Episodes
-
If you want to dramatically increase your closing rates, shorten sales cycles, and influence people more effectively, you must master one of the most powerful psychological tools available: priming. In a world where attention is short and resistance is high, the ability to shape the mental environment before you deliver your message can be the difference between a polite "maybe" and an enthusiastic "yes."
Priming is the psychological process where exposure to one stimulus (a word, image, story, or environment) unconsciously influences how someone thinks, feels, and responds to your presentation. A recent study in the Journal of Consumer Psychology found that positively primed consumers were willing to pay more, and it increased their brand loyalty.
Priming is one of the most effective ways to influence and sell others because it works with the brain's natural wiring instead of fighting it. When you prime positively, people feel understood, optimistic, and open rather than defensive or skeptical.
It turns the average conversation into a persuasive presentation and helps you build long-term relationships instead of one-off transactions. Listen now and start applying these techniques immediately.
Persuade With Power
Kurt Mortensen
111 Sales Hacks Special
Maximize Your Influence
-
If you want to dramatically increase your influence, income, and impact, there's one skill that consistently separates those who achieve massive success from those who stay stuck — and it's not what most people think.
It's mentorship— the ability to both seek out the right mentors and become a powerful mentor to others. In my past interview with Kevin Harrington, original Shark Tank shark and author of the new book Mentor to Millions, we went deep into how mentorship has been the hidden accelerator behind nearly every major breakthrough in his career. Kevin has built multiple nine-figure businesses, and he credits much of his success to the mentors who guided him — and the mentoring mindset he now uses to help others scale.
Listen to my podcast interview with Kevin Harrington on Shark-Tank Secrets to Pitch, Partner, and Scale. You'll walk away with practical strategies you can start using immediately to attract better mentors, mentor others more effectively, and sell with greater integrity and impact.
Persuade With Power
Kurt Mortensen
Maximize Your Influence
Free Persuasive Presentation Assessment
-
Missing episodes?
-
In today's loud marketplace, the biggest challenge isn't just getting someone's attention — it's getting them to stay committed long after the initial conversation. Most salespeople and influencers work harder than ever delivering polished solutions, only to watch prospects hesitate, negotiate harder on price, or disappear entirely. Understanding one powerful psychological principle can flip that dynamic and help you create long-term ownership and stronger results.
The IKEA Effect is the well-documented tendency for people to place significantly higher value on products, ideas, and solutions they have helped create or assemble themselves. When someone invests meaningful effort and successfully completes even a small part of the process, they develop psychological ownership. This makes them like it more, defend it more, and feel more committed to moving forward with you.
This principle changes how you influence and sell because it moves you away from trying to convince people and toward helping them convince themselves. When someone feels they helped create the outcome, they don't just agree with you — they become advocates for the solution. This creates stronger relationships, higher close rates, and customers who stick around longer because the value feels personal to them.
Persuade With Power
Kurt Mortensen
Maximize Your Influence
Free Persuasive Presentation Assessment
-
Proxemics is an overlooked tool in persuasion. When you understand how to use the space between you and another person, you create instant trust, lower resistance, and dramatically increase your ability to influence outcomes.
Proxemics is the study of how humans use and perceive personal space during interactions. It reveals the invisible "bubbles" we all maintain around ourselves and shows how those distances communicate trust, power, comfort, and relationship status without a single word being spoken.
In sales and persuasion, proxemics is used to create psychological safety, signal that you're on the same team, and make your words land with greater impact. When you master the distance between you and the other person, you influence more effectively because people feel respected and understood instead of pressured or invaded. Start understanding space
to build faster trust and close more deals.
Maximize Your Influence Podcasts
Persuade With Power
Kurt Mortensen
111 Sales Hacks Special
-
In today's noisy world, the persuaders who consistently win are the ones who understand the subtle differences in how people actually process information. When you tap into these cues instead of using the same script on everyone, you stop guessing and start creating deeper connections that lead to faster trust, less resistance, and more yeses. A recent study found that left-handed and right-handed people actually process visual details differently in their brains.
Persuade With Power
Kurt Mortensen
Maximize Your Influence Podcasts
-
Stop Being Invisible – Master Charm & 10X Your Influence
Charm and charisma aren't some mystical gifts handed out at birth. Charm is that warm, pleasant way you make every person feel special, valued, and eager to connect with you. Charisma is the magnetic personal power that draws people in, builds instant trust, and inspires them to follow your lead and say "yes" without hesitation. Together, they form the ultimate no-BS toolkit for persuasion, leadership, and massive success in business and life.
