It’s highly likely that we have all at some point in our lives, had to use persuasion and negotiation, whether in a personal context or professional.

In life, having great negotiation and persuasion skills will not only benefit one as an individual, but also help influence those around them.

So, what is persuasion, negotiation and influence? 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.

When it comes to employment, Francis Mwangi, a lecturer of human resource management, believes that persuasion and negotiation are skills needed to thrive. With these skills, he says, one can make themselves more profitable.

Mwangi says these skills, for instance, are necessary to be able to negotiate for better pay and benefits, as one can convince an employer about the value they will create in their jobs.

"Persuasion and negotiation skills also come in handy in retaining the job and advancing the career. Those who possess these skills can better communicate the growth in their experience and competencies,” adds the lecturer.

Mwangi notes that persuasion and negotiating skills are for anyone who wants to improve the influence they have over people and situations in their professional and personal lives.

Dr Andrew E. Ivang from the Department of Clinical Biology – Huye campus, University of Rwanda, is of the view that one needs to understand persuasion to be able to negotiate successfully.

He says that one should know how to convince others to look at things from another perspective. In addition, they should know how to effectively persuade others to adjust their decisions depending on the cause.

He points out that good persuasion means in other instances where there is dispute and disagreement during the negotiation, it’s easy to handle the situation amicably.

Dr Ivang says that when it comes to the workplace, there are at times conflicting demands and differences of opinion, to mention a few.  

He explains that in this case, if managers or supervisors have such skills, it’s easy to help others reach mutual agreements where all parties are comfortable.

"This is even more important in marketing. The ability to influence and persuade clients becomes an important aspect and at the end of the day, this can yield greater benefits to the organisation,” Dr Ivang adds.

When one is able to persuade and negotiate, Faustin Mutabazi, an education enthusiast and entrepreneur, says it helps build better relationships as well as delivers lasting, quality solutions.

"Persuasion and negotiation skills are some of the most important skills anyone can have in daily life,” he says.

Ivang says in order for one to convince others to accept their viewpoint, first of all, they need to believe in themselves, which means having confidence.

This, he notes, can only be achieved by building self-esteem. Building self-esteem requires identifying your competencies and developing them, learning to accept compliments and criticism, and eliminating self-pity, for instance.

He explains that when one is self-assured and motivated, they are in a better position to convince others. Also, it can help you think things through properly to come up with a better decision.

Mutabazi says in order to persuade others, one should be able to highlight the benefits of the proposal or suggestions to the other party.

He notes that this means that one should understand the crucial steps to improving their negotiation skills. Learning these skills will help them convince the other party to accept different views, resulting in a successful deal.

Mutabazi says that it is important to be patient, explaining that a good negotiator has patience.