Why should you attend?
The CEC’s workshop on Advising Tough Clients Through Influence, Persuasion and Diplomacy will provide learners with the skills necessary to advise ‘tough’ clients. Today, many advisors working in the public, private, and voluntary sectors find it increasingly difficult not only to brief upwards but also to get clients to listen to and act on their advice. This workshop will focus on the skills required to influence and persuade those in a leadership and/or decision-making position to listen to and consider the advice being provided.
This workshop is not a skills development workshop on ‘negotiation methodologies’. It is a professional development workshop focused on the techniques required by advisors to influence, persuade and earn the trust of tough-minded clients.
What will you learn?
This workshop will help those working in an advisory capacity to acquire the skills and techniques necessary to advise tough clients. The workshop participants will learn how to:
- Navigate among different types of tough clients;
- Reach, influence and persuade tough clients;
- Differentiate the process of influencing and persuasion from that of negotiation;
- Establish the trust and reputational capital necessary to successfully influence the decisions of tough clients;
- Successfully engage in the process of relationship building;
- Build consensus and learn how to get to yes; and
- Challenge tough clients with reason, respect and diplomacy.
Who should attend?
This highly innovative workshop will be beneficial to all of those individuals working in an advisory capacity in either the public, private or voluntary sectors.
What will you take away?
- Workbook with checklists
- Exercises and handouts
Professional Competencies
Thinking Things Through: Innovating through analysis and ideas
Engagement: Working effectively with people, organizations and partners
Meet Your Instructor
Leah Jurkovic, President CEC
Leah has over 25 years of experience working at the intersection of communications, organizational change, and cultural transformation. As a former executive at Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), Leah led both the communications and human… Read full bio
Sample Agenda
| Activity |
|---|
| Introductions and Workshop Overview Participants will introduce themselves and outline their expectations for the workshop. |
| The Politics of Advice: Falling on Deaf Ears! Participants will discuss why the advice provided to clients seems to fall on deaf ears. |
| Tough Clients: A Look Behind the Curtain Participants will discuss the common characteristics of tough clients and why some clients are harder to reach, influence and persuade than others. Participants will also discuss some initial solutions to managing difficult clients. |
| HEALTH BREAK |
| How to Successfully Apply Influence, Persuasion and Diplomacy Participants will discuss the characteristics and skills that advisors require to reach, influence and persuade tough clients. Participants will discuss the strategies required to influence and persuade tough clients to listen and to act on the advice provide to them. |
| Exercise Working in small groups, the participants will identify and describe the challenges that they regularly face when trying to advise tough clients The participants will determine which if any of the challenges identified are common to everyone in their small group. |
| LUNCH |
| Strategies for Successful Negotiations Participants will review and discuss positive negotiating approaches and strategies when working with tough clients. |
| Building Relationships Based on Trust and Reputation Participants will learn about the skills necessary to build relationships based on trust and on how trust and reputation are critical to securing the respect and support of tough clients. |
| HEALTH BREAK |
| Getting to Yes — The Road to Consensus and Challenging When Necessary Participants will learn how to reach consensus and build rapport with tough clients when trying to persuade and influence them. Participants will discuss how to challenge tough clients using a strategic combination of reason, respect and diplomacy. |
| Exercise Working in small groups, the participants will design strategies to overcome the challenges identified during the morning exercise session. |
| Recap and Evaluation The participants will have an opportunity to ask final questions and discuss remaining concerns The participants will complete a short workshop evaluation. |
You continue to offer exactly what government workers need to learn – at the right time!