PATRICK FORSYTH runs
Touchstone Training & Consultancy, an independent firm based
in the U.K. specialising in marketing consultancy, research and training on
marketing issues, sales and communication and management skills.
He is a consultant of many years’ experience and was a Board
Director of a major consulting organisation before starting his own firm in
1990. Previously he began his career in publishing, holding sales, sales
management and marketing positions, subsequently working for a management
institute before moving into consultancy.
His work has spanned many industries, and also many
countries, in part in alliances with others (for example as an “Associate
consultant” with various professional bodies). He has worked in most countries
in continental Europe (including Eastern Europe) and has also worked regularly
in South East Asia, which he has got to know well. In training he conducts
tailored in-company courses and individual tutorials. He also conducts “public”
seminars and has presented regularly for a variety of organisers including: The
Chartered Management Institute, The Chartered Institute of Marketing, The
London Chamber of Commerce, The City University Business School and more
specialised bodies (such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the
Publishing Industry Training Centre and the British Council). He has worked for
similar bodies overseas, for example the management institutes in Malaysia and
Singapore.
He is the author of many successful business books. These
include: Marketing: a guide to the fundamentals
(The Economist), How to write Reports and
Proposals, How to Motivate People and Successful Time Management
(Kogan Page), and on careers, for example: Detox your career (Cyan). He has titles translated into more
than twenty five different languages. He also has a long list of articles to
his credit (written for a variety of journals such as Better Business and
Professional Marketing), training materials and, more recently, for several
web sites; he has written and produced corporate publications. One review of
his writing states: Patrick has a lucid
and elegant style which allows him to present information in a way that is
organised, focused and easy to apply. (“Professional Marketing” magazine).
His work also includes a plethora of other involvements. He
has acted as: a series editor for an international business publisher, training
advisor for the Meetings Industry Association, advisor and presenter on two BBC
television programmes on marketing and management matters, a member of on the
editorial board of a management journal, a communications advisor for the Civil
Service in Malaysia, a mentor in the TEC small business advisory service and
reviewed books for The Good Book Guide and
Amazon. His writing stretches beyond
business and he has had three books of light-hearted travel writing published (First class at last!, Beguiling Burma and
Smile because it happened - the later
about Thailand) along with two novels (Long
Overdue and Loose Ends).