Effective Listening and Questioning Skills
Course Objectives
Becoming skilled in verbal business communication is about more than understanding a variety of different questioning techniques. Too often issues arise purely as a result of poor or ill-thought out verbal communication or an inability to properly understand what the other party has tried to say. This practical course will demonstrate tools and techniques you can use to communicate better with enquirers and manage the conversation and follow up activities effectively.
Contents
- Identifying what the enquirer really wants to know
- Why remote enquiry handling differs from face-to-face situations
- Kipling’s ‘Six honest serving men’
- Questioning strategies
- Questioning techniques
- Seven forms of questioning
- Questioning techniques that demonstrate engagement and active listening
- Questioning styles for handling difficult conversations
- Directive questioning – how to help when you can’t
- Controlling the telephone conversation
- Managing your time and your enquirer’s expectations
- Reporting back effectively
- Designed and using Quality Assurance forms
- Remote enquiry etiquette
- Enquirer’s contact details and respecting privacy – who owns the enquiry?
- Good record keeping
Who should attend
This course is suitable for any organisation's employees who are responsible for communicating with in-coming enquirers and channelling enquiries effectively through or outwith your organisation's own processes.
Course benefits
Delegates who attend this course will benefit from a better understanding of:
- How to build rapport - sounding friendly and confident
- Hearing and listening techniques - clarifying with questions
- Speaking clearly - speed, articulation, sentence structure, reinforcing main points
- Tools to help questioning techniques and strategies
Additional information
The aim of this course is to encourage delegates to examine all forms of verbal communication, and to help them develop their skills to become more effective listeners.
Certificates
All delegates who successfully complete this course will receive a certificate of attendance.
Trainers background
The trainer for this course has extensive experience in design and delivery of communications skills programmes. They have been successfully delivering training to both public and private sector organisations for over twelve years and have an excellent background in practical coaching methods and leading effective and successful teams.
