48 Increase Your Influence at Work
In some cases, a successful appeal to the heart will outweigh weak-
nesses in the logical case.
Describing the Features and Benefits of Your Ideas
Language that plays up benefits also speaks to the heart. Pushing
the ‘‘features’’ of one’s case, in contrast, speaks to the head. Every
salesperson knows the difference between features and benefits.
When someone says, ‘‘This computer has a 2.33-megahertz proces-
sor and 3 gigabytes of DDR3 Tri-Channel SDRAM at 1066 mega-
hertz,’’ that person is describing features. Features are necessary
in that they set the groundwork. You should communicate them,
especially if your audience is technically oriented, or if the discus-
sion calls for a full airing of the details. But many people are per-
suaded by benefits, not features. Here are some examples of
persuasive speech that emphasizes benefits to listeners:
‘‘Because this is such a fast computer, you won’t be sitting
there waiting and waiting. And we all hate waiting. . . .’’
‘‘If we adopt the new work process I’ve described, we will
improve employee productivity by 20 percent. And that will
save our department $180,000 every year. That’s money we
could share between our owners and employees.’’
‘‘If you are willing to accept my offer, I can have a check on
your desk within twenty-four hours.’’
Engaging in Positive, Unqualified Communication
Some people cannot make an unqualified statement. ‘‘I think
that
’’ is their preferred opener to every statement:
American Management Association
www.amanet.org
Ta c t i c s 49
‘‘I think that this offer will benefit both of our companies.’’
‘‘I think that we should change our process.’’
‘‘I think that what we meant in that report was we might be
able to save some time and money.’’
If you’re trying to persuade someone to adopt your view, saying
‘‘I think that’’ is like saying ‘‘I’m not sure, but
.’’ These
qualifications tell listeners that you lack confidence in your view, or
that you’re offering nothing but a personal opinion. And opinions
aren’t worth much. Instead, be affirmative:
‘‘Our offer will benefit both companies.’’
‘‘We must change our process.’’
‘‘This will save us time and money.’’
Note how much stronger these statements are compared to the
previous ones.
If you have built a credible case, you can make affirmative state-
ments with confidence, and that confidence will inspire the same
in your listeners.
66666
We’ve now offered six tactics you can use to gain influence at work.
Some are bound to be more productive for you and seem more
comfortable and natural than others. For best results, combine as
many tactics as the situation allows.
The next chapter identifies the people in your work life whom
you must influence. You’re sure to find opportunities to employ
your new tactics on them.
CHAPTER REVIEW
To review what you have learned, take the following open-book
review quiz.
American Management Association
www.amanet.org
50 Increase Your Influence at Work
1. How does doing a favor for a workplace colleague or for your boss
increase your influence over that person? What principle does the favor
evoke?
2. How does being the ‘‘go-to person’’ with respect to expertise, informa-
tion, or resources contribute to influence?
3. Helping others to find common ground is one tactic of influence. De-
scribe a situation in your experience where this tactic was employed.
4. What is a mental frame?
5. Your workplace support network is strengthened when its members
have particular characteristics. Can you name two?
American Management Association
www.amanet.org
Ta c t i c s 51
6. What is the first task in persuading people?
NOTES
1. Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford, Influence Without Authority
(New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1991.), 29.
2. Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, In Search of Excellence
(New York: Harper Collins, 1982), 32.
3. Richard Luecke, Scuttle Your Ships Before Advancing (New York: Ox-
ford University Press, 1993), 166.
4. From Winston Churchill’s speech to the House of Commons of the
British Parliament on the June 4, 1940.
American Management Association
www.amanet.org
..................Content has been hidden....................
You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.