Customer Reviews

Instant Influence: How to Get What You Want in Any Business Situation (Dartnell audio)

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

 

 

A little simplistic at times (which is both good and bad), but absolutely right on target. I learned a ton that I have put to good use right away. It's even better on the second playing. A definite winner.

Take the three-hundred odd pages of Cialdini's exceptional book "Influence" and distill them onto two cassettes that can be heard in total over two days on the way to work. Make certain that there are compelling stories and dialogue for each of his six principles of influence. And you have a tool that I have seen improve the performance of sales professionals and give them a deeper understanding of why people say "yes" and how to help them say "yes" MORE in an ethical and non-manipulative manner that will enhance their self concept as well as their income. Dean Minuto, Teligent Corporation, Training and Consulting

We humans truly are of curious type! It is interesting how we respond to various stimulus's. Let me give you an example ... Lets say I want to sell my Digital Camera and lets say I tell you that it is worth $350 but I am ready to part it for $300. Probably, you will hesitate and won't buy from me. However, if I tell you that the camera is worth $1000 but I am selling it at 70% discount. I am sure you are more likely to buy it.

This is what "Instant Influence" is all about. It shows how we respond to different stimulus's and how we can harness those behaviours in a way that everyone is benefited.

Robert Cialdini provides some real life examples of how people are applying their understanding of human nature for influencing their customers, colleagues, friends, peers, strangers ... Here are some of the ideas that Robert Cialdini has presented in order to influence people around you ...

(1) Harness power of reciprocity. (e.g. Hare Krishna approach ... give flowers, books etc for free before asking for donations.)
(2) Harness power of scarcity. (e.g. Home buying ... a house/car gets quickly sold when multiple folks are vying for the same scarce resource.)
(3) Harness power of authority. (e.g. Doctor recommendations ... There are high chances that you will follow an recommendation provided by your Doctor rather than your Physical Therapist.)
(4) Harness power of commitment. (e.g. If someone commits to you in writing, it has more chances of follow through than just plain verbal commitment.)

Additional ideas that I liked ...

=> To influence "somebody", instead of influencing "somebody", influence the top 3 "Influencers" who strongly influence "somebody".
=> When you do something that the other is grateful for, instead of bungling that opportunity by saying "It is my job" etc, respond with ... "You would have done the same for me."

The one thing that I liked about this book is that it discourages dishonesty & manipulation. Although dishonesty & manipulation might generate instant benefits, but long term it is extremely toxic.

This is a nice book for folks who want to understand the power of influence! Surely read it if you get a chance ...

-Sachin

I think this has some interesting ideas and is quite thought provoking. But things seem to have moved on since this was recorded. Selling and influencing has become more sophisticated in my opinion. If you are selling to the public at a pretty low level I'm sure some of this stuff will get the deal signed - although don't expect a second chance with those you sell - if someone was trying some of these ideas on me, I'd spot it and you'd get the push.

I think there are better materials to work on that this and your time is more important. If you're researching all the methods that can be used to sell it's worth a listen or a read. It's just my opinion - but I did spend over 30 years selling at all levels from toothpaste to multi-million $ networks and computers. Try these The SPIN Selling FieldbookThe New Conceptual Selling: The Most Effective and Proven Method for Face-to-Face Sales Planning to get the basics down and then move on so some work on building relationships Building Trust: How to Get It! How to Keep It!Making Rain: The Secrets of Building Lifelong Client Loyalty