Behaviour 2 – Communicating and Influencing Q: Can you give me an example of a time when you communicated with a person or group of people to share information? Marketing manager in Stanbic IBTC Bank plc

Certainly! As a Marketing Manager at Stanbic IBTC Bank plc, I often needed to communicate important information to various stakeholders, including our team, senior management, and external partners. **Example: Launching a New Financial Product** When we were preparing to launch a new financial product aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), I coordinated a communication strategy to ensure all relevant parties were informed and aligned. 1. **Identifying the Audience**: I identified key stakeholders, including our internal marketing team, the sales department, product development, and external partners such as technology providers and advertising agencies. 2. **Creating a Communication Plan**: I developed a comprehensive communication plan that included timelines, key messages, and the channels to be used. This plan outlined what information needed to be shared, when it should be communicated, and the feedback mechanisms in place. 3. **Hosting a Kick-off Meeting**: I organized a kick-off meeting to present the new product's features, benefits, and target audience. During this session, I encouraged questions and discussions to ensure everyone was on the same page. I used visual aids like slides and product demos to illustrate key points, making the information more accessible. 4. **Follow-up Communication**: After the initial meeting, I sent out a detailed email summarizing the discussion points, the product’s unique selling propositions, and specific roles for each team member. I also provided FAQs to address common queries and encourage feedback. 5. **Continuous Engagement**: Leading up to the launch, I held weekly check-ins to monitor progress and provide updates. I created a shared online workspace where team members could access necessary resources and share their insights, fostering an environment of collaboration and transparency. **Outcome**: This coordinated approach to communication ensured that all stakeholders felt informed and engaged, leading to a successful product launch. The team was well-prepared, which resulted in a strong market introduction and positive feedback from customers. This experience reinforced the value of effective communication and collaboration in driving successful marketing initiatives. Update (2024-10-25): Certainly! As a Sales Manager at ARM Pension, I encountered a situation where effective communication was crucial to aligning our sales team and improving our outreach strategy. **Situation:** We were preparing to launch a new pension product aimed at young professionals, a demographic that had shown a growing interest in term financial planning. However, there was a gap in understanding among the sales team regarding the unique selling propositions (USPs) of the product and how to effectively communicate its benefits to potential clients. **Task:** My task was to organize a comprehensive training session for the sales team to ensure everyone understood the new product thoroughly and felt confident in their ability to communicate its value to clients. **Action:** To achieve this, I implemented the following steps: 1. **Preparation of Training Materials:** I began by developing an engaging presentation that highlighted the USPs, competitive advantages, and the specific needs of our target demographic. In addition to the standard slides, I included case studies and testimonials that illustrated the product's benefits. 2. **Interactive Workshop:** I scheduled a half-day workshop, inviting not just the sales team but also marketing and customer service representatives. I believed that cross-departmental collaboration would foster a more holistic understanding of the product. 3. **Engaging Communication Techniques:** During the workshop, I employed various communication techniques to keep participants engaged. This included utilizing storytelling to demonstrate the impact of our pension solutions, role-playing scenarios to practice sales pitches, and encouraging open discussion to allow team members to share their own insights and questions. 4. **Feedback Mechanism:** After the training, I conducted a feedback session to gauge the effectiveness of the communication and identify any remaining uncertainties. This allowed me to facilitate further clarification on any points that might have been unclear. 5. **Follow-up Support:** I also set up a follow-up communication channel (via our internal chat platform) to allow team members to ask questions and share successes or challenges they faced when pitching the new product to clients. **Result:** The outcome of this initiative was remarkable. Sales team members reported feeling more confident and knowledgeable about the product. Within two months of the launch, our sales pipeline for the new pension product surpassed our initial projections by 25%. The ongoing communication facilitated a culture of support within the team, allowing them to continuously share strategies that worked well in the field. **Analysis:** This experience highlighted the critical role of clear, engaging communication in a sales context. By preparing thoughtfully, creating interactive opportunities for learning, and fostering sustained dialogue, I was able to enable my team not only to understand the product but also to feel empowered to sell it effectively. This approach underscored my belief that successful communication is not just about conveying information but also about inspiring and influencing others to take action.