One of the most frequent things I get asked for help on is the area of influence.
Influence is:
The power to have an effect on people, or things
The ability to affect or change how someone (or something) thinks, behaves or develops
Think about the situations or people which you have to influence. Your boss; senior managers; clients; meetings, peers; the business; other businesses; family members; friends…..the list is pretty much endless!
There is actually a wealth of information out there on influencing techniques. However, for me, there tends to be a large part missing and that’s the part that comes before you even have any form of interaction. So to help you become a truly irresistible influencer, I’ve created a list of questions for you to work through and consider, that is going to help you get really water-tight with your influencing.
Your Task This Week
Prior to any form of influencing, work through these questions, because the answers will give you your influencing strategy. All you need to do is to take action!
WHO:
….do I really need to influence? (It’s often someone very different to what we first think!)
….do I know, who already effectively influences this person? (Model them!)
….do I need to be when influencing this person? (Coach? Friend? Critic? Expert?)
WHAT:
….is my history with this person? (Leverage a good history. Minimise a poor history)
….are the “hot buttons” of this person – both positive and negative?
….keeps them awake at night? (Tailor your approach to solving this)
WHEN:
….have I noticed this person being influenced in the past – by me, or others? (Identify the components that helped. Environment? Time? Approach?)
….do I need to start my influencing strategy? (What can you do NOW to start to get them open to you?)
….could I start to practice my influencing technique safely? (Find a trusted coach/friend/colleague to try out some ideas)
WHERE:
….do I need to conduct my influencing with this person? (Phone? Face to face? Which venue?)
….else can I find out what motivates/infuriates this person? (PA’s/VA’s; other colleagues, etc.)
….do I need to start?
WHY:
….might this person be resistant to my influencing? (Personal viewpoints; personal history with you; other pressures)
….is this so important for me to succeed? (Am I doing this to win? Or to make life better? There’s a difference….)
….do I believe this is the right approach? (Could there be another approach to get the outcome you want?)
HOW:
….does this person prefer to communicate? (Email? Face to face? One to one? In groups?)
….can I paint a compelling picture of how what I’m suggesting will make a positive difference to them? (Use all the senses to create a powerful end result)
….can I work on my own mindset so I’m powerful, credible – and irresistible?
“Fired Up Success” is a training course in a box – for a fraction of the price. With CD’s, exercises, workbooks and bonus materials, you can get the development you need to stay focused, productive and motivated at work, all for the cost of a quarter of a one-day training course!
