2083 Courses in Nottingham

This workshop is very practical in its nature and aims to give delegates an opportunity to not only learn about the key aspects of successful bid writing, but to also put them into practice. The workshop helps delegates understand what is most important to buyers and how to successfully convey they proposition to them. 1 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS 2 THE MINDSET OF SUCCESSFUL BID WRITING * The mindset needed for successful bid writing * Thinking from the buyer's perspective and not your own 3 DECISION MAKING * The way buyers make decisions - rational and emotional * Understanding buying motives * Looking at how to present ideas against those motives * The idea of cognitive fluency * How to pitch an idea in a way that leads to a positive decision 4 TO BID OR NOT TO BID? * Writing a bid is a big commitment; a clear understanding of the chances of winning is required * Understanding of the implications of winning and the impact it will have on the organisation 5 UNDERSTANDING YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION * Framework to help identify unique proposition and how that fits in with the requirements of the bid 6 THE TENDER PROCESS * Understanding the process to enable a successful chance of winning the bid * Different types of tender processes * Evaluation of criteria and the impact on bid writing 7 WRITING SKILLS * Different ways of writing and structuring bids to ensure their messages gets across well in a way that will be looked on favourably by the buyer 8 SUMMARISE 9 CLOSE

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

This one-day workshop is designed to give participants an understanding of the fundamentals of Microsoft Word and its commands, with quick ways to enter text, control formatting and edit paragraphs. This course will help participants: * Create, manage and save documents, files and folders * Create paragraph lists, bulleted and numbered paragraphs * Edit, modify and format paragraphs * Create and format tables * Use shortcuts to navigate documents * Format the layout of documents * Manage page headers and footers * Insert and managing pictures and diagrams within a document * Learn time saving tips and tricks to obtain a professional finish to documents * Use printing options 1 CREATING DOCUMENTS * Getting help * Creating and saving documents * Accessing recently used documents * Managing files and folders 2 ENTERING AND EDITING TEXT * Inserting and editing paragraph text * Cutting, copying and pasting text * Using tool tips to manage content * Applying and removing text formatting * Correcting spelling and grammar 3 CREATING PARAGRAPH LISTS * Creating bulleted paragraphs * Creating numbered paragraphs * Managing bulleted and numbered lists 4 MODIFYING PARAGRAPHS * Changing paragraph alignment * Indenting a paragraph * Adding borders and shading to paragraphs * Formatting paragraphs using styles 5 NAVIGATING DOCUMENTS * Using shortcuts for navigating documents * Using 'Go To' to navigate documents * Finding and replacing text * Changing to read view 6 DOCUMENT LAYOUT * Inserting page breaks * Changing page orientation * Adjusting page margins * Adding borders to pages 7 PAGE HEADERS AND FOOTERS * Inserting page headers and footers * Using header and footer commands * Inserting page numbers * Using different first page 8 INSERTING PICTURES AND DIAGRAMS * Inserting pictures from your computer * Inserting online pictures * Flowing text around a picture * Changing a picture * Inserting SmartArt diagrams * Entering text into SmartArt 9 INSERTING TABLES * Using tabs to create tables * Resizing and repositioning tables * Inserting and deleting rows and columns * Using a table's commands * Changing a tables text direction * Formatting tables 10 PRINTING DOCUMENTS * Previewing and printing documents * Using the printing tools * Printing parts of a document

This is an essential programme for members of staff whose role exposes them to aggressive or violent behaviour. 1 WHAT'S HAPPENING? * Issues around us * Risks in context * Personal experiences 2 SAFETY FUNDAMENTALS * Following internal policy and procedure * Personal safety and lone working * Use of technology 3 NIPPING ISSUES IN THE BUD * Recognising early warning signs * Avoiding causing problems for ourselves 4 CALMING - REACHING - CONTROLLING * Tips and techniques for potentially calming a situation * Reaching and building rapport * Accelerants - tips on avoiding accelerating a situation * Assertiveness techniques * Non-verbal behaviour * Active listening and the use of questions and distractions * Exploring ways forward and identifying win/wins * Avoiding the secondary argument * Fogging * The 'drama triangle' * If all else fails 5 HARASSMENT, STALKING AND ON-LINE BULLING * What constitutes harassment and definition of stalking * On-line bullying * Steps to take 6 REPORTING PRINCIPLES * Importance of incidence reporting * Taking care of us * What next?

