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Chapter 2. Influencing / Persuading
"Influencing" is changing another person's
attitudes or actions without using force or authority. Synonyms
for influencing include: persuading, motivating, selling, convincing,
winning over. In practical terms, to influence you have to prove
to other people that accepting your proposal helps them to solve their
problems or achieve their objectives. "Negotiating" is
trying to reach agreement when two parties share an objective, but have
a conflict. Synonyms for negotiating include: bargaining,
haggling, dickering, give-and-take. In practical terms,
negotiating is trying to settle differences between two parties when
they share an objective.
"Group decision-making" (for example, SCAN) consists
of applying the knowledge and skills of several people to finding
strategies for achieving a common objective when there is no conflict
among the participants in the process. The chart below compares
the three activities: Ch 2 Exhibit.
Here's an exercise to help you to learn these
definitions. Assign each of these examples to its proper category
(group decision-making, influencing or negotiating):
1. A politician asks for your vote.
2. A car salesperson quotes $25,900 for a
Toyota Camry and I offer her $23,000.
3. A couple discuss going skiing vs. inviting two friends for dinner and bridge.
4. You ask a bank loan-officer for $450,000 to start a new business.
5. Your brother-in-law asks you for $15,000.
6. My boss offers me a raise of 4%. I ask for 6%.
7. You work four week-ends to help your boss's boss with an important project.
The Influencing Process
In infancy, human beings do their influencing by
making this irresistible offer: give me what I want or I won't stop
crying. This works, for infants. For grown-ups, it's a
little different. For most things, we simply offer to pay money
for what we need. We get what we need but it leaves us with a
need for money, and some of us seem to need a great deal of
money. What do we do? We influence to get money and we
negotiate to get even more money! We also influence and negotiate
to get other things, besides money. Examples might include: a
bigger office, a thicker rug on the floor, a better hotel room, extra
time off from work. We influence for short-term gain and for the
long term. We influence people we have just met and we influence
people we have known a long time. We influence others and they
influence us. The basic model is this: "Accept my offer (grant my
request, buy my product) because my offer will help you to achieve your
objectives or solve your problems." A description of the
influencing process follows.
1. What Do You Need? Whom Should You Try to Influence?
The first step is to determine exactly what you need
from the people you try to influence. The best tool for exploring
your objectives, problems and opportunities and possible strategies,
Strategic Creative Analysis (SCAN), as discussed in Chapter 1. It
pays to perform this step very carefully and thoroughly to avoid making
a time consuming influencing effort, only to discover later that the
effort should have been directed at someone else, with a different
offer. I use the term "offer" on the assumption that any time you
use influencing (as opposed to demanding or commanding) you present an
offer to the person to be influenced and if the offer is accepted an
exchange will occur and your need will be satisfied.
2. What Are the Needs of Your Client?
Given the basic assumption of influencing that you
will satisfy your needs by helping others to satisfy theirs, the next
step is to figure out the needs of your client (the person you will
influence). You will have some opportunity to explore the needs
of your client when you meet, but thorough preparation increases your
success rate. Do a Mini SCAN (first four steps only) on your
client.
a) What is your client's relevant
objective? List all the objectives and strategies the client is
following and identify the objective that is relevant to you at this
time.
b) What are the client's Problems
and Opportunities? Some of the client's Problems are your
Opportunities.
c) Considering your client's Mini-SCAN, will the
client want to and be able to accept your offer? Does the client
have the resources? If the answer is "yes," continue. If
the answer is "no," identify a better client and repeat the process.
d) How can you help your client to:
(1) Solve problems?
(2) Exploit Opportunities?
e) Evaluate the risks that your client may see in your offer:
(1) Social
risk. Is it possible that others will ridicule or criticize your
client's decision to accept your offer?
(2) Functional
risk. Is it possible that the product, service, arrangement, or
deal that your offer will not work as promised?
(3) Economic
risk. Can the client acquire your offer at lower cost from
another source?
3. Human Behavior Concepts
Keep these human motivators in mind when you develop your offer:
A) People want to increase: income, security
and esteem and to decrease expenses, costs and risks.
B) Even more strongly, people want to
avoid: monetary loss, fear, anxiety, criticism and ridicule and to
avoid increases in expenses and costs.
Also, expect these two common obstacles:
A) Most people are unwilling to change their
thinking and their behavior. They resist or reject recommendations that may
help them to achieve their goals or to avoid problems.
B) Most people distrust strangers. If you are
approaching clients who do not know you, don't take it personally if they seem
to avoid you. It's human nature.
