5 Educators providing Business Development courses in Henley-on-Thames

The market for professional services is becoming increasingly competitive, with some firms and individuals becoming very effective at winning new work, leaving others lagging way behind. Given the choice between spending time on client work and business development work, we all tend to choose that which we feel to be easier, more attractive and more aligned with our image of ourselves. We stay within our comfort zones, we focus on client work, and we only resort to business development work when we have to, which can also lead to 'feast or famine' syndrome. The programme will help participants: Understand the professional business development approach and the style that is appropriate for their business and their clients Follow a process to guide their conversations and business development meetings Prepare thoroughly for a business development meeting/contact with a client to ensure they use their time efficiently and maximise results Create a great first impression and professional opening to a conversation Ask open questions and listen effectively in order to spot opportunities, understand needs and progress the opportunity Identify and understand buying and decision-making processes and criteria Skilfully and confidently handle questions and objections Sell the benefits of their services and approach over those of their competitors Progress the sale by agreeing next steps and gaining commitment appropriately 1 Introduction Aims and objectives of the programme Personal introductions and objectives Workshop overview 2 An introduction to business development and selling for professionals What is selling? Who are you selling to? The buying experience What clients want The four-step business development process The business development cycle and pipeline management Upselling and cross-selling as well as winning new clients 3 Networking and generating leads What is networking? Networking objectives It's not what you know but who you know Asking for referrals and introductions Making appointments from networking activity 4 Opening the sales relationship/sales meeting What potential customers are thinking Judging first impressions Creating positive first impressions Building rapport and creating interest and impact Earning the right 5 Core communication skills for professional selling Overcoming barriers to listening The art of listening Questioning refresher Types of questions Questioning funnel 6 Understanding and identifying needs and opportunities Identifying the questions to ask to identify needs and opportunities Questions to move us through the buying and selling process Understanding their buying processes Asking questions that position you as a 'trusted adviser' The questions that give you a competitive advantage Knowing when you have asked enough questions 7 Introducing solutions Tailoring your 'pitch' to the client Speaking the client's language Using features and benefits Applying the benefit cycle 8 Handling objections and concerns Identifying the typical objections and concerns Understanding why clients raise objections and concerns Following a structure for handling objections Handling the price objection 9 Gaining commitment Knowing when to close The art of checking Recognising buying signals Small c and big C 10 Putting it all together Personal learning summary and action plans

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About this Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT)  Conducted in an interactive manner, Exploration Project Management will include presentations by the course leader, syndicate and plenary exercises, and (optional) assessment of selected participants' projects. Industry case studies will be integrated into all the presentations. The course material will include a course manual (handout) and a course workbook (for exercises). Participants are requested to bring a mini-poster (two PowerPoint slides) as background material for discussion during the course. Training Objectives By the end of this Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT), participants will be able to: Improve the evaluation, execution and delivery of exploration projects, measured in terms of successful bids for new acreage, increased success rate and volume delivery from exploration drilling, and more rapid progress in appraisal of discoveries. Describe concepts, simple processes, workflows and analysis tools for project execution. Tools include the expert course leader's proprietary project management framework, including project framing and after-action review methodologies, templates for strategy development, decision trees, decision quality frameworks. They also include customised Excel spreadsheets for portfolio modelling, project risk assessment (in new ventures and prospect maturation) and business planning. Understand their role in (a) delivering the company's strategy, (b) contributing data and assessments to key exploration decision makers, and (c) communicating project progress and results to senior management. Target Audience The Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) is aimed at exploration professionals with more than 5 to 10 years of experience in the business, who would like to develop their skills for managing exploration projects and presenting the goals and results of their project work to senior management. Exploration and engineering professionals who work in exploration project teams, across the spectrum from new ventures (exploration business development), prospect identification and maturation, and appraisal of discoveries Exploration project leaders Exploration managers The VILT will also benefit professionals from well engineering, petroleum engineering, finance and planning who support exploration activities. Participants are requested to bring a mini-poster (two PowerPoint slides, each printed on A3 paper) as background material for discussion during the course. Course Level Basic or Foundation Trainer Your expert course leader draws on more than 35 years of experience managing, reviewing