How You Are Selling For Your Competition The Brick Wall of Resistance Has this ever happened to you? You enter a retail store and you’re approached by a sharply dressed persuader. You are interested in buying, but the salesperson…
Blog Archives
Episode 240 – Persuasion Darts
Persuasion Darts Many times, when we are trying to be persuasive, we want to highlight all the perks and plusses. It’s only natural. Wouldn’t helping someone see the potential gains of your product or service be a good thing?…
Episode 238 – The #1 Way to Create Instant Trust
The #1 Way to Create Instant Trust You have to be careful in how you explain and exhibit your credibility. If you launch into a laundry list of your accomplishments or of your education and titles, you might be…
Episode 237 – How Your Confidence Becomes Arrogance and Destroys Trust
How Your Confidence Becomes Arrogance and Destroys Trust Does confidence affect your ability to persuade? The answer is a resounding yes. It is important that you do not come across as cocky or arrogant. How can you tell the…
Episode 236 – The Perception of Competence and Trust
The Perception of Competence and Trust 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…
Episode 235 – How Self-Discipline Affects Trust
How Self-Discipline Affects Trust 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…
Episode 234 – Why Trust Levels are Falling (Trust Intro)
Why Trust Levels are Falling (Trust Intro) 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…
Episode 233 – Do Guarantees Work?
Do Guarantees Work? The more a brand is advertised, the more popular and familiar it is perceived to be. We as consumers somehow infer that something is popular simply because it is advertised. When people are buying gifts for…
Episode 232 – 5 Ways to APPEAR More Intelligent
5 Ways to APPEAR More Intelligent 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…
Episode 231 – The Secret Sauce of Influence
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…
Episode 230 – How to Accomplish 10X more in Half the Time
How to Accomplish 10X more in Half the Time Even for the strongest individuals, their commitment level or willpower is not always constant. Willpower is like a battery. As you exercise your willpower throughout the day, the battery power…
Episode 229 – How To Deal The Heckler, and Indifferent or Hostile Audiences
How To Deal The Heckler, and Indifferent or Hostile Audiences Understanding different types of audiences will also help you determine their acceptance level. Following are some different categories of audiences and how to deal with each of them. The…
Episode 228 – The Art And Science Of Handling Objections
The Art And Science Of Handling Objections When you become a Power Persuader, you will learn to love objections. You will come to understand that when people voice their objections, it actually indicates interest and shows that they are…
Episode 227 – Expectations And The Impact of Suggestion
Expectations And The Impact of Suggestion The Law of Expectations AND The Impact of Suggestion The Law of Expectations uses expectations to influence reality and create results. Individuals tend to make decisions based on how others expect them to…
Episode 226 – The Science of Rapport
The Science of Rapport A great persuader can connect with anyone in thirty seconds or less. First impressions take only seconds to form, but they last a lifetime. This is a critical skill to develop because the cement dries…
Episode 225 – Major Sales Mistakes Costing You Money #2
Major Sales Mistakes Costing You Money #2 Research demonstrates that 81 percent of persuaders talk more than necessary during the persuasion process. They are talking too much,7 and you are likely talking too much. Check this out. When we…
Episode 224 – Major Sales Mistakes Costing You Money #1
Major Sales Mistakes Costing You Money #1 Common Obstacles That Limit Your Persuasion Success The worst time to learn a persuasion skill is when you need it. Persuasion must be mastered before it is needed, or the opportunity is…
Episode 223 – The Zegarnik Effect: Engage and Persuade
The Zegarnik Effect: Engage and Persuade When we feel we’ve been left hanging, it drives us crazy! We want to know the end of the story. What is the missing piece? We want our tasks to be completed so…
Episode 222 – How to Deal With Refund, Complaints and Buyers Remorse
How to Deal With Refund, Complaints and Buyers Remorse “Buyer’s remorse” is also a form of dissonance. When we purchase a product or service, we tend to look for ways to convince ourselves that we made the right decision.…
