Mastering Conversations & Behavioural Excellence in Customer-Facing Roles
How do you stay composed when a customer is frustrated, a deadline is burning, and your energy is already drained before noon?
On 19 August 2025, VLAN Asia held an internal training session where our Director of Sales, Surindren Manickam, led a dynamic workshop titled Mastering Conversations & Behavioural Excellence in Customer-Facing Roles.
This session wasn’t just about refining communication, it focused on building self-awareness, managing energy effectively, and showing up as your best self when it counts.
Key Themes We Explored
1. Know Your “Why” Before You Speak
Surindren opened the session by helping us reflect on one question:
“What actually motivates you?”
When we’re clear on our own motivations, we communicate with purpose. It’s not just about sounding confident it’s about being grounded in who we are.
2. Energy Is a Limited Currency
“Some of us burn out not because we do too much, but because we spend energy in the wrong places.”
This hit home for many of us, especially those balancing customer demands and internal workflows.
3. Handling Difficult Conversations with Clarity
Whether it's a frustrated client or a spontaneous request from leadership, pressure moments test our communication clarity. Surindren introduced simple frameworks to stay composed:
- Pause and reframe
- Anchor your message with structure
- Never confuse speed with clarity
Key Takeaways
Know what fuels you. Everyone’s motivation is different whether it’s recognition, results, or responsibility. When you understand what drives you, you communicate with more purpose.
Manage your energy, not just your time. It’s easy to fill a calendar with tasks. But what truly matters is learning where to channel your best energy during the day and where to stop pouring it unnecessarily.
Communicate with confidence and clarity. Whether you’re caught off guard or facing a tough conversation, having a simple structure can help you respond without freezing or rambling.
Proactive is always better than reactive. Especially in client-facing roles customers value transparency more than perfection. Keeping them updated, even when you don’t have all the answers yet, builds long-term trust.
Burnout isn’t weakness, it’s a signal. Recognizing signs of burnout early allows you to reset, recharge, and re-prioritize before performance drops or motivation fades.
Key Themes We ExploredA Thoughtful Reminder from the Host
“We often talk about communication as a tool, but we forget that it starts with the self. If you're not in check with your energy, your clarity, your emotions… it shows up in the way you lead conversations. It’s not just about talking well. It’s about being present.”
— Surindren Manickam