by featuring a new perusasion ninja.  This persuasion ninja also happens to be a professional pan-handler!  Yes, you've got to hear this!  Listen to the episode for the whole story! 

After diving into "Negotiation's Dirty Deeds" last week, Kurt and Steve continue the discussion by uncovering even more of the underhanded tactics other's will use on you while negotiating.  Steve takes over today's "geeky article moment."  In a recent article by Harvard Business Review, we learn that managing conflict requires that we first ascertain whether we're dealing with a "hot" conflict or a "cold" conflict.  The strategy is entirely different depending on which type of conflict you are using.  The article also gives a variety of pointers about managing the conflict.  First, unless there is something imminent, take your time.  Many of us want to make conflict go away as soon as possible because we just don't like it.  However this can often make the situation worse.  Second, listen to everything but respond selectively.  Managing conflict often involves a lot of venting emotion that doesn't necessarily need to be addressed...it just needs to be vented.  Third, take stock before you take sides.  Make sure you really hear both parties out otherwise your credibility in resolving the conflict will be crushed. One of negotiation's dirty deeds is physical posturing.  It's not uncommon for old school negotiatiors to put the people they negotiate with in smaller chairs, lower positions, or downright uncomfortable positions.  Steve and Kurt discuss how this has been used in foreign policy as well as the business world. Another of negotiaton's dirty deeds is the "higher authority."  Oftentimes in a negotiation the person you're working with will pretend that they don't have the authority to make a decision.  This isn't necessarily dirty (you might have some success using it, actually), but it does hamper the negotiation process.  When somebody plays the "higher authority card" you need to get them to agree on a deadline and also try to get an appointment or commitment to meet with the higher authority.  That's assuming there really is one!  Finally to round out the show, Steve discusses a persuasion blunder that's going around today.  It involves some underhanded tactics others are using to get past gate keepers.  Check out the full episode for more! 

Due to listener demand, Kurt and Steve finally unleash "negotiation's dirty deeds."  These are underhanded tactics and strategies that others will use against you while negotiating.  Before this happens, however, Kurt discusses a recent article about "meeting productivity."  According to the Social Psycholigical and Personality Science Journal (that's a mouthful), standing during meetings creats more excitement and productivity.  Apparently this has the obvious effect of making the meetings shorter.  One of the unintentional but positive side effects was that it tends to decrease territoriality.  Different departments were more willing to share information and collaborate. This episode continues with a discussion on underhanded negotiation tactics.  One tactic often used is the "fake surprise."  Often when we present an offer to others they may act outwardly offended or surprised.  This is intended to reset your expectations and reconsider your offer...by embarassing you.  Kurt and Steve discuss some ways to counter this and adjust for it. Another dirty technique is the last minute change.  For example, somebody could tell you that you have a deal.  They'll set up a time to meet and when they arrive they tell you "sorry, I don't have all the money...can we still do this?"  Just a few of the dirty deeds are discussed here...be sure to listen to the full episode for more! 

To start this episode, we lead off with another one of Kurt's geeky articles.  And this study, while strange, is compelling.  As it turns out, there is a vast personality difference between dog and cat owners.  In addition, cat owners actually score slightly higher on intelligence tests.  Dog lovers tend to be more extroverted and sociable, while cat lovers are more independent yet more cautious.  Kurt and Steve discuss the implications of reading these personality types.  They also take a few shots at cat owners. If your'e to be successful as a persuader, it's obvious that you need to be competent.  Is there such thing as "too much" competence?  As they say, competence, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.  There's a difference between knowing a lot about your product and knowing how to tactfully make your prospect FEEL like you know alot.  Competence comes from life long learning.  You need to be the foremost expert on your product.  This involves the perception from your prospects that you are continually learning and growing.  When you learn that your doctor recently attended a medical conference it makes you feel like the doctor is keeping up.  Make sure you are up to speed on your industry...and make sure your prospects know this.  It will help create that perception of competence that you're after. To wind down the show, Steve discusses a persuasion blunder that he recently experienced in the real estate industry.  The moral of the story?  Know your product inside and out so you can act quickly...or you may lose the deal.  Kurt then features a ninja who has learned how to tame one of the toughest hecklers of door to door salespeople: dogs. 

