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Selling soft skills
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America's leading cross-cultural trainer will launch "Global Indian", a programme for corporates on October 7
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FORMULA FOR SUCCESS Robert Kohls, crosscultural trainer
Management skills, personality development skills, communication skills... you have heard about them all. What about cross-cultural skills?
It's a new term thrown up by the global economy. With the corporate world getting intricately connected, CEOs and executives are realising how profitable it is to adopt alien mores and manners. "They have come to know that hard selling doesn't always help tackle tricky deals and tough competition. Sometimes soft skills such as body language, personal hygiene, etiquette, command over language, accent, time management and awareness level can land them in a win-win situation," smiles Robert Kohls, America's leading cross-cultural trainer.
In the past 40 years, he has trained diplomats, scholars, teachers, students, peace corps volunteers and businessmen on how to put their humanistic face forward during professional interactions. "A little bit of a personal touch can work magic. For instance, pepper your official talks with food, clothes, films, music and history and just see your business partner's reaction. You could floor him or her with your open mindedness," avers Kohls, America's top inter-culturist, who has prepared thousands of people to function effectively in countries around the world.
For ten years, he was Foreign Service Officer in the U.S. Department of State, training cultural and Press attaches working at the American embassies in various countries. He was executive director of The Washington International Center, which prepares people to understand the values and customs prevalent in different countries. You wonder whether his intercultural skills have remained the same over the years. "The basis of human interactions cannot be altered much despite the changing needs of the time. A warm handshake, a pleasant smile, an agreeable nod or a `thank you', `please' or `sorry' are never out of place."
His book, "Survival Kit for Overseas Living" is rated among the bestsellers. He has five other books in print and his booklet "The Values Americans Live By" is widely distributed at universities in America.
Those in the process of negotiating international deals and taking up overseas assignments can pick up Kohls' formula for cross-border business success at the "Global Indian" programme being organised on October 7 by Global Adjustments in association with The Park. Kohls is in Chennai to launch the programme that will train Indian professionals in Western culture, business etiquette and communication and help understand cross-cultural issues.
For details call 24346225/ 24355853.
CHITRA SWAMINATHAN
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