In our constantly changing environment, if you always do what you've always done, then you'll always get what you've always got - and that's not enough! Building a strategic marketing plan is a powerful way to take a step back from day-to-day activities, review the opportunities available to your business and your products, and build a roadmap of tactics that will set you apart from the competition. In this workshop, we look at how to build a customer-focused strategic marketing plan to pin-point your milestones to success over a 12-month period. This programme will help participants to: * Understand the key questions that a strategic marketing plan should answer * Understand the value of customer and competitor insight and how to develop actionable insights to guide your plan * Conduct a market analysis and identify the barriers and drivers to success * Learn how to build a customer buying journey and how to identify the most valuable customers * Develop a customer-focused strategy and customer engagement plans * Develop core messages and winning tactics to engage with your key customers * Identify the key metrics to review and measure to keep your plans on track 1 SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS * Introduction to marketing strategy * Market and competitor analysis and insight generation * Understanding the customer buying journey * How to segment customers to identify your most valuable customer opportunities * Identifying the barriers and drivers to your success 2 STRATEGY * Introduction to strategy * How to build strategic imperatives and SMART objectives * How brand vision and positioning drive customer focus * A guide to building key message themes 3 TACTICS, MESSAGING AND MEASUREMENT * Introduction to building customer-focused tactics * How to build a customer-engagement plan * How to build key messages and a customer-focused tactical plan * A practical guide to developing key metrics to review success and keep your plans on track ACTIONABLE OUTCOMES Throughout the programme we will use your own product examples to build your plan, participants will: * Learn best practice examples of strategic planning * Discover market and customer opportunities to strengthen your competitive edge * Create a strategic plan that can be implemented immediately within your business * Start planning compelling marketing messages to reach the right customer at the right time * Receive immediate feedback on your strategic marketing plan * Have the opportunity to share common issues and solutions with colleagues in the group

Running a successful project requires skills in planning, budgeting, tracking deliverables and stakeholder management. An area that can be neglected by project managers is the 'people side' - not the project team themselves but the end-users, those who will be affected by the project. Too often there is a single line at the end of the project plan that says 'Comms and Training'. If people are going to have to work differently and learn some new processes, then there is work to be done by the project team to help them through the emotional side of the change. This session explores why it's important to bring people along when a change is being made. It will provide project teams with the skills and knowledge either to manage the people change plan themselves or to secure the right resources for their project. * Understand the importance of the 'people side' of change * 8 'Golden Rules' of change management - overview * How to create a simple but effective change plan * Adoption * Benefits of good change management 1 INTRODUCTION * Objectives and agenda * People and projects - why is it important? * The Change Curve - the emotional side of change 2 8 'GOLDEN RULES' OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT - INCLUDING... * Role of the sponsor * Communication * Resistance to change 3 CHANGE PLAN * Elements of a change plan * Change impact assessment * Alignment with the project plan 4 ADOPTION * Who owns the change? * The vital role of the manager * Feedback and action loops 5 BENEFITS * Estimating the costs / benefits 6 NEXT STEPS * Summary of key learning points * Reflection on next steps 7 CLOSE

If you're looking for a short, sharp high-impact intervention that will help motivate and inspire your sales team then a 'bite-sized' session could be just what you're looking for. We have a range of sessions that can be delivered on an 'off-the-shelf' basis, or they can be tailored to your specific requirements or, of course, we can develop something specifically for you on an entirely bespoke basis. And the length of the session is entirely up to you - 45-minutes, an hour, a half-day - whatever you prefer. Sessions can be run for small groups as part of your regular team meetings or they can be delivered for larger audiences, conference-style - the choice is yours. The session outlines below are just to give you an idea of the possibilities. If one of them whets your appetite please just give us a call on 01582 463463 to talk through what we can do for you - we're here to help!

