Six Principles of Influence: Create Change That Benefits Your Customer

Influence is one of the most important factors in any business from the one-off entrepreneur to the largest global corporations. To understand the power of influence and persuasion, you must first understand the definition of influence.

The best definition is offered by one of the world’s leading experts on influence, persuasion, and negotiation Dr. Robert Cialdini as told in his interview for Guy Kawasaki’s great book “Reality Check.” Dr. Chialdini, a psychology professor at Arizona State University and Phd defines influence:

“Influence means creating change in some way. Change can be in an attitude, it can be in a perception, or a behavior. But in all instances, we can’t lay claim to influence until we can demonstrate that we’ve changed someone.”

Six Universal Principles of Influence

1. Reciprocation: People give back and treat you the same way you treat them

2. Scarcity: People are motivated to “seize the opportunities” of a limited offer that you provide to them if they realize the supply of this offer is rare or in dwindling availability

3. Authority: The greater your knowledge and credibility on a subject is the easier it is to persuade people

4. Commitment: People will feel the need and obligation to “comply with your request” if it is consistent with what they have publicly agreed (committed) to in your presence

5. Liking: The degree to which people know and like you is the main factor in their preference to say “yes” to you

6. Consensus: People love company in most decisions. If you give them evidence that others, just like them, have said yes to you, they then “will be likely” to say yes to you more often than not

Yahoo Advertising Campaign Like Their Search Capabilities: Misguided At Best

Jerry Yang this past spring turned down what may have been the sweetest deal in negotiating a sales price for Yahoo during the Microsoft “take over” bid. In that scenario, as it has played out to date, Yang refused to sell Yahoo believing that the company was worth more than the nearly 50 billion being offered. In this case, Yang made an egregious error and his stockholders are now suffering the consequences with Yahoo stock price plunging to an alarming $12 per share.

Equally stupid, in my opinion, is the marketing campaign being pushed on Northern California radio by the mind trust at Yahoo. It seems in the information rich, human capital intelligent, internet savvy Silicon Valley, Yahoo is clueless to it’s audience. Why?

A Train wreck Marketing Philosophy: “Don’t get lost in all the links”

1. Taking on Google’s algorythim by hinting that Google confuses people by offering to much information in their search queries

2. Assuming the Public is too stupid to understand the basics of great search results offered by Google

3. “Ah Shucks” tone of innocence in attempting to sway the less than informed public

4. Bad Advertising ploy where Yahoo follows the old Madison Ave tactic where producing a very bad ad so enrages the public they talk about the product

5. “Less is More” in this case less is not more it is less information, less value, suspect results

Rule of Thumb

Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight. If you are going to take on the biggest advertising company in the world, you better have something to say that is worthy of the task. Trying to be Sarah Palin “folksie” only makes Yahoo look stupid and stupid doesn’t play in the Valley

Technology and Networking in 1978: My 30 Year High School Reunion a Reminder

Can you guess which one is me?

Excuses are like long term personal contracts that freeze a person’s ability to make change, take action, move forward. One of the worst excuses I often hear people expound upon is the fact that blogging and social media networking is just too time consuming, not effective enough, or over their heads technologically. Bull_hit! It is all about your willingness to learn, expand your knowledge base, dedicate yourself to the task, and remain steadfast on course through dedication.

Back in 1978, there was very little technology that allowed a person or business to network themselves and build their brand. How did I arrive at this subject?

My 30 year high school reunion, Terra Linda High School in San Rafael, CA, is being held tonight and it sparks many memories. One of the biggest memories is how our world used to be and how technology has changed what we can do, where we can go, and who we can ultimately become due to the advances.

In order to appreciate the Web 2.0 world of Social Networking tools, blogging, and the global conversation that is inspiring a seachange in the media and information industry, lets take a look back at where we used to reside: 1978.

You have NO excuse not to network, connect, and utilize the tools of blogging and Web 2.0 to your advantage. Here is what you would have faced 30 years ago:

Technology in 1978: Or what I used to do, what I could not do, and what I never knew I wanted to do

1. Remote Control: I was my father’s remote as I sat by the TV while he pointed and “clicked”

2. Cable TV: We had 4 channels 2-4-5-7; ESPN did not exist, cable TV did not exist

3. VCR-Video: VCR’s were invented but not in the market in my area, Video stores did not exist

4. No MTV: Music videos did not exist

5. Microwave Ovens: no microwaves, no Hotpockets!

6. “Partyline”: no not some 900 number. My grandparents phone service was a party line where 6 families shared the same phone line!

