1784 Courses in Leicester

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 essential programme for members of staff whose role involves external meetings, including seeing members of the public in their own home. Based around advice from agencies including the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and the police, this programme takes a sensible look at how to remain safe in the role. 1 What's happening? Issues around us Risks in context 2 Safety fundamentals Risk assessment Dynamic risk assessment Identifying and minimising risks Sensible precautions Use of technology and personal safety Lone working Visits and travelling 3 Harassment and stalking What constitutes harassment and definition of stalking Early warning signals 4 Reporting principles Importance of incidence reporting Taking care of us What next?

This short course introduces staff to a range of hazardous substances, the risks and controls available, and what to expect from a control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) assessment. It prepares them to contribute to the safer use of hazardous substances in their workplaces. 1 Definition and types Defining what constitutes a substance hazardous to health in the workplace Outlining the various types of hazardous substances 2 Health effects Exploring the health effects caused by exposure to hazardous substances Routes of entry - exploring how substances can enter the body and methods of prevention 3 Data COSSH register Data sheets Risk assessments Control options 4 Responsibilities An overview of the responsibilities imposed by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002

Some 60% of injuries at work are caused by lifting heavy objects. This powerful, practical programme is designed to help stop any of your staff from becoming the next statistic. 1 Introduction and objectives 2 Overview of Health and Safety Legislation and HSE Injury Statistics Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR) 1992 MHSWR 1999 specific duties to risk assess Manual Handling Operations Regulations (MHOR) 1992 Breakdown of injury statistics and costs of poor manual handling 3 The musculoskeletal system explained Prevention and ill-health Ergonomics RSI The spine in detail 4 Risk assessment General principles The TILE method Employees' duties Workplace scenarios

Finance doesn't have to be a puzzle. And if you want to get anywhere with your career, it had better not be! Whatever your role, you have an impact on the financial wellbeing of the organisation you work for, whether you've got specific financial responsibilities or not. This thoroughly practical, fun and enjoyable one-day workshop will help unpuzzle finance for you. It's an ideal opportunity to master the terminology, get to grips with the concepts, learn how 'the finance department' works and understand the part you play. This course will help participants: Appreciate the role and importance of Finance within organisations Be able to recognise and describe some of the common items and jargon used Identify the elements of the Profit & Loss and the Balance Sheet Understand cashflow Make better decisions Manage budgets 1 Introduction Expectations Terminology Key financial principlesAccrualsConsistencyPrudenceGoing concern 2 The three main financial statements Profit & Loss accountIncomeCost of salesGross profitAdministrative expenses ('overheads')Net profit/(loss) for the financial year (the 'bottom line')P&L format Balance SheetTerminologyFixed AssetsCurrent AssetsCurrent LiabilitiesLong-term LiabilitiesCapitalB/S format Cashflow Statement Financial and management information systems 3 Budgets and forecasts Why budget? Types of budget - incremental or zero-based Budgeting for costs - fixed and variable Budgeting for income An eight point plan for budgeting for your department Case study: Small Brother Ltd Problems and solutions 4 Accruals Accruals - what and why? Prepayments 5 Open forum

All organisations today operate in an environment of constant and rapid change. Managing this change effectively is often achieved through a portfolio of formal projects. Many organisations today have qualified and experienced project management staff to run their projects. Some organisations today have dedicated functions, staff or processes to support their project management teams. The very largest organisations have in-house Enterprise Programme Offices, or project management specialists in corporate audit or risk functions; or organise 'Red Team Reviews' of a project by other staff with project management experience who are not participating in the reviewed project. But for many mid-size businesses and SMEs - and even some larger organisations - these resources are simply not available. For them, having access to external expertise to assure project management disciplines and to coach project managers can be a major contributor to project success. Such reviews can take place at project initiation; at major stage-gates (especially if significant capital is to be committed at the stage-gate); or at any other time if concerns arise concerning project quality, cost or timescales. And it is for those organisations that we offer the necessary expertise, on an ad hoc basis, in reviewing projects and coaching senior project management staff. A document review and workshop led by one of our consultants can help you assess whether: The strategic goals and priorities for the project are clear and being addressed Governance of the project within the business is defined and being effectively executed Project roles and responsibilities are clear and effective The credibility and robustness of the project plan can be enhanced Performance measures and reporting procedures are effective Critical risks are identified and being managed and contingencies are agreed The roles, responsibilities and capabilities of the key players in the project team are fit for purpose Budgets are realistic and costs being managed effectively Communication and change management activities are effectively planned and being executed At your discretion, you can capture the outcomes from the workshop for yourselves, in terms of identifying opportunities for improvement, or you can have our consultant write a report and make recommendations to you.

