The last two decades have been hugely transformational as digital technologies have disrupted every walk of life. This will only continue in the new decade, as machine learning, deep learning and artificial intelligence (AI) begin to play an integral part in our workplaces. As a result, workplaces will require very different skillsets than they needed until now. If you are a youngster looking for rapid career development in this new decade, then you must equip yourself with the skills that will be in high demand.

A recent article in the Financial Times lists some essential skills that modern employers will attach great value to. We are certain that the skills mentioned in the article will be in demand universally, including in India.

Adaptability

As the pace of change increases, so does the need for people who can adapt to change faster. There is no pointing in resisting change and trying to say that “this is how things used to be done”.  Adaptability involves both learning new ways of doing things as well as being able to quickly unlearn certain things. Employees who demonstrate a willingness and ability to adapt will survive and thrive; the others will have to pay a serious price.

The key takeaway is to build the mindset to be flexible and adaptable.

Creativity

Being creative means finding new or better ways to do things. Some people think that creativity is a gift that only a few people possess. What is true is that only a few people actually exercise their creative faculties enough. Anybody can be creative provided he/she is willing to challenge oneself. Continuously training your mind to find new and better ways to do something stimulates creativity. The more you practice creativity, the more creative you become and the more valuable you become to your organisation.

Emotional Intelligence

The one thing machines don’t have (at least thus far) is emotional intelligence and a quality like empathy. Having high Emotional Intelligence (EI) or Emotional Quotient (EQ) means demonstrating greater concern for others, showing better understanding and responding to situations accordingly.

Therefore, work on developing your interpersonal skills and develop a genuine interest in knowing, understanding and benefiting others. Employers who show that they can work well with other people will always find a place for themselves.

Personal Brand

Many young workers ignore the need to build their own personal brand, which is how the world perceives you. How you communicate- be it in writing or verbally- goes a long way in building and establishing your personal brand. A person who can articulate his or her thoughts clearly in English, for example, will certainly have a greater chance for career development than someone with similar technical skills but poorer communication skills.

So, work on defining and reinforcing your personal brand. It can all start by mastering effective communication skills!

Work on developing these critical soft skills to ensure that your career is moving in the right trajectory!

ABOUT EAGETUTOR:

eAgeTutor.com is the premier online tutoring provider. eAge's world-class faculty and ace communication experts from around the globe help you to improve English in an all-round manner. Assignments and tasks based on a well-researched content developed by subject matter and industry experts can certainly fetch the most desired results for improving spoken English skills. Overcoming limitations is just a click of the mouse away in this age of effective and advanced communication technology. For further information on the online English-speaking course or to experience the wonders of virtual classroom fix a demonstration session with our tutor. Please visit https://www.eagetutor.com.

Chander Madan

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It is well known that the quality of communication between two or more individuals, impacts the outcome of business meetings. While the exact content of the meeting and its structure are critical, certain external factors like the energy and enthusiasm of the participants in a meeting, also play a very important role in the success or failure of a meeting. In this article, we will offer some simple tips on how you can improve the chances of a better outcome with more energetic communication.

The scientific theory that energy can neither be created nor destroyed but only transferred is very much applicable in a meeting scenario. If you can bring a high level of energy to a meeting, you will be able to transfer that to the participants of the meeting. When there is a higher level of energy, there is a greater propensity for action and things move faster and better!

The question is: how can you contribute energy to the communication by the mere use of words? Well, in addition to words, it is also the tone and style with which the words are delivered. However, for now, let’s focus on the words. The mantra there is to use more positive adjectives and vocabulary   when you communicate.

For example, just imagine you have walked into a meeting. The typical question that comes up is: “How are you doing?”. The standard response given out is, “I am fine, thank you. How about you?”

Instead of that, let’s say you respond with: “I am doing great! Thank you. Hope things are awesome with you too!”  Just by changing the rather bland and low-energy term “fine” to more positive-sounding words like “awesome” and “great”, you’d have increased the energy level of the meeting in office.

