Influence: Mastering Life's Most Powerful Skill

To strengthen your influential powers, you first have to grasp what makes an influence attempt successful. Professor Brown introduces you to several concepts you’ll return to throughout the lectures, including the possible outcomes of persuasive efforts (conflict, compliance, commitment) and the factors that determine these outcomes (agent, target, tactics, context).

What is it about someone that makes him or her so persuasive? Take a closer look at agents: those people doing the influencing. You’ll learn what characteristics an influential agent has (including beauty, trustworthiness, and charisma) and you’ll see how these characteristics play out in a range of real-world situations.

Some people use the tools of influence to cheat others. Here, delve into what researchers call the “dark triad” of personality characteristics that lead influential people to exploit others: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Not only will you understand their motivations—you’ll be able to recognize them before they exploit you.

In this lecture, discover what makes some targets more susceptible to influence. Who among us is more likely to be tricked or convinced? What roles do suggestibility, motivation, and even age play in how good of a target we can be? And what can you do to be less susceptible?

Turn to two general tactical methods involved in influencing others, each with its own pros and cons. The first: soft tactics, such as persuading with emotion and offering something in exchange. The second (and more threatening): hard tactics such as making a reference to formal authority or building a coalition.

Soft tactics don’t always work. Find out why by looking at two factors that affect how tactics work: the agent’s power base and political skill. By the end of this illuminating lecture, you’ll also come away with several takeaways that can increase the success rate of your soft influence tactics.

Explore how contextual cues can shape your attempts to influence others. You’ll focus on three: scarcity, authority, and social proof—all of which can occur naturally or as part of an agent’s tactic for success. You’ll also learn how to use this deeper awareness of context to your advantage.

Discover how to shape the perception others have of you and strengthen your chances of influencing them in the future. Professor Brown guides you through several impression management tactics involving self-promotion and ingratiation, and reveals the practical lessons to be learned from several individuals who’ve successfully managed their personal “brand.”

Sales and service situations are all too frequent in our lives. What characteristics make someone a fantastic salesperson? How can you apply the concepts of influence to get a better experience—and deals—in your sales encounters? For answers, your case study is a purchase many of us find stressful: buying a car.

Who doesn’t want to be less nervous and more persuasive when speaking in front of groups? Professor Brown shows you how to do this by drawing on insights from the ancient world (through the classical rhetoricians Aristotle and CIcero) and the modern world (with effective tips from author Dale Carnegie).

Head to the negotiating table and master the art of making a successful deal. Here, you’ll examine two core strategies helpful for maneuvering delicate negotiation settings: position-based strategies (which focus on a concrete position to obtain) and principle-based strategies (which seek mutually beneficial solutions through underlying interests).

Conclude this lecture series with a fascinating discussion of leaders and effective leadership. By studying the leadership qualities of people such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Nelson Mandela, and Interface, Inc. CEO Ray Anderson, you’ll come away with much to inspire you the next time you assume a leadership role.