Keri Stephens, Ph.D., has been a professor in the Moody College of Communication since 2007. She has taught Communicating to Build Sales Relationships for 15 years and along with her McCombs Business School colleagues, she co-founded the UT Austin Professional Sales and Business Development Minor that is open to all majors across campus.

She began her career working for Hewlett-Packard as a field engineer in a role that combined her biochemistry degree with business development. She spent a decade working in laboratory robotics and automation before she returned to get her graduate degrees in organizational communication. She is an award-winning book author, has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, and was selected as a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers at UT Austin. She regularly advises and conducts workshops for a variety of corporate, nonprofit, governmental, and academic institutions.

Rodney Schlosser is Sr. Vice President/Business Development & Strategic Partnerships at Asurion, a Nashville-based vendor to the mobile, cable, telco, and consumer electronics industries. In his 20+ years at the company, he has successfully identified, cultivated, and won new clients that propelled the company from <$100M in annual revenue when he joined in 1999 to >$8B in 2022. The key has been building strong, trustworthy, and enduring business relationships across client organizations.

Rodney will share what he’s learned calling on companies of all sizes, what’s work, what’s failed, and how he’s adapted as technology has changed the way people interact. He’ll also explain how many of these same principles have applied to his leadership of several non-profit boards, and his current civic work as a member of the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) Board, which runs Texas’ largest public transit agency and light rail network. Prior to Asurion, Rodney held executive positions with Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems (now AT&T), and a division of Time Warner.

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course you will be able to:

1. Build & strengthen authentic relationships with real decision-makers that drive material results.
2. Improve your ability to truly understand your clients’ goals, needs, and fears.
3. Capture hidden business opportunities (and competitive intelligence).
4. Conquer the nuances of timing, medium, and content in planning and executing your messages in conversations, meetings, presentations, and digital communication.
5. Feel more confident by activating the new knowledge you gain.

Core Content Modules

• Relationships: How to give more than you receive (including random acts of kindness and tips for how to play the long game in building strategic relationships)
• Strategic rapport-building including exercises to practice these high-level skills
• Asking the right questions by using a process of curiosity and collaborative conversations (the three C’s)
• Listening for shared experiences to build lasting chemistry with all types of clients
• Personal communication styles as a path toward relationship-building and stronger communication
• Overcoming the challenges of digital communication in establishing and sustaining business relationships

Location: UT Austin
Upcoming Course(s): November 1, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs): 0.6 CEUs will be awarded upon completion of this program (six hours of instruction)
Registration Deadline: October 28, 2023

One-Day Seminar Pricing:

Registration fee includes all course materials, catering (lunch and refreshments), WiFi access, and parking.

• Standard Registration: $1,000
• UT System Staff/Alumni Registration: $750
• Educator, Nonprofit, Government, Military Registration: $750

Get employer support! We’ve gathered resources to help you make the case for your employer to support your HDO education.

If you have questions prior to registering, please see our Professional Training FAQ or contact Andrew M. Vasquez, HDO’s Enrollment & Success Coordinator at hdo-pro@austin.utexas.edu.

The majority of participants in our Seminars and Certificate Programs are mid- and upper-level professionals working in the business, nonprofit, government, or military sectors; however, professionals at all levels of experience are welcome to participate. There are no prerequisites for enrolling in an HDO Professional Seminar.

While all HDO Seminars are developed with wide-ranging applicability in mind, the following individuals and groups will likely find The Art of Business Relationships most directly relevant to their work:

Functions: Business Development, Enterprise & Professional Services Sales, Fundraising, Government Relations, Association Management, Account Management, Community Relations

Titles: Executive Director, Vice President, Director, CEO, Managing Director, National Accounts Lead, Account Manager, Communications Managers/Directors