HOW TO SELL OR MARKET YOUR PRODUCT

Marketing means the activities of a business to ensure continues flow of goods and services from the point of production to the point of consumption. Marketing is a broad term, it ranges from physical distribution, merchandizing and promotion. However, For the purpose of this post we emphasised on  promotion.

Listed below are the eight (8) ways you can market/sell your product

1. Personal selling

2. Advertising

3. Sales promotion

4. Word-of-mouth

5. Branding

6. Packaging

7. public relation

8. Publicity

Let's look at how you can achieve your marketing/selling objectives with the following mentioned above.

1. Personal selling 

Personal selling refers to a direct contact between a seller and buyers for an exchange to take place.

Personal selling could occur on the internet, face to face, presentations, messages and phone calls.

For you to market/sell your product, try to locate your prospective customers either in thier offices, schools, religion centres, market places, Houses, public gatherings etc. Prepare yourself to present your product accurately. Explain to them how your product can help solve thier problems or satisfy thier needs and what makes your product better than others.

Personal selling will help you to understand your customer and how you can serve them better.

2. Advertising

Advertising means informing the public about an existence of a product, educating them on how to use the product, persuading them to buy the product, telling them how the product is better than others and/or reminding them about a product through paid media.

For you to market and increase your sales, locate an advertising agency that is willing to offer you affordable services. They are expert in this field that can design effective advertising campaigns for you. Also given the job to them will help save you from unnecessary spending, stress, errors and wasting of time.

However, if you decide to do the job by yourself, these are the advertising media you can place your product.

*Television; local television are cheaper than national television, it will also help you to reach your prospective customers within your limit. 

*News papers; news papers are also relatively cheap depending on the advertising space you intend to cover.

*Magazines; magazines are the best media to advertise products that are perculiar to your industry e.g advertising sport wears on sport magazines.

*Radio; radio is very cheap, it covers wide audience and can even Broadcast in different languages.

*Posters/ banners/calenders/handbills; print quality designs and distribute to your prospective customers.

*Internet ( social media, websites etc); internet is one of the best, simple and cost effective way to market your product. You can locate IT experts to setup social media pages, website and run advertising campaigns for you, you can also do the ones you know how to do by yourself. Locate bloggers to advertise your product for you as well

* Other ways of advertising your product include; T-shirt, caps, nylon leathers, journals, cinemas, sign post, Billboards, church bulletins etc.

3. SALES PROMOTION

Sales promotion means using some techniques to stimulate sales. E.g

*Organizing a context; (Nigerian idol, Maltina dance, Gulder ultimate search) are examples of context organized by big firms. You can organize for your product as well.

*Sample; given free products to prospective customers to test.

*Discount sales; Given discount sales can help increase your sales

*Given credit sales; is a way of marketing your product too

*Sponsorship;  sponsoring live events and programs can help increase your sales too

*Trade shows;  showcasing your product In public places and trading programs will also help market your product.

*Premium; buy one get one free, given bonus/jara to your customers is a good way of marketing your product too.

4. WORD-OF-MOUTH

When you give maximum satisfaction to your customers, they will help spread the good news. They will tell thier friends, relations, colleagues, class/course mates, members etc. 

5. BRANDING 

It means specific attributes given to a product that distinguishes it from others e.g name, design, label, trademark, logo, symbols etc.

It will help customers to easily locate and remember your product.

6. PACKAGING

It means to develop containers/sachets for a product.

Design simple, versatile, safe and attractive packages for your product. They contribute to a product quality and also help to attract prospective buyers.

7. PUBLIC RELATIONS

It means a deliberate effort established by a business to create and maintain good relationship, good image and reputation with his/her business environment such as customers, employees, government agencies, competitors, community and suppliers etc. All these things will help to market and increase your product sales

8. PUBLICITY

It means any information about a product or business distributed to the general public through media and it not paid for.

This one must not be too effective for your small business at this stage but you can try it too. Media might not be interested in publishing what they are not gaining much or not gaining at all from.

