WRITING A PROPOSAL
My main focus of proposal writing here is in relation to Marketing Research and Information.
My assumption is that at this stage, you have once or more times presented a proposal, or being a recipient to one at a particular time(multiple acceptance may lead to emotional imbalance-lol)
I will stick to my assumption. Except that the mode of delivery was verbal rather than written. It is usually easier to speak but when it comes to writing, a number of students do not know where to start.
2. Start with the introduction where you will explain what the reader must expect in your paper/presentation.
2. Proceed with a background. What is it that made you write the proposal? It could be that you are doing so in response to a brief. For the exam, you will usually be given a brief which as the name suggests, is brief.
3. Set your objectives. Clearly specify what it is that you would to achieve when and after the implementation of your proposal. The good thing about this part is that all that could be doing is reflecting what the objectives as were given in the brief.
Always remember that the objectives must be SMART.
I have noticed that some students include a set of questions to ask in achieving informational objectives. There is really nothing wrong with that. You may then however need to change the heading from Objectives to something like Objectives and Respective Questions.
4. Now that you have the objectives and questions to be asked to achieve the predefined goals, identify from whom answers will come. Yes, it is at this stage that you do your sampling.
Avoid sounding too academic my beginning to explain what sampling is and the different methods available. Notice that i did not say do not do it but rather that you must sound professional and talk about how you will select your sample and how. Explain how you will reduce the risk of errors there are always inadequacies when sampling.
5. specify data collection methods. It is important for students to here note that a justification for a data collection method must be given for each. It is therefore not just a matter of stating that questionnaires will be used.
It is here that any other matter related to data collection methods be addressed. Examples include administration of questionnaires and moderation of focus groups.
6. Budget. Your proposal must show how much you intend to spend and on what. Usually, in an brief, a block figure may be given. It is then your responsibility to show how you will spend the money.
7. Schedule. Draw a Gantt chart showing what activity will be conducted when. Since work is now submitted typed, this should then not be difficult to design. However, it more than just design...
8.
9.
10.
No, i am not crazy. I have left 8-10 blank so that you can fill them up yourself.
What points do you have in mind? Share them here.
Join my blog. Contact me if you have any special needs relating to proposal writing.
If you would like a free assessment on your ability to write a proposal, email saboi@marketinginzambia.com. I will send you more details. Or if you wish, you may call/sms +260966930260.
All the best!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Analysing a Case
It is common on and before the exam to be given a case. It is from such that questions will be asked.
Cases are a way of presenting to the student real life kind of situations in which application of their marketing and
business skills are tested. These real world kind of situations can originate from any enterprise development of indeed
company activity.
It is important for students to appreciate that the theories that they learn such as those of segmentation, positioning and
branding need to be translated into practice if they have to be meaningful at all. For a number of assignments i give, i
give cases with the objective of testing the student on a number of areas such as
- analysis skills
- problem solving
- presentation
- general marketing theories and subsequent application
It is no different on the final exam. Now, how then does one analyse a case. Here are a few tips.
1. Internal Factors.
-what is the name of the organisation?
-what is the size or how big is the organisation?
-is it service or production oriented?
-what is the vision and mission of the organisation?
-what is the hierachy structure?
-for how long has it been in business?
-what products does the organisation offer?
-what are the organisational profits?
-ht pricing strategy has the company adopted?
-what promotional tools does the company use and why?
ou will usually be given a brief
You need to have an understanding on the above.
2. External Variables
Micro
-who does the organisation work with, who are the stakeholders?
-what are the interests/concerns of the respective stakeholders?
-what role do the respective stakeholders play in the success of the organisation?
-what factors affect the demand and supply of what the organisation has to offer?
-who are your competitors and what variables about them are of interest and importance to your organisation?
-who are ts customers and what variables affect them individually or collectively?
Macro
-what are the prevailing economic variable? Examples of these include inflation levels, GDP and exchange rates.
-what are the does and donts of the society you operate or intend to do business in?
-politically, is the environment stable and friendly to foreigners, for example.
-what technological tools/equipment are need for operations and what are the variable factors relating to them?
-what are the laws relating to the business you are in and is there any body mandated to look into such issues?
-ecologicially, where applicable to your organization, what are the main issues needing consideration?