and directing projects in all aspects of the exploration business: from exploration business development (new ventures), through prospect maturation and drilling, to the appraisal of discoveries. He has more than 30 years' experience with Shell International, followed by 10 years consulting to NOCs in Asia Pacific, Africa and South America and independent oil companies in the United Kingdom, continental Europe and North America. Other than delivering industry training, he has worked on projects for oil & gas companies of all sizes, including independents, national oil companies and (super)-majors, private equity firms, hedge funds and investment banks, and leading management consulting firms. He is an alumnus of Cambridge University. He has M.A and Ph.D. degrees in geology and is a Fellow of the Geological Society of London as well as a respected speaker on management panels at international conferences. Professional Experience Management consultancy & executive education: Advice to investment banks, businesses and major consulting firms. Specialist expertise in upstream oil & gas, with in depth experience in exploration strategy, portfolio valuation and risk assessment. Leadership: Managed and led teams and departments ranging from 3 - 60 in size. Provided technical leadership to a cadre of 800 explorationists in Shell worldwide. Member of the 12-person VP team leading global exploration in Shell, a $3 bln p.a. business and recognised as the most effective and successful among its industry peers. Accountability & decision-making: Accountable for bottom-line results: in a range of successful exploration ventures with budgets ranging from $10's million to $100's million. Made, or contributed to, complex business decisions / investments, taking into account strategic, technical, commercial, organisational and political considerations. Corporate governance: Served as non-executive director on the Boards of the South Rub al Khali Company (oversight of gas exploration studies and drilling in Saudi Arabia) and SEAPOS B.V. (exploration deep-water drilling and facilities management). Technical & operations: Skilled in exploration opportunity evaluation, the technical de risking of prospects, portfolio analysis and managing the interface between exploration and well engineering activities. Unparalleled knowledge of the oil and gas basins of the world, and of different operating regimes and contractual structures, ranging from Alaska, Gulf of Mexico and Brazil, through to the Middle East, former Soviet Union, Far East and Australia. Safety: Following an unsatisfactory audit, became accountable for safety performance in Shell's exploration new ventures. Through personal advocacy and leadership of a small team, delivered pragmatic and effective HSE systems, tools and staff training / engagement and a dramatically improved safety record. R&D: Experience in the 3 key roles in R&D: scientific researcher, research manager, and 'customer' for R&D products. After re-defining Shell's exploration R&D strategy, led the re-structuring of the R&D organization, its interface with 'the business' and approaches to deployment and commercialization. Strategy: Accomplished at formulating competitive strategies in business, R&D and technology deployment, translating them into actionable tactics and results. Defined the exploration strategy of PDO (a Shell subsidiary in Oman) and latterly of Shell's global exploration programme. Professional education, behavioural/motivational coaching: Experienced in organisational re-design, change management, leadership education and talent development. Commercial skills: Personally negotiated drilling compensation claims, educational contracts and E&P contracts, with values of $5 million to $100+ million. POST TRAINING COACHING SUPPORT (OPTIONAL) To further optimise your learning experience from our courses, we also offer individualized 'One to One' coaching support for 2 hours post training. We can help improve your competence in your chosen area of interest, based on your learning needs and available hours. This is a great opportunity to improve your capability and confidence in a particular area of expertise. It will be delivered over a secure video conference call by one of our senior trainers. They will work with you to create a tailor-made coaching program that will help you achieve your goals faster. Request for further information about post training coaching support and fees applicable for this. Accreditions And Affliations

About this Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) This 4 half-day Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) course presents the principles and best practices of portfolio management in the upstream (E&P) oil and gas industry. The VILT course is equally valuable for small independents, large integrated international companies and national oil companies. The VILT course consists of presentations, case studies, illustrative practical exercises and syndicate discussions. Particular emphasis is given to pragmatic portfolio management approaches and solutions which can be implemented swiftly without recourse to major investments in planning and portfolio management software. The VILT course will draw on examples from your expert course leader's 35+ years' experience in the oil and gas industry as an explorationist, upstream vice-president and management consultant. The VILT course handout will comprise softcopy slides used in the presentation and a softcopy workbook for the exercises. Participants will gain proficiency in portfolio management techniques, understand how and why to undertake this activity and be able to apply key concepts directly in the business of their teams / divisions. The VILT course will be presented over 4 half-days, using Microsoft Teams or Zoom and a proprietary set of VILT tools. Participants will be asked to complete a pre course questionnaire (PCQ) addressing their objectives and experience, and attend a session to familiarise themselves with VILT tools before course commencement.     