Business Skills You Need Right Now

No matter what career you’re in, you’ve probably noticed that there are certain skills that always seem to come in handy.

Whether you’re looking to find a new job or become more proficient in your current role, make 2014 a year of personal growth by practicing some of the following business skills regularly:

Microsoft Excel
With a growing number of disparate data sources in today’s organizations, it’s becoming harder to tell a convincing story to your team, boss, or external audiences. This is where Excel comes in handy!

Excel can help you interpret large series of data to review performance, analyze trends, and project future situations. Even if you’re not a numbers person, knowing how to navigate a spreadsheet is a critical skill to have.

Want to jump start your Excel knowledge? Click here to view free training videos from Microsoft.

Networking
Being able to interact with others is a great way to open up opportunities that would be difficult otherwise. Not only is it a great way to help advance your career, it can be a more effective way to find leads for your business than other forms of marketing!

Note: Networking doesn’t always have to happen in person! You can use social media sites (such as LinkedIn or Twitter) to do the same thing.

Sales
In some way or another, everyone has to be a salesperson. Whether you’re selling products or selling yourself in an interview, sales skills can help you improve success rates and increase your confidence.

Writing
You might believe that writing is a skill that you weren’t born with, but it’s really just something you need to practice! In order to be successful, you have to be able to communicate well – especially with email and other pieces of writing.

Don’t write aimlessly. Start a blog, update your social media profiles, or journal daily. Ask others for feedback along the way and reflect on your personal growth over time.

DailyWritingTips provides exactly what their name says. Check out their site to build your vocabulary and learn more about writing and grammar.

Delegation
You’re not perfect, and you probably can’t do everything on your own. Being able to let go of control is a great way to help scale and accomplish greater things.

Design
No, this doesn’t mean going back to school for a BFA in Graphic Design. Simply learning common design terminology can help you explain concepts or needs to other team members. Additionally, minimal design skills can help you when you need something quickly.

What are some other fundamental business skills that everyone should practice? Reply to this post and let us know!

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn