We may earn an affiliate commission when you visit our partners.

Fundamentals of Customers and Competition, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women, Sarah Underwood, Anne Donnellon, Mori Taheripour, Michael Fetters, Geetha Krishnan, and Edward David

This free online course is one of 10 courses available in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women collection, designed for entrepreneurs ready to take their business to the next level.

In this course, you will examine your customers’ buying process and explore the benefits of market segmentation.

Through competitive analysis and identifying your competitive advantage, you will consider how an understanding of your customers and competitors can help you maximize the value of your offer, enabling you to achieve business growth.

This free online course is one of 10 courses available in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women collection, designed for entrepreneurs ready to take their business to the next level.

In this course, you will examine your customers’ buying process and explore the benefits of market segmentation.

By the end of this course, you will have developed a clear Customer Value Proposition (CVP). This will enable you to communicate your business offering to your target audience in a compelling way.

You will also have the opportunity to examine how the development of a pricing strategy can best support business growth.

The 10,000 Women course collection offers a truly flexible online learning experience. You have the freedom to approach the program in any way that works for you – take any course, or combination of courses, to tailor your learning journey to your individual business growth needs. If you choose to take all 10 courses, you will explore all the key elements of your business and develop a thorough plan for your business’s growth.

You can find out more about the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women collection in the FAQs.

Enroll now

Or subscribe to Coursera Plus

And get unlimited access to Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

Fundamentals of Customers and Competition, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women

In this course, you will explore the importance of understanding your business’s customers and competition, and consider how this understanding can be used to maximize value for your target customers and your business. By the end of this course, you will have developed a clear Customer Value Proposition (CVP), which communicates your business offering to your target customers in a compelling way, and considered how your CVP influences and helps you to develop your pricing strategy to support business growth.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Crafted for entrepreneurs looking to elevate their ventures

Backed by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women, a renowned initiative for female entrepreneurs

Led by industry veterans from Goldman Sachs and other established organizations

Provides a solid framework for understanding customer behavior and market dynamics

Empowers learners to develop effective pricing strategies for business growth

Part of a comprehensive 10-course collection offering a holistic approach to business growth

Save this course

Save Fundamentals of Customers and Competition, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women to your list so you can find it easily later:

Save

Reviews summary

Well-liked customer competition course

Learners say that Fundamentals of Customers and Competition is a worthwhile course that is informative, engaging, and insightful. Many of the learners found it to be helpful for developing their understanding of customer value proposition and for identifying and understanding their competition. Many also found it easy to understand and follow. Overall, learners say that Fundamentals of Customers and Competition is a well-designed and effective course that can help women leaders in business to grow their businesses and develop their professional skills.

The course is designed to help women leaders in business.

"I am looking forward to completing all 10 sections.Thank you."

"I highly recommend courses by Goldman Sach 10,000 Women to any woman wanting to understand more about business, customers, and marketing in this very competitive environment."

Learners say that this course can be applied directly to their businesses.

"I have learnt so much on this course. It was an eye opener."

"This course takes the guessing out of business building."

Each module includes exercises that help you apply the lessons to your business.

"I really liked the course, it was very rich and interesting learning. The videos and the exercises were very helpful and easy to understand and apply in a work routine."

The course is created by Goldman Sachs experts.

"I have learned so much from this and other courses by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women."

"Thank you for the life changing experience through theis course, I enjoy and gain more knowledge that will help me to advance my career and effective run and develop my business."

This course provides a clear process for creating a customer value proposition.

"Feels great to have a methodological approach to business building that anticipate potential roadblocks for one to reflect and revise over before moving forward."

"Researching the competition took the longest to complete."

"It helped me to reflect on how I view my customers and assisted me to develop a value proposition for my business."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Fundamentals of Customers and Competition, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women with these activities:

Review fundamentals of marketing

Show steps

Review basic marketing concepts to strengthen your foundation before starting the course.

