Start making passive income here: https://bit.ly/3ZMI1li If you’re a business owner, manager, or just someone who wants to get more people to say "yes" in your daily interactions this is the episode for you.
I’m Chris Miles, your Cash Flow Expert and Anti-Financial Advisor, and today I’m joined by someone whose work has deeply influenced how I run my business and build relationships: Dr. Chris Phelps, CEO of the Cialdini Institute and a certified master of influence.
If the name Cialdini rings a bell, it should. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the legendary author of Influence, the foundational book on ethical persuasion. Dr. Chris Phelps has not only studied under Cialdini for over a decade but now leads the Institute that teaches these transformational principles worldwide.
In this episode, we break down the core psychological principles behind ethical persuasion and how YOU can apply them in business, leadership, parenting, and investing. Whether you’re managing a team, selling a product, or convincing your teenager to clean their room, these ideas apply to every area of life.
You’ll hear how Chris went from being an overworked dentist with four practices and no time freedom, to streamlining his life, exploding his business revenue even in the middle of the 2008 recession and finally achieving real autonomy, all by using influence principles, not just processes.
We go deep on:
- The Principle of Liking – Why showing others you like them first is the secret to deeper relationships. - The Principle of Social Proof – How others’ behavior drives our decisions more than we realize, and how to ethically use it to drive sales, adoption, and trust. - The Principle of Authority – Why admitting your weaknesses builds trust faster than trying to fake perfection. - And yes, we even unpack how to spot manipulation when persuasion is used unethically and what to do about it.
What blew me away is how simple tweaks in language, framing, and timing can totally transform results. And this isn’t some woo-woo sales training. These are behavioral science-backed tactics that work even in the toughest economic conditions. They worked during the Great Recession and they’re working again now.
Dr. Phelps also shares how managers can influence their teams without micromanaging, how business owners can stop wasting time on tactics that don’t work, and how to spot false social proof before you fall for it.
If you’ve ever felt like your voice isn’t being heard, or that your ideas don’t get the buy-in they deserve this episode will show you why, and what to do about it.
Let’s stop pushing people to “yes” and start guiding them there with trust, ethics, and real human connection.