How are you perceived by those you work with, internally and externally? Are you considered a technical expert? Probably. How about as a strategic partner? Are you someone who is invited into meetings with higher levels and included in strategic sessions, even out of your department? Could your team and cross-functional interactions be more collaborative and productive?
Consultative Essentials is a unique program designed to help engineers elevate the perceptions that others hold of them beyond technical experts and into the realm of “trusted advisors.” The skills taught in this class will tremendously impact your productivity and career development. As an added bonus, if you interact with clients you will find that all techniques are applicable to external communications as well.
Participants will benefit from learning how to:
Apply The Four Step Consulting Model to daily activities.
Appear more consultative by applying a structured opening statement to the needs analysis process.
Be more assertive when appropriate.
Establish and maintain excellent rapport.
Decide whether to communicate using email, voicemail or a face to face meeting.
Craft and ask "high yield" questions to appear more consultative
Connect recommendations to the real needs and business drivers of the other party.
Use silence and non-verbal behaviors to increase persuasiveness.
Control and adjust the air-time ratio based on where parties are in the problem solving cycle.
Use advanced listening skills to listen for what is meant but not necessarily said.
Read and adjust to “office politics.”
Shift strategies and behaviors based on the title or level of the other party.
Differentiate between needs and wants to resolve issues and to achieve a greater level of satisfaction for both parties.
Uncover “agendas under agendas.”
Handle challenging objections and counter-opinions professionally and persuasively.
Diffuse anger and maintain an environment of collaborative problem solving.
Shift strategies and behaviors when interacting with managers and executives.
The course made me think about how to ask the right questions at the right time. Definitely worth the time spent.
-EMC Software Group, Consulting Engineer
Very helpful to engineers who want to go beyond being a 'techie' and who need to work with non-engineering groups and customers.
-EMC Software Group, Product Manager
The class has been one of the most valuable classes I have ever attended on soft skills.
-EMC Software Group, Sr. Storage Specialist
