1010 TEC courses in Cardiff

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

'Selling' doesn't work. You've got to help customers buy. And that means engaging with the customer in a positive way, showing that you understand their requirement and giving them confidence that your product or service is the best possible way of meeting that requirement. This may sound painless but there's more to it than meets the eye and it's all too easy to get it wrong. You need to follow a process. This programme will help participants: Understand 'how buyers buy' and align their selling activities accordingly Recognise the difference between 'latent pain' and 'active vision' opportunities Conduct effective pre-call planning and research Stimulate interest and establish credibility with your prospects Get prospects to share / admit high priority pain Engage in consultative dialogue that promotes the differentiating strengths of your offerings Gain access to 'power' people within an opportunity Effectively qualify and disqualify opportunities based on objective decision criteria Better control and manage sell cycles Improve their chances of winning competitive opportunities Shorten sales cycles and avoid 'no decision' Negotiate the steps leading to a successful sale 1 An introduction to selling Understanding the key points that encourage a customer to purchase from us The difference between consultative selling and a transactional sale Understanding the roles that trust and empathy play in a sale Understanding how tricks and manipulation can sink a sale Vital pre-meeting research that must take place before a conversation Understanding how the customer sees us and why positioning is important 2 Structuring the sales conversation process Defining a set process for structuring a sales call with a chance to demonstrate understanding How the first minute of a conversation can destroy a sale Understanding BPO objectives for a sale How a step-by-step sales conversation process helps win more sales Understanding the mis-match between the customers buying process How our sales processes can lead to mistakes 3 How and why people buy An insight into the emotional factors behind how people arrive at purchasing decisions Using research from neuroscience that shows how sales people can really make mistakes Understanding how people make decisions about larger purchases Understanding the stakeholders in companies and their buying motives How to analyse the stakeholders and determine a win-plan 4 Understanding the funnel Studying the sales and buying process to understand the ratios of sales to prospects and better forecasting Understanding the role of forecasting in sales analysis Why many forecasts are nearly always wrong Understanding the stages of a sales process How 'verifiable outcomes' can really change forecasting 5 Questioning techniques Understanding the different questioning techniques and when they should be used Using the 'knowledge tree' as a framework for questioning Understanding the use of real empathy to help customers uncover their needs How effective research can really empower your questions How to ask 'high gain' questions How to ask difficult questions without feeling intrusive 6 Features and benefits How to practically apply them in a sales scenario How to align the benefits to customers' business goals Really understanding the difference and how to demonstrate true economic benefits to a customer How to discover business goals, and align value propositions to these How to craft an effective value proposition for a customer Using the SAR storytelling method to really engage customers to align their thinking patterns Using the latest neuroscience research that explains what customers are really thinking 7 Overcoming objections How 'confirmation bias' can hinder any sales conversation How the CLARA method of responding to customer concerns can dramatically improve the chances of customers responding to us in a positive way Practising the method to become comfortable and congruent with it 8 Closing the sale A deep dive into what closing is How different sales have different closes How too many closing methods can destroy a sale How to lead up to a close with a logical sequence of questions Using the ACSAT trust method of closing A clear methodology with a chance to practise the skills in a fun way

