Dealing with customers can be very rewarding and also very challenging when they behave in difficult or unpredictable ways. This highly practical one day course will provide insights into what triggers difficult behaviour along with strategies for dealing with it effectively and more confidently. It will focus on real workplace examples relevant to your sector and on helping employees to remain calm and professional when on the receiving end of difficult behaviour.

Who should attend

Anyone who deals regularly with customers who display difficult or aggressive behaviour will benefit from learning skills and techniques to stay in control and manage interactions for best outcomes.

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

• Explain the needs and expectations of customers
• Recognise and deal effectively with a range of difficult customer behaviours
• Use assertive communication techniques when speaking with customers
• Understand triggers for anger and aggression and the escalation cycle
• Demonstrate the CARP approach for dealing with anger or aggression
• Explain the principles of Transactional Analysis and apply it to customer interactions

• Understanding the needs and expectations of customers
• Identifying difficult customer behaviours with possible causes and effects
• Focus on attitudes and emotions
• Importance of building rapport and showing empathy
• Awareness of body language
• Using assertive communication techniques to manage difficult interactions
• Telephone communication and using your voice to best effect
• Choosing co-operative language to influence customer behaviour
• Recognising common triggers for anger and the escalation cycle
• Understanding the ‘bait concept’ and how to respond
• How to defuse anger and aggression using the CARP system
• Introduction to Transactional Analysis (TA)
• Using the principles of TA to reach better understanding and influence customer behaviour
• How to reduce personal stress and recover quickly after a difficult customer interaction
• Personal action notes

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Staff in front-line or support roles play a very significant part in projecting the image of your business and can influence whether or not customers decide to do business with you. This practical one day course will help front-line employees to develop their interpersonal skills and make a positive impression on customers. It will also equip them with strategies for dealing effectively with difficult people or situations.

Who should attend

Anyone who works in a front-line role dealing with customers face-to-face and over the telephone will benefit from developing skills and strategies necessary for carrying out this important role.

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

• Outline the roles of front-line staff and how to project positive first impressions
• Explain the importance of good customer service and how to make it happen
• Communicate effectively with customers face to face and over the telephone
• Recognise different behaviour styles and their effects
• Demonstrate assertiveness skills for dealing confidently and professionally with difficult customers or situations

• Roles carried out by front-line staff
• Principles of customer service and benefits from different perspectives
• First impressions count – how to make the right impression
• Balancing the needs and demands made by external and internal customers
• Importance of attitudes
• Overview of essential communication skills
• Problems caused by poor communication
• Telephone techniques – use of voice and tips for good practice
• Questioning, listening and responding skills
• Face to face communication – rapport and body language
• Introduction to assertiveness and different approaches to dealing with difficult situations
• Practising assertiveness techniques
• How to deal with customer complaints using the CLEAR technique
• Personal action notes

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All businesses depend on having customers to buy their products or use their services and often find themselves in highly competitive markets. People in a wide range of professions need to be pro-active in promoting what they do and able to communicate convincingly. This practical one day course aims to equip non-salespeople with the confidence and selling skills to influence customer decisions without being pushy or resorting to other negative tactics.

Who should attend

Anyone who works in professional services, consultancy or similar role, who is not an ‘official’ salesperson, but wishes to learn techniques and strategies for promoting their services and winning customers or clients.

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

• Explain buyer motivation and take this into account when selling
• Outline the differences between transactional and consultative selling
• Describe the process of selling and put into practice key skills of listening and asking the right questions
• Promote services or products in a clear and confident way that appeals to customers
• Recognise different personality types and adapt selling approach accordingly

• Introduction to selling and personal qualities necessary for success
• Insights into buyer behaviour and motivation
• Overview of different models of selling – transactional and consultative
• The process of selling with explanation of each stage
• Overview of key skills for success at selling
• Listening actively and asking the right questions
• How to engage with potential customers and build rapport
• How to express features and benefits of a product or service
• Awareness of body language and reading signals
• Importance of building trust and credibility
• Developing and practising the dreaded ‘elevator pitch’
• How to survive and make the most of networking events
• Different types of objections and techniques for handling them
• Gaining commitment and closing the sale
• Importance of follow up and tips on good practice
• Practical sellingscenarios
• How to recognise different personality types and adapt your selling approach accordingly
• Personal action notes

Download Course Overview