By the end of this course, delegates will be able to:

• Get closer to your internal customers and their needs
• Build stronger relationships built on competence and trust
• Market your department’s services more effectively
• Manage client expectations and deliver results that add value
• Play a larger, more strategic role in the organization
• Be able to measure their own function’s degree of customer focus and be able to apply a variety of tactics to get closer to the customer
• Recognize the power of approaching internal customers in the same way as external customers
• Be able to apply strategic Decision making tools to their own environment
• Understand the steps in the internal consultancy cycle
• Recognize the skills required to build effective relationships
• Be able to plan and run an effective client meeting
• Understand a variety of methods to solve client problems
• Be able to develop an internal Service Level Agreement
• Understand, then have applied the Principles of Marketing to their own challenges
• Recognize how to align their Department’s plans with the organization’s strategy and tactics
• Understand a range of marketing tactics and how these can be applied to improve performance in any work environment

DAY 1 

The Changing Nature of Internal Service Departments

• A vision for the organization of the future
• Expectations of service departments
• Changing the perception of the role of service departments
• The Real Requirements of Internal Customers
• How to understand the needs of the internal customer
• Understanding your strengths and weaknesses as perceived by internal customers
• Conducting a SWOT analysis
• Understanding Your Customers
• Getting close to the customer
• Understanding customer needs and expectations
• Identifying and segmenting internal customer needs
• How to conduct customer research
• Meeting Customer Needs and Expectations
• Measuring customer satisfaction
• How well do you do?
• Talking to customers
• Identifying the important gaps in delivery and expectation
• Tools and Techniques for Gathering Customer Information
• Surveys
• Customer panels and focus groups
• Stimulating customer response

DAY 2 

The Consultancy Process

• The role of the internal consultant
• Building personal and professional credibility
• Steps in the consulting cycle
• Overcoming common problems in the process
• Critical success factors
• Agreeing goals and objectives
• Preparation and planning
• Establishing Winning Relationships
• ‘Gaining entry’ with key decision-makers
• Networking for mutual benefit
• Building rapport and trust
• Understanding real needs
• Influencing and managing issues
• The Internal Client Meeting
• Planning and running an effective meeting
• Getting the right information
• Questioning and listening for best results
• Reaching consensus on issues
• Agreeing what can be done and when
• Gaining commitment to joint responsibilities
• Solving Internal Customer Problems
• Analyzing information collected
• Problem-solving techniques
• Brainstorming methods
• Effective decision-making
• Agreeing Effective Solutions
• Understanding the user’s point of view
• Defining the scope of each project
• Negotiating strategies and tactics
• Selling benefits
• Gaining commitment

DAY 3 

Managing Client Relationships

• Establishing Service Level Agreements
• Ensuring delivery matches expectations
• Gaining feedback on implementation
• Evaluating effectiveness, ensuring satisfaction
• Marketing the Service Function
• Why should you market internally?
• Raising the profile
• Getting the message across
• Aligning the objectives and activities
• Maximizing the value of your Department’s contribution

DAY 4 

Ensuring Your Department Strategy Matches The Organization's

• Building a strategic and tactical plan
• Using a strategic model to ensure alignment
• Getting agreement from stakeholders
• Gaining your team’s commitment and energy
• Case Studies and Exercises
• Working on a number of case studies
• A chance to build skills as well as awareness
• Delegates will be able to raise their own issues and concerns
• Tools and Techniques for Effective Internal Marketing
• Developing a distinctive department brand
• Clarifying and communicating the vision and values for your team
• Managing perceptions and expectations
• Establishing the customer promise

DAY 5 

Developing a Marketing Plan

• Establishing the key messages
• Planning for communication that works
• What are the most effective channels for Communication
• Making sure you get feedback
• Getting Your Plan of Action Together
• Working in small groups with tutor guidance, participants will start to prepare the broad outlines of a plan for developing internal relationships and marketing their department within their own organization