For Human Resources - A Menu of Outcomes

This is a generic menu that can apply to presenting, business development/selling, pitching, negotiating, client relationships, handling objections and facing the media. It is designed for HR and others who are looking for specific behaviours rather than main heading subjects. It is designed to be helpful so any suggestions would be most welcome.

Presentation

(We look at presentation skills under three distinct headings Delivery, Message and Handling Questions.) In addition we use Voice Analysis

Delivery

• Speak clearly and with confidence
• Handle nerves effectively
• Be skilled at using notes, PowerPoint Slides and ad-lib
• Speak in an engaging and positive conversational style
• Be adept at pausing, and holding eye contact
• Talk with enthusiasm, inspiration and persuasion
• Talk succinctly with few hesitations and rambling
• Talk with integrity and dynamism
• Talk articulately
• Use expression with skill to produce the correct level of emotion
• Be understand body language - using positive body language and avoid distractions and emotional leakage
• Be skilled at reading from a script verbatim

Message

• Ensure that relevant key points are remembered
• Ensure that points are of benefit and are relevant
• Ensure that complex subjects are put such that both experts and non experts gain value
• Have the ability to use verbal imagery to describe complex and abstract issues.
• Use PowerPoint Effectively to add value and not confuse
• Use language that is mainly Anglo-Saxon, free of abstraction and jargon.
• Understand how to gain commitment from the audience to listen right from the start
• Be skilled in ending a presentation on the right note

Handling Questions

• Be able to answer questions effectively
• Avoid making damaging statements
• Take advantage of questions to promote your interests
• Deal with objections and negative points
• Answer questions in such a way as to build trust

Persuasion

(Selling - Business Development – Pitching - Client Relationship - Telephone)

• Be adept at making good first impressions, achieving high rapport face to face, down the phone and by email.
• Build long term trust both professionally and where appropriate socially
• Be significantly more skilled at exploring by asking good questions and then teasing out the implications of their answers
• Be become excellent listeners. They will demonstrate by giving active feedback, differentiating facts from feelings
• Put over proposals and ideas that are succinct, clear and have relevant benefits
• Be adept at moving the sale process on and closing the sale at the right moment
• Have a greater knowledge of their own ‘style’. How to judge the behaviour of others in terms of personality (and culture) to more effectively influence them
• Look like part of a well knit team
• Handle objections with skill. Either they will resolve the objection to the clients’ satisfaction or produced a coherent reason why the customer’s problem cannot be resolved. Key to this is maintaining integrity and warmth of relationship
• Explain failure or underperformance with integrity
• Be able to network effectively in a wide variety of situations
• Learn the culture and mindset of successful business development

Negotiation

• Understand the process of successful negotiating and dealing with and manipulative ploys
• Understand the mechanics and process of the negotiation process
• Understand negotiating tactics, ploys and psychological pressures
• Understand the balance between being excellent at relationships yet also firm in negotiation – the essential balance in any long term business relationship.

Handling media

• Increase media profile of your company by increasing confidence and skill in using the media
• Contingency plan to handle a difficult media situation
• Increasing skills of newly promoted managers who may have to make media statements