210 Courses in Manchester

Your grumpiest customers can become your biggest advocates if you solve their problems quickly, effectively and permanently. We supply the top tips for dealing with tricky customers so your teams can create positive outcomes from every interaction with some simple techniques that make a difference to relationships straight away. Bespoke courses include: Customer needs and expectations Communication styles and how to influence them Assertiveness The 4 psychological fears Dealing with difficult customer behaviour The power of your behaviour Five steps to customer problem solving

If you want your employees to improve their customer service skills and deliver an amazing experience to your customers, feel free to check out my Training course focusing on generating long-standing customer loyalty.

In today's competitive business world firms are under unprecedented pressure to deliver value to their shareholders and other key stakeholders. Senior executives are finding that they need some financial know-how to cope with the responsibility placed on them as decision-makers. Key financial skills are not as difficult to learn as many people believe and in the hands of an experienced senior executive can provide a formidable competitive advantage.   This one-day workshop is not intended to take you from a managerial position to that of a Chief Financial Officer. However, these topics will familiarise you with the most common terms and practices in terms of working with finance.   This course is suitable for managers and others in finance related roles: with some or no financial knowledge who need to understand the financial implications of every day decision making? who need to increase profitability and performance of their business? This one-day workshop will help you teach participants how to: • Understand fundamental business finance concepts • Understand the vital difference between profit and cash flow • Evaluate pricing decisions • Use powerful analytical tools to measure performance of their own company and competitors • Understand the role of business finance in formulating and implementing competitive strategy   Course Overview You will spend the first part of the day getting to know participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Students will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.   Business and finance fundamentals The objectives of the firm: delivering value to shareholders and key stakeholders, leading to a better understanding the drivers of shareholder return and who uses financial statements and why.   Basic principles Understanding business funds flow, using the balance sheet the profit statement. This would help to recognise the vital difference between profit and cashflow and what financial statements can and cannot tell us.   Managing and improving Budgets and Forecasting We will look at why you need to set budgets and what is known as ‘the bottom line’. We will also explore the purpose of forecasting over a period of monthly, quarterly and also annually.   Managing and improving profit Understanding how profits generate cashflow. The fundamental nature of costs: fixed and variable business costs and realising gross margin and break-even   Managing business performance We will explore the business planning cycle, by using budgets to support business strategy and monitoring and managing financial performance. We will look at a ‘Pyramid of Ratios’ to manage business performance that will help us understand and use key performance indicators   Measuring and managing business performance We will understand Return on investment (ROI): the ultimate measure of business performance and how profit margin and net asset turnover drive return on net assets. We shall do a case study on why some companies are more profitable than others.   Workshop Wrap-Up At the end of the course, students will have an opportunity to ask questions and fill out an action plan.

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

How to protect your cash flow In the current economic climate more and more companies are finding that their customers are taking longer to pay - or are not even paying at all. As cash flow is key to the survival of any business, effective debt collection tactics are vital for all businesses. This workshop concentrates on the telephone skills and techniques you can use to achieve the most positive outcome in any debt collection situation - payment of money owed, as soon as possible, whilst keeping the collection cost as low as possible. The course will help you: Understand your debtors and communicate with them accordingly Develop a strategy for more effective debt collection Make every call count Handle difficult calls Reduce the amount of time you need to spend on chasing payment Increase your collection rates 1 The debt collection process Understanding the reasons behind payment default Looking at the debt situation from the customer's point of view Developing a strategy for effective debt collection 2 Advanced telephone communication skills Techniques for speaking to the person responsible for paying the debt How to gain the customer's trust when discussing debt Telephone collection skills best practice Key phrases that keep the conversation positive and open 3 Questioning and listening skills for gathering information Different types of question Using high-gain questions to uncover key information Active listening that will help you understand what customers are really saying Leading with examples and high-impact questions Summarising and restating 4 Overcoming objections and excuses Identifying objections Preparing suitable responses Probing objections and ways to overcome them 5 Gaining commitment and ending the call Learn how to negotiate an agreement to suit both parties Summarising actions for you and the customer Ending the call professionally 6 Dealing with difficult and challenging situations Understand different personality types The correct way to respond to an upset customer Ways to calm angry customers (and handle verbal attacks) 7 Action plans Course summary and presentation of action plans

Are you a manager in Early Years? Do you need some new skills to help manage your teams and be the best you can be? Then have a look at what this course covers and get in touch to book. Week 1. Exploring the role of a Manager in Early Years. Characteristics of an effective manager. Exploring different Leadership Styles and identifying your own. Looking after your own wellbeing. Week 2. How to manage difficult Conversations Exploring different personality types. Developing resillience. 4 Step process for managing a difficult conversation. Week 3. Creating Connection & Belonging within your team The importance of Connecting with a Diverse team. How to create a culture of connection & belonging. An introduction to Leading with Emotional Intelligence. We deliver this session on a one to one virtual platform or face to face. We can deliver to small groups but please contact us separately for costings. This specific course is for training one person at a time.

Chairing or facilitating a panel discussion is a particular skill. When many experts and specialists in their field are asked to do this, they discover that it is not as easy as they imagined. Pitching and introducing the session, involving everyone, promoting audience engagement, dealing with difficult panellists and ending the discussion can all be a challenge for inexperienced facilitators. Our panel facilitation training workshop focuses on providing delegates with the techniques and confidence they need to chair panel debates effectively. It is delivered by BBC presenter Martine Croxall and is highly interactive, blending theory with practical exercises. During the course, you will learn: the best way to prepare, including audience analysis and research how to pitch a panel how to introduce a panel how to involve everyone in the discussion the best way to promote audience engagement how to deal with difficult panellists how to end a discussion Each delegate will have the chance to chair a panel discussion, with the other delegates and Martine playing different roles as panellists.

