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This Leadership Skills Training Course covers all essential techniques of effective communication, building strong teams, leading with influence and all other necessary leadership skills to become a successful leader in your chosen profession or work setting

Do you daydream of building your start-up into a global phenomenon but struggle to make it a reality because you lack expertise in international traction building? Our team, made up of an award-winning marketing strategist and an AI & automation expert for business growth, created a mastermind just for you.

The aim of this programme is to help attendees create better quality technical documents in an organised and efficient manner. It will give those new to the topic an appreciation of how to approach the task professionally whilst those with more experience will be able to refresh and refine their skills. The programme comprises three complementary one-day modules: The programme presents a structured methodology for creating technical documents and provides a range of practical techniques that help delegates put principles into practice. Although not essential, it is strongly advised that delegates for modules 2 and 3 have already attended module 1, or another equivalent course. Note: the content of each module as shown here is purely indicative and can be adapted to suit your particular requirements. This course will: * Explain the qualities and benefits of well written technical documents * Present a structured approach for producing technical documents * Review the essential skills of effective technical writing * Demonstrate practical methods to help create better documents * Provide tools and techniques for specification and report writing * Review how technical documents should be issued and controlled Note: the content of each module as shown here is purely indicative and can be adapted to suit your particular requirements. Module 1: Essential skills for technical writers 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAMME * Aims and objectives of the module * Introductions and interests of participants 2 CREATING EFFECTIVE TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS * What is technical writing? how does it differ from other writing? * Key qualities of an effective technical document * Communication essentials and the challenges faced by technical writers * The lessons of experience: how the best writers write * The five key steps : prepare - organise - write - edit - release (POWER) 3 PREPARING TO WRITE * Defining the document aims and objectives; choosing the title * Understanding technical readers and their needs * Getting organised; planning and managing the process * Integrating technical and commercial elements * The role of intellectual property rights (IPR), eg, copyright 4 ORGANISING THE CONTENT * The vital role of structure in technical documents * Deciding what to include and how to organise the information * Categorising information: introductory, key and supporting * Tools and techniques for scoping and structuring the document * Creating and using document templates - pro's and con's 5 WRITING THE DOCUMENT * Avoiding 'blinding them with science': the qualities of clear writing * Problem words and words that confuse; building and using a glossary * Using sentence structure and punctuation to best effect * Understanding the impact of style, format and appearance * Avoiding common causes of ambiguity; being concise and ensuring clarity * Using diagrams and other graphics; avoiding potential pitfalls 6 EDITING AND RELEASING THE DOCUMENT * Why editing is difficult; developing a personal editing strategy * Some useful editing tools and techniques * Key requirements for document issue and control Module 2: Creating better specifications 1 INTRODUCTION * Aims and objectives of the day * Introductions and interests of participants * The 'POWER' writing process for specifications 2 CREATING BETTER SPECIFICATIONS * The role and characteristics of an effective specification * Specifications and contracts; the legal role of specifications * Deciding how to specify; understanding functional and design requirements * Developing the specification design; applying the principles of BS 7373 * Getting organised: the key stages in compiling an effective specification 3 PREPARING TO WRITE A SPECIFICATION * Defining the scope of the specification; deciding what to include and what not * Scoping techniques: scope maps, check lists, structured brainstorming * The why/what/how pyramid; establishing and understanding requirements * Clarifying priorities; separating needs and desires: the MoSCoW method * Useful quantitative techniques: cost benefit analysis, QFD, Pareto analysis * Dealing with requirements that are difficult to quantify 4 ORGANISING THE CONTENT * The role of structure in specifications * Typical contents and layout for a specification * What goes where: introductory, key and supporting sections * Creating and using model forms: the sections and sub sections * Detailed contents of each sub-section * Exercise: applying the tools and techniques 5 WRITING THE SPECIFICATION * Identifying and understanding the specification reader * Key words: will, shall, must; building and using a glossary * Writing performance targets that are clear and unambiguous * Choosing and using graphics * Exercise: writing a specification 6 EDITING AND RELEASING THE DOCUMENT * Key editing issues for specifications * Issue and control of specifications Module 3: Writing better reports 1 INTRODUCTION * Aims and objectives of the day * Introductions and interests of participants * The 'POWER' technical writing process for technical reports 2 CREATING BETTER REPORTS * What is a technical report? types and formats of report * The role and characteristics of an effective technical report * Understanding technical report readers and their needs * The commercial role and impact of technical reports * Getting organised: the key stages in compiling a technical report 3 PREPARING TO WRITE REPORTS * Agreeing the terms of reference; defining aims and objectives * Being clear about constraints; defining what is not to be included * Legal aspects and intellectual property rights (IPR) for reports * Preparing the ground; gathering information and reference documents * Keeping track of information: note making, cataloguing and cross referencing * Tools and techniques for developing a valid and convincing argument 4 ORGANISING THE CONTENT * The role of structure reviewed; some typical report structures * Who needs what: identifying the varied needs of the readership * What goes where: introductory, key and supporting sections * Creating and using model forms: the sections and sub sections * Detailed contents of each sub-section * Exercise: applying the tools and techniques 5 WRITING THE REPORT * Planning the storyline: the report as a journey in understanding * Recognising assumptions about the reader; what they do and don't know * Converting complex concepts into understandable statements * Presenting technical data and its analysis; the role of graphics * Presenting the case simply whilst maintaining technical integrity * Exercise: writing a technical report 6 EDITING AND RELEASING THE REPORT * Key editing issues for technical reports * Issue and control of technical reports

