The Art of Influence: Persuading Others Begins With You [Hardcover]

Chris Widener (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 8, 2008

From Chris Widener, the author of the breakout bestseller The Angel Inside, comes an inspiring new parable on the power of influence.

The Art of Influence will make you think twice about everything you've ever learned about influence. As Chris Widener’s inspiring story reveals, it’s not something you "do" to other people but rather something that starts with how you shape and transform your own life. Forget about manipulation and slick fast-talking; The Art of Influence teaches that your ability to influence others begins from within.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Widener's acclaim as a professional speaker can certainly be understood when listening to his reading. He does not take a dramatic or theatrical approach, but offers a delivery appropriate to the format Listeners who enjoy attending seminars of the Seven Habits and Who Moved My Cheese? variety can expect the same type of solid and engaging motivational storytelling they have grown accustomed to hearing in hotel conference rooms. In portraying the interactions between his two protagonists—ambitious young business school graduate Marcus Drake and seasoned tycoon Bobby Gold—Widener displays an especially keen ear for both mentor-mentee relationships and generational differences in the world of work. The situations and insights ring true with clarity and purpose. A Doubleday hardcover (Reviews, May 5). (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Advance Praise for The Art of Influence
"Effortlessly master the most powerful and profitable of art forms. Drink deeply of the wisdom of this influential book."
--Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul

"A fantastic little book that reminds us of the importance of integrity and attitude in leadership. A fresh and fun look at the subject of influence."
--Jeffrey Fox, New York Times bestselling author of How to Become CEO


“The Art of Influence is a must-read for anyone desiring the wisdom to influence others.” --Jim Rohn, author of The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle

"The Art of Influence . . . reminds us of the bedrock fundamentals of not only influence, but of a life well lived."
--Mark Sanborn, author of The Fred Factor

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Crown Business (July 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385521030
• ISBN-13: 978-0385521031
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #403,747 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A parable where you really care about the characters, September 16, 2008

By 

Blaine Greenfield "eclectic reader" (Belle Meade, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Influence: Persuading Others Begins With You (Hardcover)

Read THE ART OF INFLUENCE by Chris Widener . . . it is a short
but powerful parable about a recent college graduate who learns valuable
lessons from one of the country's wealthiest men.

What made it so good was the fact that I really cared about the
characters . . . they were believable, and their stories were
interesting too.

I also liked how the author revealed each of the four key principles via
discussions that seemed as if they actually happened . . . such as this
one, involving a successful baseball manager, who advises:

* Don't forget the power we have to influence ourselves. When you make
a mistake you should never start telling yourself negative things.
Those negative words produce negative thoughts and actions. For us, it
is a player who strikes out and then tells himself he can't hit in the clutch.
Guess what happens? From that point on, he can't hit in the clutch. For your
situation it may be a person who botches a presentation and then tells herself
that she can't speak in front of others. She'll never move up because she
can't lead from the front of the room. Negative words produce results. So
I teach people how to take control of their minds and thoughts and the words
they say to themselves."

Then there was this equally significant tidbit about how one of the character's
daughters increased her income by just applying another of the principles:

* "For the first few weeks she was bringing home about twenty-five dollars
a day in tips. But then all of a sudden her tips jumped significantly, up
to nearly seventy-five dollars on many days. Obviously, I wanted to know
what was going on. She said, 'I finally figured people out.' Well, I wanted to
know what the new insight was. 'Dad,' she said, 'people love to talk about
themselves! I used to just make their coffee and not say much. Now I ask
them all kinds of questions about themselves.' That was it. By getting
people to talk to her about their lives she was subconsciously influencing
them to tip her more."

And, lastly, I liked this bit of advice that was given that all employees
should take to heart:

* "Excellence is something we practice in even the smallest details.
You know, when I am walking through one of my properties, if I see
a small scrap of paper on the floor, I personally stop and pick it up.
I don't go to the manager and have him or her get someone to do it.
I do it myself. And do you know what happens?"

"What?"

"My staff sees that even the small details matters to me. They get it. They
see that I lead by example. It inspires them to pay attention to even the
smallest details too. Excellence in everything we do is what makes guys
like Bobby and me so influential."

As you can see, none of the above is particularly profound . . . but it
all makes sense--a lot of sense.

By the way, in case you're wondering, here are the four principles
to increase influence:

Live a life of undivided integrity.

Always demonstrate a positive attitude.

Consider other people's interests as more important than your own.

Don't settle for anything less than excellence.

Read the book, and you'll find a lot more about each one . . . you'll
be glad that you did.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quick and entertaining read, August 9, 2008

By 

Charles A. Redd (Tulsa, OK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Influence: Persuading Others Begins With You (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book for people who do not want a lot of detail. The use of a story about a real person is an effective way to commnuicate his points about what it takes to become more successful. This would be an excellent book to give a recent college graduate as a present.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My top three favorite about what manipulates us, July 31, 2008

By 

Bill Gossett "Bill Gossett" (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Influence: Persuading Others Begins With You (Hardcover)

After How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of "Intangibles" in Business and Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, Widener's book is among my favorite about the topic of influence (but Widener should have read the first two). Although I'm not given to reading "inspirational" books (the other two titles are in the realm of scientific inquiry) I found it a useful and entertaining look at what drives and motivates us.

I'm more inclined to ask Widener "How can you say that works better, on average, than an alternative?" then perhaps many readers of inspirational books. The experience of a single person, no matter how moving, can only tell us so much. But, again, it worked for me.