There are many people who are good at what they do, but there are always a few who are exceptionally successful. Often, these individuals are highly successful because they also possess excellent people skills. The good news is that we can learn these skills and make them work for us too. Here are six people skills that will help you succeed:

1. Learn to be calm and to think clearly. Have you ever seen a mother helping her child who just fell off a bicycle? She is calm and collected. It seems like she has practiced this moment hundreds of times and knows exactly what to do. In life and in business people who can stay calm, think clearly, and act quickly are better able to evaluate the situation and react successfully.
2. Acquire knowledge and build self-confidence.  Have you ever heard the saying “knowledge is power”? Obtaining knowledge and then using it builds confidence in yourself and in your peers. People want to be around someone who is confident and has a proven record of success.
3. Develop communication skills and apply them. The key to being a great communicator is being a great listener. Take the time to really listen to people and think about what they have to say before responding. When you genuinely value people’s feelings and ideas, they will reciprocate and feel that they can trust you.
4. Develop a never give up mentality. There are many stories of people who ultimately became successful simply because they never gave up. People like Thomas Edison, who gave it a thousand tries before developing a working light bulb. His comment on his failures was that he successfully found 999 ways that a light bulb would not work. You must develop the same attitude, even if do not really believe it in the beginning. Practice this attitude until it becomes a part of your own beliefs.
5. Acquire a win – win attitude. We live in a very competitive society. There is almost always a winner and a loser. But this does not have to be. Especially, when it comes to business, you do not want your customers to feel that you sold them something they did not want. You want them to feel that they purchased a great product/service at a great value and that you helped them. Focus on converting every situations into a win – win for everyone involved and success will be the by-product.
6. Develop great networking skills and a network of supporters. Find out where your target market is and get involved with their dreams, needs and concerns. Learn how to talk to people and make them feel comfortable. Build relationships based on mutual respect, caring and benefit. The larger your network is, the greater your influence and success.

Most successful people possess all or some of these skills. For some of them these skills came naturally, but for most of them it was learned. Develop and apply these skills to help you succeed in your endeavors. What do you think? Did we leave any people skills out? Please share your thoughts and experiences with us in the comment below.