MANAGEMENT & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Gone are the dark days of high-pressure sales tactics. There is no room in today's business climate for such an approach. Today, it is the consultative Selling style that breeds and builds long term relationships that will be successful.

As such, the selling skills, tools, strategies and tactics underpin a consultative influencing style, rather than a hard-nosed, pushy style. Yet, salespeople by their very name are engaged to make sales. That is why they are there! Therefore, it is the use of a subtle blend of influencing skills and personal power, along with the initiation of sales approaches and strategies that provide a unique formula for success.

Our approach to improving our selling and influencing skills is in three prime ways:

1. Introduction and coaching on basic skills and tools
2. The review and implementation of a range of advanced skills and tools
3. A personal, one to one coaching approach to helping individual needs

All proposals and programmes are designed specifically to suit individual team needs so no 'off the shelf' programmes here. We do not run 'open' courses where you will find a range of companies from varying product backgrounds.

All programmes are designed for a sales team of varying size within one company. Research would be carried out looking at things such as, although not exclusively:

• The type of customer you sell to
• Your sales cycle
• Why people buy from you today?
• Current skill levels and desired competencies
• Product and service offering
• Competitive propositions

The programme, which may well turn out to be modular, can be run on or off your premises and day of the week.

We focus very much in the face to face selling environment, although we also carry out a number of telephone sales assignments. The programme would focus very much on the needs and objectives of your team, although it could well embrace things such as:

• How to find and qualify worthwhile leads
• How to make making appointments more successful than ever before
• How to build an influential, organised approach to face to face sales
• How to build trust and rapport at an early stage
• How to motivate a potential customer to want buy from you
• How to uncover real needs and wants in a prospective customer
• How to deliver powerful and influential presentations
• How to facilitate a 'consultative' style agreement process

Our much talked about style of facilitation is open, fun, dynamic, relevant, powerful, non-threatening and above all, a proven success!

The first step would be for us to gain a better understanding of your needs and objectives to help determine the shape of the programme. This could involve discussing issues with individual members of the team.

Once you have approved the programme, and the necessary preparation had been done, the programme (that could be modular in style) would commence over a sustained period.

If you are looking to improve the effectiveness of your sales team's skills and efforts and seek better results, take the first step to those results and call us today.

Disciplinary skills training cannot be simply bought ‘off the shelf’ because of the complexity and organisation-specific nature of the disciplinary issues.

We will be pleased to create a course according to your specific requirements.

To do this, we will need to review and understand your HR documents:

• Contracts of employment
• Staff handbooks
• Organisational structures
• Communications protocols
• Samples of disputes and explanations of 'concerns' and how these came to light.

The case studies, training notes etc would then be tailored to your in-house rule book and other circumstances, including ethnic and cultural mixes. Our trainers will provide case studies based on personal experience and the latest law reports in the UK and USA.

The following are illustrations of the sort of courses that we could deliver for you.

Illustration 1: Senior Management Overview

A hard-paced one-day tutorial outlining the latest developments in 'grievance and discipline' issues, with the aim of helping top management understand how best to get their staff to prevent and separately deal with potential and real differences, grievances, disputes and disciplinary situations in order to avoid elephant traps and grow the business.

Pre-course reading would be provided and required, as the scenarios and cases reviewed will be used to tease out learning outcomes.

Illustration 2: HR Practitioner Course

A two- or three-day in-depth examination of best practice in preventing and handling employment disputes, with particular reference to the ACAS codes and fast-developing case law in the areas of:

• Duty of care
• Discrimination and harassment
• Grievance and discipline
• Investigations, mediation and preventative strategies.

The course is case-study based, will require pre-course reading and extensive role-play. Detailed notes will be provided.

This one-day workshop is suitable for beginner negotiators and those looking to refresh their existing skills. It is challenging, thought provoking, motivational and, above all, fun. It is suitable for anyone involved in negotiating internally with colleagues, or externally with customers or suppliers.

Workshop Aims

The aim of this workshop is to increase the participant’s awareness of the skills required to successfully negotiate in a range of circumstances.

Workshop Objectives

By the end of this workshop participants will be able to:

• Understand the various types of negotiation technique
• Compile information & knowledge and plan comprehensively for negotiation
• Recognise the steps of the negotiation process
• Understand & control the psychological aspects of negotiation & the exchange of information
• Choose an appropriate negotiation approach to match their style
• Understand & apply the principles of concession, compromise and mutual benefit
• Bargain, build agreement & conclude negotiations
• Practise face-to-face negotiations to reach agreement
• Develop an action plan to apply their learning back in the workplace

Participants will become more confident, assertive and motivated, effecting better working relationships and obtaining more win-win deals. The workshop will use a variety of interactive learning tools including individual exercises, small group work and plenary discussion.

Our three-day-long leadership development programme is designed to equip managers with the skills needed to manage their teams effectively.

The course will enable managers to understand how their style and role impact on their teams' ability to meet the organisations' goals within its ever-changing environment. Particular emphasis is placed on individual development and the importance of coaching others in the development of their skills.

Course Objectives:

• Improve communication technique
• Learn how to set clear plans and objectives
• Identify own decision-making technique and understand its potential as well as its limitations
• Develop the ability to deliver specific and constructive feedback
• Learn techniques for motivating and inspiring
• Know individual strengths and target areas for development

This one-day course is designed for managers, supervisors or team leaders who have direct reports and are responsible for managing the performance of their staff.

