Imagine your friend wants you to go with them to a party. To convince you that it is a good idea, they might use an influencing tactic. This involves them giving you multiple reasons why it would be beneficial for you if you went with them rather than staying home by yourself: You’ll get out and meet new people, have fun, and feel better about yourself. It’s only one etc…They keep going until you’re convinced that you should go.

Influencing tactics involve logical or emotional steps to get someone to do what you want them to do. Those are the principles behind influencing tactics, but there are exceptions to every rule regarding psychology. For example, multiple hooks might be used at once in some situations. However, there are ways of getting around this, which can be discovered through experience and research.

You can use influencing tactics whenever you feel like someone needs a little push in the right direction and you wish for them to comply with your request or command: You probably won’t need them very often, though, so don’t worry about memorizing how they work…most people know intuitively, or you can ask them. Sometimes it’s just trial and error to see what works.

It is important to note that influencing tactics should never be forced. If someone has a direction they want to go in already, let them follow their natural process of thought and conversation, which brought them there. You could say something like: “I don’t mean for this to sound rude but” and then proceed with the request/command because this makes it seem less offensive than straight-up telling someone what you want from them.

Influencing tactics can be used on those who are making judgments about certain behaviors as well as those who will carry out the actions themselves: In tutorials, teachers might use an influencing tactic by saying something like, “I’m not trying to convince you of anything” when they are attempting to influence their students’ judgments.

Influencing tactics can be used in many different situations, so long as it is done with respect and without force. You should also try not to use influencing tactics on yourself because you know what’s best for you…don’t let other people take over your process of thought unless necessary.

What are the different types of influence tactics, and when should they be used?

Influence tactics are all about getting someone to agree with you or do what you want them to do. There are different influencing tactics, but the “why” tactic is probably the most common. It involves giving multiple reasons as to why something would be beneficial for other people (not for yourself) or just telling them that doing what you say will benefit them in some way.

Influencing tactics should only be used when necessary. Generally, you don’t need to use influencing tactics because other people will usually go along with your requests and commands without issue if they feel like it’s best. You can use influencing tactics on others when you want to get them to see your side of things, judge certain behaviors positively so that they will be implemented or carried out, or do something for you.

Below are the most frequently used tactics are listed below;

Weak rationales

Weak rationales are one of the influencing tactics that are most frequently used. This tactic involves giving the other person a reason why they should do what you want them to do, but this reason isn’t compelling to others. It typically consists of one or two sentences like “It would be good” or “I think it would help.”

Strong rationales

If the weak rationale wasn’t strong enough, people might use a solid rationale to influence others. This involves giving a more convincing reason for why they should do what you want them to. A strong rationale consists of two or three sentences and usually provides a good enough reason for someone else to follow your request/command.

Social proofs

Social proof is another influencing tactic frequently used by many people around the world. This tactic involves referencing popular opinions on specific behaviors or ways of thinking to convince others that those same views apply to them as well…in other words, this would be a way of making it seem like something is the socially accepted behavior. An example of social proof could be saying, “Well, everyone’s doing it,” or “In my experience…”

Praise:  Praise is an influencing tactic that can get people to do things as well. It involves complimenting the other person to make them feel good about themselves and their actions or views on a particular topic, thus making it easier for them to comply with your request/command.

Aversive stimuli

Aversive stimuli will force someone’s hand into doing what you want them to do. This typically involves giving the other person some threat if they don’t follow through with your request/command. For example, saying “You should/shouldn’t do this” or “If you don’t…then I’ll…..” The threat might not mean much initially but forcing the other person’s hand by threatening them can be a powerful influencing tactic.

Logical fallacies

Logical fallacies are an influencing tactic that may not always work because it involves trying to justify something by using faulty reasoning(logic) to get someone to agree with you. For example, saying, “Every time I tried this, it worked,” or “This reason makes perfect logical sense.” This kind of logic is known as faulty logic, and people could easily disagree with what you say if they think your reasoning (or lack thereof) doesn’t make any sense even though it’s based on facts.

Name dropping

Name dropping consists of referencing the names of other famous or respected figures when trying to influence others into doing what you want them to do. It typically consists of saying, “Well, (insert famous/respected figure) did this” or “I asked (insert famous/respected figure) for advice, and he said to do this.”

Multiple reasons

Multiple reasons are an influencing tactic that involves giving the other person more than one reason to do what you want them to do. The more accurate your reasoning (logic) is, the better you can use this tactic successfully. For example, saying something along the lines of “It would be good for you because it will also benefit me in another way.”

Name dropping with social proofs

Name dropping with social proof consists of referencing famous figures and popular opinions on a specific topic. It typically consists of saying “Well, (insert famous/respected figure) did this” or “In my experience…” followed by “…and everyone else thinks that this course of action is best as well.” This kind of name-dropping implies that what you’re saying is accurate, thus making it easier for the other person to agree with you.

