I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.
I’m currently writing a workshop for a client on persuasion, influence and negotiation.
Here are my thoughts. I’d be interested to see what you think of them.
Persuasion is about how we communicate
Those of you that are familiar with my work know I talk about the line between passive and pushy.
Passive means nothing gets done, and pushy kills relationships.
Persuasion is a choice to move. It sits in between passive and pushy.
Persuasion means to win them over not to defeat them.
Persuasion is a strategic communication tool we use to get things done.
Influence is how we connect
You can have a persuasive strategy, but it means nothing if you don’t have an audience.
Influence is your ability to shape behaviour, decisions, and attitude over time through trust, credibility, consistency, and relationships.
Influence is a slow burn.
We need to build rapport and create connections well before we need them.
In some cases, influence is more important than persuasion because of how widely that person is connected.
Negotiation are the strategies we use
Negotiation is required when persuasion alone doesn’t work.
We can’t always get everything that we want and need.
So, we need to negotiate and problem-solve to ensure that both parties can move forward.
These three forces interconnect and they drive how we communicate, connect, and get things done.
- Persuasion is how we communicate to move people.
- Influence is how we build the trust and connection that makes that communication land.
- Negotiation is the strategic problem-solving we rely on when communication alone cannot get us to an agreement.
Imagine if you could master all three? What impact would you have?
I’m really excited about this workshop.
Please reach out if you’d like to know more.
- Giving birth to a business - September 3, 2026
- Everyday persuasion #4: Social proof in action - August 14, 2026
- The Rules of Attention - July 31, 2026