Study the write up closely, practice what you studied and it will help your business to grow. 

I hope this is helpful!

WELCOME TO OBUDU MOUNTAIN RESORTS,

Obudu mountain resorts,

Obudu mountain resorts is also known as Obudu cattle ranch. It's ones of the notable tourism in Nigeria located in Cross River State. The resort has cool weather condition, breathtaking scenarios, stunning landscapes and divers activities for visitors to enjoy.

Obudu mountain resorts is situated on the obudu plateau which has an average altitude of about 5,200 feet above seal level. It offers cool and temperate climate which is good for relaxing atmosphere.

The resorts host activities like hiking, horseback riding, car cable riding, bird watching and swimming ( resort out door pool) but on the edge of a cliff. 

The most popular way to access the resort is by riding on a cable car from mountain base to the top which offers stunning views of the surrounding area.

Obudu mountain resort is one of the most popular tourist destination in Nigeria, it's known for it natural beauty, relaxing condition and outdoor adventure.

It's a place you would like to visit.

103 YEARS OLD WOMAN WHO WAITED FOR HER WHITE BOYFRIEND ALL HER LIFE

 

Dream of elusive love: Mariam Hussein, 103-year-old Tanzania woman who waited years to meet her white boyfriend

A 103-year-old Tanzanian woman identified as Mariam Hussein has narrated the lifelong story of love and patience detailing her deep affection for a white boyfriend named John, whom she failed to meet again after he left.

Hussein, who spoke with Afrimax’s English anchor, Simon Greenwood, in Swahili (translated to English) recently said she was convinced that her European boyfriend would find her soon so they could rekindle their love, but she ended up single and celibate all her life.

According to her, John was a young man full of adventure and kindness who had come to Tanzania seeking adventure.

“I met John, a young white man from Europe who had come to Tanzanian in search of adventure and purpose. I helped him navigate and settle comfortably into his new environment. Over time, our friendship blossomed into something more, to be honest, he was unlike anyone I have ever met his manners, stories, and kindness all fascinated me he respected my culture and showed genuine interest in my life and aspirations we spent countless hours envisioning a future filled with love and happiness I believed he was truly unique and indeed he was.

“Our relationship blossomed and I found myself falling deeply in love every moment we spent together made my feelings for him grow stronger, I could see that he loved me too, his eyes sparkled with genuine affection whenever he looked at me and his actions always showed his care and commitment.

“I love him back wholeheartedly and unconditionally because, for the first time in my life, it was all about love in its purest form we shared dreams, hopes and secrets together, building an unbreakable bond I also hoped that John would be the one to change my destiny I dreamt that he may take me away from the life of struggle I had always known and experienced with him I envisioned a future filled with endless possibilities free from the hardship that had defined my past he gave me hope that together we could build a new life full of love and happiness,” the woman said.

The woman, who has never married nor had children, stressed that her hopes were dashed when John abruptly received an urgent call to return to his village without bidding her farewell or explaining.

Devastated by his sudden disappearance, Hussein spent years searching for him, believing that he would someday return to fulfil their dreams.

“I was devastated I couldn’t believe he had disappeared initially. I considered the possibility of it being a prank or a test of my patience. I searched high and low for John desperately hoping for an explanation but he was nowhere to be found days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and still there was no trace of him months turned into years and yet I clung to believe that John would eventually return.

“I refused to accept the idea that he may not come back anytime soon despite the wonderful moments we had shared, I remained a virgin and made it my priority to maintain my purity…,”  she noted.

GEMBU (Nigeria tourist destination)

Welcome to Gembu,

Gembu town is located in Sarduna Local Government Area of Taraba State. It's the coldest town in Nigeria, it has beautiful landscapes and mountains views, the town is rich in agriculture and vibrant culture.

Gembu weather conditions

Gembu experience daytime temperature around 2/degree C, with temperature variations ranging from 11.7 degree C. to 27.8 degree C. It is rarely below 9.4 degree C or above 31.1degre C. It has a tropical climate with a cool season

One of the notable landmarks in Gembu is the Giangirwal mountain  which offers stunning views and it's a popular tourist destination.

