Influence Is What You Make Of It
In some way, putting the words Sales and Influence into the same phrase starts bringing up negative thoughts and all the stereotypes we have of sales people. Too often, we as sales people are ashamed to talk about the exercise of influence. We use softer words that seem more sensitive or customer friendly.
But what’s incorrect with influence, why should we back off of the concept? Why shouldn’t we be proud of our role as influencers? Isn’t influence a fundamental part of change, progress, and integral to business?
When considering some of these “charged” words, I tend to look them up in the dictionary, Influence:
-noun: The capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on the actions, behaviors, opinions of others. The action or process of producing effects on the actions of others.
-verb: To go or impel to some action.
Influence isn’t what sales people do, it’s what all people do—both in and out of business. We are trying to get things done, we are trying to change things, we are trying to achieve goals. In doing this in a “social” environment, it means we need to align and motivate people to do something. Or it means people are trying to align and motivate us to do something.
Managers and leaders exercise influence as a part of their jobs every day. In any group, we consider and debate thoughts, alternatives, looking to solve problems. Each of us looks to convince people we work with. It could be on a new thought, it could be the restaurant we go to for dine.
Influence is just the way things get done, it’s vital for sales people to exercise influence both customers and people within their own company.
Influence, like whatever business, can be taken to an extreme, where it become negative. Top sales professionals exercise influence in everything they do. But they know where the line is and don’t cross it.