This archive report was first published on 25 August 2020.
As the world slowly returns to operation, businesses and individuals must adapt to the new normal and plan for the future, rather than waiting for the pandemic to end.
According to business trainer and author Murori Kiunga, it is wise to plan as if this is the new normal.
"It is no longer wise to wait for the pandemic to end before charting the way forward for your business," Kiunga advises.
To thrive in this new environment, businesses must go back to the drawing board and do marketing aggressively.
This involves doing in-depth research to establish what customers need and how they need it, so as to provide it.
"You will hardly get a potential customer who is just waiting for your products to buy and solve their problems," Kiunga notes.
Instead, businesses must persuade potential customers to change from what they are spending on and divert the money to acquiring and using their products.
One way to do this is to understand the current needs and priorities of prospective customers and tailor-make products to suit their needs.
"If there are sacrifices to be made, be the one to sacrifice first," Kiunga advises.
Businesses must also understand why their prospective customers continue to buy superior, inferior, expensive or cheap products from competitors.
"Generally, people are slow to change. They need compelling reasons to move away from trusted products and this reason is not just about price or saving money," Kiunga notes.
Finally, businesses must personalise their messages and direct to individuals or a small section of the market, rather than using broad 'spray and pray' strategies.
"It is better to target and focus on a small market and win progressively than spread resources to a larger group where there is no guarantee of getting noticed," Kiunga advises.
