606 Courses in Coventry

Our team of Construction industry experts provide business management training for leaders and business owners across England and Scotland CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY SPECIFIC Construction Business Growth Academy The Power Within Training is dedicated to helping construction-based business owners and construction management throughout England, Scotland, and Wales achieve more than they believed possible. Our construction business training is designed to develop owner-managers and help them create the future they want. To ensure business growth, we have a dedicated team of industry professionals to give unique support specific to the skills, traits, and challenges found within Construction. This programme was created to help you push and elevate your business to the next level. Contact us to register for our construction business training. Explore Our Construction Business Growth Course We created the Business Growth Academy for business owners like you to grow and develop their businesses in a more controlled and sustainable way. To ensure growth, our construction business training is a series of six training modules focused on business growth, leadership, and financial management. Most of our participants are business owners looking to get the tools needed to spend more time working on their business while generating more profitability to ensure consistent business growth. The Power Within Training uses the latest business growth strategies, which allow you to identify, modify and quickly implement our easy-to-follow business-building tools and techniques designed around the construction and property development industry. Whether you are a business owner or an aspiring construction and property development entrepreneur, our Construction Management Course will provide the tools and techniques to drive your business forward and achieve sustainable growth. Join us at the Business Growth Academy and unlock your full potential. The Goal of Our Construction Management Training Our goal with this training is to provide you with the tools you need to take control of your business. This allows you to use the latest strategies and ensure the smooth growth of your construction business. The construction management training we offer is a three-month course with new modules available twice monthly, delivered via Zoom or in person. These modules are designed to work around your schedule. After, you’ll have a 39-hour CPD certification thanks to our CITB skills & training courses. Overall, our fully funded construction management training will help you place the proper foundation, allowing you to build a more substantial and focused business that’s centred around constant growth and profits while future-proofing your business. BUSINESS GROWTH ACADEMY The Benefit of Our Business Growth Academy As you go through our training, you’ll delve into each module and the critical steps and tools. These include how to plan, organize, and control construction operations, all designed to provide you with a well-rounded view of your business. Not only will you get the tools you need to ensure your construction business growth, but you’ll also get access to benefits such as lifetime access to your online interactive training portal, entrance into a private social and professional networking group, pro bono coaching, and mentoring from industry experts and leaders. Here are some additional benefits of our construction management training: Register your interest today You’ll build a personalised 12-month business development plan that keeps you focused on high-value activities, ensuring you remain on track to grow. Tools and techniques to not only measure but also increase your profitability within your business. These tools help you ensure that you’re never leaving money on the table again. Learn, develop, and nurture self-management and leadership strategies that you can work on and in your business to help you from chasing your tail or burning out. You’ll develop unshakeable confidence in your business’s ability to grow and become the kind of entrepreneur that chooses the customers they want to work with, meaning customers who are driven by value, not by price. Gain valuable leadership and self-development skills, which encourage learning for life. Lastly, you’ll no longer wonder, “what if?” You’ll have the knowledge and understanding to keep unlocking and growing your business’s true potential. WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAMME Course Overview As we’ve mentioned, our business management course is designed to be completed over three months, with two courses being released monthly. These are designed to be done on Zoom or in person and are flexible around your busy schedule. Our modules were created to be easy to understand while providing the resources needed to elevate your construction business. Here is a more in-depth look at what to expect from our modules: Module 1: The C.O.D.E Breaker: The Business FundamentalsThis module will encourage you to deep dive into your why and break the business C.O.D.E. You’ll be shown the importance of knowing why you started the business, how you can build a business while remaining authentic, and what needs to be done to ensure you create and support a solid foundation moving forward. During