Business Communication and Influence (BCI)

Program Overview

This program, specifically intended for engineers, is centered on communication, which always guides the delivery of what clients truly want and need. Since communication is the key to influencing decisions that will generate immediate revenue and long-term client relationships, participants will develop competencies in listening, speaking, logical thought and planned engagement.

You will learn to successfully draw out and develop the problem or desired outcome, then craft a solution and effectively communicate your knowledge and ideas to influential users, be it a major investor or a C-suite decision maker. You will be exposed to practical tools, techniques, and insights focused on customer engagement, business pricing, pitches, proposals and presentations. The Business Communication and Influence (BCI) program develops and supports business leadership, sales skills, and product management effectiveness - for individual professionals, engineering teams and entire companies.

Target Audience

• New engineers
• Senior research and development engineers
• Anyone running a business unit or startup
• Solution consultants
• Partner managers
• Sales engineers
• Business unit managers

This program is for everyone who needs to:

• build what people truly need - not just what they say they want
• communicate with any team they lead - without costly assumptions or guesses
• influence others to buy their ideas, products or services
• start or grow their own company with minimum time and at minimum risk
• deliver effective presentations that fearlessly communicate & influence
• manage partnerships and channels that deliver effective results
• become a uniquely Certified Sales Engineer

Program Delivery Format

There are three ways to follow the BCI program – which one is right for you?

Click the image to view the brochure

BCI Foundation 

Conscious Speaking, Active Listening, Rational Understanding

In this module, you will learn powerful, effective communication and influence skills. Participants will be exposed to techniques and insights that deliver powerful, effective communication and influence skills.

Duration: 10 hours (4 weeks to complete the course)
Cost: $1000 (plus tax)
Delivery Mode: Online, asynchronous

Registration closes 1 business day prior to the course start date. On course start date, you will receive an email with instructions to access the course.

Register

BCI Communication

Truly Effective Connections with Customers and Clients

Prerequisite: BCI Foundation

In this module, participants will explore practical skills for customer-facing engagements. You will learn how to engage and elicit their true needs, discover and develop the business outcomes they drive and explore the economic outcomes of a solution.

Duration: 10 hours (4 weeks to complete the course)
Cost: $1000 (plus tax)
Delivery Mode: Online, asynchronous

Registration closes 1 business day prior to the course start date. On course start date, you will receive an email with instructions to access the course.

Register

BCI Influence 

Proposals, Pricing, Pitches and Presentations that drive Decisions and Action

Prerequisite: BCI Foundation Module and BCI Communication Module

In this module, participants will learn to "get out there and get the business", from a technical, business or financial point of view. You will focus on the "Five Ps": Proposal; Pricing; Pitches; Presentations; Preparation.

Duration: 10 hours (4 weeks to complete the course)
Cost: $1000 (plus tax)
Delivery Mode: Online, asynchronous

Registration closes 1 business day prior to the course start date. On course start date, you will receive an email with instructions to access the course.

Register

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, participants will be able to:

• Use five ways to motivate others
• See the world through a different filter - and how to determine and utilize that knowledge
• Build personal and business rapport
• Discover exactly what someone wants, truly needs and can actually afford
• Refocus conversations to a productive place for both parties where the real problems (and their solutions) are truly exposed
• Succeed at presentations, proposals and pitches

Program Requirements

Participants must complete all three BCI modules to receive a joint professional development certificate from the Faculty of Engineering and the University of Ottawa Professional Development Institute.

Trevor Græme Wilkins

Trevor Wilkins is a Mechanical and IT engineer who has spent 26 years in the technology industry. He has been the sales leader at a highly successful NASDAQ start-up, directed a global solutions channel, wrote navigation software for the America’s Cup, sold to the world’s largest banks and airlines, and was Managing Director of a company building internet collaboration software.

During this time, he observed and modelled how the “best of the best” in business influenced, spoke, acted and thought. He used this work to create a simple universal process to influence others to buy (or buy into) their ideas, services or products. This process is described in detail in his three “Turning Selling into Buying” books.

As Engineer Executive Entrepreneur (E³iR), Trevor also gives classes ranging from Engineering Management to Entrepreneurship to Business Influence. He also teaches and coaches in a wide range of startup programs, the largest being Startup Garage. He tweets @sellingtobuying about creating what others want, need and buy.