Basic Psychology for Business (2 days)

An Introduction to Transactional Analysis in the Workplace

Are you interested in any of the following: conflict resolution, stress management, team building, leadership development, assertiveness, time management, work life balance, facilitation skills and other human related issues at work? To address any of these, a basic understanding of your own and other people’s behaviour, motivation and communication will underpin any approach.

Transactional Analysis (TA) is a powerful model for understanding relationships, communication and human behaviour. It is widely used in management and organisational development as well as in education, counselling, and other areas. This course will give you an opportunity to reflect on your own and others people’s ways of thinking and behaving in the workplace.

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Basic Psychology Part 2 - (2 days)

Having a better understanding of our own and other people’s psychology can help us in the workplace as well as other areas of our life.

This two-day course is for those who have attended our introduction to Basic Business Psychology course and would like to learn more.  On this course we will be build on your previous learning by going into more depth with some of the core Transactional Analysis concepts, and by introducing some new concepts.

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Business Writing Skills

Who needs business writing skills these days – it’s all email, text and Twitter – isn’t it?

Clients, colleagues and customers make judgements about you and your business based on the standard of your written communication. Whether you are writing a letter to a client or an email to a colleague, the style and content of your document is of crucial importance in how they see you.

This course will help you put together written communication that is crisp, clear and readily understood.

Getting your message across, by whatever method, professionally and clearly is an essential business skill. The right balance of assertiveness and courtesy needs to be achieved in order to build and maintain a good business relationship.

This relaxed and friendly course will help you to overcome any issues you have in communicating your message.

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Communicate Assertively and with Confidence

Communicating assertively and with confidence is vital to get your message across.  We can be the best in our role, but if we cannot communicate our wishes to others, our skills will be undermined.

Whether building rapport with potential clients, dealing with customers, writing business correspondence or meeting with colleagues in the workplace, the ability to communicate with maximum impact is a skill that all business people need, yet many find difficult to master.

Understanding how we are perceived and how we perceive others is crucial to demonstrating assertion.  Often we do not get what we want because our behaviour does not support what we say.  This workshop will save you time in your discussions by learning a more effective style of communication both with your staff and your customers.

Assertiveness is when a person stands up for their rights without violating the rights of the other person. Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to say something, but didn't, in order to avoid having a row? Or perhaps you got so angry that you had a violent outburst and regretted it afterwards. These are examples of where assertive communication would have helped.

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Company Director - understanding the role

Company Director – a great title but a lonely place to be?  The role, responsibilities (both legal and operational) can be daunting.  This course breaks down the jargon and offers guidance on chairing skills, the decision making process, and the structure of the board.

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Confident and Effective Administrator

As an administrator in a busy office, you will be used to ‘juggling balls’. This course will show you how to deal with a variety of situations using effective communication skills and assertiveness techniques. You will explore ways to increase productivity and efficiency, and improve systems and procedures. Learn how to manage your time, organise projects, prioritise, and delegate.

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Dealing Effectively with Conflict

Increasingly our workplace offers us the chance to work with a larger number and wider variety of people.  This diversity provides many positive opportunities and can also increase the potential for conflict.

Whether it be experiencing consistently disruptive or aggressive behaviour or sensing more subtle underlying tensions, conflict is a major source of stress, which can affect morale, self-confidence and ultimately productivity.

This course is available as an in house only option and will be tailored to meet your specific requirements.  Please contact the office for further details.

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Employment Law - how your business can stay legal

Employment Law – is it all jargon?  Do you put the literature in the desk drawer and hope you never need it?  Will you only worry about it when something happens?

Are you a small organisation with only a few staff?  Don’t be caught out – employment law is important for you too.

Employment Law affects all businesses from smaller enterprises to large conglomerates.  With constant updates and developments, are you confident you know how to keep on the right side of the Law?

This workshop will provide you with a comprehensive grounding and practical guidance on getting to grips with the legislation.  In a friendly, easy to understand way, it reviews important recent developments and discusses future changes that will ensure you, your staff and your firm stay within the Law.

