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  • How do con artists manage to scam millions?

  • Why do people choose to follow great leaders, or horrible ones?

  • How do CEOs get better deals in the boardroom?

  • Influence.

  • It goes by a lot of names.

  • Emotional intelligence.

  • Manipulation.

  • Social skills.

  • Influence is an important tool that drives business decisions and social interactions.

  • But, like all those Spider-Man reboots have taught us, with great power comes great responsibility.

  • ...Uncle Ben...

  • Influence has a dark side too, and can be used to pressure people into making some pretty

  • bad decisions.

  • So this is basically our defense against the dark arts episode.

  • Except instead of Avada Kedavra, we're going to fend off someInfluencias Malusand

  • teach you how to use influence for good.

  • I'm Evelyn from the Internets.

  • And this is Crash Course Business: Soft Skills.

  • [Intro Music Plays]

  • Last time, we talked about the rational reasons for trusting other people.

  • But you also trust people because of emotional reasons, like your gut instinct when you first

  • meet them.

  • Sometimes, emotional cues can match up with cognitive trust.

  • Maybe someone's giving you really bad vibes, and when you scroll down their Twitter feed,

  • your suspicions are confirmed! I'm not about to get dragged on Black Twitter with you!

  • Or your gut might be trying to get you out of a situation that feels dangerous.

  • In the words of My Favorite Murder, if you're freaked: Pepper spray first.

  • Apologize later.

  • Then, there's the flip side.

  • You might feel good about someone who turns out not to be trustworthy.

  • That smooth-talking ex, for example.

  • Or a quirky professor who was actually hiding Voldemort on the back of his head the whole

  • time.

  • Influence relies heavily on charisma.

  • If someone's more likeable, they tend to be trusted more easily and can influence others.

  • As we've seen from the #MeToo movement, or really anytime a popular person does a

  • horrible thing, having charisma does not mean someone has good character or is good

  • at their job.

  • Charisma isn't always nefarious, though.

  • It can be used as a force of good -- to help you make a great first impression or give

  • a persuasive public speech.

  • And it's not some magical gift that's bestowed upon you.

  • Charisma is a skill you can build over time with the personality traits you've got.

  • Tons of factors play a role.

  • But to keep it simple, here are three things that leading organizational psychologists

  • say can make you more likeable: confidence, praise, and optimism.

  • [That's it.

  • Three things.

  • You got this.]

  • Plus, they can also help you think about why you're trusting a charismatic person, and

  • whether or not you should.

  • Confidence is the number one way to build charisma and emotional influence.

  • It makes you seem more relaxed and capable in high-pressure situations.

  • Capable people aren't always as confident as they could be.

  • Maybe you're shy, or have impostor syndrome and you're afraid you don't belong at

  • your job.

  • Well, we've got your back!

  • You deserve to be recognized for your achievements, and there are ways to make yourself shine.

  • Black Girl Magic.

  • For example, you can avoid uncertain language, like 'maybe,' 'in my opinion,' 'I

  • think' or 'I could be wrong.'

  • Sure, if you're a journalist trying to separate your opinion and a citation, these phrases

  • can be helpful.

  • But in business writing, they can make it seem like you doubt yourself.

  • And if you know it, show it!

  • Simple things like using good posture, projecting your voice, and making direct eye contact

  • can signal confidence.

  • Some people use power posing.

  • And hey, if striking a pose in the bathroom mirror pumps you up, keep at it.

  • But there's no solid proof that this actually builds confidence.

  • In general, faking it 'till you make it is pretty solid advice.

  • But if you aren't sure what you're talking about, you can leave things to experts instead

  • of risking your credibility.

  • All of these tips can also help you analyze why someone else might seem confident, so

  • you don't misplace your trust.

  • Leslie Knope was confident.

  • But she also really knew her stuff and had the policy proposals, experience, and binders

  • to prove it.

  • On the other hand, Bobby Newport had a ton of rich, white man confidence, but he was

  • full of air.

  • So, avoid being influenced just because someone acts like they know what they're doing.

  • Look for cognitive cues like competence, intent, and integrity too.

  • But charisma isn't just about confidence.

  • It's also about how you interact with other people, which involves way more than

  • just being polite.

  • Praise is a powerful motivator.

  • It's why seeing a gold star on a report card feels so good.

  • Sometimes people underestimate the importance of intrinsic motivators like recognition.

  • And they overestimate extrinsic motivators, like money or time off.

  • Don't get me wrong.

  • Equitable pay is a real thing that needs to happen.

  • None of thisworking for exposure or Instagram followersstuff.

  • You need to put food on the table, and bonus checks are valuable.

  • But on top of having the time and money to live comfortably, positive feedback can make

  • sure people feel that their work is valued throughout the year.

  • Too much praise can make you come across as fake, though.

  • And watch out for people who only say nice things when they want a favor -- they might

  • seem trustworthy at first glance, but it's manipulative.

  • Positive feedback makes others feel good.

  • Optimism can make you feel good, which shows.

  • While no one can be Chris Traeger, trying to adopt a positive attitude will literally

  • make you more charismatic.

  • This can work wonders for your vibe, your motivation, and your career.

  • Malcolm Forbes, you know, the guy that published the fancy business magazine in waiting rooms

  • everywhere, once saidThe key to success is not through achievement, but through enthusiasm.”

  • There are things beyond our control that can drastically affect optimism, from tough events

  • like the death of a loved one, to mental health conditions that may require professional treatment.

  • Generally, though, you can become more optimistic by learning from mistakes in the past, finding

  • things to appreciate in the present, and looking forward to future opportunities.

  • You know those inspirational posters from the 90's?

  • Yesterday is history.

  • Tomorrow is a mystery.