As a result of attending this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the meaning and importance of performance management and how appraisal links in to the business
• Demonstrate the key skills in delivering effective feedback
• Deal with disagreement
• Set measurable objectives
• Effectively document the appraisal process

This two-day presentation skills workshop is for anyone who is required to present information to small or large groups. The workshop is challenging, thought provoking, motivational and, above all, fun.

Workshop Aims

The aim of this workshop is to develop the underpinning knowledge of presentation delivery and practice delivering presentations in a ‘safe’ environment.

Workshop Objectives

By the end of this workshop participants will be able to:

• Define the basics of good presentations
• Use a presentation model to provide a presentation structure
• Establish and build audience rapport
• Handle questions from the audience effectively
• Prepare a plan for delivering presentations with impact
• Use coping strategies for handling nerves
• Design effective visual aids
• Deliver effective presentations confidently
• Gain confidence in their ability to deliver effective presentations
• Develop a positive attitude to presenting to an audience
• Develop an action plan to apply their learning back in the workplace

Participants will become more confident in their ability to deliver effective presentations back in the workplace. The workshop will use a variety of interactive learning tools including individual exercises, small group work and plenary discussion backed up with plenty of practice of delivering and giving feedback on presentations.

People Management and Leadership is a two-day workshop for new and existing managers or supervisors who have never had any formal training or who need a refresher in managing and leading teams to achieve results. The workshop is challenging, thought provoking, motivational and, above all, fun.

Workshop Aims

The aim of this workshop is to increase the participant’s awareness of the skills required to successfully manage and lead staff.

Workshop Objectives

By the end of this workshop participants will be able to:

• Define the roles and responsibilities of a manager / leader
• Identify their own management style
• Recognise when and how to adapt their management style to suit different situations
• Identify the different management competences to develop themselves and others
• Understand the role and value of effective performance management
• Understand the motivational theories of Maslow & Herzburg and relate them to motivation in the workplace
• Develop their communication skills
• Design and deliver an effective team brief
• Describe when and how to effectively delegate
• Understand the need for providing feedback in a structured way
• Describe how and when to coach staff
• State the characteristics of an effective team and understand how teams develop
• Develop an action plan to apply their learning back in the workplace

Participants will become more confident in their ability to manage and lead teams back in the workplace. The workshop will use a variety of interactive learning tools including individual exercises, small group work and plenary discussion.

This is a one-day course for individuals who want to keep control of a full schedule and achieve the best results in managing time effectively.

As a result of attending this course, participants will:

• Be able to take responsibility for their own time

• Be able to achieve targets by setting measurable working goals and objectives
• Know how to reduce the impact of time wasters by dealing with interruptions effectively
• Know how to respond to changing priorities and other demands within the organisation
• Be able to pull on a ‘toolbox’ of hints and tips to manage their time more effectively

This one- or two-day course is for anyone wanting to improve their ability to communicate views and ideas to others professionally, both face to face and on the telephone.

Assertive behaviour, based on carefully controlled self-expression and reasonable opposition, can be used to produce positive results as long as the aim is the not just to gain a win but also to solve the problem and get the best result for the benefit of both parties. Assertiveness does not come naturally to some people because we tend to learn passive behaviours as a means of avoiding confrontation.

Assertiveness training courses and workshops can help delegates increase work effectiveness and productivity, achieve greater control of their daily activities and overcome work stressors.

Participants will learn to:

• Express opinions / views clearly and confidently without causing offence or isolating others
• Recognise the barriers to communication and how to overcome them
• Communicate effectively through proven methodology such as active listening, questioning technique and showing empathy
• Say ‘no’ without feeling guilty or apologising
• Identified their preferred style of communication and how it impacts others
• Handle difficult situations / conflict effectively

Course Content

• Assertiveness self-assessment
• Learn to recognise assertive behaviour and its positive results in the workplace
• Developing assertive body language
• Developing assertive language
• Developing confidence and self-esteem
• Developing an assertive vocal image
• Giving feedback, criticism and praise
• Recognising your 'self-talk'
• Understanding and asserting your rights
• Challenging and changing internal dialogue
• Accessing external resources and self-help strategies
• Simple assertive techniques and exercises
• Recognising assertive, aggressive and passive behaviours in yourself and others
• Reacting to and managing aggressive and passive behaviours in others
• Practise assertive behaviour
• Individual rights and responsibilities
• Taking the first steps to becoming assertive
• How to say "no" with confidence and without feeling guilty

This one-day course will help to ensure that your staff always project the correct image to your potential customers and clients. It is designed for anyone who uses the telephone in their work and is written with both the customer and the organisation in mind to maximise service and customer care.

More and more companies are increasing their use of the telephone as the quickest and most convenient way of establishing customer contacts. Call centres and mail order are the fastest growing operational departments for UK organisations. It is essential that all employees represent their organisation in a professional and friendly way. Clear and effective communication is essential to ensure that the business is not lost. If your staff are not trained properly on telephone skills, how much business are they losing your company?

Course Content

• Projecting a professional image, building rapport, voice presentation skills.
• Customer service essentials
• Understanding the power of the phone and how to use it to influence
• Call planning and follow up
• Active listening techniques, hearing the whole picture.
• Questioning and summarising skills
• How to direct calls and not leave the customer hanging on
• Putting your customers at ease
• Time management on the telephone
• Handling complaints and angry customers
• Managing different customer behaviour
• Recovery strategies and how to turn a complaint into a happy customer
• The power of a good attitude