The PM Forum is a 4,000 strong regionally-based members' association, formed in 1996, dedicated to raising the standards of professional services marketing and to enhancing the credibility of marketers working in professional service firms worldwide.

Delivering winning internal communications

Monday 12 January 2009 - Lunch

Professional service firms don’t do proper internal communications, and aren’t really serious about engaging their employees… are they? For many communicators new, or not used to working in this sector, this is an all too common view of the challenge that awaits them.

This workshop will prove that effective communications can be delivered within a professional services environment and can make a big contribution to a firm’s success.

Internal communications covers a vast area, whether it is sending out regular newsletters to providing crucial support to leadership and executive teams.Whether you are relatively new to communications or a seasoned practitioner, professional services communications offers huge opportunities to develop your career, not only in terms of delivering creative and effective solutions but also through playing a major role within your firm.

This workshop will share a range of ideas and case studies covering:

• The role of communications within the firm
• Delivering stuff
• Getting the trust to work with your leadership teams
• Social media and innovation
• Measurement and evaluation

Howard Krais is an internal communication specialist with a track record of working in, and for professional firms over many years. For over four years he built and ran internal communications within Eversheds, twice winning the Legal Marketing Award for internal communications. Now with leading internal communications specialists Gatehouse, Howard has worked on a diverse range of projects and communications initiatives with a variety of organisations continuing to work with many professional firms.

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For more information download a booking form

Practical and professional skills for marketing assistants

Friday 23 January 2009 - Half day

Created in 2002 and updated regularly (most recently in November 2008) this is a popular half-day interactive workshop allowing for the exchange of views and ideas for those with a basic understanding and some experience of marketing who would like to develop their marketing knowledge, role and career within a professional service firm.The workshop qualifies for 3 hours CPD.

Topics covered include:

• Introduction
• Marketing strategy and plans
• Practical marketing and communications skills
• Personal marketing
• Planning your career

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

Negotiating with confidence

Tuesday 27 January 2009 - Half day

Professional services practitioners are trained to look for faults in arguments, to play devil’s advocate, to uncover weaknesses in others’ positions. Language, one of the most important weapons in their armories, is used forensically, often pedantically, to score points; when coupled with their substantial self confidence (or outsized ego, depending on your perspective) they may appear impervious to alternate viewpoints.

This workshop highlights a range of practical techniques for winning your internal clients around to your way of thinking. It will not turn you overnight into the next Clarence Darrow but will give you a set of practical guidelines that you can start applying as soon as you return to your office.Whether you are a junior member of a marketing team struggling to find the means of asserting yourself in the face of a sceptical partnership or a seasoned veteran preparing to launch a new initiative, this workshop will help you to increase the impact of your persuasion skills.

Using real-life examples, the workshop will cover:

• The importance of mastering, summarising and selling your subject matter,
• Persuasion techniques – language cues, creating common ground and clarifying motivation,
• Adopting initial positions and making tactical retreats,
• Questioning and listening skills and body language,
• Achieving consensus and pursuing closure.

Meirion Jones is executive director, Clients & Markets at Reed Smith.A business development and key account management specialist with 20 years of professional services marketing experience he leads the firm's global BD team.

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For more information download a booking form

The Proactive Marketing Executive

Thursday 5 February 2009 - Full day

A highly interactive full-day workshop for senior marketing assistants and executives who want to a) move from responsive service provision into a more proactive advisory role and b) expand into more managerial, strategic and client focused areas.The workshop qualifies for 6 hours CPD.

Expanding some of the themes in the Practical and Professional Skills for Marketing Assistants this course contains a number of group exercises which provide ample opportunity to talk to and learn from other participants.

Topics covered include:

• Introduction
• Towards strategic marketing
• Extending tactical marketing knowledge
• Managing tactical marketing programmes
• Working more closely with fee-earners
• Getting closer to clients
• Developing your career

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

Turbo-charged communications

Friday 13 February 2009 - Half day

An intensive and interactive course for those who want to enhance their communications skills both to improve their relationships with their fee-earners and also for their external marketing and selling. The workshop qualifies for 3 hours CPD.

This workshop is suitable for senior marketing executives and marketing managers who wish to improve the way they communicate with senior partners.

Topics covered:

• Introduction
• Perception (and first impressions)
• Personality
• Influence, persuasion and negotiation
• Surviving a partnership
• Telephones
• Networking
• Writing – Internal and external
• Interviewing, listening and problem solving
• Presenting with impact
• Relationships

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

How to write more effectively

Thursday 19 February 2009 - Half day

Getting your message across clearly, concisely and engagingly is essential for effective marketing communications.Yet so much professional services writing is weighed down by jargon, impenetrable sentence structure and long-winded phrases.

This brand new writing workshop will help you avoid the common traps that professional services writers fall into.You’ll understand what makes good, effective writing.And you’ll learn to apply those techniques to your own writing.

