934 TEC courses in Cardiff

Meetings are a fact of working life - both virtual and physical meetings. Recording the key points from meetings is critical to making sure that accurate information is captured, and action points are clearly identified and allocated. This virtual training session will support members of staff to develop their skills in recording the key points from meetings and discussions. This course will help participants: Describe the different levels of note taking and pick the appropriate style for the meeting Prepare to take minutes in the virtual and the physical environment Liaise and work in partnership with the meeting Chair Use a template to enable the capturing of key points Set up the room ready for the meeting Identify key points to record, versus what not to record Interrupt the meeting confidently to check key points Take neutral, accurate and concise records Produce a well-laid out set of minutes. 1 Introduction Objectives and overview Introductions and personal aims 2 An introduction to minutes Purpose and use Different levels of notetaking 3 Preparing to take minutes Identifying the purpose of the meeting Working with the Chair Tips and techniques to prepare effectively Case studies, review and discussion The physical environment: setting up for a meeting 4 Listening and recording Tips and techniques to make the process easier How to interrupt a meeting What to record; what to leave out Recording in short-form using playscript and bullet-points Listening neutrally Activity: Minuting a Meeting The tricky ones and how to overcome problems in the meeting 5 Preparing the minutes Producing a set of draft minutes Tips on grammar, punctuation and layout Stylistic variation Managing feedback from the Chair 6 Review Summary of key learning points Action planning

This very practical workshop is designed to enable participants to improve the impact, clarity and accuracy of their business documents - both internal and external.: This workshop will help participants: Identify the purpose of writing their documents - to themselves and to their readers Recognise and meet the needs of their readers Plan documents systematically and improve the layout, flow and structure Express the content more clearly, concisely and correctly Adapt the tone and style of writing to the circumstances Proof-read and edit work effectively, using formal marks and techniques Improve visual layout, format and appearance 1 Course objectives Welcome and Introductions The problems now - group discussion 2 Writing better business documents What points to highlight / exclude Starting off Introductions Conclusions Executive summaries 3 Rules and standards George Orwell's famous maxim Why write? - clarifying your aims and objectives A seven-step method for better preparation The three-stage process for writing well Grouping information for your reader 4 Proof-reading and editing The difference between proof-reading and editing Proof-reading methods and strategies Proof-reading marks and techniques Training your eye for detail Knowing what to look for 5 Effective editing Grammar and English standards Words - usage and spelling Sentences - units of thought Paragraphs - themes Punctuation - spotting and correcting common errors Say what you mean - active v passive language 6 How's your English? Grammar quizzes and punctuation test Spotting spelling errors Rephrasing jargons and clichés Common error's and mistakes 7 Document layout House style Use of white space Fonts and effects 8 One-to-one workshops These are practical sessions with one-to-one consultation with colleagues and the trainer They are held at key points to consolidate the learning from different sessions 9 Course summary Summary of key points Action plans

The importance of building services to the success of an organisation has never been greater and continues to grow. Developers and occupiers are becoming more aware of the contribution that building services make to the well being of occupants and hence their perception of the quality of the working environment. Those involved with the design, construction, maintenance and operation will increasingly be required to deliver building services that demonstrable contribution to the occupier's business. Energy efficiency, carbon management and occupant satisfaction depend substantially on the way building services are designed, managed and operated. To optimise these aspects, an informed strategic approach is essential. Tried and tested techniques and processes are available that, when applied holistically, will deliver substantial benefits. This course reviews best practice in the area and inspires participants to ensure that building services perform at their optimal level. To provide a better understanding of how building services can be designed, managed and operated to: Maximise occupant comfort, satisfaction and wellbeing Add value and contribute to the success of the business of the occupier Improve health safety Reduce operating cost, energy use, carbon emissions and environmental impact Optimise cost and value Provide strategies for continuous improvement and sustainable operation 1 Building services fundamentals The function of services in commercial buildings and their importance to the core business 2 Techniques and processes for optimising cost and value Programmed operation evaluation Continuous commissioning Lifetime product management Performance-based service Energy efficiency and the scope for environmental improvement 3 Making the business case and preparing the strategy Motivating decision-makers Empowering those who have to deliver the results Managing business risk 4 Strategy implementation and monitoring results Ensuring that rich and robust feedback is available to support continuous improvement and strategy enhancementWhen to get feedbackWhyHowWhat to do with it 5 Case histories and 'air time' Sharing experience and addressing specific issues of interest to participants Course review Close

This course has a simple objective: to help gain appointments with potential clients. In most consultative selling situations clients won't commit to purchases over the telephone. This means setting up a meeting to discuss the options with them face-to-face. But getting 'face time' can be tricky. This practical workshop can help. Participants will acquire essential tools, skills and methods; discuss specific organisational issues; and identify areas for improvement. They will discover how to: Increase their effectiveness through proper preparation Construct attention-grabbing opening statements Help potential clients feel comfortable agreeing to a meeting Develop tactics for responding to difficult excuses and objections Stress the benefits of a face-to-face consultation Develop and enhance their questioning and listening skills Prevent customers cancelling booked appointments 1 Introduction to appointment setting Key trends that have changed the way people buy today - and will buy tomorrow Why many sales people avoid picking up the phone The difference that makes a difference - what makes a good appointment-maker? 2 Before you pick up the telephone It all starts with a plan... Who and what to focus our attention How much research should we undertake and why? Setting primary and secondary objectives 3 Making your approach Key considerations Every call is an opportunity - creating a positive mind-set Using a structured approach Using partnership language 4 Gaining an insight into the customer's needs How to quickly 'tune in' to your customers, so that you can serve them more easily Developing speech patterns that put customers at their ease Using effective questioning and listening skills Finding and building pain points 5 Dealing with excuses and objections Pre-empting potential excuses Developing techniques for responding to client objections Keeping the door open for future contact 6 Securing the appointment Selling the benefits of a consultancy meeting Techniques for avoiding cancelled appointments Gaining commitment 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

