Communication and Negotiation Skills for IT Professionals

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Detailed Overview/Outline

Communicating effectively with both internal and external customers is an essential skill for IT professionals. Having good technical skills is only half of what you need; the other half is having the skills to gain customer satisfaction, understanding, and cooperation. In this 2-day course, you will learn methods for effective communication whether you are talking to customers to gather requirements, solve problems, or present solutions.In the IT field we recognize the importance of customer communication, but putting out those technical fires usually takes precedence. How we demonstrate our technical expertise, while maintaining professional and harmonious contact with both internal and external customers, is a big challenge. This class will shift your perspective on end-users. Learning these new techniques will convert your complaining customers into cooperative colleagues. In addition, you will learn how to express your ideas and solutions for the workplace in a way that is understood, embraced, and even cheered!

According to the IABC Research Foundation and Watson Wyatt Worldwide survey:

Over the past 4 years, companies identifying communication skills as a core employee competency had an 18% greater shareholder return. Companies that have communication skills as promotion criteria had a 24% greater shareholder return over the past 4 years. Over the past 5 years, companies identifying and committing to professional communication as a program to help ensure organizational success have a 16% greater shareholder return

Attendees of Global Knowledge's Professional Skills courses qualify for PDUs issued by the Project Management Institute (PMI®). Professional Development Units (PDUs) may be earned by attending educational programs offered by educational organizations registered with PMI and designated as PMI Registered Education Providers (REP). Global Knowledge is recognized by PMI as an REP and adheres to the quality criteria established by PMI.

What You'll Learn in Class

• Properly set and understand customer expectations
• Establish rapport and trust with customers so they become your allies, not adversaries
• Translate technical jargon for non-technical customers
• Recognize cultural differences that may impact communication
• Handle difficult customers (angry, frustrated, rambling, clueless, distraught, confused)
• Persuade customers to your viewpoint
• Take care of yourself when faced with difficult customers
• Control project progress, control change, and control project quality even in the face of unexpected changes
• Present plans to management in an effective way so proper expectations are set and buy-in occurs

Who Needs to Attend
IT Managers and Team Leaders, Project Managers, help desk or technical support staff, any IT person who communicates with internal or external customers regularly.

Course Outline

1. Choosing Customer Service to Meet Customer Expectations

2. The Communications Process

3. Skillful Customer Listening

4. Improving Nonverbal Communication

5. Translating Technical Speech for the Non-technical Listener

6. Respecting Cultural Differences

7. Understanding Others’ Response Styles

8. Sharing and Obtaining Customer Information

9. Creating a Win/Win Customer Service Environment

10. How to Say “No” to Your Customers

11. Managing the Most Difficult Customers

12. Preventing Customer Service Burnout

13. Producing and Delivering Effective Presentations

Course Exercises

Exercise 1: Identifying Your Expectations as a Customer – What’s Realistic, What’s Over the Top?

Exercise 2: Learning the Difference Between Process and Content in Developing Quality Customer Relationships

Exercise 3: Developing Nonverbal Behavior That Exhibits a Customer Service Attitude

Exercise 4: Writing a Customer Service “Elevator” Speech That Diplomatically Identifies Who You Are and What You Do

Exercise 5: Understanding Why Listening is Such Hard Work

Exercise 6: Self-Coaching Techniques to Improve Our Listening

Exercise 7: How to “Check-in” With a Customer

Exercise 8: How to Translate Technical Jargon Into Customer Communication

Exercise 9: Understanding Cultural Differences at Home and Abroad

Exercise 10: Interpreting the Response Styles of Customers

Exercise 11: How to Solicit Good Information From a Customer

Exercise 12: How to Handle the Most Difficult Customers – the Angry, Upset, Frustrated, Confused, and Rambling Customers

Exercise 13: Creating the Content for an Effective Presentation

Exercise 14: Overcoming Your Self-Consciousness in Presenting Your Ideas

Exercise 15: Creating the Hooks and Talking Points to Make Your Presentations

Sponsor Background:
About Global Knowledge

Founded in 1995, Global Knowledge, Inc. is the world's largest independent IT education integrator, offering more than 700 courses in more than 30 countries and in 15 languages. Global Knowledge’s blended IT education solutions combine vendor-authorized and proprietary content with Global Knowledge-developed curricula, delivered through the right mix of intensive hands-on classroom training and interactive e-Learning. The company offers complete IT education program management solutions including enrollment, assessment, progress tracking and certification. The company’s blended IT education solutions are delivered via instructor-led classroom (c-learning), virtual classroom (v-learning), self-paced e-Learning, and e-Learning tools or software applications.

Mission

Global Knowledge is dedicated to improving the way companies and individuals learn, use, and master technology through educational solutions that empower customers with choice, allowing them to determine when, where, and how they want their IT education programs to be designed and delivered.

Ownership

Global Knowledge, Inc., a privately held company based in Cary, NC, is owned by New York-based investment firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson and Stowe.

Market Share

According to International Data Corporation (IDC), Global Knowledge is the fourth-largest provider of IT education solutions and holds 1.7% of total market share, roughly half that of the largest training company (IBM Global Services). In addition, Global Knowledge is the:

• #1 provider of networking training programs worldwide for combined vendor-authorized and proprietary programs
• #1 training provider worldwide for Cisco IT certification programs
• #1 training provider worldwide for Nortel certification programs
• #1 training provider worldwide for Linux certification programs
• #1 training provider in Europe and the Americas for Enterasys certification programs Employees

Global Knowledge employs over 1,800 people worldwide. Approximately 20% of its instructor base holds advanced degrees.

Individuals and organizations worldwide learn to master technology through Global Knowledge's integrated, blended solutions comprised of:

• Education Services: offering more than 700 different courses including manufacturer certifications for Cisco, Microsoft, Nortel, Oracle, Enterasys, and Red Hat.  In addition, Global Knowledge offers certification courses for internetworking and job skill certifications.
• Enterprise Services: developing custom integrated solutions to manage proficiencies for an information technology workforce.  Projects include large-scale rollouts; integration of personnel following mergers and acquisitions, customized accelerated certification training programs, and competence assessment.
• Knowledge Products: providing software products for just-in-time, in-application training and e-Learning solutions that include a comprehensive selection of self-paced and web-delivered training, mentoring, and remote lab services for high-value internetworking topics. The company offers titles on e-commerce, Nortel, Cisco, operating systems, ATM, computer networking and telecommunications. Global Knowledge also provides an e-Learning environment that enables the rapid design and web-deployment of training materials for enterprise applications and business processes.
• Outsourcing Services: managing complete education programs for many of the world’s largest corporations.

Strategic Partners and Clients

Global Knowledge continues to foster strategic partnerships and client relationships with some of the most dominant and pervasive players in the information technology industry today, including:

• AT&T
• Microsoft
• Association of Web Professionals
• Net G
• Centra
• NIIT
• Cisco Systems
• Nortel Networks
• CompTIA: A+, iNet+, Network+
• Novell
• Compaq
• Oracle
• Deutsche Telekom
• SAP
• Enterasys
• Soft Link, Inc
• Entrust
• Sprint
• Ericsson
• TruSecure Corporation
• ICCP
• TutorPro
• Korea Telecom
• University of Phoenix
• Legato
• Williams Communications
• McGraw/Hill Osborne
• WorldCom

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