Maximize Your Influence

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. ...

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 hurd...

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 a...

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...

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 wh...

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...

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...

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.