Maximize Your Influence

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...

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...

"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 an...

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 B...

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?  W...

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...

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 con...

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 nev...

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 you...

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...

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 di...

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...

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 prospe...

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 t...

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 proc...

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 techniqu...

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 Skyp...

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...

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...

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 com...

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 de...

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 y...

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 g...

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 p...