Training & Coaching
For people looking to learn and develop
You have the option of both open and bespoke training courses, as well as one-to-one coaching, to help give you the knowledge, practical skills and confidence you need to market your business successfully.
EXPLOREMasterclasses
Masterclasses are designed to help you learn more about a particular aspect of marketing, give you an opportunity to take a step back and look at your business from a fresh perspective, and equip you to apply your learning in your workplace.
In addition to the open courses, masterclasses customised to your organisation’s specific needs can also be developed. If there’s a topic you want me to cover, please let me know.
Forthcoming masterclasses are listed below.
Do you want to advance your understanding of the marketing function, ensure marketing strategy is aligned with business strategy, think critically about the role of marketing in your organisation, challenge constructively, and use marketing to improve overall business performance?
This one-day course is designed to help board members get to grips with marketing.
Who this masterclass is for
Board members, chief executives, managing directors and non-executive directors from all sectors and sizes of organisation, as well as charity trustees.
Why you should attend this masterclass
You will learn:
- The board’s role in determining, implementing and monitoring marketing strategy.
- What questions board members should be asking the marketing team.
- What to expect of a good marketing team.
- What the marketing team needs from the board.
- Key concepts in marketing and what determines a customer-oriented business.
- The importance of a clear purpose (vision, mission and values) and effective strategic thinking.
- Market research techniques to understand customers and generate insight.
- Tools for customer segmentation and targeting, branding and competitive positioning.
- The structure of a strategic marketing plan, the process and tools required to develop it, and how to critique it.
- The elements of the marketing mix, the different promotional and communications options available and how to select between them.
- How to measure and evaluate marketing progress and effectiveness.
This one-day course is designed to help finance professionals get to grips with marketing.
Who this masterclass is for
Finance directors and managers from all sectors and sizes of organisation.
Why you should attend this masterclass
You will learn:
- Where, why and how marketers and finance teams should collaborate.
- What questions finance professionals should be asking their marketing team.
- What information marketers need from the finance team.
- Key concepts in marketing and what determines a customer-oriented business.
- Market research techniques to understand customers and generate insight.
- Tools for customer segmentation and targeting, branding and competitive positioning.
- The structure of a strategic marketing plan, the process and tools required to develop it, and how to critique it.
- The elements of the marketing mix, the different promotional and communications options available and how to select between them.
- How to measure and evaluate marketing progress and effectiveness.
Do you want to advance your understanding of the marketing function and work more effectively with the marketing team to ensure marketing activities are aligned with people strategies, recruit, develop and retain talent, communicate with employees, and improve overall business performance?
This one-day course is designed to help HR professionals get to grips with marketing.
Who this masterclass is for
HR directors and managers from all sectors and sizes of organisation.
Why you should attend this masterclass
You will learn:
- Where, why and how marketers and HR teams should collaborate.
- What questions HR professionals should be asking their marketing team.
- What information marketers need from the HR team.
- Specialist roles within marketing.
- Key concepts in marketing and what determines a customer-oriented business.
- Market research techniques to understand customers and generate insight.
- Tools for customer segmentation and targeting, branding and competitive positioning.
- The structure of a strategic marketing plan, the process and tools required to develop it, and how to critique it.
- The elements of the marketing mix, the different promotional and communications options available and how to select between them.
- How to measure and evaluate marketing progress and effectiveness.
Do you want to advance your understanding of the marketing function and how to work more effectively with the marketing team to align marketing strategy with technology strategy, ensure that technology is leveraged appropriately and improve overall business performance?
This one-day course is designed to help technology professionals get to grips with marketing.
Who this masterclass is for
Technology professionals, from all sectors and sizes of organisation, for example IT directors and managers, data analysts, web developers, web designers and those working in digital tech.
Why you should attend this masterclass
You will learn:
- Where, why and how marketers and technology teams should collaborate.
- What questions technology professionals should be asking their marketing team.
- What information marketers need from the technology team.
- Key concepts in marketing and what determines a customer-oriented business.
- Market research techniques to understand customers and generate insight.
- Tools for customer segmentation and targeting, branding and competitive positioning.
- The structure of a strategic marketing plan, the process and tools required to develop it, and how to critique it.
- The elements of the marketing mix, the different promotional and communications options available and how to select between them.
- How to measure and evaluate marketing progress and effectiveness.
Terms and Conditions
See course brochureDo you want to advance your understanding of the marketing function and how to work more effectively with the marketing team to align marketing and sales strategies, generate more or better leads, and boost sales and profits by winning and retaining customers?
This one-day course is designed to help sales professionals get to grips with marketing.
Who this masterclass is for
Sales, business development and commercial directors and managers from all sectors and sizes of organisation.
Why you should attend this masterclass
You will learn:
- Where, why and how marketers and sales teams should collaborate.
- What questions sales professionals should be asking their marketing team.
- What information marketers need from the sales team.
- Key concepts in marketing and what determines a customer-oriented business.
- Market research techniques to understand customers and generate insight.
- Tools for customer segmentation and targeting, branding and competitive positioning.
- The structure of a strategic marketing plan, the process and tools required to develop it, and how to critique it.
- The elements of the marketing mix, the different promotional and communications options available and how to select between them and integrate them with sales activities.
- How to measure and evaluate marketing progress and effectiveness.
Terms and Conditions
See course brochureBooking details
There are some 21 million people over the age of 50 in the UK, accounting for more than a third of the population. They are the fastest growing demographic, enjoying longer, healthier and more active lives. They hold 80% of the country’s wealth, 60% of its savings and 40% of its disposable income.
