We probably all want to learn how to influence others. Of course, it would be great if we can easily make other people agree to what we propose, or give in to what we want and being able to make everything a lot easier - from your career to your relationships, as well as in business.

Learning how to influence others can also gain you more friends and build great relationships, as well as being able to easily reach your goals and desires in life. To be able to influence and persuade, here are some basic things that you need to consider.

- Know yourself. For sure you have your own weaknesses and strengths and being able to know yourself and assess what is blocking you to be someone who can easily persuade or influence others. Most successful people know themselves a lot that is why they can plan well and achieve their goals easily.

- Hone your listening skills. Effective listening is an essential part of an effective communication - which is also an important tool in being able to influence and persuade people. Learn to hone your listening skills by giving people your full attention and genuine interest on their needs. One technique that is often used in influencing others is to know their needs and wants and help them work on it or fulfill it. Being able to address their needs is for sure one way to motivate them to follow.

- Work on being likeable. Learning how to influence others starts from making people to like you. To be able to do this, you have to show them your genuine interest and be someone who gives out a positive energy to others. Be friendly and make them feel important. Learn to care, appreciate and compliment genuinely too and give your full attention to them. If you want to learn how to influence them, you have to give first before you can gain.

- Give criticisms with care. Another important thing you have to take note in learning how to influence others and persuade them to think the way you do is to give careful criticisms. If you criticize, you are actually influencing others to go with your way or change their beliefs or behavior. However, it is also very important that you criticize correctly without driving them away. Hurting people is surely one thing that can also make you unlikable. Do not criticize people, instead, criticize the act. You may also want to start with criticizing your mistakes before you give criticisms to others and learn to give constructive criticisms. This way, you can influence their thinking without losing rapport.

- Be confident and speak confidently. You may not be mindful of the many 'uhmmms' you have in your conversations but these can give the audience a hint of uncertainty and doubt. If you let doubt enter into their minds, it may also make them doubt about following you. Learn to talk straight and exude confidence that people want to follow.

Start with these basics in leaning how to influence people and you would most likely have a good start in influencing and persuading others to do what you want them to do.