If you are conversant with traders in local markets full of shops and stalls, you will see all sorts of soft skills at play. In Nigeria especially and in market environment dominated by indigenes of the South West for example, when a client shows up to patronise, it is common to hear from traders who will look the potential customer in the face to ask: What do you want?’ That’s how best majority of the traders understand how to open conversation with a potential customer. This ‘attitude’ is beside ingrained lackadaisical approach to the business, inconsistent opening and closing hours, the boss not showing up on time or at all, shabby treatment of customers, not moved a bit about such customers coming back to make repeat purchases, and other negative character-display.
But an average trader from the South Eastern part in the same market setting will display a direct opposite attitude.
After a very warm welcome and friendly approach to a potential customer, if he doesn’t’t have what such a customer is looking for, he will never give a negative response. He would rather sit the customer, make the customer very comfortable and ask for a minute or two to pick what the customer wants to buy from ‘his store’. But he has no such products in any store! He is going to scout the market to look for it from competing traders, talk the competition into releasing the products to him and convinces the customer to buy the products, with a margin added. No wonder those who have been studying the market wisdom in Igbo traders will tell you that you can never learn in MBA classes the magnitude of intelligence available to and put to use by an Igbo apprentice.
The importance of soft skills cannot be overemphasised. Success in business requires interactions with people; and successful interactions with people means you have to make use of soft skills. You need to negotiate to new contracts, for repeat purchases by customers and clients, entrepreneurs need to turn customers and clients to friends and associates. The skills you deploy to create the enduring relationships will help you win more business, improve and expand your business sustainably.
As I mentioned last week in the preceding piece, a good and sustainable business is about strategy, complex problem solving, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, people management as well as creativity. Without soft skills, you can’’t service your customers and clients effectively. Just ask: What else should I put into my business, besides performing of the tasks that will make existing and potential customers to fall in love with my business? Providing answers to the question may make you begin to think about how your office is decorated, how your shop floor is arranged, how customers are welcomed by the first person at the entrance door, the need for follow up with your clients, freebies here and there, and such things that make potential and existing customers think or talk positively about your business even in their respective houses or remote gatherings. Soft skills help you build relationships and solve problems in order for you to use your hard skills to their full capacity.
It is not good for business if you are not skilful in relating with customers. If you easily get angry and you are ready to give a piece of your mind to whoever crosses your path while you are doing your business, your business is already exposed to untoward injury and untimely annihilation. In today’s business, seasoned entrepreneurs always try to find ways of ensuring that they, their clients and their businesses are happy. Communication skills is very important in business. In doing business, you have to continuously look out for or ask for what is favourable to your business. A good ability to convincingly discuss with others in such a way that they will not be offended as they defer to you is a skill you need to possess.
On the other hand, Hard skills is about your practical ability, experience and understanding in performing your business tasks. The hard skills include technical skills which is practical ability (eg you can operate the machines or use your hands to bring out the product the customers want). The business management skills are basic requirements to run the business effectively and efficiently. Included in this skill is the ability to coordinate and direct the affairs of the business, including record keeping, accounting and marketing. You need the skill for the day to day operations of the business.
Experience in the line of business talks about a good knowledge or previous experience in the line of your chosen business. You acquire this as an apprentice or an employee in a similar business. This experience will proof useful in the way you conduct your business. It is often advised that serving as apprentice or working as employee prior to starting your own business will give enough exposure about the peculiar ways business is done in your chosen line of business. This will save you from avoidable mistakes and will not allow dubious customers and suppliers prey on your inexperience.
. Emmanuel is a business planning and cooperative consultant. He works with a team of international consultants to conceptualise and plan agribusiness and housing projects. As a certified trainer authorised to use the International Labour Organisation’s enterprise development modules, he trains entrepreneurs and organises workshops and seminars for potential and practising entrepreneurs as well as business managers and cooperatives. He also speaks and facilitates at leadership and management workshops on invitation. His book, Business Planning Made Easy: Step by Step Guide On How To Turn Your Idea To Profitable Business’ is the latest of the books authored by him. Tel: +234(0)9068602954 (call and sms), +234(0)8023257707 (whatsApp only).
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