Influencing Skills: how consultants can persuade clients to adopt their ideas

Influencing skills are the abilities needed to guide others toward a desired outcome without resorting to compulsion. To be successful, consultants need to have their ideas adopted by people at all levels in client organisations, in particular at senior levels, but do not usually have the power and authority to force adoption.

Robert Cialdini, who has researched the psychology of influencing, identifies seven key principles indicating where attempts to influence others are most likely to be effective.  In a rough order of relevance to consultants, they are as follows:

1. Authority: People tend to accept the word of experts or people in positions of authority.  Consultants do not usually have formal authority in client organisations but may be able to present themselves as experts or having access to a shared base of expertise in their firm.  Experts who are also believed to be trustworthy, giving disinterested rather than self-serving advice, are seen as particularly authoritative.  Gaining the client’s trust is therefore particularly important.
2. Liking: People are more likely to be influenced by those they like or find attractive. Most consultants understand the importance of building rapport with clients; finding common ground can make a persuasive message more effective. 
3. Unity: People are more likely to be persuaded by those they perceive as "one of them," who share their identity.  This goes beyond liking, it relates to the feeling of belonging to the same group.  In DiBenigno’s research on mental health advisors to US Army units on active service, she found that advisors who themselves had experience of active duty were far more likely to be able to influence unit commanders than those who did not.  Consultants need to be careful about highlighting a shared identity with their clients, as in many cases they are deliberately called in as outsiders, but there may be some circumstances where they can draw, for example, on a shared professional identity (e.g. as accountants or engineers), or where they might have shared a previous employer with individual client staff members.   
4. Scarcity: People value things that are limited or in short supply. In the consulting context, highlighting a window of opportunity that is likely to close can create a sense of urgency.  Consultants might also point to the limited availability of a product or service to influence clients to obtain it. 
5. Social Proof: People often look to the actions of others to determine what is appropriate or correct.  A consultant might point out that organisations admired by a client, or the competitors of the client organisation, are taking certain initiatives, in order to encourage the client organisation to do the same.  At an individual level, the consultant might say that a listener’s peers or superiors in the client organisation are taking particular actions, to encourage them to behave similarly.
6. Commitment and Consistency: Individuals prefer to be consistent in their actions and to honour commitments that they have made. There might be situations where a consultant could remind a client of actions they have taken in the past or commitments they have made, to make them more likely to follow through with them. 
7. Reciprocity: People like to return a favour or a gift. If a consultant can offer or deliver something of value outside strict contractual requirements, it might create a sense of obligation for the client to reciprocate. 

Identifying or creating favourable circumstances for influencing clients is not enough, however, to ensure effective influencing.  Influencing skills involve understanding your own impact on others, building rapport, and effectively communicating your ideas and perspectives, presenting logical and compelling arguments.  Several more general social and emotional skills support influencing:

• Self-Presentation: Demonstrating sufficient confidence and gravitas for others to take your words seriously.
• Understanding Yourself and Others: Recognising your own strengths and weaknesses, and understanding the perspectives and motivations of others. 
• Emotional Intelligence: Recognising and responding to the emotions of others, as well as understanding and managing one’s own emotions.  Being able to demonstrate empathy. 
• Active Listening: Paying close attention to what others are communicating, both verbally and nonverbally, to grasp their needs and concerns.  “Listen to what people are saying, and listen to what they are thinking.” 
• Clear and Concise Communication: Stating your ideas and making your arguments in a way that is easy to understand and persuasive.
• Credibility and Trust: Demonstrating integrity and reliability to build confidence in your ideas. 
• Flexibility and Adaptability: Modifying your approach based on the situation and the person you are trying to influence.
• Negotiation and Persuasion: Presenting your case effectively, addressing objections, and finding mutually beneficial solutions. 
• Providing Solutions: Focusing on constructive ideas and offering practical solutions to problems. 

An important competency for influencing is organisational intelligence.  This is an understanding of how to get things done in the organisation in which you are working and an ability to make constructive use of organisational politics.

There are several steps you can take to develop your influencing skills:

• Start with yourself: Observe the effect you have on other people and learn to adapt your personal style while still being true to yourself.
• Request Feedback: Ask for feedback on your influencing style and identify areas for improvement. 
• Learn from Others: Watch and learn from people who are good at influencing. 
• Work with a Mentor: Find a mentor who can help you to develop your influencing skills. 
• Reflect on Your Experiences: Review your influencing efforts regularly and identify what worked well and what could be improved. 

References:

Cialdini, R.B. ‘Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion, New York: Harper Business (2021)

DiBenigno, J. 'Rapid relationality: how peripheral experts build a platform for influence with line managers', Administrative Science Quarterly (2019) 1-41

Dr Karol Szlichcinski FIC is a member of the CMCE Leadership Team, a Chartered Psychologist and a Certified Principal Business Psychologist.