No amount of strategy can avoid the need at some point to actually do some influencing. Okay, you may have developed a great strategy which involves getting others to do the heavy lifting; however, you still have to influence them in the first place. Put another way, if you are not out there influencing, you’re probably missing some great opportunities or, you will lose out on the credit later.
Much of what follows depends on you having a clear notion of where you are going. In an earlier article (Influence Processes and Goals) I suggested you should use the Stakeholder Influence Process to guide your influencing work. At the very beginning of this was the idea of focusing on exactly what you want to achieve. You may also have read Chapter 1 of Influential Leadership which gives a great deal of guidance about developing your purpose and goals.
Goals suitable for the Stakeholder Influence Process (a key element of Chapter 7) should be set in the medium to longer term. On the run up to that, you are going to have to win over lots of other people. Some of this may be by using group techniques, which I’ll come to in a later article, but most often, you’re going to be influencing one-to-one.
Here are a few pointers of the key things that can help you avoid blundering in on autopilot and getting it wrong. Some of it may sound obvious, although I wonder how often you actually do these things to any decent degree.
- Reflect on the individual stakeholder you wish to influence. What exactly do you want them to do, think or feel as a result of your influence attempt? Of course, you want them to buy-in to what you are doing but, what exactly do you want them to do as a result of that shift? Perhaps you want them to email their team demonstrating their support, or maybe, take up your case with their line-manager at their one-to-one next week. Get as specific as you can.
- Consider what influences this person. Look for examples of when you have seen them being influenced. What was happening? Why were they influenced? What was the influencer doing?
- Conversely, what doesn’t influence this person? Can you think of examples when someone attempted to influence them, and it didn’t work? What was tried and why didn’t it work?
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- What’s in it for them? Standard sales technique here is to consider how your proposal will make life easier for them, or in some other way bring benefits to their doorstep. Linking your proposals to the benefits for them (not you!) can have a dramatic effect on your prospects and thinking about this before the meeting is critical.
- How will they lose? Every proposal has an element of disadvantage. You may be so entirely sold on what you are suggesting that you can see no reason why they could possibly say no. Fact is, there will be reasons, even if these are not sufficient to thwart your attempts. These little seeds can be magnified quickly if something else upsets them as you attempt to influence them.
- How are you going to make your case? Structure your approach based on your earlier reflections and see if you can lay out a game plan. What arguments will you use? What evidence will you present? How will you reference wider support?
- Finally, when will you make the attempt? Timing can often make or break the attempt.
These ideas represent a starting point, the absolute minimum to consider before you go in to see someone with a view to influencing them. The related reading will take you much deeper and this is vital to do when you are preparing to influence an important powerful stakeholder.
The Gautrey Influence Blog
Ever felt overlooked, unheard, or stuck in office politics? You’re not alone. The Gautrey Influence Blog breaks down the real-world strategies behind leadership, influence, and power—giving you the tools to be heard, respected, and successful. Join 35,000+ professionals getting ahead the smart way—subscribe now..
💡 Benchmark your Influence: Take the Master of Influence Assessment (Free for Subscribers!)
👉 [Subscribe & Take the Assessment]