Art Of Influence Review
June 16, 2007
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Art of Influence Workshop conducted by Johnny Wimbrey of Success University. So would just like to share some comments regarding it.
Now it’s obvious how important mastering the art of persuasion is. The power of persuasion can be seen as the ultimate source of advantage in life and work. And it can be the critical separation factor between the successful and the rest.
Think about it. In life, we’re constantly trying to persuade or influence others. Be it during the job interview, presentation to your boss to accept your proposal, or during a marriage proposal, there are many instances where persuasion takes place. And for internet marketing, it’s manifested in your sales copy and email promotions. Frankly, copywriting is the art of persuasive writing.
Hence, by mastering the art of influence will help you to get others to agree with your ideas and take the actions you want them to take. Certainly, the advantages are limitless as it could mean anything from clinching the million dollar business deals or getting your dream girl.
With that being said, how does one master the Art of Influence?
The good news is, influence and persuasion can be learned and mastered. Which is what I’m going to share after having the privilege of attending the Art of Influence workshop conducted by one of the best motivational speakers in the world, Johnny Wimbrey.
The first thing you should ask yourself when it comes to influencing others and becoming a great leader is, ‘Would you follow yourself?’ If you wouldn’t follow yourself then how do you expect others to?
There are a couple of things to look at and evaluate yourself as a leader.
Firstly, your emotions. As an influencer, you cannot crack under pressure and your emotions need to be under control.
Secondly, your energy level. You are expected to be full of energy and not let others suck the enrgy out of you.
Lastly, the words you use. You should always be careful with the words you use and use them wisely and to your advantage.
Many leaders also make the mistake of secluding themselves from others. However, as a good leader, you need to have relationships. Below list some steps to create healthy relationships:
- Listen
- Slow down when walking by others to give them a chance to talk to you
- Show to others that you care about their needs and problems
- Always offer help to others
Shall take some time to stress the importance of being a good listener. Powerful persuasion begins with the ability to hear what others are saying. And listening is far more than being quiet when somebody else speaks. If carried out effectively, it creates and improves personal and business relationships. In any situation in life, effective listening will help you to understand another person’s thoughs, feelings and actions.
You need to first understand a person and build rapport before you can have influence over someone. Contrary to popular belief, being a master of influence does not just require good speaking skills. Developing good listening skills is equally vital.
Good listening skills?? Isn’t that easy you might ask. You just have to sit there and listen.
Now there’s a difference between active and passive listening. Passive listening is characterized by just sitting and hearing. However, active listening requires you to remove all distractions from your mind so you can concentrate on the speaker.
If you’re not interested in what others have to say, chances are they won’t either!
Remember:
People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
It’s just like building a relationship with your list in internet marketing. If it’s all about you that you emphasize and care about, people simply won’t bother about you.
More tips on being a good listener:
- Don’t interrupt others while they are speaking
- Don’t finish the other person’s sentences.
- Don’t offer your advice too soon.
- Show your attentiveness by nodding occassionally
- Paraphrase people’s sentences to show your understanding of what they are talking about
Oops.. Realized that this post most is mostly about being a good listener. But as mentioned earlier, powerful persuasion BEGINS with the ability to hear what others are saying. So it’s always important to start from the basics.
To end off this post, shall leave another useful nugget. An influential person will recognize their faults and not be afraid to show them as this makes them approachabel and real to others. This sense of approachablity will draw people to you because they believe they can talk to you without you judging them.
Signing off with this excellent quote from Dr. David M. Burns….
Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life
God bless and have a nice weekend!
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