Communication skills and confidence from Think On Your Feet® are a manager’s secret weapon.
ATT, National Sales Manager David Williams hasn’t been in sales forever. In fact, he began his career as a plumber in the United Kingdom, running his own business in the trades sector for a number of years.
It was through this business that David moved into the corporate world, specialising in people management before giving sales a go in New Zealand. He found working with New Zealand’s larger commercial brands interesting, and enjoyed getting to know decision-makers in businesses such as Air New Zealand and Progressive Enterprises.
Self-development is important to David, but his tight schedule means self-led formats such as audio books in the car or short online courses suit him best. When a colleague recommended IMNZ’s two-day Think On Your Feet® course, he jumped at the opportunity.
“I didn’t know what to expect going into it, but I was really pleasantly surprised,” David says. “Not just the way that the course was delivered – the facilitation was also great. It was absolutely fantastic.”
Think On Your Feet® can be taught in person over two days, or online over four weeks. It’s a globally-recognised crash course in communication skills, teaching participants to express themselves concisely and persuasively both in written and verbal form.
David says the facilitator was informative and adept, taking participants through the modules with ease. He also appreciated the networking opportunities within the course’s small class sizes.
As for Think On Your Feet’s® impact on his workflow, David has found the course so transformational that he’s almost reluctant to share it: “Think On Your Feet® feels like a bit of a secret weapon.”
He says its worksheets have helped him deliver more productivity in a new role by providing structured models which translate ideas into action.
“That’s what I liked about the plans and the methodology within Think On Your Feet®. They’re instant and in the moment.”
He is now part-way through a second IMNZ course, Finance For Non-Financial Managers. This workshop gives participants the tools and confidence they need to understand financial data and business finance, equipping them with real-world skills like budget management, developing budgets and the fundamentals of accounting.
While the course can be taught in person or online, David feels the flexible online format works well with his visual learning style. He’s finding that going back to foundational concepts is helping him clarify and sharpen his existing financial knowledge base.
“I think, like anything, that it’s all well and good telling your grandma how to suck eggs, but sometimes that’s okay, because grandma might not be doing it the right way.”
As somebody who works in a customer-facing business, David is impressed with the customer experience offered by IMNZ.
“Every interaction I had with IMNZ was really positive,” he says. “Everything from the booking to the day itself, the facilitator, the venue and the structure of the course was really good. As for the actual content and takeaways – the takeaways are here on my desk.”
Interested in finding out more about these courses?
If you’re looking to build your confidence when it comes to public speaking, giving presentations at work and answering questions when put on the spot the Think On Your Feet® is the ideal course for you. It teaches you practical techniques to help you stay calm under pressure, order your thoughts and provide clear and concise messaging.
The Finance for Non-Financial Managers course is ideal for people who’ve stepped up into a leadership role and are having to get the hang of managing the finances. It provides practical tools to help you develop and manage budgets and helps you gain and understanding of basic accounting.
If you have any questions about these courses, just get in touch with IMNZ’s friendly team, they’re here to help.
