Click here to listen to my Real Recognition Radio interview with Roy Saunderson & S. Max Brown (It’s FREE on iTunes). We had a great time talking about Instant Influence - my off-the-beaten-path and sometimes counterintuitive way of motivating people in the workplace, our children and even ourselves!

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Be sure to catch my interview on Real Recognition Radio on Tuesday, February 14th, 2012 at 1pm EST.  We’ll be talking about how to motivate people in the workplace.  Don’t miss it!

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Check out my new blog post on Psychology Today.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-science-influence/201111/influencing-your-way-sold-out-event

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Here’s a tip to get you prepared to use Instant Influence, the only scientifically-proven method to motivate anyone in 7 minutes or less, with the people in your life who are not doing what you would like them to do, whether you find them at work or at home.  

The first step in any process of influencing or motivating someone is to pick a target behavior – the thing that you would like the person to do that they are not doing.  And the first step toward picking a target behavior is to make sure you “Do NOT break the Dead Man’s Rule,” which is an old saying in the motivation business.  In essence, it means,…
 
Don’t try to motivate anyone to do anything that a dead man could do just as well. 
           
For example, we try never to break through resistance to get people to not drink or stay away from fattening foods or stop getting in your own way.  A dead man doesn’t drink, he never eats fattening foods, and he’s long past getting in his own way.
           
Instead, we might try to move someone to refuse the next drink or stick to healthy meals and snacks or call up that company and ask for a job interview.  Now the person has an active role to play—something you need to be alive to do.

When you ask people why they might want to do something or how motivated they are, you’re asking them about behaviors, not outcomes.  Most of the time, we can’t control outcomes, but we can control behavior.  We can’t commit to losing weight, but we can commit to sticking to a meal plan.  We can’t commit to getting a job, but we can commit to making 10 job-interview calls by the end of the week. 

It’s also useful to focus on the next step rather than on the final step:  I’ll stop texting and IMing during the next family movie night rather than No cell phone or computer ever during special family times.  Some of the people I’ve trained have objected to this “baby step” process, feeling that I’m asking them to be too easy on the people they’re trying to influence.  But we only get somewhere by taking one step after another, and having taken the first step, however small, we almost always find ourselves motivated to take another.  Trust the process, don’t rush the process, and let the process work for you—one step at a time.  

More Instant Influence TIPs coming soon!

EXERT YOUR INFLUENCE!
~ Mike

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Listen to my interview on LA Talk Radio Show, “Answers-4-The Family.”  In it I discuss how to use my Instant Influence approach with your kids and many others.  http://www.latalkradio.com/Players/Allen-103111.shtml.

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Mid-Day’s review of my book.
http://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/2011/sep/190911-magic-Michael-V-Pantalon-Instant-Influence.htm

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A Huffington Post blogpost co-authored with Margaret Moore.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/margaret-moore/steve-jobs-advice_b_1004898.html

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My NEW blogpost in Psychology Today.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-science-influence/201110/does-being-influential-make-you-healthier-happier

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Read about “Instant Influence” and other strategies of influence, persuasion and negotiation in this month’s issue of Psychology Today.

The Art of Influence

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Everyone wants to influence someone.  But very few people know that there is a scientifically-proven method to get the job done in 7 minutes or less!

My book, “Instant Influence,” teaches you this simple method.  But I’ll give you 2 of the most important points right now.

     #1: Telling the person you would like to influence that they don’t (that’s right, do NOT) absolutely have to change and meaning it, reduces their resistance.  And that makes them more open to the possibility of change.

     #2: Irrational questions work better to influence people than rational questions.

For example, when a friend says, “I wish I could get to the gym more,” the rational, but ineffective, thing people say is, “Why can’t you do that?”

That only makes them come up with excuses.

However, the irrational, but much more effective question is, “Why might you try to get to the gym more?”  This question gets your friend to come up with his own reasons or motives for change – reasons that will always be way more motivating than anything you could ever come up with.

That’s because people only really listen to one person,…No, it’s not their mother, best friend or boss.  It’s themselves!

To learn more about how to influence just about anyone, get my book, “Instant Influence” or check out my speaking, consulting and/or coaching services.

Exert Your Influence!

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