“Regardless of our actual job title, we all persuade for a living,” notes Kurt W. Mortensen, who makes his living as an authority on the psychology, art, and distinctive intelligence of persuasion. In PERSUASION IQ: The 10 Skills You Need to Get Exactly What You Want (AMACOM; June 19, 2008; $21.95 Hardcover), Mortensen shares what he has learned about the talents, traits, habits, and mindset of top persuaders—people who stand out as exception­ally successful and prosperous—over nearly 20 years of wide-ranging re­search. First, he of­fers an intensive self-assessment to help everyone identify their own persuasive strengths and weaknesses. Then, he provides a transformational roadmap for anyone to become a master persuader. “If you can effectively present your ideas and persuade others, you will be highly in­fluential and highly respected,” says Mortensen.

What Mortensen calls “Persuasion IQ” or “PQ” is similar to “street smarts,” but focused on achievement goals. PQ relies on a combination of IQ (raised continuously through reading books, taking seminars, and learning from experts) and EQ (the ability to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of self, others, and groups), with the addition of specific dynamic qualities.

As Mortensen explains, the way to attain a high PQ is to become a naturally persuasive per­son—someone who inspires long-term trust and respect from clients, prospects or other persuadees. PERSUASION IQ tackles 10 com­mon obstacles that limit persuasion success—fear of rejec­tion, over-persuading, and limited persuasion tools among them. From there, chapters focus on developing 10 essential PQ skills for success. Readers will learn how to:

• Take an honest look at their past mistakes and their current situation, and then move on to visualize success.
• Make a strong, positive first impression in 30 seconds or less, and determine whether they really are connecting with others.
• Overcome skepticism and quickly establish genuine, lasting trust by demonstrating compe­tence, confidence, credibility, congruence of word and action, and character.
• Stay consistently self-motivated and motivate others by understanding internal drives and external pressures, as well as their passion and purpose.
• Bounce back from setbacks, design a self-development program, and upgrade their future potential.

Throughout, Mortensen interweaves compelling findings from scientific research and his original surveys with everyday examples, classic fables, and inspiring quotes from proven persuaders, ranging from Abraham Lincoln to Brian Tracy. Defying clichés and delivering realistic strategies for change, PERSUASION IQ is a refreshing self-development guide with a persuasive argument for taking persuasion seriously.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kurt W. Mortensen is the founder of the Persuasion Institute, a research firm, and is a lead­ing consultant, trainer, and speaker on persuasion-related topics. A prolific author, his previous books include Maximum Influence (AMACOM). He lives in Provo, Utah.

Title: PERSUASION IQ: The 10 Skills You Need to Get Exactly What You Want Author: Kurt W. Mortensen Pub. Date: June 19, 2008 Price: $21.95 ISBN: 978-0-8144-0993-0 For a review copy, call 212-903-8315 or fax 212-903-8083. For more information, visit www.amacombooks.org.