Kurt and Steve begin the show by discussing Steve's recent trip to Dallas and how may pounds he put on from eating too much barbeque.  They also discuss Kurt recently celebrating a birthday (happy 70th birthday, Kurt)! This turns into a rant about chicken wings until Kurt and Steve realize that you tune into the show for persuasion tips...not food commentary. There is a common saying in business that you should "under promise and under deliver."  In a recent article entitled "nobody cares how good you are at your job", researches came to some interesting conclusions.  After tracking promises made by businesses, researchers found that "going above and beyond a promise didn't seem to matter at all."  What really does matter, however, is when we break a promise.  Take into account the fact how airline travelers feel when their plane is early versus late.  When a plane is early, people usually feel "so/so" about it.  When it's late, however, they are furious.  The study concludes that when it comes to making a promise, the best thing is to keep it.  Doing "more" than keeping it might create a future standard that you don't want to abide by.  Kurt and Steve then transition into a discussion about one of the core elements of charisma: self disclipline.  When we percieve somebody to be self disciplined, we perceive them to be more charismatic.  Studies show that self discipline isn't something that we can compartmentalize.  For example, being completely undisciplined in your finances will bleed into the other areas of your life.  Discipline is a whole person issue.  As Jim Rohn said, "you're either going to be disciplined or disappointed."  Charismatic leaders are committed to their mission and their business.  They pick themselves up after failure and they stay focused.  There are a few things we can do to increase our self discipline.  1) Break your goals down into smaller steps and pieces.  The human mind thrives on accomplishment.  So if you're continually failing, you need to give your brain a victory.  Take some baby steps because good habits over time will eventually get you where you want to be.  2) Focus on what you're going to get instead of what you're giving up.  Continuially dwelling on the negative and what you're giving up pulls your subconsious mind in that direction.  But if you instead dwell on what you're going to get your brain will be more engaged and you will achieve your goal.  3) Monitor your progress on an hourly and daily basis.  This allows you to dwell more on what you're getting as opposed to what you're giving up.  Finally, 4) make sure your objective is what you really want.  Many times we are engaged in something in our life that is something we don't really want for ourselves.  Maybe our family or friends wanted it FOR us.  But ultimately it was never something that you were passionate about or that you liked. 

Is power different than influence?  Absolutely.  One can be influential without having a lot of power.  But as power increases, it gives you more ability to influence.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss some examples of when power is used and what the long term implications are.  Many times as persuaders, parents, co-workers, we fall into the influence/power cycle.  We want somebody to do something and we first try with "carrot." But once somebody refuses or doesn't comply, we go to the stick. This is a mistake. There is a difference between using power and using force.  When somebody uses power ethically, we are happy to be persuaded by them.  When somebody uses force, they jeopordize the long term relationship.  Is there ever an instance when using force doesn't ruin the relationshp over the long term?  Kurt relates this to the "emotional bank account" as first discussed by Dr Stephen R Covey.  If we ever have to use force, we must make sure that we buffer that with many more postiive interactions.  Kurt and Steve then discuss various examples and stories of when people have used force too early and too often. While force might be necessary sometimes in short term interactions, it never works when a relationshp needs to be preserved for the long term.  How do we create genuine power that will help supercharge our business?  "Authority" power is key.  Set the expectations (in a humble way) that you are in charge and are the boss.  "Expert" power is also important.  When people perceive you as the expert you automatically have more power due to your knowledge.  Tactfully letting your prospects know you are an expert (without vomiting features and benefits all over them) will give you expert power.  This is most effectively done when it's presented by third parties.  That's why companies with great online reviews through services like Yelp continue to grow.  Their expertise is projected to the public...but it's done by third parties so it doesn't come across as arrogant or condescending.  Finally, Kurt and Steve discuss instances when you want to fake like you don't have any power.  Kurt references the tv series "Columbo."  Playing dumb can sometimes give you the time you need to make a better decision.  It also reduces resistance.  In many persuasive encounteres, those who appear less powerful are much more effective.  You should decide on a case by case basis which is more effective: project a powerful presence?  Or go "Columbo?"

