The most common request I get for work is – Marketing. Most clients approach me saying their biggest problem is marketing and they need someone to help them market their business.
From my experience I have noticed one thing. When clients say their biggest problem is marketing or lack of, that is almost never the problem.
Most businesses and I’ll speak for Malawi, feel that advertising is what they need to do to drive sales and to an extent they are not completely wrong. Every business does need to do some form of advertising to continue to remain competitive. What businesses in Malawi forget is that they first need to get their house in order.
Let me give you an example, for the last two week I have been seeing a certain restaurant ( I shall not name) advertising aggressively. I know for one that this restaurant has some serious management problems because over the last few years it has changed ownership several times. The pictures being used on the adverts are enticing so I decided to order food. The food was terrible. It looked nothing like the pictures they are using to advertise. What was worse than the food was their reaction after I complained. All I got was a – Sorry. The whole experience put a nail in the coffin, I will never order from there again.
So what has this restaurant really achieved? A one time sale?
Companies in Malawi need to first look at how their business is currently serving its pre- existing clients before embarking on an advertising campaign. It is counterproductive to invest in bringing in more clients if they will only come once. So before you decide to invest in your marketing department, looks around your business and ask yourself, is my business currently advertising itself?