Your success begins
with thinking
from the other person

Persuasiveness arises from how something is experienced and from the unconscious drives that underlie it.

About Erik van den Akker

Business improver

Erik helps professionals get more results from their conversations. Effective behavior forms the basis for sustainable influence and better outcomes.

Many people reason based on their own logic and content. At the same time, the other person's perspective plays a major role in the success of a conversation. Moreover, decisions are often made unconsciously, with arguments following only later. Those who understand this can effectively steer conversations.

In his training sessions, Erik combines insights from behavioral psychology with concrete real-life situations. He confronts participants with their own behavior and its impact. The strength lies in discovering for oneself what works, ensuring that insights truly stick.

Your success begins with thinking from the other person's perspective.

Check out my open training courses below and register immediately.

Communication with Impact29 October 2026Nieuwegein€1.749Sign up
Harvard Negotiation English (2 days)November 24 2026Nieuwegein€1.749Sign up

From content to influence

Understanding why someone does what they do is the key to influence.

In practice, results are rarely determined by content alone. The difference lies in the interaction: how you respond to the other person, how you handle resistance, and how you create momentum in a conversation.

Erik focuses on precisely that point in his training sessions. He teaches participants to better understand interactions and align their behavior accordingly, so that conversations create momentum and lead to better outcomes. Central to this is thinking from the other person's perspective, as well as the positive attitude: the ability to exert influence from a position of equality, even when interests differ.

His training courses focus on sales, leadership, productivity, and collaboration, and have one goal: lasting behavioral change and immediate results in collaboration, client conversations, and leadership.

Read the latest publications or watch the podcasts

The invisible layer in a conversation is everything that plays a role in the background without...
The invisible layer in every conversation
Sales conversations that make a difference are created by targeted intervention. Learn how to go from information source to...
This is how you conduct sales conversations that really make a difference
From account manager to discussion partner: learn how to evolve from an operational supplier to a strategic sparring partner for...
From account manager to discussion partner: how do you take that step?

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