You've met these people before.  The kind of person who has it all together.  They're dressed right.  They know how to talk and they seem very knowledgable.  But something just isn't right.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve talk about "gut instinct" and to what extent our prospecs can tell if we're "full of it" or not.  In this week's "geeky article moment brought to you by Kurt", we learn that "gut instinct" is actually real and a lot more literal than we ever thought.  According to a study by the University of Zurich, mamals have a nerve connecting the brain and the stomach.  When the brain is uneasy about something, it sends a message to the stomach to create that uneasy feeling that we've all experienced.  In a study done with rats (yep, rats), those with a severed nerve behaved more recklessly than others. The bottom line is, the stomach has a say in our decisions! This leads into this episodes core topic: congruence.  Congruence is that subconcious connection between what somebody is saying and what they're doing.  Our subconcious mind picks up on little micro expressions, different words, and different actions.  This ulitmately creates the difference between the message you think you're saying and what your prospect is actually hearing.  You could be passing out $100 dollar bills on a street corner...for free...but if you're not congruent people will sense it.  What do we do when we're not confident or congruent when it comes to our product?  How do we fix that?  It comes down to doing what you say and using the correct "non verbal" behavior.  Avoid touching your face or covering your mouth.  Avoid leaning back in your chair.  Make sure the level of your eye contact is natural.  Those who are being deceptive tend to make very little eye contact or too much.  Make sure your feet and shoulders are square.  When the subconcious mind isn't okay (or doesn't believe in) what you're saying or doing, your feet and shoulders tend to point away from your prospect.  If you think your prospect's subconsious mind doens't pick up on this you are sadly mistaken! 

After a brief rant about their listeners in Iran and the intimidation tactics of police in the United States (get off topic much, guys?), Kurt and Steve discuss a recent study about confidence.  According to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, well all have some internal wiring that makes us want to trust strangers.  Despite being told not to trust them our whole life, strangers are able to gain our trust.  Whether it's online or at a retail storefront, we are more likely to trust strangers when there is a social norm involved.  When we feel it's our duty or responsiblity to trust others, we're likely to comply.  This is because the human brain wants to creat short cuts and make decisions easier.  So it's likely to make you trust people that maybe you shouldn't. Kurt suggests that it's better to trust and risk getting hurt than to never trust anybody.  Otherwise you could end up "living in a van down by the river." Continuing onto the topic of charisma, Kurt and Steve briefly review last week's subject, passion.  You have to have passion (only one guy has ever been able to be passionless and still hold our attention).  But beyond passion, you have to have confidence.  But how do you know when you've crossed the line between confidence and arrogance?  It's okay to be aggressive and try to show that you have confidence.  We want confident people that we can trust to tell us what to do so we don't make mistakes.  That's part of human nature.  But as we said before, avoiding arrogance is key. We can avoid arrogance by taking criticism with an open mind and heart.  Kurt uses a recent interaction with his teenage son to illustrate this (way to go for the low hanging fruit, Kurt).  Confidence is about you serving your prospect.  Arrongance is all about you and what you know and how great you are.  We all hear the same objections over and over again.  We think that we can jump in and cut the person off and give them the answer.  But that crosses the line between confidence and arrogance.  Your prospect has to verbalize the objection as this is likely the first time they thought it.  This takes time and there is simply no way around it. Steve then can't help himself on the food front and compares spending sales prospects to a delicious rack of baby back ribs.  And no, listening to him explain it probalby won't help it make anymore sense than it does here.  But what if you aren't confident?  What if you're new or what if you don't even believe in your product?  Sometimes you have to fake it until you make it.  Sometimes you have to do what athletes who are in a slump to.  You have to stay in the game until you get even a minor victory that you can build on.  But if that doesn't work, sometimes you have to make a change.  Ironically enough, passion again comes into play here.  If you aren't confident you aren't passionate.  If you aren't passionate you aren't confident. Finally for this week's blunder, Kurt and Steve revisit the gift that keeps on giving, Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.  Kurt and Steve discuss the PR debacle this has become and why Sterling is a horrible example for anyone who finds themselves in a situation where they need to back peddle. 

