KTU students engage market women on marketing strategies
The Faculty of Business and Management Studies (FBMS) at the Koforidua Technical University (KTU) has held a market outreach for traders to educate them on marketing strategies.
The faculty, led by Dr Eugene Okyere Kwakye and comprising over 50 students besieged the New Juaben Serwaa and the Central markets in Koforidua last Wednesday to interact with the market women on marketing, customer relationship, bookkeeping, branding and packaging.
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The outreach was part of the FBMS’ activities for a week celebration on the theme; "Developing Entrepreneurship through Business and Technical Education".
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Dr Kwakye indicated that marketing strategies adopted by most market traders in the local markets needed to change, adding that most vendors tended to ignore customer satisfaction.
He explained that customer satisfaction was key in maintaining customers as well as the progress of business. He urged vendors to develop friendly communication methods to explain details of products, including pricing, instead of giving inferior goods to buyers, who if not satisfied with the products would never return.
He said that though some buyers appeared rude, vendors must accept that in order not to lose customers, adding that they should develop customer care and be polite instead of replying buyers in anger.
Challenge
Dr Kwakye also stated that market women must shift from the traditional way of spreading their products uncovered, and develop a proper packaging for the goods before selling them.
He added that packaging was a significant way of attracting customers, which has been ignored by vendors. He urged the vendors to recognise the essence of packaging in marketing their products, adding that customers would usually buy products that most appealed to them.
He urged the market women to also keep their spaces in the market clean to prevent insects such as houseflies from hovering over their goods; a scene, he said puts off many customers.
A trader in tomatoes, Abena Dokuaa, lauded the FBMS for the outreach initiative. She said the interaction had enlightened her on new marketing strategies to help her business.
Another trader, Esther Ampomah, told the Daily Graphic that she had realised that she needed to improve on her book keeping and customer relations.