Business Development
How To Develop
BY PAULA JANE COX
Most of us know, or can easily identify the basic steps of marketing, regardless of what your product is:
1. Describe your company's unique selling proposition (USP).
2. Define your target market.
3. Write down the benefits of your products or services.
4. Describe how you will position your products or services.
5. Define your marketing methods. Will you advertise, use internet marketing, direct marketing, or public relations?
Easy, right? No, sadly, it is not. It is a challenge for most generic organizations; it is a further uphill struggle for the training community in the UAE for many reasons, some of which include:
- No regular and systematic data collection or surveys have been undertaken by any organization or Government department in the UAE, so there is an absence of comprehensive and reliable information on training and development in the country. Any data collection done by the Government on training and development has almost always been in connection with the process of Emiratisation.
Occasional surveys have been done or sponsored by various Government departments or agencies to assess the training needs of nationals and to identify gaps in provision. The final reports are often written solely in the Arabic language and most are not published or made available to the general public. Training and development practitioners in the UAE sometimes share information through informal networks, but as a global comparison, this region is not best at competiveness openness.
- Most organizations in the UAE have expanded very rapidly and it is fair to say that the training and development sector is no different. However, in order to quickly fill a gap in the market, some organizations have recruited expat training professionals with little or no knowledge of the unique cultural and economic situation that the UAE presents.
On face value, the UAE does share many aspects of a common Arab culture which emphasizes the importance of religion, family, education and success (Dakhil, 1988; Terpstra and David, 1991; Abdalla and Al Hamoud, 1995; Al Baher et al, 1996; Agnaia, 1997).
But, it is important that training and development professionals fully understand the social and cultural environment in which they are working to avoid causing offence to their colleagues, to comply with all legal requirements and to maximise the productivity and effectiveness of their workforce, in addition to finding a USP for their organization’s services.
So how can you differentiate your organization?
Having a USP seems relatively straight forward but does need a great deal of thought. What is UNIQUE about your offering? How many unique angles can training have?
As the head of training for a large organization in the region for almost two years, I have the advantage of knowing what it’s like to seek external training support. I have met with numerous training organizations and have to say that the majority offer the same services with little or nothing to differentiate themselves from the pack. So how can you stand out?
Having a unique selling proposition is all about finding your "competitive edge." Put yourself in the shoes of your customers – what are they looking for and how can you fulfil their needs like no other company can?
16 | TRAINING MAGAZINE MIDDLE EAST NOV 2014
YOUR USP