Who is the Advisory Skills course suitable for?

The Advisory Skills course is suitable for anyone working in an advisory role who wants to strengthen their powers of persuasion. Think of consultants, internal advisers, account managers, HR advisers and specialists who want to put their expertise across convincingly. You learn to deal with resistance, communicate effectively and develop a personal advisory style. No prior education is required; work experience in an advisory context will help you get the most out of the three training days.

Which topics are covered during the Advisory Skills course?

During the Advisory Skills course you work through the complete advisory process, from the initial request to the closing meeting. You work on analysis (listening, summarising, asking follow-up questions), making a diagnosis, building support, dealing with resistance and conducting a convincing closing meeting. You also learn to apply different advisory styles, resolve conflicts and stay in control of conversations. Self-knowledge and a personal advisory style run as a common thread throughout.

Do you receive a certificate after the Advisory Skills course?

Yes, on completion of the Advisory Skills course you receive a certificate of attendance from Learnit. This certificate shows that you have worked through the entire advisory process, from the initial request to the closing meeting, and that you are developing a personal advisory style. No specific prior education is required to take part. Course material is included.

Is prior knowledge required for the Advisory Skills course?

No, no specific prior knowledge is required for the Advisory Skills course. Some work experience in an advisory or client-facing role is advisable, however, because during the classroom course you work on a personal advisory style based on your own practical examples. An intake takes place beforehand, in which the trainer identifies your learning objectives and tailors the programme accordingly.

How large is the group during the Advisory Skills course?

The Advisory Skills course has a maximum group size of eight participants. Thanks to this small group you receive plenty of personal attention from the trainer and there is room to practise with your own real-life situations. An intake takes place before the classroom course, so that the programme matches your personal learning objectives.

What will I learn in a classroom Advisory Skills course that I cannot get from a book or an online course?

Advisory skills are to a large extent conversation skills: dealing with resistance, probing, switching between advisory styles and staying in control of a conversation. You develop those skills by practising with real people who push back, not by reading about them. In the classroom course you practise with realistic situations from your own working practice in a group of no more than 8 participants. You receive immediate feedback from the trainer and fellow participants on how you come across. A book gives you models such as LSP (Listening, Summarising, Probing) or the three adviser roles (adviser, expert, service provider), but does not let you experience how a client responds to your approach. That experience is precisely what you need in order to develop a personal advisory style.

How do I choose between the Advisory Skills course and a broader course in communication or conversation techniques?

The Advisory Skills course focuses specifically on the advisory process, from the initial request to the closing meeting. You learn to switch between three roles: adviser, expert and service provider. A general communication course covers conversation techniques more broadly, without the context of an advisory process with a client, diagnosis and support base. Choose Advisory Skills if you give advice professionally and want to strengthen your persuasiveness towards clients. The content links conversation techniques (listening, summarising, probing) directly to advisory phases such as analysis, diagnosis and evaluation. Recognising resistance and resolving conflicts within an advisory relationship are also covered. Choose a broader communication course if you do not yet have a fixed advisory role or mainly want to develop general conversation skills. The course is classroom-based and is given with a maximum of eight participants.

When is the Advisory Skills course more useful than a general course in persuasion or influencing?

The Advisory Skills course focuses specifically on the entire advisory process, from the initial request to the closing conversation, and not just on persuasion as an isolated skill. You learn to switch between three roles: adviser, expert and service provider. A course on persuasion mainly covers influencing techniques; this course adds making a diagnosis, recognising resistance, analysing conflicts and evaluating the project. Choose this course if you work in an advisory role (internal or external) and regularly have to guide clients from question to solution. Choose a broader influencing course if you mainly want to persuade in individual conversations or presentations, without responsibility for the whole process. The course is classroom-based and is given with a maximum of eight participants.

How does this Advisory Skills course differ from a course in negotiating or client conversations?

A negotiation course focuses on achieving a desired outcome in a transactional setting, often with conflicting interests. A course on client conversations usually focuses on sales, service or relationship management within a set contact moment. The Advisory Skills course covers the entire advisory process, from the initial request to the closing meeting, and is aimed at the role of adviser who persuades through expertise. You learn to switch between the roles of adviser, expert and service provider, to make a diagnosis through brainstorming and mind mapping, and to recognise and handle resistance. The course is taught in a classroom setting in groups of no more than eight participants. Choose this course if you give advice on a structural basis and want to develop your personal advisory style, not if your main aim is to negotiate or sell.

How quickly can I apply what I learn in the Advisory Skills course in my work as an adviser?

The techniques from the Advisory Skills course can be applied directly between the training days. The course is classroom-based and is built around the complete advisory process: from the initial request to the closing conversation. The gap between the days gives you room to try out conversation techniques such as listening, summarising and asking follow-up questions, dealing with resistance, and switching between advisory roles (adviser, expert, service provider) in your own practice. On the next training day you discuss the results with the trainer and the group of no more than eight participants. This works differently from an e-learning course: you receive direct feedback on your own advisory situations. You develop your personal advisory style along the way, and you will continue to refine it after the course on the basis of experience.

What do I get from the Advisory Skills course that I would not get from a general communication book or a YouTube video?

