Germany’s continued advancement as a key business location means that the development of large-scale industrial projects is inevitable. Project developers must not only comply with complex regulatory requirements, they must also expect to face opposition from citizens’ initiatives, environmental groups, local politicians and the media. Our trainees learn about the challenges of Stakeholder Communication and train strategies for successfulStakeholder Engagement. We have developed practical exercises to teach participants how to handle difficult, confrontational situations.

During a crisis, the demands on a company’s communication strategy are different than during the day-to-day running of the business. Our Crisis Communication Training gives participants the tools they need to respond well to a crisis. They learn how to counteract the media’s tendency to dramatise a crisis with factual messages, while avoiding statements that could be viewed as an attempt to trivialise the problem or cover up the truth. In this context, we have coined the term “controlled candour” to describe a company’s communication strategy in a crisis.

If you are conveying a message or selling a product, to be effective you need to get to the point. As film directors say, “cut to the chase”. The risk of boring your audience with unnecessary dialogue is too great. In our Presentation Training, you will learn how to keep an audience enticed. In addition to personality factors like speaking technique and body language, we focus on the structure of the presentation, as well as placing and visualising your messages. You will learn how to get to the heart of an issue quickly and get your point across in a way that is easy to understand and remember.

Think negotiating is purely a matter of intuition? Think again. Experienced negotiation teams not only prepare themselves in terms of content, but also work intensively on strategy and tactics. Our training prepares you for difficult negotiation situations while also offering the opportunity to critically question and further develop your own ability to negotiate. After an introduction to the basics of negotiation theory, existing negotiation strategies are tested in practical exercises, and participants are confronted with the possible arguments and tactical manoeuvres of the other side. The negotiation model of SKM Consultants serves as a basis, facilitating strategic-tactical preparation.

Leadership Communication means change communication. This is true not only in major restructuring processes, but also in the everyday competition for customers, investors and market presence. Those in leadership positions are constantly faced with the challenge of preventing stagnation and motivating their own employees to develop new, optimised solutions. The key to this lies in clear, convincing communication. The Leadership Communication group seminar is specifically aimed at leaders and those with leadership potential. It focuses on leading via clear messages and a convincing presence – both in presentations, one-on-one conversations and group discussions.

Social media platforms are digital dialogue channels, complete with their own rules and a colourful mix of different players. Speed, emotions and reach mean that there are different parameters and challenges than communication via traditional media. Our Social Media Training teaches participants the correct approach, as well as the linguistic and textual tools for communicating online. We will prepare you for issue-based and crisis communication situations: where the focus is on facts, empathy and service, not the usual advertising messages, pretty pictures and videos.

Crisis Communication can only be successful if organisations operate from a foundation of resilient structures and processes. This includes ensuring that all participants know and adhere to their roles, and that there is effective cooperation within the Crisis Management team. In the best case scenario, crisis organisation would be trained regularly (e.g. once a year). Our Crisis Simulations and Exercises complement our Crisis Communication Training. In a pre-scripted scenario, participants have to react in real time to the respective changes in the situation and implement these changes in press releases, social media posts, telephone calls and media scrums. Enquiries from residents, customers, the media, authorities and politicians are simulated through various materials compiled for the training.