ALL ABOUT INFLUENCING

Posted By: Mayor Timo

We all want the ability to impact people – make them like us, do things for us or even accept our beliefs and way of thinking. All this and so much can be achieve if we possess the right skill and understand what influencing is all about.

Yes, influencing is a skill! And people are more willing to agree with you, if they feel acknowledged, understood and appreciated. And may even end up doing something that, they wouldn’t previously have done because they feel good about making the choice.

Influencing is about understanding yourself and the effect or impact you have on others. On certain occasion, it can be one way, yet the primary relationship is two way, and it’s about changing how others perceive (i.e. see) you.

When influencing, perception is reality! Whatever goes well for you matters less – if it isn’t perceived so by others, then it doesn’t exist, other than in your mind.

You could be doing the most brilliant presentation you’ve ever created, but if you haven’t brought your ‘audience’ with you, the brilliance is wasted. You have to be able to see what’s going on for them!

Influencing can sometimes be looked at as the ability to maneuver. The other person isn’t pushed into seeing your view of the world, but is persuaded, often unconsciously, into understanding it.

Sometimes you can get so used to your own personal style or way of being or pattern of communicating, that you don’t think of how it’s being received, and you don’t think of behaving in any other way.

Influencing is about being able to move things forward, without pushing, forcing or telling others what to do. Thus, whatever your type of work, influencing others is about having the confidence and willingness to use yourself to make things happen.

Influencing people is also the ability to ‘work’ a dynamic, whether it’s a large group, one to one or over the phone. ‘Working’ they dynamic has to do with, using everything at your disposal, both verbal and non-verbal communication, to create the impact you want, rather than letting things just happen.

By Landscape Media Ventures (LMV) with No comments