  • Today is a gift.

  • That's why it is called the present.”

  • Really, optimism involves having a balanced outlook.

  • And sometimes, it's better to look before you leap.

  • If someone's blindly optimistic about a situation, but you're not 100%, don't

  • be afraid to do your own research.

  • Now, charisma is a powerful form of influence that works even when people don't know

  • each other very well.

  • But the best way to genuinely build emotional influence is to form strong relationships

  • based on mutual honesty and respect.

  • So treat your coworkers like humans!

  • Try using people's names, and pronounce them correctly.

  • It's an easy thing to do, and makes a big impact.

  • And find some common ground with them.

  • Maybe you're in the same department, in the same screenwriting class, or share the

  • same fandom.

  • Beyhive, anyone?

  • Mutual pettiness can bring people together, too.

  • Remember when people were all about Twilight and whether Bella should end up with Jacob

  • or Edward?

  • There were t-shirts.

  • It was a whole thing.

  • But as we all know from Thanksgiving dinner, some topics can be touchy, like religion or

  • politics.

  • So be thoughtful about what conversations you bring into the workplace.

  • So you know how we keep bringing up the light and dark sides of influence?

  • Well, another huge part of that is how humans frequently judge things based on looks.

  • Like, you'd probably trust a car from a fancy dealership more than a vacant lot with

  • a cardboard sign sayingcarz 4 sale heer.”

  • So appearances matter.

  • It might seem superficial, but your look contributes to professionalism, which impacts promotions,

  • job interviews, and acceptance in the workplace.

  • The good news is that you can control big pieces of your appearance.

  • Do your hair.

  • Brush your teeth.

  • Don't show up to work in pajamas with pizza stains from your Stranger Things binge

  • last night.

  • It shows you take your job seriously if you wear clothing that fits your office and profession.

  • Some businesses have dress codes, uniforms, or frown upon people wearing something drastically

  • different.

  • So find ways to express yourself that fit your workplace, like wearing that vintage

  • dress you love, or trying to pull off a polka dot bow tie.

  • But remember that not all aspects of appearance are within your control -- we have messy biases

  • based on gender, race, or even arbitrary things like attractiveness.

  • And yeah… a lot of the time, it sucks.

  • You can't help it if you look eerily similar to someone's manipulative ex, or if your

  • resting face isangry.

  • And sometimes what's deemed professional isn't necessarily fair, like dress code

  • policies on natural hair.

  • So it's important to recognize what drives your reasoning for trust.

  • Like, have you put too much trust in the demure old lady in pink, when really she has

  • a horrible track record and may be entirely unhinged?

  • To see how all these elements tie together, let's go to the Thought Bubble.

  • Bernie Madoff was an incredibly charismatic and well-liked businessman.

  • He treated his employees like family.

  • He appeared to value loyalty and honesty.

  • Now, he's known as the 'Wizard of Lies'.

  • Madoff swindled customers and employees out of almost 65 billion dollars through one of

  • the most costly and destructive Ponzi schemes of all time.

  • Ponzi schemes are large-scale investment frauds, where initial investors contribute money into

  • a fake business.

  • They get quick returns, which lures more investors, who are all paid out of the same pot.

  • It works for a while, until the pot runs out and everything crumbles.

  • Madoff's entire persona was crafted to inspire confidence.

  • He had a well-manicured look, tailored suits, and high-end watches.

  • And he seemed likeable, competent, and dependable.

  • So some very knowledgeable investors trusted Madoff, despite seemingly impossible returns.

  • Which just goes to show that anyone can be susceptible to emotional influence.

  • That's why it's so important in business -- and everywhere else -- to think about why

  • you're trusting someone.

  • Just because someone has the latest ferrari and a custom suit, it doesn't mean they're

  • not a snake oil salesman.

  • Pause for a second when a confident and optimistic person seems like they're selling you something

  • that's way too good be true.

  • If it feels like they're glossing over key parts of their business model, trust your

  • gut and ask questions.

  • And if they start using flattery to distract you while you're questioning them, maybe

  • reconsider who you're dealing with.

  • Remember cognitive trust?

  • Check their qualifications.

  • See if they have good intent and a history of delivering on their promises.

  • That way, you can put the puzzle pieces together to make a more complete picture of their character,

  • and protect yourself from influential but shady people.

  • Thanks, Thought Bubble!

  • Together, your actions, attitude, and appearance can affect how others see you and the influence

  • you have in the workplace and beyond.

  • So take time to think about the way you're being perceived by others, and always use

  • your influence wisely.

  • Don't make anyone do something they'll regret later.

  • Of everything we talked about, remember these key takeaways:

  • Influence should be used responsibly, and you can use cognitive trust and emotional

  • cues to protect yourself from people who abuse it.

  • You can up your charisma by acting confident, praising others, and being optimistic.

  • Finding common ground is the foundation of relationships and can increase your trustworthiness.

  • Appearances do matter.

  • Now that we've covered the foundations of building trust and influence, we can tackle

  • the power of communication.

  • Next time, we'll look at written work and making sure you're sending the right message.

  • Crash Course Business is sponsored by Google, and it's made with the help of all these

  • nice people and Thought Cafe is our amazing animation team.

  • Crash Course is a Complexly production.

  • If you wanna keep imagining the world complexly with us, you can check out some of our other

  • channels like Nature League, with host Brit Garner as she explores life on Earth and asks

  • questions that inspire us to marvel at all things wild.

  • Also, if you'd like to keep Crash Course free for everybody, forever, you can support

  • the series at Patreon; a crowdfunding platform that allows you to support the content you

  • love.

  • Thank you to all of our patrons for making Crash Course possible with their continued

  • support.

How do con artists manage to scam millions?

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