- To build outstanding customer relationships
- To make good quality decisions, even when under pressure
- To deal with challenging, aggressive or unreasonable behaviour calmly and authoritatively
Overview
This fast paced, remote training programme is designed for technical specialists who want to build high-quality customer relationships that are based upon mutual respect and collaboration. The programme is equally effective for working with external customers, suppliers, senior managers, peer groups and sub-contractors. The training will cover the fundamental aspects of building strong and lasting client relationships, and the nuisances involved in handling different personality types and/or people from different cultures. It will also include dealing with difficult clients, managing conflicts, and countering aggressive behaviour or unreasonable demands.
The training consists of a series of skills modules, comprising:
- Eight, E-learning Modules that people do as pre-work. (This is in the form of a PDF file and each module takes around 20 -30 minutes to complete.)
- Eight, two-hour-long, live Zoom Workshops, consisting of Seven Content Sessions, where we briefly review the theory covered in the pre-work and then carry out a series of case studies. Also, One Role Play Session, during which delegates try out their negotiation planning and meeting facilitation skills in an extended case study.
Learning objectives
By attending this highly interactive remote course you will:
- Understand relationship building strategies
- Acquire methods for building rapport
- Understand the importance of reliability (keeping your promises)
- Learn how to defuse tension
- Assess and work with different personality types
Who should attend?
All client facing technical specialists (engineers, IT, Marketing, HR, designers etc.) who want to be able to contribute effectively to building trusted advisor level relationships with customers (for both internal and external clients).
Module 1
How to Build Customer Relationships
To understand what’s involved in building good quality customer relationships.
- Why Customer Relationships Matter
- The Client Relationship Hierarchy
- Customer Segmentation
- Structured Relationship Plan
Pairs exercise: four core competencies of customer service experts
Pairs exercise: understanding the customer relationship hierarchy
Pairs exercise: accurately assessing customers’ needs
Module 2
Conflict Management
Understanding the common sources of conflict and how people typically react to conflict situations.
- Understanding Conflict
- Emotional Awareness
- De-escalation Strategies
- Conflict Resolution Strategies
Pairs exercise: combating the fight/flight response with Cognitive Reframing
Pairs exercise: descaling conflict with the fogging technique
Pairs exercise: understanding your preferred conflict resolution strategy
Module 3
Change Management
Understanding how to manage a change process.
- Change Management Principles
- Leadership Behaviours
- The ADKAR Change Process
Pairs exercise: how to avoid the 5 main pitfalls when implementing a change
Pairs exercise: assessing yourself against the 4 core change leadership competencies
Pairs exercise: articulating the need to make a change
Module 4
Improving Personal Effectiveness
Understanding developing your personal effectiveness.
- Defining Personal Effectiveness
- Goal Setting
- The Classic Planning Process
- Prioritising
- Being Productive (The Batching Concept)
Pairs exercises: setting good quality goals
Pairs exercise: planning success factors
Pairs exercise: understanding the Eisenhower Matrix
Module 5
Reading Personality Types
Understanding different personality types
- Understanding Personality
- The Big Five Personality Traits
- Understanding Meta Programmes
- The Dark Triad
- Adjusting for Cultural Differences
Pairs exercises: influencing decision makers using the Big 5 Personality Traits
Pairs exercise: making an argument using Meta Programmes
Pairs exercise: adjusting your approach in respect of cultural differences
Module 6
Diplomacy
Understanding the guiding principles involved in working in a diplomatic manner.
- What is Diplomacy?
- Building Political Capital
- Creating Rapport
- Active Listening
- Thinking Win/Win
- Using Diplomatic Language
Pairs exercise: assessing your political capital
Pairs exercise: practising active listening
Pairs exercise: saying 'no' tactfully
Module 7
Anticipating Customer Concerns
How to anticipate customer needs, requirements, and concerns.
- Defining Anticipation
- Position Perception
- Prospective Hindsight
- Horizon Scanning
- Providing Insights
Pairs exercise: understanding needs by using Position Perception
Pairs exercise: practising the Prospective Hindsight methodology
Pairs exercise: working with data story telling techniques
Module 8
Strategic Decision- Making
Understanding how to adapt our products to account for changing market conditions, technological innovations etc.
- Defining Strategic Decision-Making
- Common Errors in Strategic Decision-Making
- The Strategic Decision-Making Process
- Frame the Decision
- Generating Alternative Options
- Rate the Options
- Conduct a Risk Assessment
- Write (and implement) an Action Plan
Pairs exercise: managing cognitive biases
Pairs exercise: avoiding common errors
Pairs exercise: spotting new business opportunities
Customisation
This programme is delivered in a remote format.
Where appropriate, we conduct interviews and facilitate focus groups to gather information with which to write bespoke case studies that precisely reflect the culture and work environment of the participants.
Feedback
Feedback is based upon ‘real time’ peer reviews, group discussions and comments from the Programme Director.
Follow up Coaching Support (Practise makes perfect)
The workshop can be followed by a 3/4-month-long group coaching activity (using the Action Learning Philosophy). This involves delegates trying out the skills from the workshop in real life situations and getting support and guidance from their peers and the consultant as they do so. If this option is selected there is a Closure Workshop at the end of the coaching phase where delegates present how they have applied the techniques learned on the course into their daily work routine (using the Most Significant Change methodology).
Remote Training
All of our workshops can be delivered as Remote Training via e-learning modules plus Zoom based virtual workshops. Please see our Virtual Training page for more information.
