Maximize Your Influence

This episode delves into strategies for enhancing influence, motivation, and success, featuring elements like goal setting and mindfulness. Kurt Mortensen shares personal anecdotes, such as a dentist's poor follow-up, to highlight the importance of persistence. He discusses human motivation, emphasizing the balance between minimizing risk and maximizing reward in decision-making. Listening to audi...

This episode explores the science behind effective goal setting and achieving maximum success. Kurt discusses common pitfalls like failing to set goals correctly and pre-excusing failure. He highlights the importance of mindset, motivation, and self-persuasion in maintaining goal pursuit. The podcast also covers practical steps for setting and achieving goals, such as writing them down, creating a...

This episode explores techniques to understand and influence people by decoding their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Kurt Mortensen delves into methods like hot and cold reading used by psychics, explaining how these techniques can be applied in everyday persuasion.  Going up against a rival makes us take more risks This episode also covers various studies on rivalry and risk-taking, body lang...

In this episode, Kurt delves into the power of mindset and its critical role in success. Starting with insights from his recent four-day event on Millionaire Psychology, Kurt explains the fundamental differences between learned optimism and learned helplessness, concepts introduced by Dr. Martin Seligman. Listeners will learn the significance of adopting a millionaire mindset, improving persuasion...

In this episode, Kurt Mortensen explores the effectiveness of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and its techniques for persuasion, motivation, and influence. Kurt discusses handling emotions like fear, shares insights from recent studies on the brain's role in fear inhibition, and answers a listener's questions about NLP. He also introduces methods like mirroring, framing, future pacing, embedded...

As a salesperson, you know how crucial communication is.  But have you ever stopped to think about common mistakes that could sabotage your presentations and cost you deals?  These aren't just minor missteps - they're the ones that can lose you a sale before you even realize it. Michael Bay Fails (Meltdown) CES - Walks Off Stage - heckled by technology The bottom line: Be intentional with your com...

Sales isn't about an excellent presentation - it's also about how you read your potential customers.  Body language is one of the most powerful tools in your persuasion toolkit, and understanding it can be the difference between closing a deal and getting a NO.  People are constantly sending signals with their bodies, even when their mouths are silent.  So, how can you harness the art of reading b...

"Breaking the mirror" is a term used to describe how lawyers intentionally disrupt the psychological connection, or rapport, with a witness on the stand. That disconnect is also called antipathy.  During questioning, attorneys may initially mirror the witness's tone, energy, rate, and body language to connect and build trust but then strategically break that alignment to create discomfort.  This s...

The importance of the RAS in persuasion extends to various fields, from marketing and advertising to public speaking and education. By leveraging the power of the RAS, persuaders can enhance their ability to keep their prospect's attention and motivate them to action. Understanding and utilizing the RAS is critical to involvement and making a lasting impression in a world overflowing with informat...

Influencers use closing skills to guide potential customers in making a decision.  Effective closing skills ensure both the salesperson and the customer feel confident about the purchase, minimize resistance, and create a smooth transition to get the YES. Closing skills also enable salespeople to address last-minute objections and encourage customers to commit to the solution. Deal or No Deal - Th...

Credibility is based on 3 things: your knowledge, track record, and appearance.  What it comes down to is that you are believable and have the expertise to make things happen or solve their challenge.  The perception could be based on your demeanor, mannerisms, or dress.  Rage clicks - Study shows how political outrage fuels social media engagement If you are experiencing any of the above, it is t...

Researchers suggest that willpower and self-discipline can weaken after doing sequential tasks, much like an overused muscle strained to fatigue or a battery that has lost its charge.  The results proved interesting in looking at the two groups—one that ate cookies (requiring no willpower) and one that ate radishes (exercising their willpower against the tantalizing cookie smell). Do you want more...

Praise and compliments can backfire or be disbelieved for several reasons, especially when perceived as fake or insincere. Here are the top 4 reasons why praise could backfire on you. That 'Compliment' Might Actually Be Offensive Praise must be genuine, specific, and aligned with reality to be effective and credible. Overpraising or manipulating through praise can make people uneasy or skeptical,...

