Marketing Masterclass Session 5: Effective Marketing Management

In this video, Neil Wilkins (Viper Marketing and Communications Group) talks about how you can become an effective, positive marketing leader.

For more information on Neil Wilkins or Viper Marketing, visit: www.vmcg.co.uk 

Neil: In this session, we will look at effective marketing management. How do you become a more effective marketing manager?

The first point is you need to understand your strengths and weaknesses as a manager - so do a SWOT analysis. Look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that you face in your career.

The second thing you need to be doing is understanding your leadership style, because that will be the platform and the basis from which you can actually develop effective marketing management tools, techniques and approaches to engage with your team and the people that are important to you.

Communication is a very, very key factor here. Understand your communication style and also the style of your team and the people you need to communicate with, because you need to blend those styles depending on the time, the place and the sorts of challenges you're facing. Effective communication is right at the centre of effective marketing management. It's all about communicating your strategy, your goals, your desires and then making sure that, over time, you continue with that type of communication so things are consistent, people know where they stand and, doing that, you'll ensure that you get the committment from them to engage with them and keep control of your management processes. Communication is so vitally important in effective marketing management.

A lot of the most effective managers get good teams of people around them - they aren't necessarily technically experts in everything. And in many ways, a good marketing person doesn't actually have to be an expert in many things, but by putting together a really good team and keeping a very clear focus and communication on the types of roles, the types of things you're looking to deliver, you can actually make a huge difference to your organisation.

Sir Clive Woodward and the England rugby team is a very, very clear example of a manager putting together a team of experts around them, working toward a very, very clearly-defined goal and then using good interpersonal skills to get the best out of people. There are many other examples, but that's a particularly relevant one for this session.

So surround yourself with winners, technical experts, people who can actually help you achieve your goals and your strategy. And you'll find that deliver of those types of things will become far more intuitive.

It's also about unlocking potential through meaning and through empowerment. So make sure you're not trying to do everything yourself. The most effective leaders are those who can manage campaigns, manage marketing plans, manage strategy without actually doing an awful lot themselves because the experts in the teams they have around them will enable those things to happen.

Delegate, but not always. Get an insight into the team working, the way that your team actually reflects and behaves with each other and make sure that you are the oil that is greasing those wheels of teamwork and of interaction within your organisation.

Be open and honest with all communication and make sure that any decision-making is delivered against very clear objectives through which people actually are already engaged.

And make sure that you deliver effective time-management, both with yourself and also with your team.

Develop individuals by saying 'no' occasionally. Develop them by giving them very SMART objectives. The best style of marketing management is when people know what's expected of them and when they're given the control and committment to make things happen.

So it is all about, as we said right at the outset, communication and particularly trust to actually making this work.

[End of audio]

Marketing Masterclass Session 4: Developing Effective Websites

Neil Wilkins (Viper Marketing and Communications Group) explains how you can develop effective and engaging websites by following a few simple rules.

For more information on Neil Wilkins or Viper Marketing, visit: www.vmcg.co.uk 

Marketing Masterclass Session 3: Introduction to Digital Marketing

Neil Wilkins (Viper Marketing and Communications Group) explains how to effectively use video, social media and good planning practices to maximise the impact of digital communication.

For more information on Neil Wilkins or Viper Marketing, visit: www.vmcg.co.uk 

Business Support in the North West

In March 2010, Shell LiveWIRE went to Manchester to network with local entrepreneurs and see what resources are available in the North West for those looking to start up a business.

What we discovered is that there is a great deal of support available in the North West, and more on its way. 

In this video, we have highlighted just a few of the organisations offering support to entrepreneurs, as well as provided some top tips for business success. For more information on business support in the North West, visit:

• Enterprise Advisor Service North West
  (www.enterprise-advisor.com)
• Manchester United Foundation
  (www.mufoundation.org)
• U-Explore
  (www.u-xplore.com)
• National Enterprise Academy
  (www.thenea.org)
• FE Enterprise Hubs
  (www.nwda.co.uk/news--events/press-releases/200901/fe-enterprise-hubs.aspx)
• Darwen Creates
  (www.daca.uk.com/daka-overview)
• Business Link North West
  (www.businesslinknw.co.uk)
• North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA) (www.nwda.co.uk)

Marketing Masterclass Session 2: Introduction to Digital PR

Neil Wilkins (Viper Marketing and Communications Group) explains how to proactively us PR via digital media for crisis managagement and effective engagement with the media and customers.

For more information on Neil Wilkins or Viper Marketing, visit: www.vmcg.co.uk

Marketing Masterclass Session 1: Effective Marketing Planning

Neil Wilkins (Viper Marketing and Communications Group) explains his 12-step process to ensure best return on investment in delivering marketing strategy and campaigns.

For more information on Neil Wilkins or Viper Marketing, visit: www.vmcg.co.uk

Jonathan Kennedy (Wave PR) - How to Make Your Business Attractive to the Media

Top tips and advice on how to get your business in the media by Glasgow-based Wave PR.

The first ten minutes of the workshop can be played above. To download the entire workshop, click the link below. Alternatively, you can download an MP3 of the workshop, also below.

Click here to download the complete workshop:

Click here to download the MP3 of the workshop:  

Mel Harris (The Training Tree) - Flirting for Business Success

Communication skills that will give your business an edge. The first ten minutes of the workshop can be played above. To download the entire workshop, click the link below. Alternatively, you can download an MP3 of the workshop, also below.

Click here to download the complete workshop.

Click here to download the MP3 of the workshop. 

Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards demo

In this video, Paul Lancaster (Web Development Executive, Shell LiveWIRE) demonstrates how to win money for your business by applying for the monthly £1,000 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards. 

Shell LiveWIRE - My Business Kit demo

In this short video, Paul Lancaster demonstrates how to get the most out of your personal 'My Business Kit' area of the Shell LiveWIRE website.

Kevin McManus (Merseyside ACME)

Kevin McManus, the Sector Director/Director of Operations at Merseyside ACME, a creative industry support agency based in Liverpool, offers his top tips for young entrepreneurs.

For more information visit:
www.merseysideacme.com

Pamela Holstein (Liverpool Chamber of Commerce)

Pamela Holstein, Head of PR & Marketing for Liverpool Chamber of Commerce (www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk) offers Shell LiveWIRE users her Top 10 Tips for business success.

To contact Pamela for further help or advice:
pamela.holstein@liverpoolchamber.org.uk
0151 227 1234

Nicky Gray (Kiki's Kabin / TEDCO) interview

On 23rd March 2009, Paul Lancaster went to interview North East Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award winner Nicky Gray (Kiki's Kabin / TEDCO) in South Shields.

Watch this video to hear Nicky give an inspiring talk about;

• What impact winning the Shell LiveWIRE Award had on her business
• Her role as an 'Enterprise Champion' for TEDCO (www.tedco.org)
• Top Tips for doing a great 'Elevator Pitch'
• What being an 'entrepreneur' means and the qualities you need 
• How the recession has been good for her business
• Start up costs, budgeting, the importance of doing thorough market research and getting your pricing structure right
• How she made the break from working full-time in another job to running her own business and being self-employed

For more information visit:
www.shell-livewire.org/network/nickygray

James Smith, Chairman Shell UK

James Smith, Chairman Shell UK, introduces the new Shell LiveWIRE website and talks through some of the history and success stories of the programme over the years.