Today’s episode looks at the Law of Influence - what it means to truly have influence over other people, how it can lead to greater professional and personal success, and the way it evolves over time as you continue to build your business. Having influence comes down to how abundantly you place other people’s interests first. Matt and Garrett discuss how you can build influence with others by asking questions, expressing empathy, and truly caring for them. Having this genuine connection creates trust, and people pay more attention to your suggestions or advice once you have this relationship. From there, success is inevitable! Social media can give the illusion of having influence, but our hosts explain that real influence isn’t about the number of followers you have - it’s about the quality of your one-to-one connections and how you use a given platform to create relationships. Matt and Garrett talk about making the most of your Sphere of Influence, even if it’s only a small group, and Garrett shares his thoughts on whether technology has actually improved the way we create influence. They discuss the importance of scaling influence, being pure and genuine with people, and giving to others without sacrificing your own goals. Matt breaks down Bob Burg and John David Mann’s Five Secrets of Genuine Influence from their book, The Go-Giver Influencer: A Little Story About A Most Persuasive Idea, and they end by encouraging us to embrace a core of caring in all our interactions to become a true person of influence, the foundation for any good Ninja. Join the growing Ninja Selling Podcast group on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/theninjasellingpodcast, where you can ask questions, discuss episodes, and enjoy the amazing conversations taking place. You can also check out www.ninjaselling.com/events for information on events and open installations. And a reminder that you can now leave a voicemail with your direct feedback at 208 MY-NINJA.   Episode Highlights: Go Giver’s definition of influence - how abundantly you place other people’s interests first Influence can change over time Sphere of Influence - a group of people (or sphere) that you have influence over regularly Trying to grow the group of people you have influence over, and how this can yield success and results Examples of local businesses that have taken care of Matt and Garrett beyond simply doing a job (Meyer Crane and Passion Heating and Air)  Influence begins with asking questions, expressing empathy, taking care of clients’ needs  People pay more attention to your suggestions and trust your advice when you have influence over them Scaled influence Number of followers on social media does not necessarily translate to having influence Revisiting Luca Alboretti’s visit to the podcast and his ability to build connections by truly caring about people The Go-Giver Influencer and the Five Secrets of Genuine Influence True influence starts with a core of caring   Quotes: “Do people really understand what influence means? And the level that this can go to?” “Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interest first.” “Influence can be situational and occupational as well. So I believe you can have influence over someone as their trusted real estate advisor, but you may not have influence over someone when it comes to other things.” “Real, true influence is when you put the other people first. It has nothing to do with you building your business… Truly being an influence in their life, and connecting with them, and knowing what’s important to them, and knowing what makes their world light up - that’s where I think influence becomes really amazing to watch. And when you start to get into those roles with people, success is inevitable.” “If you have influence over me because you paid attention or you had great customer service when I called your company… All of a sudden, I’ll pay attention to other things because now I trust you.” “Well, who a