this module, you’ll discover how to successfully build a business in the construction industry, from the fundamentals and foundations to the growth. Lastly, we’ll review your vision, values, and purpose, show why these are critical areas, and allow you to establish a real business for you and your customers. Module 2: Your M.E.N.T.A.L Agility: The Entrepreneurial Mindset With this module, we’ll focus on self-leadership and how you should constantly be developing the ‘inner game’ or minder and the ‘outer game’ or action. The inner game consists of intention, self-awareness, self-confidence, and self-efficacy. These must be used to achieve personal mastery, while the outer game consists of influence and impact. M.E.N.T.A.L. agility is your key to all success and failure, meaning that without leading yourself, you’ll never find business success. For us, your M.E.N.T.A.L. agility is made of five key components that enable you to transition from owning a business to thinking and planning like an entrepreneurial business owner. Module 3: The T.I.M.E Multiple: Working ON or Working IN The point of this module is to help you understand that you can’t manage your time; you can only manage your use of time or your self-management skills. It’s vital to have strong self-management skills to be more successful at work. We’ll explore ways to help maximise your time and identify your High Payoff Activities. The T.I.M.E. multiplier is about accepting that you cannot do everything yourself. Instead, it would be best if you focused on your high-payoff activities. Our goal is to teach you to say it’s okay to say no. We’ll show you the importance of recognising the significance of all your decisions. Along with that, we focus on unique planning and defining processes to bring the future into the present. Module 4: The Business P.R.O.B.E: The Numbers Game Understanding your finances is essential as it allows you to make informed decisions that have the potential to make significant impacts on your business, growth, and even your bottom line. We want you never to leave money on the table again. When you know the difference between markup and margin, fixed and variable costs can make the difference between owning a business and the business owning you. Understanding your business numbers will increase your revenue and profitability and even grow your business. Module 5: High-Performance T.E.A.M.S: The Well-Oiled High-performing teams are more than a group that works together. A high-performing team has clear priorities and purposes and shares an understanding of how each team member or subcontractor prefers to approach work. The foundation of a high-performing team or business starts with trust. The development starts with creating an environment where leaders and team members can openly disclose which strengths they feel they bring to a team and what support they need to be their best selves. Truth is that all people’s problems directly reflect the business owner’s leadership and management. When a team doesn’t do things your way, they probably have no idea what your way is. Module 6: G.O.A.L.S: Setting & Defining the Accountability System Everyone works best with clearly defined goals, from completing a refurb on a budget or growing your construction business to over 10M annual profit. Remember the old saying, through a goal with a plan, is just a wish! We’ll teach you our tried and tested process for setting and achieving your objectives by focusing on what matters most. Reviewing your daily, weekly, and monthly goals, we can help you make high performance a habit. Best of all, you’ll create a detailed 12-month business development plan to get your personal and professional goals moving in the right direction. Meet the Construction Business Training Presenters Derrick Matheson: Training and Development Director and Trainer of Business Growth Academy A seasoned business owner, Derrick understands the challenges UK construction and property development professionals face. We have crafted a targeted program that simplifies growth, empowering entrepreneurs with easy-to-implement strategies.  Derrick’s mission is simple: to empower and equip ambitious entrepreneurs and professionals with the tools and knowledge necessary to thrive in today’s competitive market. The Business Growth Academy is a testament to his dedication, offering an innovative, step-by-step business-building process that demystifies the complexities of growth and unlocks the full potential of your enterprise. Stuart Mason: BGA’s Bold Training Manager, Lead Trainer, and Author of “How To Wreck Your Business Stuart, the fearless BGA Training Manager and Lead Trainer has turned his business failures into powerful lessons for others. As the author of “How To Wreck Your Business,” Stuart shares his hard-earned wisdom to help business owners avert the same pitfalls that led to the demise of his own company on its 20th anniversary. Stuart’s approach is refreshingly direct and unapologetically abrupt, cutting through the noise to deliver real-world insights that make a difference. Don’t expect a dry lecture on business theory from a dusty textbook; instead, Stuart offers a ‘streetwise’ perspective that is both practical and actionable, pushing you to uncover the answers that will make your business shine in a competitive market.

