629 Improv courses in Bristol

This very practical one-day IACCM-approved programme enables participants to manage the process of commercial contracting and contract management effectively and efficiently to ensure value for money, improved service, and appropriate relationships. It covers a wide range of contract types in terms of risk and value. The programme empowers participants with the tools and techniques needed to collaborate with all key stakeholders. By the end of the programme participants will be able to: Understand the total process of managing contracts Exploit opportunities to extract even more added value Develop appropriate relationships with contractors Understand and use a range of contracting strategies and options Measure and improve contract performance Understand the impact of legislation on contract performance 1 Welcome Introductions Aims and objectives Plan for the day 2 Contract management An overview of the contracting process, mapping the 'territory' 3 Contract managers Skills Knowledge Attributes Responsibilities 4 Critical success factors Defining successful outcomes Effective stakeholder engagement Creating a shared vision of the outcomes 5 Placing contracts How to develop an effective specification and scope of work documents How to develop a robust contracting strategy Appropriate types of contract 6 Customers and stakeholders Customer and stakeholder analysis Managing expectations and the 'shared vision' concept to ensure customer co-operation, satisfaction, and delight 7 Working with suppliers Creating and developing commercial relationships Types of relationship How to manage difficult relationships Contractor motivational issues How to use incentives 8 Negotiation and related skills Introduction to key negotiation skills Persuading and influencing skills to work with stakeholders to improve outcomes for all 9 Dealing with change Claims and variations How to challenge contractor claims and requests for variations by making use of contractual terms Specifications to prevent false claims 10 Performance improvement How to measure and improve contractor performance Developing KPI systems Using contractual terms and conditions and basic legal principles 11 Contract close The importance of effective contract close processes 12 Close Review of key learning points Personal action planning

Today's administrative professional needs flexibility and a broad portfolio of skills including self-motivation, assertiveness, and the ability to deal with difficult people. You will benefit from this course if you are an administrator, medical/legal secretary or PA, who wants to enhance your administrative support skills, as well as evaluating your existing techniques. This course will help you identify: your areas of strength and your areas for improvement in the work environment ways to accept new challenges and responsibilities with confidence what motivates you at work techniques to improve your planning and time management ways of improving your influencing and assertiveness skills your preferred working style (and relate it to your interaction with others) ways of using your initiative how to deal with challenging people, using recognised communication methods The course will help you develop a flexible set of skills that will allow you to succeed at work, no matter what the day throws at you. It will help you communicate effectively with a diverse range of colleagues and others with tact and diplomacy. And, finally, it will help you provide the administrative support that is essential for the smooth running of your area and of the organisation as a whole. 1 Introduction Overview Introductions Individual objectives 2 What exactly is your role? Before looking at new skills and techniques, where are you now? Do you have the skills, knowledge and attitude required to be an exceptional administrator? Understand your job criteria Identifying your strengths and areas for development Activity - skills analysis Activity - action plan 3 Building trust How can you build trust? Understanding the links between reliability, consistency and trust What is required to deliver efficient service? Activity: efficient service requirements of the professional administrator 4 Working styles Identifying your working style preference Understanding the importance of a flexible approach Identifying areas of improvement to become a more effective team member Activity: Questionnaire (completing, scoring and charting) Activity: drawbacks of my style Developing your working style 5 Assertiveness Understand the differences between behaviours Activity: Definition and characteristics of assertive / aggressive / passive behaviour Activity: Identifying different behaviours Understanding how to be more assertive How to use assertiveness techniques How to ask for feedback Activity: Making requests assertively Activity: Refusing requests assertively 6 Time management The importance of planning for success The importance of managing interruptions The importance of having clear purpose Time management best practices Activity: How do you plan your time? What prevents you improving your time management? How will you recognise success? 7 Prioritisation How to prioritise work to meet deadlines The prioritisation matrix Activity: Post it! 8 Dealing with interruptions The impact interruptions have on productivity How to manage interruptions Activity: What interruptions do you experience? What tactics can be employed to reduce these interruptions? 9 Close Open forum Summary Action planning

