What is effective communication with clients?
- Communicating clearly
- Building trust
- Plain language free from jargon
- Tailoring message to audience
- Adapting to clients preferred method e.g. phone instead of email
- Ensures a better standard of service
What happens if you don’t have effective communication? Things to consider?
Risk of disputes, misunderstandings, complaints
- Security of any information sent
- Regardless of how you communicate
- maintain a record of all communications
- confirm any key points in writing
- Native language (risks of translating) and cultural differences i.e. more direct may be read as rude
- Neurodiversity
How do you manage clients expectations?
- Clearly outline how long something is going to take
- Let your client know if you are unable to meet any deadlines
- Respond in a timely manner and clearly explain the outcome
- Consider phoning if you are delivering unwelcome news
Why a particular communication fails or succeeds and how it could be improved?
May fail due to tone, level of information provided/not sufficient. Improvements – consider target audience, the length, style and layout of the communication,
How do you approach negotiation?
- Establishing authority
- Establishing objectives
- Setting strategy
- Collecting and presenting evidence
- Record keeping
What are good negotiation skills?
- Good research and preparation
- Prepare ideal ‘win-win’ and then fallback position
- Decide what isn’t negotiable
- Empathises on collaboration don’t be adversarial
Example of handling difficult negotiations?
- Agreeing change on projects with both subcontractors and the client
- Prepare and collate information requested as back-up prior to discussions
- Understand commercial position, what you are willing/can compromise on
- Understood contractual processes and entitlement
What are the different negotiation styles?
- Competitive – one party aims to get the best deal possible
- Principled – aim of mutually beneficial arrangement
- Win/Win Collaborative; Competitive Win/Loss
What considerations should you have with emails?
- Subject of the message, would it be best to deliver the news on a call and follow up on email? Tone of the email
- An email can have the same legal value as a letter and therefore need to be conscious that contracts can be created by email, also includes issuing instructions/variations in writing
- Confidentiality and who the recipients are
- Message you want to get across
- Data protection
As a RICS member what considerations should you have with communications?
- Use registered firm designation ‘regulated by RICS’
- Use of RICS logo
- Professionalism – competence and professional obligations
- Transparency, honesty – do not share confidential information
- Ensure response aligns with rules of conduct
Can you tell us about a negotiation you’ve been involved in and how you went about achieving the desired outcome?
- Agreeing a number of outstanding change requests on a project
- Understood commercial and contractual position and entitlement
- Prepared ahead of negotiation meetings
- Adopted a win-win approach to encourage collaboration and protect relationships
- Presented and negotiated accordingly to achieve best outcome for the project – meet in the middle
How have you prepared and then conducted a negotiation with another party?
- Prepared by collect any back up information requested by the other party
- Understood the commercial position and what you are prepared to compromise on prior to the negotiation
- Understood contractual position and entitlement prior to the negotiation
- Conducted face to face if possible or teams call with cameras on to see facial expressions
- What is your view on the use of email?
- Overall positive, as it provides a clear audit trail but the following needs to be considered:
Subject of the message, would it be best to deliver the news on a call and follow up on email? Tone of the email
An email can have the same legal value as a letter and therefore need to be conscious that contracts can be created by email, also includes issuing instructions/variations in writing
Confidentiality and who the recipients are
Message you want to get across
Data protection
How have you dealt with a performance issue from one of your team?
Speak to the individual politely about concerns first, raise with line management or project team for mitigate measures
What other attribute from your experience do you think can help toward successful communication that is not oral or graphical?
Written, creates audit trail, can be distributed to others, can choose what level of information is required for target audience.
What is your negotiation style?
Collaborative, win/win approach, protects relationships which is particularly important when working under framework agreements.
What do you see as a successful negotiation?
I see successful negotiation as a process of both parties resolving an issue in a way that both find acceptable, ideally a collaborative with a win/win approach.
What things do you think about before going into a negotiation?
- Prepare
- Collect any required back up information
- Understand commercial position and what you are prepared to compromise on
- Understand contractual position and entitlement
- Consider the long term relationship
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Ethics76
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