Abdulrazaq Ali Al-Turki: Marketing professionals ‘must be highly innovative’

Back in the old days in the Kingdom, marketing efforts consisted of salesmen with loud voices, calling out their wares or services as they went door to door through the towns. Then came the first signboards and eventually advertisements in many different media. The focus on marketing used to be on the products but now things have changed. These days the emphasis is on finding target groups who will be interested in purchasing goods or services and then tailoring those goods and services to meet their needs, as closely as possible.

Abdulrazaq Ali Al-Turki, director, sales and marketing, Namma Cargo Services, has been involved in marketing in the Kingdom for his entire career. The fact that he is blind has not been a deterrent in his success. Even though he cannot see as most people do, he feels that perhaps he has greater insight in many situations because he is forced to use his mind and other senses more creatively than is the norm.

Al-Turki believes that the marketing department in any company bears many challenges and responsibilities. The performance of the marketing department will often be the key factor in the success or failure of a business. That means that the marketing department must be staffed with top performers, not those who couldn’t fit in elsewhere.

"People in the marketing field must love their work," said Al-Turki. "Marketing professionals must be highly innovative and dedicated. They have to know not only their own products and services, but they have to be aware of every detail of their market and what their competitors are offering to it as well."

While marketing methods have advanced and many new technologies are now used to promote goods and services, the objectives of marketing departments are still the same as they have always been.

"Marketing departments are responsible for selling goods and services in their current markets and finding and opening new markets," Al-Turki said. "A marketing professional will know the tiniest detail about the goods or services he is promoting. He will clearly understand the current consumers of those products or services and he will constantly be encouraging his company to make refinements in their products or services that will allow him to promote them more effectively. When marketing professionals work in tandem with product development specialists, amazing results can be produced. Sometimes a tiny refinement in a product or service will make it much more attractive to consumers and profitability will increase dramatically."

So ideally the marketing department should be one of the most respected in any company. After all, it is the marketing professionals who have the capability to steer their firm to increased levels of profitability. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. According to Al-Turki, when higher management ignores the recommendations of the marketing department, bankruptcy is often the outcome. The company may produce more product than the market can absorb. When products are dumped prices fall along with profitability. If a company ignores new developments in the market they may find their products and services outdated and undesirable when compared with competitors. Companies also must constantly be on the lookout for the creeping symptoms of arrogance. Just because a business is the market leader today doesn’t ensure it will be so tomorrow, especially if it stops listening to the thoughts of its customers conveyed by its marketing department.

"I always ask my staff, ‘What did the customer want?’" emphasized Al-Turki. "Marketing professionals must be patient, broadminded and know how to treat their customers. Understanding their needs first is crucial to making a successful sale. The marketing professional must listen to the customer before he starts to explain the features of his commodity. The final step being to talk about prices. If a marketing professional can’t make a sale then he needs to be able to explain why. Was it because he didn’t have the right product? Was his product priced poorly? Was he unable to make his customer understand the value of his product or service? Whatever the reason that he lost the sale, he probably will never figure it out and be able to rectify the problem if he doesn’t listen to the customer."

Not all businesses are the same, so marketing strategies must differ too. For example, it would be impossible to market juice and automobiles in the same manner. While some factors such as quality manufacturing and superior raw materials are important in both products, freshness would be more of an issue with the juice and performance would be of greater importance for the vehicle. And Al-Turki reminds everyone that our market is not necessarily the same as a foreign market. Certain advertising or other marketing strategies that work well in another country might not be as successful in Saudi Arabia.

"It really is very important to study the market situation before trying to sell a new product," he said. "Look at what other products or services are being offered in the same category. Will the new product that your company wants to market be different enough from the others to capture market share? Is it desirable to local consumers? Does it mesh well with the local cultural and environment? Can it be offered at a price that a large enough group can afford to make its marketing profitable? Companies should have definite goals before they introduce a new product or service. Those goals should be continually monitored and if they are not being met an immediate analyses of the situation should be carried out."

Al-Turki feels that certain people are simply born to work in marketing. We’ve all had the experience where we go into a shop to buy one item and come out with a dozen. Al-Turki has noticed that the most successful marketing professionals are the ones who love people, and respect and appreciate their views.

"When I meet a customer, it is important that I understand how he thinks. Then I can explain my services to him in a suitable manner. I am also very competitive by nature. It is a challenge for me to make every sale and do my best to promote my company every day. I am constantly learning and trying to find ways to improve my performance. Marketing is not a job that can be done on auto-pilot. It requires constant, consistent effort," Al-Turki commented.

I asked Al-Turki what he thought of his competitors in the market. "Well, although they are my adversaries, I respect them and never underestimate them," he replied. "I analyze their products and services and try to incorporate the best of what they are offering into my own goods and services. Competition is healthy for any market, because it allows a free choice for the client. It also obliges companies to keep developing their products and services. In the end this is what helps to win new customers. Keen competition is reflected in the excellence of a product and the creative marketing efforts to promote it."