745 Business courses in Manchester

We need to talk openly about how we are performing and we sometimes need to have an 'honest' conversation with our manager. We all know this, but it can be difficult. This short, focused workshop will give you the confidence and skills to have a conversation with your manager (or anyone else for that matter) about your performance and how you can add value. It will focus on how to get yourself heard and build better working relationships with those key to your success. The programme will help you: Overcome the barriers to effective performance conversations Receive feedback without taking it personally Improve working relationships with your manager Agree realistic expectations and targets (and get 'buy-in' for them) Improve your communication style Plan and prepare for honest conversations in the workplace 1 What is an honest conversation? Why don't we have them more often? What stops us? The cost of not having them 2 Asking for feedback 3 Preparing for challenge 4 The expectations conversation 5 Your communication styles 6 Planning and preparing for an honest conversation

The 'golden rule' of negotiation is simple - don't! But life's rarely that simple and very often we do have to negotiate, particularly if we want to win the business and especially if we want to win it on our terms. Such negotiations are crucial. We need to prepare for them. We need a strategy, and the skills to execute it. Does your team have a structured approach? Is it flawlessly executed, every time? Or is there room for improvement? This programme will help them master the six fundamentals of closing better business: Manage all these elements well and you will win more business, more profitably. This course will help participants: Negotiate from a position of partnership, not competition Deal more effectively and profitably with price objections Identify and practise successful sales negotiating skills Identify strengths and weaknesses as a sales negotiator Understand different types of buyer behaviour Learn to recognise negotiating tactics and stances Apply a new and proven structure to their business negotiations Identify and adapt for different behavioural styles Be alert to unconscious (non-verbal) communication Prepare and present a proposal at a final business negotiation stage Project confidence and exercise assertiveness in all sales negotiations 1 Planning for successful business negotiations This session introduces the concept of business negotiation and looks at its importance in the context of the participants' roles and activities. It briefly examines why we negotiate and the dynamics involved. Session highlights: What kind of a negotiator are you? Negotiation skills self-assessment and best practice How to establish roles and responsibilities for both parties How to identify and set objectives for both buyer and seller How to research and establish the other person's position (business negotiation stance) 2 How to structure your negotiations This module presents an eight-step framework or structure for use in negotiations and considers how best to prepare and plan your negotiations within the context of a supplier/customer relationship or business cycle. It also includes a brief review of legal responsibilities and what constitutes a 'deal'. Session highlights: Learn and apply a formal structure to use when negotiating How to establish short- and longer-term objectives and opportunities How best to plan, prepare and co-ordinate a major business negotiation meeting, or on-going negotiations Understanding of basic legal and organisational requirements 3 Verbal negotiation skills This session examines the human and communication dynamics inherent in any negotiation situation. It emphasises the importance of professional skills in preparing for a negotiation by identifying needs, wants and requirements accurately and by qualifying the competitive and organisational influences present. Session highlights: How to fully 'qualify' the other party's needs, requirements and constraints during the negotiation process by using advanced questioning and listening skills How to pre-empt negotiation objections by promoting and gaining commitment to options, benefits, value and solutions How best to propose and suggest ideas, using drawing-out skills 4 Non-verbal negotiation skills This module highlights how different personal styles, corporate cultures and organisation positions can influence events, and demonstrates practical methods for dealing with and controlling these factors. It also examines key principles of body language and non-verbal communication in a practical way. Session highlights: Gaining rapport and influencing unconsciously Understanding the importance of non-verbal communication; reading other people's meaning and communicating effectively as a result Ensure that non-verbal behaviour is fully utilised and observed to create maximum impact and monitor progress (eg, buying signals) Recognising that business negotiations are precisely structured and agreements gained incrementally 5 Proposing and 'packaging' This session highlights how best to present and package your proposal. It looks at how to pre-empt the need for negotiating by creating minor-options and 'bargaining' points, as well as how to manage the expectations and perceptions of the customer or buyer. Session highlights: How to identify the key variables that can be negotiated The power and use of 'authority' within your negotiations How to structure and present your proposal, ideas or quotation to best effect The importance of when and how to identify and influence buyer's objections 6 Dealing with price This module highlights how to best present and package price within your proposal or negotiation. In most cases, price has more to do with psychology than affordability and preparation and careful handling are essential. Session highlights: The three reasons that people will pay your asking price How to set price in a competitive market The key differences between selling and negotiating Ten ways to present price more effectively and persuasively 7 Getting to 'Yes': tactics and strategies There are many different tactics and strategies common to successful negotiators. This session looks at those that are most appropriate to the participants' own personal styles and situations. The importance of 'follow-through' is also explained and how to deal with protracted or 'stale-mate' business negotiations. Session highlights: How to negotiate price and reduce discounting early in the process How to recognise negotiating tactics and strategies in your customer or supplier Key strategies, techniques and tactics to use in negotiation The importance of follow-through and watching the details How to deal with stalled business negotiations or competitor 'lock-out' 8 Case studies and review This session examines a number of different situations and participants discuss ways to approach each. This will allow learning to be consolidated and applied in a very practical way. There will also be a chance to have individual points raised in a question and answer session. Session highlights: Case studies Question and answer Planning worksheet Negotiation 'toolkit' and check-list 9 Personal action plans Session highlights: Identify the most important personal learning points from the programme Highlight specific actions and goals Flag topics for future personal development and improvement

