Effective Communications
TRAINER GUIDE
Contents
Contents......
Trainers Information......
Target Audience......
Trainers Introduction......
Training Mode, Method and Media......
Assessment Method......
Validation and Evaluation......
Trainer Preparation and Logistics......
Aims......
Objectives......
Pre-Requisites......
INTRODUCTION......
Welcome to the course......
Icebreaker......
A Non Verbal Introduction......
Overview......
THINKING LIKE THE CUSTOMER......
Understanding the Customer......
An excellent customer experience every time......
SELLING IN A SERVICE BUSINESS......
Selling and Service......
Skills and Qualities......
Developing a better understanding of my Customers......
COMMUNICATION AND RAPPORT......
Perceptions......
The Words......
The Way......
Body Language......
Building Rapport......
Developing Effective Behaviour......
GUIDE YOUR CUSTOMER TO THE BEST SOLUTION......
Conversation Structure......
WELCOME......
First Impressions......
Greeting the Customer......
Take Ownership......
Creating a positive first impression......
QUESTIONING SKILLS......
Clarity of Message......
Questioning Techniques......
Open Questions......
Closed Questions......
Probing Questions......
Reflective Questions......
Multiple Questions......
Limited Questions......
Statement Question Technique......
Developing Questioning Skills......
MATCH......
Listening......
Levels of Listening......
Barriers to Listening......
W.I.I.F.M......
True Response Questions......
CLOSE......
Direct Close......
Assumptive / Summary Close......
Alternative Close......
Minor Point Close......
Depart......
Using the Telephone......
Communication......
Elements of the Voice......
Putting customers on hold......
Skills Practise......
Action Planning......
Decide to be OUTSTANDING......
Trainers Information
Training Mode, Method and Media
Training takes place off-site, in a classroom environment and over a 2 day period. This course has been designed to include activities to demonstrate effective skills and therefore, is interactive, fun and not trainer led. PowerPoint is not required. Delegates are given the opportunity to practise learning on day two of the course by means of both face to face and group activities.
Assessment Method
Assessment takes place following each activity and session and to test learning and understanding. Discussions take place on day two to ensure that delegates are comfortable and able to transfer skills to the workplace.
Validation and Evaluation
The course is evaluated at the end of two days via the course reactionnaire form and copies of delegate action plans.
Trainer Preparation and Logistics
Materials needed
Trainer Notes and/or Session Plan
2 x Flipcharts
Flipchart pens – all colours
Folder per delegate
Nameplates
Pens
Scissors
Plain paper
Enrolment form
Course Reactionnaires
Sticky Labels – Famous Person Game
Communications Shapes Exercise
Prop’s for WIIFM exercise
Cardboard cut-out and spare cardboard
Aims
- To understand how to control each customer interaction using a conversation framework
- To understand the power of behaviour and how it influences a customer interaction
- To demonstrate techniques for improved listening
- To demonstrate effective rapport building and communication skills.
- To investigate how we can influence buying decisions and choices through language that gives a good feeling.
- To build repeat business through first class service.
Objectives
By the end of this workshop you will have:
- Developed an awareness of the communication skills required for a
successful interaction
- Experienced opportunities for practising skills in a safe and confidential environment
- Practised giving feedback to colleagues on their effectiveness in work-related situations
- Identified areas of personal development and completed an action plan for further developing these skills in the workplace
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the course
Cover domestics (Fire instructions, toilets, smoking, breaks, lunches, and mobile phones)
Icebreaker
A Non Verbal Introduction
Objectives
- To demonstrate that communication can sometimes be completely accomplished without words and still be largely effective
- To illustrate that interpersonal communication is indeed possible through the use of gestures and other non verbal methods
Task
Divide the group into groups of 2.
The purpose of this exercise is to introduce oneself to his / her partner, but that this entire activity must be accomplished with no words, i.e. completely non-verbally.
You may use visuals, pictures, signs, gestures, signals or anything non-verbal. If necessary you may offer certain hints i.e. pointing to a wedding ring to indicate marriage, an in place running movement to indicate jogging etc.
You have 2 minutes each to do this
You now have 2 minutes for each of you to verbally ‘check each other out’. i.e., verbally state what you were communicating non-verbally.
So think about….
Debrief questions
- How accurate were you in describing yourselves? ( Rate yourselves on a 1-5 scale)
- How accurate were you in ‘reading’ your partners gestures? ( Rate yourselves again)
- What were some of the better clues given by your partner?
- What barriers / problems did you face? (Lack of props, lack of experience with non verbal communication)
- How might we reduce or eliminate these barriers?
Overview
Q. Why are we here? How did we get here?
Q. Who has received a briefing from their line managers?
Q. Who has brought their own objectives/expectations from the course?
The workshop will provide an opportunity to practise your skills in dealing with customer service issues you face in the workplace, in a safe and supportive environment.
The workshop is confidential and we should all be open and honest in order to get the best from the course.
Q. Why do you think Companies are focussing so much on Customer Service?
FACILITATE and discuss responses to include thechanging market place and perhaps your company’scurrent customer retention rate
Talk through rewards, developing a customer first culture and the overall aim of an excellent customer experience every time.
The purpose of you attending this training is:
- to help change the current culture within your business
- to achieve and promote an excellent customer experience every time
- to increase customer satisfaction and increase our customer retention rate
Customer satisfaction indexing is now giving a far clearer picture on how the customer feels about their experience as well as including the facts of their experience.
DISCUSS theworkshop objectives in the workbook on page 3.
Can you identify your own objectives for the two days, write them down on a post-it and place them on a piece of flipchart.
CHECK what has been written down to ensure that they can be met. If not, facilitate a discussion with the individual to check understanding of their expectations.
We will review your personal objectives at the end of the workshop to evaluate how they have been met during the two days.
THINKING LIKE THE CUSTOMER
The Objectives of this session are to:
- To place you in the “customers shoes”
- To enable you to feel and understand which service elements are important to customers
- To identify the core skills and qualities of the service giver.
Q: How much time do you spend dealing with customers?
FACILITATE responses and remind delegates to think about internal customers as well as external.
Q: Can you all please read the top of page 4
Customers come in all shapes and sizes – those that know a lot about products, those that think they know a lot about products and those that know nothing about them. They are old and young, experienced and inexperienced. Whoever they are we need to look after them and ensure that they get what they want and need from your company. If we don’t then someone else will!
In order to understand the customer we need to spend a few moments thinking like them.
Q: Do they all come in different shapes and sizes?!!
Q: Who are your customers?
Q: What customer types are there?
They may come up with….
- Internal
- External
- Older people
- Young people
- Customers who are commercially aware
Understanding the Customer
As a member of the team, you are an ‘enabler’ in meeting customers needs and expectations.
Q. How do we do this?
- Take the time to understand the expectation
- Build your knowledge on that customer through your insight and imagination
- Use your instinct and intuition but beware of preconceptions
- Don’t ‘average’ customers, differentiate each one
Exercise
Split the group into 2 or 3’s and ask them to complete the questions on page 4 of their workbook.
Facilitate a discussion. Allow 10 min.
Q: What’s important to them?
(Make sure that the customer experience is brought out here).
Some know about cars and some don’t!!
Q: How much do they know?
Q.What is some of the jargon that we use to customers?.
E.g.
Q. Why do they come to your business in particular?
Brand Values, previous experiences etc.