I have been asked countless times in leadership sessions; ‘How do I get my boss to…?’ They essentially ask, ‘How can I influence someone over whom I have no authority?’
The answer is simple. I am not saying it’s easy, but it is simple: Welcome to the world of sales. Influence without authority, whether targeting your boss, your customer, peers or spouse – is selling.
And it is at this point that the participant turns off…shuts down a bit. Perhaps you’re shutting down right now in reading this, and why do you think that is? We’ve often asked participants to free associate with the words ‘salesperson’ and variations on ‘consultant’. The results are predictable – salesperson generally conjures up negative images, while consultant, coach or counselor evokes positive, effective images. Culturally, many of us are spring-loaded to reject self-perceptions that color our efforts anywhere close to the sales profession. I accept that. Now, let’s move on.
In order to get past this and put it to rest, perhaps reversing perspective can bypass the stigma…let’s consider buying instead of selling. We all hate to be sold but love to buy. Let me be the first to echo – Nothing happens until somebody buys something. Until your boss buys in, you don’t get the resources. Until your customer buys in (quite literally), income is at a standstill. Outside of exceptional circumstances, we can’t force compliance without authority. Influence without authority then is when someone accepts the influence attempts of another – and feels good about it. Here’s how it happens.
Functional vs. Human – there are two sides to every buy; the functional side is made up of the match between their need or want and your proposition or solution. If the match is missing, we go no further (and there is rarely anything you can do about it). The human side of the buy usually consists of a series of interpersonal interactions between the two of you. Within this pivotal human interface, two things will indeed happen to the ‘customer’ to allow the buy to take place – they learn and they invest (intangibles or tangibles).
An ‘ACT’ of Purpose – The learning process that takes place for the influence target is a cognitive one…it goes on between their ears. The investment dynamic is behavioral…you can see it, hear it and sense it – in the following order.
- Attention – your boss must first direct their attention your way…they have to be aware of, focused on and informed about your proposition
- Commitment – at some point your boss will need to perform a ritual associated with the particular buy…it might be signing off on a requisition, giving verbal approval or contacting others on your behalf
- Trust – finally, your boss has to experience sufficient validation of the risk she took by investing in you…then that trust can be affirmed and communicated.
If you struggle to influence without authority, don’t worry about selling. Focus on the buying. You don’t have to sell; yet I submit it is in your interest to support the buy. What can you do to attract desired attention? What can you do to facilitate the associated commitment ‘ritual’ that paves the way? Finally, what can you do to calm buyer’s remorse? Influence without authority is possible. It is doable. Change your perspective. Improve your hit rate.