This intensive one-day IACCM-approved programme helps participants develop the skills, knowledge and competencies required to plan for and carry out effective negotiations in a range of different environments. By the end of the programme participants will be able to: Understand the basic concepts of negotiation and how it adds value to the organisation Recognise the stages of negotiation and the skills required at each stage Make use of tried-and-tested negotiation planning tools Apply a range of negotiation tools and techniques to support the organisation in obtaining value for money, quality and fit-for-purpose outcomes Set negotiation objectives Appreciate the importance of interpersonal skills in maximising the opportunities for reaching win/win agreements 1 Welcome Introductions Aims and objectives Plan for the day 2 Why negotiate? Understanding the negotiation context Negotiating with suppliers Negotiating with stakeholders 3 Understanding the process The phases of negotiation and what to do in each phase Before During After 4 Planning Appreciating the importance of planning Different approaches Identifying the key variables Setting objectives for each of them Practical negotiation planning exercise 5 Doing The key skills required, Communication Numeracy empathy Applying these skills in a role play: practical exercise 6 Close Review of key learning points Personal action planning

This very practical workshop has a simple objective: to help you prepare, design and deliver memorable and high-quality presentations. This programme will help you: Use a proven, structured tool-kit when designing and developing presentations Benefit from short cuts and best practice when designing and using Powerpoint presentations Select the right information, examples, exercises and activities - and use them well Prepare and structure a presentation or session appropriate to the audience, and to best achieve your objectives Maintain audience or group interest Develop and practise presentation skills to improve your voice tone, speech power and body language Use practical methods to control nerves and anxiety - develop higher levels of confidence and credibility Command a room, hold attention and create a high impact 1 Introduction Personal objectives Key messages and learning objectives of the workshop 2 Presentation skills What does good look like? Exercise: Characteristics of high/low impact presentations Presenting yourself as a 'winner' The energy / attitude model Exercise: Being a winner 3 Preparation skills - eight steps to preparing a great presentation, plus Powerpoint tips •The magic circle• How to 'assume the role' when presenting• The eight steps• Step 1 - develop your objectives- The five questions that you must answer before preparing your presentation- Defining your objectives and outcomes- Creating a first draft- Step 1 exercise• Step 2 - analyse your audience- Doing your homework: audience, event, venue- Developing a pre-event check-list- Methods and means for researching your audience- Step 2 exercise• Steps 3 and 4 - structure the main body of your presentation and state the main ideas- Ways to structure your presentation for maximum impact- Balancing and managing content and topics- Organising your information: 6 options and methods- Your 'one main point' and creating a 30-second summary- Steps 3 and 4 exercises• Step 5 - decide on supporting information, using the toolkit- Making your case convincing: ways to support your claims- Selecting and using relevant and interesting examples- Quotes, case studies and printed material- Presenting statistics, tables and graphs- Ways of maintaining visual interest- Transitions and links, creating a 'golden thread'- Step 5 exercise: Creating compelling stories and anecdotes4• Step 6 - create an effective 'opening'- Claiming the stage and creating a good first impression- The three most powerful ways of opening a presentation- The five elements of a strong opening- Step 6 exercise: Participants work individually to prepare an opening, focusing onpersonal introduction, and then deliver to the group, with structured feedback• Step 7 - develop