The difference lies in three elements that self-study does not offer. Firstly, you practise the entire advisory process in role plays, from the initial request to the closing meeting, with direct feedback from an experienced trainer and your fellow participants. A book can explain models to you, but it cannot see how you respond to resistance or a difficult client. Secondly, you develop a personal advisory style: through an intake interview, the trainer establishes your learning objectives and adapts the programme accordingly. Thirdly, you work in a group of no more than eight participants, so you hear recognisable cases from other advisers. The Self-study course is cheaper and more flexible, but it does not give you practical experience with real conversation partners.

How much does the Advisory Skills course cost and how long does the training course take?

You will find the current price at the top right of this course page, together with the schedule, location and delivery format. For in-company or bespoke courses we are happy to provide a quotation on request.

Advisory Skills course

Name: Advisory skills
Price: 1875.0 EUR
Availability: InStock
Rating: 8.5 (28 reviews)

Good advice stands or falls on how you deliver it. In this course you develop a personal advisory style, learn to deal with resistance and work through the entire advisory process. From the first request for advice to the closing conversation.

Description

The way you deliver advice largely determines whether it is understood, accepted and acted upon. In this Advisory Skills course you develop a personal advisory style that suits both you and your client.

You work through the complete advisory process, from the first request for advice to the closing conversation. You work on conversation skills such as listening, summarising and asking follow-up questions, you learn to recognise and handle resistance, and you practise advising persuasively and in a structured way. You also gain insight into different advisory styles and roles, so that you can switch flexibly according to the client and the situation.

The course is practically oriented: you experiment with new techniques in a safe environment and decide for yourself which insights you incorporate into your daily work. Afterwards you will be able to give advice in a structured and convincing way.

Topics

During this course you work on the skills you need to give advice in a structured and convincing way. The following topics are covered:

Analysing: listening, summarising and asking follow-up questions.
Making a diagnosis: brainstorming and mind mapping.
Creating support: recognising and dealing with resistance.
Conducting the closing conversation: using persuasive skills.
Applying advisory styles: adapt your style to the type of customer.
Self-knowledge: discover your personal advisory style.
Building a working relationship: creating win-win situations.
Resolving conflicts: understanding backgrounds and recognising points of reference.
Conversation techniques: staying in control of the conversation.
Evaluating the project.

Result

After this course you present advice in a structured and convincing way. You are aware of your role and position in the advisory process and know when you are acting as an adviser, an expert or a service provider. In every phase of the advisory process you act purposefully, from the initial request to the closing meeting.

You have developed a personal advisory style that suits who you are. You recognise your strengths and pitfalls, deal with resistance and adapt your approach to the type of client. You know how to clearly manage expectations, both your own and those of the client, so that together you reach a result that both parties support.

Target audience

This course suits you if you want to develop a personal advisory style. You may recognise yourself in one or more of these points:

you want to strengthen your persuasiveness, you want to communicate more effectively and increase your influence, you want to extend your reach and make the most of your network, you want to learn how to deal with resistance during the advisory process.

This list is of course not exhaustive, as everyone is different. What would you like to focus on in the area of advising?

Teaching method

During this course you work actively on your advisory skills. Before the course you have an intake with your trainer, in which you discuss your personal learning objectives. On that basis the trainer determines the final programme.

We believe in doing and experiencing. You practise with real-life situations, exchange experiences with other participants and receive direct feedback from an experienced trainer. With a maximum group size of eight participants, there is plenty of room for personal attention and a safe atmosphere in which to experiment with new techniques.

You decide for yourself which techniques and insights you integrate into your day-to-day advisory practice, so that you develop an advisory style that really suits you.

Prior knowledge

No specific prior knowledge is required for this course. It is useful, however, if you already advise others in your work or are about to start doing so, so that you can apply what you learn directly to situations from your own practice.

In-company

Would you like to organise this training for a whole group or several groups? This can be cost-effective. For example, we can tailor the content entirely to your organisation, and training a whole group is also cheaper.

Are you looking at large numbers of participants or a complete academy? That involves a great deal. Consider planning and communication, for example, or identifying and agreeing the objectives and content of the training. Or differences in level, feedback mechanisms and safeguarding. Fortunately, Learnit has extensive experience in this field (more than 25 years) and we are happy to help you through this process.

Request a quote

Language

The training is given in Dutch as standard. The trainer has a good command of English. English-language course material can be used. With a minimum enrolment of 3 participants, the training can also be given entirely in English.

Number of days:

3 days

Course times:

from 10 am to 5 pm

Study load:

21 hours

Education level:

This training is suitable for all levels.

Exemptions:

Exemptions do not apply to this course.

Preparation time:

No preparation time applies to this course.

Certificate:

At the end of the course, a certificate is issued as proof of participation.

The best training for you

At Learnit you will always find a course that takes you further. From (technical) IT skills to communication or personal leadership. You can also choose the training format that suits you best: a classroom course, a tailor-made course at your own office, an online course or an e-learning. We have the right course and the right format for everyone. Because learning in the way that suits you best delivers the best results.

Moving forward together

Taking a training course at Learnit means learning together. Together with your experienced trainer, together with your course group or together with your colleagues. And whether you take the training at home, at your office or at one of our training locations, we are always available to help you. To share our knowledge with you in a way that is genuinely useful to you. Getting further together through personal attention and understanding each other well; that is what we believe in.

Apply it directly in your work

Learning theory from a book that you can then hardly use in your work? Not at Learnit! Whichever training you take with us, you can put it to use at your workplace straight away. Because of the unique learning objectives you set together with the trainer at the start of the training. Because of the alternation between theory and (interactive) practical assignments. And by bringing the challenges you face in your daily work along to the training.