Ethical Persuasion Unlocked

Patrick van der Burght
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Marketing

Ethical Persuasion Unlocked explores what truly drives business growth — blending lessons from the science of human decision-making and ethical persuasion with the broader expertise shared by our guests. Hosted by Patrick van der Burght — business partner of Dr. Robert Cialdini, Founding Member and Licensed Trainer of the Cialdini Institute, and author of How to Hear YES More Often — this podcast helps professionals, teams, and entrepreneurs apply behavioural science and practical business strategies to grow with integrity. Each episode reveals how today’s leaders, sales teams, and entrepreneurs can achieve the business success that has always been within reach. The opening episodes focus on the psychology and science of persuasion — a skill the World Economic Forum ranks among the top three most urgent for modern organisations to develop. You’ll gain scientifically sound strategies, practical examples, and case studies showing its powerful impact on communication and results. As the series expands, you’ll hear insights from CEOs, thought leaders, and experts on leadership, team management, selling, scaling, customer relationships, conversion, negotiation, online influence, and more. If you want to reach your goals faster, strengthen relationships, motivate action, and understand the hidden drivers behind “YES,” this show gives you the science and systems to do it — without manipulation. Follow now to unlock proven ideas for business growth, influence, and ethical success. Website: https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/ Book: https://yesmoreoften.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ethicalpersuasion Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-van-der-burght/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ethicalpersuasion/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ethical_persuasion/ Twitter: https://x.com/yesmoreoften TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ethicalpersuasion

  1. Sep 15

    Why Supporting a Charity Can Grow Your Business: The Science Behind Doing Good

    Can supporting a charity actually help grow your business? For many business owners, charitable giving is something they do because they genuinely want to make a difference. But according to Kirrily Graham, founder of Dovetail Social Enterprises, businesses are often missing a much bigger impact and opportunity: moving beyond one-off donations and creating strategic charity partnerships that benefit the charity, the community and the business itself. In this episode of Ethical Persuasion Unlocked, Patrick talks with Kirrily about how the right charity partnership can help differentiate your business, strengthen customer relationships, engage employees and even make your organisation more attractive to talented people looking for somewhere they can be proud to work. There is also a fascinating persuasion-science dimension. When a business genuinely supports a cause that matters to its customers or employees, principles including Liking, Reciprocity, Unity, Social Proof and Authority can naturally come into play. And when people discover what your organisation stands for before they decide whether to engage with you, the effects of Pre-Suasion may begin even earlier and impact if your message or offer is even considered. Doing good doesn't have to be separate from doing good business. Done properly, one can help grow the other. In This Episode, You’ll Learn:✅ Donation vs. Strategic Partnership: Why simply giving money to a charity is very different from building an ongoing partnership — and why the latter can create considerably more value for both parties. ✅ The Business Case for Doing Good: How the right partnership can help with customer acquisition and retention, employee engagement, recruitment, brand differentiation and team pride. ✅ Why You Shouldn’t Hide the Good You Do: Many businesses are reluctant to talk about their charitable involvement because they fear appearing boastful or as though they are virtue signalling. Kirrily explains why that can be a missed opportunity — and how to communicate your impact without making yourself the hero. ✅ Make the Impact Tangible: Why “we donated $2,000” may be far less powerful than explaining what that contribution actually made possible for a real person or community. ✅ Customers Can Become Part of the Story: Discover how some businesses allow customers to co-contribute to the causes they support — and why customers can feel genuine pride in knowing their purchase helped make something positive happen. ✅ The Persuasion Science Behind Charity Partnerships: Patrick explores how supporting a cause can naturally activate Liking, Reciprocity, Unity, Social Proof and Authority — while Pre-Suasion can shape how people perceive your organisation before a sales conversation or employment decision even begins. ✅ How to Choose the Right Charity: Kirrily shares some of the due diligence businesses should undertake before forming a partnership, including values alignment, charity registration, DGR status, financials, governance and evidence of genuine impact. ✅ Why Small Charities Can Be Mighty: Many grassroots charities have enormous potential but lack the marketing, business development, technology and operational resources needed to scale. Strategic business partnerships can help change that. ✅ Two Persuasion Strategies for Charities: Patrick shares research-backed approaches that can increase cooperation with charitable requests — including the powerful Rejection-then-Retreat strategy and the surprisingly effective impact of reminding people that they are free to choose. Your Ethical Persuasion ChallengeThis episode’s challenge is simple: identify one cause that genuinely aligns with your business, your people and your values. Then ask yourself three questions: Could we do more than simply donate? Consider whether your business could contribute expertise, products, services, exposure, staff involvement or other resources that would genuinely help. Could we make the impact tangible? Instead of communicating how much you gave, find out what that contribution actually achieved. What person, family or community did it help, and what changed as a result? Are we telling the story — or hiding it? If you're already doing something worthwhile, think about how you could communicate it without making yourself the hero. Put the charity, the people being helped, your employees or your customers at the centre of the story. The goal isn't to support a charity so that you can influence people. Support a cause because you genuinely want to make a difference. Then don't unnecessarily hide the good that is being done. Resources Mentioned:Dovetail Social Enterprises – Find out more about Kirrily Graham and Dovetail’s work connecting Australian SMEs with grassroots charities: https://www.dovetailsocialenterprises.com.au Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) – Research registered Australian charities and access information about their activities and financial reporting: https://www.acnc.gov.au/ ABN Lookup – Check an organisation's ABN details and Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status: https://abr.business.gov.au/ TED Talk – Dan Pallotta: “The way we think about charity is dead wrong” – The talk Kirrily describes as a light-bulb moment that changed how she thought about charity expenditure, growth and impact. Find if lower down on Dovetail's website: https://www.dovetailsocialenterprises.com.au Episode 9 – The Principle of Unity: How “We” Beats “You vs. Me” Every Time Explore the persuasion science behind shared identity, “we-groups”, increased cooperation and the favouritism that can result when people recognise someone as “one of us”: https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/0009 Episode 10 – The Science of Social Proof: How One Image Tripled Results Learn why seeing other people like us taking an action can make that action considerably more attractive to us: https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/0010 Kirrily Graham’s Social Media Links: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirrilygraham/ Patrick’s Social Media Links: Podcast – https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@ethicalpersuasion LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-van-der-burght/ Facebook – https://web.facebook.com/ethicalpersuasion/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ethical_persuasion/ Twitter/X – https://x.com/yesmoreoften TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@ethicalpersuasion Book Page – https://yesmoreoften.com/ Personal Profile – https://patrickvanderburght.com

