Just because someone calls their methods "ethical," does that make them so? In the world of sales, marketing, and leadership, the line between persuasion and manipulation can seem blurry.

In our first-ever guest episode, Patrick sits down with his friend and colleague, Brian Ahearn—a Cialdini Method Certified Trainer, author, and Chief Influence Officer at Influence People.

Brian shares his powerful origin story (which involves the word "manipulation" and an email to Stanford) and joins Patrick for a deep dive into the practical application of ethics. They provide a simple, powerful filter to analyse your own communication and reveal the severe, hidden costs of unethical persuasion.

In This Episode, You'll Learn 💡

✅ The 3-Question Test for Ethics: A simple framework you can use immediately to determine if any persuasive attempt is ethical or manipulative.

✅ Common Unethical Tactics: How businesses misuse scarcity, from fake countdown timers to constant "50% off" sales.

✅ How to Use Scarcity Ethically: Learn the right way to communicate urgency ("Price good for 30 days") versus the wrong way ("Sign today, or the deal is gone").

✅ The "3 Cancers" of an Unethical Culture: Dr. Cialdini's research on the 3 devastating costs of forcing staff to be unethical (Stress, Staff Turnover, and Fraud).

✅ How to Handle Unethical Competitors: What to do when your competition is lying or using shady tactics (Hint: You don't badmouth them).

The 3-Question Test for Ethical Influence

How can you be sure your communication is always ethical? Run it through this 3-part filter:

Is it Truthful? Are you telling the complete truth? This also means you must not hide the truth. If there is information material to their decision, you must disclose it.

Is it Naturally in the Situation? Are you pointing to real scarcity, genuine social proof, or authentic authority? Or are you "importing" a fake reason (like a meaningless countdown timer) or exaggerating a claim?

Is it Wise for the Other Person? Is this a true win-win? If they agree to your request, will they be better off? Will they be happy with their decision later and want to do business with you again?

As Brian says: "Good for you, good for me, then we're good to go."

❗️Your Ethical Persuasion Challenge❗️

The Ethics Check (Your Challenge): Take one of your email templates, sales scripts, or website pages. Run it through the 3-Question Test. Is it 100% truthful? Is the scarcity "natural"? Is it truly "wise" for your client?

Commitment (Consistency): If you're committed to learning this skill, hit "Follow" or "Subscribe" on your podcast app.

Return the Favour (Reciprocity): If you got value from this conversation, please leave a review. It provides the Social Proof that helps other ethical professionals find this community.

Resources Mentioned:

Guest: Brian Ahearn, Chief Influence Officer at Influence People.

Brian's Books:

Influence People: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade

Persuasive Selling for Relationship-Driven Insurance Agents

The Influencer: Secrets to Success and Happiness

Influence from Above: Where Faith and Influence Meet

Book Search for 'Influence People': https://shorturl.at/545qF

Book Search for 'Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents": https://shorturl.at/O5H7A

Book Search for 'The Influencer - Secrets to Success and Happiness": https://tinyurl.com/yjpxh39a

Book Search for 'Influence from Above': https://tinyurl.com/3j6j849d

GIVE AWAY: Anyone who buys the new book and emails the title of...