Social Skills Training
Ages: 18+ Years
A program designed for adult entrepreneurs of micro-, small- and informal sector enterprises
Implementation Guide
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Social Skills Training is a brief, structured module that equips entrepreneurs with practical communication and interpersonal capabilities needed to form productive business relationships. It focuses on clear communication, collaborative behaviour, building trust, and supportive peer interaction, enabling entrepreneurs to connect with customers, peers, and suppliers more effectively.
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Evidence from RCTs shows:
20% higher profits through better networking and collaboration
More diverse, complementary business networks
Improved communication, advice-seeking, and peer engagement
Increased confidence, reduced social anxiety, and greater positive affect
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The programme improves entrepreneurs’ ability to interact with unfamiliar peers, exchange high-quality information, and form meaningful relationships. These richer networks lead to better business opportunities and reduced social isolation—both crucial drivers of mental well-being and business success.
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No documented risks. Short, low-intensity format is accessible for low-literacy populations. Content is non-clinical and focuses on everyday communication.
Best Practices
Deliver short, interactive sessions that use role-play, demonstrations, and guided practice.
Emphasise a small set of actionable behaviours: focused questioning, clear communication, generosity, and collaborative problem-solving.
Embed the module within broader livelihood or entrepreneurship programmes to maximise real-world relevance.
Use peer-to-peer practice to help entrepreneurs build confidence in engaging with unfamiliar people.
Encourage participants to test behaviours in the field (e.g., talking to new vendors or customers) and reflect on outcomes.
Prioritise groups with high interpersonal anxiety or limited professional networks, where the module has shown the strongest immediate gains
Evidence Base
A large RCT in Togo (Dimitriadis & Koning, 2022) shows that a brief social-skills module significantly improves entrepreneurs’ ability to interact with diverse peers, leading to denser, more complementary networks and 20% higher profits. Complementary studies in Liberia and Ecuador (Dammert & Nansamba, 2023; Pérez-Salazar et al., 2025) reinforce the finding that interpersonal capability—communication clarity, advice-seeking, and collaboration—is a powerful driver of business performance. Across contexts, improved social skills also reduce social isolation, increase confidence, and enhance psychological well-being.