Improve communication skills, make a positive impression

The ability to communicate well becomes more crucial when we leave our comfort zone and venture out into the world whether to pursue our careers, socialize or even to get married and suddenly realize that we lack the skill to effectively communicate thus creating confusion and misunderstanding.  The majority of conflicts involve problems in communication; Lack of understanding can result from ineffective communication and can lead to further communication issues.  George Bernard Shaw says “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

Effective communication skills are essential to success in many phases of life.  Many jobs require strong communications skills and people with good communication skills usually enjoy better interpersonal relationships with friends, family and chart a successful career life for oneself.

Interpersonal skills are those skills that we use when we communicate face to face with an individual or a group of people; it is a way to engage their attention effectively. Interpersonal skills does not limit itself to just speaking but is both verbal and nonverbal.  Communication is a two way process, how we send and how we receive messages. So how do we improve communication skills?

The process of improving communication skills is a self-improvement process and, as such, has inherent positive effects upon personality.  Commence with learning to listen.  Listen to the words, tone and the nonverbal messages sent through them. Concentrate on what is being spoken so as to reply back appropriately.  Learn to handle emotions, empathise by being non-judgemental; encouragement and praises make people feel appreciated. Communicate effectively by taking a moment to reply, focus on what you want to say rather than just rambling off, by speaking eloquently you will come across intelligent and mature. Non-verbal gestures play an important role here; make eye contact and avoid defensive body language. Information should be given so that the meaning is understood.  Knowledge of culture, past experiences, attitude and abilities are helpful.  Avoid using jargon be simple.

Using humour helps to relax people and break the ice. Use it appropriately. Communicate with people as if they are equals, never patronize or talk negatively of people behind their backs. This way you will build trust and respect and simultaneously improve your communication skills.  Smile if you want to make a positive impression.  A smile denotes a cheerful attitude and promotes conversation.  Be optimistic even when things don’t go as planned.  Stress often affects communication, it is important at such times to remain calm and focussed.  Never complain or whine about anything, it creates a bad impression. 

Prepare yourself always before speaking at important engagements and if in doubt about your inability to communicate well seek help.  One can do this through self-help books or professionally through institutions that offer courses on how to improve communication skills.  Although writing is not necessarily an interpersonal skill, it should be comparably good; one should not be rejected for bad grammar or the inability to communicate their message on paper. 

How proper professional etiquette training will help you construct meaningful business relationships

Professional etiquette is basically a code of conduct regarding interactions between individuals in a business.  When proper professional etiquette is observed all involved feel free and comfortable and work moves smoothly.  Professional etiquette plays a pivotal role in making a positive first impression. Professional etiquette can be applied to an individual’s work life, and includes emails, phone call and business meetings. Culture should also be considered when extending business etiquette. Culture in India is vastly different than those in the West and as such there many differences in dinning style, greetings, perceptions of body language and so forth.

Professional etiquette training will help develop a good image, improve our communication skills and teach us appropriate behaviour at the dining table or even at meetings. Some of the essential skills that a good training will develop are

·         Email Etiquette: Writing a professional email should be approached much differently than writing a personal one. The professional etiquette training will teach you the dos and don’ts of writing a professional email.

·         Telephone Etiquette: Telephone calls precede face-to-face meetings with important professional contacts. Thus when observing proper telephone etiquette you help to ensure that the person you are talking to will want a direct meeting to take place.

·         When meeting professional contacts you only get one chance to make a positive impression. Some factors in achieving such an impression are appropriate attire and physical appearances, the right verbal and non-verbal communication skills as well as the manners and good business etiquette practices. The right training will explain ways to tackle each aspect.

·         Business Meeting Etiquette: When you’ve been invited to meet in person with a professional contact the training will show you how to keep a few general rules in mind to show that you respect them and the time they gave you. Doing this will make a positive impression and will make the encounter easier for all parties.

·         Dining Etiquette Basics: There may be times when you will meet a business contact over a meal or attend a professional function where food is involved. It is possible that you many even attend a job interview held at a restaurant. For these reasons it is important to know proper dining etiquette so that you may make a good impression.