How to use influence tactics effectively for your benefit?

The most important part of influence tactics is to keep your reasons or logic as accurate as possible. If your reasoning (logic) doesn’t make sense, then it’s guaranteed that you won’t be using this tactic successfully, and the other person will most likely do the opposite just because they disagree with what you said.

• The best way to identify if a certain influencing tactic will work on someone is to try it yourself first. That way, you’ll know how well it works and whether or not it makes sense to use those kinds of techniques in those situations.

A few more things…

• Using influence tactics on people who don’t know better works sometimes, but not all the time. It can even backfire by potentially making the other person feel like you’re trying to manipulate them, which will make them less likely to agree with you.
• It’s essential to be able to read body language to identify if you’re trying too hard or not hard enough when attempting to use influencing tactics. If it looks like the other person is uncomfortable, you need to back off and rethink what you’re doing before just continuing with your current plan of attack.

The importance of ethics in using Influence Tactics?

The importance of ethics in using influence tactics is that it’s always important to treat other people with respect and dignity. If you don’t, then the other person might think that you’re only interested in manipulating them, and they’re less likely to agree with what you want just because of how you treated them.

Ethics in Influence Tactics helps to:

• Prevent backfire
• Prevent manipulation
• Create trust
• Attract people to you, your ideas, and your products/services. This is because how ethics makes you look like the ‘good guy.’
• Attract influence from other influencers (people who influence opinion). This is because they share similar views about society as you do, which means that you’ll be more alike than different regarding specific topics.
• Increase favorable response rates. This is because ethics makes people feel respected and good inside, thus making them more likely to help you out by agreeing with what you say or giving their support for what you’re doing. They will also be less skeptical about things you want them to believe in, so your influence over them will be easier to achieve.

Ways to overcome resistance when using Influence Tactics?

Some people might resist influence tactics even though they are being used for their benefit. This is because some people don’t like to be manipulated or influenced by others, thus making it harder for you to achieve your goal(s).

Trying to battle resistance can often lead to an endless cycle that will waste both your and the other person’s time. An example would be if you were trying hard to convince someone about something, but they won’t budge at all, meaning that there’s no way for you to get what it is that you want from them.

There are a few things that you can do when fighting against resistance:

• Give in!  This means giving up on what you originally wanted to achieve before it wastes too much time. This isn’t the best solution, but if you aren’t able to convince them otherwise, this might be your only option.

• Change your approach!  If giving in isn’t an option for you, try changing how you attempt to influence them instead. If there are resistance signs that are visible enough, then maybe they’re telling you something. Instead of fighting against their resistance (which might lead to a stalemate situation), why not just change what you want from them? An example would be turning what you originally wanted from someone into a favor instead. It’s like being grateful for what they’ve already done, which can quickly turn things around to make them feel good instead.
• Make the resistance signs less visible!  If you can’t change your approach because there isn’t a way to do so, then it’s time to adjust the other person’s resistance signs by making them less noticeable or big. You can easily do this by making what they disagree with into something smaller and less important to them, which will make them realize how inconsequential their disagreement(s) are. This will catch them off guard because it is unexpected for someone to think like this when proving themselves wrong has become so easy based on the evidence given.

Can Influence tactics be used in Leadership?

Yes! Influence tactics can be used in leadership, and it’s pretty good when the person in charge uses them. This is because people tend to trust other people similar to them, so if the leader wants something from others, they should do everything they can to make themselves seem likable instead of giving off a wrong impression.

• Leadership tactics such as advice, encouragement, and support help towards this goal by making one feel cared for, which will motivate them into having a positive view about what you’re trying to achieve together.

The main benefit of using influence tactics in Leadership is that:

• People will be more willing and interested in doing what you want since they’ll feel appreciated and respected at the same time (by your care and giving advice, encouragement, or support). This will motivate them to help you out since they don’t want to feel unappreciated, so this is a good reason for people to work together under the same goal(s).
• Influence tactics can also be used when trying to convince someone about something. If you’re in a position of power, then influencing others won’t be that much of an issue, but if you aren’t, it might still be possible for you to track specific individuals into thinking as you do.

Even though influencing tactics are commonly used, there are still several important things that one should know about, including:

• People tend to resist influence, so knowing how to deal with resistance is very important for leaders since they won’t be able to achieve anything without being persistent until everything works out.
• People might not always have the same goals as others, so leaders need to check up on what other people are trying to achieve before making decisions about something significant (like giving someone a promotion).

In conclusion

Influence tactics are great techniques that can either get someone to do something or convince them about something. Either way, as long as it’s used correctly, everyone will be happy, and this is what counts in the end.