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following is a summary list of questions about and frequently
posed to those of Marketing Focus. Each answer detailed
is intended to provide a concise overview of the activities
of the practice and of Barry Urquhart.
For further and more detailed information, please feel
free to contact Barry Urquhart, Jill Urquhart and Lynne
Smith of Marketing Focus:-
Email: urquhart@marketingfocus.net.au
Tel: (61) 08 9257 1777
Fax: (61) 08 9257 1888
Mobile: 0419 835 555
What
are the specific services offered by Barry Urquhart and
Marketing Focus?
The
primary activities are:
- Conference keynote addresses
- Strategic planning workshop facilitation
- Consultation on:
- product/business development
- strategic change
- competitive advantage
- Marketing audits - 3–12 hour one-on-one analysis
of businesses
The focused orientation is on:
- Customer service excellence
- Creative visual merchandising
- Strategic and competitive planning
- Dynamic change and innovation
- Business and people development
What
can we expect from a keynote address or business development
workshop which is facilitated by Barry Urquhart?
Barry is a dynamic high impact conference keynote speaker
whose original, innovative and creative concepts have
a listing impression on people and on the performance
“bottom line” of businesses.
The
ideas shared are typically easy and inexpensive to implement.
They provide the bases of a sustainable competitive advantage
and for enhanced self confidence.
In essence, Barry is
best employed for those seeking to grow their businesses
and to develop their people.
What
is the typical size of a corporate or company client business
of Marketing Focus?
There
is no typical client business size. Marketing Focus consults
to and addresses conferences, seminars and conventions
for single person entities, organisations with 2 to 10
partners, small to medium sized enterprises, national
groups and some of the world’s largest multi-national
corporations.
Almost 50% of the business is undertaken overseas, enabling
clients to benefit from exposure to the latest international
trends, concepts and ideas.
Which
particular skill sets and experience does Barry Urquhart
bring to the table?
Barry previously lectured in marketing, management and
organisation behaviour at the Curtin University of Technology.
He is a respected market researcher, whose ongoing schedule
of original research into differing aspects of business,
consumer service and strategic planning provides a unique,
universal insight on those external factors which do and
will have impact on a business, its people, products and
services.
He
is author of 4 books in his own right and is co-author
of another two, with Professor Roger Smith. Two of the
publications are the largest selling books on service
excellence in Australasia.
Our
workforce, franchisees, marketing licensees, cooperative
members and clients represent a broad cross-section of
business backgrounds, experience, training and operations.
Does this cancel out using the practice and Barry?
Barry is the consummate “storyteller”. His
anecdotes, case studies and homilies are compelling, insightful
and in some instances, confronting. The messages are clear,
concise, relevant and above all, easy to comprehend.
A lifetime of experience in addressing audiences and facilitating
workshop sessions has equipped Barry to customise the
orientation and pitch of each brief which is undertaken,
to ensure that all participants enjoy considerable takeout
value.
We have previously consulted advertising agencies,
public relations consultants, promotional advisors and
visual merchandisers. Our needs have not been satisfied
by those professionals. Can Barry Urquhart and Marketing
Focus help?
Marketing Focus (and Barry Urquhart) endeavour to provide
an external resource and focus for each of its clients.
There is no professional or business discipline bias in
the advice, input and recommendations.
Indeed, Barry is often retained to consult with, brief
and provide additional resources to advertising agencies
and professionals in public relations, distribution and
strategy development.
The
skills and expertise of each client entity and its people
are respected. Barry endeavours to complement and supplement
those skill sets.
I am familiar with appearances on television current
affairs programs and radio programs by Barry Urquhart.
We don’t need a retail or customer service expert.
Good point. Some 95% of the television, radio and newspaper
exposure of Barry Urquhart is centred on retailing and
customer service. However, retailing represents less than
10% of the specific briefs fulfilled each year by Barry
and Marketing Focus.
Some
30% of the work undertaken is in professional services;
another 25% is in manufacturing distribution and logistics;
around 20% in financial services and 15% in tourism and
hospitality.
Our people are well qualified, educated, experienced
and do not like to be lectured to. Can Marketing Focus
provide a challenging, experienced facilitator for a strategic
planning workshop?
The most challenging and rewarding workshops facilitated
by Barry are typically in circumstances where the educational
qualifications and skills of the participants can be channelled
by this experienced facilitator within the framework of
a strong set of philosophies, vision and experience.
I note that Marketing Focus is located in Perth, Western
Australia. Does that preclude us from being able to retain
the practice and Barry Urquhart?
Significantly, less than 15% of briefs undertaken by Marketing
Focus and Barry Urquhart are within Western Australia.
Each year he travels some 300,000 kilometres on five continents.
Barry periodically visits major capital cities throughout
the world. Therefore location and timing are seldom issues.
He regularly addresses conferences and facilitates workshops
in Britain, Canada, the United States of America, New
Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Africa.
We have a particular set of circumstances; our products
and services are unique, and our people have a distinct
and different set of needs. Are you sure that this practice
and Barry can assist in our business development and client
retention strategies?
The uniqueness of a client company, its people, products
and service is always respected. Barry, being a catalyst
and facilitator for change, as well as a qualified market
researcher is well versed in posing key and fundamental
questions, the answers to which are only known by the
people of the client company. The art is having a consultant
who can ask the right questions, rather than to provide
stock answers.
Accordingly, in every instance a detailed briefing from
the client is required, together with a comprehensive
schedule of background research undertaken personally
by Barry Urquhart.
Some of our people have heard or worked with Barry
Urquhart over the past 25 years. Can I be sure the material
is new, contemporary and relevant?
Barry is a strong advocate of self-induced obsolescence.
He contends products, including keynote addresses, typically
have a product life cycle of 18 months. Therefore, he
is constantly researching, analysing, compiling, refining
and extending sessions which will at all times be relevant
and contemporary.
Consequently, if those people have heard Barry at least
18 months ago, they are recalling on obsolete data information,
concepts, ideas and presentations.
We don’t need to be told how to run our business.
Can you provide a different perspective and challenge
which will assist on the development of our activities,
products and services?
Fundamentally, Barry Urquhart is a catalyst and facilitator
of change. He is a qualified, experienced and widely respected
market research and strategic planning consultant, who
customises each presentation and session.
He avoids providing prescriptions for success, preferring
to offer a framework in which participants determine their
own actions, with due deference accorded to their respective
philosophies, visions and cultures.
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