How and When to Buy Influence

Influence is like a magic wand for getting ahead in life, politics and business. But how many times have you ever sat down and thought… “I need to be more influential”? I bet not many times. Not many people consciously focus on becoming influential. Very few will admit to having contemplated buying influence. We are talking of “getting ahead” in life, in this series, so I will endeavor to leave no stone unturned.

First, let us see what Google has to say about the word “buy”.

• Obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction; “The family purchased a new car”; “The conglomerate acquired a new company”

• Bribe: make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence; “This judge can be bought”
• Acquire by trade or sacrifice or exchange; “She wanted to buy his love with her dedication to him and his work”

While we are at it, let us have a quick look at what “influence” is all about.

• A power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc; “used her parents’ influence to get the job”
• Causing something without any direct or apparent effort
• Determine: shape or give direction to; “mold public opinion”
• Charm: induce into action by using one’s charm; “She charmed him into giving her all his money”

Why Become Influential?

To get ahead in life, you will need to influence others to do things for you. You may need to influence people to buy from you. You may need to influence people to vote for you. There are all sorts of ways to influence people. Once you have influence, you will cause things to happen without any direct or apparent effort.

One of the most influential people in the world is Oprah Winfrey. Bill O’Reilly once said: “I mean this is a woman that came from nothing to rise up to be the most powerful woman, I think, in the world. I think Oprah Winfrey is the most powerful woman in the world, not just in America. That’s — anybody who goes on her program immediately benefits through the roof. I mean, she has a loyal following; she has credibility; she has talent; and she’s done it on her own to become fabulously wealthy and fabulously powerful”

In July 2007 TV Guide reported that Winfrey was the highest paid TV entertainer in the United States during the past year. She earned an estimated $260 million during the year. That amount was more than 5 times what had been earned by the person in second place (Wikipedia). In 2008, Oprah was said to be worth US$2.7 million.

The more influential you are, the richer you will be (in most cases). Wealth makes people influential, but influence can precede great wealth. Gaining influence, by whatever means available to you, can open up doors that are closed to many.

Being influential makes life easier. You can do what you desire, shape the direction of events, be in control, and be happy. At any one moment in time, you are either influencing others or being influenced in some way.

Buying Influence

Going by the definitions of buying above, I choose to focus on buying as being “acquire by trade or sacrifice or exchange”. To get influence, you have to trade something you value or make sacrifices . Influence is a worthy purchase. Now let us a look at 10 ways of buying influence.

1 – Tell a Compelling Story

Unless you are going to brandish a gun and force people to do your bidding, you need to articulate what is in it for them. Inspiring people into action through stories is one of the most powerful ways of gaining influence. The most read book in history, the bible is a collection of stories with lessons galore.

Taking time to develop a compelling story can give you a master key to influencing people. Whether you are a marketer, a politician, a union leader or a preacher, your story is what will create your following. Do people resonate with what you are telling them? Do they believe your story? Do they trust you to guide them?

Your story needs to be told and re-told. Great brands are just a repetition of a compelling story. The story does not have to be a long winded narrative. It can be an association, a memory, a reason to take action. Articulating your vision is the first step to influencing people.

2 – Unite People

Power comes from people. If you can find a way of uniting people towards a common goal, then you will be powerful and influential. Perhaps you could start by bringing together people, people who share a hobby, passion, or profession. You would become the cornerstone of the group and that is how influence begins.

If you take your time and put thought into what people really need or want to unite in, then you can tap on those emotions, needs or circumstances to become influential. A good example that comes to mind is Malcom X. He tapped on the racial tensions between blacks and whites in America to become very influential. (Disclaimer: the following is text is a quote by Malcom X, not my opinion or thoughts).

Malcolm X: Brothers and sisters, I am here to tell you that I charge the white man.

I charge the white man with being the greatest murderer on earth. I charge the white man with being the greatest kidnapper on earth. There is no place in this world that this man can go and say he created peace and harmony.

Everywhere he’s gone he’s created havoc. Everywhere he’s gone he’s created destruction. So I charge him. I charge him with being the greatest kidnapper on this earth! I charge him with being the greatest murderer on this earth! I charge him with being the greatest robber and enslaver on this earth! I charge the white man with being the greatest swine-eater on this earth. The greatest drunkard on this earth!

He can’t deny the charges! You can’t deny the charges! We’re the living proof of those charges! You and I are the proof. You’re not an American, you are the victim of America. You didn’t have a choice coming over here. He didn’t say, “Black man, black woman, come on over and help me build America”. He said, “Nigger, get down in the bottom of that boat and I’m taking you over there to help me build America”. Being born here does not make you an American. I am not an American, you are not an American. You are one of the 22 million black people who are the victims of America.