Browse courses on Marketing

Show steps

Review notes or textbooks from previous marketing courses
Complete practice questions or quizzes on marketing concepts
Attend a refresher workshop or seminar on marketing basics

Curate a resource list for entrepreneurs

Show steps

Compile a collection of valuable resources that can support entrepreneurs in their journey.

Show steps

Identify relevant articles, books, podcasts, and online tools
Organize and categorize the resources based on topic or stage of business growth
Share the resource list with other entrepreneurs through a blog post or social media

Build a customer persona

Show steps

Create a detailed profile of your target customer to gain a deep understanding of their needs and motivations.

Browse courses on Customer Persona

Show steps

Gather data from market research, surveys, and interviews
Identify key demographic, psychographic, and behavioral characteristics
Develop a comprehensive customer profile that describes their goals, challenges, and buying habits

Five other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all eight activities

Analyze customer segmentation case studies

Show steps

Engage in hands-on exercises to apply customer segmentation techniques to real-world scenarios.

Browse courses on Customer Segmentation

Show steps

Identify and analyze case studies of successful customer segmentation strategies
Apply customer segmentation principles to hypothetical business scenarios

Attend a workshop on customer value proposition development

Show steps

Gain practical insights and guidance on developing a compelling value proposition for your business.

Browse courses on Customer Value Proposition

Show steps

Research and identify workshops on customer value proposition development
Attend the workshop and actively participate in discussions
Implement the techniques learned to refine your value proposition

Conduct a competitive analysis for your business

Show steps

Conduct a thorough analysis of your competitors to identify their strengths, weaknesses, and market share.

Browse courses on Competitive Analysis

Show steps

Identify your key competitors
Gather data on their products, services, marketing strategies, and financial performance
Analyze the data to identify areas where you can differentiate your business and gain a competitive advantage

Develop a sample pricing strategy

Show steps

Create a practical pricing strategy that aligns with your understanding of customer value and competitive analysis.

Browse courses on Pricing Strategy

Show steps

Identify different pricing models and their advantages and disadvantages
Conduct market research to determine customer price sensitivity
Develop a pricing strategy that maximizes value for customers

Mentor a fellow entrepreneur

Show steps

Share your knowledge and experience by mentoring someone who is starting or growing a business.

Show steps

Identify a mentee who is aligned with your expertise
Establish regular communication and provide guidance on business fundamentals
Share industry insights and best practices

Career center

Learners who complete Fundamentals of Customers and Competition, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers are responsible for overseeing all aspects of a company's marketing strategy, from developing and executing marketing campaigns to managing the company's brand. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Marketing Manager by providing you with a deep understanding of your customers and competition. You will learn how to identify and target your target audience, develop effective marketing campaigns, and measure the results of your marketing efforts. This course may also help you prepare for the American Marketing Association's Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) certification.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Sales Manager

Sales Managers are responsible for managing sales teams and driving sales growth. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Sales Manager by providing you with a deep understanding of your customers and competition. You will learn how to develop and implement sales strategies, motivate and train sales teams, and forecast sales.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Manager

Marketing Analyst

Marketing Analysts are responsible for collecting and analyzing data to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Marketing Analyst by providing you with a deep understanding of your customers and competition. You will learn how to collect and analyze data, interpret results, and make recommendations to improve marketing campaigns.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Analyst

Product Manager

Product Managers are responsible for overseeing the development and launch of new products and services. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Product Manager by providing you with a deep understanding of your customers and competition. You will learn how to identify and target your target market, develop product specifications, and manage the product development process. This course may also help you prepare for the Product Management Institute's Certified Product Manager (CPM) certification.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs are responsible for starting and running their own businesses. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as an Entrepreneur by providing you with a deep understanding of your customers and competition. You will learn how to identify and evaluate business opportunities, develop business plans, and raise capital. This course may also help you prepare for the U.S. Small Business Administration's Small Business Management certification.