Professional etiquette training will open doors of opportunity for you. Your prospective clients and associates will form good opinions of you, based on your soft skills and business etiquette. If you are good at communicating and are relaxed in different business situations then you will inspire trust more rapidly than someone who lacks soft skills and appropriate etiquette. Being courteous, knowing how to handle business meetings and lunches leaves a lasting impression.  Etiquette is essential because they help others feels respected. And as such business etiquette training is important.  

Entrepreneurship Development – give yourself the skills to model your ideal business

An entrepreneur needs to develop several skills and traits since they commonly only have themselves to depend upon and do not have the luxury of others making up for any deficiency they might have.  Many of the core skills required are found in successful entrepreneurs and leaders which are good communication skills, great flexibility and adaptability, High Energy level. Drive for achievement, Work Ethics, Honesty and Integrity, Initiative, Optimism, Self-confidence, Tolerance of Ambiguity, and Total commitment.

Yet to be successful the some entrepreneurship skills and traits that need to be developed are:

·         Getting Used to rejection – Continuous rejection can dishearten an Entrepreneur, but the key is in not giving up, but learning from their failures for future business ventures.

·         Developing a Network – Being able to connect with others will enhance the chances of success.  An entrepreneur needs the skills and personality to cooperate and be able to establish ties with businesses so that they can share regional, national or worldwide productions, purchasing and distribution channels, information systems, data bases and R&D.

·         The Ability to repeatedly sell - Entrepreneurs are always selling -- to customers, to bankers, to vendors, to employees, to investors, to suppliers, etc. Their ability to sell their concept, their business, and themselves to others is important. They require excellent persuasion and convincing skills.

·         A need for a strong Cross-Functional Skill base – An entrepreneur may not be able to hire staff initially, and hence needs to have a good understanding of the business and understand all functional areas.  Basically He has to be one person multi-functional team.

·         The ability to spot new trends – An observant entrepreneur needs to be able to spot changes in the industry and should make it a point to keep informed about new start-ups and advances in technology that could be poised to disrupt his business.

·         The ability to identify strengths and weaknesses – As an entrepreneur, being perfect at everything should not be the foremost thought; instead he should identify his strengths and weaknesses.

·         Learning from Peers – Entrepreneurs in the same field have a lot to teach their counterparts, if one is willing to learn.

·         Build your Brand – The entrepreneur should develop the skill to connect via social media.  SEO & social networks are vital for any business strategy. It is beneficial for the entrepreneur to understand each platform, and use the best strategy to build a brand image.

Most entrepreneurs are unsuccessful owing to managerial incompetence or inexperience, neglect of the enterprise, ineffective business controls, and undercapitalization. If these entrepreneurs had done their research and ensured that they had the necessary portfolio of entrepreneur development skills and knowledge concerning the business then many could have avoided at least some of these obstacles.

Personal image makeover an important aspect

An Image is the picture another person has of us. It can change, it can grow and it can occupy so much mind-space that we naturally become top of mind recall. Image is another word for appearance. The elements of Image or appearance include clothing, grooming, and body language including etiquette. First impression are lasting ones. Personal image makeover is crucial to self-branding. When people meet each other and talk about other professionals they never remember what you were wearing but they always remember that you exude professionalism and confidence. Whether one accepts it or not the society is going to perceive a person by his appearance and how he takes care of his looks.

 Image is the physical representation of who you are and what you are all about—your attitudes, appearance, and actions. Everyone produces an Image, consciously or unconsciously. You can achieve the business and life of your dreams with personal image management.

Image Management is creating an authentic, appropriate, attractive, and affordable personal or professional Image which increases your confidence, credibility, capability, and productivity while contributing to continuing success. Personal Image Management is an effective way to attract others—to encourage others to regard you favorably and with continued interest. Positive self-presentation is an open invitation to become acquainted with the person inside. It is an effective way to influence the opinion or actions of others. Although there are many behavioral skills, one of the most important and which gets noticed first is Attitude. Your attitude determines your altitude in life. 

