Influencing Skills

Half past eight. Daniel in Sales has promised a customer Thursday. That means a changeover on Wednesday night — your shift. He does not report to you. Nothing here can be instructed. If the date moves, he is the one who moves it.

Three meters move with every choice. Standing — the credibility you hold with him, which outlives today. Buy-in — how close he actually is to changing what he does. Pressure — the live cost while it stays unsettled. The fastest route to Buy-in usually costs Standing, and Standing is what you will need next time.

Then, when you need it, you are handed the model: Cohen and Bradford's reward types — inspiration, task, position, relationship, personal. Read which one the other person actually wants, and pitch to that instead of to what would have persuaded you.

What learners take away

- Opening from the other person's point of view — full attention, genuine curiosity, naming the feeling you hear — before making the case

- Reading which of the five rewards someone is actually after, and pitching to it

- Staying open under pushback: welcoming the disagreement, not getting defensive, conceding when wrong

- Why pretend-listening while reloading your argument is visible, and what it costs