This course starts with the basics then moves seamlessly to an intermediate level. It includes a comprehensive yet balanced look at the four main components that make up Power BI Desktop: Report view, Data view, Model view, and the Power Query Editor. It also demonstrates how to use the online Power BI service. It looks at authoring tools that enables you to connect to and transform data from a variety of sources, allowing you to produce dynamic reports using a library of visualisations. Once you have those reports, the course looks at the seamless process of sharing those with your colleagues by publishing to the online Power BI service. The aim of this course is to provide a strong understanding of the Power BI analysis process, by working with real-world examples that will equip you with the necessary skills to start applying your knowledge straight away. 1 Getting started The Power BI process Launching Power BI Desktop The four views of Power BI Dashboard visuals 2 Connecting to files Connect to data sources Connect to an Excel file Connect to a CSV file Connect to a database Import vs. DirectQuery Connect to a web source Create a data table 3 Transforming data The process of cleaning data Column data types Remove rows with filters Add a custom column Append data to a table Fix error issues Basic maths operations 4 Build a data model Table relationships Manage table relationships 5 Merge queries Table join kinds Merging tables 6 Create report visualisations Creating map visuals Formatting maps Creating chart visuals Formatting chart Tables, matrixes, and cards Control formatting with themes Filter reports with slicers Reports for mobile devices Custom online visuals Export report data to Excel 7 The power query editor Fill data up and down Split columns by delimiter Add conditional columns Merging columns 8 The M formula Creating M functions Create an IF function Create a query group 9 Pivot and unpivot tables Pivot tables in the query editor Pivot and append tables Pivot but don't summarise Unpivot tables Append mismatched headers 10 Data modelling revisited Data model relationships Mark a calendar as a date table 11 Introduction to calculated columns New columns vs. measures Creating a new column calculation The SWITCH function 12 Introduction to DAX measures Common measure categories The SUM measure Adding measures to visuals COUNTROWS and DISINCTCOUNT functions DAX rules 13 The CALCULATE measure The syntax of CALCULATE Things of note about CALCULATE 14 The SUMX measure The SUMX measure X iterator functions Anatomy of SUMX 15 Introduction to time intelligence Importance of a calendar table A special lookup table The TOTALYTD measure Change year end in TOTALYTD 16 Hierarchy, groups and formatting Create a hierarchy to drill data Compare data in groups Add conditional formatting 17 Share reports on the web Publish to the BI online service Get quick insights Upload reports from BI service Exporting report data What is Q&A? Sharing your reports 18 Apply your learning Post training recap lesson

The aim of this course is to provide an overview of the principles and practice for leading and managing a portfolio of smaller projects in a multi-project / multi-task environment. It presents a range of practical methods and techniques relevant to the smaller project scenario, using exercises and case studies to show how these can be applied. The scope of the programme includes: The course also emphasises the importance of the leadership and team-working skills needed by project managers and team members in carrying out their roles. The principal training objectives for this programme are to: Explain and demonstrate the key principles of successful project management Demonstrate a range of useful project management tools and techniques Define the role, and help participants understand the skills required by, the project leader Provide a structured framework to help participants manage multiple projects Identify opportunities to improve project management within the organisation DAY ONE 1 Introduction (Course sponsor) Why this programme has been developed Review of participants' needs and objectives 2 Managing smaller projects Projects and project management Lessons from past projects; the essential requirements for success Differences between projects; characteristic project life cycles Key issues and challenges of smaller projects The multi-project world; project portfolio management 3 Project exercise Syndicate teams plan and manage a small project Review of the project exercise: What are the keys to successful management of small projects? 4 Setting up the project Getting organised Managing the definition process Identifying and managing project stakeholders Working with the customer to define the scope and agree deliverables 5 Case study 1 Defining the project scope and deliverables Syndicate teams define the scope and deliverables for a typical project 6 Project planning The importance and cost benefit of effective planning Planning the plan; deciding how detailed a plan to create Packaging the work and estimating timescales and costs Developing project / resource schedules; setting milestones for control v Identifying and managing critical path activities 7 Case study 2 Creating the project plan Syndicate teams develop and analyse the project plan DAY TWO 8 Managing project risks Identifying risks to the project outcome, timescale and cost Evaluating risks and adopting an appropriate risk strategy Defining risk ownership; keeping a simple risk log Keeping risk management up to date; staying pro-active Integrating planning and risk management 9 Project control Managing change, minimising scope creep Selecting the data needed to provide early warning of problems Monitoring performance easily with 'S' curves and slip charts Using trend forecasting to assess true project status Running project review meetings 10 Managing a multi-project portfolio Understanding the world of multiple projects Establishing ownership of project / programme management Classifying projects and creating the 'master schedule' Defining and applying project lifecycle management Resource management: essential pre-requisites and mechanisms Project prioritisation criteria and techniques; pain / gain analysis 11 Managing the multi-project team Characteristics of small project teams / part-time team membership Clarifying line and project management responsibilities Implementing effective manpower planning Establishing professional working practices in the team Developing project management competences in the team Establishing team roles and integrating team members 12 Course review and transfer planning (Course sponsor present) Identify actions to be implemented individually Identify corporate opportunities for improving project management Sponsor-led review and discussion of proposals Conclusion