Training Objectives To present the tools, concepts and principles of portfolio management To define the quantitative metrics which are used to describe projects in a portfolio To understand the benefits of portfolio management at different stages of the upstream business: in strategy development, opportunity screening, business development, drilling prospects, conducting appraisal of discoveries and developing fields To put portfolio management in the organisational context by describing the role of the portfolio management team and examining how value assurance (quality control) is best conducted on portfolio data for projects and assets To demonstrate how portfolio management contributes to improved business performance By the end of the VILT course, participants will understand: Key concepts and principles of portfolio management How to design a simple portfolio database and describe complex projects in a small number of objective metrics How to segment the portfolio into meaningful units How to use portfolio data in making business choices and decisions at the strategic and tactical levels The extent to which it is meaningful and reasonable to make comparisons across different portfolio segments How the portfolio management team can support the wider business in decision-making Target Audience This VILT course is specially designed for exploration and development geoscientists, E&P economists and finance staff, and E&P managers. Both technical and non-technical staff will benefit from the concepts presented. Companies are encouraged to send participants from different functions and seniority levels to gain great benefits especially those which would like to implement the concepts presented in this VILT course. Course Level Basic or Foundation Training Methods The VILT course will be delivered online in 4 half-day sessions comprising 4 hours per day, with 2 breaks of 10 minutes per day. The VILT course will be presented in an interactive workshop format that allows for discussion. Course Duration: 4 half-day sessions, 4 hours per session (16 hours in total). Trainer Your expert course leader draws on more than 35 years of experience managing, reviewing and directing projects in all aspects of the exploration business: from exploration business development (new ventures), through prospect maturation and drilling, to the appraisal of discoveries. He has more than 30 years' experience with Shell International, followed by 10 years consulting to NOCs in Asia Pacific, Africa and South America and independent oil companies in the United Kingdom, continental Europe and North America. Other than delivering industry training, he has worked on projects for oil & gas companies of all sizes, including independents, national oil companies and (super)-majors, private equity firms, hedge funds and investment banks, and leading management consulting firms. He is an alumnus of Cambridge University. He has M.A and Ph.D. degrees in geology and is a Fellow of the Geological Society of London as well as a respected speaker on management panels at international conferences. Professional Experience Management consultancy & executive education: Advice to investment banks, businesses and major consulting firms. Specialist expertise in upstream oil & gas, with in depth experience in exploration strategy, portfolio valuation and risk assessment. Leadership: Managed and led teams and departments ranging from 3 - 60 in size. Provided technical leadership to a cadre of 800 explorationists in Shell worldwide. Member of the 12-person VP team leading global exploration in Shell, a $3 bln p.a. business and recognised as the most effective and successful among its industry peers. Accountability & decision-making: Accountable for bottom-line results: in a range of successful exploration ventures with budgets ranging from $10's million to $100's million. Made, or contributed to, complex business decisions / investments, taking into account strategic, technical, commercial, organisational and political considerations. Corporate governance: Served as non-executive director on the Boards of the South Rub al Khali Company (oversight of gas exploration studies and drilling in Saudi Arabia) and SEAPOS B.V. (exploration deep-water drilling and facilities management). Technical & operations: Skilled in exploration opportunity evaluation, the technical de risking of prospects, portfolio analysis and managing the interface between exploration and well engineering activities. Unparalleled knowledge of the oil and gas basins of the world, and of different operating regimes and contractual structures, ranging from Alaska, Gulf of Mexico and Brazil, through to the Middle East, former Soviet Union, Far East and Australia. Safety: Following an unsatisfactory audit, became accountable for safety performance in Shell's exploration new ventures. Through personal advocacy and leadership of a small team, delivered pragmatic and effective HSE systems, tools and staff training / engagement and a dramatically improved safety record. R&D: Experience in the 3 key roles in R&D: scientific researcher, research manager, and 'customer' for R&D products. After re-defining Shell's exploration R&D strategy, led the re-structuring of the R&D organization, its interface with 'the business' and approaches to deployment and commercialization. Strategy: Accomplished at formulating competitive strategies in business, R&D and technology deployment, translating them into actionable tactics and results. Defined the exploration strategy of PDO (a Shell subsidiary in Oman) and latterly of Shell's global exploration programme. Professional education, behavioural/motivational coaching: Experienced in organisational re-design, change management, leadership education and talent development. Commercial skills: Personally negotiated drilling compensation claims, educational contracts and E&P contracts, with values of $5 million to $100+ million. POST TRAINING COACHING SUPPORT (OPTIONAL) To further optimise your learning experience from our courses, we also offer individualized 'One to One' coaching support for 2 hours post training. We can help improve your competence in your chosen area of interest, based on your learning needs and available hours. This is a great opportunity to improve your capability and confidence in a particular area of expertise. It will be delivered over a secure video conference call by one of our senior trainers. They will work with you to create a tailor-made coaching program that will help you achieve your goals faster. Request for further information about post training coaching support and fees applicable for this. Accreditions And Affliations