The leader of today has greater challenges than ever before in terms of unlocking human potential in their organisation and delivering results. This programme will help you achieve those aims and help you initiate and manage change more effectively. In particular, it will help you to: Develop an effective strategy to achieve your business goals Understand the role of emotional intelligence in leadership Take away a practical leadership tool-kit Develop a more dynamic approach through enhanced strategic creativity Broaden your understanding of the corporate culture to increase your influence within it Improve your persuasion and influencing skills to achieve your strategic goals Learn the key functions of strategic leadership In today’s world, one of the main aims of the leader is to develop the capability of the organisation to handle change and the challenges of the future even if those challenges have yet to be discovered. Leading in the organisational setting is becoming increasingly difficult because of the increase in regulation in all sectors and the risk of litigation. All organisations need leaders who can handle these challenges effectively, in particular the complexities of organisational life. At the same time, people who feel they are led effectively from the top find it easier to cope with and perform under higher pressure levels and therefore achieve the ultimate business goals Who should attend? This programme has been specifically designed for senior managers and those middle managers who are on the fast track to senior positions. It is suitable for both public and private sector individuals and all senior managers, executives and directors who understand the benefits both personally and professionally of developing strategic leadership skills. Practical training methods The course leader uses a broad range of learning techniques including short input sessions, individual development exercises, group work and case studies to provide a strong mix between practical training and giving a sound foundation of strategic leadership theory. The course provides you with a unique opportunity to put into practice what you have learnt and benefit from the observations and perceptions of the other course members. Leadership is less about doing and more about being. Day One Introduction and objectives The need for strategic leadership The roots of leadership How thought on leadership has developed Current perceptions on strategic leadership The leadership/management debate People and process issues The integrated approach to deliver results Levels of leadership The capabilities required at the strategic level The difference between strategic leadership and strategy Qualities and capabilities of strategic leaders Illustration through case studies Review of strategic capability Developing specific leadership qualities A review of strategic capability using case study examples Developing an approach to leadership Reviewing the traditional and current approaches to leadership CASE STUDY 1: Developing a leadership strategy Understanding leadership processes at all levels Applying the leadership hierarchy Analysing the process PRACTICAL EXERCISE Demonstrating the theory of leadership processes in practice Leadership and emotional intelligence The relationship between leadership and emotion The essence of organisational climate PRACTICAL EXERCISE Participants will work on an exercise to illustrate the theory of emotional intelligence in practice Day Two Review of day one Understanding strategic creativity Examining the psychological aspects of strategic thinking Mind mapping and other approaches to creative thinking Developing a creativity toolkit CASE STUDY 2: A strategic leadership challenge Developing a new vision and plan to transform an organisation to face future challenges based on a real-life scenario Developing strategic leadership capability A review of current approaches Understanding the behavioural approaches Developing a contingency approach Understanding corporate culture The structural aspects The behavioural aspects The human aspects How leaders can change corporate culture Developing a toolkit for change Understanding the cultural web The link with emotional intelligence CASE STUDY 3: Analysing leadership techniques This practical case study illustrates how the strategic approach and the application of appropriate leadership techniques including ‘split screen ability’ work in a real-life scenario Performance aspects at the strategic level Developing vision, goals and objectives Creating corporate identity and alignment Working with individual influencers Effective strategic influencing skills The characteristics of effective persuasive leaders Understanding methods of persuasion Profiling others Building the top team The nature of the top team Accepting diversity and challenge The key functions of strategic leadership Putting these into action Personal leadership planning Identifying tomorrow’s leaders Practical approaches The challenges for the future. 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Whether starting from scratch or beginning again as an adult after regretting giving up at an earlier age (a most common scenario!), I'm confident you will find what you need here to have a most satisfying hobby or interest that can be done at any age and at any time.

Many managers question the value of appraisal programmes and many line managers believe appraisals are unduly time-consuming and bureaucratic. Yet the appraisal is a vital starting point when it comes to managing performance effectively and it is vital that managers appreciate this. Handled well, the benefits of formal appraisals are enormous. This thoroughly practical workshop has been designed to give line managers the knowledge, skills and confidence to deliver a well-structured appraisal - even in the most challenging circumstances. This course will help participants: Appreciate the benefits of the appraisal process Assess standards of performance objectively Plan and prepare for appraisals effectively Conduct a well-structured appraisal meeting Acquire the essential skills required for effective appraisals Improve their ability to discuss difficult issues more confidently Identify training and development requirements Agree clear and measurable development objectives Complete essential paperwork Understand the need to facilitate continual informal dialogue between appraisals 1 Introduction and course objectives 2 The appraisal process The aim of the appraisal process Understanding the bigger picture - the appraisal process as part of the employee development process The benefits of the appraisal process Common pitfalls Five steps to an effective performance appraisal 3 Step 1 - Assessment Using job standards as the basis for objective assessment Assessment of previous objectives 4 Step 2 - Preparation Documentation required Data on each appraisee Planning the meeting 5 Step 3 - The meeting The skills of appraisal interviewing The structure of the appraisal interview Dealing with poor performance and difficult situations Taking notes and completing documentation 6 Step 4 - Planning ahead and objective setting Identifying action to improve performance and enhance skills Establishing relevant training needs Agreeing SMART performance objectives Formulating a personal development plan 7 Step 5 - Action after the interview Essential paperwork Follow-up and action required between appraisal interviews Continuing informal dialogue 8 Video case study Bullets 9 Conclusion Course review / discussion Preparation of action plans for building on the skills learnt Close