The Human Side of Client Relations Management How to build, deepen, extend and sustain strong client relationships This highly experiential programme focuses on what it takes to establish powerful business relationships. It brings the formal systems that companies use to life by putting each person s relationship building skills under the spotlight. Through continual learning and practice, combined with insightful feedback from two highly experienced MLA consultants, you emerge more realistic, yet confident about developing your client contacts more creatively. Target Audience Designed for those whose work depends on connecting with clients, either internal or external, including consultants, advisers, sales people, account managers, and other service professionals. Because the focus is on individual s ability to connect, the programme is suitable for all levels of experience. Outcomes Through attending this event, participants will: Learn: To tackle clients more proactively To build, deepen, extend and sustain strong client relationships. How to distinguish what clients need from what they say they want To develop a strategic relationship plan Creative methods and techniques to tackle difficult situations Feel: Greater confidence in connecting with different kinds of clients Increased insight and empathy 1
Be more able to: Deal with challenging clients more effectively Understand and manage the emotional element of client relations Vary the dynamic in client encounters Build a more open and honest dialogue All extremely relevant and useful and a truly inspirational environment to be in Debbie King, Happy Computers Content overview and style This is a highly experiential workshop, focusing on what it takes to establish powerful business relationships. It puts each person s relationship skills under the spotlight. Through continual learning and practice, combined with insightful feedback, you will develop a deeper understanding and increased confidence in managing your client relationships and contacts more creatively. Duration of workshop 2 days Day one focuses on the nature of your relationships with clients, exploring the dynamics from both perspectives. As well as practising techniques to help you prepare for client encounters, you work at deepening a number of relationship building behaviours including insight, listening and questioning, as well as addressing barriers to relationship. We also concentrate on increasing your self awareness in any client interaction, and therefore extending your range of choice for effective action. Day two is largely spent practising and deepening the skills developed on the first day. This is done using scenarios of client meetings, tailored to meet the specific needs of the participant group. Most are conducted with an observer, who analyses the interaction and provides the valuable feedback of an outside eye. There are opportunities to work at meetings that open or begin a relationship, as well as dealing with the tough stuff when things are not going well. We explore ways to use this kind of difficulty as an opportunity to deepen the relationship. Preparation work 1. Prepare a 60 second pitch in response to the question what s special about what you and your company have to offer? 2. Select one of your clients with whom you d like a better relationship. 2
Workshop Outline Day 1 INTRODUCTIONS Brief personal introductions Exercises to build connection and explore individuals current client relationships DYNAMICS Outlining our Thoughts, Feelings, Actions model of relationship dynamics A series of lively creative exercises to explore ways of consciously managing and affecting the dynamics, mood and nature of a client meeting ISSUES Identifying individual and group issues to address today and tomorrow In all the preparation and tools work below, we will be making connections to these issues, and inviting participants to use current live clients as the basis for the exercises and discussions PREPARATION STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING CONNECTIONS Understanding and surfacing below the line agendas in client relationships Building compelling shared agendas Identifying barriers and building bridges to client relationships RELATIONSHIP TOOLS INSIGHT Separating facts from assumptions Using both to developing curiosity RELATIONSHIP TOOLS QUESTIONS Creative exercise to understand different types of questions and their impact Practising varying questions to manage the dynamic of a meeting RELATIONSHIP TOOLS SPIN A structured model for identifying client needs INDIVIDUAL IMPACT Pre prepared elevator pitches Instant personal feedback and adjustment RELATIONSHIP TOOLS STATUS Exploring behavioural options for changing relationship dynamics Dealing with in the heat of the moment difficulties from earlier issues list SUMMARY OF THE DAY Recap of what s been covered Setting brief overnight assignment 3
Day Two TUNE IN AND RE CONNECT Report back on overnight assignment Review progress of workshop so far Identify individuals areas for focus for the day RELATIONSHIP TOOLS LISTENING The nature of active listening, and what gets in the way Listening with a purpose to affect and deepen the relationship dynamic RELATIONSHIPS OVER TIME Identifying the stages and changes in relationships (personal and client) A structured model for mapping client relationships How to progress and deepen the relationship CLIENT RELATIONSHIP SCENARIOS the bulk of the day is spent on these, working in threes, where the focus is on practising and getting individual feedback on the skills developed in the workshop so far. There is a brief for each scenario, developed in advance in partnership with you to reflect current clients and raise relevant issues, which all parties share. This outlines the nature of the client organisation and the background to the meeting. Working on three different client scenarios, everyone gets to be alternately: a) managing the meeting themselves b) a client, with a particular personal brief c) an observer, who then feeds back on the meeting and relationship dynamics FIRST MEETING SCENARIOS Building initial relationship Understanding client issues and needs Managing the in the moment dynamics After the three scenarios, sharing insights and learning in the big group SECOND MEETING SCENARIOS Same clients, but some months later, dealing with a problem from the client Managing the uncomfortable elements of relationship Using the problem as a way to deepen or further the relationship Again sharing insights and learning in the big group ANY UNRESOLVED ISSUES Opportunity to address any client management issues that are outstanding, using a mixture of plenary discussion, knowledge sharing and creative techniques PERSONAL REFLECTION, ACTION PLANNING AND COMPLETION Identifying reminders, revelations and actions from the two days Commitments to action 4
The role plays continue to remain in my subconscious now and undoubtedly help me to continue to perform confidently with my customers. Alex Dalley, The London Stock Exchange SUPPORT We recommend that this course be supported by the Connecting with Clients booklet by Andrew Leigh. 5