INTERACTIVE DISTANCE LEARNING COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES PART ONE Learning Guide CARS KNOWLEDGE NETWORK 6 – 9120 Leslie Street Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3J9 Phone: 905-709-1694 fax: 905-709-1013 email: askus@cars-council.ca S:\Shows\Management Skills\CommStrategies\CommStrat1.LG.doc 1 COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES PART ONE Outline LEARNING OUTCOME Upon successful completion of this segment, the participants will be able to assess their own interpersonal communication skills, and identify and employ a range of listening and verbal communication techniques. Participants will develop an understanding of cross cultural communication issues as well as particular strategies for use in difficult situations. OBJECTIVES Upon successful completion of this segment, the participants will be able to: 1. identify and use the sub-skills of active listening 2 use and interpret non-verbal communication 3. describe and strategically employ a range of verbal techniques 4. communicate across cultures with added confidence 5. develop strategies for communicating effectively in difficult emotional situations RATIONALE Service department staff with a background knowledge in communications will be able to communicate more positively and strategically with a broad range of customers and co-workers in the workplace. ELABORATIONS Unit #1 - Communication Overview 1.1 - identify factors that influence communication: a model 1.2 - perform a self-evaluation Unit #2 - Listening Techniques 2.1 - define listening and distinguish between listening and hearing 2.2 - identify the benefits of active listening 2.3 - define the term 'restating' and identify its uses 2.4 - define the term 'reflecting' and identify its uses 2.5 - define the term 'summarizing' and identify its uses 2.6 - define the term 'clarifying' and identify its uses 2.6 - define the term 'reframing' and identify its uses S:\Shows\Management Skills\CommStrategies\CommStrat1.LG.doc 2 Strategic Communication Skills Outline Unit #3 - Non-verbal Communication 3.1- interpret body language 3.2 - use body language effectively Unit #4 - Verbal Communication 4.1 - identify elements of verbal communication 4.2 - identify negative/positive language PERFORMANCE INDICATORS Upon successful completion of this segment, participants will have: 1. identified causes of miscommunication 2. reviewed a communication model 3. evaluated their own communication skills 4. demonstrated a working knowledge of restating 5. demonstrated a working knowledge of reflecting 6. demonstrated a working knowledge of summarizing 7. demonstrated a working knowledge clarifying 8. demonstrated a working knowledge reframing 9. identified non-verbal communication cues 10. defined and demonstrated a working knowledge of negative and positive language LEARNING ACTIVITIES Please take a moment to examine pages 2 and 3 of the Learning Guide, which provide an overview of the program goals. For optimum learning benefits, you are expected to follow along in your Guide throughout the presentation, taking notes, filling in the blanks, performing calculations, and other exercises as required. S:\Shows\Management Skills\CommStrategies\CommStrat1.LG.doc 3 Unit #1: Communications Overview 1.1 What factors cause miscommunication? List as many as you can below. ________________________________ _______________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________ A Communications Model Is she getting the message Red wants to send? Her interpretation of his message will depend on his/her listening skills, their body language, the way Red phrases his message (the content), their respective cultures and emotional states. S:\Shows\Management Skills\CommStrategies\CommStrat1.LG.doc 4 2.0 Listening Skills Top Ten Reasons to Use Active Listening… 10. The active listener gains earlier cooperation from the other side 9. The active listener models the behaviour he/she would like to see when its his/her turn to speak 8. You can respond to customers’ needs more quickly when you use active listening 7. If you use active listening you’re more likely to uncover important information 6. Active listening is a relationship builder 5. Active listeners learn more/earn more 4. Active listening reduces stress 3. Active listening helps to settle disagreements before they escalate 2. Active listeners are seen as team players and the #1 reason to use active listening… …it allows the speaker to feel understood S:\Shows\Management Skills\CommStrategies\CommStrat1.LG.doc 5 Listening is when you use... Ears Eyes Heart …to give undivided attention 2.1 The difference between listening and hearing is:____________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 2.2 In the shop environment, when is listening particularly important? List your examples below: _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 2.3 Re-stating is:_______________________________________________________________ Eg.___________________________________________________________________________ 2.4 Reflecting is:_______________________________________________________________ Eg.:__________________________________________________________________________ S:\Shows\Management Skills\CommStrategies\CommStrat1.LG.doc 6 2.5 What was the customer in the video feeling? ______________________________________ 2.6 Clarifying is:_______________________________________________________________ Eg:___________________________________________________________________________ 2.7 What questions would you ask the customer in the video that might help you to clarify the message? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 2.8 Review (clarifying/reflecting/restating) “a) You seem surprised…” is an example of 1) clarifying 2) restating 3) reflecting 4) none of the above b) “So… does the noise occur just when the car is cold, or at other times as well?”…is an example of 1) reflecting 2) restating 3) clarifying 4) none of the above c) “O.K. You’re telling me that the car has to be ready to go by 4:00 pm because you have an important meeting at 5:00 pm. Is the meeting here in the west-end?” is an example of 1) clarifying 2) restating 3) reflecting and restating 4) restating and clarifying 2.9 Summarizing is:_____________________________________________________________ Eg.___________________________________________________________________________ The customer in the video clip told a long story. Summarize the most important points. ______________________________________________________________________________ S:\Shows\Management Skills\CommStrategies\CommStrat1.LG.doc 7 ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 2.10 Reframing is:_______________________________________________________________ Eg___________________________________________________________________________ How might you reframe this customer’s message?_____________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 2.11 Review: Which of these techniques do you think will be most helpful to you? 1)restating 2) clarifying 3) summarizing 4) reframing 5) reflecting 3.0 DECODING BODY LANGUAGE (Insert graphic from PPT 15 – without the numbers) 3.1 What is this customer saying? __________________________________________________ How would you respond?_________________________________________________________ 3.2 What is this customer saying?___________________________________________________ How would you respond?_________________________________________________________ 3.3 What is this customer saying?___________________________________________________ How would you respond?_________________________________________________________ 3.4 What is this customer saying?___________________________________________________ How would you respond?_________________________________________________________ S:\Shows\Management Skills\CommStrategies\CommStrat1.LG.doc 8 3.5 Three easy ways to improve my own body language at work include: ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ 4.0 VERBAL SKILLS Positive and negative language 4.1 “Your car won’t be ready today. You didn’t leave us your daytime phone number so we couldn’t get authorization to proceed” What makes the statement above so negative?_________________________________________ Rewrite the statement using positive language_________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ SUMMARY Communicating is a skill… and it’s more than just talking and listening. With practice and effort, you can raise your own communications to an art form. An excellent communicator inspires confidence in others, brings ideas to life and resolves tricky situations with style and efficiency. Practice the techniques reviewed in today’s program everyday – with your friends, co-workers and customers. We hope you found the information in this module helpful and informative. *********************************** S:\Shows\Management Skills\CommStrategies\CommStrat1.LG.doc 9 Your questions and comments are always welcome. Please visit the CARS web site at www.cars-council.ca. We can also be reached by phone at (905) 709-1010 S:\Shows\Management Skills\CommStrategies\CommStrat1.LG.doc 10