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Pride Mahlangu, Business Reporter
THE national export promotion agency, ZimTrade, says there is a need for exporting businesses to develop aggressive negotiating skills so as to entice markets.
ZimTrade stressed this point during a stakeholders’ second session on marketing and branding for international competitiveness (MBIC) training programme that was held in Bulawayo last Thursday.
The training session was attended by about 22 business stakeholders from local and foreign players. ZimTrade associate trainer, Mr Ibiam Sengwe, said all business engagements require thorough negotiations as markets were not readily willing to take any product given widespread competition. He said Zimbabwean exporters must be able to negotiate their case so that their products are liked by buyers.
“Zimbabwean exporters must be able to convince the market why their products, originating from their country, should be the preferred ones,” he said. “Of course, there could be other perceptions in the world that people have got about the country, but that even makes it more important for exporters to be more skilled in their negotiations so that they are more convincing and able to put across their products in such a way that they become a preferred choice.”
Mr Sengwe said the MBIC sessions were conducted to get businesses to understand what they needed to do to get into an export market. The meeting discussed the kind of information that exporters need to gather before they venture into the export market.
The experts said application of correct negotiating skills will positively position Zimbabwe for export deals, aiding the economy, which is currently ailing from various challenges including lack of foreign currency. ZimTrade conducts two sessions of the MBIC every year teaching important skills through modules to local business stakeholders en route to promoting and improving the country’s exports to generate enough foreign currency to sustain the economy. — @pridesinstinctz
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