-what specific demographic variables should you pay attention to?
That is about it. There are a number of other questions that may need answers but that may then vary from one organisation to another.
It is important to note that there can be a lot of irrelevant information given in a case. With that in mind, you then need to identify
key success factors and relevant information to help plan and execute your program.
Please do feel free to contact(email saboi@marketinginzambia.com or call/sms +260966930260) me if you need assistance with a case. One point i should however mention is the fact that you are likely to face problems with analysis if you do not have adequate knowledge on the principles and theories if the respective subject.
Assisting with a case does not mean analyzing it for you. Instead, it means thinking through the information with you and guiding on what needs to be done.
At the end of it all, you make the decisions of what to include and what to omit.
We will soon begin to analyze December exam cases. To be a part of this, join my blog and actively participate. We will then meet with a number of other students to compare notes and further enlighten each other.
All the best!
Cases are a way of presenting to the student real life kind of situations in which application of their marketing and
business skills are tested. These real world kind of situations can originate from any enterprise development of indeed
company activity.
It is important for students to appreciate that the theories that they learn such as those of segmentation, positioning and
branding need to be translated into practice if they have to be meaningful at all. For a number of assignments i give, i
give cases with the objective of testing the student on a number of areas such as
- analysis skills
- problem solving
- presentation
- general marketing theories and subsequent application
It is no different on the final exam. Now, how then does one analyse a case. Here are a few tips.
1. Internal Factors.
-what is the name of the organisation?
-what is the size or how big is the organisation?
-is it service or production oriented?
-what is the vision and mission of the organisation?
-what is the hierachy structure?
-for how long has it been in business?
-what products does the organisation offer?
-what are the organisational profits?
-ht pricing strategy has the company adopted?
-what promotional tools does the company use and why?
ou will usually be given a brief
You need to have an understanding on the above.
2. External Variables
Micro
-who does the organisation work with, who are the stakeholders?
-what are the interests/concerns of the respective stakeholders?
-what role do the respective stakeholders play in the success of the organisation?
-what factors affect the demand and supply of what the organisation has to offer?
-who are your competitors and what variables about them are of interest and importance to your organisation?
-who are ts customers and what variables affect them individually or collectively?
Macro
-what are the prevailing economic variable? Examples of these include inflation levels, GDP and exchange rates.
-what are the does and donts of the society you operate or intend to do business in?
-politically, is the environment stable and friendly to foreigners, for example.
-what technological tools/equipment are need for operations and what are the variable factors relating to them?
-what are the laws relating to the business you are in and is there any body mandated to look into such issues?
-ecologicially, where applicable to your organization, what are the main issues needing consideration?
-what specific demographic variables should you pay attention to?
That is about it. There are a number of other questions that may need answers but that may then vary from one organisation to another.
It is important to note that there can be a lot of irrelevant information given in a case. With that in mind, you then need to identify
key success factors and relevant information to help plan and execute your program.
Please do feel free to contact(email saboi@marketinginzambia.com or call/sms +260966930260) me if you need assistance with a case. One point i should however mention is the fact that you are likely to face problems with analysis if you do not have adequate knowledge on the principles and theories if the respective subject.
Assisting with a case does not mean analyzing it for you. Instead, it means thinking through the information with you and guiding on what needs to be done.
At the end of it all, you make the decisions of what to include and what to omit.
We will soon begin to analyze December exam cases. To be a part of this, join my blog and actively participate. We will then meet with a number of other students to compare notes and further enlighten each other.
All the best!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Service Encounter
What service encounter is, and its importance was examined in the June 2009 exam of the subject planning and control of the chartered institute of marketing professional diploma study program. Having discussed it with some of my clients, I will here address that topic.
What is service encounter?
There are two words here, service and encounter. When asked to explained phrases, it does help to break one down by its different words. Let us proceed.
Service. This is a product. Examples of services include study tuition and consultancy.
Encounter. An encounter is an experience resulting from an interface. The interface here is with a service. A service encounter therefore is
...an interface and experience that a customer has of a service...
There you have it. That is what service encounters means.