A flexible, modular-based, programme to heighten participants' awareness of ways in which their operations can affect the environment, the principles of environmental management and the practical steps they need to take as individuals and as an organisation to improve environmental performance. Depending on the course modules selected, this programme will give participants: Increased awareness of relevant environmental issues A greater understanding of, and commitment to, the organisation's environmental management programme Preparation for any responsibilities they may have under an Environmental Management System Further benefits according to options chosen 1 Environmental awareness Definition of 'the environment' Key environmental issuesGlobal warmingOzone depletionAcid rainAir qualityWater pollutionContaminated landLand take and green belt shrinkageResource usageHabitat destruction and species extinctions. Option: This module can be used to explain the key environmental issues related to the activities of your own organisation. Diagrams, photos, pictures, examples and statistics relevant to your own organisation are used where possible to illustrate the points being made. 2 Environmental legislation Key elements of environmental legislation affecting the activities of your organisation - including international, European and UK legislation. Legislation of particular relevance to your organisation - how it affects the operations of your organisation Option: Legislation can be dealt with according to which aspect of the environment it protects (eg, air, water, waste) or which part of your organisation's activities it affects Consequences of breaching legislation 3 Environmental management systems Overview of what an environmental management system isHow is an Environmental Management System (EMS) designed and put together?Key elements (emphasising Plan - Do - Check - Review cycle)The need to continually improve Pros and consReasons for having an EMSBenefits of an EMSConsequences of not managing the environmentCosts of installing an EMS Explanation of ISO 14001 and EMAS standards and guidance as applicable to the EMSs of your organisationOverview of your organisation's EMSHow it was set up / is being developed / operatesWho is responsible for itKey parts of system (eg, environmental policy, objectives and targets) identified and discussedEMS documentation - what and where it is. Workshop option: Brainstorm 'Pros and cons' with the participants, come up with all their ideas for good and bad things about EMS and demonstrate that the 'good' list is longer than the 'bad' 4 Environmental consequences Define what an environmental impact is and discuss how they are determined, with reference to the EMS Identify why we want to determine the environmental consequences of operations and activities; how they are used in the EMS for planning, and reducing the impact on the environment Establish key environmental consequences of construction and operational activities on the site; discuss significance ranking and the control measures in place in your organisation. Workshop option: In small groups, participants are asked to identify the impact on the environment of your organisation's activities or a part of their activities. They are then asked to rank these impacts in terms of their significance, using guidelines provided to help them be aware of the contributing factors (eg, frequency, severity). For a selected number of the impacts, the participants are asked to identify what control measures there are and which of these they play a part in. All stages can be discussed with trainers as a whole group at various stages during the workshop. 5 Protected species, nature conservation and invasive weeds Nature conservation, landscape and visual issues in the planning process - overview of key nature UK wildlife legislation, EIA, appropriate timing of surveys, Hedgerow regulations and landscape and visual impact issues Ecological issues - ecological legislation, significant species, hedgerows Archaeology in the development process - why archaeology is important, organisation in the UK, legislation and planning guidance Construction phase issues and consents - major environmental issues during construction, including water resources and land drainage consents, discharges to land or water, water abstraction, public rights of way, tree protection, waste management, Special waste, noise, good practice pollution control and Environmental Audits Identification and management of invasive weeds - including legal position regarding management 6 Chemicals and fuels handling and storage How health and safety management is closely linked to environmental management of materials Planning - what mechanisms are in place for planning materials use; legislation, guidance and policies which define how to manage materials Materials storage - what are the considerations for storing materials, covering:Labels: what are the different types and what do they tell us?Storage facilities: what are the requirements for safe storage of materials (eg, signs, secondary containment, access, segregation, lids/covers)Handling: safe handling for protecting the environment, organisational procedures, high risk situations (eg, decanting, deliveries), how to reduce the risks (eg, use of funnels, proper supervision, training)COSHH and MSDS: brief explanation of legislation and its role in environmental control of hazardous materials, how to use the information provided by COSHH assessments Option: These sessions can be illustrated with photographs/pictures and examples of good and bad storage and handling practices Workshop Options: Labelling Quiz - quick-fire quiz on what different labels tell us; Build a Storage Facility - participants are asked to consider all the environmental requirements for building a safe storage facility for their organisation 7 On-site control measures Overview of the legislation associated with nuisance issues on site and mitigating problems when they arise Examples of bad practice, including fuel storage tanks and mobile equipment - costs involved with prosecution of fuel spills, remediation costs, management costs, legal fees, bad PR coverage Identification and management of contaminated land and relevant legislation Workshop option: Participants are provided with a site plan containing information on site features, environmental conditions and indications of potential issues 8 Waste management Why worry about waste? - a look at how waste disposal can impact on the environment, illustrated by examples of waste-related incidents, statistics on waste production on national, industry-wide and organisational levels, landfill site space, etc Legislation - overview of the relevant legislation, what the main requirements of the regulations are, what penalties there are, and the associated documentation (waste transfer notes) Waste classification - a more in-depth look at how waste is classified under legislation according to hazardous properties, referring to Environment Agency guidance Handling and storage requirements - what are the requirements of the applicable waste legislation and how are they covered by organisational procedures? Examples of good and bad environmental practice associated with handling and storing waste. Workshop option: 'Brown bag' exercise - participants pass round a bag containing tags each with a different waste printed on. They are asked to pick out a tag and identify the classification and the handling, storage and disposal requirements for the waste they select Waste minimisation - overview of the waste minimisation 'ladder' and its different options (elimination, reduction, reuse and recycling), benefits of waste minimisation, examples of waste minimisation techniques Workshop option: Participants are asked to identify opportunities that actually exist within the organisation for minimising production of waste that are not currently being taken advantage of 9 Auditing Requirements for environmental auditing of operations Auditing the EMS Types of internal and external audits Requirements EMS standards (ISO 14001 and EMAS) Carrying out internal audits and being prepared for external audits Workshop options:Mock audit 'Brown Bag' - can be used either for trainers to test participants as if they were in an audit situation, or for the participants to test each other and practice their auditing technique. The bag contains tags each with a different topic printed on (eg, waste skips); participants pass the bag round and select a tag; they are then questioned by the trainer or another participant about that topic as if they were in an audit situation. If the participants are auditing each other, they will be provided with a set of guidelines to keep in mind during the workshop.Virtual auditing - a more practical workshop where participants review photographs of situations/activities relevant to the organisation's operations. They are asked to identify all the good and bad environmental practices that are occurring in the situations. 10 Incident response What should you do when an incident does happen? What should be in a spill kit? When should you call in the experts? When should you inform the Environment Agency or Environmental Health Officer? Workshop option: The participants are provided with some incident scenarios and asked to develop a response to the incident 11 Monitoring and reporting Environmental monitoring programmes and procedures Monitoring and reporting as control measures for environmental consequences Monitoring and environmental 'STOP' card systems - personal and behavioural monitoring and reporting

