If you missed Step 1 of this series read it here: https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-171769.0.html

Here's Step 2,

Rule 2/Step 2: Start Making Friends & Influencing People

The greatest power a business owner can wield is the power of influence.

Too many small and home based business owners do not understand this simple fact.

Every Fortune 500 company knows this and operates based primarily on this.

If they can not positively influence those who can help their businesses grow (whether it's their prospects, customers, associates, employees, shareholders, bankers, publicity contacts, suppliers, consultants and so on), into going ahead and doing always and only that which is in THEIR companies' best interests, they know they can easily kiss their profits "see ya"! And that's why they take all the pains and spend all the big bucks to hire full time PR consultants who can get them into the public's good books and get them out of a jam whenever that is required.

Politicians the world over thrive on the above as well. The Power Of Influence -- It Is Probably THE GREATEST POWER A HUMAN CAN HAVE.

The latter in part explains why Dale Carnegie's classic "How To Win Friends & Influence People" has so far sold over 500 million copies and is still going strong after several decades in book stores all over the globe.

The problem is this however, millions of people (probably yourself included) think that possessing the power to positively influence people who can help their businesses grow is an art form that can not be easily learned. And the truth is, they (and you) are just downright mistaken. Fatally so in fact.

To prove it, take a look at some of the most successful people the world has ever known, so many of them had nothing more than their skills, talents, or wits to offer for recognition. They became household names not because they splashed thousands of dollars around advertising themselves (that would definitely help anyone, even them), but what many of the well known "Greatest contributors to humanity" all have in common isn't their advertising budget, but the fact that they developed the ability to influence those closest to them in such ways that those people were able to influence those closest to them (and so on), into taking the steps required to help our heroes grow into household names.

It may sound complex, but it really isn't. Human beings were built to naturally pass on information to one another. It's the main reason we can speak while other creatures have only sounds and gestures etc, to guide them in understanding each other. The power of speech however allows you or anyone to pass on valuable information about anything on the face of the planet within seconds and with the advent of powerful technologies like the telephone and the Internet and TV and radio, other people all the way across the world can get their hands on the exact same information within a matter of minutes or even seconds.

USING THE POWER OF INFLUENCE TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

Now, imagine that you can wield that same power within your own market. All you have to do really is say something to someone or a group of people that they would instinctively want to pass on to someone else, If you can convince them to do so, they will. If you can convince them to get others they can influence to influence those they know to do what is in your business' best interest, and they do, you would have easily hit the mother lode and it may never cost you more than your normal working hours and/or a few thousand dollars to achieve this status.

What you really need is to provide people with something they WANT to talk about with someone else and that someone else will want to talk about with someone else and so on, It's not that hard when you sit down and think about it,

For instance, when was the last time you were able to convince someone to say something nice about you?

All you have to do to achieve that status is be nice to the people around you, become the one person they can't do but say nice things about, Influence them with your good nature and people will rush to share the good news with their own friends.

A very important point you should NOT forget to attach to this step is to try to stay in contact with as many of your new found friends, prospects and customers as possible,

Remember, in order to be able to positively influence people, you have to be able to CONTACT them. If you don't have my cell phone number or email address for example, you can't possibly expect to say anything directly to me half way across the world and have me hear you. Same goes for your marketing,

Collect the names, email addresses, phone numbers etc of your new friends, acquaintances and customers every time you have a chance to (just don't force people into being on your contacts' list, that will always backfire, trust me, no one likes being forced to do things they don't want to do).

Once you have their permission to contact them, use that opportunity to be nice to them, and do it from the bottom of your heart, because the human psyche can smell B.S. ten miles away. So just be real about it all.

People will appreciate your good deeds, kind heart, fairness, great content, great information, great products and great service so much that even if they don't tell anyone else about you, they will stick with you just to keep enjoying the good stuff, And those who will talk will only have glowing things to say, Build your business from the start in this way. Build the audience for a product from the start in this way.

I promise you, you can never go wrong when you plan to positively influence those who can help grow your business and if you're smart, you'll always ask them for a way to stay in touch so that you can continue to build on that relationship. It's a no brainer, but then again, how many times have no brainers ever been the most obvious line of action?

Don't let this one pass you by, You won't only regret not having this circle of influence, you'll PAY FOR IT UP FRONT. Guaranteed.

Look out for Step 3 - "Prepare To Deliver 1st Rate Products/Services" -- Coming soon