This two-day programme gives the key insights and understanding of contracting principles and the impact they have on business and operations. The course is designed for individuals involved in or supporting contracting who want to improve their commercial management skills; individuals in functions such as project management, business development, finance, operations who need practical training in commercial management; general audiences wanting to gain a basic understanding of commercial management. This is an assessed programme, leading to the International Association for Contracts & Commercial Management (IACCM)'s coveted Contract and Commercial Management Associate (CCMA) qualification. The programme addresses 31 different subject areas, across the five stages of the contracting process. By the end of the course the participants will be able, among other things, to: Develop robust contract plans, including scope of work and award strategies Conduct effective contracting activities, including ITT, RFP, negotiated outcomes Negotiate effectively with key stakeholders, making use of the key skills of persuading and influencing and to work with stakeholders to improve outcomes Set up and maintain contract management systems Take a proactive approach to managing contracts Make effective use of lessons learned to promote improvements from less than optimal outcomes, using appropriate templates Develop and monitor appropriate and robust Key Performance Indicators to manage the contractor and facilitate improved performance Understand the approvals process and how to develop and present robust propositions Make appropriate use of best practice contract management tools, techniques and templates DAY ONE 1 Introductions Aims Objectives Plan for the day 2 Commercial context Explaining the contracting context Define the key objective The importance of contact management Impact upon the business 3 Stakeholders How to undertake stakeholder mapping and analysis Shared vision concept, How to engage with HSE, Finance, Operations 4 Roles and responsibilities Exploring the key roles and responsibilities of contract administrators, HSE, Finance, Divisional managers, etc 5 Initiating the contract cycle Overview of the contracting cycle Requirement to tender Methods Rationale and exceptions 6 Specifications Developing robust scope of works Use of performance specifications Output based SOW 7 Strategy and award criteria Developing a robust contract strategy Award submissions/criteria 8 Managing the tender process Review the pre-qualification process Vendor registration rules and processes Creation of bidder lists Evaluation, short listing, and how to use of the 10Cs© model template and app 9 Types of contract Classify the different types of contracts Call-offs Framework agreement Price agreements Supply agreements 10 The contract I: price Understanding contract terms Methods of compensation Lump sum, unit price, cost plus, time and materials, alternative methods Cost plus a fee, target cost, gain share contracts Advanced payments Price escalation clauses DAY TWO 11 Risk How to manage risks Risk classification Mitigation of contractual risks 12 Contractor relationship management session Effectively managing relationships with contractors, Types of relationships Driving forces? Link between type of contract and style of relationship 13 Disputes Dealing with disputes Conflict resolution Negotiation Mediation Arbitration 14 Contract management Measuring and improving contract performance Using KPIs and SLAs Benchmarking Cost controls 15 The contract II: terms and conditions Contract terms and conditions Legal aspects Drafting special terms 16 Managing claims and variations How to manage contract and works variations orders Identifying the causes of variations Contractor claims process 17 Completion Contract close-out process Acceptance/completion Capture the learning/HSE Final payments, evaluation of performance 18 Close Review Final assessment

Generating new leads and new business can be both time-consuming and frustrating. It's not easy - it takes skill, careful preparation and the creation of effective models and methods, even perhaps using formal approaches and scripts. Once generated, a new lead or enquiry must also be carefully managed to maximise the potential revenue it can generate. But it's crucial to get it right. If your company can afford not to worry about getting new business - congratulations! If your company is completely confident that it is performing at peak potential in generating new leads - again, congratulations! But if your company is working in the real world, couldn't your team do with some help, to become even just that little bit more effective, to make the process just that little less painful? This highly practical, intensive workshop gives sales teams the proven strategies and tactics they need to build a sustainable new business pipeline. This course will help participants: Develop a clear and consistent process for new business development and lead-generation Master the secret of effective new business development and lead-generation - 'only sell the appointment or next stage of the sales process, not your product or service' Set and achieve the right level of new business development and lead-generation activity to achieve your personal and organisational sales goals Apply the key principles of effective prospecting and pipeline management using a proven toolkit and approach Overcome the most common 'put-offs' when conducting telephone or face-to-face business-development and lead-generation activities Develop an engaging telephone voice and manner - and a 'networking personality' Qualify potential opportunities with more accuracy on a consistent basis