4. Establish, Maintain and Increase Your Credibility
It may be difficult to gain acceptance for your
offer. To smooth the way, you must establish, maintain and try to
increase your credibility.
The basic components of credibility are good
intentions and character. All of us are struggling to make our
way in the world, so that no one expects you to be an altruist.
But there must be no question about your integrity and the sincerity of
your offer.
Competence and pleasing personality are the other
two components of credibility. You should always be working to
increase your competence through study and practice and as for
personality, networking and formal evaluations will help you to
determine whether you need to change.
An effective strategy for building credibility is to
become a source of valuable information for your client. Keep
informed about your client's problems and needs, and through reading
and networking, acquire information that will be helpful to your client
and pass it on. In time, your client will think of you as a
friend and advisor and will also tend to feel indebted to you.
This will help you when you try influence your client.
Other useful tactics, perhaps obvious, are to always
be friendly, never combative or grouchy and to buy lunch once in a
while.
5. Prepare for Influencing
To maximize your probability of success, you should
plan your opener, plan answers to negative response, engage in
role-play and engage in imagery. If your offer is fairly complex,
it may also be a good idea to plan a formal presentation.
Plan your opener: Get your client's attention and stimulate his (her) interest
To accomplish the dual task, the opening statement
should suggest the benefit that the client will obtain by accepting
your offer. The opener should also include supporting information
to make the benefit credible. The best supporting information is
a disclosure of goal-satisfying results that have been obtained by
people or organizations, who are similar to your client.
Quantify the benefit that your offer will deliver. An example
might be: "Ms. Smith, I would like to show you an idea for a 20%
cost reduction obtainable with a new process. Mr. Jones at XYZ
Company is already benefiting from this new process. Your
company, should also be able to obtain these benefits because your
company is similar in many ways to the XYZ Company."
If your offer is so novel that comparable experience
has not yet been recorded, an alternative is to cite a unique feature
of the offer that supports the claimed benefit, for example: "Ms.
Smith, I would like to show you an idea for a 20% cost reduction
obtainable with a new process. This process is so successful
because it uses a patented alloy that allows a 40% reduction in
processing time."
Plan answers to negative responses
What if your client expresses disbelief or tries to
cut your visit short or tries to shuffle you off to a
subordinate? Anticipate reasonable possibilities and prepare your
reactions. Examples follow:
a) Client expresses
disbelief. Your correct response is to probe by asking "Why
do you say that?" This gives the client a chance to clarify
whether the disbelief applies to the claimed benefit or to the
supporting evidence. It may also turn out that the client did not
hear you properly or did not understand what you said. The
feed-back you receive will help you to clear up misunderstandings or to
offer additional proofs to support your claims.
b) Client tries to cut the visit
short. Ask for an appointment at a better time. Offer the
client two choices, for example, today at 1 p.m., or tomorrow at 10 a.m.
c) Client tries to shuffle you off
to a subordinate. Ask whether the subordinate has authority to
make a commitment on his (her) own. If the answer is yes,
accept. If the answer is no (which is the more likely situation)
point out that the potential benefits from your offer will be delayed
without any corresponding gain.
Additional Success-Building Techniques
Role-playing consists of actually practicing your
influencing effort with a willing associate before doing it in the real
world. You have to prepare your role-playing partner by telling
him or her how tough you want the responses to be. The more you
role-play, the more confident you will be when you do it in
reality. Role-play the anticipated encounter to apply the ideas
presented in this book before you attempt real influencing.
Imagery may be used instead of role-playing or in
addition to role playing. In a quiet environment, where you will
not be disturbed, you imagine yourself in the influencing
situation. You enter the client's place of business, deliver your
opener, respond successfully to objections, probe for needs, attempt
the conditional close, give your presentation and ask the client to
accept your offer. You hear objections, reformulate your offer
and again ask for the order.
As you imagine the situation many times, trying
different approaches to different obstacles, always with a successful
conclusion, you gain familiarity with the entire process and build up
your confidence and thereby increase your probability of success at the
real influencing encounter.
A formal presentation should be prepared if your
offer is complicated. Your offer may be accepted immediately, but
if your client needs, or expects a presentation, you should be
ready. The purpose is demonstrate the benefits in convincing
detail and to explain how the benefits are realized. Diagrams,
tables, charts, overhead transparencies, videotapes and computer
programs help to make a presentation more interesting and
understandable.
6. Present Your Opener
You have prepared thoroughly and now you are
face-to-face with your client. Previous research may have
revealed possibilities of establishing rapport by citing some common
bond (same school, town, avocation, etc.) or recognizing a significant
accomplishment of the client. The advantage of trying for rapport
is that it may result in a favorable predisposition toward your
offer.