Science backs it up and real-world winners prove it every day. A 2025 study showed participants who practiced simple charisma techniques saw significant jumps in how others rated their influence and appeal. Look at Steve Jobs – his legendary charm and charisma didn't just present products; they made millions feel part of a revolution, turning Apple launches into cultural events that drove billions in sales.
You use charm and charisma to influence and sell by creating that electric rapport that makes resistance disappear. Prospects don't feel sold – they feel chosen and excited to move forward with you because you've made the decision feel personal, fun, and inevitable. This is how you close bigger deals faster, turn skeptics into raving fans, and lead teams or clients to results they never thought possible.
Persuade with Power
Kurt Mortensen
Advanced Influence Trainings
Free Persuasive Presentation Assessment
-
Why do some people rise to the top while others struggle? For over a century, experts have tried to answer that question.
It started in 1905 when French psychologist Alfred Binet created the first IQ test. Scientists hoped a high IQ would predict who would succeed in life. But they quickly discovered something surprising: a high IQ is helpful… but it's no guarantee of real-world success.
Then came the idea of multiple intelligences from Howard Gardner. Different people shine in different areas. Later, Daniel Goleman introduced Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in his groundbreaking book. He showed the world that understanding and managing emotions matters just as much as raw brainpower.
But even IQ + EQ isn't enough.
The missing piece? Something researchers call the soft skills that actually drive happiness, influence, and achievement: the ability to persuade, influence, sell, negotiate, motivate, lead, and deeply understand human nature.
I call it your Persuasion IQ (PQ).
People with high PQ don't force others to agree — they create genuine desire. They don't rely on intimidation or old-school pressure. They persuade in ways that feel natural and authentic.
Here's the truth: every single day, you're either persuading someone… or they're persuading you. In today's skeptical world, pushy tactics and outdated closing tricks get rejected instantly.
Great persuaders focus on connection first. They build real rapport, show sincere empathy, uncover true needs, and guide people to persuade themselves.
Persuade With Power
Kurt Mortensen
111 Sales Hacks Special
Advanced Influence Trainings
Free Persuasive Presentation Assessment
-
The Risk Reversal Secret That Ends "I'll Think About It" Forever
If you're not using Risk Reversal right now, you're making your prospects carry every ounce of the risk - and that's exactly why they hesitate, ghost you, or hit you with the classic "I'll think about it." Mastering this strategy is one of the fastest ways to eliminate buyer fear and increase your closing percentage, and build instant trust.
You need to flip the entire risk equation and take 100% of the risk off your prospect's shoulders and put it on your own. You create an ironclad "safety net" with guarantees, trials, or performance promises so the buyer feels zero downside and can say YES with total confidence.
When you master Risk Reversal you gain the advantage in influence and selling. You persuade at a higher level because prospects no longer fear the wrong decision - they feel protected, you stand 100% behind your promise, and influence becomes effortless.
Persuade With Power
Kurt Mortensen
111 Sales Hacks Special
Advanced Influence Trainings
Maximize Your Influence Podcasts
-
If you're serious about being a power persuader, you cannot ignore the psychology of how people pay. This one shift in your presentation and how you handle credit versus cash can literally double your average sale size and cut buyer hesitation in half.
This consumer mindset is why people happily drop thousands on a credit card, but freeze up when it's their cash on the table. Credit cards remove the pain of paying from the pleasure of buying – your brain literally feels less "loss" – so buyers say yes quicker, spend more, and feel better doing it.
Stop leaving money on the table and learn the science of buying psychology. Simplify the payment process. Go listen to the brand-new episode of Maximize Your Influence titled "The Credit Card Effect: How Payment Psychology Removes Buyer Pain." It's packed with the tools and techniques you need to shift how you seal the deal.
Persuade With Power
Kurt Mortensen
Maximize Your Influence Podcasts
Free Persuasive Presentation Assessment
-
THE LAW OF INVOLVEMENT: Keeping Your Audience Engaged
Here's the secret weapon most online hosts completely miss: the Law of Involvement.
The more you pull someone's five senses into the experience, get their mind and body actively participating, you can set the perfect atmosphere for persuasion.
Think about it — your prospect can sit through an entire presentation, pretend to listen, and walk away feeling and doing absolutely nothing. Zero movement. Zero buy-in.
As a true Power Persuader, your #1 job is to shrink the distance they have to travel to reach your goal. Make it ridiculously easy — mentally, socially, and physically — for them to say "yes."
So here's the million-dollar question for your world of online meetings and webinars:
· How do you keep that same level of attention when everyone's staring at a screen?