CHAIRING OR FACILITATING A PANEL DISCUSSION IS A PARTICULAR SKILL. When many experts and specialists in their field are asked to do this, they discover that it is not as easy as they imagined. Pitching and introducing the session, involving everyone, promoting audience engagement, dealing with difficult panellists and ending the discussion can all be a challenge for inexperienced facilitators. Our panel facilitation training workshop focuses on providing delegates with the techniques and confidence they need to chair panel debates effectively. It is delivered by BBC presenter Martine Croxall and is highly interactive, blending theory with practical exercises. During the course, you will learn: 1. the best way to prepare, including audience analysis and research 2. how to pitch a panel 3. how to introduce a panel 4. how to involve everyone in the discussion 5. the best way to promote audience engagement 6. how to deal with difficult panellists 7. how to end a discussion Each delegate will have the chance to chair a panel discussion, with the other delegates and Martine playing different roles as panellists.

As technology continues to develop and increasingly interact with our daily lives, so must our sales techniques to ensure we're leveraging advances in how people do business to our advantage. It is essential for all salespeople to understand how to navigate the various tools at our disposal and grow their skills and confidence to put them into action in order to build a solid business pipeline. We have developed this programme to be practical, fun and interactive, whilst ensuring that participants will learn how to utilise new technology to their advantage, self-generate new business leads and opportunities, gain additional business and referrals from existing contacts, and save time and effort using proven business development skills. This course will help participants: * Understand the 'organized persistence' model of sales prospecting * Develop skills in using video, online and social media to generate interest * Understand how to write effective sales and outreach emails and using online tools * Develop techniques for effectively managing telephone appointments * Learn ways to use LinkedIn for connecting with customers and prospects * Develop networking skills and learn how to source and develop referrals and professional introductions 1 KEY PRINCIPLES OF SMART SALES PROSPECTING * Set your sales prospecting goals and objectives * Elevator pitch, core messages and your value proposition * Targeting and segmenting your market * 'Organised persistence' using your CRM effectively 2 SETTING APPOINTMENTS BY TELEPHONE - PLANNING AND PREPARATION * Why calling still works and the best times to call * Creating a call prompt sheet: * Opening a call and taking control * Giving a reason to meet * Key questions to ask * Overcoming the cold calling blues 3 SETTING APPOINTMENTS BY TELEPHONE - ADVANCED SKILLS * Giving a reason to meet and 'selling the appointment' * Key questions to ask that will create interest and motivation to meet * Voice tone, power words, phrasing, pausing, responding * Getting past gatekeepers and getting through 4 USING LINKEDIN FOR RESEARCH AND FOLLOW-UP * Why LinkedIn matters and how to use it * Finding new contacts, connecting and Inmailing * Short-cuts and advanced skills 5 EMAIL STRATEGIES THAT WORK * Using AIDA and other templates for sales emails * Using personalized video emails to create interest * Vertical targeting emails, with examples * Building awareness with an email chain

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

Do you use video as a tool to promote your charity, business, organisation or campaigns? And if you don’t, do you feel as if you ought to? Videos account for more than 80% of all consumer internet traffic. So the pressure to use video as a marketing and PR tool has increased enormously. But the cost can be prohibitive. Using a video production company [https://roughhousemedia.co.uk/rough-house-services/video-production-content-creation/], such as ours, might be ideal, but for many it is out of reach – particularly if, like many of our clients, you’re a charity. However, there is an alternative, which more and more organisations are choosing, especially those which need to produce regular digital content. That is to produce the video yourself. Nowadays, you do not even need to invest in a video camera. All you need is your smart phone, some simple equipment you can buy on Amazon for as little as £80, plus your laptop or PC. This is why we have developed a new smartphone video training course, Smart Video. OUR SMARTPHONE VIDEO TRAINING COURSE COVERS: * Equipment – including setting up your phone, microphones, tripods and editing programmes * Planning your video * Techniques to give your films broadcast-quality polish * Getting the perfect shot – including shot sizes, positioning the camera, framing, lighting, sound, sequences and backgrounds * Filming interviews * An introduction to editing * Producing videos for social media BESPOKE TRAINING The course can be tailored to the type of videos you need to make. If most of your videos will be interviews, we’ll focus on presenting your interviewee in the best possible light – literally. If, on the other hand, you need to film buildings, events or products, we’ll tailor the course accordingly. If your video needs a script, we’ll give you tips and techniques on how to “write to pictures”, so your messages comes across well. And on all our courses, we’ll give you a guide to the best equipment and apps to use to enhance your filming and editing. The smartphone video course will be led by Paul Curran [https://roughhousemedia.co.uk/rough-house-team/] who has many years experience producing, filming and editing films and videos, for the BBC and corporate clients.