A service encounter can be positive or it can be negative. This means that a customer, prospective or actual, can have either a negative or positive experience with a service. Marketers must always work at ensuring that customers have a delightful experience with services. There must be adequate investment of financial, physical and human resources into the extended marketing mix. When talking about services, people, physical evidence and processes are important variables to consider when talking services.
PEOPLE
A customer will not be happy to be attended by a services representative who does not have adequate knowledge of what the company has to offer and on the interested product in particular. If this takes happens it will result in negative service encounter. Agents and representatives must know their services well to be able to advice a client accordingly. In fact, it is also important to know about key competitor products.
From agents and services support staff, a customer will also expect attention, patience, kindness and courtesy. Marketers and indeed front-liners must always put a smile and maintain calmness even when doing so makes one looks foolish. There are difficult customers who openly express their dissatisfaction loud. Let them speak and assist them where you can. When they feel that they have been helped and received the attention they needed, it can be said that the service encounter has been positive.
There is another important point to include under this sub-heading of People. Staff members must be uniformed. In case that came out too blunt, what I am trying to say is that there is way in which it must be easy for customers to identify who is a customer support staff and who is not. At Shoprite, they all put on company branded shirts and tops. At other organisations such as Multichoice, they place name tags on their shirts/tops. There must be a way in which staff members and indeed front-liners are easily identified.
PROCESSES
A process is simply a combination of related steps or stages to achieving a predefined objective. In this case, these are stages in accessing and providing the service. Easy access is important to customers and must also be to marketers. Customers must always be thought to be busy people, each preoccupied with their own business and therefore their time must not be wasted. So, the process must be easy, making the product accessible. Convenience is an important point to add. Accessing the service must be something that a customer must be able to do without unnecessary huddles. Lines must be reduced. Technology must be integrated and used to make the life of the customer easy and ensure that the encounter they have with your service is positive.
Today, processes have been greatly affected by technology. A number of organisations now exist that will make at your disposal products that will enable your create better services to customers. Even just delivery can make a service more supreme to those of competitors. Talking of technology, take the Internet for example. Customers of banks such as ZANACO and Stanbic can access their account records online and transfer money into other accounts straight from the Internet. This is good because the customer does not have to worry about getting to the bank before it closes up at 15:30hrs. They can bank at any time and indeed, almost anywhere as long as they have an Internet connection.
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
Imagine you walk into a club like ZENON and you find in there a choir sing the hymn Amazing Grace. I do not know what your immediate thoughts will be, but one thing for sure is that the presence of the choir and the song being sung are very inappropriate. One would ask what has happened to the churches...
Physical evidence encompasses not just what you can see that attests that a particular service is offered in a specific place, but also that which you cannot see. It matters how the desks and tills are arranged. The arrangement in a restaurant is different from that for a classroom. And the walls, yes, even them, it matters what is placed on them. In banks, you expect to see an electronic exchange rates board. And at a hospital, posters of health tips on what, what not to do and what to use.
If you were blind folded and without being told you are lead into a cold storage, would you know where you are? Maybe, maybe not, but one thing for sure is that you would know is that you are in a cold place. Obviously! You can guess it to be indeed a cold storage room, a butchery or Ice Cream Land (thought not really cold in there). The point here is that the temperature and general surrounding is an important aspect of physical evidence. The word used to describe the surrounding is Ambiance.
People, processes and physical evidence are important to ensure positive service encounter between the organisation and the customer. Marketers must plan the three in consultation with its customers as that their blend is one that will lead to customer satisfaction. A satisfied customer is an asset because they certainly will return to purchase more and more, and better still, they will influence more to do the same.
What is service encounter?
There are two words here, service and encounter. When asked to explained phrases, it does help to break one down by its different words. Let us proceed.
Service. This is a product. Examples of services include study tuition and consultancy.
Encounter. An encounter is an experience resulting from an interface. The interface here is with a service. A service encounter therefore is
...an interface and experience that a customer has of a service...
There you have it. That is what service encounters means.
A service encounter can be positive or it can be negative. This means that a customer, prospective or actual, can have either a negative or positive experience with a service. Marketers must always work at ensuring that customers have a delightful experience with services. There must be adequate investment of financial, physical and human resources into the extended marketing mix. When talking about services, people, physical evidence and processes are important variables to consider when talking services.