Prioritise opportunities and manage their time when sourcing new business Discover online sources of leads, contacts and referrals Overcome psychological blocks to cold or warm calling - theirs and the client's Identify potential prospects - and decision-makers and influencers within target prospects - with greater accuracy Make outbound sales or appointment calls with improved confidence, control and results Improve the conversion of calls to appointments by using more effective questions and sales messages Get past gatekeepers and assistants more effectively Make the most of your CRM software and systems 1 Online marketing - what works! Workshop overview and learning objectives Choosing your social media channels LinkedIn for sales and marketing Designing and implementing an effective new business email campaign online Creating a lead-generation strategy online - with case studies Avoiding common mistakes in social media marketing Case study: 'Best practice in social media sales and marketing' Using blogs and video-based marketing (eg, YouTube) New trends and how to keep your finger on the 'social media' pulse Twenty essential websites and online marketing tools 2 Making appointments by telephone Planning the call, telephone techniques, integrating with email and online marketing Developing a clear and consistent process to appointment-making Setting and achieving the right level of telephone activity to achieve your appointment goals Applying the key principles of effective prospecting and pipeline management generation, using a proven toolkit and approach Overcoming the most common 'put-offs' to seeing or engaging with you Overcoming psychological blocks to cold or warm calling - yours and the client's Identifying potential prospects - and decision-makers and influencers within target prospects - with greater accuracy Making outbound sales or appointment calls with improved confidence, control and results Improving conversion of calls to appointments by using more effective questions and sales messages The five keys to developing an engaging telephone voice and approaching manner 3 Power networking Strategies for networking and B2B referral-based marketing The importance, and different types, of networking How to work a room - preparation and strategy Communication dynamics in networking - the power of the listening networker Assumptions when networking Business networking etiquette Making connections, asking for cards, contact details and referrals, gaining follow-up commitments Building relationships - follow-up and follow-through 4 Developing new leads Strategies for first-time sales calls Gaining rapport and opening first-time and new business sales calls effectively Advanced consultative selling - questioning techniques to quickly and efficiently uncover opportunities, need areas and preferences Presenting your solution to a new or first-time customer - creating an enthusiastic and compelling personalised and persuasive summary of your proposal Value message - differentiate your solutions clearly and accurately, with tailored value statements Presenting the right initial USPs, features and benefits and making them relevant and real to the customer Smart ways to position price, emphasise value and be a strong player without being the cheapest or leading on price Learn and use advanced techniques to determine customer needs, value and decision-making criteria in depth on a first-time call 5 Organised persistence - CRM and prospect-tracking Organised persistence - sales tracking, following up on 'sleeping' customers, gaining referrals, time and territory management Maintaining a good database for maximising new business ROI Developing a contact strategy with different types and levels of contact Analysing your contact base using state-of-the-art software and tools Making the most of your CRM systems and solutions Understanding that your attitude makes a difference when sourcing new business Setting SMART objectives for new business development and lead-generation Practical exercise - setting personal development and business goals Time management tips to improve daily productivity New business pipeline management strategies for peak sales performance 6 Workshop summary and close Practical exercise - developing your new business action plan Review and feedback

This is an incredibly practical programme which has been developed to enable participants to improve their memory skills. The session focuses on specific techniques that can be used to improve retention of information. It also introduces the principles of mind-mapping By the end of this programme participants will be able to: Explain how our brain processes and stores information Describe the difference between short-term and long-term memory Use specific techniques to improve retention Explain the principles of mind mapping Be able to use mind maps to plan and order information Each participant, no matter how poor they believe their memory to be, will by the close of the session have learnt techniques that enable them to memorise 53 items in a prescriptive order - a massive boost to their confidence in their memory skills. 1 An introduction to the brain's functions Introductory brain-training How the brain works Left / right brain function Short-term and long-term memory Barriers to a good memory 2 Memory techniques Tips and techniques for improving memory Basic word association Chaining and linking Touchstone techniques Use of mnemonics Memory hooks Remembering names 3 Maximising memory Minimising barriers The importance of sleep and diet Supplements which may affect memory 4 Mind-mapping Purpose and principles Creating a mind map Use of colour to delight the eye and tickle the brain How to use the output from a map

