50 Training Activities for Administrative, Secretarial, and Support Staff

Activity 15 131

Activity 15

The Promises We Make

Description

In this activity, participants examine literature produced by the organization for mar-

keting and information purposes and articles written about the organization in the

press. After discussing the significance of this information, participants work in

groups to answer questions on a quiz. The purpose of this activity is to increase the

participants’ awareness of the business as a whole and give them greater pride in

the organization, as well as to improve their confidence in behaving as informed

professionals when dealing with customers.

Target Group

All support staff who are new to the organization and those who are new in a cus-

tomer contact role

Objectives

• To improve participants’ knowledge and understanding of the organization’s

marketing and public information literature

• To enable participants to understand the organization’s position in the market-

place and its relationship with competitors and other organizations

• To ensure that participants appreciate the “knock-on” effect of their personal

approach to customers

• To improve participants’ confidence during customer transactions

Number of Participants

4 to 20

Time

60 minutes

Materials

• A range of the organization’s marketing and information literature and press

articles about the organization

• Overhead projector and screen, or flipchart and markers

• Transparency 15-1

• Sample 15-1

• Pen and paper for each participant

132 50 Training Activities for Administrative, Secretarial, and Support Staff

Activity 15 (continued)

Preparation

• Put together a comprehensive package of the organization’s marketing and

public information literature for each participant and keep a spare package

yourself for reference. If there is an Annual Report, include a copy in each

package. Also include any trade/industry journals or recent newspaper articles

relevant to the organization.

• If the organization has a Web site, arrange for a computer with Internet access

to be in the training room and/or have printouts of the information from the Web

site and include these in the information packages.

• Familiarize yourself with the literature you will be using and produce a quiz,

using Sample 15-1 for ideas.

• Make an overhead slide of Transparency 15-1 or write the objectives of the

activity on a flipchart.

Method

1. Display the objectives of the activity, either on a flipchart or using Transparency

15-1, and discuss their importance with the participants. Make sure that the

following points are covered:

• We are all ambassadors for the organization, and we must know what the

organization stands for and as much as possible about its products/

services.

• We may deal with a certain individual concerning one subject, and other

departments within the organization may deal with this individual concern-

ing other subjects. We must all support each other in our dealings with

customers.

• If our organization is planning to introduce new products or services and/or

change existing ones, and this is being communicated to the customers, all

staff members need to be aware of this.

• Keeping up to date with the organization’s literature/marketing information

is the responsibility of each individual.

• In the future, you can all obtain information from [name information

points/sources as relevant to your organization].

2. Organize the participants into groups and distribute the information packages.

3. Allow 15 minutes for everyone to familiarize themselves with the information.

Activity 15 133

Activity 15 (concluded)

4. Lead a discussion covering each piece of information. Include the following, as

relevant:

• Who (which department) produces this information

• How often it is updated

• To whom the information is distributed and how/where it is available

• Whether or not competitors/similar organizations produce similar literature

and what differentiates this organization

• The significance of any trade/industry journal articles

• The accuracy and significance of any newspaper articles

5. Give each participant a copy of the quiz you have created (similar to Sample

15-1). Allocate specific questions in the quiz for each group to answer.

6. Allow between 10 and 20 minutes for the groups to find the answers to the

questions allocated to them.

7. Reconvene the whole group and invite the spokesperson from each group to

give their answers in turn. Elaborate on their answers and/or correct them as

appropriate.

8. Ask if anyone has further questions.

9. Thank everyone for attending and close the activity.