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

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