The Power of Performance: Why Acting Skills Are Key to Success in Business

Corporate training and acting

When you think of acting, you might picture Hollywood stars or Broadway performers. Still, the truth is that acting skills can be beneficial for anyone, including those in the business world.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, executive, or employee, there are numerous ways in which acting skills can help you succeed in your professional life.

Performance is for more than just actors and entertainers, as many business professionals are discovering. Professionals in all aspects of business can benefit from learning acting techniques such as characterisation, poise, presence, storytelling, and improvisation – even honing their body language. Whether you are presenting a project or making an important pitch, these techniques can help you make a good impression on those around you. Through understanding performance fundamentals and developing essential skills like audience engagement and active listening, every professional has the power to succeed - no matter what industry they're in!

Discover why performance skills should be at the top of your list when striving for business excellence.


1. The Power of Performance

Acting skills are not just useful for those in the entertainment industry. They can be beneficial for anyone in the business world. The ability to speak in front of others, to present oneself in a positive light, and manage one's emotions are all essential skills that can help to boost a career. These are also the skills of the actor. As a business person, it's essential to exude confidence in yourself, your ideas, and your abilities. Taking an acting course can help you develop more self-awareness, learn to control your body language and voice, and ultimately boost your confidence in high-pressure situations.


Acting for business people

2. Igniting creativity

Acting can also help you increase your creativity. By exploring different characters and emotions, you can stimulate your brain in new ways, which can be great for business innovation and problem-solving. Drama games involving improvisation, in particular, ignite creativity and train the brain to come up with positive solutions quickly; these are commonly used as part of an actor’s training. Being involved in acting can help you think outside the box, take risks, and approach challenges more openly. 


3. The Ability to Connect with Others

To be successful in your chosen profession, it's essential to be able to connect with others. Whether you're networking at a business event or presenting to potential clients, your ability to connect with others is vital. If you can learn how to hear the wants and needs of others, and share your thoughts effectively with them, you'll be more likely to succeed in business. 


One of the key skills of the actor is the ability to listen. The only way to make a performance look real is for one actor to be truly listening to the other actor in their scene, and to respond in kind - so, they’re not just waiting for their cue, in a disconnected way. Good acting is all about listening and response. Actors do a lot of work on listening skills and develop improved skills in this area through rehearsal and performance. An acting course can help you refine your listening skills. 


4. Emotional Intelligence

One of the essential skills for business success is emotional intelligence. This refers to the ability to understand and manage one's own emotions, as well as be sensitive to the feelings of others. Those with high emotional intelligence are typically better at managing stress, handling conflict, and building relationships. Learning to manage your emotions better will make you more likely to succeed in business. 


Actors work with emotions day-to-day. Through characters, they play everything from strong emotions like anger and fear, through to gentler emotions like sadness and joy. They explore what these are like in the body, face and gesture. And every time you play a character, you’re walking in another’s shoes. This helps develop "soft skills" like empathy - and a curiosity for the thoughts, feelings and motivations of others. But more than that, studying scripts and thinking about how to embody a character on stage or screen can help you better understand human behaviour. You can see how studying acting and working as an actor can build emotional intelligence. 


In conclusion, taking an acting class can be incredibly beneficial for people in the business world. You can become a more well-rounded and effective professional by improving your self-confidence, presentation, creativity, and interpersonal skills. 


If you want to explore the benefits of acting skills for your professional development, consider enrolling in Perform Australia's Acting 101 course in Canberra or Brisbane. Or alternatively, why not invite Perform Australia to your workplace to conduct some corporate training with your staff and colleagues? With experienced instructors and a supportive learning environment, you can develop the skills you need to succeed in the business world and beyond. Sign up today and unlock your full potential as a performer and business person!