Best Free MOOCs In Business For June

Memorial Day marks the unofficial kickoff to summer. In business, that means summer hours or “working” from home on Fridays. For some, June is a time to catch their breath. Since the holidays, they’ve been criss-crossing the country, living out of Drury Inns with 11 p.m. conference calls and 5 a.m. wake ups. For others, June is a time to step back and reflect. The numbers have started rolling in, giving them an idea of where they stand – and where they need to be.

Not surprisingly, June’s MOOCs cater to professionals who are pausing to wade into smaller issues they’ve pushed back – or big picture items that will reverberate long after the quarter ends. And there’s no better place to start than the lifeblood of any organization: Marketing and sales.

MARKETING HEADLINES JUNE OFFERINGS

And you can start with analytics, which has joined with social media to transform how companies target and communicate with prospects and customers alike. In its “Marketing Analytics: Marketing Measurement Strategy” course, the University of California at Berkeley takes a practitioners’ tact towards deep dive data analysis. Taught by a former marketing executive at Cisco and SAS, the course examines how data can be used to identify trends, measure returns, evaluate strategy, and guide decision-making. It also introduces students to standard analytics tools, exposing both their capabilities and the contexts where they carry the greatest value.

Two of Europe’s top MBA programs – IESE and IE Business School – have unveiled courses that examine underlying marketing fundamentals. IE’s course, “Positioning: What You Need For A Successful Marketing Strategy,” focuses on how organizations can successfully differentiate their products in a cluttered and changing marketplace. At the same time, IESE’s “Marketing: Understanding Your Customers” returns to the basics: Why do customers buy and what enticements can you introduce to jumpstart the process? For professionals looking for an enterprise-wide perspective, the University of Illinois is introducing “Corporate Strategy,” which analyzes how the broader vision and plan creates sustainable competitive advantage and customer value.

COACHING EMPLOYEES AND USING SIX SIGMA ARE OTHER BIG ATTRACTIONS

Beyond marketing, June MOOCs cover a wealth of key educational ground. Wondering how to jumpstart your low performers or malcontents? Check out U.C.-Davis’ “Coaching Conversations,” which features models of how to get the most from those employee talks that every manager dreads. Dreaming of transitioning to the nonprofit sector? Check out the SUNY’s “Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector, Nonprofit Organizations, Nonprofit Leadership and Governance,” a how-to for managing a cause-driven organizations and working with boards. For students looking to understand the impact of accounting on the c-suite, the University of Illinois offers “Accounting for Business Decision Making: Measurement and Operational Decisions.”

Finally, you don’t need to earn a belt to understand Six Sigma. echnische Universität pulls back the curtain with “Fundamentals of Six Sigma: Quality Engineering and Management.” Here, students can see how basic six sigma principles can inform everything from how to make better decisions to how to better service customers.

To learn more about these courses – and register for them – click on the links below.

Marketing

Marketing Analytics: Marketing Measurement Strategy / June 7 / University of California-Berkeley

Positioning: What You Need For A Successful Marketing Strategy / June / IE Business School

Marketing: Understanding Your Customers / June / IESE Business School

Corporate Strategy / June / University of Illinois

Leadership

Coaching Conversations / June / U.C.-Davis

The Three Pillar Model for Business Decisions: Strategy, Law & Ethics / June 1 / University of Michigan

Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector, Nonprofit Organizations, Nonprofit Leadership and Governance / June 6 / State University of New York

Leadership Through Social Influence / May 30 / Northwestern University

New Models Of Business In Society / June 6 / University of Virginia