Influencing Skills

What Are Influencing Skills?

Influencing skills are the ability to bring people round to your way of thinking about a certain topic, without force or coercion whilst acknowledging their opinions.

The importance of influencing skills has increased over the years with it now being one of the top 5 soft skills most in demand for procurement and supply chain professionals in 2020.

The demands on procurement and supply chain professionals is ever increasing and businesses need professionals to lead change in their organisation. Procurement increasing their influence will help the business drive growth in an era when it is contending with a range of global challenges, and post pandemic in 2020. Procurement and supply professionals have a great opportunity to influence stakeholders and suppliers across many industries and, perhaps more importantly, more digital capability to affect change in their organisations that ever before.

What are Good Influencing Skills for Negotiation?

Influencing skills are reliant on good soft skills and the ability to communicate effectively, engage stakeholders which involves the art of storytelling. In the podcast we look at negotiation techniques which focus on the ability to influence.

What are the 7 principles of influence?

The six principles of influence are discussed in the video by Dr Robert Cialdini below, who has spent his career researching the science of influence and psychology behind persuasion. He added a 7th principle to his model at a later date when considering online interactions and the idea of unity which has been heightened through the climate in which we now operate as professions in 2020 following the Coronavirus pandemic, with the need to influence stakeholders and suppliers effectively through a more virtual working environment.

Reciprocity

Give something to someone first, so they return with something

Commitment

Gain commitment on a small action is important to build credibility then extend this as you gain buy-in

Social Proof

Share the most popular option to validate and show others thoughts to gain consensus

Liking

Show similarities to build rapport and desire to work with you

Authority

Be an expert and help to reduce their uncertainty of the best steps to take

Scarcity

Share the unique qualities of the proposed offer and what they will lose if they don’t move forward

Unity

The idea of togetherness and a shared identify that both the influencer and influencee become part of

What are the best persuasive techniques?

The best persuasive techniques apply effective soft skills and emotional intelligence. You should also consider the tips below:

Active listening skill

Be open minded and apply active listening skills to understand the other persons point of view

Rapport & Trust

Build a relationship and prove that you can be trusted and follow through on actions

Credibility

Increase the perception that you have the credible expertise to deliver the right solutions

Do your research

Make sure you have done your research internally and externally and have all the detail

Ethics

Ensure that you have shared the ethical principles and morals for the proposed outcome

Related Webinars:

Related Podcasts:

CIPS Influencing Tools

• Communication Model - This model shows the different types of communication. Communication can be verbal through conversations for example, written via letters or non-verbal.
• Leaders V Managers - This diagram shows the differences between leaders and managers.
• Hard V Soft Skills - Communication is made up of both hard and soft skills. Hard skills are learnable and soft skills are traits. Effective communication needs both hard and soft skills.
• Influencing tactics - Effective communication can be achieved by the use of influencing tactics. This model shows the different types of tactics that a procurement professional could use in a meeting with a supplier or a supply chain member.
• Ploys - Negotiation ploys/tactics are often used when trying to influence stakeholders and this model outlines the types of ploys/tactics that could be introduced to increase your influence.