In today’s competitive landscape, Professional Services Firms are not only challenged with delivering exceptional client service. As fierce competition for the top talent intensifies, even the most prestigious Firms need to work hard to attract and retain their potential future leaders.
When a leading UK Professional Services Firm approached Alchemist, they sought a high-impact, standout learning experience for their graduates. Their goal was to empower 168 new hires to confidently engage with clients from day one – equipping them with the essential leadership skills and stakeholder management capabilities which could grow them into future leaders.
Crafting an Immersive Event to Foster Client Engagement
In response to this challenge, Alchemist was tasked with creating an immersive, experiential ‘wow’ event as part of their 2024 graduate induction programme. This in-person event would be a major upgrade from previous online-only sessions, allowing them to engage, practice, and interact in ways that a virtual environment couldn’t provide.
The event would focus on building client relationships through self-reflection, interactive simulations, and guided feedback. Graduates would learn how to confidently present themselves and their messages in high-stakes situations – a skill identified by the Firm as being particularly valuable for client engagement. It would build essential interpersonal skills whilst preparing them for future leadership roles; enabling stronger client relationships and more business won.
Developing Self-Awareness and Presence
In the grandeur of Tower Bridge’s Leonardo Royal Hotel, the experiential event ‘Presence and Impact’ got under way. No less than 168 graduates gathered across 24 tables – each supported by their own table-top Facilitator, followed by an energising introduction by Alchemist’s Lead Facilitator and Alchemist Actors.
The day consisted of small group activities with practice, reflection and feedback, alongside whole group participation. Alchemist Actor-Facilitators also played out bespoke ‘scenes,’ designed to be reflective of the graduate experience. These ‘scenes’ demonstrated real-life scenarios and the impact of specific negative behaviours on the fictional client. Interactive technology was utilised to collect participants’ feedback, thoughts and reflections as the day unfolded.
Confidence-Building Exercises
Following an ‘icebreaker’ scene played by Alchemist Actor-Facilitators, each small group took part in their first exercise, ‘State Management and Confidence.’ Guided by their table-top Actor-Facilitators, graduates learnt quick wins around physical and vocal confidence. Exercises on breath control, voice resonance, tone, pacing and body posture provided the platform for individuals to develop their messaging.
Observations from the Actor-Facilitators showed noticeable improvements as they learnt how to control their pace and delivery, and started creating a foundation of presence which they could later build upon.
Pitch Practice: ‘Why You?’
The ‘Why You Pitch’ took this to the next level. For this activity, each participant had to deliver a personal 60-second pitch, answering, “Why should our Firm choose you for the next project?” Initially, many hesitated, but with peer and facilitator feedback, a clear shift was evident.
They began to exhibit more confidence, better control over their voice and body language – with more presence and purpose in their delivery. Their self-awareness was visibly growing – a crucial trait for stakeholder management.
Immersive Client Simulations: Practicing Real Scenarios
The afternoon brought a new level of intensity as graduates had the opportunity to practise real-world client scenarios. A favourite exercise was ‘The Cautious Client,’ – involving a fictional startup struggling with PR, technical issues, and a looming cash flow crisis. Their task was to engage the client, reassure them with a solid plan, and build trust – all while managing their state and delivery. This was followed by a storytelling exercise, using the SOAR model as a guide (Situation-Obstacle-Action-Result).
Graduates were able to apply the foundational skills from the morning in a practical, client-facing situation. Utilizing the power of storytelling, they crafted a narrative which spoke directly to their client’s concerns and moved beyond data-dumping.
As the afternoon progressed, graduates were communicating with more empathy, precision and confidence. Beyond simply delivering information; they were engaging their client in a dialogue, building rapport and trust. The real-play activities created a safe environment to make mistakes, learn, and adapt in the moment – a critical aspect of developing their careers in consulting.
Equipping Graduates for Successful Stakeholder Management
As the day drew to a close, the visible progress made by the graduates was undeniable. They had gone from tentative and unsure to confident and capable of handling complex client scenarios. The immersive environment, which had allowed them to practice, receive feedback, and refine their skills, had armed them with actionable ‘quick wins.’ Applying these ‘wins’ enabled graduates to manage their presence in professional settings with greater ease. They were able to demonstrate increased awareness of their body language and stronger intent in their messaging.
The safe and nurturing space was central to individuals’ ability to lead in front of each other. A particular young graduate who hadn’t attended university was initially distressed at the start of the day, having expressed a deep lack of confidence. By the end of the day, she had come into her own. With an air of blossoming self-confidence, she could finally see herself as a worthy consultant with a bright future ahead.
Many others too, had come into the session unsure of their abilities to lead and engage with clients, but became noticeably more confident and composed by the end. This was testament to how much they threw themselves into the activities – keenly absorbing feedback from their peers and seeking regular advice and guidance from their Facilitators throughout the day. Graduates reported an enhanced sense of self-awareness and empathy which has empowered them to build and manage their stakeholder relationships with longevity in mind.
Some who had previously attended the event online expressed how great it was to be in the room with their peers. “It’s a completely different experience,” one commented – “you can’t see body language on the screen, and people weren’t engaged or switched on in the same way they are here today.” She added, “you get more real-time feedback, too.” Another graduate said the ‘in-person value’ and ‘energy’ made it a particularly enjoyable and memorable day, and he valued the opportunity to network with other graduates in a way which hadn’t been possible online.
Positioning Graduates as Future Leaders
With a measurable return on investment, the event not only met but exceeded expectations and left a lasting impression on the Firm’s graduates. Feedback collected from both the Alchemist Actor-Facilitators and the client’s senior stakeholders reflected a noticeable improvement in both confidence and interpersonal communication. Graduates themselves reflected these observations in their feedback. One noted, “it bonded people, it encouraged vulnerability, and 100% taught us some transferable skills.” Another shared that it was “one of the best learning sessions I have ever had.”
This feedback was backed up by exceptional data scores – with the day’s event achieving 100% overall positivity. An encouraging 97% of participants found the session engaging, and 92% would recommend to a colleague. These significant scores highlight the Firm’s overall success in preparing their graduates for the next phase of their careers.
This impressive event didn’t just provide the Firm’s graduates with actionable skills and tools to manage client engagement; it transformed their approach to leadership and communication, successfully preparing them for future leadership roles. This high-impact experiencehas set them up to become trusted business advisors for their Firm, capable of building meaningful client relationships that will contribute to the long-term success of the wider business.
To find out how we could make your graduate event special or help develop your future leaders, get in touch with us.