Every office, every building, everywhere you go, you see people who are just difficult to get on with. They can be obnoxious, rude, inconsiderate, or just plain clumsy. They may even be brilliant at what they do, but you just know that when it comes to socializing and interacting with people. They are terrible at it and you usually avoid these people whenever possible. Emotional intelligence, social graces, friendliness are just some of the things these people lack. These things are known as “soft skills” and we all need them, otherwise we could end up as social outcasts or as ‘that weird guy’ who nobody wants to deal with.
每一間辦公室，每一棟大樓，你所到之處都會發(fā)現(xiàn)有人難以融入他們所處的環(huán)境。他們要么惹人討厭、粗魯無禮，要么不為他人著想，或者笨手笨腳。他們也許在自己的專業(yè)方面很優(yōu)秀，但在社會人際交往方面就完全不行。他們在社交方面一塌糊涂，人們都盡可能避免和這類人打交道。情商、社會禮儀、親切感正是這類人所缺乏的。這些要素被稱為“軟技能”，我們都需要它們，否則我們就可能被社會排擠，或者變成人人避而遠之的“怪人”。

To better improve your “soft skills”, here are 20 tips you can follow:
想要加強你的軟技能，可以試試下面這20條小貼士：

1. How to remember people’s names, faces, or places. If you can remember at least one of these, you’re heading in the right direction.
知道如何記住他人的姓名、長相和工作地點。如果你能至少記住其中一項，你已經找對方向了。

2. Opening successive doors for people. (It takes finesse if you’re doing it for multiple and consecutive sets of doors — and you have multiple people.)
幫他人打開幾扇連續(xù)的門。（如果是很多扇連在一起的門，而且同時有多個人通過，是需要策略的。）

3. Keeping in contact with your relationships. A great way to hone your soft skills and maintain relationships.
和你的人際圈里保持聯(lián)系。這是提升軟技能并保持人際關系的好辦法。

4. Learn to be a better listener. Don’t interrupt people, don’t try to control the conversation, and show genuine interest in what people are saying.
學會做一名更好的傾聽者。不要打斷他人的說話，不要試圖掌控一場談話，要對他人所講的事情表現(xiàn)出真誠的興趣。

5. Offer people something to drink and eat when they enter your home.
當有人來你家做客時，準備食物飲料招待他們。

6. Learn how to make fast healthy snacks for your visitors.
學習為你的訪客快速制作健康的小點心。

7. The Elevator Rule. Let others out first. This also applies to “non-elevator” situations as well, such as on buses, boats, and trains.
電梯法則——讓他人先出去。這在“非電梯”情況下也同樣適用，比如在汽車、船只或者火車上。

8. Practice writing emails to be short, respectful, and to the point. No one wants to read an essay in email format.
練習寫作電子郵件，做到簡單明了且有禮貌。沒有人想讀一封像散文一樣的電子郵件。

9. Being discreet when giving tips to relevant service professionals. No one should see the money. This takes some finesse.
在給相關服務人士小費時要注意，不要讓其他人看到你給了多少錢。這需要一些技巧。

10. Cell phone manners. No one wants to hear your conversation in public transport. It’s supposed to be a private conversation, not a public broadcast.
手機禮儀。沒有人想在乘坐公共交通工具時聽到你的談話。這應該是私人談話，而不是公共廣播。

11. Handwriting letters to people adds a personal touch. You can meet almost anyone with enough persistent handwritten letters.
手寫的信件會增加一份親切感。手寫信件累積到足夠多時，你就好像見到了這個人一樣。

12. Take interest in the passions of others. This might mean feigning interest initially, but it’s likely that feigned interest will eventually transform itself into a genuine feeling.
對他人所熱衷的食物抱有興趣。最初也許意味著你要假裝感興趣，但很有可能這種假裝的興趣最終會演變?yōu)檎嬲呐d趣。

13. Taking pride in your appearance helps to make you feel good — and improves how people perceive you.
對自己的外表有自信會讓你有好心情——也有助于他人對你產生好的印象。

14. If someone walks into a conversation, bring them up to speed or give them an idea of what you’re talking about…as well as a short intro. For example: “Kevin this is Frank, my friend from school. We were just talking about this new smartphone app.”
如果有人新加入一場談話，幫助他們跟上你們的節(jié)奏，告訴他們你們在聊些什么，并簡單介紹一些其他人。比如這樣：“凱文，這是弗蘭克，我在學校的朋友。我們剛剛聊到這個新的智能手機應用程序。”

15. Keep a mental note of people’s extroversion/introversion tendencies. It prepares you for their reaction to the events or situations around them and builds up your empathy.
記住他人或外向或內向的性格特點。這樣你就會知道他們對于周圍的事情會做出何種反應，幫助你建立同感。

16. Make introductions. (Most people are awful at this and many more forget to ever do this… probably because they can’t remember people’s names.)
在朋友之間做相互介紹。（大多數(shù)對此不擅長，更多的人根本就忘了這個……也許因為他們記不住別人的名字。）

17. Stay positive. Don’t whine and complain. It gives people a negative impression about your outlook on life and makes people think you are ‘grumpy’.
保持積極的情緒。不要怨天尤人。這會讓他人對你的生活態(tài)度留下負面印象，而且讓人覺得你是一個“暴脾氣”。

18. Don’t babble. You know people who just won’t shut up. You usually avoid them because you want to engage in a conversation, not be talked at. Don’t be like them.
不要喋喋不休。你認識一些一說話就停不住的人，你不愿和他們打交道，因為你也想加入一場談話，而不只是當聽眾。不要做這樣的人。

19. Tolerance and patience. You will meet people who seem to have no redeeming qualities. Showing tolerance is a great way to accept people for who they are.
保持寬容和忍耐。你會遇到一些似乎不知道道歉的人。寬容大度是接受這些人的最好辦法。

20 .Don’t argue. This doesn’t mean you should be a “yes man”, or act dumb. It means you should try to see things from their perspective or situation, even if you don’t agree. You maybe able to empathize with them.
不要與人爭執(zhí)。這并不意味著你要一味附和或者裝聾作啞，而是你應該試著站在他人的角度去看問題，哪怕你并不認同他們。這樣一來你也許會理解他們的想法。

Learning good social skills can make you more approachable, and people will see you in a better, more positive light. It will enhance your social aptitude and the more you practice it, the more you will improve in your sociability. It will help in your personal and work life.
學習社交技能會讓你更平易近人，人們也會對你產生更好更積極的印象。這會提升你的社交能力，你越多加練習，你的交際能力就越好。這會對你的生活和工作都產生幫助。