3 Ways to Grow Earned Influence in Sales

By Jeff Shore

Last week, we discussed the importance of earning the right to influence. Today, we’ll look at how to do that. I’m going to share three ways to grow earned influence.

We all know that influence is a crucial element in sales. Your influence or lack thereof can bring you tremendous success or spectacular failure. 

The ability to influence others is not a personality trait. It’s a skill set. You can learn, hone, and perfect over time. Successful salespeople know how to use influence to connect with their prospects, build trust, and ultimately close more sales.

Let’s explore the concept of influence in sales and how it can help you become a more successful sales professional. First, a quick definition. Influence is the ability to affect the behavior, emotions, or decisions of others. In sales, influence is about persuading prospects to take a specific action, such as selecting a particular plan or location, agreeing to a price, or signing a contract.

That’s about what the dictionary says. But let’s talk about what influence is not. It’s not about manipulation or forcing people to do something they don’t want. (Please don’t do that.) Influence is about understanding what motivates your prospects and then using that knowledge to guide them toward a beneficial decision for both parties.

Professional sales is all about building relationships, and influence is a critical element of building those very relationships. You can tailor your sales approach to meet those specific demands by understanding their needs, wants, and pain points. This builds trust and credibility, and that’s crucial for closing sales.

Influence can also help you overcome objections and help your customer through their fears and concerns. You can address their concerns and objections in a way that resonates with them, helps them overcome any hesitations, and then move forward with a purchase.

There are many ways to use influence in sales, but here are a few key strategies to remember.

Build the Trust

Before you can influence anyone, you need to build that rapport with them. You probably know that inherently, but let’s go deeper. The reality is that I’m not easily influenced by someone I don’t trust, and I don’t trust people I don’t like.

The mistake often gets made jumping too quickly into the sales presentation without adequately investing in that trust relationship. Influence is based upon trust. Take the time; let it breathe. You got to get that part right.

Influence to Their Agenda, Not Yours

You have to get used to saying the word, “You know, you told me that….” You are leading customers to the solutions they need based on their situation. The more you can influence somebody by saying, you told me this, so let me show you this over here. You told me this about your life; let me show you this about the home. Whatever happens to you, the more you can weave in what they’ve already told you about their life, then you can show them that you were committed to their agenda.

Fast Follow-Up

Follow-up is crucial in sales. You already know that, but it’s not about follow-up just to keep the sale moving along. It’s follow-up as a vital service that you provide. When your follow-up is fast and service-oriented, that is when you earn your influence.

I recommend taking stock of these three ideas in your sales process. Where can you practice to earn more influence? If you’d like to dive deeper into this, please consider joining us at our next live 4:2 Formula® Academy.

Until next time, learn more to earn more!