[Emy25]

(Original post by Moyosola)
Strategic behaviour: Refers to actions which firms take in order to improve their competitive advantages.

Strategic direction: A course of action that leads to the achievement of the goals of an organization's strategy.

@ chica123

[chica123]

(Original post by Moyosola)
I haven't because I simply have no idea how to answer it.
But I also think (I might be wrong) that with Alistair encouraging his employees to be up-to-date with current affairs regarding regional developments, SLSL might have a competitive advantage if something happens in an area that a competitor is popular in so in a case of higher interest rates they can convince clients to strike up a deal with SLSL instead of rivals.
The problem with this, however, is that there becomes an ethical problem for SLSL as Alistair "as a matter of principle won't inflate a valuation simply to gain an instruction".

I dont really think this question will come up as theres not much you can say, i'll email me teacher tomorrow and see if he has any help and i'll let you know

[Moyosola]

(Original post by Emy25)
in school we did this question as a class and we got:
Node 1 0/0
Node 2 3/3
Node 3 5/5
Node 4 4/5
Node 5 67/67
Node 6 77/77
Node 7 20/135
Node 8 111/135
Node 9 135/135
Node 10 96/135
Node 11 141/141
Node 12 142/142

but according to the cpa in the apt what you have is correct and tbh i dont even know whether the cpa is correct im just confused

Exactly. I'm slowly giving up.
Funny thing is, with my answers and with yours, we still have the same Critical Path.
Is that right?

[chica123]

(Original post by Moyosola)
Is it possible to share your marketing strategy essay?

yeah sure

My teacher has marked it since ive done this so theres a few things i need to add so i'll post that tomorrow if you want.

9.) Evaluate the effectiveness of SLSL’s marketing strategy


A marketing strategy is a plan that aids a business to achieve its objective and the marketing mix consists of price, place, product and the key element of the strategy is promotion. SLSL is an estate agency that operates in a market where houses are sold between £190,000 and £315,000 and the case study states that in lines 30-32 that image is very important to SLSL and very effective in helping them achieve their sales and increase their revenues by 4%.
Firstly, the layout of SLSL branches is very important as it projects a professional and confident image which then attracts customers and the way its projected is stated in lines 34-38 in the case study. In addition, personal selling is also a very important aspect of SLSL’s marketing strategy as stated in lines 32-33 because personal selling allows SLSL to persuade customers in taking their service.
In addition, in lines 40-42 the case study states that SLSL also spends heavily on marketing and it’s calculated that SLSL spend £1600 each month on the double paged newspaper that covers all three branches, also table 1 shows that this method of promotion has enabled SLSL to gain 100% prompted awareness therefore this proved that their promotional strategy is effective, however it is very costly and therefore SLSL could consider simply opening a website instead as there is an increasing use of technology and a website is very cheap yet effective. Table 1 displays they already have high unprompted awareness of 66% and so this shows that SLSL’s professional and confident image itself makes 122 sales at Stampton; 109 at Oakford and 54 at Upham.
Furthermore SLSL could consider diversifying into lettings management because they have had many enquiries (lines 54-55), however this is a very costly and risky strategy so instead SLSL could use market development and expand into Market Harworth because there is a projected increase in number of households 15% in the next 10 years, on the other hand at the moment very little market research has been done on this branch and further information is vital in order to achieve an effective marketing strategy.
In conclusion, SLSL have a relatively effective marketing strategy but in the long term they could consider website promotion as it allows them to target a larger market and reduce costs because more and more people now prefer to visit websites as it’s quick and easy, and so if a larger target market is interested this would make it easier for SLSL to achieve their revenue objective of increasing sales by 4% and this would help Andrew, Alistair and Penelope because the more profit SLSL make the higher dividend payments the shareholders will receive. However no matter how much SLSL adjust their marketing strategy the housing market is dependent on macroeconomics such as high cyclical unemployment because this reduces confidence in the market and effects SLSL’s sales.

[Emy25]

(Original post by Moyosola)
Exactly. I'm slowly giving up.
Funny thing is, with my answers and with yours, we still have the same Critical Path.
Is that right?

lol yeah i know how you feel this unit is so uninspiring :/
dont give up i'm sure we will get it by tomorrow
yeah strangely we do have the same answer..hmm i wondering if there is more than 1 way to work it out...