In today's competitive business world firms are under unprecedented pressure to deliver value to their shareholders and other key stakeholders. Senior executives in all parts of the organisation are finding that they need some degree of financial know how to cope with the responsibility placed on them as business managers and key decision-makers; monitoring and improving business performance, investing in capital projects, mergers and acquisitions: all require some degree of financial knowledge. The key financial skills are not as difficult to learn as many people believe and in the hands of an experienced senior executive they can provide a formidable competitive advantage. After completing this course delegates will be able to: Understand fundamental business finance concepts; understand, analyse and interpret financial statements: Profit Statement, Balance Sheet and Cashflow Statement Understand the vital difference between profit and cashflow; identify the key components of working capital and how they can be managed to generate strong cashflow Evaluate pricing decisions based on an understanding of the nature of business costs and their impact on gross margin and break-even sales; managing pricing, discounts and costs to generate strong business profits; understand how lean manufacturing methods improve profit Use powerful analytical tools to measure and improve the performance of their own company and assess the effectiveness of their competitors Apply and interpret techniques for assessing and comparing investment opportunities in capital projects, business acquisitions and other ventures; understand and apply common methods of business valuation Understand the role of business finance in formulating and implementing competitive business strategy; the role of budgeting as part of the planning process and the various approaches to budgeting and performance measurement 1 Basic principles Delivering value to key stakeholders Accounting concepts, GAAP, IFRS and common terms Understanding and using the balance sheet Understanding and using the profit statement Recognising the vital difference between profit and cashflow Understanding and using the cashflow statement What financial statements can and cannot tell us 2 Managing and improving cashflow Sources of finance and their advantages and disadvantages What is working capital and why is it so important? Managing stocks, debtors and creditors Understanding how working capital drives business growth Understanding and avoiding the over-trading trap Unlocking the funds tied up in fixed assets: asset backed loans and leasing 3 Managing and improving profit Understanding how profits generate cashflow The fundamental nature of costs: fixed and variable business costs Understanding gross margin and break-even How common pricing methods affect gross margin and profit Effective strategies to improve gross margin Using value chain analysis to reduce costs Lean manufacturing methodsUnderstanding Just-in-time, 6 Sigma and Kaizen methods Improving profitEffective and defective strategies 4 Measuring and managing business performance Measures of financial performance and strength Investor behaviour: the risk and reward relationship Return on investment (ROI): the ultimate measure of business performance How profit margin and net asset turnover drive return on net assets Why some companies are more profitable that others Understanding competitive advantage: cost and differentiation advantage Why great companies failWhat happened to Kodak? Using a 'Pyramid of Ratios' to improve business performance Using Critical Success Factors to develop Key Performance Indicators 5 Budgeting and forecasting methods Using budgets to support strategy Objectives and methods for effective budgets Using budgets to monitor and manage business performance Alternative approaches to budgeting Developing and implementing Balanced Scorecards Beyond Budgeting Forecasting methods and techniques Identifying key business drivers Using rolling forecasts and 'what-if' models to aid decision-making

The 2-day Coaching and Mentoring for Managers course is designed for organisations that want their managers and team leaders to apply practical coaching and mentoring skills in everyday work situations in order to develop the performance of those they are responsible for, as well as improving communication within the business. Previous attendees have included chief executives, general managers, and HR managers, right through to production line supervisors and office staff. In fact, anybody that has to work as part of a team and relies on other people's efforts will benefit from this programme. Course Syllabus The syllabus of the Coaching and Mentoring for Managers course is comprised of four modules, covering the following: Module One Introduction to Coaching and Mentoring Exploding the myths surrounding coaching Benefits of coaching and mentoring The role of a coach and mentor How to avoid everyday interference that takes your time away from coaching people to achieve results How motivation works The difference between mentoring, coaching, directing, supporting & delegating, and learning when it is necessary to apply them Why coaching is an action orientated partnership purely focused on measurable results Coaching and mentoring outcomes Module Two Managing a Coaching Session The most important skills of a business coach The key characteristics of a good coach How to ask powerful coaching questions Opportunity to role-play using the STAR/GROW model Module Three Mentoring in Action Mentoring suggestions The first meeting Between first and second meetings The second meeting The Experiential learning cycle Model discussions Frequent questions asked by Mentors Duration of mentoring End of relationships Module Four Putting Learning into Practice Building a bank of great coaching questions Demonstration of what has been taught in a live coaching/mentoring meeting Individual feedback from a professional coach Creating SMART action plans Getting started as a work coach/mentor Group review and feedback on new learning Action steps for new coaches Scheduled Courses Unfortunately this course is not one that is currently scheduled as an open course, and is only available on an in-house basis. Please contact us for more information.

