Maximize Your Influence

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 epsiode, Kurt and Steve discuss how you can leverage color, smell, and music to your advantage...even if your business is done exclusively over the phone.

When it comes to effectively persuasing 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 the upcoming Winter Olympics, they also discuss some of the visualization techniques used by professional athletes and how we can use those same techniques in our lives and businesses.

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 of Expectation and how persuaders can assume the sale without offending their prospects. They also put to bed a few myths about "neuro linguistic programming."

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 that revealed "why we love narcissists." The points from the article reveal that many narcissists have characteristics that attribute to great leaders. So while they may be frustrating to deal with, we can certainly learn from them. Kurt and Steve also discuss the Law of Obligation and how it can be used to create a sense of indebtedness with our prospects and customers.

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 clients the courage to make decisions. Testimonials should be credible, believeable, attributable. In this episode, Kurt and Steve discuss how you can ramp up your testimonials to get results in your business asap.

It's a well known fact that humans look to others to validate their 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 to persuasion. Prospects can be trained to behave a certain way through marketing and sales efforts...a way that makes your job as a salesperson or business owner that much easier. Kurt and Steve also discuss a recent study about how our relationshiops with others effects our body image.

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 and Steve also discuss how to avoid "Facebook Envy" and a persuasion blunder that teaches us to never assume anything about our prospects.

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 bragadocious? In episode 20, Kurt and Steve go over thes important questions as well as a horrible persuasion blunder.

Do other's trust you? 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 perceive you. Granted when it comes to gaining trust there is no better way than to actually be trustworthy. But implementing the techniques on this podcast will help you get there faster.

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 the commitment process.