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    • Influence

    Influence Courses Online

    Explore principles of influence for effective communication and leadership. Learn techniques for persuasion, negotiation, and building credibility.

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    Explore the Influence Course Catalog

    • C

      Coursera Instructor Network

      The Beginner’s Guide to Business Negotiation

      Skills you'll gain: Negotiation, Contract Negotiation, Influencing, Communication, Relationship Building, Persuasive Communication, Interpersonal Communications, Rapport Building, Verbal Communication Skills, Trustworthiness, Collaboration, Personal Attributes, Active Listening, Goal Setting, Overcoming Obstacles

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      12 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • C

      Coursera Instructor Network

      Crafting Business Presentations, Proposals, Crisis Comms

      Skills you'll gain: Proposal Writing, Business Communication, Business Writing, Writing, Crisis Management, Persuasive Communication, Strategic Communication, Corporate Communications, Verbal Communication Skills, Sales Presentations, Presentations, Public Speaking, Storytelling

      5
      Rating, 5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      9 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Maryland, College Park

      Transforming Your Company's Data Analytics

      Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Digital Transformation, Data Presentation, Data Visualization, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Business Transformation, Data Literacy, Infographics, Persuasive Communication, Customer experience strategy (CX), Employee Engagement, Data Strategy, Data Science, Storytelling, Analytics, Influencing, Agile Methodology, Organizational Change, Business Analytics, Leadership

      5
      Rating, 5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      7 reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • N

      Nestlé

      Nestlé's Introduction to Marketing - with Abigail Laursen

      Skills you'll gain: Marketing Effectiveness, Global Marketing, New Product Development, Product Marketing, Brand Management, Market Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Marketing Analytics, Marketing Communications, Consumer Behaviour, Brand Strategy, Advertising, Media Planning, Market Research

      4.4
      Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
      ·
      11 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • C

      Corporate Finance Institute

      Analyzing Growth Drivers & Business Risks

      Skills you'll gain: Financial Analysis, Risk Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Market Analysis, Growth Strategies, Business Strategies, Business Analysis, Business Risk Management, Strategic Planning, Product Lifecycle Management

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • C

      Coursera Instructor Network

      How to Series on Personal Development Topics

      Skills you'll gain: Growth Mindedness, Empowerment, Personal Development, Emotional Intelligence, Resilience, Personal Attributes, Self-Awareness, Courage, Accountability, Personal Integrity, Lifelong Learning, Assertiveness, Willingness To Learn, Resourcefulness, Open Mindset, Goal Setting

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      6 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: New
      New
      Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Colorado Boulder

      Execution and Evaluation

      Skills you'll gain: Social Media Strategy, Social Media Campaigns, Social Media Marketing, Marketing Communications, Digital Media Strategy, Media Strategy, Marketing Planning, Customer Insights, Content Performance Analysis, Plan Execution, Earned Media, Target Audience, Content Strategy, Owned Media, Paid media, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Goal Setting

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • K

      Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology(KAIST)

      Signaling actions of small molecules

      Skills you'll gain: Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology, Life Sciences, Blood Pressure, Medical Science and Research, Biology, Microbiology, Oncology

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      8 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • M

      Macquarie University

      Storytelling und Einflussnahme: effektive Kommunikation

      Skills you'll gain: Overcoming Objections, Persuasive Communication, Influencing, Rapport Building, Leadership, Communication, Storytelling, Verbal Communication Skills, Stakeholder Communications, Presentations, Public Speaking, Meeting Facilitation, Interpersonal Communications, Non-Verbal Communication, Empathy

      4.4
      Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
      ·
      8 reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      A

      Alignor

      Leading Diverse Teams

      Skills you'll gain: Influencing, Conflict Management, Teamwork, Collaboration, Diversity and Inclusion, Cultural Diversity, Decision Making, Team Management, Communication, Leadership, Negotiation, Relationship Building, Active Listening

      4
      Rating, 4 out of 5 stars
      ·
      9 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      J

      Johns Hopkins University

      Effective Presentations and Persuasive Writing

      Skills you'll gain: Request for Proposal, Presentations, Technical Communication, Persuasive Communication, Proposal Writing, Business Writing, Intercultural Competence, Public Speaking, Design Thinking, Communication, Teamwork, Strategic Communication, Innovation, Professional Development, Target Audience

      5
      Rating, 5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      6 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • U

      UBITS

      De la comunicación a la neurocomunicación

      Skills you'll gain: Influencing, Non-Verbal Communication, Culture Transformation, Organizational Leadership, Organizational Change, Communication, Communication Strategies, Verbal Communication Skills, Positivity, Team Leadership, Emotional Intelligence

