Michael Ziccone

Since 2015, we have trained over 500 ANZ employees through a tailored in-house version of our Advanced, Premium and Online Mastering Communication programs in VIC, NSW, SA, WA and QLD. Our communication training program is a core requirement for all client-facing team members to complete alongside their technical skills and compliance training and we have also delivered the program through ANZ Private.

ANZ has been uplifting and deepening their focus to provide value to the client in every communication years before the Royal Commission was being talked about. They were committed to investing in their people to do the right thing and have stayed committed to that investment for the long term.

Why did you decide to send your team to our program?

Due to an increase of similar competition across the finance sector, ANZ were looking for a way to “stand out from the pack” as leaders in their market.

The solution? Their people.

Michael says ANZ felt their employees “were unique”, and that investing in their skills and capabilities would differentiate them from their competitors.

With a multitude of teams and departments in the ANZ organisation, their employees face a broad range of communication scenarios every single day. From head office teams, through to the contact centre, ANZ wanted all of their employees to be able to speak confidently, influence and coach in their roles.

In search of the right training, Michael says they spoke with a number of different vendors to see what they could offer – none of which they felt were near the standard that ANZ’s employees already upheld. They then broadened the scope of their search and came across The Colin James Method® from an employee who had completed one of our programs a few years ago.

Once they met the CJM team, Michael says they quickly realised this was a unique offer “that didn’t exist elsewhere in the market” and that our methodology encompassed exactly what they wanted to impart to their employees.

ANZ decided to trial our program with a group of 50 employees in 2 pilots to determine if we would live up to our promise of creating significant change and uplift as a result of doing the program. Once the pilots were completed and results were demonstrated, ANZ agreed to partner with us to train the entire division of 250 people in-house across a two-year timeframe and the relationship continues today.

What elements have had the most impact?

“The first one was a noticeable uptick in performance”, which was one of the main objectives when investing in our program.

The team also gained a level of confidence that sustained even years later. He believes this is to do with the ongoing support we provide through various touch points following our program to “build the neurological pathway in your mind” and embed the learning.

Michael explains they were also pleasantly surprised by how much their people “valued the investment” into their skills.

Have the learnings been sustained?

“We rolled out to the first group in 2015 and I saw one of those people present last week”. When speaking to this employee before they delivered their presentation, Michael says they told him they were going to be using The Colin James Methodology.

This proved how much of an impact our training has had in their world, because even years later they are still happy to go with that method “because they know it works”.

Who would you recommend this program to?

“I think you can pick this up and put it into any sort of environment”.

Michael believes our training programs would have an impact not only across the corporate world, but also for anyone in a role that involves interaction with people, where you need to coach, negotiate or influence.

Since their employees have completed the program the ongoing coaching, masterclasses and webinars have helped to embed their skills. “Importantly, the way in which the learning is delivered is easily digestible and was embraced readily by all participants”

Our work with ANZ has created big changes for their employees in their ability to communicate and influence in their roles. Michael says “there has been a noticeable uplift in our customer engagement, team performance, resilience and morale, as our employees recognise the time and investment ANZ has made in their personal development.”