Talk Less, Say More: Three Habits to Influence Others and Make Things Happen

Chapter 9. Why Convince?: Action Management

Are you an influential person with enormous power? Do you get things done through others? Do you save time and money by inspiring higher performance? Are you capable of creating growth, innovation, and profitability by convincing others to act? If you answered yes to all of these questions, congratulations, you can stop reading now.

Influence Others to Act without Delay

Are you brilliant at business strategy, but poor at convincing others to do what must be done? Do you find yourself frustrated while communicating because others don't easily buy into your ideas?

Whether you relate more to the first or second paragraph or find yourself somewhere in between, the answers are crucial to your success, both in business and in your personal life. The ability to positively, and quickly, influence others is a core leadership skill that produces superior results. In addition, it's more important now than ever before, because speed to market has become critical.

Biggest Blunders Manipulating and Arm-Twisting

Influential people use their power to sway behaviors, decisions, actions, and outcomes. They revitalize organizations by inspiring individuals and departments to meet or exceed goals. They cut through clutter and make things happen.

Let's get clear about what I mean by convincing. There are two common misperceptions:

First, convincing does not mean manipulating or arm-twisting. The difference is intent. Manipulators focus on their own needs and theirs ...