As one delegate said :-  “Course content up to date, very relaxed and informal – able to relate to real life scenarios without all the jargon - Janice is an excellent trainer”

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Finance Essentials for Non-Financial Managers

The course is designed to help you to understand financial jargon and financial records.

The objective is to remove the mystery surrounding commercial financial information so that you can make a stronger  and confident contribution to the operation of companies, departments, projects or teams.

You will be able to describe the flow of accounting information, the purpose and content of key accounting reports and understand their inter-relationships. You will learn about the meaning of accrual accounting, the importance of working capital and cash and the use of financial information to measure performance.

No matter what your technical background and skills, you need an appreciation of the essentials of finance in today’s difficult business environment. This course will help to give you the basic understanding of financial principles and terminology that every manager needs. The aim is to build confidence in working with accounting information as an essential management tool.

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Finance for Directors and Senior Managers

Senior non-financial executives need to have an understanding of the role of the finance function and the operation of sound financial controls to ensure the integrity of accounts. It is essential for them to understand the management of cash and profitability and the use of accounting reports and financial data to support the achievement of strategic business objectives and manage day–to-day operations.

It covers organisation, performance measurement, budgeting, investment appraisal and the management of profitability.

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Financial Planning and Budgeting

Do you need to understand the principles of financial planning to manage future business performance?  All budget, cost and pricing decisions are dependent on a clear business strategy and an understanding of the ‘value proposition’ of the organisation.

Those who do not plan, run a very high risk of failure.  If you do not know where you a re going, there is very little chance you will arrive.

This course begins by reviewing the broad objectives and content of business plans, then participants examine the “cash cycle” as the foundation for preparing business budgets and managing for results.  The course considers the drivers of cost and the approaches to setting prices.

Financial Planning and the preparation of budgets are essential skills for anyone in the position of responsibility.  Many budget holders are also responsible for setting selling prices and controlling costs.  This workshop will help you to understand the language and processes of budgeting, costing and pricing.

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How to Sell

How often do you think a salesperson isn’t really listening to you?  Selling isn’t about having the “gift of the gab” – it’s about engaging your buyer and listening for their buying signals.   Selling is not just about product knowledge but your people skills.

If you are new to the sales role this course will help you understand tried and tested techniques to improve sales performance. It covers the role of the salesperson; researching the client and setting objectives; presenting benefits; closing positively; and overcoming objections.

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HR Essentials (2 days)

Has the HR/personnel job landed on your desk?  Are you new to the HR role or would you like some help in focusing on the important skills for this position?

This 2-day course provides the core knowledge to deal with HR issues for those who have limited knowledge in the fundamentals of HR management: recruitment, employee relations, discipline and legislation. You will learn how to interview for new staff effectively, how to produce appropriate (and legal) policies and procedures, and how to understand key employment laws.

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Increase Sales through Effective Marketing

Marketing – it can go so right or so wrong! And either way it will affect your sales.

This workshop will give you an understanding of the principles of marketing and is packed with practical examples and exercises to help your business increase sales. You will learn how to create a marketing plan, how to identify your market and how to reach it in the most cost-effective and productive way.

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Influencing and Persuading

Would you like more experience in getting your point across in a concise and well thought out way?   Day by day we must all influence the people around us: colleagues, superiors and customers.

In this active and practical programme, you will learn how to make a strong personal impact, the value of great listening and rapport, and how to tailor your message to the person you want to persuade. Starting with the fundamentals of human communication, we look at the psychology of effective persuasion and close with handling resistance.

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Interviewing Skills

Whether you are recruiting staff, conducting a disciplinary interview or counselling an aggrieved employee, many of the interviewing techniques are the same. This workshop teaches participants how to control an interview and how to use listening and questioning techniques in a constructive way.

