Soft Skills Toolkit: 3 day workshop for Finance Professionals

Course Overview:

This three day seminar covers all aspects of persuasion, negotiation and presentation skills.

The first day has been designed to meet the needs of finance professionals who need to build relationships within their organisation in order to get colleagues on side and for those in a sales or account management role who are dealing with potentially difficult customers or situations.

This course will help you bring people around to your way of thinking, reducing resistance to new ideas and eliminating conflict. You will learn how to build rapport more easily by utilising appropriate communication styles and practise persuasion techniques for dealing with difficult people and situations.

The second day focuses on the negotiation skills. This one day interactive course will help delegates to become masters at the art of negotiating the “win-win” outcome so often mentioned in selling textbooks. It examines the best ways of dealing with customers of all types whilst remaining mindful that the principles of fairness, seeking mutual benefit and maintaining a relationship are the keys to a successful outcome. Hard selling works, sometimes – usually only once. Negotiated sales generate repeat business and ultimately longer term relationships.

The third day covers presentation skills. Presentation skills are possessed by everyone, no matter how challenging it seems. Everyone can present and present well, the secret is hard work, preparation, practice and more hard work. The so called “masters” make it look easy because they work very hard behind the scenes to plan the process and have practiced over and over again.

Course Content:

Day 1 – The Art & Skill of Persuasion – A Workshop for Finance Professionals

Understanding Persuasion

• What makes a successful persuader?
• The qualities of a successful persuader
• Influencing and persuading, not manipulation
• Defining persuasion and influence
• Principles of effective influencing
• Self- Belief, Confidence & Assertiveness
• What do we mean by push and pull styles of persuasion
• The psychology of persuasion – the basics

Example/Exercise

Preparing to persuade

• Building Trust
• “Mocking Bird” Theory
• Non verbal communication
• Building Trust and rapport
• Finding out what others want or need – listening and questioning
• Perception – how you perceive situations and how others may perceive you

Example/Exercise

Explore what others want

• Setting clear objectives on the scope of selling you wish to embark on
• Effective questioning techniques
• Realise the values and motivations of others
• Hone your listening skills and overcome barriers to active listening
• The identification of individual ‘filters’ and how to overcome these
• The power of positive thought – preparing for the persuasion discussion

Example/Exercise

Communication Style

• Choose from a range of communication styles depending upon the situation
• Learn to respond, rather than react
• Open, leading and closed questions.
• The Funnel questioning technique.
• Understanding values and how to persuade around these
• Questioning techniques to understand values and build relationships

Example/Exercise

Overcome resistance

• Select one of the six levels of assertiveness, without compromising the values of others
• Apply a practical 6-step Influence Model
• Using FAB to match the needs gathered from customers
• Dealing with conflict – handling difficult situations without emotions
• Presenting your case with impact, taking the values of others into account

Example/Exercise

State your case persuasively

• Presenting at the right stage.
• Adopt strategies that work for you
• State your case assertively and convincingly.
• Knowing the audience
• Gathering the content
• The 10/80/10 rule for structuring the presentation
• Delivering a presentation

Example/Exercise

Handling Objections

• Identifying frequently encountered objections.
• The pre-emption of objections.
• Developing appropriate responses.

Example/Exercise

Day 2 – Negotiation Skills for Finance Professionals

Introductions

• The Process of Negotiation
• Objectives in negotiation
• Communication Skills of the Effective Negotiator
• Assessing information
• Establishing the parameters
• What is the “win-win” outcome

Case Study/Discussion Point

The “Interests”

• Interests
• The difference between positions and interests
• Identifying and prioritising your interests
• Common mistakes when handling interests
• When is negotiation a good idea?
• The elements of an effective negotiation

Case Study/Discussion Point

The “Options”

• Generating and evaluating possible options
• Identifying your ideal outcome
• Common errors when generating options

Case Study/Discussion Point

Understanding Negotiation Outcomes

• Evaluate the options
• Where do you think it will end
• Is there a “win” or would a compromise be better
• Setting clear objectives
• Being prepared to lose when it makes sense

Case Study/Discussion Point

The Negotiating Process

• Making proposals and giving and receiving concessions
• Breaking Deadlock
• Agreeing a remedy
• Understanding the negotiator’s role
• Key stages of the process
• Giving information
• Reading signals
• Making a plan.
• Reviewing assumptions
• Working through the meeting/discussion process
• Probing in order to develop understanding
• Reaching agreement

Case Study/Discussion Point

Challenges

• Different types of people
• Behavioural approaches & body language
• Deadlocks, Standstills & Concessions
• Tricks, Traps & Tactics
• When & Where to Negotiate – Electronic Media are not ideal

Live Practice

• Simulations
• Debrief

Day 3 – Presentation Skills for Finance Professionals

The Essentials – The Presenter – You

• Carrying out the ‘essential checks’
• Presenting the ‘right’ image
• Using your words, tone and body language
• Working with the qualities of your voice
• Acknowledging and overcoming nerves
• Using relaxation techniques
• Using mannerisms and gestures to enhance impact
• The qualities of a successful presenter

Example/Exercise

The Essentials – The Material – What Are You Going to Say

• Performing a needs analysis
• Writing the basic outline
• Researching, writing and editing
• Establishing a clear purpose
• Using successful information gathering techniques
• Choosing the best route through your material
• Identifying the key points
• Creating strong openings and closings
• Knowing the pros and cons of different visual aids
• Making it big, bold and brilliant

Example/Exercise

The Essentials – The Audience – Who Will You be Saying it To

• Knowing your audience to develop presentations that appeal
• Building rapport
• Getting and keeping them on your side
• Working with questions
• Handling difficult people
• Understanding group dynamics

Example/Exercise

Next Step – Delivery Methods

• Basic methods
• Advanced methods
• Basic criteria to consider
• Choose from a range of communication styles depending upon the situation
• Listening and Hearing: They aren’t the same thing
• Asking questions
• Communicating with power

Example/Exercise

Next Step – Communication Skills

• What do we mean by Communication
• Preparing mentally
• Physical relaxation techniques
• Appearing confident in front of the crowd
• Non-Verbal Communication Skills
• Body language
• The signals you send to others
• It’s not WHAT you say, It’s HOW you say it
• Presenting your case with impact

Example/Exercise

Perfecting your skills

• Make them laugh a little
• Ask them a question
• Encouraging discussion
• Dealing with questions
• Creating Fantastic Flip Charts
• Creating Compelling PowerPoint Presentations
• WOW your Audience
• Vibrant Videos and Amazing Audio

Example/Exercise