  2. Jul 14

    The #3 Soft Skill for Young Adults: How Ethical Persuasion Drives Career Success

    Social Influence or Ethical Persuasion is one of the world's most valuable career skills. Discover how ethical persuasion helps students, graduates and young professionals succeed in job interviews, university applications and life—without manipulation. When it comes to getting a "yes"—whether that is an extension on a university assignment, an acceptance letter for a dream job, or funding for a startup—most young adults rely on luck or raw charisma. But there is a science to decision-making. In this episode, Patrick breaks down the complex science of Behavioural Economics and Dr. Robert Cialdini's Universal Principles of Persuasion into easy, actionable strategies for young adults. He explains the difference between System 1 (intuitive) and System 2 (logical) thinking, and why understanding how this affects how others perceive you and comply with you is crucial to making the trajectory of your life and career as advantageous as possible. Patrick also provides a direct call-to-action for educational facilities, careers advisors, and parent committees to integrate this vital soft skill into their curriculums to boost student employment rates and lifetime success. In This Episode, You'll Learn✅ The Future of Jobs: Why the World Economic Forum ranks Social Influence (Ethical Persuasion) as a top 3 priority skill for the modern workforce. ✅ System 1 vs. System 2 Thinking: Why 95% of decisions (including who gets hired) are made by the intuitive brain, and how to speak directly to it. ✅ The Power of Authority: How dressing just "one level better" than your interviewer acts as a shortcut for trust, leading to faster hires and higher starting wages. ✅ Loss vs. Gain Language: Why you should stop telling people what they will gain and start respectfully highlighting what they will lose if they say no. ✅ The Principle of Reciprocity: How adopting a genuinely helpful attitude toward teachers, professors, and peers builds a powerful network of long-term support. ✅ The Magic Word: The incredibly simple word you can add to any request that scientifically increases your success rate. Your Ethical Persuasion ChallengeUse the Magic Word: The next time you need to ask a favour from a friend, parent, or teacher, make sure to include the word Patrick told you about, followed by a genuine reason. Dress One Level Better: Have a job interview or university presentation coming up? Find out what the standard dress code is, and dress one level above it to ethically signal your authority and competence. Be Proactive for Your Future: Download the proposal letter from the show notes and hand it to your school's Careers Advisor or Dean. Ask them: "Do you think it's important to get us prepared for real life?" When they say yes, hand them the letter! Resources Mentioned:Download a letter to propose for Patrick to present at your school or university. Parent Committees and Parents download this PDF: https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/lettertoparents For Schools & Universities (Principals, Teachers, Career Advisors, etc.) download this PDF: https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/lettertoeducators Invite your students to listen to this episode, do an experiment if you like, and gauge their interest. Download letter from educators to students: https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/lettertostudents Free E-Book & 7-Day Challenge: Claim your complimentary resources at https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/free-influence-persuasion/ Book Recommendation: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini at https://www.google.com/search?q=book+influence+cialdini Free Membership Portal: Access early episodes and exclusive events. https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast-member-area-registration/ Previous Episodes to Catch Up On: Ensure you have listened to Episode 1:The Hidden Cost of Not Knowing the Science of Ethical Persuasion Episode 2:The Science of Human Decision-Making – Stop Talking to the Wrong Brain Episode 16: The Psychology of Scarcity: How to Trigger FOMO Ethically Patrick’s Social Media Links: Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ethicalpersuasion Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-van-der-burght/ Facebook - https://web.facebook.com/ethicalpersuasion/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ethical_persuasion/ Twitter - https://x.com/yesmoreoften TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@ethicalpersuasion Book Page - https://yesmoreoften.com/ Personal Profile - https://patrickvanderburght.com