There is a lot to learn in Power BI, this course takes a comprehensive look at the fundamentals of analysing data and includes a balanced look at the four main components that make up Power BI Desktop: Report view, Data view, Model view, and the Power Query Editor. It also demonstrates how to utilise the online Power BI service. It looks at authoring tools that enable you to connect to and transform data from a variety of sources, allowing you to produce detailed reports through a range of visualisations, in an interactive and dynamic way. It also includes a detailed look at formulas by writing both M functions in Power Query, and DAX functions in Desktop view. This knowledge will allow you to take your reports to the next level. The aim of this course is to provide a complete introduction to understanding the Power BI analysis process, by working hands-on with examples that will equip you with the necessary skills to start applying your learning straight away. 1 Getting Started The Power BI ecosystem Opening Power BI Desktop Power BI's four views Introduction to Dashboards 2 Importing Files Importing data sources Importing an Excel file Importing a CSV file Importing a database Connect to an SQL Server Database Import vs. Direct Query Importing from the web Importing a folder of files Managing file connections 3 Shape Data in the Query Editor The process of shaping data Managing data types Keeping and removing rows Add a custom column Appending tables together Hiding queries in reports Fixing error issues Basic maths operations 4 The Data Model Table relationships Relationship properties 5 Merge Queries Table join kinds Merging tables 6 Inserting Dashboard Visuals Things to keep in mind Inserting maps Formatting Maps Inserting charts Formatting Charts Inserting a tree map Inserting a table, matrix, and card Controlling number formats About report themes Highlighting key points Filter reports with slicers Sync slicers across dashboards Custom web visuals 7 Publish and share Reports Publishing to Power BI service Editing online reports Pinning visuals to a dashboard What is Q&A? Sharing dashboards Exporting reports to PowerPoint Exporting reports as PDF files 8 The Power Query Editor Fill data up and down Split column by delimiter Add a conditional column More custom columns Merging columns 9 The M Functions Inserting text functions Insert an IF function Create a query group 10 Pivoting Tables Pivot a table Pivot and append tables Pivot but don't aggregate Unpivot tables Append mismatched headers 11 Data Modelling Expanded Understanding relationships Mark a date table 12 DAX New Columns New columns and measures New column calculations Insert a SWITCH function 13 Introduction to DAX Measures Common measure functions Insert a SUM function Insert a COUNTROWS function Insert a DISTINCTCOUNT function Insert a DIVIDE function DAX rules 14 The CALCULATE Measure The syntax of CALCULATE Insert a CALCULATE function Control field summarisation Things of note 15 The SUMX measure X iterator functions Anatomy of SUMX Insert a SUMX function When to use X functions 16 Time Intelligence Measures Importance of a calendar table Insert a TOTALYTD function Change financial year end date Comparing historical data Insert a DATEADD function 17 Hierarchies and Groups Mine data using hierarchies Compare data in groups

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

This highly practical one-day workshop has been designed specifically to help maximise sales where customers make contact by telephone. When customers contact us direct they have clearly already considered the possibility that they might buy from us, but we're still only half-way to making a sale. Unless we fully understand their needs and make it easy for them to buy, we may not secure the business. This workshop concentrates on the telephone skills and techniques needed to achieve the most positive outcome in any inbound customer call. A combination of excellent customer service skills and savvy sales awareness techniques will increase our chances of a successful outcome for both parties. The programme features the unique INBOUND model, to help remember the key principles for effective inbound telephone sales: Initial impressions Needs of the customer Bring them with you Open up the conversation Understand the triggers Narrow down the solutions Decision time! The programme also covers how to deal with difficult calls and challenging people - after all, every complaint is a sales opportunity! This programme will help participants: Create the perfect interaction with any customer making contact by telephone Make every call count Build rapport quickly in any situation Handle difficult calls and challenging people Create sustainable and profitable relationships Increase your sales conversions 1 The inbound sales process Each customer who contacts us will be at a different stage of the sales process. Some might be making general enquiries whilst others will be ready to commit, having made most of their decisions already. Sales and customer service people need to be ready to find out the stage the customer has reached before helping them to make the right decision for them 2 Engaging with the customer Having clarified where the customer is on their journey to making a purchasing decision, our next responsibility is to create and build a trusting relationship on both sides. This involves establishing rapport quickly to ease the communication process, thus enabling smooth transactions, both now and in the future 3 Questioning and listening skills for gathering information Developing these skills requires practice so that the communication becomes