Role plays with a difference

What is this?

It is a high impact training course with the emphasis on skills practice rather than the explanation of models and theories. Delegates will probably be client facing executives working in professional services in the business to business sector. They are likely to have responsibility for developing business with new and existing clients and would benefit from practicing/learning/refreshing advanced business development skills.

Who is this aimed at?

This service is primarily aimed at partners, senior managers and board members of professional services organisations such as solicitors, accountants, PR agencies and large marketing consultancies.

Why should a professional services company use this?

The problem is that many professional services people shy away at the mention of sales, they just do that sort of thing! As a result they may have missed out on crucial account management skills and this could impact on their client base and profitability. Various scenarios may prompt a professional services company to think of improving their client facing executives’ client relationship management skills.

For example...

• They may have lost a client or several and wish to replace the business quickly.
• They may wish to expand or acquire a new business and need more clients to boost turnover and profit.
• They may have taken on new executives with a client facing role who are new to client relationship management and building business.
• They may have senior managers who have been in client facing roles for some years and need to refresh their professional skills as part of their Continuous Professional Development CPD.
• They may have competitors that are stealing their clients and exploiting the market in a way that is reducing their market share.
• They may have launched a new service and they need to train their client facing people to promote it.

Types of exercises that can be employed

• Perform a typical conversation -  a prospective client or an existing client with a problem and actors act out all the wrong things to do. This is followed by a facilitated review.
• Forum theatre - 2 actors performing a typical situation and delegates can stop the action and suggest better ways of doing it.
• Uncovering buyers’ needs – using content and structure /process questions. This would include actors performing examples of questioning in action followed by a facilitated review to pull out the learning.
• Buying cards exercise – role play version where a delegate takes a card that reveals a typical client relationship issue.

How can the course fit into a busy diary?

• We would run the sessions within half a day.
• We could design a 2 hour session that would fit into a conference, regional meeting or team meeting.

Is there any pre course and post work required?

• Yes there will be. Delegates will have to select a client that has particular issues that the delegate wishes to address on the course.
• There will be a self analysis questionnaire to prompt delegates’ thinking around their business development and client relationship skill set.
• Post work will include a 4 week self review questionnaire.

What is the style of the course?

This will be a high impact learning opportunity. The majority of the time will be spent on practicing new skills in very close to reality situations. Helpful and memorable models will be introduced but minimal time will be spent on this so as not to intrude on valuable practice time.

What is the problem with role plays?