    The #3 Soft Skill for Young Adults: How Ethical Persuasion Drives Career Success

  3. May 19

    Dress for the "Yes": How Appearance Can Multiply Your Results by 400%

    Whether we like to admit it or not, human beings judge a book by its cover. When people meet you for the first time, their brains look for rapid, subconscious shortcuts to determine if you are credible, competent, and worth listening to. One of the most powerful shortcuts is Trappings, the outward clues of success, such as finely styled clothing, a luxury watch, or a well-groomed appearance. In this episode, Patrick explores how dressing to impress acts as an invisible amplifier for the Principle of Authority. He shares eye-opening research by Dr Robert Cialdini that shows how appearance alone can drastically increase compliance, boost starting salaries, and make people far more receptive to your ideas. More importantly, he breaks down how to use this science ethically, ensuring your outward appearance genuinely reflects your true character and capabilities. In This Episode, You'll Learn: ✅ The Texas Jaywalker Study: Why a business suit caused 3.5x more pedestrians to follow a stranger into traffic against a red light. ✅ The 400% Multiplier: How wearing a high-quality outfit or subtle designer label dramatically increased survey participation, starting salaries, and charity donations. ✅ System 1 Thinking: Why the intuitive part of the brain makes decisions about your competence within a single second based on what you wear. ✅ Navigating "Tall Poppy Syndrome": How to utilise the power of appearance in cultures that actively push back against boastful displays of wealth. ✅ The Ethics of Appearance: Why renting a lifestyle you don't actually live is manipulative, and how to comfortably embrace the nice things you do own. ✅ The "One Level Better" Rule: The ultimate, foolproof guide to choosing the perfect outfit for any room, meeting, or presentation. Your Ethical Persuasion Challenge Apply the "One Level Better" Rule: Look at your calendar for tomorrow. What is the standard attire for the people you are meeting? Plan an outfit that is exactly one level better. (If they wear jeans and a t-shirt, you wear jeans and a collared business shirt). Audit Your Zoom Attire: It is easy to dress casually when presenting to familiar colleagues online. But remember, dressing down can slowly erode the perception of your authority. Try adding a jacket or vest to your next virtual meeting. Embrace Your Nice Things: If you own a beautiful watch or a finely tailored suit, stop saving it for "special occasions." Wear it! Allowing your outward appearance to reflect your hard-earned success is an ethical and highly persuasive business strategy. Resources Mentioned: Article: Read Patrick's entertaining and empowering article: The Power of Appearance: How Trappings Persuade Before You Speak https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/2025/09/25/the-power-of-appearance-how-trappings-persuade/ Previous Episodes to Catch Up On: Ensure you have listened to Episode 2 - https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/0002-the-science-of-human-decision-making-stop-talking-to-the-wrong-brain/ Episode 10 - https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/0010-the-science-of-social-proof-how-one-image-tripled-results/ Episode 13 https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/0013-the-principle-of-authority-how-to-build-credibility-and-trust-before-you-speak/ Book Recommendation: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini Free Membership Portal: Access early episodes and exclusive events. https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast-member-area-registration/ Discovery Call: Ready to empower your leadership team with science-backed, ethical influence training? Book a call at https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/discovery-call Patrick’s Social Media Links: Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ethicalpersuasion Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-van-der-burght/ Facebook - https://web.facebook.com/ethicalpersuasion/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ethical_persuasion/ Twitter - https://x.com/yesmoreoften TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@ethicalpersuasion Book Page - https://yesmoreoften.com/ Personal Profile - https://patrickvanderburght.com

