The hospitality industry won’t be in existence without people. This reiterates the importance of socialization in the industry. To have a successful hospitality career means to have good social skills. The question is whether or not you have these social skills.

Not to worry, this article is aimed at teaching you how best to develop social skills in your hospitality career. So, if you want to hit the peak in the industry, you need to read this post to the very last word.

What Are Social Skills?

Social skills are vital skills used to properly communicate, as well as interact with people, which includes both verbal and non-verbally, involving your gestures, physical appearance, and body language.

It is no longer news that human beings are social beings, hence, you need to learn how to properly communicate your messages, thoughts, and feelings with others.

Most hospitality jobs have ’people components’ and often involve a large amount of time spent interacting with clients, employees, media, and colleagues. You cannot stay isolated in your hospitality workplace, hence, you need to level up your social skills.

5 steps to improve your social skills

• Be a good listener: Try to avoid being the loudest person in the room. When in a conversation, learn to listen to people. Asking questions and listening attentively to the response will make you stand out and be more appreciative.
• Avoid negativity: Being negative, ironic, and unsettled will make people avoid you. People want to be surrounded by others who will bring them up, and that are fun to be around.
• Learn to remember people’s names: Communication hits differently when you can address someone by their name. It adds a personal touch, and makes them feel special!
• Make following up a habit: Whether you’re following up on how a guest’s excursion went, or whether or not they were able to solve a problem they were having, or simply following up after networking, it continues to build your relationships and shows people that you care and are serious.
• Know when to end a conversation: It’s important to be able to read body language that shows the person wants to leave. Maybe they have an important meeting to get to, are looking forward to relaxing, or have nothing else to add to the convo. It’s okay to end it and follow up at a later time!

Most importantly, your social skills should be goal-directed. Getting along and understanding people will definitely help you to access many personal and career-related opportunities.