The ability to influence others is a life skill but also one that has never been so critically useful at work. This one day workshop will set you on the road to discover what you need to be able to think and do that will help you take people with you. This involves learning some new tools and strategies that fit the situation you are in and making sure you use the right skills and behaviours to influence well, whether it is a single person or a room full of cynical expectant people! This workshop will enable you to: Learn about and understand influencing styles and strategies available and formulate plans and ideas on how to use them in influencing situations Understand which skills and behaviours to use to be the most effective influencer Have greater confidence in situations where they need to influence someone Use thinking, speaking and behavioural techniques that enable influencing to be effective and positive Review and evaluate learning and have an action plan to take back and implement in the workplace 1 Welcome, introductions & getting to know you and why you are here Course objectives 2 Personal objectives Introducing a learning diary 3 Gallery exercise - using images of exemplars brought by participants Plenary discussion The skills and behaviours of an exemplar influencer 4 Group task - what does your self-evaluation say? Discussion and conclusions 5 Influencing - what is it? - why do we need it? The current organisational landscape including values and behaviours the influencer operates in 6 Pit Stop - 'pull / push', 'the lost horse' and 'talking at' 7 Direct / support / delegate / coach: the different choices and approaches to choose from 8 Updating the learning diary 9 Power and types of power - its impact on influencing ability and approach and what is within your control Group task and discussion 10 The 5 influencing styles tool Series of tasks and exercises Drilling down to a personal action plan for maximising influence 11 'The person with the most flexibility has the most influence' Skills and behaviours for effective influencing Exercises and techniques that develop skills for influencing 12 Review and evaluation Action planning

Any successful business manager will tell you that you never get the deal you deserve - you always get the deal you negotiate! This two-day workshop includes recent research and practical techniques from the Harvard Business School Negotiation Project and provides a unique opportunity to learn and practice these skills in a safe environment using up to date materials and life-like practice negotiation case studies. This course will help participants to: Understand the basics of negotiation Develop negotiating skills Increase their business acumen Develop their communication skills Learn the models, techniques and tools for an effective negotiation Identify the barriers to agreements Close the deal 1 What is negotiation? Key skills for negotiation Types of negotiation Win-lose negotiations versus Win-win negotiations Wise agreements and Principled Negotiation 2 Four key negotiating concepts BATNA - Best alternative to negotiated agreement Setting your reservation price ZOPA - Zone of possible agreement Creating and trading value 3 Business acumen Understanding pricing, gross margins and profit Knowing the key points on which to negotiate 4 A Four Phase Model for negotiation Nine steps to successful planning Discussing a deal - creating and claiming value Making and framing proposals Bargaining for the winning deal 5 Effective communication Effective questioning Active listening skills Understanding and interpreting body language Barriers to effective communication 6 Understanding influence and persuasion Influencing strategies Ten proven ways to influence people Six universal methods of persuasion Understanding why people do business with other people 7 Negotiating tactics Tactics for win-lose negotiations Tactics for win-win negotiations Effective team negotiating Understanding and using powerv What do you do when the other side has more power? 8 Barriers to agreement Common barriers to agreement The Negotiators Dilemma Dealing with die-hard negotiators Dealing with lack of trust 9 Potential barriers to cross-border agreements Understanding business methods and practice in other cultures Figuring out who has the power and who makes decisions Recognising and dealing with cultural differences What's OK here might not be OK there 10 Closing the deal Four steps to closing the winning deal

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

Do you hear yourself saying the same thing over and over again? Do you want to bring some new skills to your role? If you have been in a sales role for some time it is easy to fall into a comfortable pattern. This workshop will help you incorporate advanced techniques drawn from NLP, behavioural science and social psychology into your existing skills. This course will help you: Use the consultative sales process to achieve more cross-sales Employ advanced rapport-building skills Assess the buying preferences of a customer Articulate the link between customer goals and needs Identify your customer's needs and wants Use advanced questioning techniques to gather information Resist the temptation to tell when it would be better to ask Identify communication preferences Given various scenarios, present a product to the explicit need of a customer Appreciate the impact of the language used during this stage of the sale and decide what language is appropriate with a variety of customers Handle objections positively Close the sale or gain commitment to further action 1 Introduction Aims and objectives of the training Personal introductions and objectives Self-assessment of existing sales skills Overview of content 2 Understanding yourself and your customers Personal communication style and what this means in a sales situation Wants versus needs What motivates people to buy Using social media tools such as LinkedIn Managing your portfolio to maximise sales Preparing to sell 3 The sales process Overview of the consultative sales process Review personal strengths and weaknesses as a salesperson Habits of top-performing sales people Common pitfalls Articulate sales goals 4 Building rapport 11 decisions that customers make in the first 9 seconds Spotting buyer communication preferences Building rapport with a wide variety of customers Dealing with emotions Keeping control 5 Questioning and listening Assumptions and how they trip us up Structured questioning Looking for cross-sales Honing your listening skills Identifying buyers' motivation Using summaries to move the customer forward 6 Presenting products and services to customers Choosing the right time to present Using features, advantages and benefits Tailoring your presentation of products and services to match buyer preferences and motivations 7 Gaining commitment When to close Dealing with difficult customers 5 things to avoid when handling a customer objection 8 Managing your business The link between service and sales Using customer surveys Winning back lost business 9 Putting it all together Skills practice Personal learning summary and action plans