Charismatic people have a presence whenever they walk into a room.  You can actually be in introverted person and not have a very outgoing personality and still be charismatic.  Once you have charisma people what to be around you.  They WANT to be persuaded by you.  Sales reps, business owners, politicians all know that they can get a lot more lattitude when they have charisma. Next in the podcast, Steve discusses an article by Harvard Business Review entitled "Getting Your Point Across."  The article give a few points as to how we can make our message more memroable.  First, "you can't communicate what you haven't defined."  What do you want the audience to do?  What are the bench marks along the way to that?  It's important to build your presentation backward.  Decide what your call to action is and build backward from there.  There always needs to be a call to action or a definite goal that you want to achieve.  The second point from the article is "lose the slides and have a real conversation."  Too many presenters rely on their slides and drone on and on and never make in impact on the audience.  Those who can have a conversation with the audience will be the most successful.  Finally, "be repetitive without being boring."  In the political campaign of Bill Clinton back in the 90's, there was an important slogan: KISS, or "keep it simple stupid."  That's why it's important to repeat without being repetitive.  Audiences can ony remember a few simple points.  Drive home the point but don't bore yoru audience to death. Rounding out this episode, Kurt and Steve dive into passion as it relates to presence.  Can we have passion for a job that we don't like at all?  It depends.  It is however, much beter if you can be in a position to promote a product, service, or cause that you have some belief in.  Passion is most effective when it comes from deep within.  Kurt relates one of his best lines: "are you singing the words or are you singing the song?"  Product knowledge, testimonials, dwelling on the positive, and constant improvement are a few of the things that fuel passion.  If you feel stalled in your career due to a lack of passion, try learning and growing on a daily basis. This furthers a positive attitude and can ignite your passion for your career again.  If after you do this you still just can't get any passion for what you're doing, it may be time to move on. Finally, Steve relates the weekly persuasion blunder: a door to door sales person that was so pushy that her prospects called the police on her!

Leading off this episode, Kurt introduces a recent article that discusses the effect of an optimistic spouse.  This study was conducted by the University of Michigan and is the first study we know of that links the optimism of others to ourselves.  Not only does it make us more optimistic, but it also shows increased health!  In another effort to offend their listeners, Kurt and Steve discuss that if you're spouse isn't optimistic, it's time to get divorced (joking, of course).  Top persuaders and influencers are inherently optimistic.  There is a line, however, between "constructive" realism and optimism.  We need to be able to understand threats and problems realistically.  However there is a difference between being realistic and being excessively negative.  Some people are programmed to be negative.  All they know is how to find what's wrong.  Persuading these type of people can be a challenge.  Persuading them means you strategically give them something negative in an effort to control their negative perspective more. An optimistic attitude literally adds years to your life.  And it's not just quantity of life.  The quality increases as well.  Pessimistic people have a tendency to give in faster than others.  With most sales being made after multiple attempts, pessimists are at a clear disadvantage here.  Optimists are more likely to forge ahead and make adjustments when they fail.  Their chances for success in the world of persuasion and influence increase exponentially as a result.  Successful persuaders also have a gift when it comes to learning from mistakes, but moving on as quickly as possible.  In sales and persuasion its common to have days where you feel like you got kicked in the teeth.  Learn from those bumps in the road, then move forward immediately.  Dwelling on the failure doesn't help.  Learning from it and adjusting does. Finally, Steve discusses the persuasion blunder of the week: A professor who accidentally taught the wrong class for a whole semester.  Yep.  It really happened. 

If Kurt and Steve haven't yet offended you on the podcast, they give it a good try here (all in good fun, of course).  They also discuss the strange fact that a lot of listners to the podcast seem to be from Iran.  After the initial banter that for some reason didn't involve any "food talk", Steve apologizes profusely for not posting the link to the Advanced Influence Course from last week.  Kurt then shamelessly plugs the course so that all may enjoy.  Why not?  It's 85% off for listeners of Maximize Your Influence!  Persuasion is a soft skill that requires regular attention so that you don't lose your touch.  It's not like "hard skills" like riding a bike.  When you learn to ride a bike  you know it for life.  But with persuaison, it requires constant practice or you'll get rusty.  Steve asks Kurt about a recent study published on Psychology Today entitled "4 Ways Men Can Woo Women."  According to the study, Men who are nice, are also nice to children, are creative, and are dog lovers have better luck "wooing" women.  Kurt and Steve discuss how effective these techniques may be with one giant caveat: neither of them are women.  They then ask women listeners from the show to chime in and vote as to how effective they think these techniques may be when attracting women. They also point out that if the article is right and being a dog lover attracts women, being a cat lover is just creepy.  Check cat lovers off of the list of people to offend. Heading into the main segment of the show, Kurt discusses how more business is done online and via email and phone today.  Word choice is more critical than ever before.  While we might think that we use the right words when persuading, over time words that are not effective tend to creep into our presentations.  Kurt offers a list of words that we shoudln't be using when persuading as well as gives some real life examples of when word choice can go wrong. Kurt and Steve then delve into things like vocal tone, rate of speech, and the strategic use of silence.  Those who can talk a little faster than average are actually statistically more persuasive.  The reason for this is that the prospect has less time to doubt and quesiton the information being presented.  There is of course, a fine line between talking quickly and being effective and coming across as a slick fast talker.  Kurt and Steve also discuss vocal fillers and how to best elminate them from your vocabular.  Vocal fillers can easily creep in on all of us so it's important to have a third party (or record ourselves) identify them from time to time.  It's just like staying in shape.  You're never perfect!  Finally, Steve awards the persuasion blunder to owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling.  Kurt and Steve discuss what happens in people's minds when somebody commits a massive PR blunder, ala Donald Sterling.  They also reflect on what PR firms are trained to do when these kinds of things happen.  And because Kurt is obsessed with Seinfeld, he once again brings up Michael Richard's (Kramer) massive racial blunder in front of a comedy club a few years ago.  He breaks down whether or not people who commit these kind of blunders can ever recover in the public eye. 

