When you think of entrepreneurs like How to go from being Steve oman email list Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk, what comes to mind? In addition to being extremely successful, they’re all highly influential. Part of this comes from their status as running a well-known company, but a lot has to do with how they conduct themselves.
What is influence?
Influence is a term you’ve probably never taken the time to define, analyze, or understand. It’s such a common word that few people ever have to confront it head-on. But if you study the definition, you’ll find some very interesting things.
As one definition says:
“Influence is the ability to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something.”
In other words, influence doesn’t exist without relationships. It’s something true leaders foster when they interact with the people around them.
To become an ” influencer entrepreneur ,” you must embrace who you are, build relationships with others, and then impart knowledge and beliefs in an engaging way that makes people respond. It sounds simple when condensed into a sentence, but it takes many people decades to truly embody the “influencer” label.
5 tips to increase your influence
So you want to stop being ambiguous and become an influential entrepreneur? While it’s not easy, it is possible . The key is to create a game plan and stick to it, even when the road gets muddy with potholes and speed bumps. Let’s take a look at some specific tips you can use to increase your influence over time.
1. Connect with people
Influence and relationships go hand in hand. The first thing you need to do is connect with people on an emotional level.
There’s a difference between interacting with people and truly connecting with them. Influencers can do the latter. Instead of simply chatting with people or smiling when you pass someone in the hallway, commit to engaging those around you in conversation.
A good way to do this is to ask open-ended questions that get people talking about themselves. People love to talk about themselves, and your genuine interest in their answers makes them feel special and builds trust that can be leveraged later when you want to influence others.
2. Make people remember you
What are you doing to make How to go from being people strategic care: how automation enhances human care remember you? Influential people not only engage people in the moment, but also continue to have an impact on them even when they’re not together. There are many things you can do to make people remember you, but here are some simple examples:
- Try sending unique gifts, from a site like Gadget Flow or Etsy, to individuals in your professional network whenever they achieve major milestones. As a result, they’ll naturally start associating you with their successes.
- Make it a point to tell stories when you meet people for the first time. Even if someone forgets your name, they’ll remember the story you told them the next time you interact.
- Make people feel good. According to a study conducted at the MIT Media Lab , people don’t usually remember what someone looks like or says as much as how they were made to feel.
Influence is based on many different interactions. If you want your interactions to have meaning, establish success by helping people remember who you are.
3. Add value to relationships
When we think of influence, we naturally database d think of imparting wisdom and ideals, but there’s more to it than that. You must add tangible value to your relationships before you can expect people to listen to you.
Depending on your skill set, adding value might look like offering a service, coaching someone through a situation, or simply helping out in a time of need (even if it’s not business-related). When people perceive you as valuable in their lives, your influence will skyrocket.
