Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to design, implement and evaluate direct response offers which match organisational business and marketing objectives and resolve marketing problems.

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to individuals working in a marketing assistant or account manager role who are required to design direct marketing offers for products or services. Such individuals may work in small, medium or large enterprises across a variety of industries; they usually work with a team and customers to design offers.

Direct response offers include payment related promises such as offers in relation to exchanging goods and services for money; terms of payment; performance and quality guarantees; delivery method; and time, place and method of order placement. Offers may also be made that do not involve payment matters, such as the offer of a free brochure or catalogue in return for providing a name and address.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Design offer components

1.1. Determine what will be supplied  in direct response offer in conjunction with team members

1.2. Determine what the respondent must supply or do  in response to offer

1.3. Select and document appropriate types of offer  to be made to customers

2. Test direct response offers

2.1. Provide customers with a range of direct response offer options 

2.2. Provide vehicles  for customers to provide feedback on direct response offer options

2.3. Analyse customer responses to test offers and follow-up if appropriate

2.4. Modify products or services  being offered based on customer feedback provided

2.5. Ensure offer option selected matches organisational marketing objectives and solves marketing problems 

2.6. Match supporting material requirements to type of direct marketing sale 

3. Select offer pricing structure

3.1. Evaluate factors affecting pricing  to determine normal or average selling price of offer

3.2. Determine short -term pricing strategies 

3.3. Select payment term options 

4. Determine and design required customer service levels

4.1. Design process that ensures accepted offers are fulfilled promptly

4.2. Develop procedures to ensure prompt answers to queries and complaints regarding product or service

4.3. Ensure access to instant, accurate information about status of delivery of products or services and customer accounts, including after-hours, to provide enhanced customer service

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• creativity and innovation skills to design a range of direct response offers which elicit interest and response from customers
• culturally appropriate communication skills to relate to people from diverse backgrounds and people with diverse abilities
• interpersonal skills to build relationships with clients
• numeracy skills to determine pricing of offers
• organisational and time management skills to sequence tasks and to meet time lines
• problem-solving skills to provide solutions to customer requirements and to solve organisational direct marketing problems

Required knowledge 

• teamwork skills to develop and refine direct response offers in response to customer feedback
• technology skills to use a range of office equipment (telephones, internet) and software (databases) to formulate and refine direct response offers.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

Evidence of the following is essential:

• designing and testing a range of direct response offers which meet organisational marketing objectives
• developing a pricing structure, customer service levels and relevant support materials for at least one product or service
• presenting a direct response offer for a product or service.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure:

• access to office equipment and resources.

Method of assessment 

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

• analysis of responses to case studies and scenarios
• assessment of examples of direct response offers
• demonstration of design, testing and refinement techniques
• direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate
• observation of presentations
• oral or written questioning
• review of authenticated documents from the workplace or training environment
• review of testimony from team members, colleagues, supervisors or managers
• tests of knowledge on offer component, offer type, pricing structure, customer service and creative options for direct response offers.

Guidance information for assessment 

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

• BSBMKG410A Test direct marketing activities
• other marketing units.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

What will be supplied  may include:

• additional products or services
• automatic delivery into the future
• brochures
• catalogues
• entry in a prize draw
• free trial periods
• guarantees
• instalment payment terms
• premiums
• product or service being offered
• sales presentations
• warranties

What the respondent must supply or do  may include:

• responding to a telephone call
• completing a response form
• transmitting a response form
• making a payment for things such as:

• insurance premiums
• order processing or account handling fees
• postage or freight fees
• product or service base price
• single or multiple instalments

• providing information such as:

• address
• bank account details
• birth date
• credit card account details
• email
• gender
• name
• PayPal account details
• phone number

• selecting a payment method such as:

• cash on delivery
• cheque
• company purchase order
• credit card
• e-cash
• money order
• wire transfer

• selecting preferred delivery method such as:

• delivery to third party transfer point
• delivery to local, regional, national, continental or international location
• pick up at supplier's premises

Types of offer  may include:

• making a direct sale from the organisation
• establishing an ongoing account where the response includes a commitment to future purchases such as:

• continuity of supply
• subscription

• generating a lead for a direct sale
• generating a lead for a sale by a third party such as:

• retailer
• wholesaler
• agent

• recording interest to generate information from customers and prospects which guides an organisation to modify existing offers and to create new offers

Options  may include:

• providing alternatives on:

• delivery methods
• order placement methods
• payment methods
• quantities available for purchase
• what is available to buy

Vehicles  for customer feedback may include:

• complaints forms
• feedback forms
• telephone hotlines
• web response forms

Modifying products or services  may include:

• adjusting, modifying, changing or replacing characteristics such as:

• appearance and behaviour of staff delivering products or services
• delivery methods
• design or content of brochures or catalogues sent in fulfilment of multi-step marketing offers
• maintenance and repair arrangements
• packaging
• quality, performance or customer satisfaction guarantee

Marketing problems  may include:

• high response rate with low profitability
• low average order value
• low response rate and high cost per response

Type of direct marketing sale  may include:

• one step sales requiring things such as:

• delivery details
• how to order
• presentation of products or services
• pricing of all possible response options

• multi-step sales requiring things such as:

• sending catalogues
• presenting the product or service
• making a sales presentation
• visiting stores

• third party sales

Factors affecting pricing  may include:

• those based on gross margin targets
• those based on economies of scale
• discounts for volume purchases
• fluctuations in purchasing cost of:

• capital
• energy
• labour
• raw materials

Short -term pricing strategies  may include:

• free or discount bonuses
• introductory prices for new customers
• sale prices

Payment term options  may include:

• credit provided by a marketing organisation
• leasing options such as:

• buyback
• hire purchase
• novated

• which credit cards are accepted

Unit sector 

Competency field 

Business Development - Marketing

Co-requisite units