In the era of power lunches and power dressing, corporate finesse merits a special place along with ambition, intelligence and performance in your wish list. To measure up, one must as they say master the art of walking the walk and talking the talk, irrespective of whether you are attending a crucial business conference, the Veep’s private party or fine dining an important client. In an exclusive interview with Copy Editor Merril Diniz corporate advisor Sabira Merchant imparts some handy tips on how to conduct yourself in today’s business environment…

She says, ”Confidence is the pivotal point. It’s not just the bottom-line that you are looking for anymore. It’s not how much a person has but how much a person is.”

She states the example of Mrs. Indira Kotak whom she has assisted in the recent past. Says Merchant,” She wanted to improve herself. She’s very sincere, very knowledgeable. I taught her to convey her ideas and to be confident despite mistakes, it doesn’t matter. It’s how sincere you are with your message--that’s what matters. I have to gauge every individuals need where improvement is required.”

Sabira unravels the penultimate secret of good grooming. Is it manners, is it about the way you present yourself or how positive you are about yourself? Says Merchant, “It’s about how you deal with the mistakes or rather how you bounce back. It’s about having a very good sense of humour, which unfortunately most people lack. When you are standing up on stage, it’s the human side of people you identify with. You can apologise gracefully, instead of an “O my gosh…!”

About Sabira Merchant
Sabira Merchant conducts regular workshops throughout the year for corporate houses. Her course encompasses valuable lessons in areas like speech, diction, public speaking, etiquette, communication skills, confidence and stage presence. Amongst the Corporate & Business Houses, she has worked with and held sessions for the Taj Group of Hotels, Colgate-Palmolive, Novartis, Infosys & Owens Corning just to name a few where she conducts sessions on a regular basis with the managerial staff.