Do you know the power of because? When people know your because, they are far more likely to be influenced to say yes. On today’s episode, Thom Singer is joined by marketing consultant Gerry O’Brion to talk about how to effectively influence others. Gerry shares the four questions about your audience that you need answers to, and he offers the single most critical thing you need to do to effectively influence others (and it doesn’t start with finding your why).

 

On today’s podcast, you will learn about:

 

Influencing people to say yes

• Regardless of your position, you are in a position to influence others.
• Effective influence techniques can be applied to any situation.
• A strong framework of influence can effectively change the decisions people make.

 

Four questions to ask about your audience

 

• Who are you influencing? Not everyone can be influenced in the same way, so your approach will have to change accordingly.

 

• What insights do you have about your audience? And what do they want more or less of, hope for, and fear?
• What is the outcome that you are going to cause? You need to have proof that you will deliver what you say you can deliver.

• What is your because? Your because is the logical proof that the decision is a good one.

 

How to best frame your influence 

• Clearly identify what’s in it for them.
• Find actual metrics that prove the results that come when you put your promise to work.
• People want to be able to prove to others that they made a good choice — give them the evidence they need to say yes.
• Don’t focus only on the outcome, support it with rational, logical reasons that support the decision.

 

How to identify the because

• People may understand your why, but when they understand your because, you will really be able to have an effective influence on them.
• Understand the problems that leaders are trying to solve.
• Frame your solutions in terms of what they are thinking about, not what you are thinking about.
• Use the insights into their mindset to answer their concerns and solve their problems.

 

What Big Brands Know

Do you have an example of extraordinary efforts or innovation during these unprecedented times? We would love to hear your story and possibly interview you for an upcoming episode. Please reach out to us at www.DigitalEnterpriseSociety.org.

 

Shareables:

[8:09] “Get focused on who you are influencing, because not everyone is influenced in the same way.” — Gerry O’Brion

 

[10:35] “When you’re influencing someone who has five big problems on their plate and you're not one of them, they don’t care.” — Gerry O’Brion

 

[18:44] “Your brain needs a rational reason to make an emotional decision.” — Gerry O’Brion

 

[25:23] “You have to arm people with the information they need to make a rational, logical reason to agree with you.” — Gerry O’Brion