Maximize Your Influence

We have all seen great persuaders in action. We have been in the presence of persuasive experts who automatically attract everyone to them. Wherever they go, people are captivated and influenced by such individuals' radiant energy and dynamic personality. People just naturally want to be persuaded by them.  What makes them successful?  These persuaders have adjusted or changed their persuasion techniques to match this new world of influence. Persuasion and influence have dramatically changed in the past twenty years. Social media has changed the way we communicate.  Persuasion has changed.  Your consumer, your prospects, and your customers all have changed. According to Advertising Age Magazine, they are bombarded with more than 5000 persuasive messages a day. This is the digital age. People are better educated and more skeptical than ever before. If you use only the same out-dated tactics that you learned years ago, you'll lose your ability to influence. Techniques that worked 5 years ago have lost their lustre. Why? Our understanding of persuasion and influence has changed dramatically. In the past, we did not know or care how consumers thought or what prompted them to buy or take action. Most people in sales and marketing were shooting in the dark. We hoped that what we were doing was working. Dr Antonio Damasio of Iowa College of Medicine sums it up best: "More may have been learned about the brain and the mind this decade than during the entire previous history of psychology and neuroscience." Why haven't most persuaders caught up with the times? Why are so many still using the old tools that should have been put to rest long ago? Are you one of them? When you are meeting with prospects, clients, or employees, are you a guest? An enemy? A pest? A product pusher? A pushover? Are you welcome or are you annoying?   Think twice. Most people think they are a welcome guest, but the reality is—and the research shows—that you are more likely to be an annoying pest. They just never tell you. Times have changed, and we are no longer able to push people into buying a product or service. How can you adapt? We need to be able to help them persuade themselves. To be an effective persuader, you must be able to bring your audience around to your way of thinking.  You can’t be the one that is throwing persuasion darts – hoping one of them will stick and win you the deal.  You must learn to adapt to the times. Join me for this week’s podcast – Episode #300 (Woo-Hoo!!!) as I discuss all the changes in the world of persuasion and how to adjust.  Now only are you going to learn “How Persuasion Has Changed - And How To Adapt,” but also I will give you a free gift.  Listen to find out the new tools and techniques and how to get your free gift – Power Negotiation Tools. Instagram: @maxinfluence Twitter: @influencemax Facebook: Maximize Your Influence

You are being persuaded all around you – And you don’t even know it.  Your environment (colors, smells, music, symbols, etc.) all have an impact on persuasion and influence.  That impact can help or hurt persuasion. City parks are only as good as the trip to get there In his book Triggers, best-selling author Joseph Sugarman reveals that 95 percent of the reasoning behind a consumer's purchase is associated with a subconscious decision. In other words, most buying is done for reasons a person hasn't even put into logic. Listen to find out more!  

Listening is one of the most crucial human relations skills. Listening is how we find out people's code, preferences, desires, wants, and needs. It is how we learn to customize our message to our prospects. Of all the skills one could master, listening is probably the one that will pay you back the most. Bosses who phone snub their employees risk losing trust & engagement There is a positive relationship between effective listening and being able to adapt to your audience and persuade them.  So, what are the big complaints about you and your listening skills?

There are those dirty techniques that are very old school and can be very intimidating.  These dark mind tricks are being used against you.  These tricks are still being taught today especially in the world of negotiation.  I want to talk about these dirty tricks so you can be prepared against when they happen to you – not for you to use them. 10 Hard Bargaining Negotiation Skills You have to understand the game of negotiation.  The challenge is many of you don’t want to play the game. Think about this…. If your prospect has come to play the game and you don't play the game, you're going to lose the game.  Why?  Because they were expecting to play the game. What does this mean? If you are looking to purchase a home and the listing price was perfect. You are thinking to yourself– that’s a fair price.  So you offer the asking price for the house knowing it is a win-win for both of you.   An hour later you're getting a phone call as they back out of the deal because you created questions in their mind.  They start to think, wait a minute, that was way too easy. We were supposed to negotiate. What do they know that I don’t know?  Did the market change?  What happened?  You did not play the game.  So, if they're wanting to play the game, you've had to play the game. Different players seem to play the game with different rules.  Some play dirty in the negotiation game.  Some have more experience, some are new, and some want to win the game at any cost.  Want to know how people cheat?  Listen to this week’s podcast on “Hard Negotiation Techniques – Those Dirty Tricks” to find out how the negotiation game is played.

Did you know that being nice or unselfish could hurt your ability to persuade?  What about those people that are so optimistic that you want to hit them?   People don't really like unselfish colleagues There are many tools of influence that are used in excess (or in the wrong way) – that can backfire on you.  What are those good things?  It could be any of the following:  ·         Always volunteering to help ·         Being so nice that it repels ·         Unrealistic and unrelenting optimism ·         Proxemics and space ·         Wrong use of humor ·         Trying to connect, but bruising their ego Join me for this week’s podcast on “How Being Nice Or Optimistic Hurts Persuasion.”  I will detail everything we have been taught we thought was a good thing, actually destroys the persuasion process.

We have all heard about first impressions.  You have less than 30 seconds for someone to judge you – That could be a positive or negative perception.  How do others perceive you?  Is your first impression helping or hurting your ability to persuade and negotiate? Bad smells make our memories stronger Join me for this podcast as we explore first impressions.  These impressions can come from either a nonverbal gesture or your tone of voice.  Most people don’t even realize how they are being judged.  

Last week we talked about self-persuasion and your “Brakes to Your Success.”  The things holding you back from reaching your potential.  You can’t go very far if you are always driving with the emergency brake on and stuck in first gear!  Many choices seems promising — until you actually have to choose  This week we are going to supersize that topic and talk about your “Speed to Wealth.”  The formula is quite simple.  If you are wondering what is taking so long to achieve your goals – join me for this week’s podcast on Speed to Wealth - Get On The Fast Track To Success

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 make these things happen. So why don't we do them? Why do we fall short of our dreams and aspirations? Stay Funny, My Friends This week’s podcast will address what is holding you back – what are the brakes of success?  What is taking so long?  Success is an open book test.  Join me this week for the answers to your success.

What are the most talked about psychological persuasion theories?  What are those techniques that people are using to get deep in the human mind and persuade under the radar?  Some might sound familiar,some have been used against you and some will be new to you.  Which ones are still working and which ones have become high lactose (cheesy).  Join me for this week’s podcast of Persuasion Tricks That Still Work, as I take a deep dive into the world of persuasion and influence tricks, techniques and proven theory.  

So who is this gatekeeper? Well, that's the person that's trying to stop you from getting to the person that you need to talk to you.  This is the person you are attempting to persuade. This can be one of the biggest obstacles to sales, prospecting, and persuasion.  How can you talk to the right person?  This could be a secretary, a receptionist, a personal assistant, anyone that is answering the phones or that is stopping you from getting to your prospect. Don’t be the one using those gatekeeper blunders that are keeping you from your prospect.  It is easier than you think to get past the gatekeeper.  Join me for this week’s podcast on Cracking The Gatekeeper Code.