Strategic Commercial Awareness
Develop the confidence to think commercially and contribute to strategic business decisions as a manager or business partner. This practical course helps managers understand finance, market forces and strategy so they can influence direction and performance.
In this course, you will learn how to:
- Understand how financial performance links to business strategy
- Interpret key financial information including profit and loss, cash flow and balance sheets
- Use commercial and strategic models to analyse markets and business environments
- Connect organisational strategy to day-to-day decisions and priorities
- Build credible business cases using financial and commercial insight
- Contribute more confidently to strategic discussions and planning
Who is this course for?
Managers, business partners and professionals who want to strengthen their commercial awareness and strategic thinking. Ideal for those involved in decision-making, budgeting, planning or influencing business direction.
Enquire NowFrequently Asked Questions
What is Strategic Commercial Awareness training?
Who is this Strategic Commercial Awareness course for?
What commercial and financial skills will I learn?
Do I need a finance background to attend?
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How is the training delivered and what support is included?
Course Outline
Course overview
Duration: 2 days (13 hours)
This course is aimed at managers who want to develop their commercial awareness, financial knowledge and strategic thinking capabilities, so that they can influence the direction of their business and deliver to their full potential.
Day one of the course provides the skills and insights to make sense of your company’s financial position and performance.
Day two helps delegates to consider the strategic thinking tools required to plot the forward course needed to maximise the potential of the business.
As well as looking at how to make effective business decisions, this course gives a good grounding in finance and profitability. As a two day programme, day one provides the skills and insights to make sense of the company’s financial position and performance. Day two then considers the strategic thinking tools needed to plot the forward course needed to maximise the potential of the business.
Objectives
By the end of the course you will be able to:
- An understanding of the balance sheet, profit and loss account, cash flow and statutory and management accounts
- Learnt to correctly employment key financial ratios to analyse your business
- A practical definition of strategy
- analysis tools to examine the current environment and capabilities
- Steps to devise a mission and vision statement
- Recognition of the skills and resources needed to achieve the vision
- Generation of appropriate strategic and tactical commercial objectives
Content
What is Strategy
- Defining Strategy
- Strategic thinking
- Strategic models
- Commercial thinking – what is money?
Where are we now
- STEEPLE analysis
- SWOT Analysis
- P&E forces at work
- Political distortions in capitalist markets
Where are we trying to get to
- Setting the mission and vision
- Creating a BHAG
- Strategies for deflation and inflation
The role of banks
- Commercial and investment banking
- Fractional reserving
- Securitisation
How to get there
- Skill gap analysis
- Business Process Re engineering
- The role of creativity
How to get there
- Getting the team on board
- Individual and team motivation
- The power of the brand
Overcoming challenges
- Debt and deleveraging
- Change management
Creating value
- Discounted Cash Flows
- Building the business case
- Asset Valuation techniques
Making it happen
- Turning Strategic Thinking into Strategic Plans
- Scenario planning for an uncertain future
- Creating commitments and lock in
Discussion and review
- Time will be set aside during the course for review sessions with time for questions, answers and action learning.
Why Choose Underscore for Commercial Awareness Training?
Underscore Group delivers practical, instructor-led commercial and leadership development training that helps people communicate clearly, build confidence, and work more effectively with others. Based in Sussex and supporting organisations across the UK, we specialise in relatable, real-world learning that strengthens capability at every level — from early-career professionals to experienced managers.
Every session is tailored to your organisation’s culture, values and ways of working, ensuring the skills taught transfer directly into day-to-day behaviour. Our leadership and people-skills programmes are trusted by organisations across finance, aviation, healthcare, construction and professional services.
- Trusted by leading UK organisations
- Expert trainers with real business experience
- Small-group sessions (6–8 people)
- Practical, hands-on learning approach
- Virtual & onsite delivery across the UK
- Six months of post-course support
Get in Touch
Still have questions about this course?
Click Enquire Now and our team will share full details on content, dates, and pricing — and help you decide if it’s the right fit for you or your organisation.
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Additional Insights
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