Distance Learning Course -Learn to Work in Sales or Marketing
- Learn management, communications and business
- Learn about marketing, sales and promotions
- Combine these skills and discover opportunities for employment and business in the marketing industry
- 900 hour, self paced practical course with options to upgrade to a diploma
This Advanced Certificate in Applied Management (Marketing) trains in you those practical skills needed to manage your business or to work in a company at a managerial level. The course will give you the basic knowledge and basic practical experience to boost your confidence in moving to a new position or creating your own company.
Modules
Note that each module in the Advanced Certificate In Applied Management (Marketing) is a short course in its own right, and may be studied separately.
Understanding the Scope of Marketing
Marketing is concerned with relating the supply of products to its potential demand in such a way as to satisfy the needs and wants of buyers and create a profit for the supplier. The process of marketing is that of transferring goods and/or services from producer to consumer at a profit. It should add maximum value to the product at minimum cost.
The marketing manager/personnel are concerned with such activities as: pricing, selling, merchandising, advertising, promotion, packaging, market research, transport, destination, placement, planning, and accounting. In fact, marketing includes all those processes which will enable a manager to maximize the added value of a profit. Sales are one of those.
Marketing is, in the fullest sense of the phrase, "THE NAME OF THE GAME", or the primary purpose of most business activity. The ‘game’ is fundamentally concerned with competition, which relies heavily on the offering of substitutes and/or complements.
Marketing today is a consumer-based approach to business activity, where each aspect of business is
coordinated in terms of what the customer wants.
Marketing is not just selling, and involves a lot more than selling. Sales are part of marketing, and good sales are usually the end product of successful marketing. Marketing involves several crucial processes:
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Attracting customers (Through promotions & advertising)
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Persuading them to buy (Through promotions & advertising)
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Selling
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Keeping customers satisfied (by delivering what they expect, and giving service so that they come back!)
Graduates from this course may become involved in one, several, or all of these processes.
Some marketing jobs involve managing the whole four stages (eg A Marketing Manager) while others might only be responsible forr one part (eg. A Sales Manager, or Customer Service Officer).
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Course Requirements
To be awarded this advanced certificate, you need to complete all assignments and one exam each, for the seven core and elective modules. If your firstr attemp at any of these things is unsatisfactory, you will be given opportunities to try again.
After completing these requirements, you also need to undertake Workplace or Industry Oriented requirements asa outlined below:
Workshop, Research Project or Work Experience
This is the final requirement that you must satisfy before receiving your award. There are two options available to you to satisfy this requirement:
Alternative 1.
If you work in the industry that you have been studying; you may submit a reference from your employer, in an effort to satisfy this industry (ie. workplace project) requirement; on the basis of RPL (ie. recognition for prior learning), achieved through your current and past work experience.The reference must indicate that you have skills and an awareness of your industry, which is sufficient for you to work in a position of responsibility.
Alternative 2.
If you do not work in the relevant industry, you need to undertake either :
In some cases we will accept other learning that constitutes "Learning in a real world relevant situation". This means that we will accept (based upon documentary proof):
- Attending industry meetings (conferences, seminars, study tours, committee meetings, etc)
AND/OR
- Attending workshops run by another institution; or supervised by a professional person working the student through our "workshop curriculum documents"
TIPS FOR DEVELOPING A RETAIL STRATEGY
Retailing is the final step in the process through which consumers buy goods or services for their personal use. A retail outlet is more than just a place where you buy and sell things though. It provides important benefits to society, including providing employment for many people and making significant contributions to the economies of countries throughout the world. On a more personal scale, retailers provide a convenient service for both sellers and buyers. They save people time and money by locating a range of products for sale in one location. And just as importantly, they fulfil our need for shopping as a leisure experience by providing interesting and pleasurable environments in which to acquire goods.
Retail Life Cycle
Retailing is never static. Even in the short term of one or two seasons, retail outlets must cater for change as new products become available and changing trends influence what customers want to buy. In the longer term, retail businesses must be prepared to adapt to such things as:
• changing demographics; for example an aging population amongst the customer base or an increase in double or triple income households in the area.
• changing patterns in urban development; for example, the development of nearby large shopping centres, retirement villages or freeways
• economic upturns and downturns - both globally and nationally.
• new technology; for example, shopping over the internet and electronic barcoding.
• increased competition – from similar businesses in the local area and further afield.
In recent years, the outstanding trends in retailing are that customers are generally more affluent, have higher expectations, are more consumer-oriented and have less leisure time. On the one hand this means that retailing is easier because customers have more money to spend and a greater desire to spend it. But on the other hand, many retailers have to work longer hours and put more effort into merchandising to meet customer expectations. Many retailers also face ever-increasing competition, as urban populations grow and globalisation brings new competitors to local market places.
