As a marketing professional, a time will inevitably come when you need to motivate someone to do something that will improve business results or efficiency – but you don’t have the resources or support necessary to make it happen. Here’s how to influence others to work towards your goals, even when you don’t have direct authority over them:
Invest in building relationships with everyone.
People are influenced by individuals they like and respect. As such, take the time to get to know all of your co-workers and supervisors as people. Aim to understand where they are coming from, what their challenges are, and what motivates them. Demonstrate that you understand their point of view and are on their side.
Walk the talk.
As mentioned earlier, people are influenced by individuals they respect. Gain the respect of your colleagues by being someone who walks the talk, leads by example, gets things done, and holds themselves to a higher standard. All of these behaviors will earn you respect and trust – thus making you more influential within your organization.
Be present in the moment.
As marketing professionals, we’re always multi-tasking, thinking three steps ahead, and focusing on how to solve a completely different problem than the one in front of us. The problem with this approach is your brain power isn’t being fully used for the meeting or task at hand. In other words, you’re not at the top of your game, and are instead stressed, resistant to new ideas, and less creative. By being present in the moment, however, you’re right there with the people you hope to influence, showing up for them as your best self. That’s a powerful shift that yields equally powerful results.
Give others reasons to support you.
The truth is, your colleagues are more likely to look for reasons not to support you than the other way around. Own this fact and use it to your advantage, by clearly stating all of the reasons why they should support you, and how your initiative aligns with their goals and values.
Make it their idea and decision.
To ensure you’re as influential as possible, make your colleagues feel like the decision was all theirs, rather than something you had to convince them to do. Doing so will increase their level of support, and thus your influence.