Did you know that 91 percent of dissatisfied customers or clients will never complain about their interaction with you? Instead, they will simply take their business elsewhere. If you think soft skills are trivial or unimportant, think again.

Here’s the deal: 85 percent of job success is based on social and people skills — not technical skills and knowledge (according to research from Harvard, Stanford and the Carnegie Foundation).

Billionaire Warren Buffett says one thing has impacted his success as a businessman that can boost your career value by 50 percent. And, it’s a skill we can all learn: public speaking.

Nearly everyone is afraid of public speaking. Even Warren admitted that before he attended a course to perfect his public speaking, he literally threw up before making speeches. However, to be our best selves and reach our biggest goals in business and life, we must overcome our fears.

Public speaking isn’t about talking to an audience of 5,000. It’s nailing the quick pitch you make to a handful of people at a networking event to ensure you get the face-to-face meeting as a follow-up. It’s sharing ideas with your team at work or school to ensure they understand and are motivated to meet their goals.

Honing your communications skills will take you places you may never have dreamed possible.

But don’t stop there. Remember the other so-called soft skills in business you need — strong work ethic, a positive attitude, the ability to problem solve, being a team player, possessing self-confidence and poise, and of course, leadership. Every one of these business skills can be learned and/or improved. It simply requires desire and focus.

My passion in work and in life involves all these things and a commitment to improve each day. I know first-hand that the more you refine your soft skills, which are necessary and quantifiable, the more doors that open, the more possibilities become realities and the better our workplaces and our world become. Not sure where to start? I’d love to help you identify and improve your soft skills, if you’d like my help, contact me today

Please follow and like us: