1 Educators providing Courses in Edinburgh

This workshop will provide participants with the insight and skills to be more effective business networkers, face-to-face and online. The approach taken is to build on the strengths people already have and their successes. It is easier to develop what you already have than to try and develop skills that do not come easily. Being yourself is the most effective tool for business networking and building relationships. This course will help those attending: Appreciate the importance of networking, and different forms of networking Understand the dynamics of communication that are specific to networking Become more confident and assured when 'working' a room Improve their influencing skills, especially with people who are experts and in positions of authority 'Sell' themselves and promote their company Identify and manage their profiles using online social networking sites Use effective follow-up to maintain active contacts and connections Select the correct networking groups, clubs and events Create their own personal network 1 The importance, and different types, of networking Personal objectives and introductions Test networking session Examples of the importance, purpose and format of various types of networking, and benefits you can expect 2 How to work a room - preparation and strategy Three things to know before you attend any event Non-verbal communication and art of rapport Breaking the ice - worked examples with practical demonstration 3 Communication dynamics in networking - the power of the listening networker Why it is better to listen than talk Effective questioning and active listening Creating a natural and engaging conversation, 1-2-1 and in a larger group 4 Assumptions when networking How to use the 'instant judgement' of others to your advantage What assumptions are you making? How to keep an open mind 5 Business networking etiquette Meeting and greeting at a business networking event - approaching complete strangers and introducing yourself Socialising: joining and leaving groups easily Making a good first impression in 30 seconds The use of status when networking 6 Making connections Asking for cards, contact details and referrals Gaining a follow-up commitment Some tips and tricks 7 Business networking rehearsals Practice sessions 8 Personal business networking online Overview of different types of networking sites - there is a lot more out there than just Facebook! Examples of creating an effective profile Using social networking effectively - case studies and application 'Advanced' applications - blogs, articles, twitter, feeds, etc. Online demonstration and examples 9 Building relationships - follow-up and follow-through Maintaining a good database Developing a contact strategy with different types and levels of contact How to analyse your contact base

Overview Networking has become a crucial factor in the modern workplace. It is the most effective method of developing your business or career and is a key component of your personal brand. This one day course will teach you how to be able to build strong business relationships, develop a level of personal credibility and increase your network of contacts in order to enhance your visibility and create opportunities for yourself and your organisation. Description This training course will help your participants build a professional reputation and develop a network of connections through the two key methods available to them; face-to-face and online. Attendees will discover how to effectively combine these two approaches and create a strategy for networking success that will generate their own community and actively grow their personal network. This will result in an improved performance in their approach to networking and consequently provide opportunities and prospects that will increase their business success. The training provides them with the tools and techniques to both plan a successful, strategic approach to networking and develop their personal communication skills, which will ensure they build effective business relationships. Topics covered: Why Network? – Establishing the importance of networking with some shocking statistics and an activity that defines the importance of networking to the individual. This is followed by some insight into the key aims of a networking strategy, what puts people off, as well as some personal revelations about networking. Increase Your Business Presence – Looking at the components of a strong business presence, including; credibility, personal brand, visibility and social capital. Developing a Networkers Attitude – An exercise that clarifies the perfect attitudes and behaviours of great networkers and comparing the participants against this. Thus identifying areas for development. Face to Face Networking – An overview and insight into the main types of face to face networking opportunities available with the benefits and pitfalls of each. Online Networking – An overview of the different social media and online networking tools and how to get the best out of them. Includes; LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and online forums. Communication Skills for Networking Success – Ensuring a good first impression, creating an opening sound bite and writing an online profile that promotes and engages. Developing a Conversation – Building on the opening sound bite and developing a conversation through good questioning techniques and following a selection of key networking rules. Including an activity to test and practice the skills. Working a Room – A fun activity that embeds and develops learning while encouraging practice and communication. This activity covers 10 of the main skills required to work a room. Breaking into a Group – Identifying body language to spot when a group or pair is open to new people entering the conversation or would rather not encourage participation. Knowing how to break into a group, what to say and how to remain professional. Exiting a Conversation – Developing some techniques to extricate oneself from a conversation without causing embarrassment or rudeness. The Follow-Up – Using a structure to identify the most important contacts created and establishing when and how to follow up with each group. Includes example follow-up email and a chance to develop their own. Creating a Network Plan – Participants are provided with a networking action plan to review and complete. This sets them on the journey of developing their networking skills and ensures they have a strategy and goals to target. Who should attend Anyone who is looking to improve their networking performance, or the networking performance of a management or sales team. Requirements for Attendees No pre-requisites required.

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