Improve Social Skills - Online Training Course

Written by: Bianca Villanueva – BS (Psychology)

Last updated date : February 22, 2023

Humans are naturally social creatures. Although some of us enjoy being alone, we can’t get through life entirely by ourselves. One way or another, we will have to work with other people. Because of that, social skills training is an essential part of living in a community. Society is built upon cultures, relationships, and other concepts that hinge on socializing with others. We’ll show you what can you do to improve social skills.

The word “social” comes from the Latin word socialis, meaning “friend”. While not all social interactions are to gain friends, we try to speak in a civil manner as if we were. Even with language barriers, varying cultures, different values, humans communicate with others in many ways.

However, if you’re the type of person who has wondered “Why does socializing come easy for other people, but not for me?” or “Why is it so hard to talk to people?”, or simply want to improve your social skills, this article is for you! By the end of the article, you should be able to know the basics of socializing. You should also know a few tips and tricks when talking to people.

Despite feeling anixety and stomch butterflies, girl meeting her friends using her social skills training


“Quizzes and recommendations were very uselful” Donna

87 sections

6-Weeks Self-Paced

  • Educational Content
  • Quizzes
  • Self-reflection material
  • Suggestions & feedback
  • Worksheet, tips & tools to use
$9.00 $12.00

25% discount

 

Chapter 1:

What are Social Skills?

To improve social skills, we need to first identify what they are in the first place. These skills are what we use to interact with each other effectively. This includes verbal and non-verbal ways of expressing ourselves. Learning them may not be easy for everyone. In fact, many people grow up without learning essential social skills, and that’s okay. These things can be learned over time. What matters is your willingness to improve them overall.
Why Is It Important to Improve Social Skills?

No matter what age, gender, or job you have, it’s never too late or too early to improve social skills. Even if you’re the type of person who has trouble relating to people, socializing with others is an inevitability. You’ll find that life is a lot easier when you learn to communicate better. So how exactly does socializing effectively work in your favor? What use is this social skills training?

Better Relationships

Relationships are an important part of life. From our first relationships with our parental figures to friends and colleagues, whether they’re positive or negative, relationships are inevitable. They are have big influences on how you behave, even when you’re alone. You can’t go very far in life without strong relationships, which means you need social skills. The charisma gained from improving social skills helps in finding partners, getting promoted, and making new friends. It can even reduce the effects of stress and improve your self-esteem.

Better Selectivity

If you’re the kind of person who only wants to interact with specific people, social skills can help you avoid people you don’t want to talk to. You can learn to politely turn people down or avoid drawn out conversations with people you don’t really like. While it may sound mean, the truth is that there are people we would rather talk to than others. That’s okay. At least with social skills training, you’ll be able to shorten talks you don’t like and keep up those you do like.

Better Networking

Having a good network of friends and colleagues helps in both personal and work lives. It provides more opportunities to achieve the things you want. Of course, you’ll have to put in the effort to help them with the things they want, too. Having better social skills will help you come to a compromise with people so everybody wins!

What Are The Different Social Skills?

There are many skills we’ll be tackling in social skills training. Whether it’s in public with strangers, in private with family and friends, or at work with co-workers, you’ll need most of these skills. Try to think about which ones you think you excel at and which you need to improve as we go along the list.

Expression

This is a core social skill. Being able to express yourself is key to effective communication. Try to recall a teacher who you believe was the best in what they do. These are people who can lead people well. They can explain their intentions appropriately while still being engaging and inspiring. Ultimately, they know the right and appropriate things to say.

Problem Solving

Conflicts will always be present in any relationship. Among friends, family, lovers, and groups, compromising can be hard. Everyone wants their ideal situation, but not everyone can get it. People with good social skills know how to resolve conflicts, and come to a satisfying result for everyone.

Listening

Expressing yourself may be a core feature, but so is active listening. A person who can only talk well doesn’t make them great communicators. They have to know how to listen to and reflect what people say. Showing your respect and attention to the people you talk to can go a long way. It makes them feel important, and they’ll enjoy talking to you more.

Empathy

Relating to others is essential. While logic and reason may make the most sense, humans are still emotional beings. We think, do, and feel. Being empathic can build stronger relationships with people and others will find you easier to work with. It helps others relate to you, which makes you easier to talk to.

Relationship Management

Having healthy relationships is key to building strong networks. Of course, you don’t need to This is simply making sure that you and others get the most out of the relationship. One of the most important aspects of this is respect. Being able to acknowledge someone for who they are can help people find you easier to talk to. No one wants to interact with someone who disrespects them. Let others express themselves, uninterrupted, and responding appropriately.

