The Psychology of Influence, Part 2
The art of persuasion can be a powerful force for good, but it must be done for the right reasons and in the right way. Inspired by Robert Cialdini’s classic bestseller, “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion,” here are some ways to be influential in an entirely ethical way:
Likability
In business, likeability is a gamechanger. After all, everyone wants to do business with people they like! Now, this doesn’t mean that customers will discount competence – your clients have to know that you’re good at what you do. However, if competency is equal and they have to choose between doing business with someone they like and someone they don’t, they will inevitably choose the former.
Likeability is all about creating positive emotional experiences for people. When you make others feel good, they gravitate toward you. In today’s fast-paced world, you can really connect with and impact people if you slow down, break bread with them and take a genuine interest in what they have to say. As Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Leadership
To be an effective leader, you must lead from the front. Whether it’s with your professional team at work or your kids at home, what you do is always much more powerful than what you say. Part of this is leading yourself first: If you can’t manage yourself, you won’t be able to manage anyone else. Are you leading yourself when it comes to your schedule and your habits, for example? Are you pursuing things that are in the best interests of your personal growth and development? Actions speak louder than words, so make a decision to do your best every day and really lead by example.
Scarcity
GK Chesterton once said, “The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost.” In business, scarcity is a very powerful thing – when people fear losing something, they often become highly motivated. However, scarcity has to be authentic. As a real estate professional, you must communicate expectations to your customers and be clear about limiting factors, such as inventory or timeframe, but you must never create an artificial scarcity. When scarcity is arrived at through authentic means and with the right intent, it will make you high demand and even more valuable.
If you have the right heart, the right motives, and you go about it the right way, you will become a master of influence. To learn more, listen to the latest episode of “It’s a Good Life.”
