People of influence are successful. Are you one of them?
This is part one of two: “How to become a power influencer.”
Some idiot (er, I mean expert) wrote: Patience is the key to becoming a Power Influencer. Skilled influencers are patient; they pace their arguments, and ‘exhaust’ them one at a time. It’s far better to secure agreement incrementally, step by step, reason by reason, than to unleash a torrent of reasons in one fell swoop. Stacking your reasons inevitably means that some will get neglected, and it gives the other person the opportunity to choose to focus on the weakest reason and ignore the stronger ones. One reason at a time ensures that each one gets its fair share of attention.
Huh?
If you are looking to become a person of influence to your customer, patience may be the only element NOT on the list. Which got me thinking (whenever I read, see, or hear something dumb, or even inadequate, I always think, “How can I make this better.” Or in this case, what IS on the list of becoming a ‘power influencer?’
Are you seeking more influence with your customers? With your boss? With your prospects? With your connections? With your associates and co-workers?
Have you ever thought about what elements go into being an influential person?
Here is the list, BUT don’t just read it – compare yourself and your skill levels to it, so that you can develop your understanding AND your status at the same time.
A power influencer is:
Smart. A person who can reason, and be reasonable. A person who can think in terms of answers, rather than fret over circumstances. Someone who sees the big picture, rather than the immediate urgency.
Shrewd. Beyond smart, a shrewd person sees an answer and a game plan to implement it. And the implementation is seen in favor of the other, rather than in favor of themselves. It doesn’t mean that you give up your winnings (earning, commission, money), it does mean that everyone wins, not just you.
Knowledgeable.Beyond smart, a knowledgeable person knows what’s going on in detail. Product knowledge, service knowledge, and experience. Not just how to work it – but how to use it to profit and produce.
Successful. A person who has completed tasks successfully, and had successful outcomes. a person who lets their record speak for them.
A Winner. A person whose history shows they know how to win, and they’ve won more often than they’ve lost.
Full of Answers.Influencers do not always push. Often they are called upon because an answer is needed, and the caller has confidence or faith that the influencer knows the right answer, and knows the best answer.
Someone with ideas that work. Ideas based on past experience, ideas based on best possible answer, and ideas based on a firm understanding of the circumstance, will create influence enough to be accepted and implemented.
Creative.Creativity is the mother of ideas. A creative person has studied creativity and combined it with the brainpower to never be at a loss of thought in any situation.
A thinker. Most people never spend time thinking. That’s why most people are not power influencers. Thinkers are also observers. They don’t just talk – they look, they think, they reason, and then they respond.
Someone with a GREAT reputation. If you seek to become a person of influence, other people will have to corroborate your credentials and your credibility. You may think you’re a person of influence but in the end it’s not what you think, it’s what others think and what others say about you.
Someone with great timing. Knows when to hold ’em. Knows when to fold ’em.
Someone with a great attitude. I don’t think you can influence at the same time you’re whining and complaining. And maybe you should substitute the words power influence with the words positive influence.
Well, that’s the end of part ONE. Yes, there are several more elements to being a “power influencer,” and I will reveal them all next week.
How are you doing so far? More complicated than you thought? Relax – you’re not alone. Rereading and rating yourself on each element will give you a realistic picture of your present power to influence.
PLEASE NOTE WELL. There is nothing on this list about using sales tactics or closing techniques. No need to. Power influencers do not close sales; they create the desire for the customer to BUY.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the most influential of them all?
This is part two of two: “How to become a power influencer.”
Based on an inane statement about how to become a power influencer, purported by an “expert,” I decided to clarify the process in detail, so that you could have a shot at becoming one.
Last week’s elements of a power influencer included: smart, shrewd, knowledgeable, successful, a winner, full of answers, someone with ideas that work, creative, a thinker, someone with a great reputation, someone with great timing, and someone with a great attitude.
There’s a lot to becoming a person of influence. But the rewards will last a lifetime.
Here’s the rest of the list.
A power influencer is…
Well read. Influence comes from a combination of thinking and reasoning that’s not just based on experience. Reading will help you better understand and clarify your own thinking, even refine your own thinking, and it gives you an additional resource to draw from as you’re building your influential base.
Published. For the past 15 years, I have published a weekly article – more than 800 individual writings that have helped and influenced others in their thinking and in the actions that they take. If you seek to influence, you must do it in a multitude of formats. I promise that if others are influenced by your writing, they will also be influenced by the words you speak.
An author. Write a book that has both influence and prestige. Articles become books. Books become read. And the people who read them will be influenced by the person who wrote them.
Service driven, not sales driven. Salespeople are only able to influence temporarily. Power influencers lead with service and their service leads to sales.
Friendly – well liked. All things being equal, people want to be influenced by their friends. All things being not quite so equal, people still want to be influenced by their friends. While friendly is not always the best case for influence, I believe it is the best case.
Someone who has gained the customer’s (other people’s) confidence. The more you perform, the more successes you have, and the more wisdom you convey over time, the more confidence others will have in you.Confidence only comes as a result of performance over time.
Tells the truth all the time. You can influence temporarily with a lie. But once the lie is uncovered, you can never influence again.
Gets the job done no matter what. People of influence are also performers. They DO, not just say. They walk their talk. They don’t make excuses because they don’t have to. They’re the one person who is counted on in a time of need. They are reliable and relentless. They don’t leave the job until the job is done.
Trusted. All of the already mentioned elements combine to form trust. One of them can break trust. If you lie, trust is gone. If you quit a job in the middle, trust is gone. No one element builds trust. But the lack of one element can destroy it.
Long-term oriented.Influence is determined by relationship and long-term thinking precedes relationship. It’s not about your quota. It’s not about the end of the month. It’s about doing what is best for others over an extended period of time regardless of your self-imposed deadlines.
Not greedy. If there are givers and takers in the world, people of influence are seen as givers. People who are always thinking about or talking about money are not as influential as people who are always talking about ideas and serving others.
“A fit.” One of the most powerful but least talked about elements of relationship, trust, and influence is how comfortable people feel with each other, how easy it is to do business with each other, and how natural the relationship is formed. You don’t have to force it because it’s a fit.
This list contains elements of the IDEAL influencer. All people of influence do not have to have all these qualities, but the more they possess, the greater their power to influence.
NOTE WELL: This list does not contain the words “has money.” Having money and being influential are mutually exclusive. Maybe money gives you a slight advantage, but all the other elements outweigh it. By a ton.
While this list only took a few days to compile, it will take you years to master each element of influence. That’s the good news for you, if you are dedicated to become a power influencer. Most other people will quit after reading this list. “Too much work,” they’ll say. “Not worth the effort,” they’ll whine.
GREAT! More room for you at the top.