7. No Internet: ?????????????

8. No Personal Computers

9. No Video games: Pong was just around the corner

10. No Cellphones

11. No Answering machines: if you missed the call you were left wondering

12. No Voicemail: same thing but now you could screen calls without screwing up!

13. No Social Media Networking: Facebook, twitter

14. No Niche Media Networking: Linkedin, Plaxo

15. No PDA

16. No Video Cameras: none that were small and affordable only the mass media behemoths

17. Microcomponents: Sterio components and speakers were HUGE

18. CB Radios: They were a national phenom and since technology have gone back to their intended use

19. Ham Radio: Same thing Hamm Operators are a dying breed with the internet, skype, and other technologies

20. Networking: Back in 1978 it was through your family, Chamber of Commerce, Barbershop, or the local rag newspaper

21. Sadly No Active Rain: Are there words to express my gratitude?

Where can you find me if not in the picture above:

1. Active Rain profile

2. Innerarchitect.com/about

3. Linkedin.com profile

4. Facebook.com profile

5. Collegeplanningspecialist.wordpress.com author

6. Plaxo.com me

7. twitter.com deansguide

If you can’t get find me to network with me–you ain’t tryin!

5 Strategies to Branding “You”: Realtor’s Guide To Career Success

Branding

Reuters.com published this deansguide article September 2, 2008

What exactly is the definition for the word “branding”? We are talking about creating an aura, a perception, and a truth about a person, service, or product that allows people to identify and recognize them instantly.

Branding according to Whatis.techtarget.com definition

Branding “You” What Are You Waiting For?

You spend a lifetime promoting your employer, their products, and their services. You derive your substance factor from your experiences. Is it not about time you tell the world about you and why you are special?

Tips To Branding “You”

1. Recognize: You are a brand. You have recognizable qualities and you must consider yourself special in order to promote your unique qualities

2. Begin the Shift: Recognize you are worthy of brand recognition and begin to shift the emphasis to your qualities and differentiating factors that make you unique. Why are you so effective? How can you deliver value? Begin to market you as the source

3. Education to Expertise: in order to become a brand, you must be knowledgeable in your niche. Gain confidence and expertise by studying and learning about your business from mentors, online resources, workshops, seminars, and books. Building your knowledge base builds confidence in you as well as your potential clients

4. Writing Platform: create a writing platform with the goal of establishing your own blog within a 3-6 month period. The following are places to start:

a.) Submit articles to ezinearticles.com

b.) Create a newsletter

c.) Become a contributor to a blog

d.) Ask to contribute to a newsletter or local newspaper

5. Public Speaking Platform: Create a workshop or speech aimed at providing value to your audience.

a.) Ask to represent your company at local meetings or conferences. Work up to bigger venues

b.) Ask to speak at your Kiwanis Club, Rotary, or Chamber of Commerce

c.) Create a Free workshop for you affiliate partners

d.) Join a industry organization and submit your request to speak

Results

The best strategy to support your career as an entrepreneur or as an employee of a company is to create the brand of “You.” In so doing, you become recognizable to both potential clients and potential employers.

Your entrepreneurial business is positively effected when potential clients know you, like your brand (You), and understand the value you bring to the table

Your employer’s business is positively effected when customers know you, trust you as their “brand”, and understand the value you bring to the organization you are working for with the client’s best interests in mind

Changing Careers-Laying Your Foundation Workshop To Transition and Success

Many people in a variety of business niches are constantly searching for answers to obstacles that plague their professional development, business success, and overall happiness and well being. Susan Hanshaw’s upcoming workshop “Changing Careers: Laying Your Foundation” provides 6 Steps with a goal and a proven formula for achieving each goal.

Q: “What Do You Get In This Workshop? Why Should I Attend?”

A: “Together we will walk through 6 steps each with a goal and a proven formula for achieving each goal:

Step 1

Goal: Stop feeling stuck in a career that no longer fits

How: Become aware of your choices

Step 2

Goal: Give yourself permission to experience your ideal work life

How: Identify the beliefs that are holding you back and learn how to let go of them

Step 3

Goal: Stop second guessing your desire for change

How: Recognize how your values have changed

Step 4

Goal: Believe in your ability to successfully create a career change

How: Learn the 7 Steps to successfully create change

Step 5

Goal: Discover your passions and purpose

How: Learn how and where to look for clues

Step 6

Goal: Believe you can turn your passions into a financially rewarding career

How: Identify the various ways you can generate income from your passions

Please consider joining us for Changing Careers: Laying Your Foundation

Susan Hanshaw
Workshop Facilitator

Changing Careers:
Laying Your Foundation

Saturday, Sept 6, 2008
10am – 4pm

Quadrus Conference Center
2400 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA

