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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

    • Status: Free
      Free

      Utrecht University

      Understanding child development: from synapse to society

      Skills you'll gain: Child Development, Human Development, Speech Language Pathology, Developmental Disabilities, Human Learning, Systems Thinking, Learning Theory, Research, Neurology, Cultural Diversity, Biology

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      363 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Amazon Web Services

      AWS Cloud Solutions Architect

      Skills you'll gain: AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Amazon CloudWatch, Data Lakes, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Web Services, Serverless Computing, Cloud Computing, Amazon S3, Scalability, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, Event-Driven Programming, Cloud Security, Solution Architecture, Data Visualization, Cloud Computing Architecture, Cloud Storage, Data Architecture, API Gateway, Data Infrastructure, AWS CloudFormation

      Build toward a degree

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      6.6K reviews

      Intermediate · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

    • IBM

      Developing Interpersonal Skills

      Skills you'll gain: Active Listening, Interpersonal Communications, Conflict Management, Constructive Feedback, Social Skills, Trustworthiness, Relationship Building, Business Communication, Collaboration, Communication, Communication Strategies, Professional Development, Empathy, Assertiveness, Emotional Intelligence, Influencing

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      2.3K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Interactive Brokers

      Practical Guide to Trading

      Skills you'll gain: Derivatives, Equities, Futures Exchange, Risk Analysis, Financial Trading, International Finance, Investments, Securities Trading, Financial Market, Risk Management, Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Analysis, Market Analysis, Analysis, Capital Markets, Tax, Balance Sheet, Financial Regulations, Market Data, Technical Analysis

      4.4
      Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
      ·
      749 reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • University of California, Irvine

      Conflict Management

      Skills you'll gain: Conflict Management, Active Listening, Intercultural Competence, Cultural Diversity, Social Skills, Interpersonal Communications, Communication Strategies, Mediation, De-escalation Techniques, Verbal Communication Skills, Diversity Awareness, Tactfulness, Cultural Sensitivity, Communication, Stakeholder Management, Teamwork, Cooperation, Collaboration, Leadership, Organizational Effectiveness

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      2.3K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • University of Pennsylvania

      AI For Business

      Skills you'll gain: AI Personalization, Generative AI, Data Ethics, HR Tech, Data Governance, Big Data, Machine Learning, Personally Identifiable Information, Data Security, Governance, Business Strategy, Human Resources, Organizational Strategy, Customer Data Management, Credit Risk, Risk Management, Tensorflow, Personalized Service, Data-Driven Decision-Making, People Management

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.3K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • IBM

      Collaborate Effectively for Professional Success

      Skills you'll gain: Collaboration, Teamwork, Virtual Teams, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Team Management, Meeting Facilitation, Leadership, Communication, Cultural Diversity

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      686 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • University of Michigan

      The Influence of Social Determinants on Health

      Skills you'll gain: Health Disparities, Health Equity, Community Health, Public Health, Health Policy, Health Assessment, Social Justice, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Epidemiology, Socioeconomics, Health Systems, Health Care, Stress Management, Behavioral Health, Social Sciences, Cultural Diversity, Social and Human Services, Mental and Behavioral Health, Data Collection, Culture

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      69 reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months

    • University of Michigan

      Leading People and Teams

      Skills you'll gain: Talent Management, Team Motivation, Team Building, Teamwork, Team Management, Talent Pipelining, Influencing, Team Leadership, People Development, Team Performance Management, Employee Onboarding, Employee Coaching, Conflict Management, Employee Engagement, Interviewing Skills, Persuasive Communication, Leadership, Professional Networking, Business Leadership, Leadership Development

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      11K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • ESSEC Business School

      L'investissement à impact, la finance qui change le monde

      Skills you'll gain: Due Diligence, Project Finance, Investments, Environmental Social And Corporate Governance (ESG), Investment Management, Investment Banking, Entrepreneurship, Proposal Writing, Market Opportunities, Fundraising, Socioeconomics, Governance, Feasibility Studies, Return On Investment, Needs Assessment, Stakeholder Engagement, Economic Development, Financial Analysis, Private Equity, Asset Management

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      281 reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • University of California, Davis

      Advanced Content and Social Tactics to Optimize SEO

      Skills you'll gain: Content Creation, Social Media Strategy, Search Engine Optimization, Content Marketing, Web Analytics and SEO, Content Strategy, Social Media Marketing, Keyword Research, Target Audience, Brand Awareness, Influencing, Relationship Building

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.2K reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • University of Pennsylvania

      Achieving Personal and Professional Success

      Skills you'll gain: Influencing, Active Listening, Negotiation, Communication, Communication Strategies, Persuasive Communication, Verbal Communication Skills, Contract Negotiation, Trustworthiness, Interpersonal Communications, Business Communication, Relationship Building, Professional Networking, Conflict Management, Leadership, Growth Mindedness, Personal Development, Optimism, Self-Awareness, Self-Motivation

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      3.1K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months

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

    • Understanding child development: from synapse to society: Utrecht University
    • AWS Cloud Solutions Architect: Amazon Web Services
    • Developing Interpersonal Skills : IBM
    • Practical Guide to Trading: Interactive Brokers
    • Conflict Management: University of California, Irvine
    • AI For Business: University of Pennsylvania
    • Collaborate Effectively for Professional Success: IBM
    • The Influence of Social Determinants on Health: University of Michigan
    • Leading People and Teams: University of Michigan
    • L'investissement à impact, la finance qui change le monde: ESSEC Business School

    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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