A comprehensive guide to understanding and growing your skills as a Buyer

With Moyra Race

There are many skills a Buyer has to learn to master in order to drive company profitability. The level of performance in the various roles and skills acquired will dictate the level of success and job satisfaction.

Understanding the Buyers Role and the skills involved will help you maximise your capability. Looking at each role from a different perspective will enable you to make informed and positive decisions to drive your business forward. If you are setting out on a Buying Career or want to hone your skills then this is the course for you….

This course will be for you if…

  • You’re deciding if a Buying Role would suit you and maybe wondering what skills you would need
  • You are already a Buyer and you want to make a difference. 
  • You have spent a large proportion of your time stuck in administration roles and thought ‘How can I make a difference and improve the profitability of my business
  • You are a Manager or leader of a Buying team and need to structure and align your team with other departments to improve efficiencies to streamline the business whilst gaining profitability and sales

 

This course is designed to help you navigate through complex collaborations internally and externally, get you to think strategically, and make your job more enjoyable, clearer to manage and more dynamic. It will help you and your teams to stand out as a great Buyers and help you build and nurture skills for the future. By knowing how and where to collaborate you can drive the business collectively. 

By examining the What? Why? And How ? to build ranges and categories you will have a sharper approach and be more agile and flexible to adapt to market situations.

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Review

5 star rating

The Skilled Buyer is packed with brilliant insights!

Cathy McGuire

This course covers all aspects of the Buyer's role and Moyra brings it to life by sharing her own impressive buying experience. The Negotiation module and the supplier persona are particularly insightful. There's a lot of great content to get th...

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This course covers all aspects of the Buyer's role and Moyra brings it to life by sharing her own impressive buying experience. The Negotiation module and the supplier persona are particularly insightful. There's a lot of great content to get through and the workbook and exercises really help with pacing and reflection on the modules. And the opportunity to have one-on-one follow-up and coaching with Moyra is a huge added bonus! Great course!

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Who is this course for?

  • Buyers

    Buyers looking to widen their skillset and improve personal performance

  • Career Change

    Those contemplating a career in Buying

  • Managers & Leaders

    Managers and leaders who want to develop their Buying teams

In more detail

Let's look at the Aims and Outcomes

The aim of this course is to:

  • Understand in detail the varied roles of a Buyer
  • Look at each aspect of the role and learn the skills required to maximise potential?
  • Understand what makes a great Buyer and top tips to explore to increase profitability.
  • Evolve the Buying role and be more successful in the current commercial climate.
  • Evaluate your strategy and ensure growth in your category.
  • Increase your confidence to negotiate better deals.


Outcomes

By the end of the course you will be able to:

  1. Understand the many and varied tasks of a Buyer and have a specific understanding of the skills required to master each task
  2. Be able to put into practice what you have learned to develop your business positively
  3. Recognise the skills you need to develop with an action plan and timeline to progress

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome

  • 2
  • 3

    Know Your Customer

    • Know Your Customer

  • 4

    The Cost Controller

    • The Cost Controller

  • 5

    Negotiation Skills

    • Negotiation Skills

  • 6

    Category Buying

    • Category Buying

  • 7

    Range Building

    • Range Builder

  • 8

    Best Seller Maintenance

    • Best Seller Maintenance

  • 9

    Space Planning

    • Space Planning

  • 10

    Supply Chain and Merchandising

    • Supply Chain and Merchandising

  • 11

    Marketing and Advertising

    • Marketing and Advertising

  • 12

    Product Development and Sourcing

    • Product Development and Sourcing

  • 13

    Supplier Relationships

    • Supplier Relationships

  • 14

    Understanding Open to Buy (OTB)

    • Understanding Open to Buy (OTB)

  • 15

    Training and Development

    • Training and Development

  • 16

    Evaluation and Action

    • Evaluation and Action

  • 17

    In Summary

    • In Summary

  • 18

    Assignment and Coaching Session

    • Your Assignment

  • 19

    ...And finally

    • How to 'GET YOUR CERTIFICATE'

Price

Instructor Bio

Moyra Race

I am a dynamic Buying Consultant utilising years of global buying experience to help both buyers and brands to understand the Buyers Mindset. Most recently I was the Global Head of Category, Watches, Jewellery and Sunglasses for the worlds largest travel retail operator, travelling extensively and negotiating regularly with many prestigious and well-known brands. Using strategic skills in negotiation, category management, and brand relationships I can help you grow as a Buyer and deliver positive outcomes.