Delegates will learn how to probe with the right questions to get the interviewees talking, how to get all the facts, and how to clarify the information. They will also learn how to make the right decisions using the head rather than the heart.

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Leadership Programme for Directors and Senior Managers (3 days over 3 months)

For leaders only:  Owners and Directors and, for large businesses and not-for-profits, Senior Managers and Heads of Service with real strategic responsibilities.  In your role, you need to set a strategic direction, make an instant impact, communicate powerfully, inspire your team and, on top of that, keep managing from day-to-day.

A tough challenge!

Leadership can be a lonely place, so we will give you a chance to meet others in the same position and discuss the challenges you face.  But the biggest challenge of all is often “letting go of the nuts and bolts.”  If you fail to do this, you are just a glorified manager and your business will do well – but it won’t grow and it certainly won’t move from where it is to an outstanding position in your sector.

For this, you need two other things:  a focus on the future and the ability to motivate and inspire your people to achieve your vision.  This workshop is designed for people who are interested in exploring – with your peers –the real difference between management and leadership, and what you can do to prepare for the challenge and meet it.

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Management Challenges: Negotiating and Change

The demands on managers never stop.

Two of the things managers fear most are negotiation and dealing with change.  This one day course offers you a chance to work with other experienced managers to learn about these two complex challenges:

Negotiation:

• How do I prepare for a successful negotiation?
• What are the basic steps I need to follow?
• What tips and tricks will help me succeed?

Change

• Why do people sometimes react so badly?
• What can I expect?
• How can I win people over?

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Management Programme (3 days)

For anyone who is new to management, the challenge is to master a wide range of new skills while coming to terms with a completely new role.

Your success in management no longer depends on “How good you are at your job”.  Now it depends on “how well you can get other people to do their jobs.”

This three-day, (one day per month) modular Introduction to Management offers you a series of fast-moving and thought provoking sessions, which are packed with practical exercises and ideas that work.  The course will introduce you twelve of the fundamental management skills and give you the opportunity to share your concerns, experiences and ideas with a group of like minded new managers, under the guidance of an experienced facilitator.

The content includes the ideas of Emotional Intelligence, which is a significant determinant in the professional and commercial success of individuals – far more so than the “academic” intelligences.  The three modules are designed to develop a wide range of management capabilities within a consistent framework, linking together personal, interpersonal, management and business skills.

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Managing a Sales Team

A Sales Manager is only successful if the team achieves their targets.   Assisting each sales person to increase sales by only 5% will have a significant impact on the overall sales performance of the team.

The skills required to manage sales teams are very different to those of an expert sales person.  However, many sales managers are former sales people!

If you are responsible for managing your sales team and want to help them improve their efficiency and meet their targets, then this course is designed with you in mind. 

It will help you lead and inspire your team; plan, set and manage challenging but realistic  sales targets to ensure that your team is motivated towards exceeding them.

It will also cover the key skills of getting the best out of your sales team and team dynamics.
 

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Managing Change in the 21st Century

Managing change in the 21st century is about ensuring that organisations do not stagnate and are open to new ideas and practises.  In order for organisations to be competitive change is not going to slow down, it is and will become a continuous process.

John P Kotter is a leading business guru who has developed an 8 step approach to leading change which will be analysed.  Recommendations from organisations that have undergone successful change will be reviewed.

Successful change does not happen overnight, individuals within organisations need to understand why there is a need for change; they in turn become advocates of change which then permeates throughout organisations.

The programme will provide you with the skills to manage change on an individual and organisational basis. 

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Managing Stress in the Workplace

An effective manager is one who is aware of what causes stress within their staff and themselves and is able to proactively manage it. We are all working with stress and for many the level of stress is increasing, so we need to take positive action for the benefit of the organisation, ourselves and our staff.

This workshop is available as an in house only option and will be designed to meet your specific requirements.

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Managing Under-Performance & Difficult Behaviour

Are you worried about how to deal with performance issues?