The aim of this course is to expose the commercial context within which technical work is carried out. It is to allow technical staff to understand how they fit into a larger picture, why they may be asked to undertake tasks that may not appear to be technical and the impact their interactions have within the commercial context. The scope of the programme includes: The course emphasises the collaborative nature of delivery and the need to offer value to customers. The principal training objectives for this programme are to help participants: Understand why technical roles are broader than we might assume Appreciate the importance of, and the need to support, sales Value the idea of 'Good Enough' Recognise what can affect profitability Realise the future needs protecting 1 Introduction (Course sponsor) Why this programme has been developed Review of participants' needs and objectives 2 That's not my job! How we see our own role in work How other people see our role Stakeholders: who are they and why do they matter? The organisational backdrop What is my role really? 3 Sales and marketing Where does the money come from? Where do we find customers? The sales process One-off sales versus repeat business Customer/supplier relationships What something costs versus what the customer will pay The value chain 4 Estimating Purpose of estimates The problem with precision Five estimating techniques 5 Change control Can you just do this for me? When being helpful leads to bankruptcy How to deal with change requests 6 Risk management Risk in projects Risk in operations Categories of risk 7 The value of intellectual property Issues with sharing information Commercial in confidence Non-disclosure agreements 8 Course review and action planning (Course sponsor present) Identify actions to be implemented individually What actions should be implemented to improve working with non-technical people? Conclusion

This very practical one-day programme provides participants with the skills and knowledge required to be an effective member of the procurement team and to enable them to procure a wide range of resources for the organisation, in a compliant and cost-effective manner. It also empowers them to be able to collaborate with all key stakeholders. By the end of the programme participants will be able to: Understand the basic concepts of good procurement practice Apply a range of tools and techniques for developing scopes of work and specifications Apply various methods to select and evaluate suppliers Develop robust contract award strategies Appreciate the commercial importance of effective procurement and opportunities to reduce cost and add value Develop appropriate procurement strategies depending on risk and value Appreciate the legal aspects of procurement 1 Welcome Introductions Aims and objectives Plan for the day 2 The basics of procurement The concept of total cost of ownership v price The procurement cycle The roles of the customer and the contractor Impact upon profit 3 Specification process Importance of effective specifications Specification development process Types of specification Team approach Use of performance specifications Early supplier involvement (ESI) / early contractor involvement (ECI) 4 Quality Concepts and practices Defining 'fit for purpose' Conformance to requirements Compliance to standards Role of the supplier Quality assurance tools and techniques 5 Procurement methods RFP RFQ ITT Negotiated procurement Strategic partnerships Outsourcing 6 Tendering How to undertake a formal tendering process Business case to award Critical stages in the process Risks and benefits 7 Tender evaluation How to undertake a quotation analysis Tools of analysis Use of VFM models Role of the customer Comparisons around cost, quality, and delivery 8 Supplier selection and evaluation Developing critical selection criteria Using the 10Cs model Importance of effective selection process Weighting systems Importance of validity and evidence 9 Capital equipment procurement Life cycle cost issues Payback calculations Compatibility issues Maintenance and training issues After-sales support 10 Supplier relationships Corporate social responsibility issues Communication 360 feed-back Open and ethical Initial understanding Clear and fair terms and conditions 11 Close Review of key learning points Personal action planning