See salaries and explore the career path for Entrepreneur

Business Development Manager

Business Development Managers are responsible for generating new business leads and developing new sales opportunities. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Business Development Manager by providing you with a deep understanding of your customers and competition. You will learn how to identify and target potential customers, develop effective sales presentations, and close deals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Development Manager

Customer Success Manager

Customer Success Managers are responsible for helping customers achieve success with a company's products or services. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Customer Success Manager by providing you with a deep understanding of your customers and competition. You will learn how to build and maintain customer relationships, identify and resolve customer issues, and drive customer adoption.

See salaries and explore the career path for Customer Success Manager

Business Consultant

Business Consultants are responsible for helping businesses improve their performance. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Business Consultant by providing you with a deep understanding of your customers and competition. You will learn how to analyze businesses, identify problems, and develop solutions. This course may also help you prepare for the Institute of Management Consultants' Certified Management Consultant (CMC) certification.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Consultant

Market Researcher

Market Researchers are responsible for conducting research to understand the needs and wants of customers. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Market Researcher by providing you with a deep understanding of your customers and competition. You will learn how to design and conduct research studies, collect and analyze data, and make recommendations to improve products and services.

See salaries and explore the career path for Market Researcher

Account Manager

Account Managers are responsible for managing relationships with existing customers. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as an Account Manager by providing you with a deep understanding of your customers and competition. You will learn how to build and maintain customer relationships, identify and resolve customer issues, and drive customer loyalty.

See salaries and explore the career path for Account Manager

Chief Marketing Officer

Chief Marketing Officers are responsible for overseeing all aspects of a company's marketing strategy. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Chief Marketing Officer by providing you with a deep understanding of your customers and competition. You will learn how to develop and implement marketing strategies, manage marketing teams, and measure the results of marketing efforts. This course may also help you prepare for the American Marketing Association's Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) certification.

See salaries and explore the career path for Chief Marketing Officer

Chief Strategy Officer

Chief Strategy Officers are responsible for overseeing all aspects of a company's strategic planning and implementation. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Chief Strategy Officer by providing you with a deep understanding of your customers and competition. You will learn how to develop and implement strategic plans, manage strategic initiatives, and measure the results of strategic efforts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Chief Strategy Officer

Chief Sales Officer

Chief Sales Officers are responsible for overseeing all aspects of a company's sales strategy and operations. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Chief Sales Officer by providing you with a deep understanding of your customers and competition. You will learn how to develop and implement sales strategies, manage sales teams, and measure the results of sales efforts. This course may also help you prepare for the Sales Management Association's Certified Sales Leader (CSL) certification.

See salaries and explore the career path for Chief Sales Officer

Chief Customer Officer

Chief Customer Officers are responsible for overseeing all aspects of a company's customer service and support. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Chief Customer Officer by providing you with a deep understanding of your customers and competition. You will learn how to develop and implement customer service strategies, manage customer service teams, and measure the results of customer service efforts. This course may also help you prepare for the Customer Management Institute's Certified Customer Service Manager (CCSM) certification.

See salaries and explore the career path for Chief Customer Officer

Chief Product Officer

Chief Product Officers are responsible for overseeing all aspects of a company's product development and management. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Chief Product Officer by providing you with a deep understanding of your customers and competition. You will learn how to develop and implement product strategies, manage product teams, and measure the results of product development efforts. This course may also help you prepare for the Product Management Institute's Certified Product Manager (CPM) certification.

See salaries and explore the career path for Chief Product Officer

Reading list

We've selected 16 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Fundamentals of Customers and Competition, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women.

The Startup Owner's Manual

Save

This comprehensive guide provides a step-by-step process for building a successful startup. It valuable resource for entrepreneurs who are looking for guidance and advice on everything from starting a company to raising capital to scaling a business.

The Startup Owner's Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide...

Hardcover

The Startup Owner's Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide...

Kindle Edition

Competitive Strategy

Save

This seminal work by Michael Porter provides a framework for understanding the competitive landscape and developing strategies to gain a competitive advantage. It must-read for entrepreneurs and business leaders who want to succeed in today's competitive market.

Fundamentals of Customers and Competition, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women

What's inside

Syllabus

Good to know

Save this course

Reviews summary

Well-liked customer competition course

Activities

Career center

Reading list

Share

Similar courses