Maybe you manage employees who are not performing to an acceptable standard, or maybe there are aspects of their behaviour you find difficult to manage.  Do you really know when “difficult behaviour” becomes “under-performance” and what your options are?

Whether the problems are related to productivity, motivation, morale or personal reasons, they can be very disruptive within the workplace. This course looks at the legal implications of the practical steps which managers can take to deal with under-performance and difficult behaviours.

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Managing Yourself

This course is about maximising your contribution through improved personal effectiveness. It will equip you with the tools to deliver your best results whilst coping emotionally and professionally in a high-pressure environment. The course will help you to recognise your personal strengths and empower you take more control over your working life – increasing your enjoyment of your job and your self-esteem.

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Meetings - making them work

Are your meetings viewed as a waste of valuable time?
Do you chair or facilitate at meetings?
Do you want to manage meetings more effectively?

Then this course is for you!

It gives you a full understanding of the meeting process and how to control and energise a discussion. You will learn how to structure the meeting to best effect; how to manage difficult attendees; and how to agree objectives and outcomes so that your meetings achieve real results.

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Microsoft Access - Intermediate Level

This one-day MS Access intermediate course will provide you with the understanding and hands-on ability to create Access queries and reports using your Access database. Other design considerations are the screens for the input of data and display of reports for output.

You will learn about the rules for tables in a database, the relationships between the data in different tables understand different data types and create validation rules for checking the input of data.

Please note that in response to current demand this course is currently delivered using Microsoft Office 2003 software. If you require training on Microsoft 2007 software please let us know.

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Microsoft Access for Beginners

An Access database is used to hold data about things that exist in the real world, for example people in a personnel system. This course will equip you with the necessary understanding and hands-on skills to build a simple MS Access database.

You will learn how to set up tables to hold your data and how to link these tables together in a meaningful manner. You will then learn how to use filters and queries to retrieve useful data from your tables.

Please note that in response to current demand this course is currently delivered using Microsoft Office 2003 software. If you require training on Microsoft 2007 software please let us know.

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Microsoft Conversion Course from 2003 to 2007

There are some new features in the Office 2007 version which many users find daunting when they start to use the system – these include:

The Office Button; Customising the environment: the Options Button; The Ribbon (tabs, groups and commands); Contextual tabs; Dialog Box Launchers; The Quick Access toolbar; Persistent undo and redo; Access Keys; Super-Tooltips; The Zoom Slider; The Mini Toolbar; Quick Styles and Themes; Live Previews; SmartArt and Word Art; Saving.

Confused?  This one day course is designed to give you an overview of using 2007 confidently and addressing all those questions you need answering to ensure the system works for you.

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Microsoft Excel - Intermediate Level

Building on your existing knowledge of MS Excel this course includes tools for handling large Excel spreadsheets and managing lists of data. You will also understand how to control Excel worksheets that are being edited by several people.

This course will enable you to create, build and customise graphs including plotting trend lines and summarise a large Excel worksheet using the outlining tools. You will also learn about making decisions using conditional statements and formatting.

Please note that in response to current demand this course is currently delivered using Microsoft Office 2003 software. If you require training on Microsoft 2007 software please let us know.

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Microsoft Excel for Advanced Users

Excel spreadsheets can become very complex with one formula calculating from the results of several others. This course covers the tools to trace problems with complex formulae and methods for consolidating several Excel worksheets.

You will also learn about the analytical tools in Excel and how to use them for goal seeking. You will learn about macros, how to create templates for commonly used worksheets and how to protect data using security features.

Please note that in response to current demand this course is currently delivered using Microsoft Office 2003 software. If you require training on Microsoft 2007 software please let us know.

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Microsoft Excel for Beginners

This Microsoft Excel Introduction course focuses on quick ways to get started with Excel. You will learn about the layout of the Excel screen and be aware of the features of the workbook and worksheet structure.

You will learn quick methods for entering, editing and formatting data and understand Excel formulae and functions to a level where you will be able to compile sales figures, create purchase orders or analyse bank statements.

