Learn More
Equip Your Team to Persuade
So They Win Rooms and Move Decisions
Persuasion isn’t just for fundraisers, salespeople or public-facing teams. Every conversation, from a team meeting to a board presentation, is a chance to move your mission forward. And most orgs are leaving that influence on the table.
Evidence-based training, consulting, and online courses designed to elevate you and your team's influence, impact and mission.
The best ideas don't win, the best communicators do.
Join thousands of students and professionals already applying these strategies to lead, influence, and succeed.
Persuasion is the Leadership Skill
That Moves Missions Forward
In today’s landscape, communication is currency.
The leaders who can persuade, influence, and drive action shape outcomes: inside organizations, across industries, and in the marketplace.
It’s not just about what you say, it’s about equipping your team with the tools to lead, inspire, and drive lasting change.
The science-based Influence Economy will help:
  • Get people to act the first time you ask.
    When you communicate persuasively, things move forward—fast.
  • Turn good ideas into shared action.
    Persuasion is the key to moving people from “That sounds great” to “Here’s my support.”
  • Turn discussions into decisions.
    With persuasion skills, your team can steer conversations toward clarity, consensus, and action.
  • Make leadership about influence, not just job titles.
    Your best employees don’t need authority to make an impact—they need persuasion.
  • Disagreements don’t have to derail progress.
    Persuasion isn’t about winning arguments, it’s about guiding conversations.
  • Make your message impossible to ignore (and easy to say yes to).
    Donors, clients, and customers are bombarded with requests daily make sure you’re not just heard, but acted on.
  • Give your team a competitive edge in every conversation.
    The smartest idea doesn’t always win, the one communicated best does.
Flexible Persuasion Training Options to Fit Your Needs
We offer 1-day, and 2-day onsite or live video training sessions designed to equip your team with the tools and techniques of persuasive communication.
Popular Formats Include:
1-Day Intensive:
A focused 4-hour session covering the core principles of persuasive communication — practical, high-impact, and immediately applicable.
Starting at $3,750 for teams of up to 10. Larger group options available.
2-Day Deep Dive:
Two half-day sessions packed with real-world scenarios, guided practice, and personalized feedback — perfect for orgs looking to shift culture, not just skills.
Starting at $5,950, with scalable formats for larger departments or cross-functional teams.
All trainings are built using evidence-based frameworks and designed specifically for your team’s context, goals, and communication challenges — whether you're influencing funders, faculty, volunteers, or internal stakeholders.
Available in-person or via live video.
Prefer to Learn at Your Own Pace?
Watch Course Promo:

YouTube

Dean Batson

Let’s make people-ing slightly less stupid! Hi, I’m Dean. I overanalyze every word, gesture, and pause in a conversation, not because I have to, but because I can’t stop myself. As a university communication faculty teaching thousands of students across three institutions (Arizona State University, Phoenix College and Southern Oregon University), I help people understand how we talk, persuade, misunderstand, influence each other, and basically screw things up at work, in relationships, and jus

Prefer to Learn at Your Own Pace?
Online Persuasion Course
with Certification
Join thousands of learners building lasting influence through research-driven communication.

YouTube

Dean Batson

Let’s learn the psychology behind the science that opens us up to persuasion!

