Want to have real influence? Master the art of talking less to say more

Over the last five months a huge amount of content, opinions and thoughts have been created and shared through the LinkedIn Agency Influencer Program.

Alas, it is in its final hours.

The brief for the program was “find your voice”.

Andrew Hardeman reflects on learnings from the LinkedIn Agency Influencer program

And, many have.

A great result – having the confidence to speak your own mind can be difficult. Finding it is a great gift this program can provide. It is priceless.

BUT – after seeing the amount of content and opinions that were created it got me thinking.

Does having a voice and opinion really guarantee influence?

An influencer by definition refers to a person who has the ability to significantly influence or alter another person or group’s thoughts, feelings or behaviours.

There is a common misconception amongst people that the more you talk, the more influence you have.

After all, how can you influence a situation without providing your opinion on it?

A famous proverb states, “The less people think, the more they talk”.

Another one suggests, “The smarter you get, the less you speak”.

Having an opinion is the first step to having influence.

But, influence doesn’t come from how much you say.

Great influence comes with knowing what to say and when to say it.

So, once you’ve found your voice, always remember the greatest influence comes from talking less, but saying more.

Andrew Hardeman is strategy director at Carat Australia

To see more pieces from the LinkedIn agency influencer program click the image below.