Do you like green tea?  Then we have good news.  The Journal of Psycho Pharmacology (yeah, that's a thing) recently released a study showing that those who drink at least two cups a day are "sharper" mentally.  You can read a summary of the study here.  The study essentially discusses how green tea increases the brain's ability to quickly process information.  Kurt and Steve discuss how, if you can get away with it, getting your clients to have a green tea or a coffee may help your prospects make decisions faster.  Steve facitiously accuses Kurt of promoting "persuasion roofies."  After discussing the article on green tea, Kurt and Steve begin discussing the concept of selling with stories.  Selling with stories allows you to access your prospect's subconcious mind.  We've all heard the adage that "facts tell, stories sell."  A good story at the right time is very persuasive.  Stories grab attention of bored prospects and engage people who weren't previously interested.  Stories also persuade without detection.  If you tell your prospect overtly "do this, do that", it just doesn't work.  But if you can sell with a story about a prospect who had a problem and solved it through your product, you stand a much better chance. Stories also allow you to build credibility without sounding arrogant.  Saying things like "hey listen to me, I went to Harvard" or "I'm the best there is" can be a turn off.  But telling a story that involves you using your expertise or your education lets people know your legitimate without you coming across as arrogant.  Stories that you've lived are easier to tell.  But if you don't have a story that you've lived that's applicable to what you're selling, borrow something from a colleague or co-worker.  What's most important is passion.  If you can't passionately tell the story and use proper inflection, you'll be just like somebody who can't tell a joke: everyone will feel sorry for you.  Also be sure to pick out the top objections that you typically receive and make sure the "character" in your story over comes them.  People like to visualize and feel what it's like for somebody to get past the same objections that are bothering them.  Just make sure it fits your audience, supports your product, and answers their questions. To finish of, Steve presents the blunder of the week.  Apparently some multi level marketing companies are training their reps to visit realtors who work at model homes.  The purpose of these visits is to recruit the realtor into the multi level marketing company.  One of these marketers recently committed a huge blunder by dragging the realtors profession through the mud in an effort to get them remorseful enough to make a career change.  Kurt and Steve give this one a thourough "persuasion autopsy."

Whatever the reason may be, the average person's self esteem is lower than it has ever been in history.  While it's not great to hear that people are feeling worse and worse about themselves, persuaders can use this to their advantage.  In this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss how to use esteem and ego to build long lasting and profitable business relationships.  They also cover a recent article from the Harvard Business Review that will change your perception of how to brand your products and services. 

We've all exeperienced times in our lives when we've felt "out of allignment."  Maybe one particular area of our life, such as finances, just wasn't going the way we wanted it to.  Most of the time we try to fix this by spending more time on the part of our life that isn't going well.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss why doing that is the exact opposite of what we should really do.  Developing a life built around balance allows you to perform better in all areas of your life, in less time.  Kurt and Steve also tackle this week's persuaison blunder and feature a new persuasion "ninja." 

