When I polled respondents to see which one of the Five Cs they thought was most important, 44 percent said credibility. And interestingly, despite its importance, respondents felt it was established only 11.4 percent of the time. Why the dismal…

Confidence triggers trust. Demonstrating confidence in everything you do increases others’ abilities to place their trust in you. I’ve seen plenty of people of only average to mediocre ability persuade and influence more effectively than others who were more naturally…

Competence is your knowledge and ability in a particular subject area. True competence comes from lifelong learning and experience. Competency exists on many levels. When we are observing someone from a distance, or when we are meeting them for the…

Character is the combination of qualities that distinguishes one person from another. These qualities make up who you are on the inside—not the external front you may sometimes put up. Who are you, really? What do you do when no…

Whenever someone tries to influence us, in our minds we ask ourselves, “Can I trust this person? Do I believe him? Is she really concerned about me?” We are less likely to be influenced if we sense that the person…

To be an effective persuader, you cannot use the same techniques for all people all the time. You have to customize your message to fit the demographics, interests, and values of your audience. This training reveals what I call the…

The Law of Scarcity plays a large role in the persuasion process. Opportunities are always more valuable and exciting when they are scarce and less available. We want to be the ones to own the rare items or to get…

The Law of Social Validation recognizes and builds on our innate desire to be part of the group or part of the majority. It also recognizes that we tend to change our perceptions, opinions, and behaviors in ways that are…

The Law of Contrast explains how we are affected when we are introduced to two different alternatives or options in succession. We know that contrasting two alternatives can distort or amplify our perceptions of price, time or effort. Generally, if…

The Law of Expectations uses expectations to influence reality and create results. Individuals tend to make decisions based on how others expect them to behave or perform. As a result, people fulfill those expectations whether positive or negative. Expectations have…

Logic and emotion are the two elements that make for perfect persuasion. We can be persuasive using only logic or only emotion, but the effect will be lopsided and unbalanced. Emotions create movement and action. They generate energy during the…

Power Persuaders take advantage of association triggers to evoke positive feelings and thoughts that correspond with the message they are trying to convey. In this sense, you, as a persuader, can actually arouse a certain feeling in your audience by…

The Law of Verbal Packaging states that 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…

Basically that means when people behave in a manner that is inconsistent with these cognitions, (beliefs, thoughts or values), they find themselves in a state of discomfort. In this uncomfortable state, they will be motivated to adjust their behaviors or…

Obligation has been used as a persuasive technique since the beginning of time. We see companies offering free downloads, free estimates, or gifts in hope of opening the door to persuasion. You probably have attended a party at a friend’s…

The Law of Esteem identifies that all humans need and want praise, recognition, and acceptance. Acceptance and praise are two of our deepest cravings; we can never get enough. William James once said, “The deepest principle of human nature is…

The Law of Involvement suggests that the more you engage someone’s five senses, involve them mentally and physically, and create the right atmosphere for persuasion, the more effective and persuasive you’ll be. Listening can be a very passive act; you…

The Law of Connectivity states that the more someone feels connected to, similar to, liked by, or attracted to you, the more persuasive you become. When you create an instant bond or connection, people feel more comfortable and open around…

Great persuaders all adhere to an intensive personal development program. They know that “dull knives work the hardest,” so keeping themselves sharp is of the utmost importance. Average persuaders don’t consider personal training to be worthwhile. They figure working harder…

One of the key distinctions of ultra-successful persuaders is that they have taken the time to prepare ahead of time, every time. Too often we take for granted that we’ll be able to just “go with the flow” or “wing…

Great persuaders can maintain the attention of their audience. Research shows that people’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. You don’t have to be a stand-up comedian, but you do have to make sure your audience sticks with you,…

Motivation is everything to a great persuader. Motivation is critical not only for achieving the big, milestone steps toward your objectives, but also for making all the little steps in between. If you’re not driven or motivated, then not only…

Influence is the highest form of persuasion. Why? With influence, people take action because they are inspired by your overall makeup, rather than by your external actions. Persuasion is what you do or say (i.e., techniques, people skills, laws of…

We all possess different forms of power in different situations. It is human nature to respect and follow power and expertise, and power certainly has legitimate, ethical, and necessary uses. Of course, we know that power can also be used…

Trust is critical in persuasion. Unfortunately, we live in a day and age when people are more skeptical and mistrustful than ever before. Twenty years ago, the mindset was: “I trust you; give me a reason not to.” Now the…

We’ve all been told, “Never judge a book by its cover.” Yeah, right. Everyone is judging everyone else. Intentionally or not, people are constantly judging and categorizing others, compartmentalizing them into boxes. There are many boxes—sharp, strange, weird, intelligent, dense,…

Great persuaders instinctively sense and know what other people are thinking and feeling. Imagine if you could get inside your audience’s mind. How do they really feel about you? Wouldn’t it help immensely if you knew the questions and concerns…

The psychological edge gained by top persuaders cannot be overemphasized. How do great persuaders prepare their minds for success? What is their mental process before, during, and after the persuasion cycle? This mental aspect is one of the most important…

Understanding the laws of persuasion, motivation, and influence will put you in life’s driver’s seat. Why? Because everything you want, or will want, in life comes from the power of influence. I am going to reveal the secrets of influence…

Do you realize the best way to double your income is to double your persuasion skills? Think about it – Twice as many people will call you back and say yes. This vital success skill will permeate every aspect of…