Have you ever met somebody that didn’t seem all that sharp but could sell circles around you? Here at Maximize Your Influence we help you hone your persuasion skills to generate the income and results you want! As always, send…

In Episode 54 of Maximize Your Influence, Kurt and Steve start things off by discussing a recent study about the chemical oxytocin. According to the study, the more oxytocin present in somebody’s system, the more accepting they are of others.…

A whole year of Maximize Your Influence Podcasts are now behind us! And listenership in the Islamic Republic of Iran is still strong (that has to be a fluke, right)! After two podcasts delving into the female brain, Kurt and…

Don’t worry, it’s still us!  We just have a new Itunes and podcast logo. Kurt and Steve discuss the recent news in the Middle East and the conflict between Israel and Hamas.  They discuss the generations of emotion that are…

The new www.maximizeyourinfluence.com is up!  Not so much running…but definitely up.  Pardon our dust as we continue to refine the new site.  You can still, however, download the latest podcast episodes and read the blog. In the “geeky article moment”…

Remember: please subscribe to Maximize Your Influence on Itunes, Stitcher Radio, the Windows Market Place, or whatever service you use to download podcasts!  We appreciate you listening to the show! After giving some not-so-great (and un-licensed) legal advice, Kurt and…

We hope you had a great Fourth of July holiday! Even if you didn’t celebrate American Independence Day and the 4th of July was just a regular day for you…we hope you had a great one anyway! Remember to subscribe…

After some useless banter about who should be allowed to wear bathing suits, the Fourth of July, and barbeques, Kurt and Steve launch into Episode 48. First, they tackle an article about how word choice reflects somebody’s mood. It doesn’t…

After diving into “Negotiation’s Dirty Deeds” last week, Kurt and Steve continue the discussion by uncovering even more of the underhanded tactics others will use on you while negotiating. Steve takes over today’s “geeky article moment.” In a recent article…

Due to listener demand, Kurt and Steve finally unleash “negotiation’s dirty deeds.” These are underhanded tactics and strategies that others will use against you while negotiating. Before this happens, however, Kurt discusses a recent article about “meeting productivity.” According to…

To start this episode, we lead off with another one of Kurt’s geeky articles. And this study, while strange, is compelling. As it turns out, there is a vast personality difference between dog and cat owners. In addition, cat owners…

Kurt and Steve begin the show by discussing Steve’s recent trip to Dallas and how may pounds he put on from eating too much barbeque. They also discuss Kurt recently celebrating a birthday (happy 70th birthday, Kurt)! This turns into…

Is power different than influence? Absolutely. One can be influential without having a lot of power. But as power increases, it gives you more ability to influence. On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss some examples of when power is…

You’ve met these people before. The kind of person who has it all together. They’re dressed right. They know how to talk and they seem very knowledgeable. But something just isn’t right. On this episode, Kurt and Steve talk about…

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…

What are the main personality types and what are their dominant traits?  In part 2 of their interview with Jerry Clark, Kurt and Steve discuss some of the main things to look out for when persuading the four main personality…

It’s not your poker face that signals your confidence (or lack thereof)…it’s your arms.  A recent article on PsychCentral.com revealed that college students were better able to ascertain a poker players confidence by reading that same player’s arms as opposed…

On Episode 9 of Maximize Your Influence, Kurt and Steve discuss an article released by Psychology Today that confronts the “selfie”, or a picture somebody takes of themselves and posts to social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  As…