Interfacing and Influencing Skills

1. Interfacing and Influencing Skills Gemini Skills Workshop July 1998

2. Interfacing and Influencing are core skills used continually in consulting relationships • Interfacing techniques- How we engage others • Active listening • Interviewing • Establishing appropriate working relationships • Question handling - formal and spontaneous • Influencing skills- How we get others to move in a desired direction • Persuading • Negotiating • Applying rational, emotional & political dimensions • Instilling a sense of urgency • Transferring ownership • Identifying and addressing motives and needs of others • Overcoming barriers and objections

3. Consider one definition of a consultant “ . . . anyone who is in a role . . . helping individuals, departments or organisations to be more effective in whatever they do . . . without any formal authority over them or choosing not to use what authority they have.” • Peter Cockman, Bill Evans, Peter Reynolds, ‘Client-Centred Consulting’, The McGraw-Hill Training Series, 1992 Consultants are coaches with no formal authority over their clients.

4. Practicing “Hallway Chats” will increase your comfort and confidence in both of these areas • “Hallway Chats” are those spontaneous and impromptu opportunities you have with all levels of clients and co-workers to make a favorable impression - for yourself and for Gemini • Make sure that you have some one-minute answers prepared and rehearsed in your mind in advance • Two good rules of thumb to keep in mind: “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression” and “Seek first to understand and then to be understood” - S. Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

5. Following these simple guidelines will help you in these sometimes awkward moments • Know with whom you are talking • Start by breaking the ice • relax, show confidence, 2-way discussion • Set an agenda • establish purpose, time contract, confidentiality • Gain credibility • Identify their “red issues” • Determine “what’s behind” a query, remark or concern • Avoid jargon • Be honest

6. Practice makes perfect! • During GSW you will have many opportunities to practice and try out some of these quick responses • When you least expect it, you may be called on to conducta “hallway chat” with someone else • Make sure to have some one minute answers prepared • When in doubt, less is more!

7. Your initial “planned” contact is a chance to makea positive impression Initial Contact - The First Meeting • Are you fully prepared (client profile, industry background, client’s business performance, likely issues etc)? • What sort of first impression do you want to make? • Are you in the right frame of mind to meet your client and dealwith any difficulties that might arise? Gaining Entry • Find out about the client as an individual - what are they likeas a person? • Explore their current situation and how they perceive things to be • Tell the client about yourself and what you feel you can offer Build intimacy, build credibility and start to develop trust.

8. Powerhouse persuaders use a variety of effective techniques that you too can master 1. Talk about what most interests your listeners, putting your needs temporarily to the side 2. Use attention grabbers like surprises and confusion especially with “know it all” types 3. Establish personal contact (eye, touch,etc) to help establish rapport 4. Make it difficult for others to disagree with your logic by speaking in a run-on statement using undeniably true observations linked to your own opinions or beliefs 5. Avoid listener resistance by using stories, metaphors and analogies 6. Ask - don’t tell, “must” and “should” are too directive 7. Don’t try to change the mood - match it and problem solve it 8. Acknowledge that the other has a point, first.....then dismantle it 9. Active listen, paraphrase, check for accuracy 10. “He who speaks first, loses”....Give a person time to think during the conversation