Barry Urquhart

An internationally recognised and respected conference keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, business strategist and consumer behaviour analyst.

Barry Urquhart is an internationally respected and in-demand conference keynote speaker, business strategist, consumer behaviour analyst, facilitator of strategic planning workshops and a top selling author. He is driven to provide clients insights and analyses that define their brand and enable them to enjoy sustainable competitive advantages, benefits and rewards.

He is at the forefront of the digital disruption, social media and home delivery revolutions, consulting to, strategising and facilitating business development workshops for leading enterprises, big and small, throughout Britain, the ·united States of America, New Zealand and Australia.

Barry is renowned for his strikingly accurate forecast in 2006 of the August, 2008 onset of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). More recently, he projected the China economic correction and the earlier significant downturn in mining industry capital expenditure, and its implications for small and mid-sized mining companies. Each was based on his dynamic strategic planning model, providing advantage, benefits and a competitive edge for client companies.

He is Managing Director of Marketing Focus, a Perth based market research and strategic planning practice, author of six books, including the two largest selling publications on service excellence in Australasia, both of which are now available as e-books.

Each year Barry travels some 300,000 kilometres on five continents to deliver up to 100 keynote addresses, to facilitate around 15 strategic planning workshops and to lead interactive one-on-one marketing audits.

He is a regular commentator of consumer issues on public and commercial radio, is featured on a series of interview topics on television current affairs programs, and contributes articles to 49 magazines throughout the world.

Barry is a former lecturer in Marketing and Management at the Curtin University of Technology, and has degrees in marketing, political science and sociology.

Barry Urquhart Talks About

The DNA of Profitable Retailing

A refreshing, insightful and challenging insight in the emerging market forces and the fundamentals of retail success.

Attendees benefit from an appreciation of the seven dimensions of effective merchandising and the eight building blocks to productive supply chain and brand management.

New, original, innovative and rewarding.

It Is Better To Be Different Than It Is To Be Better

A creative and challenging insight into the current market place and consumers’ perceptions, habits, motivations and preferences. It is based on the findings of exclusive market research. The underlying concepts of dynamic difference and change demand self induced obsolescence. Repetition is death. This headline-capturing keynote address details bold, daring and different case studies and ideas that are driving high achieving companies, people and products.

Key Driving Forces

• Consumer Ignorance
• Shorter Buying Cycles
• Cash Rich, Time Poor
• Brand Marketing

Service That Sells

Barry Urquhart is the author of the two largest selling books on quality customer service in Australasia: “Serves You Right!” and “Service Please!”.

His ongoing schedule of original research into differing aspects of service excellence provides unique insights into the needs and expectations of internal and external customers. The true nature of relationship marketing, customer satisfaction, loyalty programmes and empowerment of staff is detailed in a captivating style.

He has been at the forefront of the customer service revolution for over two decades. His case studies, anecdotes and research findings enthuse and inspire.

Breakthrough Merchandising

A fresh, innovative perspective on how to optimise the customer experience, enhance company and product images; how to stimulate consumer interest; and lots of ideas which can increase sales and counter the need to discount price. This visual merchandising address features a multitude of photographic slides which profile contemporary case studies. It focuses on:

• Theatre of the mind
• Optimising impulse sales
• Cash Rich, Time Poor
• Overcoming price resistance
• Six key merchandising dimensions

The typical outcomes include increased stockturns and upgraded average value of unit sales.

Business Warfare

A high energy address or workshop which is an ideal conference theme. “Business Warfare” centres on competitive strategies, identifying opportunities and analysing the implications of differing tactics. It is original, with easy to implement strategies which have an international record of success for client companies from a diverse range of industries. The choice is between the only four available strategies:

• Defence
• Attack
• Flank
• Guerrilla

MARKETING AUDIT

The three hour one-on-one Marketing Audit developed by Marketing Focus addresses and satisfies the needs of the many business owners and managers who seek and need an objective, detached snap review of the current market positioning and status of their business, products and services.

A simple, easy-to-comprehend and informal template focuses on each of the 20 elements of the marketing mix, to isolate, analyse, exploit and redress the respective strengths, weaknesses and unfulfilled opportunities of the specific businesses.

This intense interactive session necessitates the client to document the rudiments of the resultant action plan, and thus ensure follow up, implementation and monitoring.

Marketing Focus provides the experience of an external change and review agent who poses a set of fundamental questions, the answers to which are only known by the client.

It is a fun, energising learning experience.

Ideally, the Marketing Audit is conducted at a neutral venue, free from the distractions of telephone calls and queries by staff members and customers. A coffee lounge is ideal.