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Balkrishna Baranwal, 40, had been working with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for 15 years and believed he had what it takes. So when TCS asked him to go on a crash course on manners before leaving for Japan on an official visit, his ego was bruised. But the course proved a godsend: Baranwal was tutored on Japanese business etiquette like the way to exchange business cards (bow down, holding the card with both hands, then read it out loud). Says Baranwal: "It was very cumbersome to learn a foreign language and etiquette. Initially I thought it was too much of an effort but after reaching Japan I realised its real worth."

So what does it take to cut that tough business deal? Sharp business sense? Experience? Not really. They help, but they are not enough. The key to modern corporate and business success, say the experts, is personality-and you can read that with a capital P. Except that not everyone is born with presence and style. No problem. Enter the "personality re-engineering" schools, where executives and businessmen learn not only about grooming and finishing, but also phone and table manners, diction and above all, self awareness. The schools also conduct orientation courses that teach business etiquette for those travelling overseas on work. Unlike in finishing schools, the stress here is on overall development.

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TCS is one of the many companies that emphasises the importance of personality. It hired trainers Corporate Finesse to hone the personalities of its employees. Nearly 20,000 consultants on its payrolls have been taught diction (including neutralisation of strong accents), the importance of establishing eye contact and refraining from making sexist remarks. The result, the company's brass feels, is that its employees now speak a common language across its 105 offices in 55 countries. Says Pankaj Baliga, vice-president, TCS, "It helps to bring out the best in intelligent human power and have a leading edge in the business." Following the personality classes TCS' share of revenue from overseas clients rose from 60 per cent five years ago to peaks at 75 per cent today. There were other contributing factors too, Baliga hastens to add.

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John D'sa, 34, administration manager at insulation manufacturer Owen Corning India, has a story similar to Baranwal's. Never a confident public speaker, he had his most disastrous moment while trying to make a presentation to his company's Managing Director Brad Wiggins. D'sa's jerky movements and gesticulation during the presentation on suitable properties for the company to begin its India operations thoroughly confused Wiggins. His laconic comment, "Hard work, but a very poor show", would have demoralised D'sa completely. Except that it came laced with good advice: join personality enhancing classes. D'sa would certainly have lost a prestigious assignment had he not taken this advice seriously and signed up for a two-week course. The next presentation he made was confident and clear. Needless to say, he earned the new assignment.

Companies are also focusing their approach to suit the product they manufacture. Take Fosters'. With its fun, irreverent beer brand personality, it did not want its employees to have the stiff, formal bearing that many companies inculcate. So the Fosters' team is made to undergo training to cultivate a friendly, interactive manner. Essentials like impromptu speech-making, voice development and modulation are stressed. On the other hand Owen Corning India uses personality training to "sensitise the employees to certain professional inadequacies and encourage constructive improvisation", as Sunil Saxena of its business development department puts it. Says Gautam Gupta, director, corporate training division, British Institute, a language and personality development school: "Personality development training was considered an expense in the past. Now it is considered an investment. Companies have realised the need to invest in people to make their business grow."

The results of the training can be encouraging and gratifyingly obvious. Krishna Avatramani, 27, sales manager with the American Express, is thrilled with the way these classes helped him learn the art of convincing clients and colleagues with charm and well-presented arguments. It also made Kewal Bhanushali, 21, realise a few truths. The management student says, "All other things being equal, it is often personal projections that finally make or break commercial relationships." And personal projection is what personality enhancement is all about. Says Avanti Birla, CEO, Birla Lifestyle (which promotes Image Inc, a personality programme), "It is about every person realising his full potential and going back from the course with a sense of confidence and self-worth." Adds Rukshana Eisa, head of Image Inc: "Personality school isn't just about grooming, it is about self-awareness."

Obviously, the need for personal packaging has become the preoccupation of the corporate world. As veteran personality trainer Sabira Merchant of Corporate Finesse says, "There is demand for professionals who are perfect and polished. So naturally, more and more people in business circles simply want to be better." Whether it is the steady process of globalisation of the economy, or simply an increased awareness of the benefits of a sharp personality, one thing is clear, personality building is now as important as brand building.