Influencing Skills - Top 10 Hints and Tips

Influencing Hints and Tips

Influencing is the confidence and willingness to use all your skills to make things happen and get buy-in for your ideas, projects and goals.

Here are some hints and tips to help you become a star influencer.

1. Persuade Rather than Coerce

People may do things for you under pressure, but they won’t like it.

If you take a gentler, more collaborative approach, people will be far more willing to be influenced by you than if you strong-arm them into submission.

2. Build Rapport

We like doing business with people we like; take time to ask about their children, partners, holidays etc., and look to find common ground.

Rapport is like the WD40 of business – it’s the oil that smooths the way.

3. Identify What's in it for Them

We all like a win/win (e.g.: “If we implement this new policy the department will work more efficiently and that will save you time”).

Identify what a win might look like for others.

4. Make it Mutual

If you do something, however small, for me, I am much more likely to want to do something for you.

Influencing is a subtle two-way process and can be as simple as making others feel acknowledged, understood and appreciated.

5. Identify what Their View is

Often we only try to influence from our point of view.

If you’ve tried twice to explain something and they still haven’t ‘got’ it then you have to try something different through a greater understanding of what the situations looks like from their perspective.

6. Don’t Worry about Who gets the Credit

Eleanor Roosevelt said;

'You can get anything done if you don't care who gets the credit'.

Avoid becoming too attached to getting recognition.

The important thing is getting your idea agreed to.

7. Develop Your Current Relationships

It’s far easier to strengthen bonds with people who are in your current sphere of influence than trying to do things on your own.

The better they feel about you the more willing they will be to help you expand your network.

8. Expand Your Network

If you need access to people with whom you don’t have a direct route, look to enlist people in your current sphere who could open those doors for you.

It’s amazing how willing people are to help if you’ve put in the leg-work to make them feel valued.