Communication Skills
PDF ‘How to get your point across’
Poor communication is often stated as a major problem in organisations, government, business and professional firms. This applies to external and internal communication. Improve your skills and you’ll get better results when communicating verbally and in writing.
As a result of participating effectively in this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Organise information quickly and easily.
- Save time when preparing verbal and written communication.
- Structure your message by applying a simple formula which you practise during the workshop using examples relevant to you.
- Confidently use that formula for verbal communication – getting your point across to one person, speaking in front of a group, doing presentations, participating in meetings.
- Use the same versatile formula for written communication – letters (business and personal), notices, magazine articles, reports.
- Graciously and confidently respond when asked to ‘say a few words’.
- Add life to presentations.
- Check that you are sending the right message.
‘Effective Delegation, Giving Instructions’ and ‘How to be Assertive’
The benefits of delegating effectively are great. Yet many people are in the habit of doing the work themselves. Why? Often they have experienced past failures. The person to whom they are delegating doesn’t achieve the desired results and a great deal of time is wasted in trying to salvage the situation. Similarly, when giving instructions, often too much is assumed and the results are also not in line with expectations. There is a gap between the instructor’s intention and the other person’s perception.
Another communication skill that is often lacking is that of being assertive. Various things can happen: either the person becomes aggressive or avoids the person or avoids addressing the situation. In these cases there can be deterioration in relationships.
As a result of participating effectively in this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Follow, practise and apply the simple BEI ‘10-step approach to delegating effectively’.
- Save time when delegating through having positive results thus allowing more time for participants to engage in strategic and other important activities.
- Give instructions more effectively.
- Know when to delegate and when to instruct.
- Confidently express themselves according to a simple assertiveness formula thus achieving better results and avoiding aggression ……… And much more!
‘Powerful presentations’
Being able to ‘present’ effectively enhances an individual’s performance whether presenting in front of a large audience or delivering their message to a single person. Learning how to close the gap between the sender’s intention and the receiver’s perception is a skill that can be improved. The same skills can enhance performance even when delivering a ‘report’ or other message to a small group or even to one person. General productivity increases.
As a result of participating effectively in this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Choose their topic or the aspect of their topic more carefully.
- Tailor their topic and presentation to suit the audience.
- Organise information in a coherent way so that it is logical and can be easily followed by the audience.
- Make their content informative yet interesting.
- Improve their presentation skills through:
a. Approach to podium (or to the person)
b. Handling of notes
c. Competence in using equipment
d. Air of confidence – in control of:
i. Their nerves
ii. Timing
iii. Content
iv. Audience - Maintain a high energy level.
- Balance variety and consistency.
- Add life to presentations.
- Raise their standard of professionalism through the quality of visual aids, recordings etc.
- Ensure that hand-outs or worksheets are of high quality.
- Use gestures and movement more effectively and be more aware of ‘body language’.
- Use their voices more effectively.
‘Networking Tactics’
We all prefer to deal with people we know and trust. To become the ‘person of choice’, the ‘business or choice’ or the ‘firm of choice’ we need to build positive relationships. Networking skills can help us to do that.
Networking is a ‘critical success factor’ in achieving our goals. This workshop will help participants to define and capture their personal three-year vision on a one-page plan together with the networking tactics they have chosen to work on. These embrace relevant skills development and we’ll practise some of the skills during the day. For example, a simple technique for quality conversation is easy to apply. We’ll also address the building and expanding of personal networks. By the end of the workshop, each person’s plan will be complete and ready for implementation.
As a result of participating effectively in this two-day workshop, participants will be able to:
- Understand why networking skills are critical in achieving professional/business success.
- Appreciate that personal networking is a process – and not a ‘transaction’.
- Know how to build and sustain positive relationships.
- More easily hold quality conversations which help in building positive relationships and also lead to more confidence in attending social engagements.
- Apply skills practised at the workshop and enhance their own style of networking.
- Share ideas on sustaining and expanding their personal networks.
- Incorporate all stakeholders in the networking mix.
- Set personal strategy incorporating their three-year vision, values and networking tactics.
- Complete their personal one-page plan for networking success.
- Implement their personal programme.
Customer service
A wide range of Customer Service topics are covered and programmes are developed to suit the needs of individuals.