[Moyosola]

(Original post by chica123)
I dont really think this question will come up as theres not much you can say, i'll email me teacher tomorrow and see if he has any help and i'll let you know

Thanks.

(Original post by chica123)

My teacher has marked it since ive done this so theres a few things i need to add so i'll post that tomorrow if you want.

That would also be helpful to all of us. Thanks x

[Moyosola]

(Original post by Emy25)
lol yeah i know how you feel this unit is so uninspiring :/
dont give up i'm sure we will get it by tomorrow
yeah strangely we do have the same answer..hmm i wondering if there is more than 1 way to work it out...

I think this may be the case. I was watching some YouTube videos when I only just began to understand CPA and they did it differently, but they all found the critical path.
I think what matters in the exam is finding the critical path. We should get a few marks for trying at least.

[chica123]

(Original post by Moyosola)
Thanks.



That would also be helpful to all of us. Thanks x

oki dokes i will do that asap have you done this question by any chance?

15. SLSL has decided to implement a branch based bonus on sales. Recommend how the proposed change to the business might be implemented

Would you say how they would put it in place using sales value/ sales volume?

[Emy25]

(Original post by Moyosola)
I think this may be the case. I was watching some YouTube videos when I only just began to understand CPA and they did it differently, but they all found the critical path.
I think what matters in the exam is finding the critical path. We should get a few marks for trying at least.

oh okay, then i guess that makes sense . Yeah because that is what it specifically asks 'to find the critical path' so i just hope to gain come marks at least 10/13 if anything.

[ameena.milly]

(Original post by Emy25)
in school we did this question as a class and we got:
Node 1 0/0
Node 2 3/3
Node 3 5/5
Node 4 4/5
Node 5 67/67
Node 6 77/77
Node 7 20/135
Node 8 111/135
Node 9 135/135
Node 10 96/135
Node 11 141/141
Node 12 142/142

but according to the cpa in the apt what you have is correct and tbh i dont even know whether the cpa is correct im just confused

Ok thank you

Does anybody which one is correct?

Thanks


This was posted from The Student Room's iPad App

[oli_042]

I e-mailed my teacher earlier on today and he said this:

Node 1 0/0
Node 2 3/3
Node 3 5/5
Node 4 4/5
Node 5 67/67
Node 6 77/77
Node 7 20/135
Node 8 111/135
Node 9 135/135
Node 10 96/135
Node 11 141/141
Node 12 142/142

Is correct, so I'm just going to assume that this is the correct one, I think it's right as long as the critical path is found and the free float time is calculated correctly, it should be fine. And whoever is going to post the marketing strategy essay, thank you!

[chica123]

(Original post by Moyosola)
Actions that are taken to improve a business' competitive position. For SLSL, I think it just means what they're doing to be better than rivals or improve their position in the market.
One thing is that Alistair wants all his employees to be well informed on the state of the economy and things that go on regarding local and regional developments to provide for clients. Look at page 4, Lines 56-65

I emailed my teacher and this is what her sent back:
Discuss how changes in macroeconomic factors might affect the strategic behaviour of SLSL.

deal with key macroeconomic factors:
Interest rates
Inflation
Employment situation
Confidence
Borrowing
Changes will need to be reflected in strategy of management group – news yesterday that the Bank of Eng will make money for loans available could encourage SLSL to promote more but in reality these loans will not be taken out by people with money or homes because eventually those at the bottom on first time homes without collateral will not be a good bet to be given a loan and this stalls the whole system.

[chica123]

