Speak First Blog
How to create a culture of L&D in your organisation
‘Culture’ was the Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s 2014 word of the year. They said that online searches for the term would usually peak as students go back to school, but in recent years the term has ...
Read more7 types of objections and how to handle them
When selling, the dream scenario is where your prospect hears about your product or service, immediately wants it, shakes your hand, pays you and you both leave happy. Unfortunately, it rarely goes ...
4 steps to consultative selling
Once upon a time, a typical salesperson had their products or services to sell and would aim to persuade their customers and clients how wonderful and useful they could be. They would demonstrate ...
How to engage senior management in L&D
We’ve written several articles about how to engage staff in your learning and development opportunities, and how to explain the benefits of L&D to your senior management team. As part of this, ...
10 steps confident presenters follow to prepare
The American comedian Jerry Seinfeld once joked that since more people are scared of public speaking than of dying, you’re more likely to want to be in the casket than delivering the eulogy.
10 essential skills of great customer service
Customer service is crucial for customer loyalty and for boosting your brand’s reputation. Every interaction with your customers, or potential customers, is an opportunity to make them happy or lose ...
A conversation with... Sarah Thompson, Speak First Trainer
Sarah Thompson is one of our highly skilled trainers and coaches. After a successful career working in the tourism industry, Sarah has been a UK based trainer for over 15 years and has worked with ...
how do you best manage your working day?
It’s Monday morning. You’ve decided that from now onwards you’re going to be better at organising your day and start working smarter. You sit down with your notepad and make a list of all the tasks ...
Managing workplace conflict
Psychologist Bruce Tuckman identified four stages of group development: Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing.1
Managing your emotions at work
Imagine for a moment a boiling pan of water on a gas stove – what happens if the pan boils over? If the fuel is running too high under the pan, the water inside the pan bubbles, the pan lid can no ...