Top Social Skills for Entrepreneurs
Why Are Social Skills Important in Business?
Social skills are essential for success in the business world. They help entrepreneurs and professionals to build relationships, communicate effectively, and navigate complex social situations. Research has shown that entrepreneurs with strong social skills are more likely to be successful than those with weaker social skills. This is because social skills help entrepreneurs build relationships with investors and secure partnerships and collaborations.
Strong social skills are also extremely beneficial for collaboration with your team itself. When you increase your social competence, you can more effectively communicate with employees, build trust and strong relationships, and lead by example. A study in the Harvard Business Review honed in on the top five key traits of successful entrepreneurs, and three of the five were rooted in social skills: persuasion, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
The social skills that will help you achieve entrepreneurial success include:
Good communication
Active listening
Networking
Negotiation
Teamwork
Conflict resolution
Cultural competence
Entrepreneurs should also develop their emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence refers to “the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of those around you.” Emotionally intelligent entrepreneurs are better able to manage teams, lead effectively, and run their businesses with minimal drama and maximal thoughtful strategy.
How To Develop Social Skills
Given the importance of social skills, how can we work at developing them in order to improve our entrepreneurial skill set? There are many ways to approach this, and they all require practice. Pay attention to yourself and others as you work to sharpen your skills. You can try:
Practicing active listening by paying attention to what others are saying and responding in a thoughtful and appropriate manner
Working on your communication skills, including your body language, tone of voice, and word choice
Attending networking events and professional development workshops or joining a business network
Volunteering for projects or initiatives that will help you build connections and gain social experience
Reflecting on your interactions, seeking feedback, and adapting your behavior accordingly
Developing social skills in business takes time and effort, but it can ultimately lead to more successful and fulfilling professional relationships. And if you’re ready to expand those professional relationships further, we’re here to help you grow!
Here at Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Baltimore, we’re Maryland’s most influential business network, run by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. At its core, EO Baltimore is a collection of like-minded entrepreneurs focused on business growth, personal development, and community engagement. Join today to learn and grow through peer-to-peer learning, expert connections, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences!