Marketing Strategy for Entrepreneurs (Coursera)

This is the reason why we will start of with a situation “as if” you were starting up the sales process in a company where no previous customers existed (and maybe you are, if so...use it during the course). Gradually your sales efforts give result, you get customers and handling the market expansion becomes important. If somewhat lucky, in practice that is the way it goes.

The course begins with the art of cold calling (attacking the ones that did not know you did exist. The most tricky ones) and analyzing the potential customers, then gradually moves over to segmentation, positioning, closing the deal, competition, marketing strategy and market expansion. It is normally in that order it develops in practice.

The curriculum includes general basic marketing theories as well modern digital marketing issues like onboarding, conversion, and retention, experimental marketing and pivoting. The course includes a number of assignments to facilitate your learning – some of them compulsory. All of them hopefully practically useful for you already today.

On one hand this is a basics course. There is far more in this than we are able to cover here. But I still think this course will prepare you for some of the most common marketing and sales efforts needed for technology based companies. Later on I guess you will learn more. Maybe here or somewhere else.

Hope you enjoy it. Good learning have to be fun. So if the course is not fun enough for you: Please let me know!

Course 4 of 5 in the Value Creation Through Innovation Specialization

Syllabus

WEEK 1

"As if" this was a starting point

Sales – From cold calling to Facebook and Alibaba

WEEK 2

Who are these customers and what do they actually want? Analysis – Customer insights and analytics

WEEK 3

It is better to Skate to where the puck is going: Segmentation & positioning

WEEK 4

Instead of the great plan that never will be executed: Experimental marketing and Pivoting techniques

WEEK 5

Closing the deal and conversion – AIDA, not just an opera

WEEK 6

Mass marketing vs. customization to be considered when...

WEEK 7

Playing the market expansion game – The hockey stick phenomena

If no beginning then neither an end