Customer Reviews

Axis of Influence: How Credibility and Likeability Intersect to Drive Success

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the short book by the authors Michael Lovas and Pam Holloway, they tell us about how our likability can lead to an improvement in our credibility within the business world. This is mainly for reasons of potential sales as the target audience is for businessmen and women involved in the client/customer relationship. However, if you are not in sales, the methods and processes described can also help the normal corporate working Kathy attempting to improve her standing inside the sometimes glass ceiling corporate world.

Though the title is Axis of Influence, the authors hit hard on only three (3) social influences of the Liking-Loving Influence, the Reciprocation Influence, and the Consistency Influence. However, they do touch on other influences such as Influence-from-mere-association and others, but mainly stick to the 3 above. A good book and though the bibliography is good, I rated the book at 3 stars as I would have liked to have known a little more of the research that enabled the authors to come to some of their conclusions.

As a side note, I can personally attest based on my experience that the methods described, if practiced in an ethical way, are sure to improve and retain your standing in either sales or from your superiors.


If your are interested in more of some other social influences, you should review the following recommendations: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (polymath classic), How We Know What Isn't So (very good), Mean Markets and Lizard Brains (Hidden Gem), The Psychology of Judgment & Decision Making (Classic), or Poor Charlie's Almanack (Charlie's Insights). Good reading and enjoy :)

Much has been written about credibility--but not more comprehensibly than Lovas and Holloway in this book. They have built upon the work of researchers such as Kouzes and Posner in their link between leadership and credibility and added one KEY factor to the equation: likeability. The authors' central message: Many credible people never find a ready audience for their work, and many likeable people never become credible. But marry the two characteristics--credibility and likeability--and you have a winning combination.

Further, the authors take the ingredients of likeability and credibility and make them tangible--and marketable. In short, their book tells sales professionals, managers, and consultants how their language, appearance, personality, hallway reactions, and marketing materials all reflect these two characteristics.

Well-researched. Highly readable. Very practical.

Most people understand that trust, likeability and credibility combine somehow to form a fulcrum leading towards inpact.

How these intangibles interact to effect people's perceptions remains a mystery to many. Michael Lovas and Pam Holloway explore these qualities. In Axis of Influence they reveal many of the lessons they have uncovered during their more than two decades of research into the pyschology of communications, business relationships and learning.

If you seek impact in business and relationships, this book is a great place to start. It goes "under the hood" to reveal what goes on in people's minds as you first meet and begin to form subconscious decisions.

The authors support factually that likeability and credibility are key drivers of success. However, the information about reciprocity (asking for favors vs doing favors in the business world)is the biggest revelation in the book; and worth knowing! Overall this book is an average read as the main premise is already understood by most business oriented people.

Michael and Pam get it! This is a great book that relates to all aspects of our lives - personal and professional. As the owner of a sales training company, people think the key to success is just getting people to like you. This is far from the truth. Think of American politics. How many presidents are liked? But how many are credibile? Those that are both are victorious. Those that are one or the other are neither. This is the message of Michael and Pam. Congratulations for a job well done."

- Todd Natenberg, Author of the book, "I just got a job in sales! Now what?" A playbook for skyrocketing your commissions
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