Any team member with Customer interaction (including internal) are the 'Ambassadors' of the company/organisation. If they project positive professionalism - they win others' confidence. If they appear or sound like they are in any way indifferent or unprofessional - they will cost sales and lose clients/customers. With this 2 day Training course, that will be tailored to your company/organisation, each person attending will upgrade their professional standards in people skills, telephone manner and email etiquette. No training in this area may well be a false economy as there is a much greater risk of disenfranchised customers and team members - and probably increases your competitors to win business at your expense. Professional customer care is all too frequently regarded as a token issue in most induction sessions for employees. Surprisingly it is very rarely considered as a key priority, despite being essential for ensuring customer commitment is secure and supplier/partnerships are robust. Excellent customer care is paramount in our ever increasingly competitive market and making customers feel valued and looked after is often a differentiator. This 2-day course will help you understand your customers and the vital importance of customer care in any organisation. You will gain the tools and techniques to apply your learning directly back into the workplace and deliver excellent customer care. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Course Syllabus The syllabus of the Professional Customer Care course is comprised of four modules, covering the following: Module One What is Excellent Customer Care? * Internal versus external customers * Why customer care is important * Meeting customer expectations Module Two Making a Personal Difference * How do you measure customer care? * Making a difference * Taking ownership * Positive mental attitude * Displaying professionalism both face-to-face and over the telephone * Using positive language Module Three Gathering Information and Offering Solutions * Asking the right questions * Active listening skills * Summarising and clarifying skills Module Four * Dealing with Difficult Situations * How to give a 'service' no * Demonstrating empathy * Assertiveness techniques * Handling a complaint * Problem solving * Saying 'sorry' * Making realistic promises and keeping them -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Real Play Scenarios with a Professional Actor (Optional Extra) This programme benefits significantly from our innovative training feature: Real Play. Using a professional actor who performs role plays as different customer characters in carefully devised situations, the delegates have the opportunity to 'pause' the role play to coach and control their character to improve their skill sets and practice the theory delivered. These scenarios can deal with difficult situations and enacting options to ensure good customer relations are intact. The outcome of the scenario is the responsibility of the delegates, not the trainer and actor. The actor will remain in character throughout the de-brief in order to bring to life the impact and possible next steps. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Objectives By the end of the course participants will be able to * Adopt a professional telephone manner * Communicate assertively by taking control and directing the conversation * Deliver information positively by offering options and alternatives * Develop a range of versatile behaviours to use when dealing with difficult situations by: * Listening actively * Using empathy * Gathering relevant information through effective questioning * Finding solutions to concerns/problems quickly and efficiently * Speaking positively and assertively -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IS THE BENEFIT? For individuals this course will increase confidence and ability to deal with customers in all situations, which will in turn create customer loyalty and raise their profile. For an employer, ensuring that all customer facing employees are demonstrating excellent customer care instils confidence in the customers and promotes a positive image of the company. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IN-HOUSE COURSES Every single team member or employee that has a role which involves engaging with a customer, client and/or a key partner/supplier has a responsibility for projecting a positive image of the organisation which they represent. That may sound obvious, but how many hundreds of experiences have you had as a customer where you were treated with indifference and a distinct lack of professionalism by the receptionist, the retail assistant, the tele-agent, the delivery person, the credit controller or the departmental manager of the operation that you were dealing with? Far too many to count? This is because professional customer care is regarded as a token issue in most induction sessions for employees - and it is very rarely considered as a key priority to ensure customer commitment is secure and supplier/partnerships are robust. Yet the hugely expensive churn in customer/client commitments and staff is enormously expensive and immensely disruptive to any organisation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOMERS AND CLIENTS Every client/customer engaging person needs to recognise that it is ultimately the client or customer that pays their wages. If they gain a basic understanding of the clients' motivations and behaviours, coupled with some core skills in how to care for them, they will attain the status of 'professional'. This will very quickly translate into increased revenues, retained loyalty, high commitment and far greater security for all parties. The foundation has to be based on the authentic commitment to both the customer and also to the organisation they work for. Disenfranchisement readily curdles into sloppy behaviours cloaked in unprofessional attitudes and demeanours; plenty there to repel the most loyal of customers. If your company or organisation relies on repeat business and retaining the confidence and commitment of your clients, then all of your team members - perhaps including managers who set the example and have the biggest influence on the where the needle points to in relation to professionalism - need to be trained on the core basics of professional customer care. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CUSTOMER CARE PROGRAMMES FROM DICKSON TRAINING LTD We are delighted to boast about the many successes we have had in providing effective and long lasting improvements for many clients, where awards have been won and, more importantly, talent has been retained because their clients and customers keep on coming back. Professional customer care extends to suppliers and partners that you value and need to get the best service and rates from, as well as any 'internal clients' such as other departments where you need to rely on their support and collaboration in order to achieve your goals. It is amazing what effective professional customer care training can do for any organisation. Without it your organisation may be vulnerable, with it you are much more likely to see increased performances and much greater security and growth. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SCHEDULED COURSES Unfortunately this course is not one that is currently scheduled as an open course, and is only available on an in-house basis. Please contact us for more information.