marketing strategy essay


9. Evaluate the effectiveness of SLSL’s marketing strategy.


A marketing strategy is a plan that aids a business to achieve its objective and the marketing mix consists of price, place, product and the key element of the strategy is promotion. SLSL is an estate agency that operates in a market where houses are sold between £190,000 and £315,000; the promotion that SLSL use is a below the line method of promotion as they target a niche market in Stamton, Upham and Oakford and the case study states in lines 30-32 that image is very important to SLSL and very effective in helping them achieve their sales and increase their revenues by 4%.
SLSL use both internal and external methods of promotion, the internal promotion involves the layout of SLSL branches which is very important as it projects a professional and confident image that then attracts customers and the way its projected is stated in lines 34-38 in the case study. In addition, personal selling is also a very important aspect of SLSL’s marketing strategy as stated in lines 32-33 because personal selling allows SLSL to persuade customers in taking their service.
Furthermore, in lines 40-42 the case study states that SLSL also spends heavily on marketing (which is an external method of promotion) and it’s calculated that SLSL spend £1600 each month on the double paged newspaper that covers all three branches, also table 1 shows that this method of promotion has enabled SLSL to gain 100% prompted awareness therefore this proved that their promotional strategy is effective, however it is very costly and therefore SLSL could consider simply expanding their website instead as there is an increasing use of technology and a website is very cheap yet effective. Table 1 displays they already have high unprompted awareness of 66% and so this shows that SLSL’s professional and confident image itself makes 122 sales at Stamton; 109 at Oakford and 54 at Upham.
Additionally, SLSL focus on using higher end pricing as they are targeting a higher end market however Stamton is more focused on the lower end of the market, therefore SLSL have a market where the average price of a house is between £190,000- and £315,000 which is an effective pricing strategy because it appeals to a wider market, moreover the pricing that SLSL uses is ethical as stated in lines 63-67 that Alistair will not increase the price simply to gain instruction.
Also SLSL target a niche market from where there is easy access to London through electrified trains which increases the possibility of sales for SLSL and makes it easier for them to meet their revenue objective as potential buyers would have easy access to jobs etc.
Furthermore SLSL could consider diversifying into lettings management because they have had many enquiries (lines 54-55), however this is a very costly and risky strategy because they lack expertise in lettings management so instead SLSL could use market development and expand into Market Harworth because there is a projected increase in number of households 15% in the next 10 years and it fits in with their present marketing strategy, on the other hand at the moment very little market research has been done on this branch and further information is vital in order to achieve an effective marketing strategy.
SLSL have an effective marketing strategy as they have 100% prompted awareness in the local area and all employees are well informed about any changes in the economy, therefore Alistair as an autocratic shareholder manages the business very well except the only aspect of the business that is not in his control is the conveyancing process. But to improve SLSL’s marketing strategy in the long term SLSL could consider increasing website promotion as it allows them to target a larger market and reduces costs because more and more people now prefer to visit websites as it’s quick and easy, and so if a larger target market is interested this would make it easier for SLSL to achieve their revenue objective of increasing sales by 4% and this would help Andrew, Alistair and Penelope because the more profit SLSL make the higher dividend payments the shareholders will receive, also employees would remain motivated because if they achieve the objective they will receive a higher bonus.
In conclusion, whether sign boards, newspaper advertisements or websites are used the fact is that these promotional tools are designed merely to stimulate interest - they do not sell the property. The primary promotional tool is personal selling done on behalf of the vendor by the estate agency staff. This will be backed by printed details of the house, but the estate agent uses personal selling to push the buyer through the remaining stages of the process. It is for this reason that the quality and skills of the staff and the professional image of the company are so important. However no matter how much SLSL adjust their marketing strategy the housing market is dependent on macroeconomics such as high cyclical unemployment because this reduces confidence in the market and effects SLSL’s sales.


If any one has any opinions on any changes that i could make it'd be fab!

[oli_042]