  4. May 12

    The Ultimate Leadership Test: What Does Your Team Do When You Leave the Room?

    Managing a team by relying purely on authority and financial incentives is an incredibly expensive and exhausting strategy. While bonuses might create a short-term spike in performance, they rarely build long-term loyalty. In this insightful conversation, Patrick sits down with fellow Cialdini Institute Licensed Trainer Andrei Bob to discuss the intersection of Lean Management and the science of persuasion. Andrei shares profound insights from his time working with large manufacturing companies, revealing that the true secret to operational efficiency isn't just better procedures—it is ethical influence. Whether you are leading a factory floor, a sales team, or an entire corporation, you will learn how to shift your team's motivation from external pressure to internal drive. In This Episode, You'll Learn:✅ The Limitations of Financial Motivation: Why relying on bonuses creates a culture where employees only ask, "What will I earn extra?" before stepping up. ✅ The Cat and Mouse Test: How to measure your true influence by looking at how your team operates when you are not in the room. ✅ The Unity Principle: How to align conflicting departments (like Sales and Production) by establishing a shared identity and mission before discussing individual KPIs. ✅ The Power of Co-Creation: Why asking your team to define their own targets creates significantly more internal pressure to succeed than simply assigning them a quota. ✅ Public Commitment: A brilliant, ethical strategy to ensure your team follows through on their promises by making their commitments active, voluntary, and public. ✅ Modelling Behaviour: A masterful story of a Philips CEO who used the Principle of Reciprocity to transform the cleanliness of an entire manufacturing plant. Your Ethical Persuasion ChallengeFind the Shared Goal: Before your next tense cross-departmental meeting, spend the first five minutes establishing a shared mission. Remind everyone of the overarching goal you are all working towards before diving into individual KPIs. Stop Assigning, Start Asking: The next time you need to delegate a project, do not hand out tasks. Present the challenge to the team and ask, "Who would like to take the lead on this?" Watch how much more committed they are to a task they volunteered for. Model the Behaviour: Identify one standard you have been struggling to enforce with your team. Before you bring it up again, ensure you are flawlessly modelling that exact behaviour in your own daily work. Resources Mentioned:Guest: Andrei Bob. Connect with Andrei and share your insights with him on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreibob/ Book Recommendation: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini Free Membership Portal: Access early episodes and exclusive events https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast-member-area-registration/ Discovery Call: Ready to empower your leadership team with science-backed, ethical influence training? Book a call at ethicalpersuasion.com.au Patrick’s Social Media Links: Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ethicalpersuasion Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-van-der-burght/ Facebook - https://web.facebook.com/ethicalpersuasion/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ethical_persuasion/ Twitter - https://x.com/yesmoreoften TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@ethicalpersuasion Book Page - https://yesmoreoften.com/ Personal Profile - https://patrickvanderburght.com

