Commercial Awareness for Consultants & Project Managers is a practical workshop designed for technical services people working in Professional Services & Consulting teams who wish to develop their client communication skills, especially in the context of interacting with customers and partners in project delivery situations.
The workshop is designed to improve the ‘soft behavioural skills’ essential for actively managing the whole client relationship, for example – to diagnose complex business issues with clients, control project costs/creep, build trust-based relationships, negotiate better project outcomes, spot new opportunities and defend the value of your services with customers.
The major emphasis is on developing a Professional Services team’s confidence and assertiveness with clients, for example, around consultative questioning, problem & conflict resolution, handling objections, risk management and relationship building.
The skills we cover are widely applicable in general business situations, but are taught in a project-specific context. They will help consultants, solutions architects, engineers and project managers to diagnose and appreciate the wider strategic concerns which underpin clients’ reasons for buying your solutions, and will improve the opportunities for collaborative working, whist reducing the chances of commercially damaging conflict with your customers.
What we cover:
- Behavioural skills for building strong client relationships
- Questioning & listening in a consultative framework
- Analysing client motivations and decision-making roles
- Understanding and diagnosing business value
- Handling objections and dealing with conflict
- Applying core negotiating concepts to build respect
- Controlling client expectations & demands
- Resisting ‘More for free’ requests
- Body language, business etiquette and personality styles
- Planning and managing effective meetings & workshops
- Basic skills for gaining commitment & project approvals
- ….and much more!
