Persuasion IQ

How adept are you at winning over a prospective client, employer or maybe even a banker or mortgage broker?  I recently interviewed Kurt Mortensen on his new book, "Persuasion IQ: The 10 Skills You Need to Get Exactly What You Want."  Kurt says regardless of your job title, mastering the art of persuasion can be powerful whether your the head of GE or the head of the PTA.  Kurt says to raise your PQ you must first and foremost adjust your mental programming.  He says beyond cultivating positive attitudes, great persuaders consciously train their minds to visualize success.  They let go of mistakes and eliminate self-defeating feelings.  He says they also have learned to look at situations from the audience's point of view.  The greatest persuaders, Kurt says, understand human nature, including subconsious triggers and knee-jerk objections.  For example, a good sales rep doesn't go into a pitch thinking about what he needs out of the sale, but instead looks at the pitch from the buyer's point of view... why does he or she need the goods or service... how can it improve their business not yours?  One other key take-away from Persuasion IQ: powerful persuaders possess seven characteristcs pivotal to influencing others: charisma, passion, empathy, vision, optimism, attitude and self-esteem.  And the beautiful thing about all of these skills is that Kurt says they can be learned.  You don't have to be a natural!