7 golden rules to develop your power of influence

As managerial practices are increasingly horizontal and collaborative, it is essential to be able to get your teams on board with your project and to know how to defend your beliefs. Without denying its values or showing Machiavellianism. Here are our 7 keys to developing your power of influence.

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1. Prepare your meetings in terms of content and form

Before a strategic meeting or presentation, take the time to assess the environment in which you will operate, the strengths and challenges involved. Who you are going to talk to is as important as working on the content and the form of the presentation you are going to present to them.

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2. Identify those who have the power to influence

It is essential to study the forces involved and the power games. To determine, for each actor, what type of power characterizes him and what are the issues that motivate him. In short, to know what he has won or what he may lose.

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3. Personalize your meetings in advance

If possible, take the time to engage with each strategic player in the meeting before it takes place. This is in order to test his ideas and his position — ally, hesitant or opposing — in relation to your challenge and the project you are going to carry out.

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4. Focus your action on allies and hesitants

Get your allies and those who are still hesitant to commit by asking them to take concrete actions that go in the direction you want.

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5. Involve the people you're talking to

To get your point of view heard and valued by others, start by asking them questions, value their ideas by giving them the opportunity to express them. Some 70% of a presentation should be devoted to questions and debate.

6. Instead, think of objections as gifts.

They are a sign of all the attention that your interlocutor gives you. Moreover, by shedding light on one's point of view, they offer the possibility of seeking common ground.

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7. Be on the lookout for non-verbal signals

Your body attitude, your voice, your relationships and the essence of what you say express your ability to get a difficult message across without passivity or aggression.