Persuasion or Influence…
You nearly always see these two together don’t you? I use them together because thanks to usage what they actually mean is lost behind what people think they mean.
The truth is that one is usually hard work and the other – well the other just happens.
Persuasion what does it mean?
Let’s take Persuasion to mean – using reasoned argument and supplying facts to create a change of thinking in the brain of the respondent, the person being persuaded.
The persuader has to convince them that whatever it is they are selling or promoting is the right thing and they need to cajole and urge.
Everything they do is pre-thought and done consciously and with deliberation. Which of course means you have to keep doing it because those persuaded to get what you have will soon lose interest if you stop ‘working’ on them.
To Influence
Influence however is a completely different beast.
People of real influence don’t have to ‘do’ anything. Influential people are just that. They don’t need to persuade because everything they are brings in people ready to accept their stuff and to ask to get more.
True an influential person can steer those who are in their influence but this happens easily and without effort. Yes this often uses persuasive language and facts and such, but it’s done from a position of acceptance rather than one of reticence, so you only need to do it once.
The silly thing is that it’s way harder to become a persuader than an influencer.
To persuade you need to get to as many people as possible and change their minds.
To become influential, you need to focus your Mind and message, and find ways of delivering that with enough energy for those who think like you, to find you.
I talk about the differences between Persuasion or Influence in my latest book ‘Subconscious Skills Success’ available everywhere in hardback, paperback and Kindle versions.
“Amateurs persuade, professionals sort”, so I’ve been told in the past. But when you say I need to focus my mind and wait for those who think like me to find me, you’re not getting a touch of the Rhonda Byrnes there are you? I would need to be doing something to connect with them presumably.
Of course you would be doing stuff. But the secret is only wrong on what you attract.
There’s no doubt like attracts like, and people do attract people.
The thing is if you are friends with yourself and have integrity then you become attractive to those who recognise you are like them.
I’d change the quote above to amateurs do nothing, professionals persuade and artisans influence. 😉