based on 55 reviews

The Influence Model®

Influential people have the ability to ‘read’ a situation when it unfolds itself. They think about the different ways of responding to the situation, then use the behaviour that achieves the best result for everyone involved. You are influential when you can apply the right style of communication in the right situation. That’s where the Influence Model comes to help!

The model in a nutshell

The model operates on behavioral types, which are methods of exerting influence. It identifies two types of energy dynamics: push and pull energies.

Push and Pull Energies

As the terms suggest, push energy involves asserting oneself. You articulate your thoughts or desires. Conversely, pull energy is about creating room for others. It encourages another person to share their thoughts and desires.

Originated at Harvard and Yale

The Influence Model was created in the seventies by Harvard prof. dr. Roger Harrison and prof. dr. David Berlew.

The two gentlemen were triggered by the question why the success of people with similar backgrounds varied. To get an answer they observed the different ways people were influencing others in real life practice. From these observations they created the unique Influence model®.

The four Influence Styles

How do your perform on these styles?

Persuading

This style is used when you and your conversational partner are looking for the best solution to a problem. Subject is key. Someone who applies this style has full focus on the goal and knows all the necessary facts supporting their proposal. Using Persuading, a good preparation equals half the work.

Persuading is a style that you often see in discussions, where you convince others by making a proposal, validating it with relevant arguments. If you apply this style effectively, you’re open to the opinions of others and you’ll be able to build a successful proposal together. In this style there is no room for personal feelings.

Asserting

Apply this style if you want to address someone’s behaviour. Leave little room for discussion doing that. A deal is a deal. You tell people what you expect of them in no uncertain terms. You stand up for your own boundaries, norms and values and you’re always honest. Others appreciate your clear form of communication.

The style of Asserting is influential because people know what they can expect working together, and they can count on you. If you are too friendly or too dominant, you will face resistance. Reconciliation with your conversation partner is very important.

Bridging

Bridging is very suited for making contact. When you use the Bridging influence style, people often experience you as a good conversational partner. You involve others, are a great listener, and you’re sincerely empathetic.

Moreover, you gain trust by being open about your own feelings or uncertainties. This makes you strong in removing any resistance or hindrances from others. You are influential through the connection you make with people.

Attracting

Attracting is used when you want to stir up positive energy from others. You’ve got a vision, a point on the horizon. By creating a feeling of “we are in this together” and painting an attracting picture of the future, you inspire others and get them to move in the desired direction.

To know the difference between these styles and consciously using them, depending on the person and the context, makes you more effective in influencing others. In the program we work with you to gain knowledge on the Influence Model®. By practicing the different influence styles, getting feedback on whether being congruent or not and experimenting with the different influence styles, you will become more and more influential.

What do our participants say?

based on 55 reviews

Personal Influence Programme®

14-04-2025
“I am very happy with the programme, with all the learnings, my personal improvement and connections that I,ve made. I am certain it will help me a lot in future.”
ING Bank

Positive Power & Influence® Programme

14-04-2025
“Awesome content and good framework to help individuals like myslef. Really enjoyed the course and learnings.”
Nike Retail

Positive Power & Influence® Programme

14-04-2025
“The course clearly explains each behaviour style and allows us to build common language across the company. It will be enjoyable identifying future behaviour styles with my teammates, and I see it as a way to break tension and strengthen relationships. It has made me a more effective leader.”
H.B. Fuller

Influential Communication Programme®

14-04-2025
“This programme has given me a lot of practical tools to practice in real life settings. I feel like I’ve gained a lot from it and I look forward to trying it out.”
Merus N.V.

Personal Influence Programme®

14-04-2025
“I really liked this program as i can use learnings right away in daily situations.”
Accenture B.V.

Positive Power & Influence® Programme

14-04-2025
“Very practical, but also allowing for self reflection. Very strong coaches: strong knowledge, very observant, with very useful and practical insights. Very nice setting.”
H.B. Fuller

Master the Influence Styles to achieve all your goals

During our courses you will learn all about The Influence Model® and thus how to use each of the four Influence Styles. After you completed the course you will be a master in “Style Flexibility” as we like to call it.

Discover the theory of the Influence Model®

Influential people have the ability to ‘read’ a situation when it unfolds itself. They think about the different ways of responding to the situation, then use the behaviour that achieves the best result for everyone involved. You are influential when you can apply the right style of communication in the right situation.

Tailored to your learning goals

No standard programmes, but courses fully tailored to the needs of your organisation. We develop a tailor-made training programme together with our experienced trainers to suit your learning goals.

Keep track of your personal results

You will have your own online learning environment (the hub), where you will complete an intake, evaluation, impact assessment, and explore additional learning subjects. We provide the materials—do you have the discipline?

Dates and Locations

No start dates available...

Practical exercises with specialised trainers

No endless theoretical courses, but directly applicable knowledge and skills. You will learn to take action, by intense practical exercises and apply the received feedback from our experienced trainers. All our trainers have at least 1.000 hours of experience before they are standing in front of a group alone.

Pricing Structure

Course Programme

Choose your Start Date

No data was found

Learn more about the In-House possibilities

Curious about what an In-House edition of our Influence Model course could look like for your organization? We would love to explore the possibilities with you. Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your needs.