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AWARE Competitive Intelligence

AWARE: UK competitive intelligence consultants offering competitor analysis and research services, competitive intelligence training & workshops and CI and marketing strategy consultancy.

Strategy, Training, Research Services for Competitive & Marketing Intelligence
 
 
About Us > Services > Competitive & Marketing Intelligence Training

About AWARE
Competitive & Marketing Intelligence Training


Training workshop

AWARE offers in-house training in all aspects of Competitive and Marketing Intelligence - ranging from the basics to advanced analysis.

Our courses are customised - so that attendees learn what is relevant for them and their industry. This differentiates us from most public courses which tend to be standardised, and non-industry or skill specific. (Some trainers on public courses do not even have actual experience working in competitive intelligence, and use the same books we recommend to prepare their courses, without having the in-depth experience to be able to sift out the good from the bad).

Generally in-house training is most suitable where four or more people need to learn about marketing and competitive intelligence. Although we will carry out training for three people, we recommend our mentoring service or public training courses when only one or two people need to learn about CI.

Public training is conducted via the Institute for Competitive Intelligence which provides an extensive range of courses covering all aspects of competitive intelligence leading to certification as a competitive intelligence professional. (Our managing director, Arthur Weiss, is a faculty member of ICI and leads the basic course in secondary research for CI).

As well as ICI, Arthur Weiss has led half-day and full-day workshops on competitive intelligence for the Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) at their annual and European conferences since 2003. We have also led public training sessions and workshops provided as stand-alone options or linked to industry conferences organised by major training and conference organisers including Frost & Sullivan, Marcus Evans, Kavaq and VIB Events.

Standard courses and workshops include:

  • Competitive Intelligence Services
  • Building a competitive intelligence function
  • Competitive Intelligence Theory & Practice
  • Competitive Intelligence Techniques
  • Finding Competitive Intelligence
  • Primary Research for CI
  • Secondary Research for CI
  • Internet Intelligence - Obtaining Competitive Intelligence using online sources
  • Competitive Analysis
  • Financial Analysis for competitive intelligence practitioners
  • Competitive Intelligence for SMEs
  • Marketing Intelligence Services
  • Scenario Planning
  • Marketing Research
  • Market Forecasting
  • Marketing Planning for SMEs

The above courses are all offered as stand-alone options and the exact content will be discussed with you to make it appropriate for your markets and industry. In addition, elements from each can be taken to create a completely custom course matching your needs. (More details on each of AWARE's standard courses and workshops)

Why use AWARE for your competitive intelligence training?

  • Courses are tailored for your needs. For example, for a client manufacturing FMCG products, the emphasis would be on finding intelligence relevant to consumer product based industries. For a company offering B2B services, this would usually be less relevant, and there would generally be a greater focus on issues applicable to service industries selling to other businesses.

  • Real life and industry relevant examples. We aim to include examples from your own industry and focus on your competitors in workshop style exercises included as part of some courses. As well as case studies, workshops can include real exercises, where we will work with you and your staff on a particular problem, helping you find the information you need for your business decisions.

  • Flexibility. Courses can be one-on-one (tutorial style) or for a whole department. We can also plan courses to cover different organizational needs - perhaps working with secondary researchers for one day, and strategists for the following day.

  • Affordable. Costs are based on a daily rate, with course costs ranging from around £200 (US$330 / Euro 250) per attendee to £375 (US$600 / Euro 450) depending on the number of attendees (assuming at least 5 attendees).

  • Follow-up. All AWARE training courses include free mentoring following the course. Our aim is that attendees use the skills they learn during our courses in their day-to-day work. Often it is only when new skills are actually put into live use that attendees realise that they have forgotten a key aspect or need help with a particular technique. The AWARE mentoring service is aimed at overcoming this, and attendees are encouraged to call the trainer to ask for help or advise on issues covered during their course. This service is included for free in all courses, and lasts for a period of three months from the date of the course. (Our mentoring service is also available as a stand-alone service where AWARE personnel will be available to answer questions sent to us via e-mail or asked via the telephone. This gives you instant access to expert advice on any aspect of CI when you need it at a low monthly cost.

What attendees say about AWARE's Competitive Intelligence Training?

I found the material extremely relevant and valuable. I also found your teaching very motivating and focused. I have discussed the course content with my team members and they were all very impressed. I hope to implement some changes in our strategy based on what I learnt on the course as soon as possible.(Laura E, Marketing Business Analyst, Corporate law firm)

Opened up new (yet obvious) areas to research on customers and competitors. Now feel able to set up a rounded CI system! Watch this space! (Niall B, Marketing Team leader, Software Company)

Good mixture of case studies, practical examples and group discussion....course material was very comprehensive, providing a good reference guide following the course. (Julia M-C, Associated British Foods subsidiary company).

...a very motivational speaker and had good, thought-triggering-information.(Comment on evaluation form following a one-hour master-class given at the 2007 SCIP European Conference in Germany).

This was one of the best presentations I've been to in the past several years. (Comment on evaluation form following 4-hour workshop on Internet Intelligence given at the 2006 SCIP Annual Conference in Orlando).

To learn more about our training options and how we can help improve you or your team's competitive & marketing intelligence skills click here, or alternatively contact us by filling in our training enquiry form and we will get back to you.

To book a course or workshop click here

Institute of Competitive Intelligence
UK Course Schedule


ICI holds regular public training courses & workshops on a range of competitive intelligence related topics. Courses take place across Europe, the USA and elsewhere. The next UK based ICI courses will take place in November 2010 and February 2011 in central London.

Course Schedule
If you register 40 days in advance, deduct 5% from total fees.

Further information on the Institute of Competitive Intelligence.

 

Quick Tip: Questions

Quick Tip

A key competitive intelligence skill is the ability to distinguish what you do know from what you don't know. The effort is then to find out sources for the unknown information - as the great English writer, Dr Samuel Johnson said:

Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it.

Unfortunately even with the knowledge there can be problems. Lewis Branscomb - the US physicist and Harvard management professor once said:

People rarely distinguish among data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. But they are as different from each other and as interlocking as starch molecules, flour, bread, and the flavorful memory of a superb morning croissant.

The aim of competitive & marketing intelligence is to turn data into something that can lead to competitive advantage in the same way that your morning croissant or loaf of bread depends on flour and water interacting to make something that is more than just a mixture of the raw ingredients.

 

Books - Smart Services

Recommended Book

Smart Services
Smart Services: Competitive Information Strategies, Solutions and Success Stories for Service Businesses
Deborah C Sawyer
Buy UK £ or US$

Read our review of this book

The front cover of "Smart Services" includes a quote from Andrew Garvin, the CEO of Find/SVP saying: "Finally a book that nails down what every service business needs to know about competition and competitive intelligence. 'Smart Services' offers competitive information strategies that firms can put to immediate use." I don't think that I could have given a better summary and description of this excellent book.

For a thorough review of this book check out FreePint's book review. (FreePint is an excellent portal site and discussion forum for the overall information industry, and is well recommended - and used by over 70,000 information professionals world-wide).

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For more recommendations visit our book selection.


Our services in competitive intelligence research, competitor analysis and CI training will help you integrate and use competitive and marketing intelligence in your business, strategic and marketing planning processes. Whether you need research, advice or training, our mission is to support our clients so that they achieve their growth objectives.

For the best UK & European competitive intelligence and competitor analysis services, contact us today.

AWARE Phone numbers: 0845 430 9125 (International: +44 20 8954 9121). Fax: 0845 430 9126 (International: +44 20 8954 2102)

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Last page / site update: Wednesday, June 9, 2010

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