Communication and Interaction

"The Customer Is King"—a nice principle, but not always easy to follow. Some customers make life challenging for employees with behaviors like making excessive demands, being petty or impatient, or crossing boundaries. This e⁠-⁠training course provides strategies for handling difficult customer interactions in ways that foster positive relationships and maintain a constructive business dynamic. It focuses on developing a service-oriented mindset, explains techniques for de-escalation, and offers guidance on steering difficult conversations back on track. Participants will also learn how to set boundaries and respond effectively to boundary violations.

Phone calls are old fashioned you say? On the contrary! Phone calls still play a central role in communicating with customers in sales and customer service. But what is the right way to address clients on the phone? And how do you professionally conduct a telephone conversation? It takes practice. This course covers how to use your voice skillfully, prepare for customer phone calls, and how to navigate through phone conversations in a structured way. You will also learn how to respond effectively to complaints along with tricks that will give your phone communication skills a competitive edge. This is how you build a good rapport with those on the other end of the line.

This training course prepares employees to establish and maintain external contacts on a regular basis. It is intended to provide participants with an introduction to the topic, to help them better assess themselves, to set clear networking goals, and to structure and expand their own network.

Have you ever been lost for words in front of an audience, meaning that what you wanted to say just didn't come across the right way? Do you often lack the necessary persuasive power in important situations? If so, we need to change something about that! Situations in which we are required to use arguments to convince arise every day, both in a professional and private context. In this e⁠-⁠training course, you will learn how to use the five-sentence method to make your arguments simple and above all, effective. Additionally, you will learn what makes a good argument, how to package it effectively, and how to select and apply an appropriate counter strategy for each type of counter-argument.

When was the last time you were really convinced or even thrilled by someone’s appearance? Think about it for a moment: What exactly convinced you? Was it the content of the argument or also the person’s voice, speech or body language? Chances are, it was a good mix of all the above, because studies have shown that a convincing performance requires both content and personal persuasiveness. It will probably have been a good mix of everything, because according to studies, a convincing performance requires both content and personal persuasiveness! In this e⁠-⁠training you will learn how to use your voice, your language or even your body language and your interactive behavior and improve your personal persuasiveness. Let us convince you! 

The ability to present confidently and persuasively is a key skill in more and more professions. This e⁠-⁠training course focuses on the basic techniques and methods that can be used to present content in an engaging and professional manner. Participants will learn how to tailor their presentations to the audience's expectations, prepare them well, and structure them logically. They will also receive practical tips on how to avoid pitfalls in advance.

There is more to presenting than just delivering information or displaying visuals. A truly effective presentation is personal, tailored, motivating, and engaging. In this e⁠-⁠training course, participants will discover techniques for making their communication more direct, expressive, and compelling, both verbally and non-verbally. Additionally, we'll focus on practical strategies to develop a balanced, communicative mindset and manage presentation anxiety right from the start.

In today's working environment, it is becoming increasingly important to convey content attractively and convincingly, even in online settings. Online presentations offer a variety of ways to capture the audience's attention and increase the quality of the presentation. This e⁠-⁠training outlines the specifics of presenting online. There are tips for dealing with the technology. Furthermore, participants will learn which media and methods they can use and how.

In order to hear what the other person wants to say, it is not enough to simply listen. Important information can be lost if the listener does not fully concentrate on the conversation partner and - where necessary - encourage him to continue talking. One method for shaping this communicative process effectively is "active listening". It provides guidance that allows listeners to understand the concerns of the other party truly. "Active listening" is thus one of the most important communication tools for team workers and managers. "Active listening" shows participants how to achieve better results through concentration and verbal control techniques.

Feedback is an essential tool for managing team cooperation. Feedback is a give and take where both can and must be learned. The importance of feedback for personality development was also recognized in the 1970s by social psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingram. They developed the "Johari Window" which shows that self-perception and external perception differ. The Johari Window also says that through feedback, the "blind spot" can be reduced and the scope for action increased. Positive feedback usually leads to the stabilization and development of the addressed behavior. It clears the way for team-promoting behavioral changes.

When it comes to resolving conflicts, people use different coping strategies. In this context, conflict researcher Gerhard Schwarz designed six methods – fleeing, fighting, yielding, delegating, negotiating and agreeing. Participants learn the advantages and disadvantages of these strategies and are guided to develop action competence in dealing with conflicts. 

It's obvious that experts simply tell their listeners what they know. But a lecture is only one of many ways to effectively pass on knowledge - yet not always the best. In this course, users will learn about and apply other methods beyond a traditional lecture. Each method is adapted to the respective phase of the classroom training.

Simmering conflicts are toxic to the workplace – in terms of both atmosphere and productivity. However, most conflicts can be diffused or completely cleared up with conflict resolution techniques. In this interactive multimedia e⁠-⁠learning course, participants will learn how to prepare for conversations about conflict, how to conduct conflict resolutions, and how to ensure that everyone honors their agreements.

In this e⁠-⁠learning, participants get to know the model of the Johari Window. It shows the difference between the perception of others and the perception of oneself. The Johari Window clarifies the "blind spot" and shows why the "secret" will remain a secret. This course teaches that "giving feedback" does not mean "praise" or "criticize". Rather, it is about being open to self-perception through feedback from outside.

