Summary

A prominent drinks company in the UK market approached Blue Kite Training with a need to upskill their account teams in effective collaboration and communication. Realising the importance of these critical skills in working with both internal stakeholder and in building and maintaining retailer relationships, we embarked on a partnership to equip their teams with the capabilities required. Through a targeted and tailored approach we worked to empower the account teams to not only improve their communication and collaboration skills but also become drivers of growth and positive change within their organisation and with their external partners.

Objective

The primary objective of the training was to develop a training program to enhance the collaboration and communication skills among the account teams, giving them the skills to build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and retailers.

We wanted to dive into the necessary interpersonal skills needed to build effective communication strategies. We also sought to build the leadership capabilities needed to be able to navigate the complex landscape of both internal and external stakeholder management.

The aim was to build these skills through a rounded learning approach including skill development, scenario based learning and personalised coaching. We aimed to give the participants the confidence and competence needed to build mutually beneficial relationships in their everyday work.

Solution

The first step in partnering with the company was to understand their needs and the current state of their communication and collaboration within the account teams. Through conversations and surveys we were able to gain valuable insight into the existing strengths and areas for development. This phase formed the foundation for being able to provide our tailored training approach and ensuring we were aligned with the client on the specific challenges and objectives.

Aligned on the needs and objectives we created a bespoke training program designed to address the identified gaps and provide the participants with the practical skills and strategies needed to address them. The training covered a range of topics identified as the areas for improvement including effective communication techniques, conflict resolution, stakeholder management and negotiation tactics.

The training was delivered as a 2-day program with time to focus on each of the individual areas through interactive workshops. The training is more than just traditional lecture style sessions, with each session encompassing a blend of learning techniques including role-playing exercises, case studies and group discussions. We created a dynamic learning environment that encouraged active participation with everyone given the opportunity to practice their newly acquired skills in a safe and supportive setting to provide confidence as well as competence. Examples of what was including in the training programme:

• Communication Skills Workshop (half day workshop):
  • Interactive workshop focused on specific communication skills including active listening, assertive communication and also non-verbal communication.Participants engaged in exercises designed to improve their ability to express their ideas clearly, ask better questions and provide constructive feedback.
  • Role-playing scenarios also gave the participants the opportunity to practice these techniques in a controlled and safe environment and receive feedback from both peers and facilitators.
• Negotiation Skills Training (full day workshop):
  • Interactive sessions focused on developing the negotiation skills needed ro build and maintain relationships with retailers and other external partners.Participants engaged in a number of negotiation role-plays and simulations where they could practice the different areas of achieving win-win outcomes, handling objections and building rapport.
  • Participants were able to receive coaching and feedback throughout from facilitators to help them improve and refine their techniques throughout the session and understand the areas they need to focus on most as an individual.
• All sessions:
  • Throughout all the sessions there are elements of team activities to help build trust and collaboration among team members.Throughout the workshops there is always dedicated time for participants to reflect and identify their own key takeaways and actions for personal development.
  • There is also feedback during the exercises, not just from the facilitators but also from others on the training. This peer-to-peer feedback helps the participants to recognise and appreciate each other’s strengths and contributions to help build a culture of support and collaboration.

Results

Following our partnership and collaborative approach the feedback was there was an almost immediate impact on how their teams were performing and working together which resulted in improved relationships with retailers leading to:

• Average sales growth of +8% across the teams involved.
• Increased distribution in all major retail accounts
• Improved employee satisfaction and engagement

The improvements that were seen within the teams included:

• Improved Communication: Communication became more streamlined and effective straight away with fewer misunderstanding, less blame and improved interactions both within teams and with retailers.
• Stronger Collaboration: Team members have reported feeling more empowered to share ideas, collaborate on projects and work towards common goals. Silos between different teams have broken down and a culture of collaboration is building allowing for improved productivity and creativity.
• Empowered Leaders: Team leaders and managers came out of the training with increased confidence and the skills to help lead their teams more effectively. They have shown a greater ability to inspire and motivate team members and creative a more positive work environment.
• Better Retailer Relationships: One of the most significant outcomes fo the training program for the client was the improvement in their retailer relationships. Armed with improved negotiation skills and a better understanding of retailer needs, the account team were able to build stronger and more collaborative relationships with retailers. This resulted in increased sales, improved shelf positioning and better brand visibility in store.