There’s a reason that Time Magazine annually publishes its list of the hundred most influential people in the world. Simply put, people and organizations who can influence people – really affect change – are admired for their abilities to do so. As a small business owner, being influential can mean a great deal in helping you achieve success at your company. Being able to influence clients that you work with or inspire employees to be ever more productive can be a great boon to managing your small business. Additionally, as a small business, being influential in your particular industry is a great indicator of success. Titans of industry are renowned for their tremendous presence, and your small business should be ambitious in striving to be as influential as possible in your line of business. Here are some tips on how to be more influential as a small business and small business owner.
Be an engaging speaker
Words don’t mean very much if they are listened to without actually being heard. Speaking in an engaging, effusive and enthusiastic manner can be the difference between having your words carry actual weight or simply being dismissed into the wind. There are many tips to help you speak in a more engaging way, but in general, converse proudly, clearly and succinctly, recommends Inc. Magazine. Make every word count when pitching ideas or regaling clients with stories – after all, nobody wants to listen to a story that drones on and on with mundane, pointless details. Becoming a raconteur is no easy feat, but practicing, being aware of your intonations and your speech habits and teaching yourself how to speak more engagingly can reap tremendous rewards for you and your small business.
Set realistic expectations
In the world of social media networks today, many small businesses and marketing managers often set unrealistic expectations with unreachable volumes of what they deem to be influential metrics, such as the number of followers on Twitter or the number of likes a status receives on Facebook. According to FrogLoop, the most important thing to do is to first define what you want to achieve with your alleged influential metrics. Have a goal in mind for reaching a set number of followers or getting an appropriate number of likes. This will lend more weight to your mission, allowing you to define more realistic expectations. Similarly, as a small business owner, setting yourself a goal of always influencing your way and other people into getting what you want is ultimately unrealistic. Instead, start with small goals of what you hope to achieve and work toward each one systematically.
Be compelling
Be as compelling as possible in all forms of communication, including both verbal and written. On the written side, for every marketing assignment you undertake, the unmistakable truth remains that content is king. Numerous forms of communication, including the various social media networks, rely on the written word in varying lengths to communicate your message. Ensure that your content is always compelling. According to Inc. Magazine, this means being more observant and curious in your daily life. Read more, look around you more, keep an eye out for trends, absorb all this knowledge and relate that in a compelling manner through your various communications. This means sharing relevant content, telling entertaining stories and generally being a more interesting person.
How are some ways that you have become more influential?
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