Influence is one of the most powerful skills around. It allows us instantly to earn the trust and respect of others, and lead and manage teams, individuals and situations with power, confidence and success. Most crucially, it enables us to make things happen in all aspects of our lives. The positive effects of influence are far-reaching yet no one ever teaches us how to develop this essential life and work skill.
How to Influence in Any Situation has been written to change all this. I have spent the past 20 years analysing the behaviour of skilled communicators and influencers in commercial, political and voluntary arenas. I have worked with many inspirational teachers and researched the scientific literature to bring you a step-by-step, practical guide to influence.
Influence is all about how you can affect other people’s attitudes and behaviour. We do this by the way we communicate – both consciously and unconsciously. How to Influence in Any Situation will show you how to influence colleagues, business contacts, friends and family, by honing the unconscious messages you send out, improving your conscious communication skills, and creating powerful, compelling messages that appeal to people’s psychological needs and desires.
The three components of influence
The amount of influence you have depends on three things: you (your confidence and presence), your message (how you craft a speech, a conversation, a presentation), and the way you deliver your message (how you negotiate and persuade). To master the art of influence you need to be strong in each area and How to Influence in Any Situation shows you how to do just that.
Part 1 focuses on the first of these three components – you and your role in the influencing process. I will start with the fundamental components of influence and move on to look at specific areas such as body language and how to use other people’s decision-making styles to influence their choices. I will end the section by studying how a range of psychological insights can enhance your effectiveness as an influencer.
Part 2 looks at your message. Both what you say and how you say it are equally important in the influencing process, so we will explore both. In Chapter 5 we will examine how you can put a structured and compelling message together; and, in Chapter 6, you will learn how you can use your language to inspire and engage your listeners.
Part 3 will help you to make the most out of your message and develop your own personal influencing style. You will learn how to negotiate and balance your interests with others, how to build a network of influence, and how to put together all the tools and techniques in this book to handle common influencing challenges.
To become a brilliant influencer takes time and practice. I am certain that, if you master each of the three components of influence, you will become a better influencer and, eventually, become capable of Brilliant Influence.