 |
Advanced Influencing Skills for Business Professionals (AIS)
In today's fast moving environment professional managers need to be both knowledgeable and expert in the technical side of their role, but also have to be effective communicators in order to facilitate and gain agreement effectively.
AIS teaches a win/win problem-solving approach for the relationship between you, the manager, and senior executives or end user 'customers' in this approach. AIS views the purpose of the interaction with the 'customer' as solving the customer's problems – not 'selling' your view. Because the influencing/selling/buying process is a dynamic interaction between a manager and a customer, this programme centres on the attitude and skills for productive relationships and adoption of solutions.
Participants can bring a current opportunity to the workshop and learn how to influence customers and promote rapid adoption of a proposed solution.
Programme Overview
AIS is a three-day workshop designed to help business professionals to gain knowledge and skills about the dynamics of an effective, customer-focused influencing process.
The seminar is enhanced by the optional use of the 'Customer Relationship Inventory'. This research-based instrument provides managers with individualized feedback from their customers' perspectives along the four Key stages of the Influencing process; Relating, Discovering, Advocating, and Supporting. It also provides a measure of overall customer satisfaction.
The program consists of five distinct, yet integrated, units that describe the philosophy and processes of a highly effective influencing approach from a problem-solving perspective.
The Approach
At the AIS workshop you will learn new skills as described in each of the following sections;
- Understand a process for increasing influencing competence.
- Approach customers with a problem-solving mindset.
- Adopt the four phases of the AIS Process and the obstacles that typically accompany each phase.
Relating (Learn how to overcome the barrier of no Trust)
- Plan effective responses to customer expectations for influencing contacts.
- Open influencing calls in a way that communicates empathy.
- Build credibility throughout the influencing process.
Discovering (Learn how to overcome the barrier of no Need)
- Ask effective questions and listen with a focus on the customer.
- Identify personal and task related 'buying / adopting' motives, customer roles, and 'buying / adopting' conditions.
- Verify and confirm influencing opportunities with customers.
Advocating (Learn how to overcome the barrier of no Help)
- Make effective presentations.
- Recommend solutions with clear benefits to customers.
- Respond effectively to customer resistance and deal with objections.
- How to ask for acceptance of your proposal
Supporting (Learn how to overcome the barrier of no Satisfaction)
- Understand the importance of customer satisfaction in building long term relationships for successful project implementation and on going decision making.
- Learn and be able to effectively apply four skills that support ongoing customer relationships.
- Appreciate the difference in attitudes and expectations between customers and you immediately after acceptance of your proposal.
Click here for 'Advanced Influencing Skills' printable information sheet