PERSUADING involves being able to convince others to take appropriate action. NEGOTIATING involves being able to discuss and reach a mutually satisfactory agreement. INFLUENCING encompasses both of these.
These skills are important in many jobs, especially areas such as marketing, sales, advertising and buying, but are also valuable in everyday life. You will often find competency based questions on these skills on application forms and at interview, where you will be required to give evidence that you have developed these skills.
One scenario where persuading skills can be important is the job interview; but the following tips are valuable in many other settings.
This involves pursuing your own interests to the exclusion of others: I win: you lose! Persuading someone to do what you want them to do and ignoring their interests: "keeping your cards hidden". Pressure selling techniques involve this.
Whilst you might get short term gain, you will build up long term resentment which can be very disruptive if you ever need to work with these people again.
Influencing – Being able to persuade others and negotiate to reach an agreement
In the workplace there will frequently be conflicting demands on time, or differences of opinion or attitude for which these skills are key in trying to reach agreements where all parties are happy. In certain job roles they will be more important than others, for example in any role where you might be responsible for client or customer relationships, or for managing others, the ability to influence and persuade people is key.