One of the best ways to learn is to watch others; see what works, what falls flat, what suits your style and what doesn’t.
Learning how best to communicate and influence others is no different. Don’t we all hope to influence others in some way? Whether it is to market our business, persuade a client or vendor, motivate an audience or capture the attention of potential employers, influence is important.
Seizing the opportunity to learn from people and brands who successfully build an audience (and those who miss the mark) allows us to develop our own set of best practices. Gaining traction as an influencer is no simple task. Adding “Become an influencer” task to our calendar for next Monday morning will not accomplish anything, at least not with genuine, long-term results.
To further muddy the waters, not only do we have different ideas how to become an influencer, we don’t all agree on what it means to influence others.
Is being an influencer something we do…
or, is it something we are?
Think about individuals and brands that influence your thinking, decisions or actions. Who are they and, more importantly, what is it about them that connects you so strongly to them?
Your Turn: Comments and Free Books!
Courtesy of Dale Carnegie Training to celebrate the release of their new iPhone app, I have 10 free copies of ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People‘ to give away as follows: Five will go to the first 5 people who add relevant comments. The remaining 5 will go to those with the best comments (to be selected by members of the AlmostSavvy fan page on Facebook). And, no, you can’t win 2 books! 🙂 Comments posted by April 13 will be considered. Winners will be contacted on April 15, making tax day just a little brighter.
Please share! I can’t wait to learn from your experiences.
As my mother, I do not let anyone influence me.
Really? Well, you influence me, Myriam. I just saw you recommend a new app a few minutes ago and, since I know you to be one smart and savvy woman, I am going to check it out.
(Not that easy to discuss it in english)
I was joking to explain that when we think not be influenced, we can not escape the influence sometimes without realizing it.
Every decision is a more or less stable balance between the influences that we accept and those we suffer more or less consciously.
Meaning, I do as my mother does, I do not let anyone influence me 🙂
As I thought. I was hoping that you’d say that a certain blonde American influences you, but that might have been hoping for too much. 🙂
Oh by the way, am not influenced enough by you to come and comment, and again ^^
I’m around a lot of influencers 🙂 The people who influence me most are the ones who have a unique point of view, take the time to develop their thoughts, and most importantly, share their ideas.
Well said, Christine. You are in the unique position of being around so many key people whom others look to for guidance. Sort of an influence-apalooza!
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by irenekoehler: Who Influences You? (Plus, get a free book) http://goo.gl/fb/RvhvC…
I look towards spiritual leaders (local and international) as well as those who give back and lead without a title as influencers.
Another influencer are friends that I trust and whose opinions I value.
.-= Chet Lewis´s last blog ..Jammer “Better Than” remix from Lorn =-.
I like your comment about those who lead without being labeled as an influencer. Thanks!
Well, lately, it’s been others in social media, like yourself, Chris Brogan, And Chris Voss. That’s all I can think of for now, however, I have outside influences related to filmmaking, however, I tend to lead in that regard 🙂
.-= Matches Malone´s last blog ..The Making of Black Friday =-.
Veterans and the people who hire them inspire me.
Influencers are those who can convince you something that was their idea was actually yours. You know, like when a mom secretly wants to get her kid to play music and the kid ends up playing piano thinking it was his idea, not hers? At least that’s what my mom says…HEY! <–Just kidding… 😀
.-= Crystal C. Yan´s last blog ..Students for Startup Visa: Write Your Congressperson! =-.
Crystal, what a great answer! Not one I expected, but I completely understand your point. It is amazing the techniques we moms will employ to get our kids to *want* to do the right things. 🙂
Mark Twain pointed out that it’s clothes that make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.
They have an influence on *me*, though. Thoreau said to “Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes” and I beware also of people engaging in enterprises that require new clothes, as they obviously have shown poor judgment in that matter.
And nekkid wimmen, I’ve found, can be powerfully persuasive.
.-= Harl Delos´s last blog ..Poor Choice Of Headline =-.
[…] Who Influences You? SECRETS OF SUCCESS CONTESTp> Dale Carnegie Training would like celebrate the release of our first iPhone/iTouch app by giving away 200 copies of "How To Win Friends & Influence People." How to Win Friends and Influence People — one of the most successful non-fiction books of all time — was written by Dale Carnegie and it incorporates his human relations principles which have helped generations of people worldwide enjoy success in the workplace and in their personal lives. The Secrets of Success iPhone app brings to life these principles and features: Carnegie's Human Relations Principles […]
The people who influence me the most are those who are authentic, “walk their talk,” and are passionate about what they do.
People influence me with an amalgamation of their actions, written words, spoken words, body language, how they treat others, their associations (people, groups and activities) and how they spend their time. Someone can have an amazing package on the outside, but if they put others down or supersize their importance and impact, I don’t pay them much attention at all.
I have met far too many people who “know” how things are and should be and they have less influence than anyone I have met who is willing to accept that they may be wrong and listen to the alternate view.