Get started with an intro course in Persuasion Training
"The best teams don’t just talk—they persuade. Let’s make yours one of them."
What is The Influence Economy:
It's your Path to Ethical Influence
1
The Science of a Blink
Master the hidden science to influence in an instant.
2
Trust Mechanics
Leverage trust and loyalty to build influential relationships.
3
Social Influence
Inspire action using the laws of group dynamics and shared identities.
4
Passion Drivers
Tap into emotional drivers that launch commitment and action.
5
Cultivation and Anticipation
Shape and influence future decisions before they even happen.
"Learning the science behind influence and communication is fun, powerful, and even surprising—there’s always a 'lightbulb' moment for participants when they realize how powerful these skills are!"
The Missing Skill That Shapes Leaders
According to LinkedIn’s analysis of 660+ million professionals and 20+ million jobs, the most in-demand soft skills globally are:
  1. Communication
  1. Persuasion
  1. Collaboration
  1. Adaptability
  1. Emotional Intelligence
What do these skills have in common? They’re human skills—the ones that are irreplaceable, the ones that inspire action, foster trust, and build connections - the one's we struggle with! And at the heart of them is persuasion: the ability to influence ideas, align teams, and drive meaningful outcomes.
Ready to equip your team with the skills that matter most? Let’s get started.
Are you…
Feeling Left Behind?
Individuals struggle to make their voice heard, and companies fail to connect meaningfully with their audience.
Stuck Without Influence?
Without the skills to motivate action, individuals and companies remain stagnant.
Missing Opportunities?
The inability to persuade costs individuals career advancements and personal growth, while organizations lose employees and funding!
As Seen In

01:03:14

Who Controls Your Child’s Mind? The War Over Public Education

Dean's Lecture: Persuasion 101: Unlocking the Secrets of Influence by Dean Batson

Techopedia

AI Outperforms Humans at Persuasion – With Your Personal Data - Techopedia

A new study shows AI beats humans in debates, but only when fed personal data. Explore how this power shift raises major ethical and societal concerns.

SoundCloud

Persuasion - Six principles of influence Overview by Dean Batson

Examine six principles of influence—reciprocation, consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity—and how compliance professionals exploit these principles to manipulate individuals into acting against their self-interest.

SoundCloud

Dean Batson: The psychological principles behind pre-suasion

Pre-Suasion: Setting the stage before delivering your message. This episode introduces pre-suasion, a technique for increasing receptiveness to a message before delivery. It explains the psychological principles behind pre-suasion, emphasizing the impact of priming through attention, association, and context.

music.youtube.com

The Big Picture People Podcast - Helping Leaders Walk the Talk

Interview with Dean Batson - A lack of leadership buy-in is an issue that often hinders organizational change but is one that Dean Batson, an educator of Persuasion and Communication at Arizona State University, Phoenix College and Southern Oregon University, knows can be overcome.

SoundCloud

Dean Batson: The psychological principles behind pre-suasion

Pre-Suasion: Setting the stage before delivering your message. This episode introduces pre-suasion, a technique for increasing receptiveness to a message before delivery. It explains the psychological principles behind pre-suasion, emphasizing the impact of priming through attention, association, and context.

WorkLife

'Polish over potential': How hiring for personality vs. skills is costing employers

According to dean Batson, most recruiter screeners aren’t experts in the roles they’re hiring for, so they lean hard on what they can evaluate — how someone communicates, how confident they seem, whether they ‘feel right,'

Check Out My Online Intro Persuasion Course
Advance Your Influence with Science-Backed Persuasion Training
Strengthen your leadership, sharpen your communication, and drive real-world results.
This comprehensive online course delivers evidence-based strategies to help you persuade, inspire, and lead with impact, across meetings, pitches, negotiations, and more.
Join thousands of learners building lasting influence through research-driven communication.
About Dean
Unlock the Power to Lead, Inspire, and Transform Your Organization
Maximize
Development
Inspire & Cultivate Lasting Connections
Transform your development efforts with techniques to inspire donors, secure major gifts, and deepen loyalty. Build authentic relationships that foster long-term support and drive sustainable growth.
Ignite Marketing & Communication
Captivate, Engage, and Build Loyalty
Equip your marketing team with the skills to craft compelling campaigns, inspire action, and strengthen brand loyalty. Consistent, persuasive messaging will amplify your mission and create lasting impact.
Elevate Leadership & Strategy
Lead with Influence, Inspire with Purpose
Empower leaders to drive change, align teams, and build trust. Master strategies to motivate action, gain buy-in, and shape a compelling vision that unites and energizes your organization..