The importance of building services to the success of an organisation has never been greater and continues to grow. Developers and occupiers are becoming more aware of the contribution that building services make to the well being of occupants and hence their perception of the quality of the working environment. Those involved with the design, construction, maintenance and operation will increasingly be required to deliver building services that demonstrable contribution to the occupier's business. Energy efficiency, carbon management and occupant satisfaction depend substantially on the way building services are designed, managed and operated. To optimise these aspects, an informed strategic approach is essential. Tried and tested techniques and processes are available that, when applied holistically, will deliver substantial benefits. This course reviews best practice in the area and inspires participants to ensure that building services perform at their optimal level. To provide a better understanding of how building services can be designed, managed and operated to: Maximise occupant comfort, satisfaction and wellbeing Add value and contribute to the success of the business of the occupier Improve health safety Reduce operating cost, energy use, carbon emissions and environmental impact Optimise cost and value Provide strategies for continuous improvement and sustainable operation 1 Building services fundamentals The function of services in commercial buildings and their importance to the core business 2 Techniques and processes for optimising cost and value Programmed operation evaluation Continuous commissioning Lifetime product management Performance-based service Energy efficiency and the scope for environmental improvement 3 Making the business case and preparing the strategy Motivating decision-makers Empowering those who have to deliver the results Managing business risk 4 Strategy implementation and monitoring results Ensuring that rich and robust feedback is available to support continuous improvement and strategy enhancementWhen to get feedbackWhyHowWhat to do with it 5 Case histories and 'air time' Sharing experience and addressing specific issues of interest to participants Course review Close

An insightful, enjoyable and experiential programme to help you analyse data and information and make a balanced decision based upon sound commercial reasoning. It will enable you to identify options, make decisions and take actions based on a thorough analysis combined with instinct and intuition to make a positive effect on profitability. This programme will help you: Identify ways to analyse data and sort relevant from irrelevant information Develop analytical and numerate thinking, and consider the financial implications of a decision Make decisions based on sound commercial reasoning - a mix of intuition and analysis Select from a range of tools to analyse a situation and apply these effectively Understand how costs and profits are calculated Use tried-and-tested techniques to manage and control your budgets Appreciate the fundamentals of financial analysis Focus on the bottom line Identify the basics of capital investment appraisal for your business Evaluate results and seek opportunities for improvement to your business 1 The commercial environment What do shareholders and investors want? What do managers want? Profit v non-profit organisations Investor expectations 2 Financial and non-financial information Risk and reward considerations Drivers of commercial decisions 3 Running a business A practical exercise to bring financial statements to life Different stakeholder interests in a business The impact and consequences of decisions on financial statements 4 Where do I make a difference to the organisation? How can I contribute to an improved business performance? Key performance indicators - measuring the right things A 'balanced scorecard' approach - it's not all about money! 5 A 'balanced scorecard' approach Analysing and reviewing my contribution to the business direction What is the current focus of my commercial decisions? Developing the business in the right way - getting the balance right! Where should/could it be in the future? Do my decisions support the overall vision and strategy? 6 Making commercial decisions Left-brain and right-brain thinking Convergent and divergent thinking Analysis and instinct Interactive case study exercise - emotional and rational decisions Reflection - what is my style of making decisions 7 Let's consider the customer! Identifying target markets Differentiating propositions and products Customer service considerations Marketing considerations and initiatives Pricing strategies and considerations 8 Strategic analysis The external environment The internal environment LEPEST analysis SWOT analysis Forecasting Group activity - analysing markets and the competition How do these improve your decisions? 9 Comparing performance Analysing key financial ratios Ways to compare performance and results Break-even analysis 10 Profit and loss accounts and budgeting Managing income and expenditure The budgeting process How does this link to the profit and loss account? Managing and controlling a cost centre/budget The role of the finance department Different ways of budgeting Incremental budgeting Zero-based budgeting 11 Understanding the balance sheet Purpose of balance sheets Understanding and navigating the content What does a balance sheet tell you? How do you affect your balance sheet? Links to the profit and loss account A practical team exercise that brings financial statements to life 12 Business decisions exercise How does this improve your decisions? A practical exercise to apply new knowledge and bring commercial thinking to to life The impact and consequences of decisions on financial statements 13 Working capital Why is this important? The importance of keeping cash flowing Business decisions that affect cash Calculating profit 14 Capital investment appraisal Capex v Opex Payback Return on investment The future value of money The concept of hurdle rate 15 Lessons learned and action planning So what? Recap and consolidation of learning The decisions that I need to consider Actions to achieve my plan

