You don’t need to be a psychologist, but success in the free world requires that you know how to read, treat, and work with people. You will be most successful by making people feel valued and respected. When you show that you care about people, they become better versions of themselves, give more effort, and achieve more. They will also pay it forward if not directly return the favor to you.
Why then do people in positions of influence focus on the “what is” instead of the “what does” when first attempting to gain buy-in for something? In other words, why do people talk about solutions instead of the problems their solutions solve or the opportunities their solutions leverage?
How do people who are effective at influencing do it? What are the best practices of effective persuasion? When communicating with the intent to influence, there are three basics that great influencers keep in mind …
Making your message believable is crucial to being an effective influencer. It shows that you know what you are talking about. It reassures your audience that something isn’t just theory. It inspires hope instead of skepticism.
If you can find an alternative resource, supplier, or provider, you might pursue that option. But what if you need someone whom you can’t merely replace or outsource? What can you do to get them to do what they agree to, especially when they have a habit of not being dependable?
