What are soft skills and why are they important?

Indeed, when talking to clients, the technical knowledge acquired or acquired in computer programs, languages, and other areas are essential so that business offers can be developed effectively. 

However, how we communicate and interact with them after acquiring them is fundamental so that the bond is not broken but strengthened. This is where the soft skills of the company's employees play a crucial role, so let's learn more about them and their importance in providing an excellent customer experience through this blog.

>>Learn more about how to improve customer experience here<<

• What are soft skills?
• Importance of soft skills
• Proactive listening to the user
• Being patient
• Possessing a positive attitude
• Being friendly
• Be responsible
• Ability to communicate effectively

What are soft skills?
Soft skills are human beings' capabilities to interact and relate effectively with others. Soft skills are linked to the characteristics and personality of each person. Some examples of these types of skills are: leadership, the ability to work as part of a team, problem-solving and management skills, active and effective communication and listening, correct and effective time management, openness to change, personal stress management, empathy towards other colleagues, negotiation skills, results orientation, among others.

These skills, in most cases, are innate (everyone is born with them). However, this does not mean they cannot be acquired. Soft skills are open to anyone, and it depends on the attitude and discipline that the human being has to develop them and apply them constantly in their day-to-day in the company to positively impact customer experience.

In short, soft skills are part of the basis of the customer experience, and applying them in dealing with them will generate a higher retention and loyalty rate, thus taking advantage of companies that are competitors but do not devote time and effort to promote or strengthen the soft skills of their employees.

Importance of soft skills
Below are actions and attitudes that are part of the soft skills that should be put into practice when dealing with users to provide them with the best experience and thus take advantage of the competition.
In these actions and attitudes lies the importance of these skills in favor of the user experience.

Proactively listen to the user
The first step in providing excellent service and experience to users is to listen carefully to understand their needs and problems. This listening reduces problems that may arise later due to confusion. With this, it is possible to grow integrally and continuously.

Being patient                                                                                                                                                                                                The virtue of patience is essential to serve users correctly since, in many cases, they have problems in their business, which frustrates and makes them impatient. Then, the person who serves you must be patient to give security and solutions to users.

Possessing a positive attitude                                                                                                                                                    Being optimistic about situations or attitudes are shown by the user is very important for agreements and relationships to move forward. For example, showing enthusiasm through positive language and body language without attacking the users, since they feel better when faced with serene and calm agents.

The attitude should not always be one of immense joy; often, it is necessary to empathize with the user to be assertive and help him/her promptly resolve his/her problems. The user must feel that the agent will always do anything to contribute to the resolution of problems.

However, empathy is not a skill that you can learn in soft skills training. It all comes from within, and for this reason, if empathy becomes a difficult skill, try to put yourself in the user's shoes by asking questions like: How would I feel about this problem? And with this, it will be possible to provide better answers to users and thus strengthen and improve interactions.

Be friendly                                                                                                                                                                                                      . This attitude should not always be the same for all users; some prefer to be called by their names, and others like to be told their position or academic rank, so it is important to know them to provide the best experience.

Part of this is to be friendly with them and technically solve their problems. Users need to feel like family so that they openly express their needs and make recommendations to heart. This skill seems obvious, but in many cases, it is underestimated, and a slight change significantly impacts customer retention and loyalty.                                                                                                                          

Being responsible                                                                                                                                                  Every interaction with a user is a learning experience for both the service provider and the user. Learning to interpret when to take responsibility for a mistake and when not to is necessary. At the moment of assuming responsibility, it is necessary to be responsible through forgiveness so that the user does not always feel guilty or that the agent is perfect. Customer service flows better when relationships feel more personal, pleasant, and responsible. This attitude will set the business apart from the competition.

Ability to communicate effectively
Communicating effectively with users makes it possible to explain in a simple, understandable, and quick way issues that could become complex when there is no communication. Through good communication, the agent should be able to cheer up a user who is frustrated and overwhelmed and turn the negative and frustrating situation into a satisfactory experience. This will cause users to be grateful and feel supported by the company that serves them.

>>What Is Customer Experience and What Is It For?<<

Given the above, it can be concluded that every relationship with users requires contact and communication with an agent to lead to the establishment of a relationship or business. And after this, it is necessary to follow up and make the relationship satisfactory and lasting through pleasant experiences for the user.

All this is highly related to soft skills because, as we saw at the beginning, these are interactions with people, which must be pleasant so that current users remain, new ones decide to establish a relationship and influence more people or companies to join and thus achieve a highly productive cycle for the company offering the service.

Significant changes are preceded by small details, among them the investment in improving the soft skills of the company's employees.

<<Apple, innovation, and example in user experience!>>