Episode 221 – How To Be More Attractive (And More Likeable)
How To Be More Attractive (And More Likeable) I am not going to be politically correct in this section. I know it is not fair. I know we should not judge, I am here to help you with reality.…
Episode 220 – The Dark Side Of Goals – Nudge or Net
The Dark Side Of Goals – Nudge or Net Almost everyone wants to accomplish their dreams, achieve more, become a better person, or pursue bigger and better goals. And we often know exactly what we need to do to…
Episode 219 – The Forgotten Power
The Forgotten Power How to Command Attention with Power and Authority Great persuaders know and understand how to use different forms of power, but if you’re like most people, you just cringed at the word “power.” Is power something…
Episode 218 – How to Resist Persuasion and Manipulation
How to Resist Persuasion and Manipulation I was asked an interesting question last week on a radio interview. I was asked, “How can you resist or repel an unwanted persuasive attempt?” He also asked, “How can you stop someone…
Episode 217 – Dave Kurlan – Baseline Selling
Dave Kurlan – Baseline Selling On this episode Kurt interviews Dave Kurlan. They discuss the biggest mistake that sales people make, baseball and sales, biggest mindset obstacles, self-limiting beliefs and how to reprogram your beliefs, how to get your…
Episode 216 – Brick Wall of Resistance Part 2
Brick Wall of Resistance Part 2 One of the Bricks – Fear of Rejection We all experience rejection in small doses every day. But what about when we persuade for a living? Rejection seems to take a higher toll.…
Episode 215 – Dealing with Rude, Mean and Hostile People
Dealing with Rude, Mean and Hostile People The Hostile Prospect This person disagrees with you and may even actively work against you. For a hostile prospect, use these techniques: · Find common beliefs and establish a common ground. ·…
Episode 214 – The Brick Wall of Resistance Part 1
The Brick Wall of Resistance Part 1 On this episode Kurt discusses the geeky article of the biggest causes of anxiety. Article here. He also discusses the blunder of the week that happened to him at a burger joint…
Episode 213 – How to Sell the Way Your Customers Want to Buy – Interview with Kristin Zhivago
How to Sell the Way Your Customers Want to Buy – Interview with Kristin Zhivago Join Kurt as he interviews Kristin Zhivago. Kristin is president of Zhivago Partners, a digital marketing management company, and the author of the book, Roadmap…
Episode 211 – Persuading Millennials and Gamification – Travis Truett Interview
Persuading Millennials and Gamification – Travis Truett Interview Join Kurt as he interviews Travis Truett, the CEO of Ambition, the first sales performance management platform built for the modern workforce thats currently endorsed by Google, Harvard Business Review and…
Episode 210 – Double Dissonance – Get People To Persuade Themselves
Double Dissonance – Get People To Persuade Themselves The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance Leon Festinger formulated the cognitive dissonance theory at Stanford University. He asserted, “When attitudes or beliefs conflict with our actions, we are uncomfortable and motivated to…
Episode 209 – Power and Automatic Behaviors – Interview With Ben Voyer
Power and Automatic Behaviors – Interview With Ben Voyer Join us on this great interview with Dr. Ben Voyer. We are going to talk about: -How persuasion has changed -Biggest persuasion blunder -Loss avoidance -Power and relationships -Influential nature…
Episode 208 – True Objection or Knee Jerk Response
True Objection or Knee Jerk Response All excuses and objections can be boiled down one or more of these seven potential objections: Once you understand that all objections stem from one or more of these seven key areas, you…
Episode 207 – Blueprint to Business Success
Blueprint to Business Success Blueprint to Business is the ultimate guide to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Bestselling author and CEO Mike Alden puts aside the rainbows and sunshine, gets real about what it takes to ‘make it,’ and gives…
Episode 206 – Do Closing Skills Still Work?
Do Closing Skills Still Work? Inside the World of Objections and Concerns When you become a great persuader, you will view objections differently than most people do. You will even welcome objections and enjoy handling them. Why? You will…
Episode 205 – What If The Competition Has The Same Price?
