Persuasion Skills

Persuasion soft skills refer to the interpersonal and communication abilities that enable individuals to influence others' thoughts, behaviors, or decisions effectively. These skills are valuable in various aspects of life, including sales, leadership, negotiation, and even everyday interactions. Key persuasion soft skills include:

Effective Communication: The ability to articulate ideas clearly and compellingly, tailoring the message to the audience's preferences and needs.
Active Listening: Being fully present in conversations, empathetically understanding others' perspectives, and responding thoughtfully.
Empathy: The capacity to understand and share the feelings and viewpoints of others, which helps build rapport and trust.
Storytelling: Using storytelling techniques to convey information and make a point more engagingly and memorably.
Adaptability: Being flexible in your communication style and adjusting your approach to the situation and the person you're trying to persuade.
Negotiation Skills: The ability to find common ground, compromise, and create mutually beneficial solutions in discussions or negotiations.
Assertiveness: Striking a balance between passive and aggressive communication, confidently expressing your views while respecting others.
Body Language: Understanding and effectively using nonverbal cues such as gestures, facial expressions, and posture to convey your message and build trust.
Problem-Solving: Addressing concerns or objections by offering viable solutions or alternatives.
Credibility: Building trust and credibility by demonstrating expertise, reliability, and consistency in your words and actions.
Persuasive Writing: Crafting written materials like emails, reports, or proposals that are compelling and convincing.
Influence and Leadership: Inspiring and motivating others to achieve common goals through your words and actions.

These persuasion soft skills are valuable in both professional and personal contexts, enabling individuals to foster positive relationships, drive change, and achieve their objectives through effective communication and influence.

How to include persuasion skills in a resume

Including persuasion skills on your resume can help you stand out to potential employers, especially if the job requires strong interpersonal and communication abilities. Here are steps to effectively showcase your persuasion skills;

Choose the Right Section: Decide where on your resume you want to emphasize your persuasion skills. The most common sections are the summary, skills, or work experience.
Tweak your resume: Modify your resume to the job specification. Check the job advertisement to identify the specific persuasion skills the employer is seeking.
Use Action Words: When describing your previous roles and experiences, use strong action verbs that highlight your persuasion skills. For example, As a substitute to "Managed a team," you may write "Motivated and guided a group of individuals to accomplish X results."
Provide Concrete Examples: Don't just claim to have persuasion skills; provide examples from your past experiences. Explain how you used these skills to achieve specific results or overcome challenges.
Quantify Achievements: Whenever possible, quantify the impact of your persuasion skills. For instance, "Achieved a 20% boost in sales by employing persuasive techniques during client presentations.
Highlight Relevant Achievements: If you've received awards, recognitions, or commendations related to your persuasion abilities, be sure to mention them.
Incorporate Soft Skills Section: Consider adding a dedicated "Soft Skills" section on your resume, listing skills like communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, which are closely related to persuasion.
Use the STAR Method: When discussing your achievements, use the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) method. Describe the situation or challenge, the task you were assigned, the actions you took (including your persuasion skills), and the positive results achieved.
Show Progression: If your persuasion skills have improved over time or you've taken on roles with increasing responsibility that required more persuasive abilities, illustrate this progression in your resume.
LinkedIn and Cover Letter: If you have a LinkedIn profile, ensure that it aligns with your resume regarding your persuasion skills. Additionally, mention these skills in your cover letter to provide a more comprehensive picture of your qualifications.

Remember to be honest and accurate in representing your persuasion skills. Avoid vague claims and provide concrete evidence whenever possible. By effectively showcasing your persuasion skills on your resume, you can demonstrate your value to potential employers and increase your chances of securing the job you desire.

Persuasion Skill Example

EXAMPLE

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As the sales manager at Company X I often achieved monthly sales goals while working by using my strong negotiating and persuading abilities. I oversaw a group of sales reps and trained them in effective communication strategies, which led to a 25% improvement in team sales over the course of a year.

Things to know when adding persuasion skills on a resume

When adding persuasion skills to your resume, it's essential to present them effectively to make a strong impression on potential employers. Here are some things to take into consideration;

Relevance to the Job: Ensure that the persuasion skills you list on your resume are relevant to the job you're seeking.
Honesty: Be truthful about your skills. Don't exaggerate or claim to have skills you don't possess. You may be asked to demonstrate these skills during interviews.
Use Specific Language: When listing persuasion skills, use specific and concise language. For example, instead of a vague statement like "good communication skills," you can say "strong negotiation and influencing abilities."
Provide Examples: Back up your claims with concrete examples from your work experience. Describe situations where you used your persuasion skills to achieve specific outcomes or resolve challenges.
Quantify Achievements: Whenever possible, quantify the impact of your persuasion skills. Use metrics or percentages to show how your persuasive abilities contributed to the success of a project or team.
Highlight Relevant Experience: Focus on experiences that demonstrate your persuasion skills. If you have received awards or recognition for your persuasive abilities, mention them.
Positioning: Decide where on your resume to include persuasion skills. Depending on your career stage and the job you're seeking, you can place them in the summary, skills section, or within specific job descriptions.
Supporting Skills: Often, persuasion skills are closely tied to other soft skills like communication, negotiation, and relationship-building. Highlight these supporting skills alongside your persuasion skills.
Keywords: Use keywords related to persuasion skills that are commonly found in job descriptions for your industry to pass the ATS software.
Customization: Customize your resume for each job application. Tailor your list of skills to match the specific requirements of the position.
Proofread: Check your resume for errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. A well-presented resume demonstrates attention to detail, which can be seen as a persuasive skill in itself.
Be Ready to Discuss: Be prepared to discuss your persuasion skills during interviews. Be ready to provide examples and discuss how you've applied these skills in various situations.

EXAMPLE

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Adding persuasion to Resume Skills section

Persuasion and Influence
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Communication and Relationship Building
Stakeholder Engagement
Sales and Marketing Strategy

Remember that your resume is a snapshot of your qualifications, so make sure your persuasion skills are clearly and effectively communicated. By following these guidelines, you can effectively showcase your abilities and increase your chances of landing your desired job.