  5. Apr 28

    The Contrast Phenomenon: How to Make a Big Ask Feel Small

    While not an official "Principle of Persuasion" on its own, the Contrast Phenomenon is a powerful psychological lever that acts as an amplifier for every single one of Dr. Cialdini's seven universal principles. In this highly practical episode, we explore how the human brain naturally compares things to whatever it just experienced. By understanding this, ethical leaders and sales professionals can completely shift how their audience perceives the cost of a product, the effort required for a project, or the scale of a favour. You will discover why going from "small to large" is a critical error in pricing and negotiations, and how presenting your most comprehensive option first can dramatically increase your overall success rate. In This Episode, You'll Learn✅ The Psychology of Contrast: Why a heavy weight suddenly feels light, and how you can apply that exact same brain science to your business proposals. ✅ Sharon’s Letter: A hilarious and memorable masterclass in shifting perspective to deliver bad news. ✅ The T-Mobile Case Study: How a simple reordering of three phone plans—without changing the prices at all—recovered 34.4% of their top-tier sales. ✅ The Fundraising Mistake: Why starting your pitch with your lowest price (or smallest donation) actively works against you by making the larger options feel enormous. ✅ Framing the Ask: How to ethically compare the cost of a solution to the long-term cost of a problem, making your fee feel highly insignificant. Your Ethical Persuasion Challenge Audit Your Pricing: Look at your website, your brochures, or your latest proposal. Are you presenting your smallest option first? If so, you are making your premium options look far more expensive than they are. Try flipping the order so you present your most comprehensive solution first. Frame the Effort: The next time you need to ask your team to complete a challenging task, briefly mention a much larger, more time-consuming alternative that you successfully managed to avoid. Watch how much more receptive they are to the smaller task! The Perspective Shift: Think about an investment you are asking a client to make. Now, find an ethical, genuine comparison to place before it that makes the investment feel small (e.g., comparing a one-time training fee to a decade of employee wages). Resources Mentioned:Previous Episodes to Catch Up On: Ensure you have listened to the first 16 episodes, especially the foundational deep dives into the universal principles of persuasion! https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/ Book Recommendation: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini Free Membership Portal: Access early episodes and exclusive events. https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast-member-area-registration/ Discovery Call: Ready to empower your team with science-backed, ethical sales training? Book a call at https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/discovery-call/

  6. Apr 21

    The Psychology of Scarcity: How to Trigger FOMO Ethically

    When things are rare, difficult to get, or in dwindling supply, we automatically value them more. This is the Principle of Scarcity, one of the most powerful and frequently misused tools in the world of influence. In this deep dive episode, we explore how to navigate the fine line between helpful urgency and unethical manipulation. If you have ever felt your stomach drop when a website tells you there is "only 1 room left at this price," you have experienced scarcity in action. You will discover why our brains are hardwired for "loss aversion," how restricting freedom actually creates a stronger desire (a phenomenon called psychological reactance), and how to communicate genuine scarcity to your clients so you stop leaving your hard-earned success on the table. 💡 In This Episode, You'll Learn ✅ The Toddler Experiment: Why a simple, clear barrier made toddlers reach for a toy three times faster, and what that teaches us about human behaviour and freedom. ✅ Loss Aversion: Why people are far more motivated by the fear of losing $1 a day than the prospect of saving $1 a day. ✅ The 150% Increase Case Study: How a home insulation company drastically improved their results simply by changing their phrasing to highlight what homeowners stood to lose. ✅ Protecting Your Brand: Why unethical tactics like resetting countdown timers will ultimately destroy your credibility. ✅ The Ultimate Showdown: Which is actually more persuasive: A "Limited Time" offer or a "Limited Number" offer? (The answer might surprise you!) ✅ Reducing Reactance: A brilliant, supportive technique to stop your audience from feeling pressured, keeping their trust completely intact. Your Ethical Persuasion Challenge Flip Your Pitch: Look at your current sales presentation or website copy. Are you only highlighting what the client will gain? Try rewriting one key section to gently highlight what they stand to lose or miss out on if they don't take action. Audit for Honesty: Review your current marketing offers. If you use deadlines or limited stock claims, ensure they are 100% genuine. If a sale ends at midnight, it must truly end at midnight. Being reliable builds incredible trust. Empower with Options: To reduce "psychological reactance" (the feeling of being pushed), try mentioning a small drawback to your proposal. Giving your audience both sides of the choice proves you are an honest partner, not just a salesperson or their boss. Resources Mentioned: Previous Episodes to Catch Up On: Ensure you have listened to Episode 2 (The Science of Human Decision-Making), Episode 5 (with Brian Ahearn on the risks of unethical persuasion), and Episode 13 (Authority). Book Recommendation: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini Discovery Call: Ready to empower your team with science-backed, ethical sales training? Book a call at https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/discovery-call/ Other Links Website: https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/ Book: https://yesmoreoften.com/ Podcast: https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ethicalpersuasion Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-van-der-burght/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ethicalpersuasion/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ethical_persuasion/ Twitter: https://x.com/yesmoreoften TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ethicalpersuasion Personal Profile: https://patrickvanderburght.com