Effective Personal Image Management aids you in achieving personal and professional success. Some people have a natural talent or ability to present themselves appropriately and attractively. Most do not. The good news is that Image Management skills can be learned, then practiced till they become second nature. Some of the other words we could use to talk about Personal Image Management are self-presentation, self-promotion, and professional presence. All of these words relate to our appearance, our sense of self, and our comfort level. Significantly get a personal image makeover done for business presentation networking, special events, and public speaking and media engagements.

This personal image makeover workshop is designed to transform your appearance from head to toe so you become the person you were meant to be. Your image will be a "10" for every occasion, no matter how casual or how formal the scene. Nothing is as important as how you feel. You know if you don't look your best, your confidence plummets and you let opportunities pass you and you lose money! Can you afford to let that happen?

Many people these days are looking for new jobs, or even starting their own business. An improved professional image can help you not only cause you a great first impression but will also boost your self-esteem and increase the level of self- confidence. When your professional image is clear and sharp, you show the world that you know what you want.

Personal Image Management

An Image is the picture another person has of us. It can change, it can grow and it can occupy so much mind-space that we naturally become top of mind recall. Image is another word for appearance. The elements of Image or appearance include clothing, grooming, and body language including etiquette. First impression are lasting ones. Personal image makeover is crucial to self-branding. When people meet each other and talk about other professionals they never remember what you were wearing but they always remember that you exude professionalism and confidence. Whether one accepts it or not the society is going to perceive a person by his appearance and how he takes care of his looks.

 Image is the physical representation of who you are and what you are all about—your attitudes, appearance, and actions. Everyone produces an Image, consciously or unconsciously. You can achieve the business and life of your dreams with personal image management.

Image Management is creating an authentic, appropriate, attractive, and affordable personal or professional Image which increases your confidence, credibility, capability, and productivity while contributing to continuing success. Personal Image Management is an effective way to attract others—to encourage others to regard you favorably and with continued interest. Positive self-presentation is an open invitation to become acquainted with the person inside. It is an effective way to influence the opinion or actions of others. Although there are many behavioral skills, one of the most important and which gets noticed first is Attitude. Your attitude determines your altitude in life. 

Effective Personal Image Management aids you in achieving personal and professional success. Some people have a natural talent or ability to present themselves appropriately and attractively. Most do not. The good news is that Image Management skills can be learned, then practiced till they become second nature. Some of the other words we could use to talk about Personal Image Management are self-presentation, self-promotion, and professional presence. All of these words relate to our appearance, our sense of self, and our comfort level. Significantly get a personal image makeover done for business presentation networking, special events, and public speaking and media engagements.

This personal image makeover workshop is designed to transform your appearance from head to toe so you become the person you were meant to be. Your image will be a "10" for every occasion, no matter how casual or how formal the scene. Nothing is as important as how you feel. You know if you don't look your best, your confidence plummets and you let opportunities pass you and you lose money! Can you afford to let that happen?

Many people these days are looking for new jobs, or even starting their own business. An improved professional image can help you not only cause you a great first impression but will also boost your self-esteem and increase the level of self- confidence. When your professional image is clear and sharp, you show the world that you know what you want.

Personal image consultant as a career

Image consultants help people cultivate a professional or updated appearance. They may work with businesses or individual clients to make changes to their looks, communication skills and behavior. Many professional image consultants specialize in a certain area, such as clothing, social etiquette or public speaking. A large portion of these consultants are self-employed and must spend a great deal of time marketing them and finding new clients.

Personal branding is a leadership requirement, not a self-promotion campaign. Developing your personal brand is essential for the advancement of your career and development as a leader.  Personal branding consultants help ones business by establishing credibility, growing your network and help you reach your business goals.  Branding is important because it creates loyalty, meaning, and a trust with your audience.

