A TEMPLATE FOR PLANNING YOUR INFLUENCING APPROACH

Who do you want to influence? (you may

need different templates for each key
stakeholder)

What outcome are you seeking? (overall, and

what is realistically achievable from this
interaction. Is there a fall-back position)

What is their existing position on this?

(positive, open-minded, neutral, sceptical,
hostile, don’t know)

Is anything non-negotiable/urgent? (for

which the Tell style may be best)

How would they benefit from what you are

proposing? (so that you can use the ‘selling’
style of influencing)
If you are unsure, ask questions first.

What ‘high gain’ coaching questions could

you use? (to help them convince themselves)

Which of the ‘tools of influence’* could you

use, and how? (Reciprocation / concessions,
Scarcity, Authority,
Commitment/consistency, Liking,
Consensus / social proof?)

What stories could you use? (perhaps using

‘the hero’s journey’ or using data as a story:
set-up, conflict, resolution)
 What analogy/ies could you use? (‘it’s like X,
the only difference is Y’)

How is their main behavioural style different

from yours? (are they more of a Driver,
Analyst, Amiable, or Expressive)

What questions or objections might they

have, and how could you pre-empt or deal
with them? (for objections:
Acknowledge/Agree, Counter, reinforce with
Evidence)

How is this influencing best done? (meeting,

Zoom, phone, email, writing, or a
combination)

What is your ‘game plan’? (strong opening,

running order of key points, strong ending)

*Tools of Influence
1. Reciprocation and Reciprocal concessions: Doing a favour sets up an obligation to return it. Make a concession and
people may meet you part way.
2. Scarcity and urgency: Hard to get things are perceived as more valuable. Time limits spur us to action.
3. Authority: People are influenced by figures (or symbols) of authority.
4. Commitment and consistency: Once people have made a decision, they tend to stick to it (and justify it to
themselves and others).
5. Liking: People are more easily influenced by people they like (or who flatter them).
6. Consensus (social proof): People are heavily guided by what others do (people they admire or people similar to
them).