Yet this increasingly important and diverse group is often neglected, patronised or stereotyped by organisations whose marketing is focused on younger consumers (with overall less spending power). And often when they are targeted, they are treated as a homogenous mass with a one-size-fits-all approach that can be counter-productive.
It makes commercial common sense to change the approach to marketing to over 50s.
Who this masterclass is for
This practical half-day masterclass is aimed at organisations that want to reappraise and improve how they market to over 50s. It will provide you with insight, advice and ideas, as well as practical techniques and tools that you can use to engage and inspire over 50s.
Why you should attend this masterclass
By the end of this masterclass you will know how and be able to:
- Understand the complexities of over 50s consumers, and their varying needs, behaviours and attitudes.
- Ignore myths and prejudices about the over 50s and marketing.
- Use techniques for defining and segmenting this diverse market using more factors than age.
- Target and engage effectively with the over 50s.
- Identify opportunities for products and services.
- Understand ageing effects and the implications for different communications channels, including online.
- Appreciate what turns the over 50s on in terms of marketing messages.
- Avoid alienating them.
- Develop marketing opportunities, making the most of digital (including social media) and traditional channels to gain and retain customers.
Terms and Conditions
Price includes refreshments and materials.No booking can be confirmed without payment.
Refundable cancellations are accepted up to 21 days prior to the masterclass.
Substitutions can be made at any time.
The right to cancel with no liability beyond refund of price paid is reserved.
Other Training and Coaching Services
Marketing strategy workshop, communications planning and implementation for a membership organisation comprising family lawyers, financial advisers and counsellors.
July 14, 2015Service user research, strategy workshop with the board, and marketing strategy development, for a charity that supports families.
June 23, 2015Strategic marketing and business development planning for a global oil and gas services business, including a series of half-day workshops with the management team and independent customer research.
June 23, 2015Facilitation of a communications strategy workshop for a global investor in infrastructure assets.
June 23, 2015Business and marketing strategy workshops will enable you to make time for the sort of reflection, discussion and decision making that will define your organisation’s future success.
As your independent facilitator, I can help you put the day-to-day operational issues to one side and focus on the bigger picture. Using a structured, participative process, I will objectively help you:
Clarify your thinking.
Tackle challenging issues.
Explore trends and opportunities.
Stimulate new ideas.
Choose among strategy alternatives.
Build consensus.
Agree a realistic action plan for implementation.
TELL ME MORE
Coaching the owner of a digital design agency to develop a marketing plan.
June 23, 2015Coaching the operations director of an elite sporting organisation to develop a marketing plan for a new high performance coaching business.
June 23, 2015Coaching the directors of a start-up property lettings agency to develop a marketing plan.
June 23, 2015Coaching the founder of an online luxury travel start-up to develop and implement a marketing plan.
June 23, 2015Many entrepreneurs and owners of small to medium-sized businesses are so busy running their day-to-day operations that they spend little time thinking about marketing. Some spend too much time and money on activities that do not generate sales. Their efforts to win and keep customers often lack focus. Sound familiar? These are common challenges that hold many businesses back from achieving their full potential and in some cases actually cause them to fail.
The sharper marketing programme helps start-ups and established businesses in any sector develop their marketing strategy. It is a competitively priced one-to-one coaching package that will give sharper focus and structure to your marketing.
Over the course of four tailored, one-to-one sessions, you will develop a thorough, marketing plan for your business. You will also commit time between each session, using practical tools based on proven techniques to work on your plan. Knowledge will be transferred on an ongoing basis to enable you to make informed marketing decisions yourself and to ensure sustainable effort and results going forward.
Your marketing plan will act as your clear action plan for the year ahead and help improve your business performance.
Once you’ve completed your plan, a monthly review meeting can be arranged to keep you on track too.
TELL ME MOREMarketing strategy coaching for the owners of a leading Scottish butcher expanding their UK online offering.
July 27, 2016Coaching the marketing assistant of a school for children with special education needs to develop a marketing plan.
July 14, 2015Mentoring a furniture maker.
June 23, 2015Mentoring the founder of a music production company.
June 23, 2015My coaching and mentoring services can help you achieve your business and personal goals by.
Asking you questions to provoke your thinking.
Acting as an objective sounding board and giving you feedback.
Offering constructive suggestions and advice based on broad business experience.
Providing an outsider’s perspective to challenge norms and preconceived ideas in your sector.
Expanding your marketing knowledge and expertise.
Typically coaching and mentoring sessions take place once a month and last for up to two hours.
- “David facilitated our communications strategy away day. Everyone learned a great deal from David and significant improvements were made as a result.”
Stephanie Mills
Head of Communications (global infrastructure investments) - “Working with David has been an absolute pleasure. I thoroughly recommend any growing business to work with him. When you are growing your own business you are often working full speed in the business juggling every role and you simply don’t make the time to work on it. David’s Sharper Marketing Programme is not for the faint hearted though! It requires work and commitment to get the best results. David guided us through the process setting weekly homework, and managed to simplify what could have been a very difficult process. I have a clear plan to work on for the years ahead.“
Laura Chapman
Managing Director (property services) - “Through his well-designed and easy to follow programme, David helped me a great deal to evaluate and organise our marketing activities. His help has been invaluable to me and his common sense approach to build a marketing model from the ground up that is properly organised really impressed me. Our marketing system has been massively improved thanks to David.”
Andrew Bruce
Director (automotive) - “David has encouraged us to think of the broader picture. He obviously cares a lot about all of his students, and that makes a tremendous difference. He is a phenomenal lecturer, and his tutorials are personal and stimulating. He replies to emails quickly and effectively, and he makes time for everyone if they have questions. It is obvious that we are considered a priority to him, which is more important than anyone realises.”
Student, Retail Marketing, Heriot Watt University