Please note that in response to current demand this course is currently delivered using Microsoft Office 2003 software. If you require training on Microsoft 2007 software please let us know.

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Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook enables you to communicate and exchange information with your colleagues through the use of email, calendars and tasks. It also helps you to organise your time and data to enhance the way you work.

Please note that in response to current demand this course is currently delivered using Microsoft Office 2003 software. If you require training on Microsoft 2007 software please let us know.

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Microsoft PowerPoint for Advanced Users

This MS Powerpoint advanced course is designed for delegates who have had some experience of Powerpoint to create or edit presentation and who now whish to consolidate and build on their existing knowledge.

You will learn how to create templates and master layouts for a consistent style to your presentations. You will also learn about sharing you presentations with other people, importing data from other applications and advanced slide show techniques.

Please note that in response to current demand this course is currently delivered using Microsoft Office 2003 software. If you require training on Microsoft 2007 software please let us know.

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Microsoft Project

This one-day MS Project course introduces the scope of Microsoft Project to users involved in project management. It gives you practical experience in using MS Project as a tool to help break projects into manageable parts and keep them under control.

You will gain an understanding of project planning and methodologies for projects of all sizes. You will learn to create and maintain a project plan, using tasks and resources.

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Microsoft Visio for Beginners

This course will enable you to create and design professional Process Maps, Flow Charts, Organisation Charts and much more. It is a drawing package with flexibility. From this course you will learn how to use the drawing tools to make professional charts with ease.

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Microsoft Word - Intermediate Level

This Microsoft Word Intermediate training program expands on basic Word skills and shows you how to handle long Word documents using columns, paragraph numbering and tables to make them easier to read. You will learn how to organise your MS Word documents using different page layouts or headers and footers in the same document.

You will also understand how to control documents that are being edited by several people and how to conduct a mail shot using the Mail Merge feature.

Please note that in response to current demand this course is currently delivered using Microsoft Office 2003 software. If you require training on Microsoft 2007 software please let us know.

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Microsoft Word for Advanced Users

This Microsoft Word Advanced training course focuses on creating Word documents and templates for other people to use. It will enable you to use style sheets to apply formatting to longer documents, insert MS Word fields to display or capture information and add a table of contents or an index.

You will see how to create and use templates for telephone messages, faxes and memos. You will also learn how to record and play macros to automate repetitive or tedious tasks.

Please note that in response to current demand this course is currently delivered using Microsoft Office 2003 software. If you require training on Microsoft 2007 software please let us know.

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Microsoft Word for Beginners

This introduction to Microsoft Word course will give you the skills to type, save and print simple Word documents such as letters and memos. No previous word processing experience is necessary.

The course focuses on quick ways to select, edit and format text. it is full of time-saving tips including how to teach Word your repetitive typing so that you never have to type it again.

Please note that in response to current demand this course is currently delivered using Microsoft Office 2003 software. If you require training on Microsoft 2007 software please let us know.

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Minute Taking with Confidence

Are you responsible for writing minutes?   What happens if you miss something?  What do you do about the “mumblers”?   Do you have to take it in turns to record the minutes from departmental meetings?  If so, how do you contribute to the meeting whilst taking down everything everyone says?

This extremely popular course will show you how to work effectively with the Chair, and how to take notes during a meeting by distinguishing the significant elements from the irrelevant. Delegates will be shown how to write up minutes which are accurate, concise and easy to use, ensuring that action points are followed up.

This course will improve participants' confidence, enabling them to minute formal and informal meetings effectively.

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Motivating Staff through Training and Coaching

How much more could your business benefit through the development of your staff?

To ensure better performance from your staff and therefore better results for your organisation this course will give you the tools you need to understand how people learn and techniques to ensure that you are able to deliver the appropriate training, coaching and mentoring for each individual member of your staff in a 1:1 coaching scenario.

