Date:
April 13, 2010
Time:
9:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Pricing:
Member Rate: $445
Member Team Rate*: $395
Non-Member Rate: $595
Non-Member Team Rate*: $545
Location:
1 Concorde Gate, Suite 607
Toronto, ON
GST not included
To take advantage of the Team Rate*, three or more members from the same company must register at the same time.
April 13, 2010 Seminar is SOLD OUT!
A Complete Training Workshop for First Time Users
In our current economic climate, competitive edge has never been more important for survival. Companies have to maintain and even increase revenues despite shrinking budgets and layoffs. With fewer resources, decision makers want to be assured that their programs are working to capacity.
Whether you need to counter a competitive threat, arm your sales reps with intelligence to win the sale or conduct a mystery shop to identify gaps in your sales and service delivery, this full day, fast paced workshop will provide you with the tools and templates to do so.
With 25 years experience providing market intelligence support to corporate leaders including Bell Mobility, Canada Post, CIBC, General Motors, Home Depot, Pepsi, Petro-Canada, Pfizer and Toronto Dominion, David Lithwick delivers a workshop that is loaded with real life examples and easy to follow.
Mini-cases and quizzes are used to demonstrate how the concepts and techniques can be easily applied the day after you finish the course.
Participants Will Learn How To:
- Set up your own competitive intelligence (CI) program
- Develop a network of primary, secondary and internet sources
- Use easy to follow analytical tools to help interpret and synthesize data
- Deliver reports that produce actionable results and drive business success
- Motivate your sales reps to collect and use CI
- Carry out benchmarking studies to ensure your marketing and sales programs are on par with your competitors
- Conduct mystery shops to increase customer loyalty
- Use intelligence to assess new market opportunities and arm your sales rep with information to win the sale.
- And much more...
Who Should Attend
This hands-on course is designed for marketing managers, business development managers, marketing communications specialists, analysts, business information managers, consultants, market researchers and planners who are either new to research intelligence, managing staff new to intelligence or are building an internal intelligence program.
Seminar Outline
Section #1 - Basics
We begin by defining CI, reviewing popular applications, learn which industry sectors use CI the most and go through a Self Diagnosis Framework to see where your organization falls. We then address the key differences between CI and market research, traditional and non-traditional competitor threats and successful versus ineffective CI programs.
Section #2 - Ethics
Since the role of CI is to gather information on your competitors, the question of ethics frequently comes into play. In this section, you will be provided with clear direction on how to deal with this challenge, as well as tips on working within ethical boundaries.
Section #3 - Planning Your First Study
What are the critical steps to get your CI study up and running and to ensure success? Particular attention is given to completing a CI brief, setting objectives, putting together the plan of attack and managing client expectations.
Section #4 - Sources
This section reviews primary and secondary sources including tips on obtaining CI from the Internet, your colleagues, trade shows, customers, direct competitors, suppliers, industry experts and private companies. You will also learn how to conduct an interview by reaching the right people, making them feel at ease and gaining their cooperation.
Section #5 - Data Analysis
What often separates excellent reports from mediocre ones is the level of analysis and critical thinking. We cover the essential diagnostic tools for interpreting data quickly, rigorously and effectively. These include data cell screening, data verification, blind spot analysis, financial ratio analysis and reconstruction of competitor sales messages.
We also look at four popular techniques for predicting competitor activity and discuss the pros and cons of each. Without logic or analytics, predicting competitor activity can be hit or miss.
Section #6 - Report Writing
A well-written CI report is easy to follow, precise, thorough and actionable. This section will provide you with the necessary guidelines and templates to ensure your next report will meet these goals, including how to weed out misinformation in order to deliver accurate and reliable reports.
Section #7 – CI Software
Does it make sense to purchase CI software? This question will be answered along with a concise assessment of the more popular software packages available today and a practical CI software evaluation checklist.
Section #8 - Formalizing Your CI Program
Taking steps to formalize your CI program will help you conduct CI more efficiently and effectively. Conducting a needs assessment, writing a CI business plan, knowing how to motivate your sales force to collect CI and evaluating your CI efforts are four essentials that you will learn about.
We also look at defensive CI i.e. what steps to take to prevent your competitors from learning about your marketing initiatives or your employees from leaking sensitive information.
Section #9 - Mystery Shopping
In some industries, one third of first time customers leave because of poor customer service. More and more organizations are now using mystery shopping to assess their own sales and customer service for gaps in delivery and to develop strategies for keeping customers loyal. You will learn the nuts and bolts to do so.
Section #10 - Competitor Benchmarking
To improve your marketing support and product offerings, you will learn how to research best practices of your competitors and leaders in other industries so that you can incorporate these successes into your own programs.
Section #11 - Market Opportunity Assessments
Why do such a large percentage of new product launches and brand extensions fail? This section will show you how to uncover hidden barriers to entry that will otherwise sand bag your launch. Through win/loss analysis, you will also learn how to arm your sales reps with intelligence to help them win the sale.
Seminar Instructor
David Lithwick
Senior Partner, Market Alert Limited
David Lithwick is Senior Partner at Market Alert Limited, a Toronto-based research intelligence consultancy. Prior to Market Alert, he worked in advertising for MacLaren and FCB, managing the Pfizer, SC Johnson and Wendy's Restaurants accounts. With 20 years' experience and over 800 studies completed, he is a recognized expert in CI tactics, analysis and training.
David has written "Competitive Intelligence Manual for Marketing Practitioners" (the only CI manual that has been specifically developed for Canadian marketing practitioners) and co-authors a monthly CI column. He has also lectures at Canadian universities, associations and corporations.
