Consulting Skills

Business Consulting for the IT Professional - "Customer Speak for the Technical Geek"

Course Number: 5-2-TD
Recommended Duration: 2 Days

Intended Audience: IT Professionals and Business Analysts

Course Overview

The typical cause for rejection is incomplete or inaccurate information gathered in the early stages of the project. However, when the IT professional practices precise questioning techniques that lead the business partner to describe what they NEED versus what they think they WANT, accurate acceptance criteria becomes the norm. This course blends the art of precise questioning with rapport skills, active listening, collaboration, and other interpersonal skills through proven guided exercises.

Objectives

As a result of taking this course, you will learn to:

• Guide the client through a powerful seven-step questioning process, in order to understand the difference between the business partner’s perceived wants and their realistic needs
• Discover the enterprise-wide affect of any new or changed process/procedure
• Brainstorm best practices in the Virtual Meeting environment
• Practice active listening – in the moment
• Demonstrate techniques used to gain rapport in person, on the phone, and in various other business settings
• Practice flexibility in your communications in light of the unique working strategies of your business partners
• Use language patterns that set the stage for a collaborative working environment

Prerequisites: None

Topics

• A powerful seven-step questioning technique to assist the business partner in defining their real needs
• Clarifying vague wording that could cause confusion or eventual rejection of a project
• Influencing solutions that are in the best interest of the business partner and enterprise
• Virtual vs. Face-to-face meetings
• Techniques to create a collaborative working relationship with the business partner
• Establishing and maintaining rapport with the business partner
• Three, easy-to-follow techniques to become a more focused and proactive listener

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Client Interactions

Course Number: 5-3-GO 
Recommended Duration: 1 Day

Intended Audience: Individuals who have direct client interaction. 

Course Overview

This course focuses on the importance of impactful client interactions. It will cover skills to use in informal discussions, meetings, and presentation settings.

Objectives

As a result of taking this course, you will learn to:

• Express thoughts to a group confidently, both in a presentation setting and in a more casual discussion setting.
• Listen to a client and respond appropriately based on the position or seniority of the client.
• Lead a discussion and manage a group of people who are straying from the agenda.

Topics

• Components of exceptional customer service cultures
• Knowing and applying key components to your business environment can increase customer satisfaction and retention
• The core dimensions of customer service
• Customer service research and facts
• Listening and questioning skills for client services
• Effective meetings
• Effective presentations
• Scenario skill practice
• Key learning and action planning
• Session evaluation

Prerequisites: None

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Collaborative Communications

Course Number: 5-9-GO
Recommended Duration: 1/2 Day or 1 Day

Intended Audience: All Employees

Course Overview

The course will help participants to select the most appropriate form of communication based on message, audience and desired outcome, communicate more effectively by applying ten key communication skills and better handle difficult communication situations

Objectives/Topics

As a result of taking this course, you will learn to:

• Use questions to uncover needs and problems.
• Use paraphrasing and active listening to help clarify understanding.
• Use various techniques to handle objections.
• Handle and deliver difficult messages in a productive manner.
• Use body language to influence communication effectiveness.
• Conduct effective meetings.

Prerequisites: None

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Consulting for Results

Course Number: 5-4-GO
Recommended Duration: 1 Day

Intended Audience: Individuals responsible for consulting with clients.

Course Overview

This course helps individuals consult effectively with internal or external clients by following a consultative process while applying fundamental consultant skills and consulting techniques.

Objectives

As a result of taking this course, you will learn to:

• Effectively plan for, conduct, and follow-up client consultations
• Utilize the fundamental consulting skill sets of listening, planning, contracting, and advising
• Conduct the four basic stages of consulting

Prerequisites: None

Topics

• The fundamental roles and skills of a consultant
• The change model
• The consultant’s role as a change agent
• Personal qualities of an effective consultant
• The four basic stages of consulting: evaluate, plan, contract, and deliver
• The components and benefits of contracting
• Key characteristics of an effective contract
• The skills of contracting
• The contracting discussion
• The fundamental skill sets: listening, planning, contracting, and advising
• Skill practice and action planning

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Customer Relations and Awesome Service: How Self-Esteem Promotes Effective Customer Relations

Course Number: 5-11-KM 
Recommended Duration: 1 Day

Intended Audience: All Employees

Course Overview

The key ingredient to all effective customer relations is the self-esteem and. enthusiasm of the giver of service to the recipient of that service. Therefore, the first aspect of learning effective customer service skills is to develop a staff of highly energized people with a high self-esteem quotient. Self-esteem is the single most important factor influencing our ability to achieve personal and professional success. It also greatly influences an individual’s ability to contribute to a team.

Objectives/Topics

The objective Customer Relations and Awesome Service is to increase the level of self-esteem in individuals and to remove the barriers which keep them from reaching their full personal and professional potential.

Prerequisites: None

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Essential Consulting Skills for Internal Consultants

Course Number: 5-10-BB
Recommended Duration: 2 Days

Intended Audience: Those in an internal advisory, support, or project management role.

Course Overview

This course provides project managers, facilitators, or internal support personnel the skills to effectively define, manage, and deliver complex assignments. The course is highly interactive and is tailored to meet the specific needs of the participants.