Any team member with Customer interaction (including internal) are the 'Ambassadors' of the company/organisation. If they project positive professionalism - they win others' confidence. If they appear or sound like they are in any way indifferent or unprofessional - they will cost sales and lose clients/customers. With this 2 day Training course, that will be tailored to your company/organisation, each person attending will upgrade their professional standards in people skills, telephone manner and email etiquette. No training in this area may well be a false economy as there is a much greater risk of disenfranchised customers and team members - and probably increases your competitors to win business at your expense. Professional customer care is all too frequently regarded as a token issue in most induction sessions for employees. Surprisingly it is very rarely considered as a key priority, despite being essential for ensuring customer commitment is secure and supplier/partnerships are robust. Excellent customer care is paramount in our ever increasingly competitive market and making customers feel valued and looked after is often a differentiator. This 2-day course will help you understand your customers and the vital importance of customer care in any organisation. You will gain the tools and techniques to apply your learning directly back into the workplace and deliver excellent customer care. Course Syllabus The syllabus of the Professional Customer Care course is comprised of four modules, covering the following: Module One What is Excellent Customer Care? Internal versus external customers Why customer care is important Meeting customer expectations Module Two Making a Personal Difference How do you measure customer care? Making a difference Taking ownership Positive mental attitude Displaying professionalism both face-to-face and over the telephone Using positive language Module Three Gathering Information and Offering Solutions Asking the right questions Active listening skills Summarising and clarifying skills Module Four Dealing with Difficult Situations How to give a 'service' no Demonstrating empathy Assertiveness techniques Handling a complaint Problem solving Saying 'sorry' Making realistic promises and keeping them Real Play Scenarios with a Professional Actor (Optional Extra) This programme benefits significantly from our innovative training feature: Real Play. Using a professional actor who performs role plays as different customer characters in carefully devised situations, the delegates have the opportunity to 'pause' the role play to coach and control their character to improve their skill sets and practice the theory delivered. These scenarios can deal with difficult situations and enacting options to ensure good customer relations are intact. The outcome of the scenario is the responsibility of the delegates, not the trainer and actor. The actor will remain in character throughout the de-brief in order to bring to life the impact and possible next steps. Objectives By the end of the course participants will be able to Adopt a professional telephone manner Communicate assertively by taking control and directing the conversation Deliver information positively by offering options and alternatives Develop a range of versatile behaviours to use when dealing with difficult situations by: Listening actively Using empathy Gathering relevant information through effective questioning Finding solutions to concerns/problems quickly and efficiently Speaking positively and assertively What Is The Benefit? For individuals this course will increase confidence and ability to deal with customers in all situations, which will in turn create customer loyalty and raise their profile. For an employer, ensuring that all customer facing employees are demonstrating excellent customer care instils confidence in the customers and promotes a positive image of the company. In-House Courses Every single team member or employee that has a role which involves engaging with a customer, client and/or a key partner/supplier has a responsibility for projecting a positive image of the organisation which they represent. That may sound obvious, but how many hundreds of experiences have you had as a customer where you were treated with indifference and a distinct lack of professionalism by the receptionist, the retail assistant, the tele-agent, the delivery person, the credit controller or the departmental manager of the operation that you were dealing with? Far too many to count? This is because professional customer care is regarded as a token issue in most induction sessions for employees - and it is very rarely considered as a key priority to ensure customer commitment is secure and supplier/partnerships are robust. Yet the hugely expensive churn in customer/client commitments and staff is enormously expensive and immensely disruptive to any organisation. The Importance of Customers and Clients Every client/customer engaging person needs to recognise that it is ultimately the client or customer that pays their wages. If they gain a basic understanding of the clients' motivations and behaviours, coupled with some core skills in how to care for them, they will attain the status of 'professional'. This will very quickly translate into increased revenues, retained loyalty, high commitment and far greater security for all parties. The foundation has to be based on the authentic commitment to both the customer and also to the organisation they work for. Disenfranchisement readily curdles into sloppy behaviours cloaked in unprofessional attitudes and demeanours; plenty there to repel the most loyal of customers. If your company or organisation relies on repeat business and retaining the confidence and commitment of your clients, then all of your team members - perhaps including managers who set the example and have the biggest influence on the where the needle points to in relation to professionalism - need to be trained on the core basics of professional customer care. Customer Care Programmes from Dickson Training Ltd We are delighted to boast about the many successes we have had in providing effective and long lasting improvements for many clients, where awards have been won and, more importantly, talent has been retained because their clients and customers keep on coming back. Professional customer care extends to suppliers and partners that you value and need to get the best service and rates from, as well as any 'internal clients' such as other departments where you need to rely on their support and collaboration in order to achieve your goals. It is amazing what effective professional customer care training can do for any organisation. Without it your organisation may be vulnerable, with it you are much more likely to see increased performances and much greater security and growth. 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.

