Masters of influence are ordinary people who devote a portion of their time to discovering new ways to communicate with people on a level that allows them to gain compliance with the last amount of effort.
If you have ever felt that you needed to learn how to harmonize with people so that they would agree with your ideas more often, then you are in luck.
Today’s discussion will focus on the simple ways that will vastly improve your ability to persuade and influence others when you engage in social interactions.
We have touched upon these special tactics in a previous discussion. Today, we go full circle as we explore the final set of tactics that will separate you from all the other aspiring influencers who have yet to chance upon the most essential ideas of influence and persuasion.
Tactic # 1: Never Overpromise
In almost every field and industry, overpromising is so common that people have become wary when a new face promises something valuable or useful.
Organizations and companies probably have their hearts set on the right path when they begin promising things to their customers. The problem with this scenario is the Overpromising Problem. When a company overpromises, what it produces in return is often inadequate to fulfill what it has promised.
What results is often disappointment and mistrust. Why would a person trust a company that does not produce what it has really promised? Let this scenario be a dire reminder to all aspiring influencers – when you promise something to someone, make sure that you over-deliver so the other party would feel valued.
If a person feels valued, he will be loyal to you and he will go to great lengths to work with you. Also, do not overpromise at all. Don’t promise something so great that the subject will have such a high expectation that you run into the risk of under-delivering.
Under-promising is a much better option. Promise average results and then over-deliver. Your subject will be pleasantly surprised and he will view your under-promising as a sign of professionalism and integrity.
People who are only in it ‘for the money’ will never under promise because they would be too afraid of losing profit. If you want to be truly successful in any endeavor and in any field, focus on generating amazing results instead of fabricating promises that you won’t be able to fulfill.
Tactic # 2: Valued Associations Are Important
When it comes to persuasion and influence, peer pressure can actually be a good thing. Why? Because the impact of peer pressure on people does not stop when they cease from going to school. Peer pressure actually becomes a part of our cultural makeup as we enter adulthood.
It might not become a very prominent part of how we think but it’s still there and in opportune moments, it manifests because we know deep down that social relations and associations are vital to our success.
You can utilize this tendency to associate oneself with specific groups to your advantage. Instead of isolating the subject (e.g. you will gain an advantage) say something like “by cashing in on this offer, you will get the same benefits that ___________ have”.
The core idea here is that you have to identify the group of people that the subject likes, emulates or admires. Then you have to find a common link between what you are offering and this group of people.
If you cannot identify a group that matters to the subject now, think of a group of people that may have the same values as the subject and then link your offer to that group. The subject must be able to understand that by accepting your offer, he is becoming like the group that you are describing.
You have to sell the idea of the group first before selling the idea that your offer has a lot to do with how the group is succeeding in a particular manner right now. It can be difficult at first, but I’m sure you will be able to find the right group to associate with.
Tactic # 3: Create the Passion
Some aspiring influencers have a lot of plans but not a lot passion to seek out the steps that will enable them to reach their goals. Often, the problem lies in the fact that the influencer has no idea which parts of his life is contributing to his goals and which elements are obstructing the road to his goals.
If you feel that you are suffering from this exact same problem, what you can do is to engage in goal brainstorming. The idea behind goal brainstorming is to identify your most important goals and picking out the elements in your life that are directly contributing to the accomplishment of these goals.
By doing this, you will also begin to see what is hindering you from accomplishing more at the present time. If you identify people that are blocking your part to personal or professional fulfillment, you can begin dissociating yourself from these people because nothing good will come from your continued association with them.
You will also be able to see which activities and attitudes are helping and which are not. Goal brainstorming can be viewed as a way to improve your life direction in general.
Will it help you become persuasive or influential? Of course. By setting the right goals and seeing things clearly for the first time, you will be energized to explore and take risks. These are the two main catalysts to personal change and progress. You will also be able to evaluate whether you should engage in specific interactions or not.
For example, if you want to accomplish something big, the results of your goal brainstorming will show you which people you should be involving in your drive to accomplish something and which people should be left out because they will only become obstacles to your success.