People in this position typically have relevant formal training and certifications offered by product vendors and a variety of image consulting associations. Personal branding is essentially the ongoing process of establishing a prescribed image or impression in the mind of others about an individual, group or organization.

Personal Branding is the practice of people marketing themselves and their careers as brands. While previous self help management techniques were about self-improvement, the personal-branding concept suggests instead that success comes from self-packaging.

Professional image consultants help their clients develop and project a desired image through grooming, clothing selection and, in many cases, training in etiquette and self-presentation. Some travel may be required for this job; you may visit clients' homes or guide them in making appropriate purchases during shopping excursions. Personal image consultants also do a lot of office work when they're self-employed, like bookkeeping and scheduling clients, as well as marketing their services. 

Personal branding consultants require to start by gathering data, performing market research to identify target markets and assess consumer perceptions, competition, business trends, and product value. Consultants can also perform internal audits to ensure the needs and goals of a company's departments are aligned. This research informs the development of an overall brand strategy, which can affect logo and package design, pricing, placement, advertising campaigns, and customer service messaging. Decisions influenced by personal branding consultants include where to distribute a product, what medium is best for advertising and how to shape product messages for different demographics. Soft skills are essential for personal branding. The soft skill development training programs include the way you present yourself, your vocal and verbal communication skills, body language, etiquettes, and stress and time management. Soft skill development also includes team management, leadership qualities, ability to negotiate well. People who are strong on soft skills are the ones who find that they have meaningful social and personal relationships.

Branding consultants lend their marketing expertise to help a company make key strategic decisions and bring a product to market. Entry-level work can be attained by completing a marketing bachelor's degree program, but it's common to supplement work experience by completing a master's degree program.

Importance of corporate training

Learning is a lifelong process. With the update of high end technology in corporate organizations, complicated things have become much easier to manage.  Corporate Training has become the need of the hour. Businesses that wish to survive the market odds and want to successfully battle the cut throat business competition and challenges must not undermine the importance of corporate training program. Corporate training refers to a short time essential training of certain skills that can achieve efficiency in certain tasks in the organization or achieve them faster. A large number of private as well as public organizations are implementing full-fledged corporate training for their employees and other staff members. Corporate training can give you the competitive drive to have an edge in today’s world. Even when you become busy with your career, there is always an opportunity to learn things.

Corporate training essentially speaking is a method of professional development activities meant to educate employees on appropriate corporate behavior. These training and development programs are known by different names such as “human resource developments” or “learning and development”. Though different organizations and institutes put forth different name for the same process, “learning and development” is the most commonly used name. Corporate training programs were developed for employees to improve their skills and acquire new ones within the framework of their own companies. Employees learn newer and better ways of doing things, which in turn results in more efficiency in the workplace.

Corporate training essentially consists of three parts only which are training, education and development –

·         Training- This activity focuses upon a job that a person/employee currently holds and is also assessed against it.

·         Education- This particular aspect focuses on the positions or jobs that an individual is capable of or may hold in the future. The evaluation is also done likewise.

·         Development- This is essentially tuning an individual to the specific needs of the company and also certain activities that the firm or the individual may be a part of in the future. This can be vaguely ascertained but never properly determined

Corporate training programs are a win-win situation for all parties involved. Owners get better proficiency from the workforce while employees of all levels get the benefit of adding to their own skill sets on career improvement.

The highlighting characteristics and major steps in corporate training includes:

·         System Orientation

·         Collaborative approach

·         Problem Solving

·         Experimental Learning

·         Human Values

·         Contingency Orientation

·         Levels of Interventions

Corporate training is available for different sectors like leadership and management, finance and accounting, human resource management, personal development, English language, sales and marketing, and customer service.

ICBI offers several corporate training and other services through its Image Consultants and Soft Skills Trainers. One of the biggest strengths that ICBI brings to the table in most cases is the capability to assign a trainer with domain experience similar to the domain of the company desiring our services. No other corporate training company in the world can do this. This is possible for ICBI because most of the Image Consultants and Soft Skills Trainers trained by ICBI come with prior corporate experience from virtually every domain.