Eva AbreuThe next skill to develop as an entrepreneur is good people skill s.
What this means is to become comfortab le with networ king to the
point of being able to go into a room without knowing anybody and
being able to stri ke up a conversation. Always remember the 80/20
rule: 80 percent of the conversation is about the other person and their
interests and 20 percent about you. This applies to online social
ne twor king skills as well.
The third skill is what I call “pen to paper,” which means to learn to
write well and to write often. Whether it’s using an actual pen in hand
or typing on a computer keyboard, it’s going to take lots of practice,
some guidance, and many corrections. I think it is worth the time and
effort to become an effective communicator and gain r espect in our
role as an entrepreneur. How well we write is a reflection on us—
people will judge us on how well we compose an e-mail, a thank you
note, letter to the editor, or a social media posting. Writing can help
op en the door to many other opportunities as well.
So the three skills mentioned, public speaking, people skills and pen
to paper, are invaluable skills to develop as an entrepreneur, as well as
for anyone who seeks additional o pportuniti es for success within their
career.
WRIGHT
What are some of the roadblocks people face on their journey to
reaching their goals?
ABREU
I think the first roadblock is our ow n perception of who we are.
Many of us don’t have a positive perception of our abilities; we may
think that s uccess is not within our reach. I’ve experienced this many
times myself. I look back now and realize I was my own worst enemy, as
the saying goes. Without realizing it, we end up ge tting in our own way
of success.
As a child, as I mentioned, I was extremely shy and didn’t want to
call any attention to myself. I di dn’t want to be noticed or singled out, I
di dn’t raise my hand in class because maybe I would say something that
wouldn’t make any sense and everyone would laugh at me. I might
stumble on my words or not b e able t o think of what to say and