How do you improve your influencing skills?

To add to this - it is key to understand more often that not that 'one-size-fits-all' is the wrong approach to influencing others. Human beings are unique and sometimes volatile. We need tailor made efforts even if we have tried and tested methods.

The audience can be assessed through what they share openly. But their is unspoken things that need to be explored as well. And that takes more direct contact time to explore.

I always spend time getting to know them, the more you know the better.i ask the audience questions and you need to be relaxed which will. You can ask them questions and visa versa.

Increasing your influencing skills is not about title it has to do with having clear values and manner of approach. Examples include: Active listening skills, building connections, stay informed and update on current occurrence in your field of expertise, having strategic planning, and taking steps to develop expertise by attending in-person or virtual conferences and taking up leadership or mentorship role.

Enhancing your influencing skills is crucial for professional growth. Here’s how I’ve worked on it: Build Trust: I establish trust by being reliable, honest, and transparent in all my interactions. Listen Actively: I focus on understanding others’ perspectives and needs, which helps in tailoring my approach to influence effectively. Communicate Clearly: I strive to articulate my ideas and intentions clearly, ensuring my message is understood and compelling. Show Empathy: I demonstrate empathy, acknowledging others’ feelings and viewpoints, which fosters connection and influence. Develop Expertise: I continually build my knowledge and skills, becoming a credible and influential voice in my field.

That duality of value is so important. And it starts with the audience. What can they get from it first and foremost. And then as a by product what can you get from it.

It is the non-verbal gestures, body language, and tone of voice that impact more than the words. So before working on influencing someone else, evaluate how you feel about it. Do you have clarity? Are you convinced? Do you believe in it? Unless you yourself are sure about it, however much effort you put, you may not sound real. Even if you succeed in influencing someone, the feel of win will remain temporary and may not last long. So before influencing others, first believe in it yourself. Then the confidence will show in verbal as well as non-verbal communication and will feel more genuine to yourself as well as the other person.

An example of a great leadership would be defining your goals as one of your daily vitamin intakes. Only a good routine will lead you to your goal. Write it down if it’s necessary and don’t be too greedy just a few words defining your goal and it will settle in your mind eventually.

Your goal should always be to the benefit of the other person. Whether it is a client or employee, the goal should be to help them achieve their goals which, in turn, will help you achieve your goals.

When I'm partnering with a manager to hire someone our goal should be pretty obvious - "We want to hire someone for their team and for the company - within the allotted resources". What does that mean? Let's be realistic about what we can afford and who we will be attracting - and then work within those confines to find the best person.

It is very important to not bury them with facts, emotion or stories. Those are just indicators that need to be gently laid out but the conclusion needs to be the audiences alone.

There has to be a great balance between fact vs feelings so that when receiving the message you are delivering. People often are inspired by personal stories and some are inspired by logic’s

I usually like to tell a story by visualizing the pipeline. If we aren't seeing success in hiring someone, I show them the pipeline (the numbers) and then pinpoint where in the pipeline we have been having issues. This could be in attracting applicants (through postings, headhunting and referrals) and then really diving into the "why" with the qualitative data collected from conversations with candidates.

Over the years, I've learned not to go into a situation where I'm trying to influence the outcome with tunnel vision. In a professional environment, everyone is trying to achieve the business's goals. By keeping an open mind, you may find yourself in a situation where you started out trying to influence and instead find yourself in a full collaboration that exceeds your goals rather than meeting them.

Communicate often - like twice a day if necessary. Use bullet points when you have multiple points that need addressing. Keep messages short and concise by using the SOA format --> Subject, Objective and Actions.

Even if you know with 100% certainty that you are right, trying to force the issue may make those you are trying to influence feel stupid and undervalued. It is better to use evidence and demonstrate in a professional and respectful manner. No one wants to feel undermined, whether we are wrong or right.

Addressing objections is like delicately balancing the fingers of your hand. Imagine you’re proposing a new project to your team, but a member raises concerns about the workload. First, you listen actively, acknowledging his or her worry. Then, you ask probing questions to understand his or her reservations fully. Responding, you provide data from a similar successful project to alleviate his or her worries, demonstrating your point with concrete evidence. With empathy, you suggest a modified timeline that accommodates his or her workload concerns, showing flexibility while maintaining the project’s overall goal. Just as each finger plays a crucial role, each step in addressing objections contributes to a successful influence.

Ask why, and then ask why again. Do it over a call or video call. I don't recommend handling rejections via instant message or email.

In the past couple of years I have noticed that people find very difficult to change aspects of their lifestyle. They will find various excuses not to do so, and not all reasonable. Therefore, trial and error method may be used to help with problem solving.

This is an important step but it cannot be rooted in our selfish interest to make sure that he or she stays influenced. Rather it is to learn if their conclusions have shifted and why. Or if they are still convicted and again discover why.

Make it about THEM. If you're sharing your idea and why it benefits you, people will see through that and may find it difficult to get behind it. However, if you make it about them, show them why the idea benefits them, why it brings them value, and how it impacts them, you bring them into your idea and make them part of it. People want to know what will be in it for them.

Create a reminder to follow up in your new connection. Be supportive, cheerful. Authenticity is key in developing and keeping those relationships alive.

Things I have found helpful when trying to influence my patients: - be empathic, listen to their needs , and repeat information if needed/ check understanding - reassure is ok if they do not want to share all information, but explain this may lead to a poor outcome - provide advice and rationale, let them decide what is best for them - take the time to build trust - be clear and open regarding benefits and/or risks - direct them to trusted websites for evidence based practice - let them know how they can reach me if needed - use visual images/ diagramas to ease understanding - review needs/ improvements

Be sure to communicate and share the 'why' behind what you are suggesting and also the value in it for the person/people you are trying to influence. Be open to feedback and making changes along the way to be sure it is meeting the needs of the intended audience. Be transparent, authentic and collaborative also