Maximising the relationship and sales potential of each active account is key to the sustainability of any business relying on repeatable custom. In this workshop we start by looking at key techniques for analysing the profitability and development opportunities for different clients before deciding upon the strategy and skills needed for moving the relationship to that of trusted adviser and partner. By understanding and creating the need we can use our influencing skills to harness any sales development potential. By creating the habit of explaining our ideas in a way that also meets the need of the other party we help everybody make the right decisions for them. This course will help participants: Assess the sales profitability and potential of existing key accounts Prioritise where time and energy is directed for maximum profitability Understand the key players in the decision making unit Create a strategic plan for the development of each client target Develop proactive sales consultancy skills Learn advanced communication and influencing techniques 1 What makes an effective account manager? The difference between order taking and account management How do you define a key account in your business? Why should existing customers remain with your company? How do you compare to the competition? 2 How do I prioritise my account management activity? Use practical tools to help you assess revenue potential Analyse the investment required versus the return on your time Create a SWOT analysis on your clients - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats Appreciate how this knowledge will improve your sales development 3 Planning strategies for each account Create a list of priority accounts and activities Learn how to develop a long-term and sustainable relationship Discover how they make their purchasing decisions Research the make-up of the Decision Making Unit for each client 4 Learning and utilising the six principles of influence Learn the secrets these principles offer sales people Discover how these principles will work for you Create an influencing strategy for influencers within the client Learn new habits of influence 5 Proactive sales skills Plan proactive sales meetings for key accounts Set primary and secondary objectives for every touch point with the customer Structure sales meetings for maximum effectiveness Help the customer commit and achieve their objectives 6 Putting it into practice Discuss real scenarios to plan for putting these skills into practice Share common issues with fellow sales people Create a personal development plan

This intensive one-day training programme has been developed to help those involved in producing specifications create high quality documents in an organised and effective way. The programme explains the primary purpose of specifications and the importance of understanding the context in which they are used. It focuses particularly on how to develop and structure content and write requirements that are clear and concise. The methods and techniques presented will provide a practical foundation course for those new to the topic whilst offering new insights to those with more experience. The objectives of the workshop are to: Review and discuss the role and purpose of specifications Present a structured approach for organising and producing specifications Explain each of the key steps involved in creating effective specifications Review some methods for assisting in defining requirements Explain how to define the scope and develop the structure for a specification Present methods to assist the writing and editing of specifications Review how specifications should be issued and controlled 1 Introduction Course objectives Review of participants' needs and objectives 2 Specifications in perspective The role and purpose of specifications The impact of specifications on commercial performance The qualities of an effective specification The five key steps of 'POWER' writing: prepare-organise-write-edit-release 3 Step 1: Preparing to write Defining the purpose the specification; integrating the specification and contract Deciding how to specify: when to specify in functional and technical terms Getting the right people involved at the right time; engaging stakeholders Applying procedures for writing, issuing and controlling specifications 4 Step 2: Organising the specification content Scoping the document: scope maps, check lists, structured brainstorming Clarifying requirements; separating needs and desires Dealing with requirements that are difficult to quantify Useful techniques: cost benefit analysis, Pareto analysis Deciding what goes where; typical contents and layout for a specification Creating and using model forms: typical sections and sub sections 5 Step 3: Writing the specification Identifying and understanding the readers needs Choosing and using the right words; dealing with jargon Important words; will, shall, must; building a glossary Using sentence structure and punctuation to best effect Understanding the impact of style, format and appearance Avoiding common causes of ambiguity; being concise and ensuring clarity 6 Step 4: Editing the specification Why editing is difficult; how to develop a personal editing strategy Key areas to review: structure, content, accuracy, clarity, style and grammar Editing tools and techniques 7 Step 5: Releasing and controlling the specification Key requirements for document issue and control Final formatting and publication issues; document approval Requirements management: managing revisions and changes 8 Course review and action planning What actions should be implemented to improve specifications? Conclusion