Increase Trust – How Will Power affects Character You could have the greatest product in the world, but if there is no trust, there is no sale. Trust can be ambiguous, but certain things are pretty clear: 1) You…
Increase Trust – How Will Power affects Character You could have the greatest product in the world, but if there is no trust, there is no sale. Trust can be ambiguous, but certain things are pretty clear: 1) You…
How to Instantly Connect With Anyone: Your First Impression – Rapport or Repel? Not only do charismatics use your gestures in the right way, they also have the ability to read and interpret nonverbal gestures. You can read people…
Fine Tune Your EQ or Emotional Intelligence What makes someone successful? Why do some people achieve wealth while others don’t? How can we predict who will make it big, who will barely make ends meet, and who will fail?…
The Secret Sauce of Influence Optimistic persuaders outpersuade pessimistic persuaders every time. Not only is optimism essential to influencing others, but is also a critical for success in life. Optimism is more than a positive mental attitude. It is…
How To Increase Meeting (Zoom) Participation, Engagement And Influence As a persuader, you need to help your audience be one step closer to taking action. As a Power Persuader, your goal is to decrease the distance someone has to…
Did you know that money can buy happiness? A recent study published in “Psychology Today” shows just that. Kurt and Steve discuss the ins and outs of this study and how money certainly can buy happiness…up to a point. Continuing…
It is human nature to mirror and match, or to “synchronize” with, the people we connect with.28 We don’t even think about it. It happens so quickly and so subconsciously that without a replay, one is unlikely to even notice…
If all my talents and powers were to be taken from me by some inscrutable Providence, and I had my choice of keeping but one, I would unhesitatingly ask to be allowed to keep the power of speaking, for through…
You can use conversational skills as a tool with which to build new connections, while avoiding awkward pauses and uncomfortable conversations. After all, making a good first impression is all about making others feel good when spending time with each…
Have you ever felt like you put in a bunch of work only to pave the way for your competitor? Many persuaders inadvertently do this only to find out too late that they lost the deal. The key to avoiding…
What is your message? What do you have to share that will make a difference in people’s lives? What is your main objective, the key thing you hope to accomplish? You’ve got to understand the big picture. Then, with the…
When Steve asked Kurt how he was doing before the show started, he did not expect that Kurt would tell him that he just got done dealing with a bear in his backyard. Well, he didn’t deal with it…animal control…
On episode 147, Kurt and Steve interview Carl Christman. Carl is a teacher, mentalist, and author of the best-selling book How to Read Minds and Influence People. The conversation goes from mind reading into deception and how persuaders can use…
With this episode coming out on the 4th of July, Kurt and Steve spent the day doing what they do best: taking out the boat and eating BBQ! So back by popular demand is their episode on charismatic power!
You know we love talking about “Negotiation’s Dirty Deeds.” A recent article by the Harvard Business Review gave some great pointers on deflecting some of the more common negotiation tactics. One of the best ways to insure a smooth transaction…
Co-workers can be jerks, that’s for sure. But did you know they’re more likely to be jerks on a particular day of the week? Kurt and Steve discuss this and how it can impact your ability to persuade and influence.…
Why are some people easier to trust than others? Why do some people just seem to trust others effortlessly (sometimes to a fault)? An article from Psychology Today explores this. How do you overcome this lack of credibility? Here are…
One of the key ways to keep your competency on track is to be a lifetime learner. We consider others to be competent when we see them continually learning and advancing their training and education. I can remember going to…
After briefly mentioning it on last week’s episode, Kurt and Steve quickly learned that most have a lot of “feelings about” the urban phenomena, RBF (otherwise known as Resting Bitch Face). So they dived in a little more and wouldn’t…
You know that face some people make when they’re just sitting there not doing anything, but they look really mad? Kurt has discovered a very scientific term for that. Check out the show to find out. For today’s “geeky article”,…
We’re about to find out how important Steve is (not very?) as he takes this episode off for Spring Break! Kurt flies solo on Episode 133 and starts off by introducing an article by Psychology Today. When you’re a leader,…
Humor can be a powerful tool to create rapport. Humor makes the persuader seem more friendly and accepting. Humor helps gain attention, helps you create rapport, and makes your message more memorable. It can relieve tension, enhance relationships, and motivate…
We tend to rate our skills that we want, that we need or that we require higher than they actually are. To improve, grow and become more successful we have to know our weaknesses and be able to identify our…
Are you good at flirting? Admit it, when we asked you rolled your eyes but were A LITTLE bit interested, deep down. As it turns out, flirting is related to your ability to influence. A recent article by Psych Central…
Is Google rigging elections? On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss a recent article that thinks so. Merely telling the masses that a candidate has a “high” approval rating tends to gender more support. So how much influence do the…
As we get closer and closer (even though it’s a long way away) to the 2016 presidential election, more and more persuasion blunders will be on display. A recent article shows that politicians who have deeper voices (yes, even women)…
You can’t visit a business web page without hearing “follow us on Twitter!” We’re certainly guilty of this too. Follow us on Twitter @influencemax! A recent article from Psych Central shows that when customers complain about a business on Twitter,…
When you’re an entrepreneur or sales person, being mentally tough is key. If you want the rewards that come from owning your own business or being on commission, you need to put up with days that can be full of…
It’s been 100 episodes! After inserting some canned applause and patting themselves on the back, Kurt and Steve discuss why disobedient kids may actually make more money as adults. They then proceed to insult people who don’t listen to their…
Whether you think you love it or not, you love to procrastinate. The brain thrives on it. The reason is that we tend to treat our “current self” much better than our “future self.” We give our future self way…
Do you sort your mail over the trash can? Do you delete most emails before you even consider them? That’s the reality of advertising today. Messages to your prospects need to be compelling and grab their attention. To start this…
After Steve gives the full report on his recent trip to Puerto Rico (including a priceless blunder by the Ritz Carlton resort), Kurt discusses this week’s “geeky article moment.” A recent article on Psych Central reveals the advantages of both…
To kick off this episode, the guys discuss what is likely the most offensive article they’ve ever featured on the show. Kurt insists that it’s Steve’s doing. We’ll let you read it for yourselves, but just know that “hand’s on”…
In our never-ending quest to become “legit”, we’re now on Facebook and Twitter! That makes us legit, right? Visit us on Facebook where we’ll post links to episodes, interesting articles, terrible persuasion blunders, and even the occasional secret shopping video! …
In persuasion, there are a few words and phrases that a lot of people say, but that they don’t really mean. In a recent article on Inc.com, 11 of these terrible sayings are reviewed. It’s an entertaining article and Kurt…
It’s always helpful to learn more about what successful people do in their daily lives. In this episode, Kurt and Steve highlight three key lessons we can learn form successful people. For this week’s Persuasion IQ question, Kurt and Steve…
A recent study published by Psych Central discusses how to make new habits stick. The article goes over a variety of techniques that will dramatically increase your chances of implementing new habits. Check it out here. On episode 82, Kurt…