Very Important Note: You must establish early
that the client has the authority and resources to accept your
offer. If he or she does not, find out who does and seek to see
that person.
Next, make your opening statement: introduce the
benefits others have experienced, in similar situations by accepting
offers like yours.
7. Confirm the Client's SCAN & Get the Conditional "Yes"
After your opening statement, let your client's
response guide your next steps. The client might agree to your
offer, in which case you should secure the order, express thanks and
leave.
Alternately, the client may show interest but
express doubts as to whether the offer you described actually fits
their needs. In that case, ask the client to tell you about their
needs. Listen for a need to which your offer will be a
magnificent response. Ask questions, probe and paraphrase.
For example, let's say the client is your boss' boss
and she expresses concern with costly delays in completing certain
types of projects.
Your planned offer is to reorganize the department
with you in charge of a major section. Your goal at this point is
to get the client to start saying "Yes" to your suggestions. That
will make it easier for her to say "Yes" when you present your offer
and "ask for the order." Your paraphrase would then be: "In
other words, you are considering the possibility of changing the
organization if that would lead to cutting out the
delays."
As long as your paraphrase has a conditional tone
(the "if" in the middle), it should not be difficult for your client to
agree with your paraphrase.
If the client does not appear to be responsive, you
are not addressing an important need. Try moving upward on his
(her) hierarchy of objectives and strategies (see Chapter 1, Step 2) by
asking "Why is that important to you?" Keep probing until you
feel you have a good understanding of your client's needs
hierarchy. Compare these needs with your offer. When you
feel that you have a good fit between the client's needs and your
offer, try the conditional close: "If I could show a way of
satisfying your needs, would you be interested?" This is another
way getting to "Yes." Of course, the better your preparation, the
quicker and more certain will be your voyage to "Yes."
8. Make the actual offer
Make the offer, show that your offer will satisfy
the client's needs and ask the client to accept it. If the client
says "Yes," express your thanks, complete any paperwork that is
necessary, say "Good-bye," and leave. Do not feel compelled to do
or say anything else, regardless of how fine a presentation you have or
what excellent stories you might tell. If, on the other hand, the
client declines to say "Yes," go on to the next step.
9. Deal with Objections
If the client declines, one reason could be that
they do not understand the offer well enough to appreciate its value to
them. Encourage them to ask questions that may lead to
clarification of important issues.
Another possibility is that you have not responded
to his (her) needs. Go back to discovering higher level needs in
the client's hierarchy of objectives and strategies (See Chapter 1,
Step 2). Listen carefully. If you feel that now you can
respond effectively to the client's needs, present your modified offer
and go for the close. If you are stymied, thank the client and
leave. Return another time with a more suitable offer.
You may also try the FAB (Features, Advantages, Benefits) approach, by presenting:
Features of your offer.
Advantages of your offer.
Benefits the client obtains from your offer.
To avoid confusing your client, limit your comparison to one, or two competitors.
If the client continues to decline, try using appeals to emotions.
10. Appeals to Emotions
If the client still declines:
1. Report testimonials from satisfied customers and then try to close.
2. Describe the need satisfaction your client will experience by accepting your offer and then close.
3. Refer to respected people or organizations that do what you
recommend and are obtaining good results. Then try to close.
4. Stir up fears by pointing out what may
happen if the client does not accept your offer: rising costs, missed
deadlines, lost sales, lost customers. Then try to close.
If nothing works, say "Thank you" and "Good-bye" and
leave. Then try again another time and/ or find a better client.
11. Mistakes to Avoid
1. Giving up too soon. When
you influence, you want clients to overcome their natural reluctance to
change. They may need time to mull over your offer and they may
want to test your dedication by having you approach them several
times. Sales representatives, who are professional influencers,
report that they need five calls on the average, to open a new
account. You may hope for acceptance on the first try, but be
prepared to make several attempts. As you keep trying, you are
also learning, so that your approach improves and your probability of
success increases.
2. Being insufficiently
prepared. Influencing is a complex process. If you are well
prepared, your chance of success are greater. To be well
prepared, you should:
a) Understand your needs and the client's needs.
b) Have a well
thought-out offer that will satisfy the needs of both parties.
c) Prepare as much support for the soundness of your offer as possible:
(1) Advantages of adopting your offer.
(2) Disadvantages of not adopting your offer.
(3) Successes of your offer in similar situations.
(4) Testimonials of satisfied adopters of your offer or similar offers.
d) Practice: role-play and imagery.
e) Acquire
personal data about the client to help in establishing rapport.
