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Interpersonal Skills Course (1 day)
Staff who build rapport quickly, keep conversations productive and bring others round to their point of view.
Technical skill gets people hired; how they deal with others decides how well the team works. Staff who do not listen, make a poor first impression or cannot disagree without causing offence slow everyone down. This one-day interpersonal skills course covers the everyday people skills that make working relationships run smoothly.
Delegates practise the difference between hearing and listening, asking questions that keep a conversation moving, reading body language and tone, making a strong introduction and remembering names. The second half of the day turns to influence: seeing the other person's point of view, combining facts and feeling to make a case, sharing an opinion with I-messages, disagreeing constructively, building consensus and handling the basics of a simple negotiation. Every module includes short paired practice so delegates try each skill before they leave.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Better working relationships between colleagues, managers and teams
- Customer-facing staff who build rapport quickly
- Disagreements raised constructively instead of avoided or escalated
For your delegates
- Practical techniques for first impressions and remembering names
- Ways to move a conversation beyond small talk
- A simple approach to influencing others
- Confidence to share your opinion and disagree respectfully
What delegates will be able to do
- Listen actively and check your understanding with summary questions
- Recognise the signals your body language and tone send
- Introduce yourself confidently and make a strong first impression
- Use memory techniques to remember names
- Move a conversation from small talk to real discussion
- Influence others by combining facts with an understanding of their position
- Share your opinion with I-messages and disagree constructively
- Prepare for, open, bargain in and close a simple negotiation
Who should attend
Staff at any level who want to get on better with the people they work with: new employees, client-facing and support staff, specialists who work across departments, and new supervisors and team leaders. It is a sound first course before more specialised training in assertiveness, conflict or negotiation.
Course outline
Day 1 – Working well with people
Listening and speaking
- Hearing versus listening
- Questions that open up a conversation
- Speaking with clarity and conviction
- Tone of voice and the signals your body sends
First impressions and names
- Making a confident introduction
- The first few minutes: what people notice
- Memory techniques for names
- What to do when you have forgotten a name
Conversations that go somewhere
- Four levels of conversation, from small talk to shared views
- Asking for examples and clarification
- Repeating and summarising to check understanding
- Keeping a conversation on track
Influence
- Seeing the issue from the other side
- Finding common ground and building a bridge
- Conceding small points without losing the main one
- Combining emotion and facts to make your case
Opinions, disagreement and consensus
- Using I-messages
- Disagreeing without causing offence
- Building consensus in a group
- Being enthusiastic without being pushy
Negotiation basics and action plan
- Preparing for a simple negotiation
- Opening, bargaining and closing
- Reading a situation before you act
- Personal action plan
How it is delivered
One day, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20. Workbook, paired exercises and a personal action plan included. We deliver it at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and anywhere else in South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online for teams in different places.
What our clients say
★★★★★ 4.8 on Google from 790+ reviews · word-for-word quotes from signed letters of reference, from clients on this and/or related BOTI courses
“The course was efficiently scheduled and planned around our timetable. We were impressed by both the quality of training and the Facilitators.”
“The training was well executed and of a high quality … We would like to recommend BOTI for future trainings.”
“We have been very impressed with their service and rollout of the training.”
Frequently asked questions
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes. We train at your premises anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online.
How many people can attend?
From one delegate to groups of about 20. The price per delegate drops as the group grows – see the price table, or ask us for a quote.
Is it accredited?
No – it is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Is there a longer version?
Yes. Developing your Interpersonal Skills to Effectively Resolve Conflict is a two-day course that covers these skills and adds a day on resolving conflict.
What should delegates do next?
If speaking up is the main gap, the Assertiveness and Self-Confidence Course is the natural next step. For deeper negotiation skills, see Key Negotiation Skills.
Can you run this course in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban?
Yes. We train on site at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and across South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online so a team spread over several offices can attend together.
Related courses
Ask a consultant for a written quote
A BOTI consultant emails you a written quote, usually within 15 minutes (Mon–Fri, 08:00–17:00). After hours, we reply on the next working day. To speak to someone now, call 011 882 8853.
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