The Elements of Influence
February 2010
The Elements of Influence by Allen Kelly
Ever meet that person who always seems to be a step ahead of the competition regardless of the circumstances? He or she always seems to read the tea leaves the right way and say the right thing to the right person at the right time.
Allen Kelly calls that person a playmaker. In The Elements of Influence, he details how playmakers operate and explains how to run more than 25 different plays designed to create influence.
Some of the plays are well known, such as the Red Herring and Trial Balloon. Others, like the Crazy Ivan and Peacock, are more entertaining. Details about all 25 plays are online at http://www.plays2run.com/table.
Kelly explains (without preaching) how each play works, its potential benefits, and its pitfalls. He also explains how to decode when someone is running a play on you and what plays you can run as a counter.
The Elements of Influence contains examples of each play and how sequences of plays can impact a desired outcome.