The New Power Base Selling: Master The Politics, Create Unexpected Value and Higher Margins, and Outsmart the Competition

Degrees of Influence

To make these concepts usable in everyday selling, we define three categories or levels of influence. We will refer to these definitions throughout the book, and they are summarized in Figure 3.3.

Figure 3.3: Degrees of Influence

1. Foxes are the center of influence within the Power Base.

2. The Power Base is a network of individuals within an organization who all have one thing in common: influence. It may come from authority or via association with authority; either way, they are powerful people who communicate and collaborate within the network.

3. Those outside of the Power Base are individuals without influence as it relates to your sales opportunity. They may be skilled, well intentioned, and hardworking, but they do not have the power to shape the purchasing decision.

This chapter started our journey toward mastering politics by presenting the difference between influence and authority—and seeing the various places where both might exist within an organization. Next, we’ll focus on customer Foxes—the center of influence and the heart of the Power Base. These high-integrity individuals place their organization first, often by shaping customer politics. Rarely surprised by events, Foxes work behind the scenes to prewire or shape decisions, often long before they are made. Foxes are high performers who are interested in getting the best out of the ...