natural for the customer. This helps the customer to feel comfortable with us and work with us towards an effective solution. We discuss different types of question and how to use high-gain questions to uncover key information. Active listening will ensure that we can really help customers get what they need 4 Overcoming objections and excuses If we have followed the process properly and really understood the customer, then there should no further objections or barriers to completing the transaction. The reality is that there will still be the occasional issue that needs clarifying, so we need to prepare for possible objections and questions that customers might have. This includes probing objections so that we fully understand the customer's perspective before constructing suitable responses or solutions 5 Gaining commitment and ending the call Customers want to gain a solution to the issue they are facing and the sooner we can help them achieve that the better. Guiding the customer and helping them to believe in their own decision is part of our role. This section is dedicated to getting commitment all the way along the process, not just at the close 6 Dealing with difficult and challenging situations The realisation that everybody is different, with different personality types, different ways of looking at the world and different goals, is key to understanding sales. With this is mind we discuss these differences and how we adapt our approach to ease communication and maintain trust and understanding 7 Action plans Course summary and presentation of action plans

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

This workshop will help you improve the impact, clarity, accuracy and effectiveness of your sales proposals. It takes bid and proposal teams right through the process, from start to finish - from forming the team and gathering the information, through to writing and reviewing the proposal document, and on to presenting it to the client. The learning points shared in the programme come from the trainer's extensive real-world experience with a wide variety of businesses. As a result of attending this programme, participants will be able to: Write more clearly, more grammatically and more persuasively Structure their written communications more effectively Avoid the 'howlers' that can cost you business Impress your clients Win more business 1 Bid strategy How to combine your knowledge of the market or customer, your products and services, and your competitors, to create a quality bid New insights into your comparative advantages and competitive position in the marketplace Understanding more about how your client views you and other suppliers A plan of attack to build on your strengths and attack the weaknesses of your competition Dealing with RFP/ITT situations 2 Teamwork How a bid or proposal team needs to prioritise and manage preparation time Co-ordinating input from team members Agreeing responsibilities 3 The importance and role of a well-written sales proposal Why bother? - the value of the sales proposal to you and to the customer What the customer wants and needs to make a decision in your favour Understanding and delivering on customer expectations Review and discussion of different proposals - with real-life examples 4 The best way to structure your sales proposals A section-by-section, page-by-page review of best practice in structuring great sales proposals How to improve the way you match your proposal to the customer's objectives and requirements Plan your sales documents systematically - to make them easy to read and more persuasive How to make your proposal look like the 'least risky' option 5 Making your proposal a compelling and persuasive proposition Choosing the right words that sell effectively Selecting the right content and information for your document or proposal Using an option matrix to summarise complex choices and increase final order value How to write an executive summary 6 Well-written and error-free Developing your writing style for maximum impact Expressing the content (ie, selling points) clearly, concisely and correctly Proof-reading and editing work effectively, using formal marks and techniques Improving visual layout, format and appearance Keeping it customer-focused 7 Presenting to the client - overview Presentation options Understanding the client's objectives - as well as your own The proposal review meeting - logistics Managing to the next step Designing and delivering a compelling presentation Isolating objections and concerns Follow-up and follow-through 8 Positioning your final proposal Finalising your bid - presenting the right 'best few' USPs, features and benefits and making them relevant and real to the customer Smart ways to position price and be a strong player - without being the cheapest How to differentiate yourselves by how you present, as well as what you present How to design and deliver a successful bid presentation 9 Bid presentation practice session with structured feedback Participants work in small groups or pairs to prepare and later present a sample section from a real life bid or proposal presentation The trainer will provide assistance and input During group review and discussions, input from others will be encouraged and many best practice ideas summarised 10 Managing the end game How best to draw-out, understand, isolate and answer customer objections, negotiate points and concerns How to read the situation to plan the next step Identifying negotiation tactics - and how to deal with them Planning for a negotiation and how to get the customer feel they have the 'best deal' 11 Workshop summary and close