How to Earn Trust and Influence People

T When you venture into something new, there are certain criterias needed to separate the men from the boys. Some people have a natural knack of knowing and having what it takes to not just give the right impression when presenting their project, but to also earn the respect and trust of the people they are mrketing their product to. Mastering the art of influence is crucial, whether you’re leading a team, pitching a new project, or closing a sale. hink about an idea that never saw the light of day. Think about the one that got away. What would have changed if you had pursued it differently? What do you know now that you wish you knew then? With this train of thought, no doubt you can think of an idea that could have made a big impact had it materialized or better still, been handled or managed better from the onset.

It is not just enough to have a passion for something. Truth is, no matter how exciting the concept or project is, if you have not done enough reasearch, the organization or people you are trying to impress, can tear it into pieces before you have finished your sales pitch. Many potential ideas have been prematurely buried before they saw the light of day.

Your situation might be a David fighting a Goliath, but let’s face it, David did conquer Goliath. So it is not so much the obstacle that destroys dreams, it is the dogged determination to succeed that keeps it alive. So what happened to make this happen? The idea was obviously solid and the sales pitch was heavily influenced with enough materials to hit the right notes with keynote speakers well armed enough with the necessary information to present what they know best. Slides to support each key sector of the proposed project also helps.

Influence is only difficult when you have not earned the trust, commitment, and support of people who are likely dissimilar to you. Their priorities aren’t the same, they have their own strongly held beliefs, and they likely think and behave very differently than you do. You might be a data-driven, logic-head who will have financials, market analyses, and a clear answer to the “Why?” question. But if your potential client is a gut-thinker who wants to connect ideas with people, all the logic in the world may not sway his thinking if the emotional pitch isn’t right.

In order to influence, you have to be able to answer the right questions to understand what really matters to your audience...no matter who they are or how they think. The following are eight questions you can ask yourself about your audience that will ensure you’re covering the bases and start you on the path to influencing others.

Who exactly is your target audience?

Knowing your audience at a deep level can pivot you from being merely “convincing” to being truly “influential.” This going deeper than job title or personality...research what drives them, what they’re working on, what they read, etc.

What is the target audience’s relationship with you?

If you know who your audience is broadly, specifically look at their relationship to you and how that could affect their reception of your message.

What’s your history?

Think back on any prior experience to garner ideas.

What is going on their world right now?

Understanding what they’re analyzing and how they perceive the world around them is key.

What do they already know about the subject?

People want to see that you’ve done your homework. You need to find new angles, which means you’ve got to understand what information people already have and come at it from another direction.

How will this subject or idea impact their work? What are the positives and negatives?

There’s a cost-benefit to everything, and by addressing the impact from all perspectives, you’ll be seen as more of

an expert.

What are their potential talking points and next steps?

Many times, those whom you are influencing will be able to influence others, so make sure they’re prepared and fully ready to do so.

What will keep them from adopting your message or idea?

Laying out the clear, concrete potential objectives and going through them systematically will save you the hassle of answering them later. Ask for additional concerns, it’s all about preparation.

What are your audience’s potential preferences that you need to consider?

Everyone has thinking and behavioural preferences that often do more to drive their decision making than other, more tangible, day-to-day things. Look for clues around their verbals (loud and outgoing versus quieter and internal) and their approach to getting things done (more peacekeeping and conciliatory versus more driving orcompetitive). Adjust your behavior to match.

How does what you are presenting fit into the audience’s bigger picture?

If you’re looking to influence others, you need to be thinking broadly. Not everyone has a huge vision for every part of their work, but everyone puts things into a broader context. Make sure your ideas fit into that context.

What keeps your audience up at night? Address exactly what your idea or thought changes for your audience.

Everyone has something that can be improved, but until you look deeply for what that is, you could be looking to influence a problem that doesn’t exist.

These are principles of influence that will allow you to create the best potential to earn the trust and action of those around you.