You and I, we’ve never see any democracy. We didn’t see any democracy on the-the cotton fields of Georgia, wasn’t no democracy down there. We didn’t see any democracy. We didn’t see any democracy on the streets of Harlem or on the streets of Brooklyn or on the streets of Detroit or Chicago. Ain’t no democracy down there. No, we’ve never seem democracy! All we’ve seen is hypocrisy! We don’t see any American Dream. We’ve experienced only the American Nightmare!

Crowd: [shouting] Malcolm! Malcolm! We want Malcolm! We want Malcolm!

The crowd had just been given a reason to unite… and who was there to lead them? Who was there to influence them? Of course, Malcom X! If you can find an angle to unite people (along the lines of something that meets your and their objectives), then my friend, you will have just purchased a truckload of influence.

3 – Meet a Need

Take time to do your homework on what people need. It is easier to influence people who need you than people who can do without you. Make yourself indispensable or highly desirable. Invest some time to get in tune with the needs of others. There are different types of needs and Abraham Maslow summed them up nicely in five levels.

• Physiological needs – These are the basic needs that each person has. Meeting these needs can give you leverage and influence. These needs include the need for food, sleep, sex, shelter, clothing etc. If someone depends on you for shelter for example, you are more likely to influence them than someone who does not. Think of how you can align your offering with the needs of the people you want to influence. They may be basic needs, but they are very powerful needs that many people will go to great lengths to meet.
• Safety needs – Once people have their physiological needs sorted, they start looking for some form of security or protection. Insurance companies pry on these needs. They target people who are just above being driven by physiological needs alone. They urge them to protect what they have. You can position yourself to be the protector and provider of security and gain influence because of that. Some unscrupulous people can gain influence through manipulation, by playing on the fear factor. For example, extortionists can offer to protect a business and if the business owner refuses to pay, they can use scare tactics to influence the owner to comply.There are different types of safety needs including: personal safety, financial security and good health. You can get ahead in life by just focusing on meeting just one need. For example, you could build a business around providing information about healthy living for young families.
• Social needs – When people have a roof over themselves in a safe house/neighborhood, they start paying attention to higher level needs such as intimacy, family and friendship. Think of ways you can gain leverage by being the antidote for loneliness. The need for friendship and acceptance can provide you with a window to influence someone or people.
• Esteem – You can gain influence by providing a sense of belonging to people. This is where starting a professional association, sports team, sub-culture and a membership club can make you influential. You can influence people through the emotion of wanting to belong. People with low self esteem are more easily influenced. Think of ways you can build up others, meet their need to belong, the need to be recognized, accepted and feel important. Blend that with your business or activities to gain influence and get ahead in life.
• Self-Actualization – This need is not for everyone. It is for those who have conquered the above needs. This is a need that only the cream of society can actually call a pressing need. Self actualization is the desire for someone to reach their full potential and be the master of their destiny. You will hit jackpot if you can position yourself as the self-actualization guru. If you can help people meet this need, then my friend, you will be influencing the cream. And now, that is influence.

4 – Become an Authority

People respond to authority. One of the most powerful ways of propelling your influence to the stratosphere is through positioning yourself as an authority. Becoming an authority can eliminate doubts about your abilities and marshal people around your ideas.

You just don’t wake up one day and decide that you are an authority on the diplomatic relations between Australia and China. You gain that authority status through recognition by peers. If you are a doctor, you cannot just say you are the best. Other experts like you have to think you are the best. It is not easy getting authority status.

Authority status is not acquired overnight. Be persistent in your aspiration for authority status in your chosen field. Continuously develop your career. Learn the ropes. Learn the people.

You can gain authority status without starting from the bottom by aligning yourself with experts in your field. A man by the name Rich Schefren took the internet marketing community by storm. He seemingly came from nowhere and became the go to guy in internet marketing coaching by getting strong endorsements from known big names. He stood on the shoulders of giants and became the giant that he is today.

Gaining influence by becoming a known authority on a subject matter is a powerful way especially in a knowledge economy. Find something you love and specialize. Dig deeper than most people dare. Decide to learn, experience, practice, perfect and master your area. Work with others in the area, be helpful and let them be the ones to let the world know who the “big dog” in that subject matter is.

5 – Pre-Plan your Influence

I will let you in on a secret. You can influence anyone if you focus on influencing them, plan it and run over your moves before they even realize it. Teachers meet in the staff room to decide how they are going to influence students. Government economists influence the spending habits of consumers by cutting or increasing the official interest rate. Advertisers influence people into making purchase decisions by pre-planning their moves.

