5 books to make you a better influencer

In our daily life, entrepreneur or not, we come across many people who we need to influence and win over. Whether it is investors, clients, bosses, employees, peers, partners or friends, how you communicate and what you communicate will all have an effect on how your interaction goes with them. Persuasion is an effective tool to drive our ideas and is a very essential skill.

I have made a list of books that would help one understand other people to influence and understand people psychology better and have impactful conversations.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie 

This book is a classic. It has sold more than 15 million copies since its release in 1936. To learn about people and Influence their thoughts in an ethical way, this could be the one book you need to read. I personally know a couple of people who practiced these techniques for years and turn into better influencers. It is full of insights and tips on how to be successful in our interactions with people.

The best advice I got from the book – You cannot win people by criticising.

There is one instant from the book that talks about criticising people and the example quoted is etched in my mind. Dale Carnegie quotes Benjamin Franklin, who was an American Ambassador to France, when asked about his secret of success says, “I will speak ill of no man and speak all the good I know of everybody.”

The Art of dealing with people by Les Giblin

This is a very short book. An hour read or so. Small, concise, pretty apt and tells one fundamental truth — Everyone has an Ego and are self-interested.

people are the same everywhere. They love when someone talks about their Interests and benefits. It boosts their ego and when you do that, you have just influenced them. This book is great for developing interpersonal skills and a must for people who have difficulties in dealing with others. The methods suggested by the author are tested and the outcome of his observations of people and human nature while on his job as a sales guy.

PS: This could be one of the chapters in the book ‘How to Win Friends and Influence people’ but it is worth to take this book separately and read.

48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene 

48 Laws of Power is Robert Greene’s first book and it became a bestseller in the US. It is touted as quite popular among prison inmates and celebrities. Having power doesn’t mean you have a better title in your organization, rather it means getting things done by others as you desire, irrespective of your title or who you are. You will be a lesser fool after reading this book and never see the world the same again. This is one of the most practical and fascinating books that I came across.

The authors summarise the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, Carl Von Clausewitz and others into 48 essential powers of law.

The best advice I got from this book – Talk only when necessary.

“When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinx-like. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.”

Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff

Oren is one of the finest brains in pitching (he is an Investment Banker) and he used his one-of-a-kind method to raise more than $400 million over a period of 13 years. One of Oren’s portfolio of pitching and getting a deal was worth $1 Billion.

Pitching is an essential leadership skill. Whether it is raising investment for your company, or selling a product to your client, or negotiating a deal or a higher salary, it is an art of communicating which takes practice. In this book, Oren dissects the process of pitching into 6 blocks and gives details on what exactly happens in the listener’s brain while you pitch. This is a perfect recipe for you if you want to get into pitching.

Beware: Oren gives you a counter Intuitive approach and needs a little gut to execute it. All the best!

Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini

Robert Cialdini, a Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University is considered an expert in the field of persuasion and influencing people.

This book is considered as the bible for a psychology of Influence at the fundamental level. The author’s six techniques or six universal principles elaborated in this book will help one in influencing while they talk to people, or while writing emails and at every junction where one tries to communicate anything. Period.

This book was a #1 recommended book on Amazon on consumer behavior.

These books are a subset of a humble list of books I read. I would love to hear about the books that have influenced you and also your thoughts on the books I have listed in this post. You can follow me on Medium or Twitter.

About the Author:

Manoj heads 10X – Business Short News at Way2Online. An avid reader, he loves hiding in his room and reading books. He is a connoisseur of teas and coffees and has tried over 125 varieties of teas and coffees.

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5 books every entrepreneur should read

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