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Moving Into Management

Re-designed for Spring 2010*

Are you about to make your move into management or have your just made the move?

You need to start thinking like a manager and acting like one which can be daunting.  This one day workshop is designed to answer some tough questions.

It looks at your confidence and how you impact on your colleagues and subordinates; how to prioritise your workload, handle interpersonal conflict and improve your listening skills.  You are now a member of the management team and this course will help with settling you into the range of new responsibilities.
This workshop is designed to answer some tough questions, and give you the real essentials of management.  During the day, you will tackle questions like:

• “what is my role?”
• “being my best mate’s boss – how do I handle conflict?”
• “managing; not doing:  how do I prioritise my work now?”

*This course was previously called Management Essentials, and has been re-designed for Spring 2010.

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Negotiating Skills

With so much of modern business relying on the ability to reach mutually beneficial agreements - the so-called “win-win” situation - the modern manager needs to be able to plan, deliver and follow through on critical negotiations. This workshop will give you the skills to break stalemates and give you the edge in professional negotiations. It covers all aspects of negotiations, provides a framework for effective action, and shows you how to achieve the best possible and long lasting agreements.

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Organising an Event

So what event have you been made responsible for?

• Charity Fundraising
• Business networking
• Christmas party
• Client entertainment
• Concert
• Exhibiting at Business Fayre

This one day workshop will give you the confidence to undertake whatever event you are responsible for. It will give you the essential tools to plan any event, to work effectively with project members and to ensure that the event comes in on budget - and is a great success!

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Outstanding Customer Care

As a nation we are notoriously bad at complaining about customer care and service.  We tell our friends, family and colleagues and then go elsewhere.  This is no different in the business sector.

Did you know that research has shown that over 80% of customers who stop buying do so because they are unhappy with the service!

You can have excellent customer service but poor customer care.

In a fiercely competitive market, it is vital to put customers first and go the extra mile! This popular workshop will help you assess your current service delivery and give you tips and ideas on how to improve it so that your business stands out from your competitors providing a service over and above what your customers expect.

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Performance Management and Appraisal

Performance Management is about getting results.   It is concerned with getting the best out of people and helping them achieve their potential.   Appraisal is a part of that process.

Done well, Performance Management and the linked Appraisal meeting will motivate and energise your staff; it should enhance communications and improve working relationships.  Done badly, it will demotivate and will be viewed by staff and managers alike as a waste of valuable time.

Applied as a top down approach Performance Management aims to achieve a shared vision of the purpose and aims (objectives) of a business.  As managers and supervisors we use it to help individuals and teams recognise their role in contributing to those business aims. It is a continuous process, assessing and developing people, who work to specific objectives, closely allied to your business’s key goals.   But it is also about developing each member of staff as an individual so that they can reach their potential.

This course shows you how to get it right for you, your staff and your Organisation.
 

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Pick up the Phone - sales without fear

Anyone who sells or makes marketing calls using the phone will benefit from this course.

Are you afraid to pick up the phone and try and sell to new or existing customers?  What happens if they say no?  What happens if you can’t get passed the “gatekeeper”?  How will this impact on your sales figures?

‘Telesales’ often conjures up an image of poor, forceful selling. However, telephone sales that are done well will reward your business and build customer relationships to guarantee future loyalty.

Do you maximise every sales opportunity or is it more hit and miss?  Understand how the combination of a positive attitude and effective sales techniques bring repeated results to every Company that adopts them.  This workshop is designed for both inbound and outbound calls and will enable you to establish your customers’ needs, meet these and thus increase sales.

So don’t be afraid, come pick up some tips and improve the techniques that will help you get on the road to making successful telephone sales.

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Presentation Skills

Do you need to make presentations?  Whether this is a one off to colleagues, regular presentations to clients or to a large audience, how many times have you longed to make it a clear, calm and effective presentation?  Are you worried how to cope if it all goes wrong?

For the majority of presenters an effective presentation in whatever format is a skill that has to be developed through the use of proven techniques.

