Patent ID: 8602794

Claim:
An article of manufacture comprising: program code stored in non-transitory computer readable memory, that when executed by a computing system is configured to cause the computing system to perform operations comprising: provide a first training presentation of a first communication involving verbal communication between at least two real or simulated persons; provide an instruction via which the user is to be instructed to verbally identify an opportunity clue indicating a current and/or future need presented by at least a first person involved in the first communication and missed by a second person involved in the first communication, wherein the user is not provided with a choice of answers from which to select; store in computer readable memory an indication as to whether the user correctly identified the opportunity clue missed by the second person involved in the first communication; provide an instruction via which the user is to be instructed to be queried regarding how an opportunity corresponding to the opportunity clue should be responded to, wherein the query does not include an answer from which the user can select and where the user is to verbally answer; store in computer readable memory an indication as to whether the user correctly explained how the opportunity should be responded to; and calculate at least one score based at least in part on one or more of the stored indications.