Today’s changing technology and competitive pressures require that employers invest in the education and skill development of their employees to improve productivity and control cost.  These seminars will benefit managers, supervisors, team leaders and direct labor employees and can be custom tailored to meet your specific business needs.  They can be delivered on-site or at our Administrative Center.

Module Highlights:

• Business Basics
  Learn the importance of basic business costs – materials, labor, & overhead; how they inter-relate; and how they impact (and are impacted by) sales/revenue, margin contributions, and profit/loss.  Discussions focus on identifying both variable and non-variable expenses (especially those that can be controlled), then understanding the effect they have on a typical financial statement.
  

• How to Hire & Manage Good Employees
  Learn why the best time to fire employees is before you hire them, and how you can make good employees even better.  Discussions focus on how to hire good employees during an economic upturn; three secrets to hiring competent people; four things every manager should know; supervising; supervising less skilled employees; and motivating key employees.
  

• Productivity in the Workplace
  Learn why working harder is not nearly as effective (or as much fun) as working smarter, and how to positively impact one of the major variables in your business-productivity.  Discussions focus on team development, eliminating lost time, meaningful reporting and analysis of productive activities, interpreting results, and formulating a plan to increase your financial stability and growth.
  

• Coping with Difficult People
  Have you ever encountered someone who was abrupt, intimidating or ruthless?  Do you steer clear of the person who uses sarcastic humor and rude comments?  Do you secretly wish you could avoid working with the person who seems to “know it all”? You don’t have to be the victim any longer. Participants will learn the most common types of difficult people, tactics for coping effectively and action planning.
  

• Behavior Styles at Work
  Everyone has their own style, their own way of doing things.  They think differently, talk differently and handle emotions differently.  Join us to identify your own style, the styles of others and learn how to ease relationship tensions.
  

• Customer Service – The Basics
  Customer service can make or break an organization.  It costs 5-7 times more to find new customers than it does to retain old ones, thus it is critical to know and practice the skills that create positive experiences for your customers.  Today customers are making their buying decisions based on quality customer service.  In this workshop you will learn key concepts that will enable your company to remain competitive in today’s service-oriented market.
  

• How to Design & Develop a New Employee Orientation
  Do you suffer from high employee turnover?  Are you continually training new employees?  One cause often cited for high turnover is inadequate orientation and training.  New employees want to know what is expected of them.  They want to know the history and culture of your business.  In short, they want to feel welcomed.  You will be guided through a series of planning questions to help you design a customized new employee orientation program to meet the needs of your business.
  

• Get a Grip on Grammar
  Grab the opportunity to refresh your grammar skills!  In the business world, the way you write and speak determines the impression you make on others.  This interactive class will provide a variety of experiences to increase your grammar confidence level.  If your are responsible for interacting with customers, writing letters, reports, or other publications, you will benefit from this course.
  

• Business Writing
  Do your business documents convey the impression of a powerful, professional organization?  When your staff speaks with customers, do they impress customers with their knowledge and intelligence?  If your are not satisfied with the current level of written and oral communication in your company, we can help!  Participants will learn ways to make their writing clear and powerful, using proper punctuation, correct grammar, and a unique style.
  

• The Art of Personal & Professional Mingling
  The ability to mingle confidently with anyone, at any time, is valuable to your future success, both socially and in business.  Communicating effectively is the most important skill you possess.  This class will improve your communication skills and calm your conversation fears, helping you to mingle and meet new people with confidence.
  

• Winning Telephone Techniques
  In the first 10 seconds of telephone conversation, callers will make solid judgements about you and your company.  Unfortunately, on the phone we have only the voice to establish a first impression.   Have you considered the type of image your company projects?  We will explore practical techniques that telephone professionals use to compete in a demanding business environment.
  

• Presentation Skills
  Do you have “presentation anxiety”?  You are not alone.  The fear of public speaking is even more fearsome to most people than natural disasters, illness-even death.  This class will help you learn to overcome anxiety, organize your presentation and use many presentation skills effectively.
  

• Meal Planning for Busy Professional
  After a busy day at the office or on the go, do you find yourself wondering what to have for dinner?  Are you making too many trips to the grocery?  Does your family expect you to do it all?  Well, that can all be changed.  This session is designed to help you get ahead of the meal-planning nightmare.