PEOPLE
A customer will not be happy to be attended by a services representative who does not have adequate knowledge of what the company has to offer and on the interested product in particular. If this takes happens it will result in negative service encounter. Agents and representatives must know their services well to be able to advice a client accordingly. In fact, it is also important to know about key competitor products.
From agents and services support staff, a customer will also expect attention, patience, kindness and courtesy. Marketers and indeed front-liners must always put a smile and maintain calmness even when doing so makes one looks foolish. There are difficult customers who openly express their dissatisfaction loud. Let them speak and assist them where you can. When they feel that they have been helped and received the attention they needed, it can be said that the service encounter has been positive.
There is another important point to include under this sub-heading of People. Staff members must be uniformed. In case that came out too blunt, what I am trying to say is that there is way in which it must be easy for customers to identify who is a customer support staff and who is not. At Shoprite, they all put on company branded shirts and tops. At other organisations such as Multichoice, they place name tags on their shirts/tops. There must be a way in which staff members and indeed front-liners are easily identified.
PROCESSES
A process is simply a combination of related steps or stages to achieving a predefined objective. In this case, these are stages in accessing and providing the service. Easy access is important to customers and must also be to marketers. Customers must always be thought to be busy people, each preoccupied with their own business and therefore their time must not be wasted. So, the process must be easy, making the product accessible. Convenience is an important point to add. Accessing the service must be something that a customer must be able to do without unnecessary huddles. Lines must be reduced. Technology must be integrated and used to make the life of the customer easy and ensure that the encounter they have with your service is positive.
Today, processes have been greatly affected by technology. A number of organisations now exist that will make at your disposal products that will enable your create better services to customers. Even just delivery can make a service more supreme to those of competitors. Talking of technology, take the Internet for example. Customers of banks such as ZANACO and Stanbic can access their account records online and transfer money into other accounts straight from the Internet. This is good because the customer does not have to worry about getting to the bank before it closes up at 15:30hrs. They can bank at any time and indeed, almost anywhere as long as they have an Internet connection.
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
Imagine you walk into a club like ZENON and you find in there a choir sing the hymn Amazing Grace. I do not know what your immediate thoughts will be, but one thing for sure is that the presence of the choir and the song being sung are very inappropriate. One would ask what has happened to the churches...
Physical evidence encompasses not just what you can see that attests that a particular service is offered in a specific place, but also that which you cannot see. It matters how the desks and tills are arranged. The arrangement in a restaurant is different from that for a classroom. And the walls, yes, even them, it matters what is placed on them. In banks, you expect to see an electronic exchange rates board. And at a hospital, posters of health tips on what, what not to do and what to use.
If you were blind folded and without being told you are lead into a cold storage, would you know where you are? Maybe, maybe not, but one thing for sure is that you would know is that you are in a cold place. Obviously! You can guess it to be indeed a cold storage room, a butchery or Ice Cream Land (thought not really cold in there). The point here is that the temperature and general surrounding is an important aspect of physical evidence. The word used to describe the surrounding is Ambiance.
People, processes and physical evidence are important to ensure positive service encounter between the organisation and the customer. Marketers must plan the three in consultation with its customers as that their blend is one that will lead to customer satisfaction. A satisfied customer is an asset because they certainly will return to purchase more and more, and better still, they will influence more to do the same.
Developing Relationships
There is so much talk about the need to continuously develop relationships in marketing and business. The reason for this is because it is cheaper to keep a customer than to win a new one. The possibility for continued business is great, which itself may result to increased profits.
It is not a surprise then that there are now concepts such as Relationship Marketing. There are two approaches to Relationship Marketing, the traditional way and the electronic approach. In the CIM paper of Stakeholder Analysis students are required to explain e-Relationship Marketing and how it can be developed in an organisation.
It is important to always translate theories into practice. Case scenarios and now tasks are a way of bringing out this ability in every student. The world out there is real. To be able to make progress, marketers must be realistic and they must take steps to have an implementable program. Relationship Marketing Management is one such program and the marketing student must be able to explain how a relationship can be created, developed and maintained.
Here are some tips;
- Have a clear objective of why you need to have a long term relationship. It is important to note that the objective must be based on principle and not just convenience. People are now becoming more familiar about marketing strategies and a number try as much as possible to avoid the “gab gifted professionals.” So set out your objectives straight from the start and ensure it is part of culture to have long term relationships.