This course covers the basic elements of building a presentation using a structure through to delivery and managing nerves.  The course blends the key skills with practicing the structuring and delivery techniques.

The day builds up the delegates’ skills addressing the key areas of preparing and delivering a presentation with confidence.

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Presentation Skills Masterclass

“Polishing up the performance”

Making a good presentation excellent through the demonstration of advanced presentation/public speaking techniques.

An advanced masterclass for experienced presenters who want to hone skills still further.  The class is limited to four participants to ensure you truly receive personal feedback on your presentation style.

In addition, it will include a half day of personal coaching on your speaking style or to prepare for a speaking event or presentation?  Plus the opportunity to attend Presentation Skills (day 1) as a refresher which we strongly recommend.

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Project Management

This one day course will give you excellent grounding in managing projects, whatever their size.

When you understand how projects work and, more importantly, what makes them succeed, you will perform better in a project environment.

This workshop is packed with practical tools and resources to help you deliver your projects on time, to budget and as specified.

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Recruitment - getting it right

Do you know that poor recruitment can cost an organisation sums estimated to be between £50,000 and £250,000 depending upon the post!

The recruitment and selection of staff is at the cornerstone of the company success.  A poorly thought through process will almost certainly have repercussions at a later date when it is found that the person is not suitable for the job they have been employed for.

They not only have to be managed out of the business, which in itself is a costly procedure, but you then need to recruit, induct and train their replacement. 
If you are spending time and money to advertise, interview and train staff, you need to get it right.  Can you afford not to?

This highly practical course gives you the skills to reduce the risk of getting the wrong person. It is essential for anybody who is responsible for recruiting staff into the business and covers the skills and processes required for successful recruitment interviews.

It covers the key requirements, including understanding the current Legislation that affects recruitment, avoiding discrimination, getting the person specification right, advertising the post, short listing and undertaking the interview. Many recruitment interviews are very superficial and do not get the right information from the candidate. Delegates get a chance to practice effective interview techniques, all of which will reduce the risk of appointing the wrong person.

This highly practical workshop will ensure that you reduce the risk of recruiting an unsuitable applicant, as you will learn the skills required for undertaking a successful recruitment process.

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Report Writing

Do you write reports for colleagues or customers?  Would you like to enhance their look and content?  Do you need them to make an IMPACT?

This course will strengthen the content of your reports and therefore others’ understanding of them. You will learn how to clarify your objectives, draw up an outline and organise your information; how to construct arguments; prepare summaries and write recommendations. You will also be shown how to write in plain English, using the correct grammar and demonstrate an effective layout to ensure that your reports are professional and contemporary.

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Sales - the Client Meeting

If you or your staff have those crucial face to face sales meeting this highly participative course is what you need to achieve results and convert those meetings into sales.

It focuses on structuring the meeting; rapport building; finding out the true needs of the client and developing the confidence to ask for the business and close the sale.

Delegates will be able to analyse the sales meeting and develop the trust of the client through a consultative approach that will result in that all important initial sale plus the more important repeat business.

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Supervisory Management

Fitting a square peg in a round hole.  "How much authority do I have?"

When staff are promoted into a supervisory position, they often have superb technical skills which is the reason they are promoted, but lack the very different skills to supervise others.

It answers the key questions:

• "What should I really be doing now?"
• "How to I get my points across?"
• "How do I motivate my old workmates to undertake the jobs they are assigned?"
• "How do I get people to want to do stuff?"
• "How do I tell people they're doing a great job?
• “How do I tell people they're doing a bad job"
• "How do I cope with stepping up into a new role?"

This one day course gives delegates an overview of the key skills required to supervise others.  It focuses on the different "hats" a supervisor needs to wear and move away from the "doing" and being more assertive and active in their supervisory role.

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Team Leadership

Do you want to get the best from your team?   How can you get them all pulling in the same direction?

