Quarterly Newsletter

I hope you’re more than a quarter of the way to meeting your professional and personal goals for 2023 and that your progress only accelerates in Q2. The first quarter was busy for me, a mix of personal and business travel with stops in Phoenix, Austin, Palm Springs, Pittsburgh, and Washington DC. It was great working with new clients and connecting with family and friends along the way. Here’s to bigger and better things in April, May, and June.

Sincerely,

Brian

What’s Influence PEOPLE all about?

Why – Help you achieve more professional success and enjoy more personal happiness.
How – Teach you the science of ethical influence.
What – Speak, write, train, coach, and consult.
Who – Clients include leaders, salespeople, business coaches, insurance professionals, and more.

Here’s What’s New…

Speaking

Some upcoming speaking events include my TED Talk on April 18th in New Albany, Ohio. If you’re a Central Ohio resident I hope you can make it. May takes me to Denver, Colorado, where I’ll give a keynote address for Continental Insurance Agency Alliance (CIAA) members. June has me on the road to Sheridan, Wyoming where I’ll present to members of the Association of Wyoming Insurance Agents. I’m looking forward to the beauty of Wyoming and seeing how magnificent the stars look at night.

Writing

Work continues on my next book, His Story, My Story, Our Story: The Journey of a Marine and His Son. I’m excited to let you know a publisher, Morgan James, has expressed interest in the book. One suggestion they’ve shared was to make the book more of a story format. The initial feedback was that it was too chronological for a memoire so I’m working with a developmental editor to rearrange parts, add some writing, and remove some parts along with other suggested changes.

It’s a slow process but will be worth it because I believe with their guidance it will have much more impact for readers. If all goes well, you might even see it in stores like Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million! Fingers crossed because with wider distribution that increases the potential impact of our story.

For a sneak preview CLICK HERE

Podcasts

More podcasts went online in the first quarter. In addition to being a great way to share content with people, I’ve met so many wonderful individuals who host shows. I had the pleasure of meeting David Carothers, co-host of The Power Producers Podcast, for coffee while I was on vacation in Florida last month. Are podcasts your thing? If so, check out links to the 160+ shows I’ve been on. Here are a few recent episodes you might enjoy:

John Kennedy (no relation to the President but his wife’s name is Jackie!) asked me to join him on the show he co-hosts, Above Board with CandorPath Podcast, to talk about ethical influence vs. manipulation and how ethical influence can be used by folks in the financial services industry. We covered the principles of influence, leveraging referrals, and what it means to be patiently persistent when pursuing new business. Click here to check out the show on Apple Podcast.
JM Ryerson is a leader and motivator. He invited me on Let’s Go Win to talk leadership and sales. Specifically we discussed ways to build relationships, how to replace uncertainty with confidence, and what you can do to motivate people to take action. Click here to listen to our conversation on Apple Podcast.

Best of…

Some of my recommendations to read, listen to, and watch. No two people are alike but I feel confident that you’ll enjoy these resources as much as I did.

Read

Persuasive Advertising: Evidence-Based Principles by J. Scott Armstrong. From Amazon, “This book is a comprehensive and definitive guide to advertising that incorporates a vast amount of research and expert opinion. It draws upon the evidence to establish principles that can be applied to achieve successful and effective advertising and evaluates all of the relevant attributes and aspects of this.” I couldn’t have written it better so why not quote Amazon? If you’re in advertising or copywriting, this is a must read! It cited many psychological studies I’ve seen over the years. Rock solid!

The Problem of Pain is one of C.S. Lewis’s many works. I love how Lewis thinks and writes. My introduction to his writing came when I read The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe to my daughter Abigail when she was a child. Since that time I’ve read many other books by Lewis. In The Problem of Pain Lewis tackles one of the most often asked questions, “If God is good and all-powerful, why does he allow his creatures to suffer pain?” It’s not an easy read but well worth it if you’ve ever wondered about that question.

Listen

Discrimination and Disparities is another masterpiece from Thomas Sowell. If his name rings a bell it may be because he’s authored more than 30 books, he wrote a syndicated column that appeared in many newspapers for decades, or because I highlighted his book, Basic Economics, in a prior newsletter. With all of the talk about race, diversity & inclusion, and systemic racism, Discrimination and Disparities is something you might want to listen to in order to broaden your perspective. Sowell is a black economist who takes a different perspective than many leading voices today (Ibram X. Kendi, Robin DeAngelo, etc.). He relies on economic data to support his positions and clearly articulates the difference between economic decisions and political decisions. The book was only five hours on Audible and it was so interesting I listened to it twice. I hope you get a chance to check it out.

Watch

Bill Russell: Legend aired on Netflix in February. It’s easy for us to look back on great athletes and only focus on their achievements in their sport. While Russell is well known for his NBA Hall of Fame career and winning 11 NBA titles with the Boston Celtics, his story is much more than his on the court accolades. Like Jackie Robinson, Jim Brown, and Muhammed Ali, Russell used his notoriety to help bring about social change. Just as was the case with the Muhammed Ali series (a Ken Burns production) the trials and tribulations Russell addressed were eerily similar to many things black athletes are still trying to address. I encourage you to watch it and think about what’s taking place in America today.

Brian Ahearn

Brian Ahearn is the Chief Influence Officer at Influence PEOPLE. An author, TEDx speaker, international trainer, coach, and consultant, Brian helps clients apply influence in everyday situations to boost results.

As one of only a dozen Cialdini Method Certified Trainers (CMCT) in the world, Brian was personally trained by Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., the most cited living social psychologist on the science of ethical influence.

Brian’s first book, Influence PEOPLE, was named one of the 100 Best Influence Books of All Time by Book Authority. His follow-up, Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents, was an Amazon new release bestseller. His latest book, The Influencer: Secrets to Success and Happiness, is a business parable designed to teach you how to apply influence concepts at home and the office.

Brian’s LinkedIn courses on persuasive selling and coaching have been viewed by more than 500,000 people around the world!