Business

What does likeability have to do with influence? Everything.

For instance, when was the last time you left your child with someone you didn’t like? How many times do you buy from someone you despise? When did you follow a dislikeable person’s instructions? How much do you listen to a person who pretends to be someone they aren’t?

Probably not much, if at all.

Remember the days when success meant graduating from college, finding a stable job, starting at an entry level position and rising within the ranks, and retiring with a pension that supports a lifestyle you’ve become accustomed to?

Sounds too good to be real – and it is.

Smart business requires you to connect and network. You have the choice to align with people who can help you and people who won’t do much for you.

Surprisingly, many people in business spend way too much time with people who don’t or won’t help them. Then they wonder why things aren’t moving forward for them. They underestimate the significance and value of being around or doing business with influential people.

Success in any arena depends on your ability to make excellent decisions. Solid decisions follow the guiding principles of your heart and your head.

We are faced with decisions all day long:

• Saying "I do!"
• Making a purchase
• Believing what someone tells you
• Changing careers
• Starting a business

And the list goes on.

It’s commonly known that the acronym KISS stands for “Keep it simple, stupid.” Well, I’ve gone ahead and modified it to be a little more effective by saying, “Keep it smart, stupid.” The KISS principle, while it shouldn’t be used every time in every situation, definitely has its place in the world of business.

Where can you use the KISS (Keep it smart) method in your company?

Every person is a born leader with leadership skills waiting to be developed. You lead your life, your family, your friends, and your work colleagues.

In the previous two issues of Influence It! Real Power For Women, you learned about the relationship between emotion and selling.

This knowledge is critical in your ability to understand human nature, emotions, and persuasion.

As the world-renowned neuroscientist Damasio showed, no decision humans make is based on rational thinking alone.

Triggers are alive and well for everyone! They are part of our memory, there to guide us and sometimes protect us.

Triggers work by way of emotions. When we are exposed to a certain stimuli, and depending on our history, we experience a rush of emotion that tells us how to react.

Listening to the people you are trying to persuade.

The purpose of leadership is to get someone, mainly a group of people, to do something – and that’s to follow you, to agree with your plans and to move to convincing others about your ideas.

You need to convey your message in a way that convinces them to get on board.