The retail life cycle is a concept that summarises how retail outlets develop and decline:
1. Introduction Stage: The new retailer adopts an aggressive marketing stance to ensure their success. This typically means lower prices so the retailer can compete with other businesses and lower profits because of development costs.
2. Growth Stage: Sales and profits increase as customers try out the new shop. Competition increases as other businesses copy the idea so the retailer needs to expand to stay ahead – possibly starting up new outlets and more sophisticated distribution channels. Profits may decline slightly as a result of this investment.
3. Maturity Stage: The retailer has over expanded and faces intense competition which makes it difficult to retain loyal customers. Profits decline as the retailer cuts prices to attract customers.
4. Decline Stage: The business can no longer compete and becomes obsolete. Businesses which change the nature of their operations to suit the changing times may be able to avert decline.
Factors That Influence Retailing Strategies
The success or otherwise of a retailer depends on many things. Some are beyond the retailer’s control; for example, the flow-on effects of natural disasters, international events or government policies. Normally though retail success is dependent on the choices made by the retailer. These include the following:
Product type and price
What to sell depends firstly on the retailer’s personal choice (for example, choosing to sell gourmet foods or convenience groceries, or both) but is also driven by consumer demand (do customers want to buy gourmet foods in your shop?) and competition (are other shops nearby selling the same gourmet foods and at what price?).
The characteristics of a product affect its ability to make a profit. The retailer depends on both markup and turnover to make a profit. The markup is the increase in price between what the retailer has to pay the wholesaler and what the buyer pays the retailer. Some products have a high markup but low turnover, eg. furniture. Other products such as groceries have a low markup because of competition, but high turnover.
The gross margin of a product also needs to be considered as this allows the retailer to compare how the shop is performing compared to similar businesses and how much different product lines within the shop are contributing to profits. (Gross margin is the amount the retailer makes on an item (revenue minus the cost of goods sold, calculated as a percentage of sales. It does not take into account the operating costs.) In general terms, businesses that sell goods with high markups have higher gross margins.
High turnover, high markups and high gross margins do not necessarily make large profits. A retailer that sells large quantities of an item in a short space of time may have to continually reorder small amounts to meet demand, which means they cannot take advantage of bulk discounts offered by wholesalers. Smaller shipments also increases the cost of delivery charges. Ideally the retailer achieves a balance between turnover and gross margins.
Outlet location
Factors that influence the outlet location include:
• Cost of land to build a new outlet or cost to lease an existing premises. Large superstores often build on the outskirts of regional towns where land is cheap, flat, and easily accessible by road.
• Zoning regulations – local commercial and industrial zoning laws determine where outlets may operate.
• Convenience – for both customers and deliveries. This includes proximity to highways, major traffic routes, major shopping centres and housing areas. Also consider ease of delivery access, signs, parking areas and street visibility.
• Location of competitors. Competition from similar businesses nearby isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Many businesses benefit by clustering together to draw in customers who wish to browse and compare a range of products before making a purchase. Camping shops, clothing stores, fast food outlets and antiques shops commonly use this strategy.
• Customer demographics – age, income, lifestyle, etc. determine what consumers are likely to buy. For example, a garden centre or hardware store is likely to do well located near new housing areas.
Shop ambience and image
Increasingly shopping is a leisure experience – we don’t just shop to buy items we need; we visit shops to pass the time, to meet people, to see what’s new, and to eat and relax in an attractive setting. ‘Retail therapy’ is a fact of modern urban life.
Creating a desirable image and ambience is important for luring customers into the shop. Customer targeting is vital – a surfwear shop for example uses very different music, décor, lighting, and other fixtures to a women’s clothing boutique. Creating the right mood or ambience is more likely to encourage customers to buy what’s in the shop.
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Flexible Study
ACS Distance Education is unique. We allow you to choose how you study, where you study, what you study, how much you study, and when you study.
- Work fast or slow –you choose the intensity of study
- Start, pause or restart according to changing demands of work, family or lifestyle.
- Mix and match modules so you only study what you want or need to learn -We allow you to construct your own “tailor made” certificates or diplomas
- Options in assignments allow you to focus on things with greater interest to you.
- Study electronically (online or using a CD); or using printed notes.
- Use (or don’t use) supplementary services for extra learning want –unlimited access to tutors, an online student room, social media, bookstore, etc
- Orientation video and student Manual at the start of your course will provide a clear guide to how you can study and get all sorts of support no matter where you live
