TRAINING OF TRAINERS (TOT) FOR UWEZO FUND MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ON MARKETING AND MARKET ACCESS MODULE

Session Outline 1.What is marketing 2.Identify and know their customers’ needs 3.Identify the best marketing strategies

What is marketing? Marketing involves satisfying the needs or wants of customers. All the needs / wants of a customer are met by either a product or a service.

Know your customer and their needs A customer is a person who buys and uses your products or services The central focus in marketing should always be the customer. The following should be among the questions a person should ask him/herself when attempting to sell any products or services. What does he need and how can the producer meet these needs? Can our products satisfy the customer’s needs? How do we keep these customers?

Identifying and satisfying customer’s needs Customers’ needs are dynamic and vary from one customer to another. Customer needs can be identified through: Observation Listening to the customers- enquiries, feedback, suggestions Studying the market Customer needs are satisfied through provision of products or services. Satisfying customer needs requires continuous familiarization with the market.

How do we keep the customers? “The customer is King!!!!” A good business person must be ready to listen to his/her customers and make adjustment according to their needs.

Effective customer care involves Listening to your customer - Setting up a customer care desk, open days and questionnaires to receive enquiries, feedback & complaints. Providing quality products and services - Monitoring your competitors in order to learn and borrow from their best examples Keeping your promise Giving fair prices for the products and services

Marketing Strategies These are the marketing activities that revolve around the following factors commonly referred to as the 4Ps of marketing. 1. The Product/Service Products are physical items that are sold to consumers. Services are intangible and are offered to customers through personal activities such as hairdressing, transport, treatment, training etc. The product/service should match the customers’ needs.

Marketing strategies…(2) 2. The Price This is the value attached to a product/service by customers for which they are ready for pay through money or other forms of payment. You should always offer a price that is fair and competitive. 3. The place This refers to the location where a customer is able to access the product/service. Convenience of the customer to access the product/service is key.

Marketing strategies…(3) 4. The Promotion This refers to the activities used in helping both the existing and potential customers get to know access a product or service. Examples of promotion activities include advertising, personal selling, discounts, seasonal offers, free samples etc.

Market Segmentation A market is a place where customers are looking for products that meet their demands and where producers sell their products that meet those demands. A market segment is a group of customers that have similar characteristics: they would buy your product for the same reasons! Sub dividing the market in various segments or groups is called segmentation. Market can be segmented through:- 1.Demographic - are they single or heads of families, are they young or are they of age, are male or they female. 2.Social economic – do they have a high income or low income, are they traditionally rich or have they recently made a lot of money. 3.Geographic – are they living in towns or rural areas, in rich suburbs or in slums? 4.User frequency – do they do shopping once in a month or daily? Note: One criteria might not be sufficient, thus the need to combine a mix of them to define your customer.

Group Work Task: Illustration on the need for chairs

Thank you for your participation Any questions?