Finally in this series, I want to focus on three rules that will help guide your behaviour as you’re out there doing your influencing. As you’re going out there, talking to the people that you need to influence, starting to move forward on your objective, these three rules will help to simplify what it is you’re doing. And make it you more effective.
Translate your Ask
The first one here is to translate your ask, your message, your proposal, into their language.
You’ve got your own jargon, your terminology, the way you talk about things. Even the way you think about things. And that’s pertinent to you. What I notice is that a lot of people, when they’re pitching, will pitch in their own language using their own jargon.
And that is going to be less effective than pitching it in words that the target of their influence will understand, phrases that they’re familiar with, the type of jargon that they’re familiar with using. This will be far more effective for your influence attempt, than talking from your own page.
So always try to translate your message into their world.
Benefits, to Them
The second rule here is to really target the benefits that they will receive, and put these ahead of everything else.
Based on your analysis, based on the way you’re thinking about things and the requests that you’ve got of them, what’s the difference for them? How are they really going to gain from what it is you’re trying to deliver?
What I notice a lot of influencers doing is influencing again from their own page based on their concept of what’s really good about their proposal. Which is fine for them but not necessarily most appropriate, most effective and quickest to help their stakeholders to understand why they should do it, how they’re really going to benefit.
So please target the benefits on the individual that you’re seeking to influence.
Be Vigorous, Determined and Tenacious
And the final one, and this is a general one that – particularly in large, complicated organisations – influence does take a while, and you have got to put yourself out. You have got to put energy into it. So this final rule is about being very vigorous, determined and tenacious in your attempt to influence.
Keep at it, keep going. Get the energy up, get your motivation up as high as it possibly can be, because there will be obstacles, there will be things that will be put in your way, and you have got to have that energy, the motivation, to keep pushing on, to keep beating the drum, to keep moving forward, and to overcome the obstacles that will inevitably be put in your way.
So, please be very clear that you’ve got to get on and do this, and to make it happen. It’s not going to happen on its own. It’s up to you.
Colin Gautrey
Provocative Coach/Mentor | Specialism: Impact and Influence
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