R&D work is often carried out in entrepreneurial companies with the aim of developing solutions to scientific or technological problems for a wide range of customers. Projects can include longer term 'frontiers of science' research, medium term product development/manufacturing or more immediate troubleshooting or contract research assignments. In all these contexts, the ability to create innovative solutions in a timely and cost-effective manner is the essence of successful R&D. Whilst R&D groups typically excel in technical expertise, those involved often recognise that there is scope for improving the way that projects are managed. The aim of this training programme is to address this need whilst ensuring that the creative, entrepreneurial spirit that is fundamental to good R&D continues to flourish. MODULE 1: Creating the foundations for success * Off-line video tutorials and exercises * Total time ~ 1 - 1.5 hours VIDEO 1: MAKING THE MOST OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN R&D * Characterising R&D projects * Applying project management to R&D work * Exploiting the potential of project management in R&D VIDEO 2: PROMOTING SUCCESS IN R&D PROJECT MANAGEMENT * Modelling successful project management * Evaluating performance and promoting success * The role and skills of the project manager/leader MODULE 2: Initiating and defining R&D projects * Live interactive sessions (via Zoom): * Session 1: 10:00 - 12:00 * Session 2: 14:00 - 15:30 SESSION 1: SELECTING AND INITIATING PROJECTS * Recognising worthwhile opportunities; initiating projects * Identifying stakeholders and their goals * Characterising and engaging stakeholders SESSION 2: DEFINING GOALS AND AGREEING DELIVERABLES * Establishing the full scope of the project * Clarifying and prioritising project deliverables * Defining and agreeing deliverable specifications MODULE 3: Planning R&D projects * Live interactive sessions (via Zoom): * Session 1: 10:00 - 12:00 * Session 2: 14:00 - 15:30 SESSION 1: IDENTIFYING AND ORGANISING ACTIVITIES * Creating effective plans; avoiding planning pitfalls * Identifying tasks and assigning responsibilities * Sequencing tasks and estimating durations SESSION 2: DEVELOPING THE TIMELINE AND RESOURCE PLAN * Identifying the 'critical path'; creating a resource plan * Dealing with estimating uncertainty * Accelerating the programme MODULE 4: Leadership and teamwork in R&D projects * Off-line video tutorials and exercises * Total time ~ 1 - 1.5 hours VIDEO 1: WORKING EFFECTIVELY IN PROJECT TEAMS * Building teamwork in contemporary organisations * Recognising each other's skills; building synergy * Building good working relationships; handling conflict VIDEO 2: THE ROLE OF THE R&D PROJECT TEAM LEADER * Building teamwork: the role of leadership * Creating an effective team culture * Delegating work and motivating team members MODULE 5: Managing uncertainty in R&D projects * Live interactive sessions (via Zoom): * Session 1: 10:00 - 12:00 * Session 2: 14:00 - 15:30 SESSION 1: CHARACTERISING UNCERTAINTY; IDENTIFYING RISKS * Exploring uncertainty; applying risk management * Focusing the risk management process * Identifying and defining risk events SESSION 2: MANAGING AND CONTROLLING RISKS TO THE PROJECT * Evaluating risk events * Selecting between risk strategies; setting contingencies * Updating and controlling exposure to risk MODULE 6: Implementing and controlling R&D projects * Live interactive sessions (via Zoom): * Session 1: 10:00 - 12:00 * Session 2: 14:00 - 15:30 SESSION 1: INITIATING ASSIGNMENTS AND MANAGING CHANGES * Creating a pro-active implementation and control culture * Establishing effective implementation and control procedures * Assigning work and managing changes SESSION 2: MONITORING, MANAGING AND DEVELOPING PERFORMANCE * Adopting meaningful monitoring techniques * Responding to problems; building performance * Managing and controlling multiple project assignments