Use this simple four-word "hack," says an influence expert: Keep your explanation brief. The more bullet points you add to your argument, the less persuasive it becomes, says Niro Sivanathan, an organizational behavior professor at London Business School. "Most people make the forecasting error that in order to win people over, you need to get them lots of data," Sivanthan tells CNBC Make It. People listening will walk away remembering the average persuasiveness of each point you make, rather than your single most convincing argument, Sivanthan explains. "If you have just one key argument, be confident and put that on the table, rather than feeling the need to list many others."

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Persons: Niro, It's, Sivanthan Organizations: London Business School, CNBC Locations: York