Economic activities

The majority of Gembu residents practice agricultural activities as mainstream of thier economy and source of their livelyhood, they produce crops like maize, yam, potatoes and cattle rearing. They are into trading as well

Cultures and Traditions

The people of Gembu showcase thier rich heritage with colourful cultural festivals and events, they are heathwarming towards visitor, they have strong sense of belonging as they come together to celebrate and support one another when the need arises.

Gembu is a unique town with beautiful weather condition, views, value system, rich culture and Traditions, a place of relaxation and adventure, a town that you will never like to leave when visited. Indeed Gembu is one of the best tourist destination in Nigeria.

#tourismINnigera 

Step by step guide on how to become a successful entreprenuer in Nigeria

An entrepreneur is a person  who identified an opportunity/need/business idea, first calculate risk, mobilize resources, set up an Enterprise and he/she is reward with profit. An entrepreneur simply means a business founder.

It's a dream of most people to become an entrepreneur because of the benefits that come with entrepreneurship, doing a regular job or salary job will never give you such freedom, independence, satisfaction etc. However, before you enjoy all these fringe of benefits, you must risk your resources.

ATTRIBUTES OF AN ENTREPRENEUR 

*He/she provides the initial capital needed for the formation of a business Enterprise.

*He/she mobilizes and controls other factors of production

*He/she takes takes decisions that concern the business

*He/she bears all the risks exposed to the business. If the business fails, he bears the loss.

STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR

To become an entrepreneur, you must follow the following steps;

1. Identify a need or business idea

Analyse your environment to identify economic needs, listen to the complaints of people and think about how to solve thier problems, think about the challenges you face when using certain products and think about how you can do magic to solve these problems, others might face the same problems too, look around your area and watch out for the businesses people do there and how you can do any of those businesses better or what new you can bring. 

You can create a new product that has not been existing, you can improve on the quality of a product that does not give maximum satisfaction, you can add new features to an existing product, you can create a product that could perform wonderful functions, you can as well give extra customer service that can win you a lot of patronage. It's all up to you. For you to be an entreprenuer, you must solve problem, Identify the problem you want to solve, learn how to solve it and put your resources towards solving it.

     2. Conduct feasibility studies

Gather data about the business idea you have generated, it will enable you to forecast if the business is profitable, the growth rate, how much money you need to start with, all the equipment you need to purchase, how your are going to produce, the level of risk that is involve in doing the business, how many products you need to sell before making profit, who and how to employ, the special skills ( computer and internet, communication and managerial skills) you have that could give you absolute advantage, also, evaluate your competitor critically at this stage.

 3. Choose an organization, business name and location

* Organization; choose the form of business organization you intend to establish: sole proprietorship (one man business), partnership ( a business formed by at least two persons to at most twenty people, private limited liability company 'LTD' ( a business owned by at least two persons to at most fifty people except bank). Each one of them has advantages and disadvantages, analyse them critically and choose the right one for yourself.

*Business name: choose a good and simple name for your business and product. The name draws attention, makes people to understand your industry and it makes it easier for people to know what your business does.

*Location; ensure you locate your business at the right place, what you produce determines where your business should be located, your business should not be located far from the source of raw materials, it should not be far from your house to avoid unnecessary spending and your business should be accessible for your customers, try to locate it where you will enjoy social amenities.

4. Proceed to CAC and register your business

5. Write a business plan 

Business plan helps to guide you or the operation of your business, you can prepare a daily plan, weekly plan, production plan, time and functional plan etc, you can also incorporate all plans into a single plan . Ensure you state your vision, mission, objectives , goals and Target and work towards achieving each one of them. They could be a lot of distraction when operating your business, be ensured you stick to the plans or adjust your plan a bit to meet up with the current situation.

