Overview:

Teams work better when everyone is engaged and committed to achieving the same objectives. As everyone has their own mind and ideas, we often need persuasion in order to change someone’s attitude or behaviour. To get people on board at all levels, we constantly use influence – from the Latin word ‘influere’, meaning ‘to flow into’. Influencing tactics can result in either commitment, compliance or resistance. Understanding persuasion and influencing skills helps us convince people around us to say ‘yes’ and commit to supporting our goals.

One-day course outline:

• Defining and differentiating persuasion and influence.
• What is your current preferred influencing style?
• Benefits and drawbacks of different methods.
• Principles of influence.
• Leadership and relationship – ways to change peoples’ behaviours without arousing resentment.
• ‘Push’ and ‘pull’ styles – analysing the results.
• Ego states in communication – parent, adult, child.
• Communication patterns.
• Interpersonal communication ‘mix’.
• Matching and mirroring to help build rapport.
• Aggressive, passive and assertive styles of communication.
• Barriers to successful persuasion.
• Encouraging the adult with assertive communication.
• Shaping the message for optimum outcome.
• Practicing delivery.
• Summary, review and questions.
• Action planning.

Benefits of the training:

• Increased awareness of different influencing styles.
• A more positive approach to persuasion and influencing.
• Improved communication skills.
• Supporting cooperative, collaborative working relationships.