531 Business Communication Skills courses

The often-used phrase, 'just the receptionist', completely misrepresents the role. An excellent receptionist is a most valuable resource for any organisation. This programme has been designed specifically to deal with the essential skills necessary to represent the organisation to the best possible effect. It will also help you get the most out of your working day. There are six key reasons to take part in this workshop. It will help you: * See your role in a new light * Develop your communication skills * Deal with different types of customer and situation * Boost your confidence * Cope in a pressurised environment * Get more satisfaction from your working day 1 INTRODUCTION * Workshop objectives and personal objectives * The challenges of 21st century communication * What makes an excellent point of Reception? And why is it so important? * Who and where are our customers? * As a customer, how do you like to be treated? * What makes people feel valued? * Objective and subjective aspects of customer service * 'Micro moments' that shape the relationship 2 COMMUNICATION ON RECEPTION * Definition of communication * Barriers to good communication * The 'recipe' of verbal, vocal and visual aspects of communication * Differences between communicating face-to-face and on the telephone * Communication 'leaks' * The primitive human response * The impact of visual communication - body language, gesture and facial expression * Voice - tone, speed, volume, pitch, clarity, inflection, pacing * Words - positive words and phrases compared with negative terminology * Professional greetings face-to-face * Steering the conversation with effective questioning 3 TELEPHONE EXCELLENCE * How we use the telephone * Qualities of the telephone * Non-verbal communication on the telephone - what aspects can be 'seen' by the other person? * Professional telephone etiquette * Taking and leaving messages - key points that can help customers, colleagues and the organisation * Clarifying information 4 LISTENING SKILLS FOR ACCURACY AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING * How accurate are your listening skills? * What are the challenges for accurate listening? * Active / empathetic listening 5 CREATING A RAPPORT BY 'STYLE FLEXING' * Understanding how different people communicate * Shaping our message to the other person so that they feel understood * How changing situations can alter communication needs 6 CONFIDENCE AND ASSERTIVENESS * Recognising different styles of behaviour - aggressive, passive and assertive * Qualities of assertive communication - verbal, vocal and visual * Assertive techniques - basic, persistence, negotiation / empathetic * Demonstrating confidence 7 COPING IN A PRESSURISED ENVIRONMENT * Words - the most useful ones to use with stressed people and identifying the 'red rag' words * Challenging situations - what do you find difficult and how do you respond? * Dealing with outbursts of anger * Bringing non-stop talkers back from their tangent * Constructive ways to say 'no' 8 PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER * Action plans * Summary of key learning points

This highly practical one-day workshop has been designed specifically to help maximise sales where customers make contact by telephone. When customers contact us direct they have clearly already considered the possibility that they might buy from us, but we're still only half-way to making a sale. Unless we fully understand their needs and make it easy for them to buy, we may not secure the business. This workshop concentrates on the telephone skills and techniques needed to achieve the most positive outcome in any inbound customer call. A combination of excellent customer service skills and savvy sales awareness techniques will increase our chances of a successful outcome for both parties. The programme features the unique INBOUND model, to help remember the key principles for effective inbound telephone sales: Initial impressions Needs of the customer Bring them with you Open up the conversation Understand the triggers Narrow down the solutions Decision time! The programme also covers how to deal with difficult calls and challenging people - after all, every complaint is a sales opportunity! This programme will help participants: * Create the perfect interaction with any customer making contact by telephone * Make every call count * Build rapport quickly in any situation * Handle difficult calls and challenging people * Create sustainable and profitable relationships * Increase your sales conversions 1 THE INBOUND SALES PROCESS * Each customer who contacts us will be at a different stage of the sales process. Some might be making general enquiries whilst others will be ready to commit, having made most of their decisions already. Sales and customer service people need to be ready to find out the stage the customer has reached before helping them to make the right decision for them 2 ENGAGING WITH THE CUSTOMER * Having clarified where the customer is on their journey to making a purchasing decision, our next responsibility is to create and build a trusting relationship on both sides. This involves establishing rapport quickly to ease the communication process, thus enabling smooth transactions, both now and in the future 3 QUESTIONING AND LISTENING SKILLS FOR GATHERING INFORMATION * Developing these skills requires practice so that the communication becomes natural for the customer. This helps the customer to feel comfortable with us and work with us towards an effective solution. We discuss different types of question and how to use high-gain questions to uncover key information. Active listening will ensure that we can really help customers get what they need 4 OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS AND EXCUSES * If we have followed the process properly and really understood the customer, then there should no further objections or barriers to completing the transaction. The reality is that there will still be the occasional issue that needs clarifying, so we need to prepare for possible objections and questions that customers might have. This includes probing objections so that we fully understand the customer's perspective before constructing suitable responses or solutions 5 GAINING COMMITMENT AND ENDING THE CALL * Customers want to gain a solution to the issue they are facing and the sooner we can help them achieve that the better. Guiding the customer and helping them to believe in their own decision is part of our role. This section is dedicated to getting commitment all the way along the process, not just at the close 6 DEALING WITH DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING SITUATIONS * The realisation that everybody is different, with different personality types, different ways of looking at the world and different goals, is key to understanding sales. With this is mind we discuss these differences and how we adapt our approach to ease communication and maintain trust and understanding 7 ACTION PLANS * Course summary and presentation of action plans

