Presentation, negotiation and influencing skills focus on how you communicate ideas persuasively, reach agreements, and inspire others to take action.
Presentation skills involve sharing information, arguments, and ideas effectively with different audiences. Negotiation skills help you discuss topics and reach mutually beneficial agreements through compromise and collaboration. Influencing skills enable you to persuade others to adopt your perspective, support your ideas, or engage with your projects.
You can see a full list of the skills included in this category at the bottom of this page.
These skills are essential for building support for your ideas, whether you're applying for funding for your research project, advocating for a cause you care about, or leading a team. Being able bring people together and influence decisions enables you to make a positive impact within both professional and personal contexts.
Think about times you might have developed skills in this area, such as giving a presentation or persuading others to take on your ideas. Use the list at the bottom of the page to identify which skills you were using, and check out the Skills Discovery Tool to evaluate your skills.
Easy ways to get started
You can begin developing these skills through everyday interactions and academic activities. You could:
- Practice your storytelling skills with friends by discussing interesting events that have happened to you or others. Work out what keeps your listeners engaged, whether that's how you structure the story or your gestures and tone.
- Work on handling disagreements constructively - if you disagree with someone, acknowledge and build on their point to create common ground before offering your alternative perspective. You could try this in supervisions.
- If you're doing a dissertation or research project, come up with engaging short summaries of your research that you can share when meeting new people. Think about which aspects different people would find interesting and what questions they might ask.
Some people find these skills easier than others, but effective presentation and negotiating skills can be built with practice. Try this UIS Training course or check out LinkedIn Learning resources to discover top techniques. Find out how to access LinkedIn Learning through your University account.
Skills development opportunities
You could build your confidence in these skills through structured opportunities. Here are some suggestions:
- Attend workshops on public speaking and presenting run by your College or department to learn new techniques. Keep an eye out for posters or emails advertising these events.
- Take part in debates or discussions. This could be through a debating society such as the Cambridge Union or the Cambridge United Nations Association, or reading and discussion groups. Check out your departmental mailing list for these groups, or University institutes such as CRASSH.
- Apply to be part of your College telephone fundraising campaign, which take place annually during vacations. Working as a caller, you will develop your persuasion and fundraising skills.
- Become an academic representative or JCR/MCR committee member to negotiate on behalf of fellow students to influence positive change in your department or College.
- Take opportunities to present your academic research at student conferences, departmental seminars, or discussion groups to practice public speaking and persuasively communicating complex ideas.
- Participate in music or theatre performances to build confidence in front of audiences. Find out how to get involved on the Theatre, Film & Arts and Music pages.
- Take on a role on your College's May Ball Committee that involves negotiating contracts with vendors, such as Food Officer (you will also get to sample all of the food options!)
- Try mooting competitions. These are mock court hearings, where participants analyse a given legal problem and present an argument. You don't have to be a law student to do this, and it is a great way to develop public speaking and persuasion skills. Check out the Law Society's mooting resources and look at their webpage for upcoming competitions.
Check out the activities pages for more ideas on how to get involved and develop your skills in this area.
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Skill |
Definition |
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Ability to work remotely |
The ability to navigate hybrid or fully remote work setups (e.g., the use of email and virtual meetings and work without in-person guidance). |
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Active Listening |
The ability to provide full attention to other speakers, understand their viewpoints and utilise gained information in following conversations or situations. |
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Adopting a different perspective |
The ability to consider a situation, idea, or problem from a new or alternative point of view. |
|
Asking the right questions |
The ability to ask insightful, relevant, and purposeful questions to obtain information, clarify a point, or explore difficulties other people may have. |
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Building networks |
The ability to establish and nurture connections with individuals within one's existing network, as well as engaging with people from different educational or professional domains, clubs, or shared interests. |
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Commercial awareness |
The ability to understand the market, the business environment, and the factors that influence the success of an organisation (e.g., customers, opportunities, or competitors). |
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Communication |
The ability to effectively share information, ideas, and emotions with others through written, verbal, and non-verbal mediums. |
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Crafting an inspiring vision |
The ability to create a compelling and encouraging vision about the future that inspires others to work towards making it a reality. |
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Debate |
The ability to analyse, justify, and articulate comprehensive arguments during a discussion with others while demonstrating respectable manners and engaging in a polite disagreement. |
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Developing relationships |
The ability to build meaningful connections with others based on trust, mutual respect, and effective communication. |
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Empowering others |
The ability to foster confidence in others by entrusting them with tasks and decision-making responsibilities while holding them accountable for both achievements and setbacks. |
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Evaluation of arguments |
The ability to critically assess the validity, coherence, and persuasiveness of presented claims and reasonings, based on supporting evidence. |
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Inspiring Trust |
The ability to speak openly about one's intentions and goals, particularly in the capacity of being a leader. |
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Leadership |
The ability to reinforce a project's/organisation's vision while supporting and inspiring inspire individuals with diverse character traits and preferences. |
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Negotiation |
The ability to discuss something with others in order to reach an agreement or compromise with them. |
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Optimism |
The ability to perceive situations with hope and stay confident about successful outcomes even in challenging situations. |
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Persuasion |
The ability to change others' attitudes, motivations, or behaviours through a sound reasoning or argument. |
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Resolving conflicts |
The ability to identify, address, and solve a conflict in a collaborative manner that promotes positive team dynamics and progress. |
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Storytelling and public speaking |
The ability to convey ideas to all types of audiences through diverse communication mediums (e.g., words, tone, symbols, gestures and body language) in a clear and captivating manner. |
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Teaching |
The ability to help with developing someone's subject knowledge or skills, create engaging lesson plans, effectively communicate feedback, and create a supportive learning environment. |