What's the Difference between Influencing and Persuading?
How was it for you?
Have you ever made a decision that someone else sold you on, only to feel uncomfortable about it later? When that happens, it's because the idea wasn't in your best interest, and you had doubts about both the idea and the person who sold it to you.
When you work with internal stakeholders, it's important to understand the distinction between persuading and influencing.
They are two separate approaches to motivating others, and they have different outcomes.
Persuasion is about presenting an argument in a way that wins others over to your point of view. This includes using tactics to make someone believe certain information or to make a decision.
Influence, on the other hand, is a more holistic approach to bringing people together to achieve a common goal. This involves having a clear vision of what you want to accomplish and inspiring others to join you in this endeavor, without using force or coercion.
The key difference between persuasion and influence is the amount of time you spend earning someone’s trust.
While you may be able to persuade someone to take action in the short term without genuine buy-in, the result will likely be short-lived.
If persuasion techniques are used in situations where influencing is more appropriate, the persuader can be seen as manipulative, and any buy-in will likely be temporary.
When a leader takes the time to build trust and understand the perspective of others, they can use persuasion techniques to influence behavior in a genuine and respectful way without causing negative feelings.
Do you influence or persuade?
Understanding the difference between influencing and persuading, and how to use both effectively, is critical when working with internal stakeholders and building relationships to drive positive change.
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Your comment?
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