This very practical workshop is designed to enable participants to improve the impact, clarity and accuracy of their business documents - both internal and external.: This workshop will help participants: * Identify the purpose of writing their documents - to themselves and to their readers * Recognise and meet the needs of their readers * Plan documents systematically and improve the layout, flow and structure * Express the content more clearly, concisely and correctly * Adapt the tone and style of writing to the circumstances * Proof-read and edit work effectively, using formal marks and techniques * Improve visual layout, format and appearance 1 COURSE OBJECTIVES * Welcome and Introductions * The problems now - group discussion 2 WRITING BETTER BUSINESS DOCUMENTS * What points to highlight / exclude * Starting off * Introductions * Conclusions * Executive summaries 3 RULES AND STANDARDS * George Orwell's famous maxim * Why write? - clarifying your aims and objectives * A seven-step method for better preparation * The three-stage process for writing well * Grouping information for your reader 4 PROOF-READING AND EDITING * The difference between proof-reading and editing * Proof-reading methods and strategies * Proof-reading marks and techniques * Training your eye for detail * Knowing what to look for 5 EFFECTIVE EDITING * Grammar and English standards * Words - usage and spelling * Sentences - units of thought * Paragraphs - themes * Punctuation - spotting and correcting common errors * Say what you mean - active v passive language 6 HOW'S YOUR ENGLISH? * Grammar quizzes and punctuation test * Spotting spelling errors * Rephrasing jargons and clichés * Common error's and mistakes 7 DOCUMENT LAYOUT * House style * Use of white space * Fonts and effects 8 ONE-TO-ONE WORKSHOPS * These are practical sessions with one-to-one consultation with colleagues and the trainer * They are held at key points to consolidate the learning from different sessions 9 COURSE SUMMARY * Summary of key points * Action plans

Do you hear yourself saying the same thing over and over again? Do you want to bring some new skills to your role? If you have been in a sales role for some time it is easy to fall into a comfortable pattern. This workshop will help you incorporate advanced techniques drawn from NLP, behavioural science and social psychology into your existing skills. This course will help you: * Use the consultative sales process to achieve more cross-sales * Employ advanced rapport-building skills * Assess the buying preferences of a customer * Articulate the link between customer goals and needs * Identify your customer's needs and wants * Use advanced questioning techniques to gather information * Resist the temptation to tell when it would be better to ask * Identify communication preferences * Given various scenarios, present a product to the explicit need of a customer * Appreciate the impact of the language used during this stage of the sale and decide what language is appropriate with a variety of customers * Handle objections positively * Close the sale or gain commitment to further action 1 INTRODUCTION * Aims and objectives of the training * Personal introductions and objectives * Self-assessment of existing sales skills * Overview of content 2 UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF AND YOUR CUSTOMERS * Personal communication style and what this means in a sales situation * Wants versus needs * What motivates people to buy * Using social media tools such as LinkedIn * Managing your portfolio to maximise sales * Preparing to sell 3 THE SALES PROCESS * Overview of the consultative sales process * Review personal strengths and weaknesses as a salesperson * Habits of top-performing sales people * Common pitfalls * Articulate sales goals 4 BUILDING RAPPORT * 11 decisions that customers make in the first 9 seconds * Spotting buyer communication preferences * Building rapport with a wide variety of customers * Dealing with emotions * Keeping control 5 QUESTIONING AND LISTENING * Assumptions and how they trip us up * Structured questioning * Looking for cross-sales * Honing your listening skills * Identifying buyers' motivation * Using summaries to move the customer forward 6 PRESENTING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO CUSTOMERS * Choosing the right time to present * Using features, advantages and benefits * Tailoring your presentation of products and services to match buyer preferences and motivations 7 GAINING COMMITMENT * When to close * Dealing with difficult customers * 5 things to avoid when handling a customer objection 8 MANAGING YOUR BUSINESS * The link between service and sales * Using customer surveys * Winning back lost business 9 PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER * Skills practice * Personal learning summary and action plans

