Four Tips for Using Your Influence During Training 2014

The Training 2014 Conference and Expo is right around the corner. During events like these, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed or even discouraged. You only get two to three days to navigate through the crowds of people, exhibitors, and speaking sessions to meet your goals. Maybe you want to find that one person that will help make your career. Or maybe you want to generate new leads for your business, or maybe you want to learn as much as you can about industry trends.

No matter what your goal is, using your influence will help you maximize your efforts.

Why?

Because influence is a skill that will help you to move others to take action.

So, during Training 2014, remember these four influence tactics:

1) Inquire: When getting to know new people, ask open-ended questions. Asking open-ended questions helps the other person become engaged in the conversation. You invite the other person to respond to you without just saying simply “Yes” or “No.”

2) Listen: After listening to a lecture, go up to the speaker and check your understanding. Briefly paraphrase the key points of the lecture to ensure that you fully understood what they were focusing on. This will engage the lecturer and help start a conversation. Don’t forget to bring your business card!

3) Facilitate: If you’re searching for a career lead and you meet someone who may be able to help you, try posing interesting and challenging questions that are appropriate to the person’s job (for example, “What’s the most important strategic goal for your department this year?”) Doing so can make for a memorable discussion and perhaps a new connection.

4) Sell: Maybe you need to get others to understand your or your organization’s importance in the training industry. Try referring to the goals and benefits that your expertise can offer the other person or organization. Make sure those goal and benefits are relevant to the situation and compelling to that person or organization rather than general.

Good luck on meeting your goals at Training, or any other conferences you are attending this year. And if you want to keep working on your influence while at training, stop by Booth 308 to say hello and take our interactive influence survey.