The Pfeiffer Book of Successful Communication Skill-Building Tools

Chapter 3. The Influence Continuum

Marlene Caroselli

Abstract: To work is to sell, regardless of whether you are "in sales" and whether you hold a position of authority over others. When you interact with people, generally you are either presenting an idea or listening to the ideas of others—either selling or being sold on something. To sell successfully, you must convince others that it is worth their time to listen to a proposal and to take action in accordance with it. This article offers a process for influencing others, consisting of five stages: balk, talk, caulk, walk, and stalk. Recommendations are given for each stage: for influencing others, for overcoming negative reactions and obstacles that may be encountered, and for fostering successful implementation of the idea being sold.

The Influence Continuum

Often when you want people to comply with your wishes, you will either not have or not want to use position power to accomplish your goal; instead, you will want to influence them. This article offers an approach to influencing that can be used by anyone in an organizational or team setting. With some adaptation, the approach can also be used in one-on-one situations. The process of influencing is separated into five stages, each named for the characteristic action of that stage (on the part of the audience, the influencer, or both): Balk, Talk, Caulk, Walk, and Stalk. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the five stages. Figure 1 presents them as a continuum. Figure 2 shows that, during ...