You’re about to pitch to people you’ve never met. And instead of focusing on your idea, your brain fixates on fitting in — or worse, being dismissed. But persuasion doesn’t start with logic. It starts with perceived similarity.

In this episode, Martin Wolf and Dr. Verena Seibert-Giller explore the Similarity-Attraction Paradigm, a psychological principle that explains why people are more receptive to those who seem “like them” — in mindset, values, or tone. When those signals are missing, your audience instinctively pulls away, no matter how good the content is.

Together, they unpack:

– Why strong ideas fall flat when social distance is too high

– How first impressions shape openness — in pitches, onboarding, or feedback

– The role of subtle value cues in building fast trust

– Why shared identity beats technical brilliance in early conversations

– A four-part hack to anchor similarity without faking it

This episode shows how to create instant relevance with any audience — not by changing your message, but by framing your identity in a way that feels familiar. Especially helpful for leaders, freelancers, and anyone navigating unfamiliar rooms.