Testimonials

“Coming from a career in Buying and having completed several distance learning courses at Degree Level, I would highly recommend this course as a great way to learn remotely and understand the role of buying and how to buy effectively. Moyra was my colleague and mentor for over 10 years of international buying and merchandising, her ability to understand the market and product area meant she was a font of knowledge for all of us including suppliers who consulted her for their own product placement and development. The Workbook for use alongside the course helps to re-enforce the key points and pushes the learner to think about their own particular category. The added value of the assignment and the coaching session are significant as to receive one to one feedback from Moyra is a fantastic opportunity. Global travel and negotiation have been a key part of Moyra’s career, her ability to quickly build relationships in various countries demonstrates an understanding of business environments and psychology of different cultures. Moyra was always generous with her knowledge and kindness to her colleagues and staff, which means this course is delivered with years of not only buying experience but of mentoring and educating.”

Helena Cope Senior Buying and Merchandising Manager, Ba (hons) Business Management

“I have known Moyra for over 30 years since her first days as a graduate trainee buyer at Sainsburys where I was her buying director. I have followed her stellar career ever since those early days and evaluating the skilled buyer course it is a great insight and testament into the career in which she has been so successful. The course is extensive and easy to navigate being a complete compendium from beginners to the expert and manager/director examining the what why and how of buying. It isn't rocket science mostly common sense but having it so expertly laid out and explained is a bonus. It stresses the collaborative nature of the role across internal and external functions within businesses and underscores how important relationships are in the buying role. I always used to tell my teams you don't need to be a b-----d to get a deal!! "Win:win" and remember "you're not in business to put the seller out of business!" I certainly endorse Moyra and her dynamic approach with this innovative and interesting course”

Allan Cheesman Previously Wine Buying Director Sainsburys, Board Director Wine and Spirit Education Trust

“I have worked with Moyra both directly as her supplier and indirectly over the span of our careers. Moyra has a rare talent for being straight to the point and direct whilst at the same time communicating clearly and with kindness. Her deep knowledge of all things buying, branding and retail are frankly second to none. When Moyra told me she was changing paths and asked for my thoughts I could only tell her what I truly believe, that she possessed the skills, knowledge and empathy to be brilliant at her chosen new career. As ever she has chosen her direction well and, I continue to admire her professionalism and expertise, but now as her peer not as her supplier. I whole heartedly give Moyra my recommendation and urge any in need of her service and unique skills to work with her.”

Sarah Williams Specialist Coach in Business Growth

“I had the pleasure of attending one of Moyra's workshops recently with a group of business leaders and I would highly recommend it. The concept of getting into the mind of the 'buyer', or in my legal world, the 'client' was so enlightening and helped me approach client service in a whole different way as well as my approach to attracting new business. it was practical and effective and I was pleasantly surprised at how widely applicable to all businesses, including professional services.”

Dorcas Crawford Senior Partner Edwards & Co. Solicitors TEDx Speaker

“I worked with Moyra on a number of occasions, including annual budget preparation and the subsequent monthly results review, and new business financial modelling. The background work that she did to compile her figures was very transparent and made understanding her rationale simple. Moyra was also very good at realising what works and what doesn't in different situations, not just from the "product" perspective but from the "financial" perspective also. I would definitely work with Moyra again.”

Ed Walker Finance and Company Secretarial Support Services