Businesses that don't control their costs don't stay in business. How well are you doing? Is everyone in your organisation sufficiently aware of costs, managing them effectively and maximising opportunities to reduce them? If there is scope for improvement, this course will help get you back on track. It will demonstrate that cost reduction is so much more than cost control and cost cutting. True cost management is about being aware of costs, seeking to reduce them through good design and efficient operating practices whilst taking continuing action on overspending. This course will develop the participants' skills in: Being aware of costs at all times Seeking cost reduction from the start (including life-cycle costing) Appraising projects / production to identify and take out risk Understanding real budgeting Using techniques such as ZBB and ABC where appropriate Ensuring cost reports lead to action Managing a cost reduction process that delivers Benefits to the organisation will include: Identification of cost reduction and business improvement opportunities Better reporting and ownership of costs Greater awareness and control of everyday costs 1 Introduction - the cost management process The risks of poor cost control Capital and revenue costs The importance of cost awareness The importance of cost reduction Cost management - the key aspects How to build a cost management and control process checklist for your areas of responsibility 2 Cost removal - taking out costs Cost awareness Costs of poor design / poor processes Value engineering Removing redundant costs 3 The need for commercial, technical and financial appraisals Understand the problems before cash is committed and costs incurred Making the effort to identify commercial and technical risk The time value of money - DCF techniques for long term projects Cost models for production processes and projects Costing models - project appraisals The use of spreadsheets to identify sensitivity and risk How to focus on risk management 4 Budgeting - proper budgeting challenges costs The philosophy of the business - are costs an issue? The importance of having the right culture The need for detailed business objectives Budgetary control measures Designing budget reports - for action 5 Zero-based budgeting (ZBB) - the principles Much more than starting with a clean sheet of paper What ZBB can achieve The concept of decision packages - to challenge business methods and costs Only necessary costs should be incurred A review of an operating budget - demonstrating what ZBB challenges and the costs it may lead to being taken out 6 Awareness of overheads and other costs Definitions of cost - direct and indirect Dealing with overheads - what is meant by allocation, absorption or apportionment? The apparent and real problems with overheads Different ways of dealing with overheads Review of overhead allocation methods and accounting and reporting issues 7 Overheads and product costing Activity-based costing (ABC) - the principles Where and how the ABC approach may be helpful Know the 'true' cost of a product or a project Should you be in business? Will you stay in business? Identifying weaknesses in a traditional overhead allocation How ABC will help improve product or service costing Identifying which products and activities should be developed and which abandoned 8 Cost reduction culture The need for cost reports What measures can be used to identify over-spends as early as possible Cost control performance measures and ratios 9 Design of cost control reports Reports should lead to action and deliver Selecting cost control measures which can be acted upon Practice in designing action reports 10 Course summary - developing your own cost action plan Group and individual action plans will be prepared with a view to participants identifying their cost risks areas and the techniques which can be immediately applied to improve costing and reduce costs

Are your sales people too stressed, running on adrenalin, perhaps driving towards burnout, struggling to reach targets? Wouldn't you rather they delivered consistently good performance, sustainable over longer periods of time, with less stress (for both them and you)? This uniquely empowering workshop will help your team develop naturally high levels of focus, energy and motivation. They will attain a sense of grounded euphoria, giving them a very distinct and ethical edge in selling. A one-day programme, it gives salespeople an introduction to the 'Natural Superheroes' concepts and resources, tools and techniques, to help them improve their sales performance - realising greater sales potential, developing deeper and more profitable client relationships, winning more business. Through this experience, sales teams gain: Information about profiling clients to instantly understand more about their deepest drives and true needs so they can be genuinely met and, where possible, exceeded