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.
#3
Internal Stakeholder Management
#5
Supplier Relationship Management
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.
Watch Robert's Video
Robert Cialdini | Six principles of influence
Dr. Robert Cialdini has spent his entire career researching the science of influence earning him an international reputation as an expert in the fields of persuasion, compliance, and negotiation. His books, including Influence: Science & Practice, are the result of decades of peer-reviewed research on why people comply with requests. Influence has sold over 2 million copies, is a New York Times Bestseller and has been published in twenty-seven languages.
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:
Maximising influence & impact: How to present to the C-Suite
CIPS and Hays Talent Solutions webinar: ‘How to present to the C-Suite for Procurement teams’. Includes an introduction to the art of storytelling, what really matters to the C-Suite and real life examples from leading procurement professionals.
Top 10 tips for influencing stakeholders from CIPS & Hays
Recording from 2nd July 2019- CIPS and Hays Talent Solutions webinar on how to Procurement teams can improve their influence and impact
Related Podcasts:
Procurement must lead rather than being led to increase their strategic influence – Dr Sebastian Moritz, TWS Partners
Listen to the Podcast
Procurement must enhance their soft skills to increase their influence as a business leader – Tim Jenkins and Ian castle, Wheelspinner
Listen to the Podcast
Enhance your interpersonal skills to increase your influence - David L Loseby (FCIPS)
Listen to the Podcast
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.
CIPS members can download the CIPS Influencing Skills Tools to use in your organisation along with the guidance notes will full explanations of all of the tools listed and how to use each tool effectively.
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