Anthill Magazine

How would you like to increase your influence in all areas of your life? If your answer’s ‘Yes, please’, first we need to dispel a common myth. Thanks to the personal development movement, it’s commonly believed that humans recall between five and nine associated pieces of information at a time before either committing them to long-term memory or letting them go — often referred to as ‘7 +/- 2’ theory. Newsflash! The theory is wrong!

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Can you imagine the kind of influence you could have on others simply by decoding your own ‘X-factor’? After considering over fifty scientific studies around the world on human behaviour, Ben Angel has broken down ‘X-factor’ appeal into seven main areas.

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So there I was, punching my pillow, questioning everything: why my life wasn’t working, why I my work life wasn’t satisfying, why I felt directionless and why the universe was so cruel. Dad had recently passed away at the age of 52 from a brain tumour. I was just 23 years old and had my world thrown into complete chaos. I didn’t know who I was anymore, I was depressed and I was angry.

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As popularised in Malcolm Gladwell’s book ‘The Tipping Point’, ‘Dunbar’s number’ is a theory suggesting each of us can only maintain stable relationships with a maximum of 150 other people (i.e. meaningful contact once a year minimum) at any one time. What’s more, the theory is now backed up by Facebook. The social networking juggernaut reports the average user has 130 friends, which slots nicely into Dunbar’s average range of 100-150 meaningful relationships per person.

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Oscar Wilde once said, “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.” There is one worse thing. And that’s leaving a lasting impression that mysteriously makes people not want to even think about you at all.

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It’s time to ask that important question, ‘So, do we have a deal.’ But instead, your stomach starts to stir with anxiety, your hands get sweaty, you begin to question your sense of self-worth (or lack thereof) and, before you know it, not only have you failed to close the sale, you’ve inadvertently demonstrated your lack of belief in the offer (through your hesitation) and started to actually talk down the product in some misguided attempt to demonstrate that you are, indeed, not a salesperson! What are you thinking!

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Have you ever wondered which techniques musicians and actors use to fiercely dominate their genre and influence their fan base? After all, if you knew what they were and how to apply them, they could dramatically increase your sales, help you attract much needed media exposure and command ‘instant’ attention in your niche quite literally overnight.

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We see it every week in the gossip mags: “Up-and-coming wannabe movie star ‘caught’ schmoozing at the hottest party with established (and too often married) star.” None of this is accidental, neither is it accidental when new and typically ‘unknown’ music acts get to headline for international artists on tour. It’s blatant PR.

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Everyone understands how important conversion rates are, right? Clearly not, or businesses would be doing more to increase theirs on a weekly basis instead of running around like headless chooks promoting to every Tom, Dick and Harry they come across.

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OK, all you sales staffers, it’s nitty-gritty time. I’m about to give you the Magnificent 7 of Networking — seven interconnected fundamentals that will allow you to build effective and profitable relationships for your business.

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