“One of the most beautiful conference centers I’ve ever been to.”— Al Gore

9 Tips On How To Become An Expert While Protecting Your Job Security

“Wachovia plans to cut 600 more jobs than previously expected; total now 11,350″ -Yahoo.com August 11, 2008

“Looming job cuts march on-report: The number of job cuts announced in July jumps 26%. Airlines and financial firms top the list, according to monthly study” -CNNMoney.com August 4, 2008

“Deepening Cycle of Job Loss Seen Lasting Into ’09” -New York Times July 2, 2008

FoxBusiness.com published this deansguide-innerarchitect blog article August 17, 2008

Where and when does it end? The speculation over recession, the mortgage meltdown, the banking crisis brought on by greed, and the worries that accompany these problems permeate the national consciousness.

Economic change and political transition are everywhere in America right now. Looming layoffs, election hopes, and uncertainty of our country’s direction have produced a paranoia amongst American’s for the health and welfare of their futures.

Make Yourself Invaluable

1. Your work ethic is the best way to keep your job, if you really enjoy your work, by making yourself an asset that your company can not live without. Be invaluable

2. Be versatile to the point where you can do your job with a high level of expertise as well as other valuable jobs within your organization. If layoffs come, the person with the largest skill set is often in the best position to remain unscathed

3. Ask for more responsibility, more work, and do it now. Make sure your positive attitude is seen as a benefit to the organization–don’t remain undercover instead be your own PR person

Increase Your Expertise

4. Read cover to cover your industry trade publications, online resources, and niche blogs within your industry

5. Read as many books possible about related subjects

6. Take classes and workshops for hands on training and comprehension

7. Utilize the internet search engines for extensive research

8. Attend trade shows and industry conferences

9. Join organizations, professional associations, and niche specific networking groups

Innerarchitect.WordPress.com Moves To Innerarchitect.com/Blog: Combining Our Website and Blog Transition In Action

The blog supporting Inner Architect personal development firm and author Susan Hanshaw has moved from it’s original wordpress subdomain, innerarchitect.wordpress.com, to it’s new platform innerarchitect.com/blog. The combining of website and blog will bring all the Inner Architect writing, products, and services under one roof.

The focus will remain to provide continuous valuable resources:

1. Tips: Maintaining Positive Energy

2. How to Guides: “The Most Important Steps Toward The Life You Want”

3. Services: Books and Reference articles

4. Workshops: Changing Careers: Laying Your Foundation

5. Our Friends: trusted friends, reviewers, bloggers, and entrepreneurs

6. Events: Speaking engagements, workshops, networking opportunities

7. Discoveries: Discover Your Passions And Purpose

8. Inspiration: The story of a street preacher with a heart

9. Book Review: a sample of two book reviews for Inner Architect

10. Workshops: Scheduled events

Bay Area Business Woman Publisher Debra Costner Hails Susan Hanshaw’s “Inner Architect” As The Tool To “Build Your Life From The Inside Out”

Debra Costner, Publisher

Bay Area Business Woman publisher and editor Debra Costner is a no nonsense businesswoman living her “purpose.” In one of the best book reviews to date, Ms. Costner described “Inner Architect: How To Build The Life You Were Designed To Live” as:

• “It is not a book about living life or changing careers-it is in fact an exquisitely detailed workbook taking you through the process of a ‘personal revolution’”
• “The many exercises, including identifying your trust issues, creating new beliefs about money, choosing to believe in yourself and trusting your instincts really hit the mark in identifying what keeps so many from finding success”
• “Inner Architect is able to guide you through any life-altering modifications you feel compelled to make. The book could work to define a new health plan, improve personal relationships and of course develop a new business plan”

As Costner notes this book is for “. . . those who truly feel they need a change in direction, or want to examine their current situation and are ready for transformation.” As Susan advices “we are in an evolving state of becoming.” When you feel challenged by change and transition remember “When you have serious doubts, consider what regrets you might have if you don’t give your leap a full chance.”

Examples You Can Accomplish

1. Change your career direction create a purposeful path

2. Create new beliefs about money; letting go of the fear of the loss of the paycheck

3. Build the confidence to start a new exercise health plan

4. Improve your eating habits

5. Build and improve personal relationships

Susan Hanshaw’s “Creating Your Plan”: Networking To A New Life

Jeffrey Gitomer’s fun video of networking basics

Action Planning is one of the most intricate and important parts of creating a new life or career. Without a plan to drive your efforts, your attempts to change your life are much more difficult to achieve. Make no mistake about the fact that in order to succeed in any transition you must first be responsible for laying the foundation: planning.