Do you like this podcast?  Do you hate it?  Either way, please leave us your feedback on Itunes!  Also if you have anyone to nominate for the weekly "persuasion blunder" or the weekly "persuasion ninja", please send your comments to maximizeyourinfluence@gmail.com.  After a brief chat about March Madness and the inevitable disappointment that every fan sets themselves up for every single year, Kurt and Steve launch into attraction, similarity, and humor.  In another geeky Kurt article moment, we learn that humor helps medical patients better manage chronic conditions.  In other words, laughter is the best medicine, according to the Journal of Health Research.  Kurt ties this into the fact that if we can get our prospects to laugh, the doors to persuasion swing wide open.  Your audience becomes a lot easier to persuade.  Nothing lowers somebody's guard more than humor, and nothing is more effecive that the use of self depricating humor.  Not only is humor extremely effective, but so is attraction.  Being "too perfect" however, can make people feel jealous.  But if you're above average in the looks department, you're automically judged to be more intelligent and trustworthy.  While this might be offensive to some, it's just reality.  Kurt discusses a few studies that show that more attracive convicts in the judicial system get lighter sentences, and more attractive students in universities get better grades. There are three parts to attractions: looks, clothes, and personality.  Kurt briefly discusses the "booth babe" industry.  "Booth babes" are attracive people for hire that staff booths at trade shows in an effort to generate more traffic.  Steve confesses to having hired booth babes in the past.  Whether or not you're considered physically attractive, one thing is for sure: you choose the clothes you wear.  Paying attention to fashion can go a long way.  The point is that we need to be aware of how people may be judging us.   At the risk of sounding superficial, Kurt and Steve talk about some of the basic things that we can do to enhance our appearnce such as basic dental hygeine.  Steve offends the listeners in the United Kingdom by implying that they have "pirate teeth."  However, Kurt convincingly establishes the fact that these basic things are easy to do and take away common subconcious objections. Kurt then discusses the number one complaint about trade show reps: bad breath.  We live with our own breath all day and may become oblivoius to the fact that it's just down right nasty.  Never assume that you're breath isn't bad.  If you're interacting with prospects face to face, make sure you always have mints.  Period.  Not only is bad breath a total deal killer, but good breath can actually help your chances.  Also, Kurt and Steve discuss a persuader who is awarded the blunder of the week...AND the ninja too!  How is this possible!?  Check out this episode to find out! 

Have you ever met a sales person who just came on too freindly too fast?  How did it make you feel?  Chances are you couldn't get away from them fast enough!  All persuaders know they need to develop a rapport with their prospects.  But the seasoned pros know how to build enough value to open the door and then build enough rapport to seal the deal.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve get into the mechanics of building rapport and what critical mistakes you should avoid. 

If you stood in front of a mirror and gave your typical sales pitch, you'd likely be shocked at the amount of non verbal behavior you display.  More often than not, this non verbal behavior detracts from your message and causes subconsious alarms in your prospect.  First, you must eliminate bad non verbals.  Second, you must implement GOOD ones.  Kurt and Steve give some valuable tips for doing this as well as how to identify and take down a heckler...without having your audience turn against you. 

When presenting, especially to a group, it's often impossible to know what personality type your audience is.  That's why it's important to use the T.E.S.S. system (testimoinals, examples, stories, and statistics).  This allows you as the presenter to speak the language of everybody in your audience.  Most people in an audience will relate to stories.  However, there are always others who prefer to be convinced with statistics, testimonials, and examples.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss how to implement this system into your presentation and sales pitches. 

Whether it's to just one person or a staduim full of people, all persuaders are presenters.  Presenting involves taking the stage or spotlight to persuade others to accept your idea or product.  We've all been in presentations before that were boring, offensive, and ineffective.  Conversely, we've all been in presentations that have completely captivated us and put us in the mood to be persuaded.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss how preparing to present is half the battle.  They three time tested methods that will help you prepare to present with power. 

Have you ever had a day where you didn't feel like doing something you KNOW you needed to do?  How about everyday?  The fact is sometimes we just don't have the emotional gas in the tank to do something that we know we need to do on the logical level.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss a recent article by Harvard Business Review that gives some great tips on getting past this motivation hurdle that impedes all of us.  They also get into how to effectively use humor in persuasion, as well as some recent peruasion blunders...and ninjas...associated with the Winter Olympics. 

Have you ever been involved in a negotiation with somebody and wondered "can we just drop the facade?  can we drop the formalities and get to the point here?"  Well, the answer is no.  When negotiating or persuading, many times people expect the ritual.  They expect the "dance."  While it may seem like skipping the formalities will get things done faster remember: persuasion is a people business and people are emotional.  In this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss some ways to effectively go through the negotiation process and quickly get the best outcome.

