Do you want to know what most successful people have in common? It’s their social interaction skills!
Developing and cultivating social interaction skills is perhaps the most important thing for dating and for your professional life.
Having polished social skills allow you to smoothly navigate any social situations, start a conversation with anyone and anywhere, and solve conflicts and difficult situations effectively. You will also be able to read other people’s body languages, get a better feel for their feelings, and increase your likability.
In fact, having polished social skills is the hallmark of a gentleman. And like any other skill, anyone can develop great social interaction skills with practice.
Go do volunteer works, go to parties, go to events, go to picnics, take dancing classes, etc. With enough practice, you’ll feel more comfortable in different social situations. And that’s the key to effective social interactions —just being yourself and feeling perfectly comfortable to talk to anyone in different environments.
Alright, here are some guidelines to follow to develop and hone your social skills:
1. Increase your sense of awareness
This means being fully aware of yourself, your surroundings, and other people’s thoughts and feelings. When you begin to recognize the expressions and emotions in other people as a result of your own behavior or actions, you will be able to modify your behavior accordingly to achieve positive results.
2. Be open-minded and show respect for others, regardless of your prejudices
You must avoid making any judgments or say anything that could be interpreted as offensive. Everyone is different and comes from a different background. It’s important to not project your values onto others and to judge others because they are different.
3. Show positive body language
Body language is an essential component of effective communication. Your facial expressions, eyes, body gestures can work together with your words and the tone of your voice to exude confidence, warmth, and positive energy. Here is how you can show positive body language to connect with people:
- Show your warm and genuine smile – A warm and genuine smile is the key to projecting a friendly, down to earth, and approachable personality. Make sure your smile comes out naturally and doesn’t look forced. Of course, it is a lot easier to have an authentic smile when you genuinely want to connect with the other person. Relaxing your face should also help.
- Make direct eye contact – Eye contact is important if you want to connect with the other person and to acknowledge their presence. This is especially important when the other person is speaking. You’d want to maintain eye contact to let the other person know that you’re paying attention and acknowledging their feelings and thoughts. Since maintaining direct eye contact for a prolonged time can get uncomfortable for yourself and for the other person, you can glance down the other person’s nose and mouth every now and then. Also, you should try to have a soft focus on your eyes rather than an intense focus.
- Body gestures – There are a few things you can do with your body gestures to show your warmth and friendliness. First, lean in a bit to show your interest when you’re engaging in a conversation. Occasionally, nod and smile to show that you’re listening. And when you speak, use some hand gestures to make it more dynamic. Just don’t overdo the hand gestures.
4. Master the art of active listening
Most people listen with the intent of wanting to respond back with something clever. There’s a better way. You should listen intently without judgment. Also, try to give the other person your 100% attention.
Doing so shows that you care about them and you respect what they have to say. You must also refrain from offering uninvited criticisms or advice because it’s annoying.
5. Be confident, but humble
A confident person is always calm, cool, and collected. He is under control, regardless of the situation. A confident person also does not need to brag about his status, his possessions, or his accomplishments.
6. Have manners
You must show good manners and treat everyone with respect (including the servers) in all situations. Refrain from criticizing, interrupting people when they talk, and acting obnoxious and rude.
7. Develop public speaking skills
It’s a fact that most people fear public speaking more than death. But the ability to speak confidently and eloquently in public is an essential skill. You will gain much respect and admiration from people if you master the art of public speaking. Joining a local Toastmaster chapter is the best way to develop and improve your public speaking skills.
Above are the basic social skills you should try to develop and improve on. You can further add to your social skills repertoire by developing a sense of humor, telling good stories and jokes.