Self-Awareness

You need to know where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Knowing what you need to improve about yourself is an essential first step in communicating well. Be sensitive with how you communicate, and how it may come off to another person. While you may mean well, it doesn’t matter much if the other person is hurt in the process. Know when you’re being too blunt or too vague. You’ll learn how to balance that over time.

Self-Esteem

You need to know where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Knowing what you need to improve about yourself is an essential first step in communicating well. Be sensitive with how you communicate, and how it may come off to another person. While you may mean well, it doesn’t matter much if the other person is hurt in the process. Know when you’re being too blunt or too vague. You’ll learn how to balance that over time.

Chapter 2:

How to Improve Social Skills

There are many ways to improve social skills. Take note that this is a gradual process. You won’t become the suave, charismatic pro you want to be overnight. Social skills training takes both practice and mistakes. Don’t feel too down when you don’t get it right after a few interactions. Each time is a learning experience, whether you get it right or wrong. Here are 10 tips you can try to point you in the right direction:

1. Start With the Small Stuff

Say hi and thank you to retail workers when you go shopping. Make casual conversations at work. Invite close friends out for some small talk. Start where you’re comfortable and work your way out of your comfort zone when you’re ready.

2. Watch and Learn

You can watch how people socialize and model after the things they do right. What makes people laugh? How do they read others? How do these people make you feel comfortable and more open? There are always people who are overflowing with charisma. Let them be your role models and try to put yourself in their shoes.

3. Ask Open-Ended Questions

These types of questions usually elicit more responses, which can open more topics. People love talking about themselves. All you have to do is listen and be someone they can open up to. Build up from topic to topic and show that you’re interested in what they’re saying. Besides, it’s a bit tough responding to a simple “yes” or “no” with no follow-up.

4. Pay Attention to Your Body Language

What you say is important, but people overlook things they don’t say. Body language conveys messages that words can’t. Make eye contact. Maintain open stances. Know when physical touch is appropriate. Be conscious of what your body says when your words say otherwise.

5. Remember Names and Use Them Often

People actually enjoy hearing their names being said. It lets them know that you’re listening and you made the effort to remember them. In a way, calling people by their names makes them feel connected to you. So, use their name often, but to the point it sounds annoying.

6. Compliment Often

Compliments on their own are great conversation starters. From complimenting a person’s outfit to their new car, there are a lot of good things you can say about a person. Make sure that you mean what you say because sincerity is just as important as giving compliments. There’s no need to make up things to compliment them about.

7. Read Up on Current Events

This doesn’t just include the news. You need to be aware of what’s happening around you and to the people around you. One of the best things to bond over with people are common interests. Ask them shallow things at first like if they’ve seen the latest movies or shows. Then, you can move to more personal interests later on.

8. Know When to End the Conversation

While starting and maintaining conversations is important, knowing to end them is essential. Some people can feel drained after long talks, including you. So, it’s totally okay to see you want some time to step out or say “see you later!”

9. Know the Context of Your Conversation

Be aware of where you are and the people you’re with. It’s easy to say or do inappropriate things. No one laughs during funeral services. Only culturally-appropriate jokes can be made around particular people. There are many ways you might come off as insensitive. So, be attentive.

10. Be Yourself

It sounds corny, but it’s true. Being comfortable is essential to staying confident. If you don’t like where you are, it’s hard to come off as engaging for others. So, don’t try to be someone you’re not. The best people to talk to are those who are genuine yet sensitive.

Chapter 3:

Barriers to Improving Social Skills and How to Overcome Them

Of course, all this is easier said than done. The effort you put to improve social skills will determine how effective this social skills training will be. However, that isn’t the only thing that might stop you from improving social skills. So what are these barriers you need to keep an eye out for? How do we overcome them?

  • Lack of listening skills – Look for active listening courses online, and be familiar with the different techniques.
  • Too much jargon – Know how to explain your point in a way the person you’re talking to can understand.
  • Cultural and language barriers – You might want to research more about how they are and some basics of their language.
  • Expectations and biases – Know what biases you’ve usually have. Approach others with an open mind.
  • Not opening up or being too distrustful – Open up yourself slowly and carefully. You can share trivial things about yourself at first. Then as they open up to you, you can gradually let them know other things about yourself, too.

It’s not always easy to talk to people. You need to constantly adjust, depending who you’re talking to. However, going through this social skills training should give you an idea of where to start. Remember that while this article may be the first step, you still have a long way to go. That’s because social skills training takes practice. Practice on people you’re close to and let them give you feedback. You may make mistakes here and there, but it’s all part of the process.


"Quizzes and recommendations were very uselful" Donna

87 sections

6-Weeks Self-Paced

  • Educational Content
  • Quizzes
  • Self-reflection material
  • Suggestions & feedback
  • Worksheet, tips & tools to use

$9.00 $12.00

25% discount