6. MOBILIZE RESOURCES AND COMMENCE OPERATION

This entails bringing all the resources (materials, money, time and human resources etc) needed for the operation of the business and commence operation.

 SOURCES OF BUSINESS IDEAS

How to produce a quality product

Producing a quality product nowadays is very competitive, a lot of companies are springing out, offering the same and similar markets with astonished products. However, these are the attributes of a quality product( product mix)

1. DIFFERENTIATION

It is the combination of all the characteristics or features that differentiate a product from others. It involves sizes, shapes, colours etc that make a product easily recognisable. 

Be ensured you use appreciate combination of differentiation strategies to make your product look beautiful and unique.

2. BRANDING

Product branding involves product/brand name, slogans, trademark, logo, symbols etc.

Be ensured you have a nice brand name that is easy to pronounce and remember, good slogans e.g ( MTN everywhere you go!), have nice symbols and logo for your product.

3. PACKAGING

It has to do with developing containers, sachet, cartons etc for a product. It makes a product safe, easier to use and carry about. 

4. LABELING

It involves given necessary information and instructions on a product e.g usage, expiry date, manufactured date, registration number, ingredients used, batch number, benefits derived from using the product etc.

Be ensured you don't mislead your customers, provide accurate and adequate information and instructions on your product.

5. DURABILITY

It involves making a product last long. If you produce a tangible product, make sure it's well processed and preserved, if you produce a service, ensure you render astonish Service.

6. MODIFICATION 

It means adding unusual or certain features to your product that makes a product perform absolute and distinctive functions. 

If you offer Service, be ensured you focus more on branding, ( brand name, logo, slogans, symbols etc) and quality customer service.

These are some of the attributes that make a product possesses high quality. The combination of these attributes attract customers to your product and make them to buy and keep buying your product. 

I hope this is helpful!

What are the signs that your business is about to die/fail and how to revive it

Once your business is about to fail, it will show you some dangerous signals. Once these signals are identified, you must take corrective measures in order to stay in the business.

These are some of the signs that your business is failing;

1. REDUCTION IN SALES

If your business is failing, your sales will keep reducing. Some factors such as low quality product, high product price, poor distribution, ineffective promotion, poor customer service, irregular supplies of raw materials, little or no competition and inconsistent operation of the business could definitely reduce your business sales.

When such factors occurred, you must have to reposition your product.

Ensure you work on your product quality such as re-packaging, labels, size, colours etc.

Put more effort in promotion. Some promotion mix includes advertising, sale promotion, Public relations etc. Make use of them judiciously.

Improve on the services offered to your customer by given discount, credit sales, bonuses, timely delivery, home delivery, conducive business environment etc.

Choose effective distribution channels and ensure your products are delivered at the right time, in the right place and in good condition.

Make sure you have regular supplies and distribution.

 fix the right price, always make sure that your business is operating, monitor your competitors closely and try to outperform them. Once you can do all of these things appropriately, your sales will continue to increase.

2. REDUCTION IN PROFIT

If your business is failing, your profile will keep reducing as the result of high cost of operation. If the cost of materials is high, utilities and taxes are high, if you pay high salaries and bonuses to employees, if you are unable to track your credit sales and purchases, if you give to much discount and bonuses to your customers, if your employees are secretly consuming from the stocks, if you incurred a lot of wastages and spoilage these are big signs that your business is failing.

Ensure you operate carefully to reduce wastage and defection, monitor your employees, careful with how you sell on credit and how you purchase on credit, look for where you can get raw materials at cheaper rate, if there is need to reduce/retrench your employees do it, you can employ some on a contract or part-time basis, you can as well do outsourcing. Make sure you minimize cost as much as possible.

3. INCREASING IN DEPT

If your business is failing, your debt ratio will be higher than your current asset, you will be unable to maintain the equipment, you will be unable to pay staff, you will be unable to pay rent, your credit purchase will be high, your stocks will be too low. 

Once you experience these signals, borrow to finance your business, or you can go into partnership or diversification.

I hope this is helpful!