Get to know the "eight communication types" according to Friedemann Schulz von Thun. This course is designed to raise awareness of the fact that people have different communication styles. It also makes them aware of their own preferred communication style. It is not about right or wrong communication styles, but rather about recognizing one's own style and, if necessary, developing or expanding it further.

Where there are people, there will be conflicts. This e⁠-⁠learning uses four methods to teach strategies for dealing with conflict. The earlier these methods are used, the faster a conflict loses its meaning and effect. The four methods are 1. Respect the emotional level. 2. Use humor as a tool to defuse conflict. 3. Learn to criticize fairly. 4. Consistently avoid power games. Through exercises and game scenes, participants are encouraged to try out these simple methods of conflict resolution in everyday life and thus acquire the competence to act. 

In this crash course on didactics, get an overview of the three major models: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Also included in this course, you will find information on the roles and tasks trainers are often faced with. Finally, explore the MASTER Model and how it guides you when planning and structuring seminars.

Understanding the highly complex puzzle of communication is simplified by Paul Watzlawick's "Five Axioms". This shows what certain communicative dynamics look like in practice, and how it is possible to positively shape communication. Dramatizations enable the participants to recognize communication patterns, thereby enabling them to communicate in a more goal-oriented way in the future.

For managers, the rule is: intervene as little as possible, but as much as necessary in a conflict involving their own employees. As a starting point, it is important to also recognize hidden conflicts and assess their severity. The theoretical basis for this is provided by Friedrich Glasl's model of the nine stages of conflict escalation. It clearly shows how conflicts can escalate if timely intervention is neglected. For each escalation stage, managers will learn various methods of conflict resolution - from the promotion of independent conflict resolution to mediation and arbitration as well as to the intervention of power.

Questions set thought processes in motion. Nothing is more convincing than the answers we give ourselves. With the help of this training course, the participants will learn the fundamental difference between open and closed questions, and how to apply questioning techniques correctly.

The Harvard Concept is considered one of the most important methods of conflict resolution. Its core principles, such as distinguishing between interests and positions, are the basis for mediation and conflict resolution around the world. In this e⁠-⁠learning course, participants will learn how to apply the Harvard Concept to the challenges they face in their work. They will learn the key guidelines and be encouraged to apply the Harvard concept and in this way strive for win-win solutions. 

One of the major challenges for business experts is the communicative complexity of dynamic groups. Trainers and presenters often encounter having to slow down frequent speakers, reset after disruptions, and keep composure in awkward situations. In this course, you will become familiar with these challenges and learn solutions that can help.

Those who manage to establish a good relationship with those they speak to can have more constructive discussions and achieve better work results. The key is communicating with respect and appreciation with a prerequisite of an "open ear" for one's own sensitivities as well as the known sensitivities of the person you're having a conversation with. This course aims to help you build up sustainable relationships with dialog partners through clear and precise "I⁠-⁠messages" on one hand, while simultaneously being aware of the other person's point of view. This creates the basis for constructive dialog.

Far too often, meetings are perceived as time wasters, which is indicative of just how frequently meetings are badly organized and run. The fact is, meetings fulfill important purposes every day. They are a good format for bringing everyone up to speed, help to identify what's going wrong, and can be used to generate new ideas. Without meetings, we would miss out on critical communication that keeps us afloat in a competitive, ever-changing market. Learn about various meeting formats, how to foster a productive atmosphere as the moderator of a meeting, and acquire all of the necessary tools for dealing with a broad range of challenges—from long-winded ramblers to interrupters.

This e⁠-⁠learning discusses special features of online training and how to prepare an online training environment. Learn about special features in the knowledge acquisition phase and how to activate and manage participants.

Using Friedemann Schulz von Thun's "4⁠-⁠ears-model", the participants are made aware of the complex process of communication. They get to know and understand their personal communication behavior better. The participants also get to know "their" preferred ear. They learn to understand which messages they often send unconsciously. The training course encourages the participants to transfer the acquired knowledge into action competence.

The causes of conflicts vary in individual cases. Nevertheless, different types of conflict can clearly be identified in everyday life: Role conflicts, goal conflicts, assessment conflicts, personal conflicts and distribution conflicts. In this e⁠-⁠training, participants learn about the different types of conflict. This puts them in a position to analyze the causes of conflict and thus develop conflict solutions more quickly and in a more targeted manner. With the help of theoretical input, game scenes and exercises, participants are enabled to apply and implement what they have learned in their real-life environment. 

Almost all the rules that apply to face-to-face meetings apply to online meetings as well. But besides good preparation, structured execution, and clear follow-up, other topics also play an important role. How do we deal with requests to speak? How can we hold creative meetings online? And how can we establish social proximity and trust in online meetings? Regardless of the features offered by online meeting tools and apps, this e⁠-⁠learning discusses how online meetings can also be made productive.

One of the essential formats for the effective transfer of knowledge is face-to-face training. In this course, you will learn the basics of planning and designing a classroom training. This includes obtaining (and, if necessary, requesting) a goal-oriented briefing, elaborating on the goals of the training, planning the contents and methods, while also considering organizational challenges.

This e⁠-⁠training course shows the typical signs and levels of a conflict. In addition, different reactions to conflict are introduced and a detailed method for solving conflicts will be provided. Furthermore, the Harvard Concept shows how to find the win-win solutions in situations of conflict.