Monthly Archives: November 2010

Top 50 Blogs on Persuasion

 

If you are looking to make money, communicate effectively, or build a powerful network of successful people, then these are the blogs or websites you should be reading on a consistent basis:

1. Copy Blogger. It is a blog that provides advice for the other bloggers and marketers on how to be more persuasive in work place.

2. Self Growth. It is a database of information on self improvement (including persuasion) written by famous experts.

3. Harvard Blog. Harvard Business Review brings its readers original research and firsthand perspectives from leading business thinkers around the world.

4. Wev Credible. If you wanted to know how to give a persuasive idea on your website, you should visit Wev Credible.

5. Changing Minds. This blog mentions the inner secrets of persuasion and changing other people.

6. PSY Blog. PsyBlog is an academic psychology blog discussing current research and theories on Persuasion.

7. The Steve Rubel Streem. This blog discusses the Influence and persuasion from the marketing point of view.

8. Personal Branding.  They say that this blog is #1 resource for personal branding and influencing online.

9. Persuasion. The blog discusses persuasion from an experienced eye.

10. Brand Yourself. It is an award winning toolset that helps you proactively manage your online reputation and promote yourself effectively across the social web.

11. Fresh influence.  This blog is specialized in public relations and influencing of people in marketing for the healthcare and technology industries and public affairs.

12. Forum one (Influence). Influence covers innovations in communication, Internet technology and strategy to generate influence on important public policy issues.

13. Terry Dean. Terry Dean gives important information on internet business and advertising persuasion.

14. Sources of insight. This blog isn’t not only about persuasion, but it also is about sharing of knowledge between users.

15. Personal Development blog. This blog offers idea for readers on how to develop their personality.

16. The NLP Company. A blog which gives training in NLP skills and techniques as well as persuasive skills.

17IFTF. IFTF deals with the history, techniques and future of Persuasion.

18. Persuasion Blog. This blog provides Informative articles on how to master speech, focusing on what speakers say and how they present themselves.

19. Earthling communication. This blog provides information on Effective Communication Skills including persuasion and influence.

20. Marketing wisdom. This blog has articles on world leading marketers and how did they persuade their clients.

21. Inside influence. This blog has many Articles about Influence and Persuasion Science and Practice.

22. Site Brand. If you want to be more persuasive and be able to use e-marketing in your favor, this blog is the right start for you.

23. Selling and persuasion techniques. This blog provides you with the Persuasion techniques and selling techniques to boost your income and influence.

24. Check Mate.  This blog provides detailed information and advices for persuasive people who want to be more persuasive.

25. Success Strategies. This blog provides many important techniques of successful influencing on people.

26. World Copywriting blog. David Garfinkel’s cutting-edge copywriting tips, tricks and tested techniques to get you higher response, more sales and increased profits!

27. Better Communication Results. It contains courses and podcasts about influence and Persuasion.

28. Success Technologies. This blog provides Ideas and Information to improve individual’s Business and Life.

29. Dr, Nancy Snow. This blog has series of article about principles of persuasion.

30. Wining Content. This blog answers and important question on how someone makes their content more influential.

31. Internet Influence Magic. This blog offer advice to bloggers on how to make the reader more influenced by the blog’s idea.

32. Healthy Influence. This blog’s goal is to provide updates and applications of persuasion theory and research.

33. The Power of Influence. This blog discusses how the famous companies have their influence on consumers, and how they created this influence.

34. A public speaker blog. It’s the weblog and website of a public speaker, which includes public speaking and persuasion tips.

35. FayZ Space. Discusses the Asian persuasion techniques and applications.

36. Paw Persuasion. This blog is concerned with the persuasion techniques with animals and how to communicate effectively with them.

37. Say It Better. A blog which is about acting in different situations.

38. Compelling Persuasion.  Compelling Persuasion helps you to learn to use Persuasive Communication strategies, tactics and techniques.

39. Influence People. The blog’s name describes its content; it’s a blog that teaches you the method of positive influence.

40. David Stirzaker. David Stirzaker gives some advices and notes in his blog and his book about persuasion and influencing people in marketing and life.

41. Subliminal Persuasion. It is a blog written by David Lakhani to market for Subliminal Persuasive technique and his book on it.

42. Psychology blog. This Oxford University blog identifies influence on people and studies it from a psychological point of view.

43. Net Persuasion. It’s about writing persuasive articles and maintaining websites that is useful for persuading clients.

45Terry Oreilly.  This blog teaches you how to master the art of persuasion by studying the human nature and knowing numerous gales and undertows that effect communication.

46. Tower of Power. Free articles and training in communication and influencing people.

47. Open to Persuasion. It is a social venture that combines argument visualization with collaborative wiki editing to make the best arguments on all sides of every complex aspects of the world.

