The Influence Game E-Book

Stephanie Vance

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 262

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

Get what you want, every time! Imagine a world where you are offered every job you seek; every business venture you undertake is successful; and every potential customer you approach buys your product. Now imagine that all of this can be achieved--ethically and honestly. All you need is the help of one battle-tested guide, The Influence Game. Former Washington, D.C. lobbyist Stephanie Vance dispenses everything she's learned about effective (and, believe it or not, honest) persuasion. Learn how to apply this power to any situation by using D.C. insider influence strategies and applying a step-by-step, easy-to-understand process for success. * Learn how to develop and articulate effective goals * Structure both long and short-term persuasion efforts * Identify and research primary and secondary audiences * Crafting those all important personal stories Stephanie Vance has seen the influence game from every angle. Follow her lead to get past being heard to the real goal of being agreed with.

Leseprobe

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1: Principles of Influence

What Influence is Not About

What Influence is About

Know the Difference Between a Good Cause and a Special Interest

Chapter 2: Know What you Want

Tactic 1: Your Effort is a Cause

Tactic 2: Know the Nature of What You’re Selling

Tactic 3: Set a SMART Goal

Tactic 4: Know Why you Want What you Want (and Why Your Audience Might Want What you Want)

Tactic 5: Know What You’re Talking About

Applying the Know What you Want Rule in the Real World

Chapter 3: Know the Competition

Tactic 6: Identify the Competition

Tactic 7: Know What You’re Competing For

Tactic 8: Research the Opposition

Tactic 9: Research Yourself as if you Were the Opposition

Tactic 10: Divide and Conquer

Tactic 11: Circle the Wagons

Applying the Know the Competition Rule in the Real World

Chapter 4: Know the Arena

Tactic 12: Find Your Decision Maker

Tactic 13: Find Your Plan B (and Plan C and Plan D) Decision Maker

Tactic 14: Ask the and Next Question

Tactic 15: Know the Rules of the Game

Applying the Know the Arena Rule in the Real World

Chapter 5: Know Your Primary Audience—The “Influencees”

Tactic 16: Know What Gets Them Up in the Morning—and Keeps Them Up at Night

Tactic 17: Know What They Need from You, Not What you Want to Give Them

Tactic 18: Categorize Your Primary Audience into Champions, Supporters, and the Rank and File

Applying the Know Your Primary Audience Rule in the Real World

Chapter 6: Find Your Surrogates—The “Influentials”

Tactic 19: Know Who Will Be Positively Impacted

Tactic 20: Know Who Influences Your Decision Maker

Tactic 21: Don’t Network—Netplay

Tactic 22: Partner with Polar Opposites

Tactic 23: Remain Civil, Even with Those you Really Don’t Like

Applying the Find Your Surrogates Rule in the Real World

Chapter 7: The Campaign Plan

Tactic 24: Don’t Bring a Knife to a Gunfight (or a Screwdriver to a Nut and Bolt)

Tactic 25: Create an Influence Reserve

Tactic 26: Don’t Be a Nigerian Prince

Tactic 27: Numbers Don’t Always Matter

Tactic 28: Do Not Start with Your Compromise Position

Tactic 29: Trade for Votes

Tactic 30: Know the Walk-Away Points

Tactic 31: Keep Track

Tactic 32: Strategize around the Risks

Applying the “Develop the Campaign Plan Rule” in the Real World

Chapter 8: Crafting a Winning Message

Tactic 33: Don’t Rest on the Power of Your Position

Tactic 34: Connect to the Issue du Jour

Tactic 35: Do Not Be Insulting—Whether on Purpose, in Secret or by Accident

Tactic 36: Find the Common Ground

Tactic 37: Remember the Puppies and Children Rule

Tactic 38: Use the SPIT Formula

Applying the Crafting the Message Rule in the Real World

Chapter 9: Delivering the Message

Tactic 39: Pick the Delivery Method That Works for Your Audience, Not You

Tactic 40: Have the Proper Materials

Tactic 41: Turn Lemons into Lemonade

Tactic 42: No Astroturf

Applying the Delivering the Message Rule in the Real World: Lather, Rinse, Repeat

