After a brief rant about their listeners in Iran and the intimidation tactics of police in the United States (get off topic much, guys?), Kurt and Steve discuss a recent study about confidence.  According to the Journal of Personality and…

Charismatic people have a presence whenever they walk into a room.  You can actually be in introverted person and not have a very outgoing personality and still be charismatic.  Once you have charisma people what to be around you.  They…

Leading off this episode, Kurt introduces a recent article that discusses the effect of an optimistic spouse.  This study was conducted by the University of Michigan and is the first study we know of that links the optimism of others…

If Kurt and Steve haven’t yet offended you on the podcast, they give it a good try here (all in good fun, of course).  They also discuss the strange fact that a lot of listeners to the podcast seem to…

Do you like green tea?  Then we have good news.  The Journal of Psycho Pharmacology (yeah, that’s a thing) recently released a study showing that those who drink at least two cups of green tea a day are “sharper” mentally. …

Episode 36 begins with Steve asking listeners to leave feedback about the podcast on itunes.  Your feedback is always appreciated and is a way we get more listeners!  And as always, please send feedback to maximizeyourinfluence@gmail.com.  Also: if you have…

We’ve all felt “out of alignment” before.  In another geeky article moment by Kurt, we learn that there is a link between religiousness and better health habits, as well as spirituality and calmness.  When you take time to be alone…

Do you like this podcast?  Do you hate it?  Either way, please leave us your feedback on Itunes!  Also if you have anyone to nominate for the weekly “persuasion blunder” or the weekly “persuasion ninja”, please send your comments to…

Have you ever met a salesperson who just came on too friendly too fast?  How did it make you feel?  Chances are you couldn’t get away from them fast enough!  All persuaders know they need to develop a rapport with…

If you stood in front of a mirror and gave your typical sales pitch, you’d likely be shocked at the amount of non verbal behavior you display.  More often than not, this non verbal behavior detracts from your message and…

When presenting, especially to a group, it’s often impossible to know what personality type your audience is.  That’s why it’s important to use the T.E.S.S. system (testimoinals, examples, stories, and statistics).  This allows you as the presenter to speak the…

Whether it’s to just one person or a stadium 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…

Have you ever had a day where you didn’t feel like doing something you KNEW 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…

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…

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 episode, Kurt and Steve…

When it comes to effectively persuading 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…

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…

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…

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 prospects…

  It’s a well known fact that we look to others to validate our 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…

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…

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 trying too…

o people trust you?  According to Kurt and Steve, 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…

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 this process.

Why do our prospects often not do what 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…

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…

Have you ever dealt with a prospect who you just couldn’t get to cooperate?  For ages, persuaders have resorted to using scarcity in order to get prospects to take action.  When used incorrectly, however, scarcity is an old tired tactic…

  It’s well known that the best sales people are confident and believe in their ability to effectively persuade others.  In this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss three quick ways that any persuader or negotiator can mentally prepare to achieve…

In episode 13, Kurt and Steve discuss a recent article by the Harvard Business Review that gives some great tips on listening…especially to people that you don’t normally enjoy listening to.  Whether the person is too emotional or tends to…

On episode 12, Kurt and Steve discuss the blatant negotiation pitfalls exhibited by US political officials in the recent federal government shutdown.  Both sides of the debate have used underhanded and short term tactics that have undermined their ability to…