In Susan Hanshaw’s book Inner Architect: How To Build The Life You Were Designed To Live”, Phase 4 Creating Your Plan the best tool to get started is Step 15 “Outline Your Training Process.”

Marketing Through Networking

One of the fastest and most effective methods to begin meeting people in the niche you wish to build your new career or life is via real world networking events and meetings

Webgrrls International

A great example of outlining your training process can be found at the networking group Webgrrls.com. Webgrrls provides meetings and events with the following benefits:

1. Networking: you meet people in your niche
2. Introductions: you give your 1 minute “elevator” pitch a mini marketing message business plan
3. Practice: you hone your public speaking skills by participating
4. Support: members support each other’s goals and help bring ideas forward
5. Synergy: many members have synergy within their action plans and training plans

5 Steps For Identifying Your Training Process

In Susan Hanshaw’s exercise you are given a practical method of evaluating your training process:

1. Get Clarity: Define details of your service or product, develop a profile of your job description, and list your job duties
2. Identify Areas for Development: review your job duties and list specific areas for development
3. Research: find training opportunities, options for training and learning, don’t limit your path to education
4. Buy In: Choose training programs that resonate with you, that excite you, and commit your efforts 100% to that program(s)
5. Complete Training and Credentials: realize your training will require concentration and sacrifice. Focus on the rewards of training rather than your sacrifices

Webgrrl Attendees With Expertise

1. Nelly Yusupova: Founder Digitalwoman.com a successful a website development and Internet consultant practice started in March, 2004. Nelly is also the CTO for Webgrrls.com and Manhattan chapter president. Contact Nelly Yusupova at nelly@cgim.com

2. Naomi Most: Naomi is the talented producer behind LittleMovingPictures.com and a well versed programmer with experience in Python, Perl, PHP, SQL, XML, C/C++. Naomi’s company is so busy and expanding that they are looking for a wide variety of professionals from copywriters to engineers. Contact Naomi at naomi@littlemovingpictures.com

3. Beth Rogozinski: Director, Marketing Communications for devicescape.com the leader in software for secure and seamless WiFi internet access. Beth has 10+ years of experience in Public Relations, media relations, media event marketing and planning. Contact Beth for all of your enterprise or individual WiFi access needs beth@devicescape.com

4. Erin Clark: Account Manager Eastridge InfoTech a technology staffing firm in San Francisco. Erin is a vibrant and well connected human capital facilitator who matches talented technologist with their desired positions. A active member of ebig.com and thinkhdi.com, Erin is a market leader and go-to source of information. Contact Erin at eclark@eastridgeinfotech.com

5. Gayle Uchida: Business Development Manager Gayle is a joy to meet and learn from in her work with Lighthouse-sf.com. Lighthouse For The Blind is a non profit organization focussed on education and awareness effecting the vision impaired community. Gayle has over 20 years experience in Silicon Valley as a business development executive and marketing professional. Contact Gayle at guchida@lighthouse-sf.org

Barack Obama, Oprah, and America Are Talking About It: Change and Transition Workshop For Life

Event:

“Changing Careers: Laying Your Foundation”

Is your heart calling you to make a career or personal change, yet you lack the structure, focus or support to get started? Whether you know what you want to move into or need guidance getting clarity, this workshop will assist you in stepping onto the new path with the understandings you need to stay the course and build a life you love.

Substance Factor

Whether you know what you want to move into or you are looking for clarity and transition, this workshop goes beyond career goals. It is a workshop that will provide the attendee with the following tools from Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Susan Hanshaw’s latest book “Inner Architect: How To Build The Life You Were Designed To Live” see Ray Davis review from his blog theaffirmationspot.wordpress.com.

What You Will Learn

• Recognize your choices and identify the choice you want to make
• Common obstacles to creating work you love and their solutions
• Identify your personal obstacles and define their solutions
• Understand your beliefs about your future possibilities and make necessary adjustment
• Create a vision of your best life possible
• Learn the key to fulfilling work
• 5 steps to discovering your purpose
• Where to look for clues about your passions and purpose
• Recognize clues to your unique purpose
• Identify ways to express your purpose and generate income
• Recognize which role excites you the most
• 6 steps for experimenting with your role

Logistics

Date: Saturday, Sept 6, 2008

Time: 10am – 4pm

Location: The beautiful Quadrus Center Menlo Park, CA

Prices: TBA