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NOTE: Today’s guest blog, Do You Use The Secrets of Influence?, is an edited version of an interview with Elaina Zuker.  She is the bestselling author of “Seven Secrets of Influence.” Stephanie Chen, Chief Legal and Culture Officer at ChenMed, hosts the show and brings out valuable insights from the expert herself. 

You can listen to the replay by clicking this link.  

ChenMed is one of Fortune Magazine’s 2020 “Change the World” companies. They are “taking on society’s unsolved problems, and boosting their business as a result.”

Intro: Welcome to the Everyone Wins Podcast. I’m your host, Stephanie Chen, Chief Legal and Culture Officer at ChenMed. My guest today is an Author, Businesswoman, and Educator, Elaina Zucker. Elaina is here today to break down Influence. She reveals how to build Influence, and how to use the 7 secrets of Influence.

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Elaina Zucker

Welcome, Elaina! I’m excited to have you here today. Let’s talk a bit about who you. You are the President of Elaina Zuker Associates, a management training and consulting firm. As a businesswoman and educator, I’m impressed that you found the time to author six books!

The topics include leadership, management, assertiveness, communication, and Influence. You are here today to talk to us about Influence. You have a best-selling book called “The Seven Secrets of Influence.” In it, you share a unique theory, “Secrets of Influence,” that breaks down the six types of Influence.

Why is Influence Important Now?

• Everyone can benefit from learning how to influence
• We need to find a way to make ourselves heard.
• Influence is strategic, and you can have success with Influence if you break down the parts and then practice. 

What Can Influence Do For You?

Influence is portable power. It is inside of you and is something you can learn, practice and master. Best of all, it is with you, always. You can use it in everyday life or at work. Having Influence gives you the power to motivate, sell, be more confident, more effective, and more productive. 

Influence helps you get the results you want while allowing others to get the results they want. It can even create cause a change in another person’s behavior.

Chen: Some people might think that Influence is only essential for people in top leadership positions. Why is Influence a vital skill for everyone to have? 

Zucker:  No matter what role you are in, it’s essential to influence across lines, albeit up, down, or sideways. In every situation, when you are trying to get your point across to have others hear you, influence communication is essential. The Pandemic created a new style for working. Admittedly, it’s more of a challenge to influence others when working from home, having virtual meetings. Skills such as social Influence are growing while manual skills are declining because we are steadily replacing them with Artificial Intelligence.

We are witnessing an increase in technology usage for work, making it even more critical that we have the necessary communication skills. The “High Touch” (person-to-person skills) is falling behind.

Chen: Is Influence the same as manipulation?

Zucker:  No, Influence is power. Similar to electricity or nuclear power, we can use Influence for good or bad.  I always assess, on two dimensions, whether the Influence before me is positive or negative. 

1,  Intent:   What is my intent to influence? Do I want to give you some benefit, teach you something?

2.  Effect:  What is the effect of my Influence? Do you feel enriched, enlightened, enhanced by our encounter?

Chen: Please tell us about the different styles of Influence. Also, please advise about the questionnaire we can take to find out the Style we have.

Zucker: I am referring to the “Influence Styles Inventory®.”

It helps us to understand better and analyze other people’s influence strategies. Having the ability to analyze the Style of another, we can have a better “radar” for detecting clues about the other person’s Style. Your antennae will be more finely tuned.

For example, one Style is called the Telling-Analyst. It is the Style of Influence in which a person uses logic, reason, data, and evidence to influence others. Another style is called the Gelling Idealist. This Style prefers using emotion, idealism, passion, and interest in the future.

There are four other styles, and the 7th Secret of Influence is:

“Influence = Attentiveness + Flexibility.”  

The approach is to listen and observe other peoples’ styles and then be flexible enough to use different techniques and strategies to Influence them more effectively.

Chen: Elaina, thank you so much for being our guest. I love how you break down Influence as a strategic skill. I think many people have not thought of it that way before.

Influence Tips:

1. Influence skills are becoming more and more necessary, as AI and automation are taking over many functions.
2. Influence is a “Portable Power,” a set of skills easy to learn, practice and master.
3. Influence is not the same as manipulation perceived as wrong.
4. Instead, Influence is a power that we can use for good should we choose.

There are six different Influence styles. Most people have a combination of these styles, with one being dominant. But there is only one principle of Influence, and that is the 7th Secret:  Influence = Attentiveness + Flexibility

There is so much more to learn about influencing. If you and our listeners want additional information, please visit my website and get your copy of our free booklet by clicking this link.

For More Insights: Visit Elinor’s Amazon Author Page

Click This Link to See All Four Smooth Sale Courses and Workbooks:

1. Create the Smooth Sale (returning and referring)
2. Inspired Quotes for Business and Life
3. The Smooth Sale Get HIRED! Course and Workbook
4. The Smooth Sale Course for Entrepreneurs and Salespeople
   

Related Blog Stories:

1. Do You Influence Others To See Value?
2. Are You Ready To Increase Influence?
3. Influence Secrets To Increase Success

Sales Tips:  Do You Use The Secrets Of Influence?

1. Communicate to arouse curiosity.
2. Put the client’s perspective first.
3. Show genuine interest in what the other person reveals.
4. Ask questions to encourage a return of questions asked of you.
5. Attempt to connect the dots between the other person and you.
6. Proceed with question such as, will you consider…?
7. How do you see the pros and cons for the idea?
8. What do you need to see in place to move forward?
9. Shall we set a return date to discuss everything that we can put in place?
10. Celebrate Success! 

Today’s insights are provided to help you achieve the Smooth Sale!

RESOURCES FOR PERSONAL AND BUSINESS GROWTH: 

LinktoEXPERT  “It is not who you know – it is who knows you and what your expertise can do for them plus understands the value of hiring you.” 

Kred  Connect with top rated influencers to learn from and grow your networks.

Women’s Information Network (WIN) An education-and-event-based Global Community of Women Helping Women Worldwide Live Their Best Lives through Celebration, Self-Improvement, and Service.

Inclusion Allies Coalition   “Everyone is welcome here.” Learn more to train teams, and join the advocacy program.

Advisorpedia  Publishes information to help advisors build their practice, and those having interest in the markets choose investments, and find inspiration.

BizCatalyst360  presenting a life, culture, and biz new media digest serving as a hub of creative expression and personal growth

Vengreso provides Easy-to-follow on-demand sales training for LinkedIn.  

WebTalk is the one-stop platform to build your marketplace and grow social connections. 

Vunela  provides a unique opportunity to view Videos and read articles by World Leaders.

SalesPop!   Purveyors of Prosperity; how to compete against yourself to excel in your career.

For Book Lovers Only   For Book Lovers Only introduces you, the book lover, to new and exciting authors and works of fiction and non-fiction.   

CatCat Build your future one skill at a time.

GetCiara  Make remote your unfair advantage.