How to Influence People

What is the one thing that everyone wants in life? Money, fame, power?

Yes! But there are many other things that people want as well. People also want to feel good about themselves, have a sense of accomplishment and feel like they're making a difference in the world. Sometimes people want attention, affection and understanding. Sometimes they just want someone to listen to their problems or give them some advice on how to handle a difficult situation.

There are many other things that people want, but since we can't provide them in the form of a tangible good, we must convince others to provide it for us. This is when influence comes into play.

When we offer others what they want from us, those people become our "Yes," and the deal is made. We then give them what they want and they become our "No." End of story.

As you can see, this is a very simple concept with a lot of potential… which can also be used for evil purposes if it isn't handled properly. That's why it's important to understand the true nature of influence, rather than just relying on tricks and gimmicks.

What is Influence?

Influence is gaining the cooperation or compliance of another person in order to gain their support for a change in their behavior. It is a very important concept, but there are many different ways that people use it. In some instances, you can win someone's cooperation through trickery and manipulation, but this strategy will only work temporarily; once the person realizes that they've been had, they'll no longer trust you or want anything to do with your proposals. This defeats the purpose because in order for your influence campaign to be successful you need their continued cooperation or compliance. So, you'll have to come up with something else.

The most effective way is through the use of influence tactics. However, before we can explain what these tactics are, we must first discuss the different types of influence that people use:

Social Influence – this is relatively passive influence and is often used in small groups such as family and close friends. People who have a large number of friends tend to have more social influence than those with fewer friends. For example, one of my best friends has a lot of social influence amongst his circle of friends because he's popular, funny and nice to everyone… and most importantly he's well liked.

– this is relatively passive influence and is often used in small groups such as family and close friends. People who have a large number of friends tend to have more social influence than those with fewer friends. For example, one of my best friends has a lot of social influence amongst his circle of friends because he's popular, funny and nice to everyone… and most importantly he's well liked. Personal Influence – this type of influence is generally used by people who are in positions of authority such as teachers, parents and bosses. People look up to their leaders which gives them access to their followers' personal lives which makes them compelling individuals. In addition, people want to do things for their leaders that they wouldn't do for anyone else. For example, a teacher is more likely to allow students that have behavioral problems to remain in his class than he would for any other teacher.

– this type of influence is generally used by people who are in positions of authority such as teachers, parents and bosses. People look up to their leaders which gives them access to their followers' personal lives which makes them compelling individuals. In addition, people want to do things for their leaders that they wouldn't do for anyone else. For example, a teacher is more likely to allow students that have behavioral problems to remain in his class than he would for any other teacher. Impersonal Influence – this is particularly useful with large groups of people and often involves convincing others through selling them something. For example, a statement like "97% of people that use this product are very satisfied" has a much greater impact than just saying "I'm very satisfied with this product," because it's objective and doesn't rely on the testimony of one person.

– this is particularly useful with large groups of people and often involves convincing others through selling them something. For example, a statement like "97% of people that use this product are very satisfied" has a much greater impact than just saying "I'm very satisfied with this product," because it's objective and doesn't rely on the testimony of one person. Expert Influence – this influence is often used by celebrities, high profile individuals and people that are well-known for their unique abilities. For example, a famous baseball player might endorse a certain sporting equipment brand because of his ability in that sport. People tend to believe that experts are credible and will be influenced by them accordingly… even if they don't know the expert personally.

These different types of influence are all effective, but they work best when they're combined with the right persuasion tactics.

Now that we've covered the different types of influence, it's time to discuss the most effective tactics for influencing others. These tactics include:

Temptation – this is a powerful technique, especially when you use it in a context where you're trying to persuade people to do something. Tempting someone by not doing what they want, but instead making them feel like they're doing what's best for them will often result in their cooperation. However, some people don't give up easily which can cause the effect to be weakened or even fail completely.

– this is a powerful technique, especially when you use it in a context where you're trying to persuade people to do something. Tempting someone by not doing what they want, but instead making them feel like they're doing what's best for them will often result in their cooperation. However, some people don't give up easily which can cause the effect to be weakened or even fail completely. Reciprocation – this is also a very effective tactic and works because of the human desire to return favors and help others when we're able. For example, getting someone to say "yes" when you ask for a favor can make them much more likely to help you the next time you need something.

– this is also a very effective tactic and works because of the human desire to return favors and help others when we're able. For example, getting someone to say "yes" when you ask for a favor can make them much more likely to help you the next time you need something. Reciprocity – this tactic is similar to reciprocation in that both rely on people wanting to give back what they've been given before or have been asked for by others.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this post, and if you did, please feel free to share it on social media. I'd also appreciate it if you took a moment to leave a comment below too. Thanks for reading!

How to Influence People

How to Influence People

Post a Comment

Contact Form