This two consecutive day course will enable you to explore a range of practical management techniques to lead, encourage, & inspire performance from your teams. You will learn how to adapt your leadership style according to the individual, task and situation. You will learn how to motivate and inspire others in an assertive and effective way and how to add value to each team process.

This redesigned two-day course gives delegates an overview of the key skills required to lead teams effectively and the opportunity to practice those skills before going back into the workplace.

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The Receptionist - The Face of your Organisation

Does your Receptionist know just how important they are to your business?  Are they inclined to say “I’m just the Receptionist”?

The first point of contact a customer has in any business is usually the receptionist who creates the first impressions of your company and this may affect any future relationships.

Surprisingly most receptionists are “thrown in at the deep end” and develop their skills and techniques as they go along. This course will enable you to handle customers, enquiries and complaints more professionally and with increased confidence.

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Time Management

• Do you feel that you need 26 hours a day just to get your work done? 
• Why do other people seem to get the same amount of work completed with such ease? 
• Are you stressed, harassed, and under constant time pressures?

By organising your workload effectively rather than constantly reacting to events you can become more efficient and regain control of that most valuable resource... time.

Employers are constantly requiring their staff to take on more and more work.  By becoming better organised in your working day, you can achieve greater efficiency, or leave for home on time without feeling guilty.

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Tough Conversations

Are you worried about having that difficult conversation?

You know what needs to be done, but it isn’t always easy doing it.  You have to sit someone down and say what needs to be said.  It’s a difficult message.  That’s tough, and you need to summon up your courage.

You also need to plan the conversation and be prepared to handle it, however it plays out.  This might mean:

• Tackling a sensitive topic
• Dealing with conflict
• Addressing difficult behaviour – or worse
• Having to say “no”
• Coping with aggressive behaviours

This course has been designed to help you prepare effectively for that tough conversation, to feel confident as you approach it, to respond flexibly to whatever happens, to reflect on what you have learned, and to let go.
 

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Train the Trainer (2 days)

Trainers need a whole raft of skills, not simply presentation skills, to be effective. In this highly participative workshop, delegates will learn how to assess training needs and how to plan and prepare for a course. They will learn how to write training notes, how to conduct a training session and how to evaluate and assess training courses.

Delegates will be given an insight into what motivates trainees to learn, about different learning styles and how to tailor course material to meet the needs of the delegates.

Engaging an audience is essential for effective learning to occur, and delegates will be shown how dynamic presentation skills, effective use of body language and assertiveness techniques will help with this process.

This two-day course gives delegates an overview of the key skills required to train staff effectively – whether in small groups or in a larger classroom environment.

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Training your Staff On-the-Job

How much more could your business benefit through the development of your staff? Your staff are probably your most expensive resource but often are not developed to their full potential. This course gives you the tools to help you understand how people learn, along with development techniques, how to identify training needs and templates for recording your training plans. It focuses on one-to-one, on-the-job training.

Understand how to get the best out of your staff through training them effectively.

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Using PowerPoint

Effective presentations are essential to get your message across. PowerPoint allows you to create professional, high quality presentations suitable for clients and colleagues with the minimum of time and effort.

In this course you will learn how to create a presentation containing text, graphics, charts and multi media objects and how to set up and manage your presentation.

Please note that in response to current demand this course is currently delivered using Microsoft Office 2003 software. If you require training on Microsoft 2007 software please let us know.

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Working in a Diverse Workforce

What does this mean to you?

There are very few areas in our working environment that do not have some areas of diversity in them – race, religion, gender, age – to name but a few.  How does this impact on you, your workmates and your customers?

This workshop will help your business, team or department, to recognise how essential it is to ensure “respect” for work colleagues and customers and how to work with them positively.

It is a highly practical day covering the jargon behind equality and diversity, its importance and an overview of the relevant laws.

The active sessions allow review and discussion of all behaviour in a constructive and positive way to ensure that you all work effectively together.

This workshop is only available as a tailored in house option.  Please contact the office for further details.

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