Insights into deep, honest and very 'real' reasons for sales procrastination - participants are given specific workable strategies they can easily apply to overcome sales resistance, by tapping their natural motivational styles An understanding of communicating at the very highest levels with different people so they truly understand your sales message and have a significantly more positive sales experience A realisation of their very specific natural sales talents as individuals and as a team A deeper level of experience and understanding of what specifically drives their own behaviour and the behaviour of their clients - these unique insights explain not only how but exactly why people behave the way they do An experience of what it takes to be unshakeable under pressure and manage the sales processes and relationships to a positive outcome for all Brand-new insights into working with and handling difficult people across all levels of authority An understanding of the pitfalls and the psychological traps we set ourselves which cause unnecessary stress, anxiety and frustration on a daily basis and, in turn, limit our sales performance Access to very simple and practical tools that massively increase self-awareness, engender accountability and responsibility and develop emotional sales mastery 1 Introducing 'Natural Superheroes' for sales What is a 'Natural Superhero'? Defining emotional intelligence in the context of sales and why it is so important Knowing yourself - why most people don't know themselves at all and how we can understand exactly what drives our behaviour for the purpose of improving sales performance specifically Knowing exactly why others, and specifically clients and team members, behave the way they do - understanding the real motives behind people's good and bad behaviour in a sales meeting Simple steps to freeing yourself of any anxiety, pressure and false sense of limitation when selling Being yourself in sales - why this is not as easy as it sounds but how you can make it effortless How to take control of achieving the sales performance you really need and want for yourself and others Strategies that raise your self-awareness, increase an authentic and sustainable sense of self-confidence, in difficult situations and in moments of crisis 2 Understanding yourself, your team members and your customers - using the Enneagram Introducing the Enneagram and why it is so valuable to sales people and their clients Exploring the 9 types of motivational drives and why people have different reasons for buying from you Core types and wings - understanding the influence of other motivations either side of the core Enneagram type How to confirm the profile of your client - using celebrities from the world of politics, cinema, sports - we explore how to identify each type - what are their core drives, why have they arisen and how can we use these insights to help you in improving your sales performance The 3 levels of behaviour within your personal profile and that of your clients Lookalike Enneagram types - mistaken identities - how to avoid these traps when profiling your clients and your team How to communicate effectively in a sales environment with each of the different Enneagram types - communication strategies for positive impact on morale, performance and, ultimately, sales results How to interpret and make use of the results of your online personal profile - participants complete an online profile before the event and have the opportunity to analyse their results with a view to improving their sales performance How sales teams sabotage their own performance and that of other people within the team - and how to stop it Uncovering your particular edge in a sales role - what unconsciously trips you up as a sales person? How the Enneagram helps us in sustaining a truly great sales performance over time 3 Why positive thinking alone doesn't work in sales Why 'PMA' does not stand for positive mental attitude when selling - learn its alternative meaning that can serve you even more effectively in a sales role 3 steps and exercises that naturally increase PMA The value of making unconscious thinking conscious and how to do this without any pain or discomfort in a sales meeting Why each Enneagram type has a different experience of PMA in terms of their outward behaviour and how to know when you are maximising your sales performance 4 Measuring success How to measure the development of your individual profile as a sales person Development planning and review Into the future - how to continue your Natural Superhero development

Recognising the value of, and practising, clear and open communication at all levels is the first step to improving performance, whether at an individual, team, management, leadership or organisational level. We all know this, but why is it so difficult? This unique programme will make it much, much easier for you by giving you a robust framework to use - and the opportunity to practise your skills in a safe, supportive environment. It will help you have conversation that deliver tangible results. The programme will help you: Overcome the barriers to effective performance conversations Handle feedback conversations effectively Improve working relationships with your staff Set 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 The feedback conversation Dealing with the impact of feedback conversations 3 Preparing for conflict 4 Effective working relationships 5 The expectations conversation 6 The targets conversation 7 Your communication styles 8 Planning and preparing for an honest conversation 9 Giving and receiving feedback skills