Learn How to Start Influencing People
No matter what sort of job you are in, the ability to influence others is a highly useful skill. It can help improve your career prospects. It is a valuable skill for those in managerial positions. But it can also be worthwhile for anyone else to invest their time and effort into perfecting it. Find out more about how to influence people:
If you can influence people, you can encourage them to think in a particular way. This can give you a lot of power. Whether it is a team of people or individuals, knowing how to influence people is about having an impact on them and as a result, the ability to encourage them to think in the same way.
Knowing how to influence people can be a highly useful tool when you have an idea you want to implement, you want to encourage a team to work harder or if you are looking to climb the career ladder. Influencing is a skill that is useful in any role, and there are several ways you can learn or develop this skill.
The Ability to Listen
You won’t be able to influence others if you don’t take some time to listen to what they want.
Influencing is about bringing people around to your way of thinking, but it must be a suggestion or idea that has a positive effect on the other person. For example, if you suggest a move into another office, you are likely to come up against some resistance. However, if you talk about how everyone is going to benefit, you are much more likely to persuade them.
To know how to influence people, you must first find out what they want. This takes excellent listening skills. When you listen, you make the other person feel valued and that their opinion matters. And by doing this, you are much more likely to be able to influence them.
Build Trust
If you don’t trust a person, would they be able to influence your decisions in any way? It is highly unlikely.
Trust is a fundamental part of any positive relationship, both personal and business, and by having this, it is much easier to influence the other person. For example, if you had a co-worker who was constantly blaming others for their mistakes or who was always making excuses for being off sick, you wouldn’t have much trust or respect for them. Therefore, if they brought ideas to the table, probably they wouldn’t easily persuade you. However, if you felt comfortable with the individual and you trusted them, you would listen to their ideas more openly.
ip, it is fundamental, and it takes a long time to build it. When you lose trust, it is difficult to regain it, and quite often, it is impossible. If you want to understand how to influence people, you need to make sure they trust you.
Be Likeable
We all have someone we look up to; a footballer, singer, entrepreneur, or even someone within our immediate circle. In admiring them, they will be able to influence you in some way. For example, if they endorse a product, you are likely to buy it, or if they write a book, you will probably read it. They influence you because you like them. If you don’t like someone, you won’t be influenced by them; it is as simple as that.
Whether you are employed or you have your own business, you won’t get very far if you are not a likeable person. Do you want to succeed? Have good experience and skills in your chosen field. Also, be conscientious. However, never underestimate the importance of being likeable. If you tend to talk to others only about work and never take the time to get to know them personally, you can alienate them quite quickly. If you get to know your colleagues on a personal basis, you build trust, which means they are more likely to listen to and take your ideas on board. Likeability will help if you want to know how to influence people.
Voice Your Opinion
There are many aspects of influencing other people, and one of these is the ability to voice your opinion. For instance, if you are part of a team that is discussing ideas on a topic, no one is going to listen to you if you don’t make yourself heard. It is not about being aggressive or loud, but having the assertiveness to make your opinions clear.
This can be tricky if you are a quiet person amongst a group of louder people, but it is important if you want to be able to hold any influence. If you are in a group and everyone is talking over each other, an excellent example of how to handle this situation is to say “can we take it in turns to share our opinions, so that everyone gets the opportunity to say what they think.” This shows assertiveness without arrogance and also allows you to get the chance to share your ideas. If you want to understand how to influence people, you must ensure you are heard.
There are many challenges faced by the UK grocery industry, and the ability to influence can really improve prospects. With this in mind, we have devised a training course that is specifically designed to improve influencing skills. These skills can be used for making a great first impression, building rapport and getting the job done. By taking part in our training course, you can grow your confidence and achieve real results.
