The Power of Influence

I subscribe to Jeffrey Gitomer’s weekly newsletter, Sales Caffeine. Today’s article was part two of “How to Become a Power Influencer.” His timely article gives some nice tips to hone your influencing skills. As any business owner knows, real and sustainable sales come from building relationships. You have to become the person that customers count on to get things done. You need to be able to influence their decisions- not just about your service but in other ways as well.

In a nutshell, here are his tips:

Read a wide range of books.
Write articles and maybe even a book.
Drive sales with extraordinary service.
Gain trust by performing consistently.
Tell the truth.
Always complete your jobs.
Be trustworthy.
Think long-term.
Don’t be greedy.

You can read the entire article, including part 1 here. The reason I like part two so well is because they are things you can actually do, not just traits you are born with. Another reason I like part two is because all the tips require long term commitment, patience, and perseverance. They don’t sound easy, but deep down you know that if you were able to do all these things, your power to influence would increase dramatically.

Many times, when businesses are running a little lean due to economic conditions or some other uncontrollable event, a business owner’s first instinct is to attempt to get quick cash. This is usually done through some major departure from the business plan, and it may even work for a while. Long term, however, your power and influence in your original market will have decreased. If your influence decreases, so do your sales.

Bottom line: Don’t hurt your business’ future for short term solvency. Continue to be patient and work hard at becoming the power influencer in your industry. If your financial difficulties are that serious, a little cash now won’t really help anyway, and you will still have to find another solution.

For more reading on this topic, pick up a copy of the classic book, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie at Amazon. Mr. Carnegie, methinks, knew something about influencing people.

Mike Freeman
Did I just influence you?