Get smart on this and you will thank me later. Spend time thinking of what kind of power or influence you want to have over someone or a group of people. Then like a chess game, plan your moves prior to making them. Do not just go with the flow. Think about what you want to accomplish and the steps you will take before you can influence people.

6 – Limited Time Offers

Direct marketing experts are good at telling a compelling story about a product or service, and then make you want it NOW. People will tend to procrastinate if they do not have to do something NOW.

Again this calls for prior planning. Think about what you want people to do and create a time limit for a decision. Do you want your child to have dinner now? Creating a limited time offer can modify their behavior. This works not just for children but staff, groups, congregations and partners. Spend time showing people why they need to do something and create a small window of opportunity for them to take action.

7 – Focus on the Long Term

Align yourself with nature. Nature develops slowly. Unless you are Jack and the bean stalk, when you plant some beans, it will take time for them to germinate and grow. You will have to cultivate the land, weed the garden, then wait for nature to take its course, then harvest.

If you look at the greatest rivers, first they start with small tributaries on the mountains. Those tributaries eventually form a river, as the river progresses towards the ocean, it becomes more and more powerful. You can use that analogy to grow your influence in different areas. It is not the one big action that you take that will make you influential… it is the small steady tributaries that make you a force to reckon with.

Your tributaries may come in the form of offering a helping hand to a friend in need. Or it may be that you have solved someone’s need. My influence on this blog will come as a result of each blog post or effort I make over time. Your influence in your business or industry will depend on lots of little steps over a long time. Plan your game plan and with time you will be influential in whatever area you choose.

8 – Friendship

People are more likely to respond to those they like. Whether you are a student doctor or a teacher, cultivate friendships with people in your area and beyond. Those friendships will come in handy. Do not just become a friend to someone when you need something from them. Be genuinely interested in friendship for the sake of friendship and that will come across. It is easy to spot a phony and people do not like fake or opportunistic friends.

A friend in need is a friend indeed. Be there at the hour of need when your friends need you. Invest in your friendships by spending time and resources to cement your bonds. A friend is more likely to do what you want them to than an enemy or stranger. Friendships are developed over time, so start early.

9 – Favors

Make sure you dish out more favors than you take in. In my favorite movie “The Godfather”, Don Coleone was asked for a favor to dispense justice. He said “Someday, and that day may never come, I’ll call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day accept this justice as gift on my daughter’s wedding day”. By giving that favor for free, he put himself in a position of influence on the man who needed justice done.

Think of ways you can give people favors according to their needs. Again this calls for prior planning. It may be a tip you give to a club bouncer or your mechanic, or it may be working a few hours extra for free when your boss was really stressed or over worked.

Be constantly on the lookout on how you can make people owe you instead of the other way out. It is easier to influence people who owe you. Your favors do not have to be monetary. You can be there in person for a person when they really needed a friend. You can go an extra mile for them, even if it is part of your job.

Don’t get into the habit of collecting your favors before you need them. Just like the Godfather, be willing to let some favors slide. Be ready to help and forget, but be helping anyway. This theory works whether you are in the most corrupt country in the world or the opposite. People are the same world over. They will bend to do more for those they have accepted favors from. Having said that, make sure you do not run contrary to the laws governing you on your quest for influence through favors.

10 – Listening Skills

Some people have ears but they do not hear. Not because they do not have the ability to hear but because they are too busy waiting for the turn to speak. Listening lets you in on the motivations, needs, strengths and weaknesses of others. God gave you two ears and one mouth. Use them in that proportion.

Developing your listening skill is one of the most powerful ways of influencing people. Whether you are a politician or a husband, you need to learn to listen. You need to know the prevailing mood of the people you want to influence and adapt where required. Listening multiplies your opportunities for influencing others. When people speak, they are telling you how to influence them. Learn to listen deep, get the deeper meaning of what people speak up or decide to censor. Understand people’s body language, posture, written word and actions. Take time to internalize that before taking actions to influence them. Get ahead through developing your listening skills.

In Summary

Getting ahead calls for increasing your influence. The time to start making progress towards gaining influence in now. It takes time and effort to be really influential. Influence open doors that would otherwise be closed. It is a worthy asset to develop or even purchase. You do not have to spend money or be corrupt to gain influence. You gain influence through understanding people and their motivations and needs.

If you like this blog post, please share with your friends. I would love to hear from you through comments or via the contact form on this blog.

Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.