The Sales Accelerator programme is a fresh approach to improving business development productivity. It focuses on identifying and using a series of business productivity metrics in order to build a clear action plan for improving sales results - typically within 90 days. The metrics are grouped under three headings: The basic principle is that a small improvement in each area can lead to a significant increase in sales results and productivity. And the object of the programme is to show how best to achieve that. The programme therefore looks at each of these three areas in turn, spending a day on each. Suitable for any and all businesses and all levels of experience and expertise, this is a remarkably practical and hands-on programme. During the workshop, participants discuss, review and apply many proven sales and marketing techniques and personal selling ideas. The goal is to generate and commit to changes and actions that can lead to a 10-30% increase in the next three to six months. There's also a consultancy option, rather than the workshop-based programme. See below for details. Day one - Activity Key objective This first module introduces the Sales Accelerator model. The goal here is to show participants how to increase their pro-active activity levels by around 10%. It covers all aspects of creating new business opportunities, from existing customers and non-customers alike, and is linked to personal activity improvement goals. Main elements Improve the productivity, accuracy and effectiveness of your business approach by using new and unique models and techniques. Different methods of creating and generating new business opportunities in the short, medium and long term. This includes sourcing new business, up-selling, cross-selling, warm calling and gaining referrals. Using organised persistence to track and build new customer revenue. Managing your sales time effectively. Key learning points Sales productivity - understand the dynamics of increasing the combination of activity levels, deal value and conversion rate of proposals/quotations to orders and implement an improvement plan. Sales goal setting: setting business development objectives for quantity and quality - plus tips and tricks of top performers. Maintain a peak activity level, on a consistent basis using 'organised persistence' and structured business development tracking methodology. How to prioritise opportunities and manage your time when sourcing new business. Identify potential new customers - and particularly the decision-makers and influencers - with greater accuracy. Make outbound business or appointment calls with improved confidence, control and results. Day two - Value Key objective To be able to better anticipate, identify, create, and develop business opportunities using a customer / client-focused communication-based business model and consultative skills. Main elements How to develop sales more effectively from new and existing customers; and managing the first appointment with a new customer. Use structured and assertive drawing-out skills to identify, develop and formalise business opportunities and to gain commitment. How to better position your company and your products and services against your main competitors. Create and deliver persuasive business messages based on specific need areas, criteria and value. Key learning points Advanced consultative selling - use a variety of structured and advanced questioning techniques to confidently and efficiently uncover opportunities, need areas and business criteria - confidently and efficiently. Involve the customer/client at all times, and to a far greater degree, and keep better control of business development process. Value message - differentiate your solutions clearly and accurately with customer/client-matched value statements. Presenting the right USPs, features and benefits and making them relevant and real to the customer. Qualification and reading buying signals. Day three (held around four weeks after the first module) - Conversion Key objective This module looks at how to improve the final qualification, progression and conversion of opportunities in your sales pipeline. Also includes price negotiation, overcoming objections and obstacles to gaining agreement. The module begins with a learning review, sharing participants' experiences over the last four weeks in applying the new techniques and skills acquired during the first two modules. This is an opportunity to revisit particularly challenging areas as well as to share and celebrate successes. Main elements Structuring and preparing for negotiating a deal and knowing when and how to move into the 'end-game' mode. Anticipate and answer customer objections and questions more confidently. Build more credibility and proof into your business process to reduce 'buyer's remorse' and speed-up decision-making. Being more assertive and developing better instincts and strategic thinking in progressing quotations and proposals. Key learning points Smart ways to position price, emphasise value and be a strong player without being the cheapest. Becoming more assertive in closing deals, and the importance of organised follow-up on the telephone. Qualify pipeline opportunities with more accuracy, using a proven check-list. Use an 'option generator' to simplify complex proposals, increase business value and close business faster. Writing more effective sales proposal documents and quotations. How best to draw-out, understand, isolate and answer customer objections, negotiate points and concerns. Practical methods of asking for agreement and closing a sale