By studying real examples and following practical exercises, you’ll learn how to simplify your sentences, make your meaning clearer and engage more effectively with your readers.

Gareth Chadwick of Wordsworks is a professional services copywriter and writing trainer. He helps clients to improve their writing skills and get their marketing messages across effectively through simple, concise and engaging written communications.

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For more information download a booking form

Basic marketing training for secretaries

Thursday 26 February 2009 - Half day

This half-day workshop covers the basics of marketing in professional services firms.Whilst a lot of basic marketing theory is covered during the session, there is plenty of opportunity for participants to work with each other to share ideas and experiences and to apply the ideas that are learned.

The workshop qualifies for 3 hours CPD.

Topics covered include:

• Introduction
• Basic marketing theory
• Developing your role
• Conclusions and summary

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

The Future Marketing Manager

Thursday 5 March 2009 - Full day

A highly interactive full-day workshop for marketers who are looking at how to position and prepare themselves for their first management role.This is the latest in the well established series of courses supporting marketers as they progress through their careers in the professions.The workshop qualifies for 6 hours CPD.

This course contains a number of group exercises which provide ample opportunity to talk to and learn from other participants.

Topiocs covered include:

Hard issues

• What is a manager?
• The big picture - Taking a broader view
• Strategic marketing and business development
• Developing a marketing plan

Soft issues

• Being perceived as a manager
• Gaining partner buy-in
• Running a team
• Motivating yourself

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

Increasing your personal effectiveness

Wednesday 25 March 2009 - Half day

This half-day course is for marketing executives and managers in professional service firms who are happy with their marketing knowledge and skills but need to find ways to increase their effectiveness.

The focus of this interactive and practical course is on a number of essential personal, interpersonal and management competencies.The workshop qualifies for 3 hours CPD.

Topiocs covered include:

• Introduction
• Conveying the right impression
• Know what you want
• Know what others want
• Get things done
• Keep on track
• Communicate
• Managing others
• Pulling it all together

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

Practical and professional skills for marketing assistants

Friday 3 April 2009 - Half day

Created in 2002 and updated regularly (most recently in November 2008) this is a popular half-day interactive workshop allowing for the exchange of views and ideas for those with a basic understanding and some experience of marketing who would like to develop their marketing knowledge, role and career within a professional service firm.The workshop qualifies for 3 hours CPD.

Topics covered include:

• Introduction
• Marketing strategy and plans
• Practical marketing and communications skills
• Personal marketing
• Planning your career

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

An introduction to selling and business development

Thursday 30 April 2009 - Half day

This half-day course is an introduction for senior marketing executives and managers to the concepts and processes of selling. It explores the differences between marketing and business development, reviews the key concepts and models and offers guidance on how to initiate the transition from both the firm’s and the individual’s perspective.The workshop qualifies for 3 hours CPD.

Considering both theory and application, the course equips delegates with the ability to help fee-earners more effectively to convert opportunities and win new business and to develop more work from existing clients. It also helps delegates identify how they will continue their personal development in the areas of selling and BD.

Topics covered include:

• Introduction and aims
• An introduction to selling
• New client/business generation
• Selling to existing clients
• Business development systems
• Getting started

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

A beginner’s guide to preparing a marketing plan

Wednesday 13 May 2009 - Half day

An introductory workshop for those who have not yet produced a marketing plan in a PSF. This session will help them understand the process and challenges of building a plan in a professional services firm whether it is for their firm, their office or a particular team.

This workshop is suitable for marketing executives who have little or no experience in preparing a marketing plan.The workshop qualifies for 3 hours CPD.

Topics covered include:

• Introduction
• About marketing plans
• Starting points
• Where are we now?
• Where do we want to be?
• How will we get there?
• Making it happen
• Monitoring progress

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

The Proactive Marketing Executive

Thursday 4 June 2009 - Full day

A highly interactive full-day workshop for senior marketing assistants and executives who want to a) move from responsive service provision into a more proactive advisory role and b) expand into more managerial, strategic and client focused areas.The workshop qualifies for 6 hours CPD.

Expanding some of the themes in the Practical and Professional Skills for Marketing Assistants this course contains a number of group exercises which provide ample opportunity to talk to and learn from other participants.

Topics covered include:

• Introduction
• Towards strategic marketing
• Extending tactical marketing knowledge
• Managing tactical marketing programmes
• Working more closely with fee-earners
• Getting closer to clients
• Developing your career

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

The Future Marketing Manager

Friday 26 June 2009 - Full day

A highly interactive full-day workshop for marketers who are looking at how to position and prepare themselves for their first management role.This is the latest in the well established series of courses supporting marketers as they progress through their careers in the professions.The workshop qualifies for 6 hours CPD.

This course contains a number of group exercises which provide ample opportunity to talk to and learn from other participants.