transitions- Step 7 exercise / examples• Step 8 - create an effective close- Signalling and sign-posting; the importance of, and how to do it effectively- Five ways to close a presentation successfully- Step 8 exercise / examples• Presentation design and Powerpoint- An interactive review of participants' own real-life past presentations and advanced tipsand techniques on using Powerpoint effectively 4 Facilitation skills The three main types of group activity - triads, teams and main group How to select the right activity, define the objectives, set it up and run the debrief Using energisers - with examples Exercise: Dealing with 'difficult' behaviours Exercise: Working in triads, design and deliver 5 Tips and tricks: presentation and facilitation 10 reasons why facilitation fails Five golden rules for success Defining the session goals and the facilitation plan Open and closed questions - why and when to use Using a 'car park' to manage unresolved issues Using AV aids - tips and tricks Exercises: Including participants working in pairs to prepare a short section form of one of their own presentations 6 Putting it all together Summary of key learning points Action plan

If your organisation manages contractors then your staff need to understand the health and safety issues. This course is the answer. The expert trainer will set out clearly the legal responsibilities of all relevant parties and explore the practical application of these responsibilities with the course participants. The course will then examine the issues associated with the planning of work to be contracted out and the evaluation, selection, control and monitoring of contractors engaged to undertake the work. Although the main focus is on health and safety, the course will also explain how health and safety issues need to be integrated into your organisation's functional management processes to ensure effective control of contractors. The course will consider all types of contracted activities, including construction and maintenance, cleaning, security, plant installation, etc. This programme will give participants: A clear understanding of the organisation's legal responsibilities for managing contractors The information they need to assess the competence of contractors A practical understanding of risk assessment principles and the transfer of risk to contractors A step-by-step guide to the key aspects of managing contractors in practice, covering:Planning of the workSelecting contractorsHandover prior to work commencementDuring the workReviewing the work on completion Practical guidance on the integration of health and safety controls into organisational procedures for contractor management 1 Introduction Who are contractors? Why manage contractors? Different types of contractors Costs of poor contractor performance 2 Overview of health and safety law and liability Health and safety law and statutory duties Relevance of civil and criminal law Enforcement and prosecution 3 Relevant legislation for controlling contractors Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 (as amended, 2007) Other relevant legislation Contract law 4 Managing contractors in practice Exercise - how well is it happening? The objectives Five step approachPlanning of the workSelecting contractorsHandover prior to work commencementDuring the workReviewing the work on completion 5 Planning the work Scope and extent Risk assessment Interface and other activities Who controls what? Contract arrangements 6 Selecting the right contractor(s) Locating contractor organisations Selection the right contractors Assessing contractor competence Approved lists/frameworks Tender process 7 Pre-work commencement Co-ordination and co-operation Exchange of information Contractor risk assessments and method statements Permits to work Case study exercise 8 During contract work Communication and liaison Supervision and inspection of the work Inspection and reporting procedures Security issues Facilities and access 9 Reviewing work on completion Why, what and how? Achieving continuous improvement in contractor performance 10 Questions, discussion and review

