Hey
@floral.tcla ooh you always manage to come through with the questions that have me second guessing myself, but I'll try.
With skills centred around verbal/written communication, I think confidence is key. So first of all, have confidence in your opinion whether you need to articulate it through speaking or writing and get straight to the point. Often or not, we tend to waffle and all this does is distract away from the point we are making, and take the reader/listener on a journey they don't need to be on, where they're most likely to get side-tracked and miss what you're actually trying to say. So, display confidence. Whenever you speak/write, answer the question directly, back-up your answer with examples if you're stating something that could be open to speculation.
Once you've become comfortable with your speech/words, you'll find that persuasion becomes a little more simpler. However, confidence is not the only thing that's needed here. You need to be able to think about what the contradicting opinion may be, and tackle that in advance. For example, in a typical AC negotiation you're tasked with persuading the Seller to up the purchase price, but before you make your proposal, think about what they may say in retaliation. Deconstruct your own arguments before you make them, and make your case accordingly, to pave way for any potential objections thus allowing you a chance to tackle it head on and stumble the opponent. This comes with practice, but once you've pinned it down, it'll be a great help,
As for articulation, I don't really know what to say. It's going to sound ridiculous, but I often talk a little slower in professional settings as it allows me to say the words clearly and at one consistent pace. To others it may not seem like anything is going on, but this also gives me the chance to think about what I am going to say as I am saying it. I found this really helps, but just like persuasion, it took time.
Although these are good skills to have, its not critical to be perfect, so don't put too much pressure on yourself at this stage. Nobody is expecting perfection, and you'll find there are still some Partners looming around who stumble when they speak. It is normal, just take your time, control your pace, and think about what it is you want to say.
I hope this helps
