Maximize Your 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 sal...

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 (...

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 t...

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...

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...

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 a...

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 (fa...

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...

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...

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 th...

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 te...

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.  C...

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 persuas...

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...

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...

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 you...

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...

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, Kur...

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 persuasiv...

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 ju...

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 dow...

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 lat...

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...

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'...