Expanding Your Influence: Tapping Into the Power of Persuasion

Getting the response you want from others and extending your sphere of influence requires a deeper understanding than most people have: one that goes beyond the mechanics of persuasion and into the psychology of what genuinely drives people to say yes or no.

This two-day influencer training explores those psychological triggers in depth and examines how this knowledge can be applied not simply to gain compliance but to create outcomes that are mutually beneficial and genuinely sustainable. You will discover persuasion techniques that most people are never taught, and learn how to build your influence by applying these principles across a wide range of professional interactions, including managing, mentoring, negotiating, conversing, writing, and presenting. You will also develop the judgment to select the right principle for any given situation and the awareness to protect yourself from being manipulated by others who use these same techniques.

Who Should Attend:

Business professionals at midlevel and above who need to understand the psychology of persuasion and its practical applications, including sales managers, VPs and directors of sales, account executives, project managers, product managers, purchasing managers, and marketing managers.

How You Will Benefit:

• Explore the psychology that underlies effective persuasion
• Motivate others to say yes the first time
• Understand what genuinely prompts people to say yes or no
• Address and overcome objections before they are raised
• Tailor persuasion techniques precisely to every situation
• Read and interpret body language cues effectively
• Practice applying your skills to your biggest real-world influence challenge at work
• Learn strategies to protect yourself from unethical manipulation
• Use the Pre-Persuasion Checklist to prepare for any high-stakes influence situation

What You Will Cover:

• The psychological foundations of the laws of persuasion
• Appealing to human nature and meeting core emotional needs
• Recognizing the risks and ethical implications of using influence irresponsibly
• Creating a powerful and positive first impression
• The two paths of persuasion: conscious and subconscious
• The laws of expectations, esteem, connectivity, and social validation
• Selecting, customizing, and applying the most appropriate law of persuasion to any situation
• Balancing emotional and logical appeals effectively
• Using the Pre-Persuasion Checklist to determine the right approach
• Applying the laws of persuasion back on the job with confidence

Outline

Learning Objectives

• Explain the psychological foundation behind the laws of persuasion
• Describe the subconscious triggers that influence decision-making, behavior, and reactions
• Apply the appropriate law of persuasion in any given situation
• Recognize the ethical implications of persuasion when used irresponsibly
• Use the Pre-Persuasion Checklist to prepare effectively for any influence challenge

Overview of Influence and Persuasion

• Define persuasion and influence, and distinguish between them
• Describe the foundational principles of persuasion
• Identify the major categories within the Influence Model
• Apply the laws of persuasion to real situations from your professional life

Appealing to Human Nature and Fulfilling Needs

• Describe the subconscious triggers that shape how people decide, behave, and react
• Explain how persuasion laws apply to human nature and emotional fulfillment
• Select and apply the most appropriate law for a given situation

Shaping Perceptions

• Recognize the impact of first impressions and nonverbal communication
• Explain the laws of persuasion that shape initial perceptions
• Apply the appropriate persuasion law to a specific scenario

Involving to Persuade

• Explain the law of involvement and its effect on your ability to persuade
• Apply this law to situations in your professional life

Creating Discomfort

• Explain how laws that create discomfort work and when to use them
• Recognize the connections between discomfort-based laws and perception-shaping laws

Balancing Emotions and Logic

• Explain the law of balance and its impact on persuasive effectiveness
• Apply this principle to real professional scenarios

Putting It All Together

• Use the Pre-Persuasion Checklist to select the right laws for any given situation
• Apply the complete set of persuasion principles in a final integrated exercise