The Influential Communicator Certificate

Influential communication is an essential business skill for the modern workplace.

Effective communication is an essential skill in business, and this program will sharpen yours. Practice and feedback from experts will make you an impactful communicator.

Topics include persuasion, credibility, executive presence, and components of influential presentations. You will learn how to craft a presentation, write for results, facilitate a meeting, and speak to the point. Daily sessions of filming, coaching, and action planning with feedback from faculty experts will help you improve your skills while testing them out in real-world scenarios.

If you are ready to challenge yourself and take your communication skills to the next level, this executive certificate program is the one for you.

The Influential Communicator Business Certificate

Format: In-residence business certificate taught on the Bloomington, Indiana, campus. Attend the full week of daylong courses at one time and receive your certificate, or take individual courses.

Time Commitment: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday

Flexible Pricing: All of the courses taken in one week cost $3,995. Taken separately, each daylong course costs $925. Those registering for the entire certificate save $630.

Flexible Payment Options: Please take advantage of special discount offers listed below.

We accept PayPal for non-credit certificates. Students who qualify for PayPal Credit can take advantage of interest-free offers that enable you to spread payments over several months. If you need an individual payment plan, please don’t hesitate to ask us.

Registering early? We can bill you two weeks before class starts. Select “Bill Me Before Class Starts” as a payment option when you checkout.

Is your employer paying for the course? Select “Send My Employer an Invoice” as the payment option to reserve your spot in class and put the employer’s info into the billing address details and we can invoice them directly.

25% off for early registrants. Receive 25% off certificate and individual courses when you register and pay 30 days prior to class start. Use code EARLYBIRD at checkout.
35% off for IU faculty, staff, and alumni
50% off for Kelley School of Business alumni
Discounts are also available for Kelley School of Business staff and faculty. Contact Trudi at tkessle@iu.edu or complete the form for promotional codes.

Upcoming Dates:

Fall: November 1 – 5, 2021

Register Now for Fall

New benefits for Kelley alumni!

See Alumni Benefits

In-Residence Business Certificate: Key Takeaways

Is this business communication certificate right for you?

This certificate is intended for people who interact daily with others in writing or face-to-face encounters. It will benefit those who are highly competent in functional and technical skills and are at a point in their careers where they need to communicate and influence regularly. The skills and confidence gained will help you build your brand and professional presence.

In-Residence Business Certificate: Key Takeaways

Is this business communication certificate right for you?

This certificate is intended for people who interact daily with others in writing or face-to-face encounters. It will benefit those who are highly competent in functional and technical skills and are at a point in their careers where they need to communicate and influence regularly. The skills and confidence gained will help you build your brand and professional presence.

People who earn the influential communicator certificate will:

Tailor each message to a unique audience
Speak with conviction and clarity
Design written and spoken messages that get attention and results
Facilitate a discussion in a group while getting consensus
Build trust in important relationships
Exude verbal credibility
Enhance their LinkedIn visibility
Design a communication action plan that flexes individual style

People who earn the influential communicator certificate will:

Tailor each message to a unique audience
Speak with conviction and clarity
Design written and spoken messages that get attention and results
Facilitate a discussion in a group while getting consensus

Build trust in important relationships
Exude verbal credibility
Enhance their LinkedIn visibility
Design a communication action plan that flexes individual style

In-Residence Business Certificate: Curriculum

The program, which includes individual coaching sessions for each student, is taught by award-winning faculty members from the Kelley School of Business who are experts in business communications. During the week you will have the opportunity to develop and improve action plans and impactful communications. In addition, you will undergo a communication assessment and practice facilitating an effective meeting.

Course 1: Communicating to Enhance Your Credibility

When trust is present in a relationship, work is faster, more efficient, less costly, and more rewarding. How do you earn the trust of those around you? In this session, you will:

focus on ways to build your trust quotient with your boss, colleagues, and team members.
identify your own verbal and nonverbal credibility busters and boosters.
practice exuding credibility cues that people use to judge your trustworthiness.
learn the Big Five trust factors and ways to build your five.
head to the studio and record a “tell us about yourself” elevator pitch.
review the recording with your Kelley Faculty Coach and coaching team.

Course 2: Communicating to Influence

Practice organizing your thoughts (even on-the-fly) to create clear, convincing messages. Learn to be concise. Explore the common writing errors that detract from your credibility and logical appeal. Practice creating compelling visualizations of complex data. Produce two logical, credibility-building documents (an email or 1-page memo and a LinkedIn update). Communication experts from the Kelley School of Business faculty will give you individual feedback on the documents you create. You will practice coaching (another essential communication skill) as you, too, provide feedback to your team mates. Learn from the other sample work and make a plan for improving your credibility.

Course 3: Communicating to Inspire

Being able to influence with or without formal authority is a critical skill for success in the business world today. Learn to use story and emotional appeal to capture the hearts of your listeners and readers. Finish your day by making an inspirational, emotionally powerful “award” presentation. Review the recording and discuss with your coaching team. Kelley School of Business communication faculty will provide you with expert feedback and tips for improving your inspirational speaking.

Course 4: Communicating in Difficult Situations

Learn how to handle contentious meetings, hostile questions, and conflict. Find yourself “in the hot seat” as you practice facilitating a meeting-gone-wrong. Review highlights (and lowlights) of the hot-seat meeting facilitation with your coach. Create an action plan moving forward that keeps you on track with your goals.

Course 5: Communicating with Authenticity and Flexibility

Discover your Communication Style (with Keirsey Assessment) and explore your natural communication preferences and strengths. Learn how and when to flex your communication style to align, inspire, and motivate others. Create a communication flex chart that identifies several key relationships in your professional life and ways you can best communicate with those people. Kelley School of Business faculty coaches work with you to create an action plan aimed at enhancing key professional relationships in your work life. Wrap up with a final action plan that will send you back into the workplace with concrete, actionable steps to see your learning transfer to your life. Communicate with success!