Take this one step further. You may be asked if you’d like to have a drink. You could choose to just mention the drink you’d prefer - say, water, tea or coffee. Or, you could convey a greater level of appreciation and excitement at having a drink by something like, “Oh, thank you. A cup of coffee would be wonderful and so welcome!”; or “I’d love a cup of tea, thank you!”

Do you notice the difference in the positivity and energy the use of adjectives make to the sentences?  

Similarly, always try to end a meeting on a positive note, so that the listener takes away positive thoughts and impressions from the meeting. Such positive sentiments are essential to forge long-term business relationships.

As an exercise, write down some positive words that you can use in greeting people and for using with your colleagues in formal meetings or in other contexts. Then put them to use and see the difference it makes to your professional engagements.

Improve your spoken English communication skills with eAgeTutor.com, India’s largest online spoken English training provider. Register for a free demo and experience the benefits of learning English online from the comfort of your home or office at your preferred time!

ABOUT EAGETUTOR:
eAgeTutor.com is the premier online tutoring provider. eAge's world-class faculty and ace communication experts from around the globe help you to improve English in an all-round manner. Assignments and tasks based on a well-researched content developed by subject matter and industry experts can certainly fetch the most desired results for improving spoken English skills. Overcoming limitations is just a click of the mouse away in this age of effective and advanced communication technology. For further information on the online English-speaking course or to experience the wonders of virtual classroom fix a demonstration session with our tutor. Please visit www.eagetutor.com.

-By Chander Madan

A career in sales can be very exciting and lucrative for people who do well in it. Sales brings  in revenues for any organisation, and revenues help companies move forward. As long as one is performing well and continues to bring in sales, one’s job is fairly secure because in times of adversity businesses slash costs, while trying to keep revenues high. Yet, success in a sales career isn’t guaranteed for everyone. It takes certain personality characteristics to really do well in a sales job -- being able to communicate effectively is certainly one of the keys.

By definition, selling is being able to get somebody to part with their resources (be it time, money or some other material form) in exchange for something that you’ve got to offer. This means that the potential buyer has to be first convinced about their need or want for a particular product or service that the seller is trying to sell. The default position of a potential buyer is to often say “no” to any sale because they may not see the exact value of what is being sold to them. 

A good salesman therefore has to have excellent communication skills. By communication skills for sales, we don’t refer only to their ability to talk to a prospect. Instead, a salesperson needs to be equipped with the entire gamut of communication skills: non-verbal communication (body language), listening and speaking.

First impressions matter in a lot of professions; but they have an even bigger role in sales. The initial impression is formed not only by how a person is groomed and presents himself to a prospect or the English fluency that they demonstrate,  but also in how they communicate non-verbally during a conversation. Many  sales people inadvertently give out negative vibes to a prospect - either an indifference or lack of interest, a lack of confidence or even over-confidence and arrogance. So, it is extremely critical to learn the essentials of effective non-verbal communication and understand how you can avoid the common pitfalls associated with that.

The importance of being a good listener cannot be underestimated in succeeding in a sales job. Only a salesperson who listens intently to a prospect, understands his/her needs/wants and then explains  the value proposition of the product or service in the context of the prospect’s needs will succeed consistently. This is particularly true of ‘concept’ selling or selling of complex solutions/services, though it can apply to the sale of commoditized products too. 

A good salesman has to be able to address potential objections from the customer or provide clarifications. When providing these, the salesman has to ensure that they do so with utmost confidence and clarity, without ever appearing defensive or disrespectful to the prospect. 

