Management

Service Culture and Relationship Management Courses

An Overview

Purpose Of This Overview

To put Socitm Learning's 5 offerings in the areas of service culture and relationship management in context to enable potential customers to select the most appropriate type of solution to meet their needs.

It also aims to give a feel for the cost of various options.

Lead Tutor And Facilitator

All of these courses are run for Socitm by Mike Sayers of Keisley Harris which has many blue-chip private-sector and public sector clients in both the UK and overseas. Mike tutors in relationship management, strategic marketing and the creation of a strong service ethos among IS/IT staff.

Mike has over 20 years experience of serving and selling to both internal and external customers. This includes spells as an IS/IT Director and as a Director of an IT services company.

Summary Of The Standard Offerings

Public or

Days In-House?

A. Account Management 1.5 Both

B. Negotiating Skills for the ICT Department 1.5 Both

C. Improving Satisfaction with the ICT Front-Line 1 Both

D. Creating a Service Culture in the ICT Department 1 OD

E. Managing Customer Expectations Variable IH

Key :

Both = Regular public courses are scheduled and the course can be run in- house with the option of adapting it to the organisation's own requirements.

OD = On-Demand - this course can either be run in-house for a single client or else it can be run for either a group of authorities or a public course if there is known demand.

IH = In-House only - this course is adapted to the clients needs and is not suitable for a public course

The "Account Management" Course

The management of internal customer relationships is a challenge. It calls on excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills, a good understanding of both the business and ICT, and the ability to bridge the "no man's land" between the two. It can also be a bit lonely at times.

This practical course focuses specifically on the account management role and is an opportunity to spend 24 hours with others who face similar issues. Delegates will gain a clear understanding of account management, its key disciplines and best practice in the field.

Content

* The a.

* The Marketing Approach and its relationship to Account Management

* Planning the customer relationship.

* Building partnerships with the business and positioning the ICT service.

* Systematic contact management.

* The conflicting interests of ICT, its customers and the corporate whole.

* Options for the place of account management in the organisational structure.

* Relationships with the rest of the ICT function.

Costs

Places on the 24 hour public course, which runs for tea-time to tea-time, cost Ј450 (organisations with a Socitm member pay Ј410). Dinner, overnight accommodation and lunch are included.

The costs of an in-house course will vary according to :

- the number of delegates (maximum 16);

- location (hence tutor expenses);

- whether a 24 hour course or a cut-down one day course is chosen;

- whether any tailoring is required to meet local circumstances.

The fee, which excludes venue, accommodation and meal costs, could range from approximately :

Ј2,750 for a one-day course with 8 delegates and no adaptation of the content (apart from the omission of a session to fit the shorter timetable) at a location convenient for the tutor;

to :

Ј3,750 for a 24 hour course at a location requiring a great deal of travel, with 16 delegates and with some limited adaptation of the content.

The "Negotiating Skills for the ICT Department" Course

When dealing with suppliers, the ICT function needs to secure maximum Value for Money, but as part of a relationship and not necessarily as a quick win. In the case of internal clients a more commercial relationship may be expected nowadays, however, ICT and the organisation also need to move closer together.

This is an intensive 24 hour residential course which mixes presentations and practical negotiation exercises in small groups. It aims to enable delegates to negotiate formally or informally in ways which meets their own objectives but also recognises the needs of ongoing relationships.

Content

* The Fundamentals of Negotiation

* Information Power

* Preparation

* Walk-Away Power

* The Importance of Being Believable

* Persuasion versus Power

Costs

These would be similar to those for Account Management course (above), however, if a course is run on-site then several rooms will be required to allow for the negotiation role play exercises. If an in-house course is run on a single day then this will necessarily be a long day and delegates