Communication Skills Programs

scheduled employee development programs

Taking Care of Your Customers by Taking Care of Yourself
Business Writing in the Electronic Age 

Writing Letters of Recommendation

 

   Taking Care of Your Customers by Taking Care of Yourself

Kathleen Houlihan, Training Consultant

First impressions are lasting impressions and who knows that better than you, the customer service provider. You answer questions, give out and look up information; trouble shoot and resolve problems; and ease frustrations and anxieties—in addition to your other responsibilities. And despite the volume, you treat each individual as an individual with the respect and attention he or she deserves and expects.

 

Daily delivery of customer service can be demanding and wear you out. Through skill-building and self-assessment, this workshop will help you sustain excellent customer service and recover more quickly from difficult encounters. Among the topics covered:

  • Identifying your customers
  • Refining your communication and listening skills
  • Disengaging and decompressing from emotionally-charged situations
  • Creating an action plan

University-wide Competencies

Customer Focus, Communication, and Continuous Learning

 

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

9-12

Walsh Hall Function Room

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   Business Writing in the Electronic Age

E. Wallace Coyle, E. Wallace Coyle Associates

If writing is a key component of your success at the university, this course is for you.

You will learn all about the changes in format and content of materials primarily sent electronically. The new age of business writing is here to stay! Make your reports state the message clearly, command attention, compel action, and create a winning impression. Workshop topics focus on:

  • thinking and organizing that precedes writing
  • addressing the reader's needs in letters and memos
  • using clear language and a direct tone in your e-mails and web site materials
  • knowing the etiquette of e-mails
  • reviewing basic grammar and sentence structure, style, and punctuation
  • presenting technical information to non-technical audiences in reader friendly formats

Please bring a sample of your writing to the workshop.

 

University-wide Competencies

Communication and Continuous Learning

 

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

9-1

Walsh Hall Function Room

 

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   Writing Letters of Recommendation

Dom DeLeo, Associate Director, Career Center

 

You are asked to write a letter of recommendation for a colleague, student, or employee and are delighted to do so.  What are the steps to creating an effective letter that enhances the candidate’s chances?

 

Simplify the process, ease the anxiety, and compose a letter that is honest and worthy of the requestor. In this session, you will learn

 

  • how to determine what information is needed in the recommendation and how to ask for that information (points of advocacy)
  • what to put in and what to leave out of the letter
  • when and how to decline a request to write a letter

 

Additional topics will include how to prepare for a telephone recommendation and how to request a letter of recommendation for yourself.

 

University-wide Competencies

Communication, Continuous Learning

 

Thursday, November 12, 2009

10-11:30

Walsh Hall Function Room

 

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