Our telephone training takes place in your normal working situation, using the actual telephones and software, and the programming software clients that trainees will use when fully trained. Our trainers will travel anywhere in the world to train you face to face, or if you prefer, we can offer our whole training catalogue remotely using Teams or Zoom. On-site and live remote telecoms training sessions have a general reputation as most effective for trainees to continue to efficiently carry out their telecoms usage, programming and own in-house training of future new employees. On-site training involves employees training at their place of work while they are doing their actual job, or in pre-organised classroom training sessions, based around hands-on interaction, trainer Q&A and all carried out using your own site telephone system. Our telephone trainers also offer consultations on your new or current telephone systems: looking into how you currently use your system, making suggestions on how programming could be tweaked and changed to improve your current usage, how to improve on call handling methods, and informing you of additional products which may be available on your system that you may not be aware of. This could help improve the level of communication across your company and interactions with your customers. We believe telephone handset and voicemail training sessions are essential to the smooth and efficient running of your company, making sure your staff are aware of all the features and benefits that the telephone handsets can offer, and ensuring calls are dealt with quickly and effectively. System administration training is available to teach new administrators how to manage and control a variety of system features. This type of training is especially important when new administrators have little or no previous telecom knowledge or experience, but it is equally important at all levels to ensure the new system is utilised to its maximum capability. Administration days or Call Centre Software training days take one full day to complete. Full Day Example: 9:30 - 16:00 Day Structure  09:30 - 10:45 Handset & VM session for up to 8 people 10:45 - 12:00 Handset & VM session for up to 8 people 12:00 - 12:45 Lunch  12:45 - 14:00 Handset & VM session for up to 8 people 14:00 - 15:15 Handset & VM session for up to 8 people 15:15 - 16:30 Handset & VM session for up to 8 people Half Day Example: 9:30 - 13:00 Switchboard training takes half a day (3-4 hours for up to 3 people). If you want to train more than 3 people, you may need to extend the day to a full day, to ensure everyone gets to have hands-on training on the switchboard. Super Users and Train the Trainer Sessions Super User sessions can also be organised to show advanced system features in order to provide an ongoing training service to their colleagues, once the trainers have left the site.

Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) is commonly used to help establish safe minimum levels of maintenance, determine changes to operating procedures and help establish maintenance regimes and plans. Successful implementation can result in cost savings, machine uptime and improved risk management. But the devil's in the detail - how can you achieve these benefits and successfully implement RCM in your organisation? This programme will help you do just that. Note: this is a purely indicative outline. The content, duration, objectives and material used can all be adapted to match your specific requirements. To provide a better understanding of RCM, particularly: What, why, how and who? Opportunities and benefits Risks Cost effectiveness Note: this is a purely indicative outline. The content, duration, objectives and material used can all be adapted to match your specific requirements. 1 What is maintenance? Why maintain? Traditional maintenance methods Common current practices and trends 2 What is Reliability Centred Maintenance? Its history Its development Current usage Where can it be cost-effective? 3 How does it work? Basic features Key criteria Maintenance options Key outcomes 4 Making the business case and preparing the strategy Identifying and quantifying current risks Identifying and quantifying current costs Motivating decision-makers Identifying and empowering those who have to deliver the results Educating / gaining buy-in from interested parties 5 Implementation Identify business functions Prioritise functions Verify correct usage Identify failure modes Identify the consequences of failure Understand the failure process Specify the appropriate maintenance action(s) 6 Ongoing requirements Monitoring Recording Analysis Continuous re-evaluation 7 Open discussion Sharing experience and addressing specific issues of interest to participants Course review Close

