In this article I will share 3 books that will revolutionize your ability to influence and persuade. Two important skills to master in life.
Why you should learn about influence.
Influence is a great skill for any leader, well for anyone really… And no, being able to influence people around you is not the same as being manipulative as long as your intentions come from the right place.
Another perk of learning about influence is that it works both way, not only will you be able to increase your own influence, you will also learn how to spot when people – such as marketers, salespeople, politicians —use manipulate influence tactics against you. It will both sharpen you own sword and harden your protective armor.
1. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
Influence by Robert Cialdini is the result of rigorous evidence-based research and decades of scientific studies. what’s remarkable about this book is that it is presented in such an accessible way.
Robert Cialdini breaks influence down into 7 principles:
- Scarcity
- Authority
- Social Proof
- Liking
- Reciprocity
- Consistency / Commitment
- Unity
Influence contains tons of examples for each of these principle are being used, plus examples of experiments that confirmed each of them. The book is the perfect nonfiction book for a beginners who want to start learning about human nature, and at the same time you will level up your persuasive skills.
2. How to Win Friends and Influence People
How to Win Friends and Influence People is a perennial best seller by Dale Carnegie and it has sold millions of copies since it’s release in 1936.
It’s funny, as I read though my notes from this book it hit me that the person I admire most at my workplace/—and he is definitely someone who has a lot of influence on how we do things and is a big reason it’s a great place to work—- does do all of the things this book prescribes. Even though I don’t think he has read this book.
In this book you will learn how to make friends quickly and easily get people to like you. You will learn how to win people over to your way of thinking, and you will learn how to change people without arousing their resentment. I am rereading this book for my book club right now. We’ll see how it holds up. But I scored it 5 out of 5 on GoodReads when I read it 6 years ago. I will put a link to the full review in the description as soon as it is up. Here is my full review of How to Win Friends and Influence People
3. Never Split the Difference
For me a great book changes my perspective, motivates me to improve as a person, and it should be joy to read. Never Split the Difference is one of those books. It checks all those boxes. I read it and implemented it’s ideas with my book club, TWICE!
In this book former FBI agent, Chris Voss shares what he learned from 20 years as a FBI hostage negotiator. And, guess what?! He realized that techniques he used professionally could be generalized to work perfectly in regular life and work as well. If you make an effort to use the tools in this book in you life with no delay—and this might be one of the most valuable books you’ll ever read.
This book also changed my view of negotiation; I’m now in love with it! And a mostly due to the fact that we created Book Club/Implementation Group around this book where really put the tactics into immediate use in real life situation alongside our theoretical studies. If Atomic Habits is the definite book on habit building than this is definite book on negotiation.
All these books are available on Audible as audiobooks. That’s how I consume most of my books, simply because it’s so easy to just put on an audiobook while doing shores, walking, or when working out at the gym. Here is my full review of Never Split the Difference.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini. The book is a result of rigorous evidence-based research and decades of scientific studies about what kind of persuasive factors influence human behavior. Influence contains tons of examples for each of these factors can be used, along with examples of experiments that confirmed their existence. The book is the perfect nonfiction book for a beginners who want to start learning about human nature, and at the same time you will level up your persuasive skills.
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene is an accessible book that will help you understand power. 3 great books about influence and persuasion are Influence by Robert Cialdini, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, and Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss.
Some great books about influence and persuasion are:
1. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
2. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
3. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss.
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss is one of the best books about negotiation, and Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion is the best book about persuasion. Both are very accessible for novice readers.