(Original post by chica123)
marketing strategy essay


9. Evaluate the effectiveness of SLSL’s marketing strategy.


A marketing strategy is a plan that aids a business to achieve its objective and the marketing mix consists of price, place, product and the key element of the strategy is promotion. SLSL is an estate agency that operates in a market where houses are sold between £190,000 and £315,000; the promotion that SLSL use is a below the line method of promotion as they target a niche market in Stamton, Upham and Oakford and the case study states in lines 30-32 that image is very important to SLSL and very effective in helping them achieve their sales and increase their revenues by 4%.
SLSL use both internal and external methods of promotion, the internal promotion involves the layout of SLSL branches which is very important as it projects a professional and confident image that then attracts customers and the way its projected is stated in lines 34-38 in the case study. In addition, personal selling is also a very important aspect of SLSL’s marketing strategy as stated in lines 32-33 because personal selling allows SLSL to persuade customers in taking their service.
Furthermore, in lines 40-42 the case study states that SLSL also spends heavily on marketing (which is an external method of promotion) and it’s calculated that SLSL spend £1600 each month on the double paged newspaper that covers all three branches, also table 1 shows that this method of promotion has enabled SLSL to gain 100% prompted awareness therefore this proved that their promotional strategy is effective, however it is very costly and therefore SLSL could consider simply expanding their website instead as there is an increasing use of technology and a website is very cheap yet effective. Table 1 displays they already have high unprompted awareness of 66% and so this shows that SLSL’s professional and confident image itself makes 122 sales at Stamton; 109 at Oakford and 54 at Upham.
Additionally, SLSL focus on using higher end pricing as they are targeting a higher end market however Stamton is more focused on the lower end of the market, therefore SLSL have a market where the average price of a house is between £190,000- and £315,000 which is an effective pricing strategy because it appeals to a wider market, moreover the pricing that SLSL uses is ethical as stated in lines 63-67 that Alistair will not increase the price simply to gain instruction.
Also SLSL target a niche market from where there is easy access to London through electrified trains which increases the possibility of sales for SLSL and makes it easier for them to meet their revenue objective as potential buyers would have easy access to jobs etc.
Furthermore SLSL could consider diversifying into lettings management because they have had many enquiries (lines 54-55), however this is a very costly and risky strategy because they lack expertise in lettings management so instead SLSL could use market development and expand into Market Harworth because there is a projected increase in number of households 15% in the next 10 years and it fits in with their present marketing strategy, on the other hand at the moment very little market research has been done on this branch and further information is vital in order to achieve an effective marketing strategy.
SLSL have an effective marketing strategy as they have 100% prompted awareness in the local area and all employees are well informed about any changes in the economy, therefore Alistair as an autocratic shareholder manages the business very well except the only aspect of the business that is not in his control is the conveyancing process. But to improve SLSL’s marketing strategy in the long term SLSL could consider increasing website promotion as it allows them to target a larger market and reduces costs because more and more people now prefer to visit websites as it’s quick and easy, and so if a larger target market is interested this would make it easier for SLSL to achieve their revenue objective of increasing sales by 4% and this would help Andrew, Alistair and Penelope because the more profit SLSL make the higher dividend payments the shareholders will receive, also employees would remain motivated because if they achieve the objective they will receive a higher bonus.
In conclusion, whether sign boards, newspaper advertisements or websites are used the fact is that these promotional tools are designed merely to stimulate interest - they do not sell the property. The primary promotional tool is personal selling done on behalf of the vendor by the estate agency staff. This will be backed by printed details of the house, but the estate agent uses personal selling to push the buyer through the remaining stages of the process. It is for this reason that the quality and skills of the staff and the professional image of the company are so important. However no matter how much SLSL adjust their marketing strategy the housing market is dependent on macroeconomics such as high cyclical unemployment because this reduces confidence in the market and effects SLSL’s sales.


If any one has any opinions on any changes that i could make it'd be fab!

Cheers, this'll really help my revision in this topic

[ameena.milly]

So how have people calculated the est's and lft's

I am using APT but I'm not sure whether it is right. As I am external student I can't ask anyone either.


So can someone tell me what the right answers for the CPA are?


Thank you,


This was posted from The Student Room's iPad App

[Moyosola]

(Original post by ameena.milly)
So how have people calculated the est's and lft's

I am using APT but I'm not sure whether it is right. As I am external student I can't ask anyone either.


So can someone tell me what the right answers for the CPA are?

At this moment, no one is particularly sure what the right answers are because we all have different things.
What answers do you have?

[naeem.desai]

(Original post by Emy25)
@Maheen17
@Moyosola

Thank you very much for your help i really appreciate it guys
i've just received an APT guide so i can send it to anyone who needs it by email if you PM me your email address.

I'm currently writing up an answer for the question: Evaluate the option of diversifying into lettings management for SLSL
if anyone has answered this question does anyone have any key points to raise for this particular question

Hello, please could i have a copy of the APT guide, struggling soooooooooo much with this topic just hope i dont fail how do i send my email address?

[Moyosola]

(Original post by naeem.desai)
Hello, please could i have a copy of the APT guide, struggling soooooooooo much with this topic just hope i dont fail how do i send my email address?

I don't have the revision pack in e-format, but I posted a link of all the questions in it. Maybe it could guide your revision?
http://getrevising.co.uk/resources/a...tion_questions

[blackstarz245]

Does anyone have predictions? I already think CPA and something about market harworth will come up

[ameena.milly]

Can anyone upload an example of essay on

Alistairs proposal to change the fee structure.

Thanks


Does anyone know what you would right for the problems cause in apt they only discuss the problems if the structure not benefits??


Thank you


This was posted from The Student Room's iPad App