Maximize Your Influence

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'...

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 re...

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...

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...

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 a...

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 b...

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 m...

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 t...

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...

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 se...

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 wi...

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 ter...

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 immed...

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 ha...

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 ho...

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 ca...