Chapter 10: The End Game

Tactic 43: Know the Difference between Persistence and Stalking

Tactic 44: Control the Uncontrollable

Tactic 45: What to Do if you Succeed

Tactic 46: Don’t Take Credit— Even if you Deserve It

Tactic 47: Say Thank You

Tactic 48: Avoid Failure by Redefining Success

Tactic 49: Really Don’t Do These Five Things

Tactic 50: Have Fun

Index

Copyright © 2012 by Stephanie Vance. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Vance, Stephanie, 1966-

The influence game : 50 insider tactics from the Washington, D.C. lobbying world that will get you to yes / Stephanie Vance.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN: 978-1-118-27159-9 (cloth)

ISBN: 978-1-118-28359-2 (ebk)

ISBN: 978-1-118-28497-1 (ebk)

ISBN: 978-1-118-28727-9 (ebk)

1. Lobbying—United States. I. Title.

JK1118.V36 2012

324’.40973—dc23

2012004736

Acknowledgments

It’s cliche to say that many, many people made this book possible, but it’s true so I’ll say it anyway. Thousands of citizen advocates, lobbyists, legislators, colleagues, professors, friends, family and general observers of the political scene have taught me everything I know about ethical influence. They’ve also been incredibly patient with me as I’ve learned and worked to find the words to express these strategies to others.

I continue to be surprised and encouraged by the number of thoughtful and caring people—yes, even in Washington, D.C.—who have used these tactics to change the world, even where I don’t agree with the change they seek to achieve. In fact, I often learn the most from those I agree with the least. It’s heartening to know that people from opposite ends of the political spectrum can agree on a principled process for persuasion that works. This gives me hope, not just for governance, but for everyone’s ability (including yours!) to influence others honestly and without malice.

Those who observe life know that you won’t get very far if you don’t know with certainty the lines you won’t cross, the principles you hold dear and the steps you are willing to take to achieve your goals. You also won’t get far if you sit back, relax and let others do the work. As Robert Kennedy said (far more eloquently than I), “[i]t is not enough to understand, or to see clearly. The future will be shaped in the arena of human activity, by those willing to commit their minds and their bodies to the task.” I can honestly say that almost everyone I meet “commits their minds and their bodies to the task.” Thank you for showing me how to do so as well.

Don’t just be along for the ride. Go forth—and influence.

Introduction

You have to know the rules of the game. And then you have to play it better than anyone else.

—Albert Einstein

Being Heard versus Being Agreed With

In August 2010 citizens stormed congressional town hall meetings, district offices, and even camped out on Capitol Hill, demanding to be heard on the topic of health care. You may recall the whole health care reform debate. The bill being considered was called the “Health Care Affordability and Accessibility for All Act” by those who liked it and “The Job-Killing Health Care Reform Act” or “Obama-Care” by those who didn’t.

Regardless of their position, ardent activists put a premium on making their views known. They wrote letters and e-mails, attended town hall meetings, and held large rallies. They shouted through bullhorns, yelled, made threats and, on the positive side, delivered honest heartfelt stories.

Meanwhile, lobbyists from all walks of life (health insurers, medical professionals, patient groups, and the like) walked the halls of Congress seeking to influence the details of the legislation (sometimes in coordination with those storming town hall meetings). For example, tucked into the bill’s almost 2,000 pages of new programs and changes to laws was a 12-year exclusivity provision for the biologic drug industry for the manufacture and sale of their drugs. The medical device industry won increased coverage for their products. And lest you think it’s all about corporate finagling, one of the biggest winners in the debate was an organization called the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH). A relative newcomer, TFAH won significant battles in promoting coverage for services (dubbed “preventive care”) designed to limit the onset of chronic diseases, like heart disease and obesity. They achieved this despite their foundation-based funding (not “well-heeled” interests) and, according to lobbying disclosure reports, with just three to four staffers who spent part of their time “lobbying.”