What If The Competition Has The Same Price? Charisma is influence. In other words, getting others to do what you want them to do and like doing it. People get uneasy when you talk about influence, but just like…
Episode 204 – Negotiation Blunder: Position vs Problem
Negotiation: Face-to-Face, by Phone or via E-mail In our age of ever-expanding communication possibilities, researchers have been drawn to answer the question of which communication mode is most likely to lend itself to successful negotiation. Their answer? It depends.…
Episode 203 – Price Psychology: 14 Techniques That Make Price A Non-Issue – Part 3
Reduce to the Ridiculousness Reduce to the Ridiculousness (JND): This technique involves paring down your request to something that seems manageable, easier to comprehend or easier to monetize. Let’s say you are trying to convince someone to purchase a…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: DITF, harvard business review, JND, kurt mortensen, law of contrast, persuasion iq, price objections, Reduce to the Ridiculousness
Episode 202 – Price Psychology: 14 Techniques That Make Price A Non-Issue – Part 2
Never fight on price. “Door-in-the-face” is one of the most common techniques for implementing the Law of Contrast. Basically, an initially large and almost unreasonable request is made, likely to be declined?hence the “door slammed-in-the-face” as the prospect rejects…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: DITF, door in the face, kurt mortensen, law of contrast, persuasion iq
Episode 201 – Price Psychology: 14 Techniques That Make Price A Non-Issue – Part 1
Never fight on price. Price in not the issue? you are the issue. Only 6% of things are bought on price. Anybody can fight on price. Let’s learn 14 techniques to make price a non-issue. “Price is what you…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: don't fight on price, kurt mortensen, overcome price objections, persuasion iq, price is not the issue, price vs value
Episode 200 – Words That Kill Persuasion And Words That Influence
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 attitudes, our beliefs, and our emotions.…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: kurt mortensen, persuasion iq, persuasive words, verbal packaging, words that influence, words that repel
Episode 199 – How to Create Trust in Strangers – Robin Dreeke FBI Interview
Did you ever leave an interaction saying to yourself, “That could have gone better?” Do you want to improve your leadership, interviewing, sales, and trust building skills for every aspect of your life? A counter-intelligence expert shows readers how…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: counter-intelligence expert, FBI Behavioral Analysis, kurt mortensen, persuasion iq, Robin Dreeke, trust with enemies
Episode 163 – Invisible Influence with Jonah Berger
On this episode, Kurt and Steve interview Jonah Berger. Jonah is a Marketing Professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a world-renowned expert on word of mouth, social influence, consumer behavior, and how products, ideas, and…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: consumer behavior, hbr, Jonah Berger, kurt mortensen, maximum influence, persuasion iq, steve olson, University of Pennsylvania
Episode 162 – Dealing With Difficult People
On this episode, Kurt and Steve read some listener mail from an business owner who finds himself dealing with a lot of calls from prospects just wanting quotes. They discuss how the power of We all have them in our…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: Difficult People, kurt mortensen, Law of Connectivity, maximum influence, persuasion iq, steve olson
Episode 161 – The Science of No
On this episode, Kurt and Steve read some listener mail from an business owner who finds himself dealing with a lot of calls from prospects just wanting quotes. They discuss how the power of “no” can draw prospects into a…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: Elizabeth Loftus, kurt mortensen, leading questions, maximum influence, persuasion iq, steve olson
Episode 160 – Why Small Talk Stinks
On this episode, Kurt and Steve interview Rob Kendall, of www.conversationexpert.com. Rob has devoted his life to understanding how humans converse with one another and what makes them go wrong…and right. Rob its the author of BlameStorming and WorkStorming. If…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: BlameStorming, kurt mortensen, maximum influence, persuasion iq, Rob Kendall, steve olson, WorkStorming
Episode 159 – Mindless Eating with Brian Wansink
The food industry is now more successful than it has ever been. Food is cheap and readily accessible, and many of us are eating A LOT of it. On this episode, Brian Wansink of the of the Food and Brand…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: behavioral science, Brian Wansink, Cornell University, kurt mortensen, maximum influence, Mindless Eating, persuasion iq, Slim by Design, steve olson
Episode 158 – Hijack A Negotiation Using Emotions
After last week’s interview with Chris Voss, Kurt and Steve dive deeper into negotiations and how emotions can hijack them. This has a negative connotation with most…but why not be the hijacker here? Emotions can be a powerful tool in…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: chris voss, emotion, kurt mortensen, Laws of charisma, leadership, maximum influence, negotiation, never split the difference, persuasion iq, steve olson
Persuasion Tool #10 – Mirror and Matching
Persuasion Tool #10 – Mirror and Matching Let’s finish up the 4R’s resistance. We’ve talked about creating a compelling reason, managing risk, putting resources into perspective and now the final R is representative or you. Could it be caused by…
Posted in Persuasion Tools Tagged with: john grinder, kurt mortensen, mirror and match, nlp, persuasion iq, persuasion tool, richard bandler