48. Moving Minds. This is a political and psychological blog which provides much useful news.

49. The Art of Change.  Communication skills and life skills from bestselling author and coach Dr. Rick Kirschner.

50. Coding conduct. It’s about Internet persuasion and designing methods.

If there are other blogs on persuasion that belong on this list, leave a comment below.

Old School Persuasion Tools You Learned, But Should Never Use

There are persuasion techniques you are using right now that cause people to resist you and your message. My research shows that there are four major (easy to fix) blunders many persuaders make that limit their success and income. Each blunder is like trying to drive in your car with the emergency brake on. You are wondering why your car never has much power or speed. These problems are simple to fix, but expensive to have.

Persuasion Blunder #1: Assuming Closing Skills Are the Magic Cure-All

Closing skills were the big thing 20 years ago. We were taught that closing skills were all you needed. If you did not persuade enough people, you had to learn more closing skills. Nowadays, sure, it’s nice to have a few closing skills in your persuasion toolbox, but shouldn’t you spend more time opening up your audience before you even think about closing a deal with them? In fact, great persuaders don’t even have to use closing techniques. That’s because their audience is ready to purchase before the end of the conversation has even been reached. You need to be able to connect with your audience, to be sincere and empathic, and to show them you have their best interests in mind. When dealing with a potential client, you should spend more time on connecting, building rapport, and uncovering needs and wants than gunning for a close.

Persuasion Blunder #2: They trust me.

Wrong. The studies show that most people do not trust you. The persuader may think and feel that s/he has developed trust, but when we talk to the customers/prospects, there is no trust on their end. The ability to gain and keep trust is a vital factor in persuading others. Research has shown, time and time again, that trust is always a contributing factor in the ability to persuade others. When a person trusts you, that trust alone can cause her/him to accept your message. On the flip side, if people don’t trust you, all the evidence, reasoning, facts or figures in the world won’t get them to budge.

Persuasion Blunder #3: Talking Too Much

Being an extrovert, having the gift of gab, or being able to make small talk with anyone you meet can definitely be used to your advantage, but watch yourself. How can you persuade if you are always talking? It will be very annoying to your audience if they sense that you like hearing yourself talk more than listening to their concerns. Remember, it’s about them, not you. Great persuaders listen more than they talk. In fact, great persuaders use their listening and questioning skills to get their audience to persuade themselves.  It’s much better if your audience feels as if they have made the decision themselves, without perceived external influences. When you do have to talk, be succinct and to the point. A good rule of thumb is not to talk more than 30 percent of the time.

Persuasion Blunder #4: Focusing on price rather than building value

Many persuaders tend to focus on price rather than building value. When you are finished with your persuasive presentation, your prospects should think: That’s it? That’s inexpensive! What a great value! Even if they can’t afford it, they should be able to see the value in what you are offering. Discussing price arouses fear in many persuaders. As a result, it’s often where the sale begins to sink. Three things happen when you bring price into the persuasion process too early: 1) Prospects know it is a great way to get rid of you; 2) They can postpone making a decision; and 3) It is a knee-jerk reaction. You have not built the value of your product or service and hence, losing a prospect becomes probable. We often feel like lost sales come down to price. However, it’s not the price issue! It’s that your prospects don’t see your product or service’s true value. Only 6 percent of all purchases are based on price alone.

When we take an honest look at our persuasion methods, we often find that what we think we need to work on and what we actually need to work on are two different things. The truth is, even in our areas of strength, there is still always room for improvement.  Success starts with learning and mastering the fundamentals. If you want to become a better persuader, first master the fundamentals. Know them inside and out and cultivate the ability to execute them flawlessly. Then, as you gain mastery over the basics, you can incrementally add new tools to your toolbox. Whatever skill you are focusing on at any particular time, always be a professional and strive to be the best at what you do.

Kurt Mortensen is the author of The Laws of Charisma: How to Captivate, Inspire, and Influence for Maximum Success (AMACOM). He is one of the world’s leading authorities on persuasion, motivation and influence with 20 years of experience as a highly sought after consultant, trainer, seminar leader, and speaker. He is also the author of Maximum Influence and Persuasion IQ.

Kurt Mortensen [http://www.kurtmortensen.com/] is the author of The Laws of Charisma: How to Captivate, Inspire, and Influence for Maximum Success [http://www.amacombooks.org/book.cfm?isbn=9780814415917]

(AMACOM). He is one of the world’s leading authorities on persuasion, motivation and influence with 20 years of experience as a highly sought after consultant, trainer, seminar leader, and speaker. He is also the author of Maximum Influence and Persuasion IQ.