- Identify key stakeholders with whom you need to have a long term relationship with. It is this point that results into segmentation of customers, putting them in groups which may be given subjective attention depending on their respective levels of involvement in the buying and decision making process.
- Identify the needs and wants of your stakeholders. Talk to them, put forth your offers and listen to them as they speak. Show attentiveness and be sensitive towards what they say and how they say it. Respect their input and do not look down on their points of view. Relationships must always be mutual. The meaning of this is that there must be due respect.
- As much as possible, try to meet the needs of these respective stakeholders. A satisfied stakeholder is one who has had a positive experience. Because of an acceptable interface, there is always a natural need of wanting to return for another transaction – money or data. Always remember that a satisfied customer will always return, he/she will also influence more people to do business with you.
- Invest in consistent two-way communication. Do not just talk to stakeholders, instead, talk with them. Allowing stakeholders to express themselves is key in the development of a relationship. Examples of such include online discussion forums and blogs. These allow for two-way communication in an environmentally cost efficient way.
- Admit it when you make errors and take a step further to correct your mistakes. Whilst marketing oriented companies focus on a “get it right first time” approach to satisfying customers, it is important to be realistic and note that it is rear to achieve a 100% satisfaction.
- Do not over-exaggerate your company or individual abilities. Limitations must be acknowledged and at the same time, strengths must be elevated.
- Involve key stakeholders in the decision making processes where their input is relevant and needed.
- Show appreciation of what the stakeholders do. There are different ways in which this can be done. For example, you could periodically hold open or guest days at your office premises or elsewhere, where gifts can be given accordingly. Barclays Bank Zambia is one of the organisations that invest in such events.
- Having specific individuals dedicated to respective stakeholders is a good step to take in building and maintaining a relationship. It is for this reason that organisations such as Standard Chartered Bank have relationship managers and key account executives. When the stakeholder has a problem, he can then approach the respective individual who looks into his needs. This creates confidence that there will be a listening ear. It also to a better understanding of each others needs.
There are indeed more steps that can be taken in the development and maintenance of a relationship. The points mentioned above apply to both the traditional and contemporary approaches to Relationship Marketing and indeed subsequent management.
It is not a surprise then that there are now concepts such as Relationship Marketing. There are two approaches to Relationship Marketing, the traditional way and the electronic approach. In the CIM paper of Stakeholder Analysis students are required to explain e-Relationship Marketing and how it can be developed in an organisation.
It is important to always translate theories into practice. Case scenarios and now tasks are a way of bringing out this ability in every student. The world out there is real. To be able to make progress, marketers must be realistic and they must take steps to have an implementable program. Relationship Marketing Management is one such program and the marketing student must be able to explain how a relationship can be created, developed and maintained.
Here are some tips;
- Have a clear objective of why you need to have a long term relationship. It is important to note that the objective must be based on principle and not just convenience. People are now becoming more familiar about marketing strategies and a number try as much as possible to avoid the “gab gifted professionals.” So set out your objectives straight from the start and ensure it is part of culture to have long term relationships.
- Identify key stakeholders with whom you need to have a long term relationship with. It is this point that results into segmentation of customers, putting them in groups which may be given subjective attention depending on their respective levels of involvement in the buying and decision making process.
- Identify the needs and wants of your stakeholders. Talk to them, put forth your offers and listen to them as they speak. Show attentiveness and be sensitive towards what they say and how they say it. Respect their input and do not look down on their points of view. Relationships must always be mutual. The meaning of this is that there must be due respect.
- As much as possible, try to meet the needs of these respective stakeholders. A satisfied stakeholder is one who has had a positive experience. Because of an acceptable interface, there is always a natural need of wanting to return for another transaction – money or data. Always remember that a satisfied customer will always return, he/she will also influence more people to do business with you.
- Invest in consistent two-way communication. Do not just talk to stakeholders, instead, talk with them. Allowing stakeholders to express themselves is key in the development of a relationship. Examples of such include online discussion forums and blogs. These allow for two-way communication in an environmentally cost efficient way.
