Course Syllabus

Influence is at the heart of business life. And no matter whether we’re a leader with considerable authority, a manager with more limited authority or a follower with very little authority at all, the scientifically proven tools of influence will enable us to ‘punch above our weight’ in the workplace. In this opening session, we’ll first explore the fundamental differences between control, influence and persuasion. Then, drawing on the world-leading research of Tim Baker, Robert Cialdini, Steve Martin and others, we’ll compare scientifically proven techniques to ethically win over subordinates, colleagues and even bosses to our way of thinking. Along the way, we’ll test and boost our ‘IQ’ (influence quotient), learn how to build trust at work and design simple classroom activities to develop our powers of persuasion.

What’s the worst thing you can do to a negotiator? What do master negotiators do more than twice as often as mediocre ones? And when might relationships turn out to be more important than results (or vice-versa)? Negotiation in its broadest sense is something we’re constantly involved in. The word itself comes from the Latin for ‘business’ and it would be hard to think of a skill more crucial to professional success. In this session we’ll avoid getting bogged down in the details of complex negotiations and concentrate instead through two quick simulations on the basics of claiming vs. creating value and of connecting with our counterparts before we try to convince them. Clearly, negotiating is not solely about influence, but adept influencers have a clear advantage and that will be our focus in this follow-up to Webinar 1.

Professionally speaking, we’re always presenting. Whether we’re selling ourselves in a job interview, pitching to clients or simply catching up with the rest of the team, it’s show-time. But presenting remotely isn’t remotely like presenting face to face. And now that the presentation venue is more likely to be Zoom than a room, our learners have some serious re-skilling to do if they’re to have the same degree of impact and influence. For Gen Z, connecting online may be as natural as breathing, but that doesn’t mean they’re connecting with their audience, who are most likely distracted, multi-tasking and zoning in and out off-camera. In this session we’ll be looking at how to develop a charismatic online persona and adopt a ‘middle style’ of presentation that hits the sweet spot between natural conversation and platform speaking.

They say ‘it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it’. Not true. It’s both. But how you say it has a tremendous impact on how successfully you get your message across. A presenter with poor delivery is like a fitness trainer who smokes. They undermine their own credibility. So in this session we’re working on ‘vocal intelligence’ – pausing, pacing, placing emphasis, turning the volume up and down. Royal Shakespeare Company voice coach, Patsy Rodenburg admits she’s frankly astonished that so many ‘top business managers and other professionals go on courses at considerable expense in order to learn basic oral skills – the same skills that are taught to a first-year drama student’. Drama school, here we come!

Following on from Webinar 8, in this penultimate session we’ll break down what makes an effective story for professional purposes. Then, taking our inspiration from virtually every Hollywood blockbuster ever made and the personal stories of well-known business leaders as told on YouTube, we’ll familiarise ourselves with possibly the best story formula ever devised – Randy Olson’s ABT Method. Never heard of it? Neither had I until recently, but it works like magic. Armed with this method, our learners may not win any literary prizes, but they’ll have a readymade story structure that cannot fail in a business context. They’ll also know the four classic types of story, the pros and cons of each and when to use them to best effect.

Our course ends with this final session on how to influence others by telling our own stories. For we all know that a story well told – be it fact or fiction – can light up a presentation. But personal stories are also the most effective way to build rapport and showcase our talents in job and appraisal interviews. They can defuse tension and build bridges in a difficult meeting. And they are the real business cards we exchange when we network and socialise. We’ll begin with a storytelling toolbox – amplifiers, connectors, gestures, dialogue playbacks – and a selection of language exercises to practise these. Then we’ll move on to ways of finding, planning, rehearsing and sharing our stories. A set of storytelling templates will be offered to aid our learners in this. And the course will culminate in story prototyping, where we co-coach each other in how to tell one short and memorable story with a message.