Successfully closing a sale and negotiating the best outcome for the business is a key skill for all salespeople, and often an area that is overlooked. Investing in this skill will have a positive impact on interactions with customers, both new and existing, and lead to improved sales performance. Whilst understanding how to reach a conclusion with a customer faster means increased efficiency and more time to invest in sourcing new business. We have developed this programme to be practical, fun and interactive. Participants will learn proven techniques for influencing, persuading and negotiating with clients, gain increased confidence and clarity when reviewing contract terms and prices, and understand how to structure and manage sales negotiation and contract review meetings. This course will help participants: * Learn a structured and proven approach to the negotiation of contract terms * Apply the key principles of negotiation, playing the person and the problem * Create a contract negotiation strategy - from opening to close * Recognize and put to use proven negotiation tactics and techniques * Learn how to embrace conflict positively - to 'say no, then negotiate' * Plan and prepare for any commercial negotiation conversations * Understand the stages of negotiation and how to move through them 1 CLOSING AND NEGOTIATING FROM A POSITION OF PERSONAL POWER * The eight steps of a sales or commercial negotiation * Ten ways to resist price pressure * How to draw on sources of power when you have less authority * The six principles of influence and persuasion and how to use them 2 EFFECTIVE NEGOTIATION - PLANNING AND THEORY * How to plan and structure your negotiation for a successful and quick conclusion * Influence: knowing how to 'push or pull' to win an argument * Achieving a BATNA - a range of practical skills and techniques * Case study: planning for a client negotiation around contract or price issues 3 EFFECTIVE CLOSING AND NEGOTIATION - PRACTICE AND REALITY * Higher-level questioning techniques to investigate and solve problems * Listening to lead - active listening and structuring your conversation * The most common 'unforced' negotiation mistakes and errors * Case study: setting objectives, sources of value, trading concessions 4 SALES NEGOTIATION TACTICS AND PLAYING THE GAME * How high - how hard - how soon; why now * How to identify hidden or perceived currencies and values * How to use these to establish a higher base price * Negotiation best-practice checklist and summary

In today's fast-moving competitive environment, sales are often made or lost on the strength of a telephone conversation or a brief email. This means that not only is customer service everyone's responsibility - so is sales. Customer service staff are failing the customer if they don't think about sales. And sales staff are failing customers if they don't think about service. And anyone failing a customer is failing both themselves and their employer. Too often, customer service staff feel neither capable nor empowered to recognise or capitalise upon a sales opportunity. Too often, sales people pursue the short-term opportunity at the expense of the bigger picture. The good news is - it doesn't have to be this way! Sales and customer service skills can be acquired, developed and polished just like any other skill. This tried-and-tested programme shows you how to do it. As a result of this course, participants will be able to: * Take control of a customer conversation, with confidence * Refresh and polish their customer service and sales performance * Recognise and develop a sales opportunity * Engage the customer and build rapport * Identify a customer's needs * Match the customer's needs to the organisation's products or services * Handle objections confidently * Ask for the order At the end of the workshop each participant will have developed their own action plan for developing and using their skills in the workplace. 1 INTRODUCTION * Course overview, objectives and introductions 2 SERVING OR SELLING? * Feelings and attitudes - How we can affect the outcome by our feelings and behaviour * What is selling? - Selling is helping people to buy, identifying the opportunities that exist within the conversation to develop the customer's interest in our products or services 3 DEVELOPING THE RIGHT SKILLS * Communication- The impact of body language, voice tone and words- How to make the best impression on the customer and create a 'buying environment' * Rapport-building- What makes a good working relationship?- What do customers look for when they call us?- How can we match their expectations in terms of our own interpersonal skills? * Relating to different types of people by identifying and matching their communication style on the telephone 4 MAKING IT EASY FOR THE CUSTOMER * Starting it right- Opening the conversation positively- Building rapport- How to develop interest in our products or services * Gaining and clarifying information- Questioning skills and questioning style- What do we need to know from the customer?- How can we use that information in the conversation? * Active listening- The most under-rated skill of all- Picking up on the 'Golden Moments' when a customer shows they may be interested * Presenting information confidently- Knowing the benefits of our products or services- How to tell the customer what they need to know in order to enable them to buy * Closing on a positive note- When and how to ask for commitment * Dealing with the customer's objections and concerns in a positive manner * 5 COURSE SUMMARY AND ACTION PLANS * Review of main learning points * Presentation of personal action plans