Have you ever walked into a business and just had a bad feeling from the start?  Chances are, the owner of that business did not know how to effectively use "The Law of Association."  On this epsiode, Kurt and Steve discuss how you can leverage color, smell, and music to your advantage...even if your business is done exclusively over the phone. 

When it comes to effectively persuasing others, the most difficult obstacle to overcome is often ourselves.  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss how we can control and even eliminate beliefs that may be holding us back.  In light of the upcoming Winter Olympics, they also discuss some of the visualization techniques used by professional athletes and how we can use those same techniques in our lives and businesses. 

We've all heard that "assuming the sale" is one of the most effective persuasion tactics out there.   But how does one avoid crossing the line from "confidence" to "shallow and transparent?"  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss the Law of Expectation and how persuaders can assume the sale without offending their prospects.  They also put to bed a few myths about "neuro linguistic programming." 

Have you ever had the great displeasure of dealing with somebody who could never admit they were wrong?  Or somebody who was constantly full of themselves?  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss a recent article by Harvard Business Review that revealed "why we love narcissists."  The points from the article reveal that many narcissists have characteristics that attribute to great leaders.  So while they may be frustrating to deal with, we can certainly learn from them.  Kurt and Steve also discuss the Law of Obligation and how it can be used to create a sense of indebtedness with our prospects and customers. 

We've all seen it: a late night infomercial parading testimonial after testimonial across the screen.  After watching for a few minutes, we inevitably think "wow, if that guy can do it, why can't I?"  When used effectively, testimonials give clients the courage to make decisions.  Testimonials should be credible, believeable, attributable.  In this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss how you can ramp up your testimonials to get results in your business asap. 

It's a well known fact that humans look to others to validate their own actions.  On episode 22, Kurt and Steve discuss how this powerful concept of "Social Validation" can be used to create massive action when it comes to persuasion.  Prospects can be trained to behave a certain way through marketing and sales efforts...a way that makes your job as a salesperson or business owner that much easier.  Kurt and Steve also discuss a recent study about how our relationshiops with others effects our body image. 

Words are powerful.  Depending on which ones you use, you could be either supercharging or killing your presentation.  In this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss the Law of Verbal Packaging and how you can best script your persuasive presentations.  Kurt and Steve also discuss how to avoid "Facebook Envy" and a persuasion blunder that teaches us to never assume anything about our prospects. 

What are the remaining 3 C's of Trust?  How can we get others to trust us without coming across as cocky, arrogant, or condescending?  How can we tactfully let others know about our credentials without coming across as bragadocious?  In episode 20, Kurt and Steve go over thes important questions as well as a horrible persuasion blunder. 

Do other's trust you?  The results are surprising.  While you could be the most honest and trustworthy person in the world, trust often comes down to a few time tested methods that manage how people perceive you.  Granted when it comes to gaining trust there is no better way than to actually be trustworthy.  But implementing the techniques on this podcast will help you get there faster. 

Getting prospects to make and keep commitments is a cornerstone of the persuasion process.  In this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss how smaller commitments lead to larger commitments and how to optimize the commitment process. 

Why do our prospects often not do what it is we want them to do?  In this episode Kurt and Steve discuss the scientific reasons why persuasion can lead down a path you never intended...and what to do about it.  They also discuss an email from a listener who keeps butting up against the price objection. 

In 1957, Stanford Professor Leon Festinger developed the "Theory of Cognitive Dissonance."  On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss how persuaders can use this concept to leverage prospects into making long lasting decisions...and make them a lot faster.  They also answer a listeners question about how to get the attention of prospects who are buried behind a wall of bureaucracy. 

Kurt and Steve discuss how the "Law of Scarcity" can better be used to create urgency and bulid value. 

Kurt and Steve discuss the top three ways to get mentally prepared to persuade with maximum efficiency.

Kurt and Steve discuss how to better listen to people you normally don't like to listen to.  They also discuss how fatigue can factor into the persuasion process.

Kurt and Steve discuss confidence as it pertains to use of the arms.  The cite a recent study which followed the perceived confidence of poker players.  They also interview renowned sales expert Jerry Clark about Personality Types and how they can be used to persuade and influence.

In this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss some of the top ways to tell if somebody is trying to deceive you or not.  

In this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss the recent trend of airline passengers bartering with eachother for better seats.  They also discuss the science of proxemics and personal space as they relate to persuasion and negotiation. 

In the first episode of Maximize Your Influence, Kurt and Steve discuss subconscious triggers.