Objectives

As a result of taking this course, you will learn how to:

• Contract with clients
• Manage clients effectively
• Manage assignments
• Present solutions effectively
• Develop and use interpersonal skills

Prerequisites: None

Topics

• Defining and understanding the role of an internal consultant
• The consultancy process
• Client management
• Managing one to one meetings, contracting, communicating, delivery, measurement of results, and reviewing
• Assignment management
• The project contract, planning, risk management, stakeholder management, and partnering
• Interpersonal effectiveness
• Questioning, listening, body language, oral communication, language, and constructive feedback
• Building rapport, assertiveness, negotiation, managing conflict, influencing styles and strategies

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Delivering Exceptional Customer Service

Course Number: 5-5-GO  
Recommended Duration: 1 Day

Intended Audience:  Individuals responsible for providing customer service either over the phone or in person

Course Overview

This course provides a review of the importance and benefits of providing exceptional customer service. Participants will identify their external customers and discuss their service expectations. A facilitated discussion will help participants to identify ways to solve current customer service problems and gain initial agreement on service standards. A goal is for each employee to treat each customer experience as an individual experience for each person. Tools and techniques taught and experienced will include telephone and face to face customer service skills with prospective and existing clients, including listening skills, questioning skills, effective use of words, vocal tone and body language.

Objectives

As a result of taking this course, you will learn to:

• Determine how exceptional customer service benefits themselves, their customer and the company in quantifiable terms Identify your external customers, their expectations and ways to exceed them.
• Define practices that make up exceptional customer service for their area Identify and solve current customer service problems.
• Deliver exceptional customer service both over the phone and in person

Topics

• Components of exceptional customer service cultures
• Knowing and applying these key components to your business environment can increase customer satisfaction and retention
• The core dimensions of customer service
• Customer service research and facts
• Characteristics of good and bad customer service
• How to set your company apart from the competition
• Common traits of professional customer service employees
• Core skills self-assessment checklist Identifying your client groups
• Continuously improving your customer service levels
• A facilitated customer service problem solving session
• Tools to deliver exceptional customer service
• Exceed client expectations
• Diffuse angry clients
• Anticipating client needs
• Making clients feel valued through exceptional listening and questing techniques
• Scenario skill practice
• Key learning’s and action planning / session evaluation

Prerequisites: None

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Handling Tough Customers

Course Number: 5-6-GO 
Recommended Duration: 1 Day

Intended Audience: All Employees

Course Overview

This course helps students examine their attitudes about customer service and suggests ways to increase customer service performance. Students will assess their behavior regarding having a positive attitude, encouraging feedback, responding to problems, handling difficult customers, developing long term customer relationships and trying to exceed expectations.

Objectives/Topics

As a result of taking this course, you will learn to:

• Describe characteristics of good and bad customer service.
• Identify your internal and external customers and their general expectations.
• Anticipate and respond to common customer complaints.
• Diffuse the angry customer.
• Solve customer service problems. 

Prerequisites: None

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Internal Consulting Skills

Course Number: 5-7-GO
Recommended Duration: 2 Days

Intended Audience: Individuals who are responsible for consulting internal clients.

Course Overview

This course helps individuals consult effectively with internal clients by following a consultative process while applying fundamental consultant skills and consulting techniques.

Objectives

As a result of taking this course, you will learn to:

• Effectively plan for, conduct, and follow-up client consultations
• Utilize the fundamental consulting skill sets of listening, planning, contracting, advising/influencing, and overcoming resistance
• Conduct the four basic stages of consulting
• Lead project teams associated with internal client deliverables

Prerequisites: None

Topics

• The fundamental roles and skills of a consultant
• The change model
• The consultant’s role as a change agent
• Personal qualities of an effective consultant, self-assessment
• The four basic stages of consulting: evaluate, plan, contract, and deliver
• The components and benefits of contracting
• Key characteristics of an effective contract
• The skills of contracting
• The contracting discussion
• The fundamental skill sets: listening, planning, contracting, advising/influencing, and overcoming resistance
• Effective project teams
• The team launch
• Characteristics of effective project teams
• Tools to support success
• Team simulation
• Skill practice and action planning

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Listening: The Heart of Communication

Course Number: 5-1-KMJF
Recommended Duration: 1 Day

Intended Audience: All Employees

Course Overview

Discover that the "art"of communication involves the ability to speak clearly and sensibly.  Discover that the "heart" of communication requires the ability to listen.

Objectives/Topics

As a result of taking this course, you will learn to:

• Learn to be clear as the intent of communication.
• Understand the two parts of every communication.
• Learn to select the appropriate channel for different types of messages.
• Learn to achieve congruence of content, body language, and tone.
• Manage interference.
• Strengthen Presentation performance.
• Practice Multiple levels of listening.
• Employ reflective listening for effective leadership interactions.
• Explore the role of listening as it relates to team and interpersonal communications
• Identify personal filters that block true understanding.
• Apply the skill of empathy to our conversations to promote active listening.
• Learn to speak so other can hear you.  
• Reduce interpersonal conflict & create more cohesive teams.

Prerequisites: None

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