Persuasion Tool #8 – Risk Reversal
Persuasion Tool #8 – Risk Reversal Let’s continue learning a few tools that will help you deal with resistance. Why do people say “NO”? Why do you get resistance when it is a perfect match? We talked about one of…
Posted in Persuasion Tools Tagged with: 3m, guarantee, kurt mortensen, law of involvement, persuasion iq, persuasion tool, post it notes, risk reversal
Persuasion Tool #3 – Self-Persuasion
If you can’t persuade yourself, you’re not very good at persuading other people. Understand the universe will not reward you physically until you believe it mentally. Persuasion Tool #3 – Self-Persuasion Let’s talk about mindset, which is basically self-persuasion or…
Posted in Persuasion Tools Tagged with: follow heart, kurt mortensen, maximum influence, millionaires, mindset, persuasion iq, persuasion tool, self persuasion, subconscious
Episode 127 – Inner Qualities of Leadership
On episode 127 of Maximize Your Influence, Kurt and Steve start by discussing a recent article, the 7 Mental Blocks to Being Rich. They then transition to part two of their series on qualities of great leaders. Intuition is a…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: Competence, inner core qualities, intuition, kung fu panda, kurt mortensen, leadership, personal development, persuader, persuasion iq, project manager, steve olson
Episode 126 – 4 Characteristics of True Leadership
After speculating about good dining in San Francisco and briefly insulting their listeners there, Kurt and Steve discuss a recent article about whether great leaders are born or made. They then launch into a discussion about the qualities of good…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: arrogance, born or made, Charisma, cockiness, confidence, energy, fear, kurt mortensen, leadership, passion, persuasion iq, presence, steve olson
Episode 123 – Turn No into a Yes
The Power of “Yes” Use questions that will create “yeses.” As you create your marketing and persuasive presentations, you must engineer the number of times you get your audience to raise their hands, say yes, or nod their heads. How…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: broncos, dissonance, kurt mortensen, lottery, maximum influence, patriots, persuasion iq, peyton manning, reframe, steve olson, superbowl
Episode 120 – No Resolutions This Year
We are firm believers that we all have greatness within us. We believe that we each have within ourselves unwritten books, un-started businesses, brilliant ideas, great inventions, charitable ideas, and untapped energies. But sometimes we have a hard time knowing…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: dan jansen, goals, gratitude, kurt mortensen, maximum influence, new years resolutions, persuasion iq, steve olson
Episode 92 – Three Catastrophic Mistakes Veterans Make
If you’re like most people, you don’t really enjoy paying taxes. A study in the UK recently discovered how to vastly increase the rate of collected taxes, just by adding one simple sentence to collection notices. Kurt and Steve discuss…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: cnn, kurt mortensen, Laws of charisma, persuasion iq, sales mistakes, sales rookies, selling
Episode 89 – Don’t Be A “Corny” Negotiator
Is optimism overrated? A recent study from the University of Utah thinks so. Kurt and Steve discuss the study and what it means for persuaders. Some of us are better negotiators than others. Some of us respond differently to different…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: Charisma, kurt mortensen, lame tricks, maximum influence, negotiate, optimism, persuasion iq, steve olson, tools
Episode 88 – Utilizing Introverted Persuasion Techniques
Do you know somebody who is always blaming other people for their problems? Is it you? The fact is, we all do it. And sometimes we’re right. A recent article, however, shows why blaming others is not productive…even when it’s…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: blame, extrovert, introvert, kurt mortensen, maximum influence, persuasion iq, persuasion tools, productive, steve olson
Episode 87 – Building Emotion
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…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: build emotion, credibility, emotions, influence, kurt mortensen, logic, persuasion, persuasion iq, presentations, rate of speech
Episode 82 – Why We Do Things We Don’t Want To Do
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…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: bad habits, cognitive dissonance, habits, influence, kurt mortensen, leadership, motivation, negotiation, persuasion, persuasion iq, sales blunders, steve olson
Episode 7 – Presolving Objections
Why has Apple been so successful? On this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss recent news about Apple’s upcoming conference and whey Apple has been able to create such a loyal following of clients. They apply this to how persuaders can…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: apple, fitd, foot in the door, inoculation, kurt mortensen, persuasion iq, Presolving Objections, steve olson
Episode 6 – Negotiate Like A Winner!
We’ve all experienced it. That nervous, unsettling feeling right before we start to negotiate. Leading up to a negotiation, most of us expect conflict. We expect to have to give up valuable things that we don’t want to lose. But…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: kurt mortensen, maximum influence, MIT, persuasion iq, reciprocal concessions, steve olson, strategic negotiation
Episode 2 – Proxemics and Touch
How does personal space affect your ability to persuade? What about touch? In various cultures and depending on the sex of the person you are talking to, touch can be a valuable persuasive tool. It lowers mental barriers and puts…
Posted in Podcasts Tagged with: kurt mortensen, personal space, persuasion iq, proxemics, steve olson, touch