The key points to remember to ensure effective communication for better results in your sales career are listed below:

1. Create a great first impression: from you present yourself to how you greet the potential customer the first time, pay attention to the vibes you are giving out. People like to buy from people they ‘like’ and ‘trust. Being able to speak good English fluently certainly creates a positive impression especially when you are carrying out institutional sales of high-value items in India.
2. Listen carefully to the customer: Whether a customer is talking about his/her pain points or implying certain needs and wants, pay close attention so that you can discern these.
3. Focus your sales communication on the customer: Instead of focusing your sales pitch on your product or service, focus on how the customer’s pain points or needs will be best handled with your solution.
4. Handle objections politely: Objection handling is a critical skill for any sales person. This is a test of a person’s temperament as well as the ability to understand the root cause of the objection (whether explicit or implied), and then ultimately communicating why the objections are misplaced.

ABOUT EAGETUTOR:
eAgeTutor.com is the premier online tutoring provider. eAge's world-class faculty and ace communication experts from around the globe help you to improve English in an all-round manner. Assignments and tasks based on a well-researched content developed by subject matter and industry experts can certainly fetch the most desired results for improving spoken English skills. Overcoming limitations is just a click of the mouse away in this age of effective and advanced communication technology. For further information on the online English-speaking course or to experience the wonders of virtual classroom fix a demonstration session with our tutor. Please visit www.eagetutor.com.

-By Chander Madan

Someone has rightly said, “In the mundane, nothing is sacred. In sacredness, nothing is mundane.”

Mundane is boring. There comes a time when you feel saturated with the routine tasks you are doing and you feel like doing different and challenging things. Your ardent desire to take up additional work and prove your worth overwhelms you. But this needs to be communicated effectively to your boss. Your boss should be aware that you are geared up to take up challenging tasks.

Communicating this to the boss might seem to be a bit tricky. You need to do some homework for this.

It’s a known fact that actions speak louder than words. So you need to show to the people around you that you are ready to take on additional work responsibilities.For this you need to know what your company’s aspirations are and what needs to be done to attain the same.

Try doing the below mentioned things and it is guaranteed that you will be noticed and you will get what you desire.

• Gather as much information about the functioning of the company. Keep yourself updated with everything going on, concerning the company. Read company journals and anything that is published relating to your company.
• Give valuable suggestions when called for. Offer your inputs during meetings.
• Prove your worth by being punctual in reaching office, in meeting deadlines and in achieving targets. Occasionally volunteer to work extra hours to complete important work.
• Contribute your support to your subordinates and colleagues, whenever needed. Be a good team player.
• Exude positivity. You should always have a positive demeanour. Nobody likes negative vibes.
• Be proactive. Volunteer to do difficult tasks that generally people shy away from doing.
• A friendly attitude at workplace will do you good but at the same time refrain from gossips. Be a good listener and a supportive person.
• Make it clear to your boss that you are capable enough to handle additional responsibilities and also assure him that you would do your best, if provided with the opportunity. Discuss with them your career plans and seek their advice in enhancing your skills.
• Make yourself heard. Communicate often with your boss and inform him about the progress you are making in your work or skill and also the struggles you have faced and overcame.
• Instead of being boastful, let the boss know how the work done by you will benefit the company.Keep the focus on the benefits to the company rather than your own achievements. Also, if possible, make the others speak to your boss about your good work.
• Prioritize your work. Do the most urgent work first and the other important work later.
• Equip yourself with new skills. This will give you an edge over the others.

All these will definitely help your boss to give you additional responsibilities. To make your dreams come true you need to sweat it out.

ABOUT EAGETUTOR:
eAgeTutor.com is the premier online tutoring provider. eAge's world-class faculty and ace communication experts from around the globe help you to improve English in an all-round manner. Assignments and tasks based on a well-researched content developed by subject matter and industry experts can certainly fetch the most desired results for improving spoken English skills. Overcoming limitations is just a click of the mouse away in this age of effective and advanced communication technology. For further information on the online English-speaking course or to experience the wonders of virtual classroom fix a demonstration session with our tutor. Please visit www.eagetutor.com.

-By Chander Madan

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