Effective communication is a skill. This half-day workshop is very interactive - participants can practise their communication skills in a positive, supportive environment. 1 Welcome, introductions and objectives The definition of effective communication Exercise: sending a message 2 Verbal communications Effective communicators - who are they? What skills or attributes do they have? Listening skills, clear use of words, presence, eye contact, body language 3 How good a listener are you? Exercise: listening skills questionnaire and evaluation 4 Impact versus intent - what did you really mean to say? Attitudes influence behaviour and behaviour breeds behaviour Exercise: 'I never said she stole money' The need to avoid misunderstanding or misinterpretation 5 The 5 key principles to effective communication Exercise: 'What would you say?' 6 Written communication What makes an effective written communication? Kipling's 6 Honest Men: who, what, where, when, why and how Planning to write an email 7 Fuzzy meanings Probabilities for misunderstandings and misinterpretations 8 Practical exercise Hone written communication skills and put into practice hints and tips from the session 9 Review of key learning points and objectives

This 2-day workshop is offered with an internal and external focus. Day 1 will focus on building your internal network and relationships by focusing on your personal network, your brand, influencing skills and perceptions. Day 2 focuses on your external relationships with suppliers, patient groups etc. This will focus on assertiveness, outcome rather than relationship focus, and influencing and negotiating skills. DAY ONE 1 Can you succeed by yourself? 2 Relationship awareness theory 3 The Strengths Deployment Inventory / Your FACET5 profile 4 Building rapport 5 Influencing power bases 6 Active listening 7 Building your personal internal network 8 Perceptions 9 Your brand DAY TWO 3 Preparing for conflict 2 The negotiation conversation 1 Your stakeholders and what they want from you 4 Influencing others 5 Your communication approaches for success 6 Emotional Intelligence 7 The trust model 8 Knowing your outcomes

Where should management effort be directed? In controlling costs and ensuring proper engineering in live projects? - yes, of course, but true cost control comes by understanding, eliminating and minimising risk prior to a business committing any funds. This course studies the stages required for practical financial and business appraisals of projects and capital expenditure. This course has two primary objectives: To impart the knowledge and skills required to ensure as risk-free as possible expenditure of that scarce resource, cash - the investors', governments' or shareholders' money must not be squandered To improve the quality of the appraisal process in the widest sense - demonstrating how the process of project and capital expenditure appraisal can be used to dramatically improve cost control and deliver as risk-free as possible expenditure As a result of the course, participants will be able to: Understand the economics of appraisal Be in control of their projects from the start Understand the economics of their projects - and devise the most appropriate mode Carry out sensitivity analysis and identify risk Improve their methods of appraisal and approach Focus on the risk areas and take out risk and control costs before they over-run The benefits of attending this course will be demonstrable from day one. Thorough appraisals and risk assessment follow through to success in project management and detailed cost control and project management. 1 Introduction Why appraise? Taking risk out of investment The short- and long-term results of not appraising business expenditure 2 Developing an appraisal process The process - overall and stage-by-stage objectives Understand business and technical risks Manage resources and time Do you invest enough time and effort at this stage? Take out the risks - control costs before you are committed to contracts and action Checklists 3 Appraisal arithmetic Review of the arithmetic of appraisalThe time value of moneyThe effects of different interest or required ratesThe effects of inflation (or deflation) in prices and costs Understanding the economics of appraisal is essential 4 Appraisal measures Meaning and use of appraisal measures Identifying the most appropriate measures for your particular business Payback Discounted cash flow measures - NPV and IRR Other measures - FW, AW, Profitability Index The meaning of the measures and their application in practice 5 Cost benefit analysis The effect on decision-making of more intangible benefits Cost benefit analysis Ensuring costs are genuine Measuring intangible benefits Environmental issues Consideration of intangible benefits in the appraisal decision-making process 6 Developing appropriate models Developing models - examples of spreadsheet models and measures for many different situations Modelling investment opportunities - summarising outcomes Sensitivity analysis - identifying, quantifying and taking out risk 7 Developing an appraisal process The process - managing risk from the outset Using the process in risk management, negotiating and project management Take out risk by thoroughly knowing your project - developing your own process