JOBTALKS

THE ART OF
INFLUENCING
OTHERS
Indiana University
Kelley School of Business
C. Randall Powell, Ph.D

Contents used in this presentation are adapted from Career Planning Strategies
and used with the permission of the author.
 THE ART OF INFLUENCING
OTHERS

Your Network Partners

What do these people have in common?

Bill Gates

Madonna
Mother Theresa

Pablo Picasso
Adolf Hitler
 Everyone is a person of influence….

Even though we have an impact on nearly everyone around

us, our level of influence is not the same with everyone
 There are two basic ways of
influencing people….

Number 1: REWARDS

Number 2: PUNISHMENTS
Rewards will work for awhile….

How much is enough?

Fear will also work for awhile….

People Can Be Influenced If They

Think You Can Punish Them
Crude reliance on either the lash or
the cash is self-defeating-
A balanced use of negative and
positive reinforcements works best…
 Subtlety enhances the influence of
rewards and punishments

Your Level Of Influence Increases

When:

 You act consistently and show credibility

 You show integrity
 You have bonded with the person or
people you are trying to influence
 Credibility

 Never Assume People Believe You

 but be truthful by habit anyway
 Never Assume People Understand You
 but explain things as clearly as you can
 Downplay Any Benefits To Yourself
 but be ready to acknowledge the effects of
enlightened self-interest

Love truth, but pardon error ~ Voltaire

 Integrity

 Integrity is not determined by circumstances

 You are responsible for the choices you make
 Your character is not determined by circumstances
 Integrity is not based on credentials
 Character is who we are
 Character is permanent, credentials are transient
 Reputation is not integrity
 Words are cheap, actions have weight

Integrity is the essence of everything successful ~ R. Buckminster Fuller

 Credible behavior and a personal
integrity will allow others to trust
you…

The key to successfully influencing people

over the long term is winning their trust and
bonding with them….
Nurture People
 Show Genuine
Concern for Others
 Commit To People
 Believe In Others
 Give People
Opportunities
 Accentuate the Positive

Don’t criticize, complain about,

or condemn people.
Do make people feel important
 Show sincere appreciation
 Think of other people’s good points – and point
them out!
 Three Types of People
Life-Enhancers:
People who enrich
the lives of others and lift Lawn-Mowers:
other people up People who have good
intentions, but are self
absorbed

Well- Poisoners:
People who discourage
others, stomp on creativity
and tell people they can’t
do it.
 Have Faith In People

 Most people don’t have faith in

themselves, and believe they will fail
 Most people don’t have someone who
has faith in them
 Most people will do anything to live up to
your faith in them

If you think you can win, you can win. Faith is necessary to victory.
~ William Hazlitt (1778 - 1830)
 Always Listen To Other People

 This Shows Respect

 And Generates Ideas
 Listening Builds
Loyalty
 And Increases
Knowledge

“You can’t hear the song if you don’t listen to the notes…”
 Empathy

Practice seeing things from

the other person’s viewpoint
Talk About the things that
they desire and enjoy
This is an effective strategy because:
 Each of us spends 95% of our time thinking about ourselves
 Everyone is interested in the things they want, but few really care about
the things you want
 People aren’t interested in me, they don’t care about you -
they’re interested in themselves
 The most frequently used word – “I”
 You’re On….

“…all the world’s a stage, where each must play a part….”

Smile! If you have fun meeting people they

will have fun meeting you.
Remember people’s names!!
 Names are Unique and Set People Apart
 A Person’s Name is One of the Most Important
Sounds in any Language
 How to fail…

There are three main reasons people fail at understanding others:

1. FEAR - People fear what they don’t immediately understand and this fear hampers
their ability to perceive

2. SELF-CENTEREDNESS - People naturally think of their own interests first

3. PROVINCIALISM – The failure to appreciate differences, and recognize and respect

everyone’s unique qualities

Conquer fear,
self-centeredness and
provincialism in yourself.
 Sympathetic success
“Three-fourths of all the people you will ever meet
are hungering and thirsting for sympathy.
Give it to them, and they will love you.”
– Dale Carnegie

Be sympathetic to the other person’s ideas and desires –

• Look at things from the other person’s perspective
• Reach out to others with a strong hand and a soft heart
• Have a positive attitude about people
 People of influence navigate
for others….
Show the person
what steps to take
Exercise foresight
on the path
to predict
to their goal
and compensate
for obstacles
in the path

Show the person

their destination
 Show the person
their destination

 Listen to a person’s aspirations

 Ask about a person’s desires
 Help a person define the goals that will
achieve these aspirations and desires
 Show the person
what steps to take
on the path
to their goal

 Define where the person is now

 Identify the person’s abilities and talents
 Choose a pragmatic path
 Exercise foresight
to predict
and compensate
for obstacles
in the path

 Everybody faces problems

 Successful people face more
obstacles than unsuccessful people
 Problems provide an opportunity
for growth
 People of influence connect
with other people….
Don’t Take People For Granted - Value People

 Possess the Attitude That You Can Make a Difference

and You Will Be Able To Make A Difference

Find the Key to Others’ Lives

 What is Important to the Person?
 What has the Person Achieved?
 What Does the Person Desire to do?

Communicate From the Heart

 Be Genuine,
 Share From your Heart, and
 Be Yourself
 Important Factors In
Influencing Others
 Show Credibility and Integrity
 Make People Feel Important
 See Things From the Other Person’s Viewpoint
 Nurture People by Showing Genuine Concern
for Others
 Have Faith in People
 Always Listen to Other People
 Navigate the Path for Other People
 Connect with Others
 Case Study: Community
Greenspace
 25 acres up for grabs!
 Housing, Commercial, Recreation,
Education, Conservation Park – which will
it be?
 How will you influence people in your
group?
 How will you influence another group to
join your cause?
 Sources
 Secrets of Power Persuasion, Everything You’ll Need To
Get Anything You’ll Ever Want Roger Dawson

 How to Positively Impact The Lives of Others, Becoming a

Person of Influence John C. Maxwell & Jim Dornan

 The Seven Secrets of Influence Elaina Zucker

 How To Win Friends & Influence People Dale Carnegie

 http://www.dale-carnegie.com
 Evaluation Questions
A. Strongly Agree
B. Agree
C. Disagree
D. Strongly Disagree
E. Don’t Know

 1. I found the presentation of material easy to understand.

 2. This session increased my knowledge on the subject presented.
 3. I will be able to use some of the information from this session in the
future.
 4. The presenter was well prepared for this session.
 5. This presentation should be repeated in future semesters.
If you would like to
learn more, Career
Planning Strategies
textbook will supply
additional information
on this topic.