Robust Resource on Persuasion Techniques
By Kurt W. Mortensen
Amacom, $17.95, 247 pages
Who doesn’t need to influence a process, person or event at some time or another? Persuasion is key to working with other people, especially those that are not managed or don’t report to you. The second edition ofMaximum Influence can help the reader figure out how to go about being persuasive and influential. Mortensen suggests using his Five P’s of Success: psyche (mindset), presence, personal development, passion and persuasion. He has also included a diagram of his 12 laws of persuasion, which helps the reader visualize his persuasion process. The majority of the book covers these 12 laws that are outlined in the diagram. There is numerous research findings cited, plenty of case studies and examples throughout the book.
“Use questions that will create yeses. As you create your marketing and persuasive presentations, you must engineer the number of times you get your audience to raise their hands, say yes, or nod their heads.”
Maximum Influence is filled with simple and complex techniques. The case studies helped bring the content to life and demonstrate how easy a simple change can make a big difference. The power of words choice, timing and packaging all can have drastic influence on the outcome of a situation. This really was a fascinating book full of insights and suggestions. There is a lot of material, though, so plan on marking up the book and putting forth a concerted effort to take some of the suggested actions in order to increase your persuasion.
Reviewed by Seniye Groff
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