Attend as an independent delegate and improve your power to listen, understand and influence

Our Open Course, run by Richard Mullender and Katie Bleach, offers you a rare opportunity to access the Institute’s training as an independent delegate. Alternatively, if you’re booking on behalf of an organisation, you can send a group of up to eight employees.


Sign up for our next online course starting 5th November 2024

Course Content

  • What you'll learn

    In two-hour workshops, over the course of four weeks, you’ll learn how to:

    • Set an outcome for every in-person meeting, phone or video call.
    • Adopt a position to put your brain on high alert.
    • Select a mindset for success.
    • Subtly use minimal encouragers to keep someone talking.
    • Identify – at speed – the unintentional insights a person will reveal when you don’t interrupt.
    • Echo, to delve deeper without changing the subject.
    • Differentiate between facts, emotions, motivators, values and beliefs in what someone says.
    • Identify, select and interpret the key words that turn information into intelligence.
    • Turn questions into suggestions by stating your impression.
    • Sell a course of action using the other person’s values, beliefs and motivators, rather than your own.
    • Test your hypothesis without offending the other person.
    • Work as a team during meetings so you stick to pre-agreed roles and never undermine each other.
    • Deliver a benefit-rich proposal using the intelligence you’ve gathered, so you get buy-in for a solution that precisely mirrors their priorities.
    • Know how to bargain with the four negotiation tradeables.
    • Review success.

    Throughout the sessions, we’ll pair you up with other delegates in breakout rooms to practise the skills and report back. This means the exercises you do come as close as possible to face-to-face interaction.


5th November 2024

Richard Mullender and Katie Bleach will deliver the four-week course for two hours a week, starting on 5th November 2024.

  • Four Week Course Tuesdays from 5th to 26th November

    Spaces Available

    Week 1: Tuesday November 5th

    4pm – 6pm GMT

    Week 2: Tuesday November 12th

    4pm – 6pm GMT

    Week 3: Tuesday November 19th

    4pm – 6pm GMT

    Week 4: Tuesday November 26th

    4pm – 6pm GMT

    Course Prices

    £550 per delegate

    Places strictly limited. Maximum 14 delegates per course.

    Book Now

Easy-to-use embedding guides

Each delegate will receive copies of our easy-to-use, drop-down guides in high-retention envelopes. They work as practical aide-memoires, ideal for embedding elite skills from day one.



Listening in 10 Easy Lessons physical pack

Listening in 10 Easy Lessons

5-Stage Negotiation Guide physical pack

5-Stage Negotiation Guide