Maximize Your Influence

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 characteri...

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...

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,...

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...

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 wh...

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, neith...

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   any...

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 app...

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 & i...

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 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...

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...

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-...

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 persu...

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 pict...

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.  Inte...

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 compa...

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 the...

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 poli...

"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 ou...

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 abou...

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 respons...

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...

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...

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...