· How do you create real engagement when you're not even in the same room?
· How to Run Powerful, Engaging Webinars That Drive Real Results?
Discover more online engagement techniques on this week's podcast. I will identify the steps on how to run engaging webinars & influential virtual events that drive real results.
Persuade with Power
Kurt Mortensen
111 Sales Hacks Special
Advanced Influence Trainings
Maximize Your Influence Podcasts
Free Persuasive Presentation Assessment
-
Supermarket Persuasion Hacks: Triggers You Can Use In Every Day Influence
If you're still selling with logic, features, and boring demos, you are leaving money on the table every week. The highest-earning influencers know one universal truth: most buying decisions happen in the subconscious mind long before anyone says a verbal "yes." Discover how supermarkets use human psychology, subconscious triggers, and persuasion to get you to buy more.
Have you ever gone to the grocery store to buy one item, and left with 10? What happened? Supermarkets don't just sell groceries – they engineer the entire environment with layout, lighting, scents, sounds, and placement to bypass your rational brain and trigger impulse buys you never planned. They turn a quick "grab milk" trip into a cart full of extras by hitting subconscious triggers that make buying feel irresistible.
Stop Guessing And Start Engineering Better Persuasion Results.
Discover all the supermarket hacks you can apply today during your persuasive presentations.
Persuade With Power
Kurt Mortensen
111 Sales Hacks Special
Advanced Influence Trainings
Maximize Your Influence Podcasts
-
Ever notice how the world's most influential people use different kinds of power like it's second nature? Is it even okay to talk about power? Good, bad, or somewhere in between? Can we actually tap into power to move an audience?
The answer is yes. Every single one of us carries unique forms of power depending on the situation. It's hardwired into human nature. Used the right way, it's not just ethical—it's essential, energizing, and influential.
Of course power can be weaponized for manipulation. But here's the game-changer: when your audience trusts your power, you become a force that drives them straight into action.
Persuade With Power
Kurt Mortensen
111 Sales Hacks Special
Advanced Influence Trainings
Maximize Your Influence Podcasts
-
Feeling Like a Fraud? Unlock the Secret to Turning Imposter Syndrome into Influence!
In the world of sales, negotiation, and persuasion, mastering the relationship of imposter syndrome, ego, and influence isn't just helpful—it's essential for breaking through barriers and achieving peak performance. Ignoring these elements can lead to self-sabotage, lack of confidence, and instant resistance.
Imposter syndrome is a psychological mindset where high-achievers doubt their accomplishments and fear being exposed as frauds. Your ability to persuade and inspire others is destroyed by these internal conflicts. Imposter syndrome creates defenses that block genuine rapport, and reduce your ability to influence.
Acknowledging these internal dynamics helps you empathize with clients' hesitations and resistance. Don't let imposter syndrome hold you back any longer and discover the strategies to crush doubts, master your ego, and unleash your full persuasive power.
Persuade With Power
Kurt Mortensen
111 Sales Hacks Special
Advanced Influence Trainings
Maximize Your Influence Podcasts
-
Turn "No" Into "Yes" – Unlock the Secrets Persuasion Resistance!
So, what exactly is this resistance we're talking about? It's the invisible wall that prospects, teams, or anyone you're trying to influence throws up when your message hits a nerve. Rooted in psychology, it stems from deep-seated fears, doubts, mistrust, past experiences, or even cognitive biases that make people hesitate, object, or flat-out reject your message. Think of it as the brain's built-in defense mechanism – triggered by perceived threats to their status quo, wallet, or ego. Let's identify these causes, and you'll spot them coming a mile away.
By decoding these causes, you can create presentations that bypass resistance, create urgency, and drive action. Imagine consistently converting doubters into die-hard supporters, and sealing the deal. Listen today, apply tomorrow, and watch your influence explode. Your next big win is just one episode away.
Persuade With Power
Kurt Mortensen
111 Sales Hacks Special
Advanced Influence Trainings
Maximize Your Influence Podcasts
-
How The Decoy Effect Will Explode Your Influence – Advanced Pricing Strategies
If you're not using the Decoy Effect in your arsenal, you're leaving money on the table every day. This psychological tool flips the script on buyer indecision, turning "maybe" into a faster "YES". The Decoy Effect is when you add a decoy option into the mix that makes your option their best decision. Think of it as invisible influence that nudges choices your way, backed by behavioral science.
You will see this at Apple, Starbucks, and IKEA. It is proven to increase sales, conversions, persuasion, and seal the deal. Learn pricing techniques and discover the power of the "Decoy Effect" and it will turn indecision into instant closes.