- Admit it when you make errors and take a step further to correct your mistakes. Whilst marketing oriented companies focus on a “get it right first time” approach to satisfying customers, it is important to be realistic and note that it is rear to achieve a 100% satisfaction.
- Do not over-exaggerate your company or individual abilities. Limitations must be acknowledged and at the same time, strengths must be elevated.
- Involve key stakeholders in the decision making processes where their input is relevant and needed.
- Show appreciation of what the stakeholders do. There are different ways in which this can be done. For example, you could periodically hold open or guest days at your office premises or elsewhere, where gifts can be given accordingly. Barclays Bank Zambia is one of the organisations that invest in such events.
- Having specific individuals dedicated to respective stakeholders is a good step to take in building and maintaining a relationship. It is for this reason that organisations such as Standard Chartered Bank have relationship managers and key account executives. When the stakeholder has a problem, he can then approach the respective individual who looks into his needs. This creates confidence that there will be a listening ear. It also to a better understanding of each others needs.
There are indeed more steps that can be taken in the development and maintenance of a relationship. The points mentioned above apply to both the traditional and contemporary approaches to Relationship Marketing and indeed subsequent management.
Designing Questionnaires
Designing a questionnaire is easy. What is challenging about the activity is on what information to include in one. On this, you are examined on your creativity and ability to come up with appropriate questionnaires that will provide answers to the questions/situation at hand.
Here are tips on what to consider when designing a questionnaire;
- Make it clear to the respondent what your objectives are and why they must complete the questionnaire. It is about stating why you are collecting the information. Put yourself in their position, would you straight ahead begin completing a questionnaire when you do not even know for what reason the information you provide will be used.
- Give clear instructions on how questions are to be answered. If there are multiple answers to select from, must one tick the correct one or cross the wrong one? Be clear on this,
- Let it be known to the respondent how many questions are in the questionnaire as a whole and even under each sub-section. This is so to allow one know how long they may take in completing the questionnaire. I was once completing an online questionnaire where the number of questions just kept increasing and increasing. It was not possible to know how many were remaining from the point at which one is. I then just closed the tab.
- Break down your set of questions under appropriate headings. Structure your work. This makes it easy to make cross references where appropriate.
- Use both open and closed questions. Use a very set of questions,
- Let the respondent know exactly what to do with a completed questionnaire. There could be, for example, a free postage address to which it could be sent before a specific date. It is important for you to here strategies on how you can increase response rate;
- Be mindful of what personal information you ask for and indeed how you do,
- Use simple English for words and sentences. This use of images is also fine. However, this will depend on the type of information being sought and who the respondents will be.
There are indeed a number of other factors. Please do feel free to add to the list.
In justifying the use of questionnaires, you must also be specific on how you intend to administer them. It can be via post, one-to-one interviews, telephone or through the Internet. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Here are tips on what to consider when designing a questionnaire;
- Make it clear to the respondent what your objectives are and why they must complete the questionnaire. It is about stating why you are collecting the information. Put yourself in their position, would you straight ahead begin completing a questionnaire when you do not even know for what reason the information you provide will be used.
- Give clear instructions on how questions are to be answered. If there are multiple answers to select from, must one tick the correct one or cross the wrong one? Be clear on this,
- Let it be known to the respondent how many questions are in the questionnaire as a whole and even under each sub-section. This is so to allow one know how long they may take in completing the questionnaire. I was once completing an online questionnaire where the number of questions just kept increasing and increasing. It was not possible to know how many were remaining from the point at which one is. I then just closed the tab.
- Break down your set of questions under appropriate headings. Structure your work. This makes it easy to make cross references where appropriate.
- Use both open and closed questions. Use a very set of questions,
- Let the respondent know exactly what to do with a completed questionnaire. There could be, for example, a free postage address to which it could be sent before a specific date. It is important for you to here strategies on how you can increase response rate;
- Be mindful of what personal information you ask for and indeed how you do,
- Use simple English for words and sentences. This use of images is also fine. However, this will depend on the type of information being sought and who the respondents will be.
There are indeed a number of other factors. Please do feel free to add to the list.
In justifying the use of questionnaires, you must also be specific on how you intend to administer them. It can be via post, one-to-one interviews, telephone or through the Internet. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
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