  7. Apr 14

    The Science of Building Relationships: The First Pillar of Ethical Persuasion

    To successfully guide someone to a "yes," you must navigate three distinct pillars: Building Relationships, Reducing Uncertainty, and Motivating Action. But if you skip that first pillar, the rest will crumble. In this fascinating conversation, Patrick welcomes Paul Craven, a Cialdini Institute Licensed Trainer, behavioural scientist, and former City of London executive. Paul shares profound insights into why our brains are hardwired to seek common ground and how we can use that evolutionary trait to foster genuine trust in business. Whether you are writing a cold outreach email or negotiating a high-stakes contract, you must speak directly to the "Elephant" (the powerful, unconscious mind) rather than just the "Rider" (the logical brain). In This Episode, You'll Learn✅ The Three Pillars of Persuasion: Why you must build a relationship before you attempt to motivate people to action. ✅ The "Elephant and the Rider": A brilliant metaphor by Jonathan Haidt that explains why logical arguments often fail if the unconscious mind isn't on board. ✅ The Liking Principle in Action: Why Joe Girard (the world's greatest car salesperson) succeeded by thinking about your next car, not just today's transaction. ✅ The Unity Principle: The incredible football shirt experiment that proves how finding a "shared identity" drastically changes human behaviour. ✅ Synchronous Action: How performing a task in rhythm with someone else can increase their willingness to help you by over 30%. Email Etiquette: Why "I hope you are well" is harming your cold outreach, and how to open with humanity and authenticity instead. Key Takeaway: Talk to the ElephantWe like to think of ourselves as purely logical creatures (The Rider), but our decisions are heavily influenced by our unconscious drives and emotions (The Elephant). When we take the time to find shared ground, offer a genuine compliment, or reveal similarities, we are speaking to the Elephant. That is where real trust is built. ❗️Your Ethical Persuasion Challenge❗️Ban the Bland: For the next week, do not start a single cold email or message with "I hope you are well." Take two extra minutes to find a genuine similarity or craft a thoughtful, unique opening line.Find the Shared Identity: Before your next difficult meeting, ask yourself: What is a broader identity we both share? (e.g., We are both parents, we both love this industry, we share this value). Focus on that Unity.The 10-Minute Rule: In your next negotiation or sales call, dedicate the first 10 minutes purely to relationship-building before discussing business. Watch how it changes the room's tone and your long-term results. Resources Mentioned:Find out more about Paul: www.chartwellspeakers.com/speaker/paul-craven www.linkedin.com/in/paul-craven-908bb212 Patrick’s Social Media Links: Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ethicalpersuasion Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-van-der-burght/ Facebook - https://web.facebook.com/ethicalpersuasion/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ethical_persuasion/ Twitter - https://x.com/yesmoreoften TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@ethicalpersuasion Book Page - https://yesmoreoften.com/ Personal Profile - https://patrickvanderburght.com