Persuade With Power
Kurt Mortensen
111 Sales Hacks Special
Advanced Influence Trainings
Maximize Your Influence Podcasts
-
If you're still marketing the old way — guessing what customers want, hoping they'll buy, and watching your competition pull ahead — you're leaving massive money on the table. In today's hyper-competitive world, the winners don't just sell products… they understand the human brain. Amazon didn't become the most valuable company on earth by accident. They mastered the science of influence.
Neuromarketing reveals exactly how the brain makes buying decisions — 95% of which happen subconsciously. Instead of relying on surveys or a gut feeling, you measure real brain activity (through eye-tracking, EEG, and fMRI) to trigger instant desire, trust, and action.
Amazon lives and breathes this every single day. They don't guess — they know precisely which words, colors, and experiences light up the reward centers in your customers' brains and make them click "Buy Now" without hesitation.
maximizeyourinfluece.com
-
In today's noisy marketplace, facts and features get ignored — but stories cut through everything. They make your message 22× more memorable than plain data (Stanford Graduate School of Business), boost conversions by up to 30 %, and drive 23 % higher sales (Nielsen).
Brands that master storytelling don't just sell products — they create emotional connections that turn prospects into loyal buyers. Selling with Stories transforms dry presentations into unforgettable experiences that build instant trust and make influence feel natural.
Want to start persuading more with stories? Listen to my podcast Maximize Your Influence on How to Capture Attention, Build Trust, and Close the Sale With Stories. In this episode I interview story expert Paul Smith . You'll walk away with ready-to-use story templates you can plug into your very next presentation.
Kurt Mortensen
Persuade with Power
Maximizeyourinfluence.com
-
In today's fast-paced world, harnessing the wisdom of the crowd and using their collective intelligence is more important than ever for making smarter decisions, fostering innovation, and achieving greater influence. By tapping into the combined insights of the right group can outperform solitary experts and uncover solutions that might otherwise remain hidden.
The wisdom of the crowd refers to the phenomenon where the judgments of a large group often yield more accurate results than those of any single expert, as popularized by James Surowiecki in his book Wisdom of the Crowd.
Tune into the latest episode of Maximize Your Influence on Wisdom of the Crowd - How Collective Intelligence Amplifies Your Influence. I am going to take a dive-deep into more strategies, cutting-edge studies, and actionable tips on harnessing the wisdom of the crowd to dominate persuasion and inspire action. Don't miss out; listen now and transform how you lead and influence!
Persuade with Power
Kurt Mortensen
MaximizeYourInfluence.com
-
Unlock Visual Influence: Master the Perfect Room for Persuasion!
In a world where first impressions seal deals and environments shape minds, creating the Perfect Persuasive Room isn't just smart – it's essential. As Brian Tracy says, success comes from controlling your environment.
The Perfect Persuasive Room is intentionally arranging elements like seating, ceiling height, light, room temperature, and sound to prime subconscious responses, helping people become more receptive, focused, and aligned with your goals.
Mastering the Perfect Persuasive Room starts with auditing your space – assess seating for collaboration, ceilings for mindset, lighting for emotion, temperature for energy, and music for vibe, then tweak to align with your objectives. This episode will ignite your potential, equip you with proven tactics, and propel you to unstoppable success. Subscribe now, hit play, and let's build your influence toolbox!
Persuade with Power
Kurt Mortensen
MaximizeYourInfluence.com
-
Goal setting isn't just a feel-good exercise—it's the fuel that propels top performers to 10X their results. Mastering goal setting gives you the edge to influence outcomes, close deals faster, and skyrocket your personal and professional growth. As Brian Tracy teaches, success is no accident—it's the direct result of setting specific, actionable goals that drive relentless action. Without it, you're drifting; with it, you're unstoppable.
But hold on—goal setting isn't all sunshine and rainbows. If mishandled, it can backfire, leading to burnout, bad shortcuts, and a narrow focus that ignores life's bigger picture. Recent studies show that failing at goals can tank motivation and trigger negative emotions, with participants reporting a drop in mood after setbacks. Even in education, performance goals can turn students into "emotionless learning machines," eroding authenticity and self-perception. What is the key? Set goals the right way, or risk the dark side derailing your motivation.
Want to know the other steps and pitfalls of goal setting? Tune into the Maximize Your Influence podcast for the science of goal setting. Listen to The Blind Spot To Goals - The Science of Success. Don't just set goals—conquer them. Subscribe, listen, and let's increase your success for 2026!
MaximizeYourInfluence.com
- Show more
