How to influence others ?
You have to go beyond what is expected of you and reach extraordinary limits to influence others. Have complete confidence in yourself and what you want to achieve. Offer the words, wisdom and prosperity that others seek. Understand your influence and show others what they can do.
1. Boost their confidence. You can influence others to your benefit through total confidence. Confident people tend to be more likely to be leaders than those who are insecure and lacking in self-confidence. An outspoken attitude and tone and a positive spirit will signal power and confidence. These are two things that people are looking for and they will want to follow the example to become one themselves.
One way to be more assertive is to avoid words like "maybe" or "try". Instead of saying, "We will try to overcome this problem in such and such a way" say, "We will overcome this problem and here is how". If you remove the question marks, people will think you really have the answer and will be more willing to follow you.
Franklin D. Roosevelt had a great influence on the American people during World War II when he confidently declared, "We shall win by absolute victory" in his 1941 speech after the attack on Pearl Harbor: "No matter how long it takes to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people will win in their rightful right and move toward absolute victory."
2. Expand your knowledge and do some research. Find out what you really want to do and study all the subjects related to your goal. You need to know everything behind the scenes if you want to influence others and be prepared to answer all questions on the subject. You gain authority through your knowledge. Research will give you a thorough understanding of your subject; your in-depth knowledge will impress others. Your knowledge will make others want to learn what you already know.
It is in our nature to listen to those who know more than we do. We ask them for advice, reflection and wisdom.
3. Know how to approach the person you are trying to influence. As Dale Carnegie said in Making Friends and Influencing Others: "Talk to people about themselves and they will listen for hours. You will be appreciated right away if you take an interest in others first. Ask them about their hobbies, likes and dislikes, favorite sports team, etc. Get to know them. Get them to like you and use it to your advantage by gaining their trust.
4. Be honest by being authentic and whole. Telling whitewashed stories will get you into trouble if you are caught. Misrepresenting the truth may cause people to distrust you and speak ill of you, which can jeopardize your ability to influence others.
5. Know your opponents' point of view. Examine their opinion and try to understand it well. It is important to know all the answers to the questions presented on their side as well as your own. If you know their answers, you can research why yours are better. Admit that they have made points and show that you understand what they are saying and why.
Use their good points to highlight yours by comparing facts and ultimately demonstrating that your facts eclipse theirs.
Give credible examples and present your analysis as the best.
Don't belittle your opponent on their opinions. Treat them as an equal and show them that with your help you can both do great things.
6. Prove your total dedication and commitment. Your opponent will challenge you with questions about "why." He will also reveal all the negatives of your opinion, but you can convince him by showing that you are dedicated to your cause.
7. Show that you are an expert with strong convictions. As described above, people listen to those who have knowledge. If you can prove your extensive knowledge of the subject, your opponent will want to acquire the same level of knowledge as you.
Your opponents may think that they too are experts in their own right, but once they understand your passion for your topic, they will begin to question you. If they think you really believe what you are saying, they will start to believe it too.
8. Seize the power of persuasion. Persuasion is generally the art of forming sentences that are constructed to attract attention. Think about who you want to influence and why. Think about how you want to influence and form appealing sentences in your mind.
Playing with words is a primary skill and can be extremely beneficial in getting you a client or a sale. Say, for example, "You're not paying for a slogan, you're banking on a business opportunity ."
Don't confuse persuasion with manipulation. You need to keep your customers' trust and build it by offering facts.
9. Use conformity and social influences. People in general tend to conform to what is accepted by society at large. People believe that they will be more accepted and appreciated if they follow the mainstream. They will go to great lengths to abandon their own opinions to fit in with the mainstream. Use conformity to influence a person to understand that what you are trying to sell is highly valued by those around you.
Make it seem like you are part of that conformist population.
Use examples of how your product works and how it can be successful and why (using facts, of course). "The majority of Blois residents buy riding lawn mowers because it only takes them twenty minutes to mow their lawn, saving them time and money!"
10. Truly believe that the product you are selling is the best. If you can convince yourself that the product you are selling is the right one, you can absolutely convince others!