  8. Mar 31

    The Psychology of Consistency: How to Influence the Hardest Person in the Room

    We all want to be seen as reliable and trustworthy. Because of this, we feel a deep internal pressure to ensure our current actions align with our past statements. This psychological driver is known as the Principle of Consistency. In this insightful episode, Patrick reveals how to ethically harness this internal pressure to guide your team, your clients, and even your children towards positive outcomes. Unlock the secret to communicating with highly successful individuals, people who typically resist outside influence, by asking the right questions early on. Patrick also provides a gentle reminder about the "dark side" of consistency: how our desire to avoid losing face can sometimes keep us stuck in unhelpful situations, and how to change our minds when presented with new information gracefully. In This Episode, You'll Learn ✅ The CEO Secret: Why highly successful people are the hardest to persuade, and why the Principle of Consistency is the key to helping them convince themselves. ✅ The "Common Mistake": Why turning up to work on time or sending a weekly email does not activate the Principle of Consistency in your audience. ✅ The "Small Steps" Strategy: How the insurance industry dramatically increases form completions by only asking 2 or 3 questions at a time (and how you can apply this to your own onboarding). ✅ The Power of Early Questions: How to ethically uncover a client's values early in a conversation so your proposal aligns perfectly with what they care about. ✅ Escaping the "Dark Side": A supportive mental strategy to free yourself from the pressure of past decisions when new, conflicting information comes to light. ❗️Your Ethical Persuasion Challenge❗️ 1. Ask Value-Based Questions Early: Before you present a proposal this week, ask your client or team member a question that reveals what they value most (e.g., "Is efficiency or thoroughness more important to your team right now?"). 2. Break Down the Ask: If you need a big favour or a lot of data from someone, don't ask for it all at once. Ask for the first, smallest step to build their commitment to the process. 3. Audit Your "Consistency": Remember that the principle is not about you being consistent; it is about them. Review your sales process: Are you allowing your prospects to make small, public commitments to their goals? Resources Mentioned: Previous Episodes to Revisit: Episode 1 – https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/0001-the-hidden-cost-of-not-knowing-the-science-of-ethical-persuasion Episode 2 – https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/0002-the-science-of-human-decision-making-stop-talking-to-the-wrong-brain/ Episode 4 – https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/0004-what-are-the-7-universal-principles-of-persuasion/ Episode 8 – https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/0008-how-one-question-increased-sales-by-33-pre-suasion-with-dr-chris-phelps/ Next Steps: Want to apply this in your business? Book a discovery call to explore training or consulting options at https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au Join the community for bonus insights and early access to episodes. https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/community/ Follow the podcast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes on the science of persuasion. https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/ Patrick’s Social Media Links: Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ethicalpersuasion Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-van-der-burght/ Facebook - https://web.facebook.com/ethicalpersuasion/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ethical_persuasion/ Twitter - https://x.com/yesmoreoften TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@ethicalpersuasion Book Page - https://yesmoreoften.com/ Personal Profile - https://patrickvanderburght.com

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4 Ratings

About

Ethical Persuasion Unlocked explores what truly drives business growth — blending lessons from the science of human decision-making and ethical persuasion with the broader expertise shared by our guests. Hosted by Patrick van der Burght — business partner of Dr. Robert Cialdini, Founding Member and Licensed Trainer of the Cialdini Institute, and author of How to Hear YES More Often — this podcast helps professionals, teams, and entrepreneurs apply behavioural science and practical business strategies to grow with integrity. Each episode reveals how today’s leaders, sales teams, and entrepreneurs can achieve the business success that has always been within reach. The opening episodes focus on the psychology and science of persuasion — a skill the World Economic Forum ranks among the top three most urgent for modern organisations to develop. You’ll gain scientifically sound strategies, practical examples, and case studies showing its powerful impact on communication and results. As the series expands, you’ll hear insights from CEOs, thought leaders, and experts on leadership, team management, selling, scaling, customer relationships, conversion, negotiation, online influence, and more. If you want to reach your goals faster, strengthen relationships, motivate action, and understand the hidden drivers behind “YES,” this show gives you the science and systems to do it — without manipulation. Follow now to unlock proven ideas for business growth, influence, and ethical success. Website: https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/ Book: https://yesmoreoften.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ethicalpersuasion Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-van-der-burght/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ethicalpersuasion/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ethical_persuasion/ Twitter: https://x.com/yesmoreoften TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ethicalpersuasion

Information

  • Creator
    Patrick van der Burght
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Patrick van der Burght
  • Show Website
    Ethical Persuasion Unlocked