It isn’t power that makes you important, nor is it money. Power is something you have when you have influence. Money sometimes can help you have influence. Influence is where it is all at.
You cannot influence people without having the ability to persuade people.
When you are talking to someone and trying to influence them to do something, there are a few things that can make or break how well you do.
First, you must be clear in your presentation. Whether it is an email, a phone call, or a face to face, you need to consider how you present your information. With an email, it is difficult to get someone to read more than two paragraphs. We tend to expect emails to be fast and convenient.
A phone call does not always mean you have them at a time when their mind can focus on what you’re talking about. Face to face you can judge their reactions much better and see what more needs to be said or done or explained. And in all cases, you must be clear, making points that are pertinent and understandable.
A rambling approach and disjointed presentation will lose your audience and erode your influence. If your audience is waiting impatiently for you to get to the point, they will not be persuaded. Make it easy for your audience. Don’t make them work to find your point.
If the relevance to your audience is not obvious, they will not be persuaded. The requires you to know your audience and remember that to influence, it needs to be about them, not you.
If there is no impact, and the audience cannot remember what you said, they will not be persuaded. When someone is talking just numbers and statistics to me, I start planning my next dream vacation in my head. I mentally leave the conversation.
And if there is no value, if you’re talking only from your own perspective, it doesn’t matter to me. It does not go on my list of priorities. Give me a reason and a worth to me.
Quite possibly, if you consider these things before making the effort to influence someone, you might find that you should reexamine who you need to bring in on your project. Don’t waste your time. Don’t waste my time. Use your energy and time and knowledge wisely.
Speaking of wise use of time, maybe you should be taking your three to six – year – old child or grandchild to the Yoga Storytime at the Guymon Public Library on March 27 from 4 to 4:45 pm. I read that looking at those who scored highest on their ACT and SAT scores, it was a staggering number who listed that they were read to as a child. So, rather than paying for tutors later, rather than buying expensive study programs, read to your kids when they’re young. And it might lower your blood pressure, too. So, storytime is a good idea for lots of reasons. The library is located at 1718 N. Oklahoma in Guymon.
How did I do on my presentation?
Coop Connections thought: use your card to get a large Pizza Hut pizza for a medium price. This is good at the Boise City, Beaver, and Guymon locations. If you can’t find your card, go online at www.tcec.coop and they’ll tell you what to do. And you can look at all your regular shopping places that have coop savings. Love that saving money. Love that pizza.
And when you’re using a Coop Connection card, you’re shopping local. That means when you spend $100 at an independent local store (one owned by local folks), $48 stays in the community; when you spend the same $100 at an in – town chain outlet, $14 stays local; and when you spend that Benjamin at a remote online store, only $1 stays local. That money that stays local helps your neighbors and their employees make a living, helps support your civic organization, supports those that give to Panhandle Partners so you have assistance when cancer hits your friend or family member, and helps keep your streets paved, your water running, and your toilet flushing.
“Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts,” said John C. Maxwell. “It is about one life influencing another.”
See you on the bricks … being a great influence!