Topiocs covered include:

Hard issues

• What is a manager?
• The big picture - Taking a broader view
• Strategic marketing and business development
• Developing a marketing plan

Soft issues

• Being perceived as a manager
• Gaining partner buy-in
• Running a team
• Motivating yourself

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

Basic marketing training for secretaries

Thursday 2 July 2009 - Half day

This half-day workshop covers the basics of marketing in professional services firms.Whilst a lot of basic marketing theory is covered during the session, there is plenty of opportunity for participants to work with each other to share ideas and experiences and to apply the ideas that are learned.

The workshop qualifies for 3 hours CPD.

Topics covered include:

• Introduction
• Basic marketing theory
• Developing your role
• Conclusions and summary

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

Advanced marketing planning

Thursday 10 September 2009 - Half day

A practical workshop for marketers who have developed marketing plans but wish to tackle specific planning and implementation issues.The emphasis will be on adopting a strategic perspective and integrating different aspects of the marketing, selling and client development processes. Delegates will be encouraged to share ideas and experiences.

This workshop is suitable for marketing executives who have produced a marketing plan and wish to develop their knowledge and skills and seek help in implementation.The workshop qualifies for 3 hours CPD.

Topics covered include:

• Introduction
• Lessons from the masters – MacDonald, Maister and Mayson
• Leadership challenges
• Motivational challenges
• Data challenges
• Competitive challenges
• Communication challenges
• Integration challenges

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

Project, campaign and time management

Wednesday 30 September 2009 - Half day

An introduction to essential project management skills for marketing executives and managers.The course provides an opportunity to review your current approach and identify ways to improve; to learn techniques that save time and increase effectiveness and efficiency and to develop a more strategic approach to project, campaign and time management.

The session is aimed at all levels from relatively junior assistants to senior managers who have not had any formal training in these areas.The workshop qualifies for 3 hours CPD.

Topics covered include:

• Introduction
• Time management
• Projects
• Campaigns

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

The Proactive Marketing Executive

Wednesday 14 October 2009 - Full day

A highly interactive full-day workshop for senior marketing assistants and executives who want to a) move from responsive service provision into a more proactive advisory role and b) expand into more managerial, strategic and client focused areas.The workshop qualifies for 6 hours CPD.

Expanding some of the themes in the Practical and Professional Skills for Marketing Assistants this course contains a number of group exercises which provide ample opportunity to talk to and learn from other participants.

Topics covered include:

• Introduction
• Towards strategic marketing
• Extending tactical marketing knowledge
• Managing tactical marketing programmes
• Working more closely with fee-earners
• Getting closer to clients
• Developing your career

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

Practical and professional skills for marketing assistants

Wednesday 4 November 2009 - Half day

Created in 2002 and updated regularly (most recently in November 2008) this is a popular half-day interactive workshop allowing for the exchange of views and ideas for those with a basic understanding and some experience of marketing who would like to develop their marketing knowledge, role and career within a professional service firm.The workshop qualifies for 3 hours CPD.

Topics covered include:

• Introduction
• Marketing strategy and plans
• Practical marketing and communications skills
• Personal marketing
• Planning your career

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

Return to top

For more information download a booking form

The Future Marketing Manager

Wednesday 11 November 2009 - Full day

A highly interactive full-day workshop for marketers who are looking at how to position and prepare themselves for their first management role.This is the latest in the well established series of courses supporting marketers as they progress through their careers in the professions.The workshop qualifies for 6 hours CPD.

This course contains a number of group exercises which provide ample opportunity to talk to and learn from other participants.

Topiocs covered include:

Hard issues

• What is a manager?
• The big picture - Taking a broader view
• Strategic marketing and business development
• Developing a marketing plan

Soft issues

• Being perceived as a manager
• Gaining partner buy-in
• Running a team
• Motivating yourself

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form

Introduction to creativity and innovation

Thursday 19 November 2009 - Half day

A half-day interactive exploration of the basis of creativity and innovation – both in its application to day-today problem solving and within marketing. Delegates will be given assessments to analyse their creative potential and the opportunity to try to apply a number of different techniques to various situations and develop confidence in the use of their own creative skills.The workshop qualifies for 3 hours CPD.

The session is aimed at all levels of marketing staff who want to gain a better understanding of creativity. Please come equipped with some problems and challenges that you wish to address!

Topics covered include:

• Introducing creativity – The theoretical bit
• Different ways of working – The tools bit
• Creativity in marketing and business development – The applied bit

Kim Tasso is an independent consultant with over 20 years' experience of strategic and tactical marketing, business development, selling and client management in the professions. After senior in-house roles at Deloitte and Nabarro she started her consultancy in 1994 and has since worked for over 200 firms in legal, accountancy and surveying including: Allsop & Co, Atisreal, Hempsons, Keating Chambers, Olswang, Mayer Brown, S J Berwin, The Law Society, Thomson Snell & Passmore, Weil Gotshal & Manges.

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For more information download a booking form