By Ahmed al-Akber/Dubai

We need to sell more” is the response I get 95% of the time when asking about the objectives behind a new product, service, or company. While sales is of course important, it is not an action – it is in fact a reaction to offering the right product or service in the first place. This couldn’t be truer in businesses with offerings in underdeveloped markets.
Let’s take the example of Henry Ford’s Model T launch over a 100 years ago. Ford’s independent dealers had to not only publicise and market the Model T, but with the horse-drawn cart as the primary mode of transport in those days, they had to market the very idea of using an automobile as an alternative.
Here we have a wonderful product – with sales not being the primary objective. Educating the market about how an automobile can help improve lives and businesses was what got people interested in the first place. This was Ford dealers’ focus. The Model T just so happened to be what was offered to close the deal.
So how can you educate your market about problems that buyers didn’t know they even had? One way is to share with them issues that others in their peer group are facing: “We are seeing that companies in your industry are facing these issues, and because of that, they are losing money or time. Are you familiar with these issues?” If so, that opens up a conversation where you can discuss how you can improve things.
Doing this gets you ahead of someone educating themselves, sometimes in the wrong way (using the wrong internet sites or speaking to incompetent suppliers) and gets you ahead of their request for a proposal – one that may be sent to multiple suppliers at the same time to get competitive bids.
If this situation is done right, you’ll be asked to create the request for proposal, and therefore be in a better position to win the deal.

- Ahmed al-Akber is the managing director of ACK Solutions, a firm that helps companies to improve their marketing and sales results by offering more effective ways attracting customers and significantly better products and services. Ahmed has worked internationally in marketing, sales, and strategic planning at companies such as the Coca-Cola Company, Philip Morris International and Dell. Questions or comments can be sent to Ahmed on ahmed@acksolutions.com