      4.4
      Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
      ·
      11 reviews

      Advanced · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

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    In summary, here are 10 of our most popular influence courses

    • The Beginner’s Guide to Business Negotiation : Coursera Instructor Network
    • Crafting Business Presentations, Proposals, Crisis Comms: Coursera Instructor Network
    • Transforming Your Company's Data Analytics: University of Maryland, College Park
    • Nestlé's Introduction to Marketing - with Abigail Laursen: Nestlé
    • Analyzing Growth Drivers & Business Risks: Corporate Finance Institute
    • How to Series on Personal Development Topics: Coursera Instructor Network
    • Execution and Evaluation: University of Colorado Boulder
    • Signaling actions of small molecules: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology(KAIST)
    • Storytelling und Einflussnahme: effektive Kommunikation: Macquarie University
    • Leading Diverse Teams: Alignor

    Frequently Asked Questions about Influence

    To influence someone is to affect or change their behavior without the direct use of authority, coercion, or force. Instead, the influencer creates change by shifting the mindset of individuals, groups, or entire organizations, persuading them to adopt the desired course of action of their own free will. The ability to influence can be important for everyday communication and maintaining harmonious relationships in our personal and family lives, but it is also a very important skill for many jobs and career paths.

    For instance, being able to subtly influence your customers to “get to yes” when you’re closing a deal is an essential talent of sales professionals of all kinds, whether you’re selling shoes or business software. In fact, the world of social media and digital marketing has created a new type of selling called influencer marketing, in which influential personalities and cultural figures post pictures and testimonials with the product being sold.

    The ability to influence is also essential for leadership roles in any organization, as management positions require you to motivate employees to not only fulfill their roles but to work enthusiastically at the peak of their abilities. The best executives and CEOs are talented at bringing their teams into vision alignment, with strongly shared priorities, values, and focused goal setting that allow organizations to succeed - in business as well as in the recruitment of top-flight talent.‎

    Influencing skills are important for almost any career that requires working in a team, but they are most important for roles as managers and top executives. Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” has been a mainstay in business school curricula despite being written nearly a century ago because this skill has always been fundamental for success in the business world. The ability to get your team aligned to work together effectively is rare and highly valued; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, top executives earned a median annual salary of $104,690 per year in 2019, including a median pay of $184,460 for chief executive officers (CEOs).‎

    Absolutely. There is a common myth that the ability to influence others is simply an innate talent that some people have and others don’t, but the reality is that influencing is a skill that is taught at every business school - including schools offering courses online through Coursera. You can learn how to influence others from leading faculty at top-ranked schools like University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, Northwestern University, and Macquarie University. And even though Coursera lets you learn remotely on a flexible schedule, you can still work with faculty in live virtual office hours that let you practice your influencing skills to an expert audience.‎

    Some skills or experience you might need to have before learning influence are strong social skills that allow you to get along with all types of people, such as supervisors, peers, and customers. If you have any sales experience or experience presenting information and concepts to others in person or online, you may already have the skills necessary to learn advanced influencing methods.‎

    The kind of people who are best suited for roles in influence are those who are confident in their abilities to motivate and persuade others whether or not they’re in authority roles. Types of people well suited for roles in influence can build and maintain high-quality relationships with diverse groups of individuals. People best suited for learning influence can discern other people’s attitudes, diverse social factors influencing behavior, and why people may or may not act on their intentions.‎

    Learning influence may be right for you if you want to learn how to develop it so you can become more effective in achieving your organizational goals. Studying the subject may be right for you if you want to understand the framework of power and influence and the dynamics of effective networks, persuasion, and leverage. If you're in any type of role where you need negotiation, communication, and sales skills, then learning influence may be a good choice for you.‎

    Common career paths for someone who has studied influence are often found in corporate management in general where the ability to persuade people is paramount. Specific common career paths for people who have studied influence might be product and brand management, research and development, and any leadership position in an organization’s C-suite. Another common career path for someone in influence is blogging where paid or sponsored influencers create content on various social media platforms. The most common career path for someone in influence is in sales where it’s critical to understand how to best persuade customers and clients using various tools, including neuromarketing.‎

    There are many topics you can study that are related to influence, such as emotional intelligence, which may help you to work effectively in teams, build cooperative relationships, and exercise effective influence to foster meaningful change. Another topic related to influence that you can study is social psychology to help you understand why people behave in certain ways. Marketing is another strongly related topic to influence that you might consider studying.‎

    This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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