How to protect your cash flow In the current economic climate more and more companies are finding that their customers are taking longer to pay - or are not even paying at all. As cash flow is key to the survival of any business, effective debt collection tactics are vital for all businesses. This workshop concentrates on the telephone skills and techniques you can use to achieve the most positive outcome in any debt collection situation - payment of money owed, as soon as possible, whilst keeping the collection cost as low as possible. The course will help you: * Understand your debtors and communicate with them accordingly * Develop a strategy for more effective debt collection * Make every call count * Handle difficult calls * Reduce the amount of time you need to spend on chasing payment * Increase your collection rates 1 THE DEBT COLLECTION PROCESS * Understanding the reasons behind payment default * Looking at the debt situation from the customer's point of view * Developing a strategy for effective debt collection 2 ADVANCED TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION SKILLS * Techniques for speaking to the person responsible for paying the debt * How to gain the customer's trust when discussing debt * Telephone collection skills best practice * Key phrases that keep the conversation positive and open 3 QUESTIONING AND LISTENING SKILLS FOR GATHERING INFORMATION * Different types of question * Using high-gain questions to uncover key information * Active listening that will help you understand what customers are really saying * Leading with examples and high-impact questions * Summarising and restating 4 OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS AND EXCUSES * Identifying objections * Preparing suitable responses * Probing objections and ways to overcome them 5 GAINING COMMITMENT AND ENDING THE CALL * Learn how to negotiate an agreement to suit both parties * Summarising actions for you and the customer * Ending the call professionally 6 DEALING WITH DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING SITUATIONS * Understand different personality types * The correct way to respond to an upset customer * Ways to calm angry customers (and handle verbal attacks) 7 ACTION PLANS * Course summary and presentation of action plans

In the fast-changing world of business, and especially IT, everyone in the organisation should be involved in sales. One of the best ways is to give the customer an outstanding experience. The customer experience is the competitive battlefield of today. Sales may be won or lost here. You can either close a sale for a quick buck, or open a long-term relationship to create a high lifetime value customer. By developing excellent communication skills, rapport and, most of all, a desire to serve and listen to the needs of the customer to the best of their ability, both sales teams and other IT professionals will create trust, nurture relationships and develop awareness of other opportunities with the customer. By the end of this course, participants will be able to: * Understand the power of a positive customer experience in developing sales opportunities * Recognise and develop a sales opportunity when it arises * Engage with customers and develop rapport and trust * Use verbal and non-verbal communication skills and pick up on signals * Ask powerful questions - and listen to the answers * Create 'magic moments' for the customer * Turn a complaint into an opportunity * Know when to ask for referrals and testimonials * Pass on leads to the relevant people 1 INTRODUCTION * Aims and objectives * Beliefs about sales 2 BUILDING RAPPORT * First impressions * Short cuts to rapport * Finding common interests 3 SELLING OR SERVING? * Managing emotions and behaviour - Transactional Analysis * Moments of truth - creating 'magic moments' * Speed sells - the follow-up 4 MEETINGS * Planning a successful meeting * Pre-meeting connection and assistance * Sales meeting failure reasons * Right v wrong mindset 5 COMMUNICATION - VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL * The 3 Vs - Visual, Verbal, Vocal * Picking up on signals * 7 power questions * Questioning techniques * LISTEN - 3 types of listening skills 6 INFLUENCING * 6 levels of influence * Framing to change perspectives * Turning complaints into opportunities 7 REFERRALS * The power of referrals * How and when to ask for a referral * 5 steps from rapport to referral 8 PRESENTATION AND PITCHING (OPTIONAL SESSION) * Basic presentation structure and delivery * Creating powerful impressions * Creating a 60-second pitch * The elevator 10-second pitch - answering 'What do you do?' * Sales presentations * Emotion v Intellect - how to engage * Using visuals

Certified NLP Training and Business Coaching

The aim of this course is to expose the commercial context within which technical work is carried out. It is to allow technical staff to understand how they fit into a larger picture, why they may be asked to undertake tasks that may not appear to be technical and the impact their interactions have within the commercial context. The scope of the programme includes: The course emphasises the collaborative nature of delivery and the need to offer value to customers. The principal training objectives for this programme are to help participants: * Understand why technical roles are broader than we might assume * Appreciate the importance of, and the need to support, sales * Value the idea of 'Good Enough' * Recognise what can affect profitability * Realise the future needs protecting 1 INTRODUCTION * (Course sponsor) * Why this programme has been developed * Review of participants' needs and objectives 2 THAT'S NOT MY JOB! * How we see our own role in work * How other people see our role * Stakeholders: who are they and why do they matter? * The organisational backdrop * What is my role really? 3 SALES AND MARKETING * Where does the money come from? * Where do we find customers? * The sales process * One-off sales versus repeat business * Customer/supplier relationships * What something costs versus what the customer will pay * The value chain 4 ESTIMATING * Purpose of estimates * The problem with precision * Five estimating techniques 5 CHANGE CONTROL * Can you just do this for me? * When being helpful leads to bankruptcy * How to deal with change requests 6 RISK MANAGEMENT * Risk in projects * Risk in operations * Categories of risk 7 THE VALUE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY * Issues with sharing information * Commercial in confidence * Non-disclosure agreements 8 COURSE REVIEW AND ACTION PLANNING * (Course sponsor present) * Identify actions to be implemented individually * What actions should be implemented to improve working with non-technical people? * Conclusion