And like that, hundreds of examples that sound logical today, such as the elimination of deposit slips at the bank, the platforms to order the supermarket and food delivery, online commerce or the publication of books without them being printed but in digital versions only.
And don’t get me wrong, dear reader: the customer is the one who pays the bills and should be the main element of our decisions when creating a new product or service, however, it is undeniable that some of the phrases that supposedly reflect popular knowledge , they do not really allow us to unlock different alternatives to satisfy the needs of our markets.
And it is here where inventiveness plays a preponderant role accompanied by the ability to anticipate, since the surprise factor is inserted precisely in that very brief space between what is sought and what does not exist. According to specialists, true innovations usually arises from improving the existing and not of the absolute disruption or of what nobody has seen before and our obsession as product managers or brand directors, is to try to invent something and in the middle of that process, there is a lot of frustration, loss of time and money.
I stick to what I told you a few weeks ago: there is no nothing more powerful than fulfilling and instead of pretending to reinvent the wheel, I put before you a simple but equally efficient action: anticipate. And not to vary, I will tell you about it in the framework of AgroMarketing.
If you already know how I am, why don’t you anticipate it?
Although agriculture is fertile ground for endless circumstances over which we have no control, we cannot ignore the fact that there is nothing more cyclical and repetitive than this wonderful industry and therefore we should value this facility to anticipate our interactions because there are activities such as the purchase of supplies, the marketing of crops, the planting process itself and pest control… All this is predictable.
There is nothing new under the sun and following this way of thinking, it is key strengthen the planning process that allows us to anticipate the steps that we already know that our market is going to take and to show, a button: Knowing that in the Mexican Bajío region the planting season would begin (as always) in mid-March in Querétaro specifically, the different supply distribution networks began their promotional work a month or maybe two before, until, knowing that finding space in the clients’ agendas became increasingly complicated and that is when the advance sales schemes that were presented , on some occasions, in the very harvests, which occurred 4 months ago.
The intention was to separate operational activities into two large blocks and move them away from strategic decisions, or in other words, to understand that the decision process about which brand to acquire is not necessarily linked to the operation itself or to making the purchase. in physical, but in having space for the analysis of information.
Anticipation also delivers incalculable value when the schedule of visits to clients is well balanced, according to the current year’s agricultural project and giving priority to the needs of the client, not just our need to sell an additional product.
The engineer of an agricultural company visiting a cotton field in Chihuahua, observed that there was an underdevelopment in the plant and wanted to rule out the presence of any pest or disease and did so without having a single call from the client. Chance? In no way, because that visit was part of the customer service protocol and the excellent service was built thanks to the opportunity with which this talented salesman set foot on the plot without waiting to be called.
Another way to exemplify the value of agility and timing is when farmers pre-emptively irrigate their fields when low temperatures are forecast in order to avoid further damage in the early stages of a plant. That couple of days in advance can make the difference between a successful harvest and a disaster caused by indifference.
sowing reflection
Anticipating for me, is comparable to the seismic alert: although we can all hear it, it is likely that our reactions will be different and there will be those who follow the safety protocols, others will run aimlessly and the others, perhaps decide to ignore it.
It is not a process of guessing but of putting our experience at the service of clients who probably continue to evaluate the need to irrigate a field only by visual perception instead of using digital diagnostic tools and there, again, preventive actions and therefore , timely, will make a difference.
Tell me about the value that being able to react in advance has brought to your brand or business, while I wait for you in this space that is created for you.