This is an essential programme for all Council Members, particularly those who are newly elected, who need to review their personal safety and lone working arrangements. 1 What's happening? Issues around us Risks in context 2 Safety fundamentals Identifying and minimising risks Sensible precautions Use of technology and personal safety Lone working and the Council's policy 3 Harassment and stalking What constitutes harassment and definition of stalking Early warning signals 4 Reporting principles Importance of incidence reporting Council procedure What next?

Harness the energy is an explorative workshop introducing the notion of utilising and intuitively listening to the energy shared between a group of people. Whether we realise it or not, we all give off certain energies at any time. These energies can affect change, sometimes positively, sometimes negatively. This workshop enhances understanding of the power of our own energy transmissions through the use of complicité-based theatre techniques and exercises. This workshop will help participants become active and aware listeners, able to work better collaboratively to produce strong results. It will demonstrate the power of our own individual energy and the positive impact we can have when we learn to utilise the energy beneficially in different situations.

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?

Yes, you can do it. Take the 7-day challenge. Alternatively, consider hypnotherapy. Evidence shows hypnosis is far and away the most effective technique of all for stopping smoking and quitting for good - as summarised in New Scientistin 2010 (Lynn, Green, Accardi, & Cleere). Especially when it is carried out with an element of counselling. That is the therapy part of the word hypnotherapy, and why Richard talks about hypnotherapy for stopping smoking and not just hypnosis to quit. Take away a seven-step guide to quitting and, more importantly, the commitment to quit. During the session you will have the opportunity to: Explore why we find it difficult to quit Learn the seven key steps that can help you quit on your own Discover why some people prefer hypnotherapy

This comprehensive one-day programme has been designed to provide participants with an overview of basic supply chain principles and concepts and to identify potential opportunities for reducing costs, minimising risks and adding value across the supply chain. This could include reducing inventory, procurement, transport and storage costs. Fundamentally, the object of the programme is to empower participants to be able to collaborate with all key stakeholders across the supply chain. This course will help participants: Appreciate the importance of the supply chain as a source of competitive advantage Understand the tools and techniques available to improve supply chain performance Analyse and mitigate risks across the supply chain Identify opportunities for improvements in their respective supply chains Demonstrate competence in the pro-active management of the supply chain

Movement for Calmis an exercise-based workshop exploring yogic and muscle relaxation techniques from a range of practices. The aim is to release tension within the body. When we are stressed or anxious, we produce adrenaline, the 'fight' or 'flight' chemical response. Movement for Calm will help explore ways to restore balance to the chemical reactions produced in the body, loosening muscles and in turn calming both body and mind. This workshop has been developed for forward-thinking organisations wanting to make a real commitment to improving workplace wellbeing. This workshop will help participants identify areas of tension in the body, and learn exercises and movement-based sequences to release anxiety and stress caused by unnecessary muscle tension. The aim is that people leave the workshop relaxed and refreshed, ready to take on the toughest of corporate challenges.