Ethical Persuasion

Ethical Persuasion: The Fastest Path from "Maybe" to "Yes" (Without Being Pushy)

Most decisions aren't made by logic—they're made by fast, intuitive shortcuts.

That's why great offers often stall: we speak to System 2 logic while the listener's System 1 is steering the wheel.

In this episode, Patrick Van Der Burght—ethical persuasion expert and business partner of Dr. Robert Cialdini—shows how to align with how people actually decide using Cialdini's seven principles of influence. The result? Communication that feels natural, honest, and effective whether you're leading, selling, or simply asking for change.

7 Key Insights You Can Apply Today:

1. Reciprocity ≠ "freebie-for-email." A true gift has no strings attached. If you require an email, it's a reward—not a gift—so it won't trigger reciprocity. Action: Offer one no-opt-in resource purely to serve.
2. Liking > "be likable." It's more persuasive that you genuinely like them than that they like you. Action: Express authentic appreciation before making an ask.
3. Unity creates momentum. When people feel part of a shared identity, they move faster and farther together. Action: Involve your audience, team, or clients in co-creating outcomes.
4. Social Proof must match the buyer. People follow others like them. Action: Use case studies or testimonials that mirror your ideal client's stage or values.
5. Authority: let others announce your credibility. Self-promotion weakens authority and liking; third-party validation strengthens both. Action: Add a professional intro or testimonial that speaks your credibility for you.
6. Credibility lives in precision. Rounded numbers signal estimates; decimals signal truth. Action: Use exact figures—"75.4%" sounds real, "75%" sounds guessed.
7. Loss beats gain. People act faster to avoid loss than to gain reward. Action: Reframe offers by showing what's lost through inaction.

Money Learning from Patrick's Upbringing:

Patrick grew up in a home where money was tight and every decision had to stretch the family's limited resources. That environment taught him that real wealth isn't about how much you have—it's about how much value you create.

Instead of chasing easy wins or cutting corners, he learned to lead with integrity and influence through trust. Persuasion, used ethically, opens doors that money alone never could. It's not manipulation—it's a tool for mutual success.

Key Takeaway:

Ethical persuasion is the art of aligning truth with trust. When your words honor both, "yes" becomes the natural next step.

Bio:

Before 2000, he was a sales rep, looking after a large part of Australia, selling Scuba Diving equipment to retailers. He was frustrated with the level of time and effort he was putting in, wanted to be better at selling, but he didn't want to lie or cheat either.

It was then that he discovered the work of Dr Robert Cialdini, and he has had a passion for educating others about this because he knows how much time, resources, and success they are wasting without it.

Circumstances enabled him to start teaching this science to professionals with Dr Cialdini's permission since 2000. In 2023, he was invited to become a Founding Member of the Cialdini Institute and was the first Cialdini Certified Professional and Coach to be accepted in the Cialdini Institute Licensed Trainer program.

Sales is other when Ethical Persuasion is first introduced, but it is not exclusively for sales. It is about creating behaviour in others and so that applies to any situation where a goal gets reached through the agreement or compliance of others.

Ethical Persuasion is NOT manipulation

A common mistake is to think that persuasion is making people do things they don't want to. Research shows that unethical use of persuasion science leads to long-term disaster, and ethical use leads to both short- and long-term success. This is why teams (and your audience) really embrace this way of communicating and use it.

Research-based

Nothing you get from him is based on Patrick's gut feelings or unfounded personal experience. What we as Cialdini Certified Trainers teach is grounded in research and scientifically sound.

Also for young adults

He loves sharing this with professionals, but he also has a passion to teach this to young adults before they attempt to 'convince' an employer with a predictably inefficient job application and go to an interview 'unarmed' when it comes to persuasion skills.

Persuasion is a much in-demand soft skill that should be mastered early in life, rather than late in life.

When the penny drops

It is engraved in his mind that eye-opening feeling he got when it sank in how easy, ethical, and powerful this science is to learn and practice. To this day, he loves seeing that in the eyes of my audience. He hopes to give your audience this same experience.

Links:

Website: https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/ Podcast 'Ethical Persuasion Unlocked' : 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

Book: https://yesmoreoften.com/

FREE Give-Away: Downloadable e-book (no email required, just download), and/or 7-day Influence Challenge: https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/free-influence-persuasion/

Which of the seven principles do you naturally embody—and which one could transform your results if practiced intentionally?

#RicherSoul #EthicalPersuasion #Cialdini #Leadership #Influence #Integrity #DecisionMaking #Trust

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richersoul

Richer Soul Life Beyond Money. You got rich, now what? Let's talk about your journey to more a purposeful, intentional, amazing life. Where are you going to go and how are you going to get there? Let's figure that out together. At the core is the financial well-being to be able to do what you want, when you want, how you want. It's about personal freedom!

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