Identifying whether someone is a narcissist requires looking for key behaviors and personality traits that align with narcissistic tendencies  Why You Should Sleep on it Before Making an Important Decision Finding a narcissist involves looking for patterns of behavior that revolve around self-importance, lack of empathy, and manipulative tendencies. Want to know how to persuade a narcissist?  Join...

Numerous studies have been conducted on the impact of scent and fragrances on association. A study conducted among undergraduate students found that female students wearing perfume were rated more attractive by male students.  Scents were even found to improve scores on job evaluations. Of course, offensive odors can also be used (and have been used) to evoke a negative response. Sensory Marketing...

This Law of Persuasion states that the more skillful a person is in the use of language, the more persuasive they are.  Words affect our perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and emotions.   Language misused will trigger the wrong response and decrease your ability to persuade.  All words have emotional meanings that are different from their dictionary definitions.  Understanding words and their emotio...

Fear comes from uncertainty, financial challenges, past experience, or the fear of making a wrong decision. So, how do you switch them from fear to focus? Horror films offer a psychological thrill ride When you shift the emotional energy from fear and doubt to confidence and anticipation, you will close the sale and leave your prospect feeling good about their choice.  Join me for this week's podc...

Whether you're meeting someone for the first time, closing a business deal, or deepening a personal relationship, your body language is crucial in establishing rapport and trust - or inadvertently causing resistance. Understanding and mastering these nonverbal signals can transform how you connect with others.  Here's how to recognize the signs that show you're making a connection and those that i...

EQ, or Emotional Intelligence, refers to the ability to recognize, understand, manage, and influence your own emotions and the emotions of others. It is a crucial aspect of relationships, influence, and leadership.  Unlike IQ, which is relatively stable throughout life, EQ can be developed and improved through practice and self-awareness. Emotional Intelligence Has 12 Elements. Which Do You Need t...

Have you ever witnessed someone lose their temper over a hotel room upgrade? It happened to me while traveling with a famous personal development speaker who shall remain nameless. After a long day, we arrived late at night for our speaking engagement, and He asked the clerk for an upgrade. She politely declined, which didn't go over well. 6 Reasons Salespeople Win or Lose a Sale Finally, we need...

FOMO has gained significant traction in the digital age, where social media and online marketing amplify our awareness of what others are doing, buying, or experiencing. This heightened awareness can lead to a powerful emotional response, driving people to purchase or engage in activities they might otherwise pass on. The Psychology Behind FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) FOMO taps into a powerful psych...

Obligation has been used as a persuasive technique since the beginning of time. We see companies offering free downloads, free estimates, or gifts in the hope of opening the door to persuasion.  The Law of Obligation, also known as pre-giving or reciprocity, states that when others do something for us, we feel a strong need, or urge, to return the favor. Returning the favor rids us of the obligati...

I was reading this great article in Harvard Business Review, which focuses on how we CAN'T recognize our weaknesses.  The other challenge is that most people feel responsible for their successes (internal), and external factors are the cause of their failures. Leaders and managers today must be more aware of others' needs due to the challenges of a global pandemic, a fragile economy, and social un...

Can you influence others to be part of a team?  Are you a leader or a manager?  What is the difference?  A manager, you do things because you have to.  A leader, you do things because you want to.  So, what type of leader are you? Each type of leadership has different benefits and drawbacks.  Each leadership style will depend on your personality, culture, and industry.  The key is that no matter y...

Have you ever felt like all eyes were focused on you after a social mishap, a presentation, or a wardrobe malfunction? That's the Spotlight Effect in action, where we overestimate how much others notice our actions, mistakes, and appearance.  Psychologist Thomas Gilovich's research highlights this part of humanity with an interesting experiment. Have You Fallen Prey to the "Spotlight Effect?" Join...