Bad news - people don't buy your product. Better news - they don't buy anyone else's product either. Best news - they do buy what a product gives them, whether it be removing 'pain' or giving 'pleasure'. So what a challenge it is that every single person buys your product for a slightly different reason! What's the secret to selling in that sort of sales environment? This programme provides a great roadmap. This course will help participants: * Build rapport with authenticity * Use open questions, listening and summary to properly understand the prospect * Use 'impact' questions to 'stack the pain' of remaining with the status quo * Convert features into personalised benefits that reflect stated needs * Handle objections with calm confidence * Identify buying signals * Close effectively * Convey credible urgency centred on the prospect's - not the salesperson's - interests 1 WHAT MAKES A CUSTOMER BUY ANY PRODUCT? * Moving towards 'pleasure' * Moving away from 'pain' * Robert Cialdini's Psychology of Influence - buying motives * Understanding what your product does for customers * Why there is never a 'one size fits all' approach * What are the real 'unique selling points' and why the salesperson is the real 'USP' * At what point does the customer emotionally buy your product? 2 GETTING PAST GATEKEEPERS * What gatekeepers' motivations are * How to make them your friend rather than your enemy * How to make your call harder to block than to put through * How to control the gatekeeper with questions, not answers * Using Cialdini's 'reciprocity' law to get put through more often * Practical exercise in which the trainer poses as gatekeeper 3 QUESTIONING AND LISTENING SKILLS * How to use open questions to get the customer talking * What questions to avoid and why * How to 'stack the pain' of the status quo with 'impact questions' * Practical 'pain stacking' exercise in pairs * What listening is and what it isn't * Question funnelling - how to earn deeper disclosure through probing * Practical funnelling exercise in pairs * The power of summary 4 HOW TO CREATE TAILORED BENEFITS AND NOT 'DIVE INTO SOLUTION' * What is 'diving into solution'? Examples and analogies * Why it is to be avoided * Practical exercise in pairs - how it feels to have solutions offered up too early * How to avoid 'feature-dumping' * What is 'value selling'? * How to create tailored benefits * How to convert product features into benefits * How to deal with the prospect's competitor allegiance 5 HANDLING OBJECTIONS AND TESTING THE WATER * How to overcome the price objection by selling value * Common objections the participants encounter and answers that work * The objections salespeople carry in their own heads * The 'A-C-E' objection-handling model * How to uncover objections * When - and when not - to trial close 6 CLOSING SKILLS * Why salespeople often close too early * How to identify buying signals * How to use urgency with skill and effectiveness * Four killer closing techniques that work * How to avoid buying the product back by careless post-sale talk * How to ask for referrals for your product * How to 'farm' the account for future opportunities 7 WRAP-UP * Key learnings from each participant * Individual action planning - steps that can and will be implemented in the workplace

This programme has a simple objective: to help a sales team create and implementa comprehensive account development plan. If you want to earn strategic partner or preferred supplier status with your clients and customers then you need to add value to their business, consistently, and you can only do this if you have a plan - a key account management plan. This programme will help participants: * Discover opportunities - through a deeper understanding of the customer's business * Develop partnership - through a better 'value proposition' for the customer * Increase repeat business - based on higher customer satisfaction * Improve synergy - by getting everyone to 'sing from the same hymn sheet' * Develop a collaborative account plan - validated by the customer and their own management * Secure resources - management will align resources to execute soundly based account plans * Win an increased share of 'customer wallet' - through systematic account development 1 THE SIX PRINCIPLES OF STRATEGIC ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT * Introduction to the PROFIT account development model: * - Performance * - Relationships * - Objectives and goals * - Feedback * - Integration * - Teamwork * Practical account development strategies: overview and case studies 2 PERFORMANCE * Use practical tools to help you manage and measure account performance and success * Design and build a monthly account dashboard for all sizes of account * Prioritise and manage accounts and customers pro-actively and successfully, using proven planning tools * Develop a cross-selling strategy to integrate products or solutions into the customer's business as closely as possible 3 RELATIONSHIPS * How to build and manage key relationships within an account * Qualifying and managing key influencers accurately * Producing a 'relationship matrix' for each account quickly and easily * Approaching and developing new contacts strategically * Tools and techniques for successful tracking of contacts and call-backs * Developing a coach or advocate in every customer organisation pro-actively 4 OBJECTIVES AND GOALS * Where are you now? - how to establish your competitive position within an account * Know how to set, monitor and track key objectives for accounts over the short, medium and long term * Selling against the competition - developing both long- and short-term sales strategies 5 FEEDBACK - BUILDING LOYAL AND SATISFIED CUSTOMERS * The correct way to manage customer expectations and create listening loops within an account * How to monitor and track your customer's perception and satisfaction with your organisation * Building a personalised satisfaction matrix for each account * Customer review meetings - best practice in building loyalty by regular joint planning events * Understanding the concept of long-term customer value and the importance of adapting a customer-focused attitude 6 INTEGRATION * How to integrate your products or solutions with the customer's business needs and processes * Spot and react to early warning signals that may cause an account's loyalty to fade, reduce revenue or switch to a competitor * Developing a loyalty strategy for key accounts or groups of smaller accounts * Getting your message and strategy across to C-level contacts 7 TEAMWORK * Working with others to achieve your account goals * Gaining internal commitment from your organisation * Managing and working with a virtual team * Creating cross-departmental communication loops 8 PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER * Personal account reviews * Personal learning summary and 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