3. Overlooking the buying
influentials. More than one person may be involved in the
decision regarding your offer. You will have to influence all of
them. Do not leave this task to the first member of the client
team that you contact. This person is not as well informed as you
are, nor as motivated.
4. Rushing the client. This
is related to point 1, above. If you pressure the client
excessively, he (she) may agree to accept your offer just to be rid of
you and then cancel the agreement. You have accomplished nothing
and antagonized a potential client.
5. Emphasizing features instead of
benefits. Your clients are interested in benefits. Features
should be brought into the discussion only to increase the credibility
of the benefits.
6. Being insufficiently flexible.
The client may want to adapt your offer to their special needs.
If the adapted offer still satisfies your requirements, be open-minded
about accepting your client's adaptations.
12. Continue Influencing
An influencer's work is never done. With
respect to your boss, maintain your credibility and influence your boss
to give you bigger pay increments and stronger recommendations for
promotion. Follow the steps described above.
With clients who have not accepted your offers, consider trying again.
With clients who have accepted your offers, check
whether they have questions or doubts. If they have, take them
through the steps listed above, to the extent required.
13. Is Influencing Ethical?
The guiding principle should be: Do not do to
anyone anything that you would hate if it were done to you.
This gets us to the key question: "Do I hate
it if someone tries to influence me?" I give a qualified "no" as
my answer. I don't hate it if someone tries to influence me,
provided that they follow the steps presented in this chapter. I
want influencers to come to me with well-thought out offers that will
help me achieve my objectives. I will gladly listen to their
presentations and if I become convinced that their offer will help me,
I will accept it and thank them for their concern for my well
being. Yes, influencing is ethical, provided that it is done
according to the prescription presented here.
14. Writing Reports and Giving Presentations
If you are preparing a written or oral presentation
that recommends goal-oriented action, the SCAN process and the
influencing techniques described here provide useful ideas.
Follow this sequence:
1. Objective of your work.
2. The strategies you recommend.
3. The expected benefits to the clients of implementing your strategies.
4. Action programs for your strategies.
5. How you developed your recommendations.
a) SWOTs.
b) Possible strategies derived from SWOTs.
c) How you selected the strategies you are recommending.
In a written report, a cover page
should summarize the first three parts, under the title "Executive
Summary." If you are giving an oral presentation, your audience
may be interested only in the first four parts. Prudence would
dictate that you have the fifth part ready, just in case you are called
upon to present it.
15. Next Steps
Your next steps should be to practice and observe
influencing. Review this chapter and apply the exercise in the
next section to new influencing goals. Review your work and
continue. Well conducted influencing is fun and helps you to
achieve your business and personal goals and enables you to help other
people, as well. You can also learn a great deal by observing
other people as they try to influence you or others.
If you want to read more about influencing, just
about everything that is published focuses on selling products and
services. You will have to interpret what you read broadly, so that you
may apply the information to a wider range of situations.
An Influencing Experience
Conduct a new influencing experience following all
the suggestions presented in this chapter. Prepare a report on
the entire influencing experience, covering the topics listed
below. Your paper must report an actual, new influencing
encounter. A report based on a hypothetical or old encounter will
not be accepted. "Old encounter" is an influencing encounter that
occurred before you studied the Influencing Chapter in this book.
Follow this outline in writing your report of the
Influencing experience. Your report must contain all of the
following headings:
A. Before the Influencing Encounter
1. Your objective for this influencing experience - what did you want?
2. Who was your client (person you wanted to influence) for this experience?
3. Your client's Mini-SCAN: Steps 1 to 4 of the SCAN
Process. Which objectives and SWOTs did you use for the
Influencing experience?
4. Your preparation for the influencing encounter
a) What opener did you prepare?
b) How did you conduct the imagery and role-play?
c) What else did you do to prepare for the encounter?
5. Did you have credibility with your client from previous meetings?
If you did not, how did you prepare for establishing credibility?
B. At the Influencing encounter.
1. How did you arrange the meeting?
2. How did you start your presentation?
3. Did you encounter challenges and/or rejection? If yes, how did you respond?
4. Did you get what you wanted?
5. Were there any surprises at the influencing encounter?
C. Analysis and thoughts after the meeting.
1. Should you have done anything differently? What?
2. From your client's point of
view, should your client have done anything differently? What?
3. What are the three most important things you learned from this experience?
4. What are your plans for future influencing encounters?
This Page was last update:
Thursday, August 18, 2005 at 4:35:52 PM
This page was originally posted: 8/16/2005; 4:48:27 PM.
Copyright 2010 MBA Toolbox
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