So, you can speak? That’s why you are the dude on the stage of ABC Cruise Lines.
But do you want to get invited back?
You are supposed to know your topic. You are supposed to be able to deliver a good talk or 3 or 4.
But, how are your soft skills?
How do you do in personal interaction? What are those soft skills?
1. Conversation – Are you a conversation starter or a wall flower? Like it or not, the cruise seminar leader has to be the one who is good at initiating a conversation. You may not have to do it all the time but you have to be able to do it. “Where are you from?” “What brings you to this talk?” “What do you hope to take away?” “Cruised before?” These kinds of questions will more than get you started.
2. Conflict resolution – Doesn’t everybody get along on cruise ships? Aren’t everyone there to chill?
Related: Plan to fail in order to succeed.
Things do not always go as planned. Listeners do not always hear what you say. Do you know how to handle conflict when it arises? Apologies go a long way. I don’t know how many times I have apologized even I didn’t think I was wrong … just for the sake of peace.
3. Negotiations – I am a lousy negotiator. I expect everyone to be fair. But, lo and behold, they are not. In my case, I send in my wife. But that is not always an option. Learn win-win instead of win-lose techniques so that everyone can walk away happy.
4. Being Pleasant to Be Around – I am getting too old for my own good. Too frumpy. Too experienced. Too convicted from the lessons I learned from that famous school in Fort Knox, of Hard Knocks. I struggle with being pleasant. The cruise ship speaker doesn’t have that option. Smiles, genuine interest, and a listening ear will work wonders.
How are you doing with your soft skills? Can you teach me, please? Really.
Drop your email address below to get updates to this site.
[maxbutton id=”3″]
