Century CEO gives guest lecture at Riversands

Riversands Incubation Hub hosted a guest lecture by the CEO of Century Property Developments, Mark Corbett.

The local businessman who was responsible for the establishment of Riversands, shared his insights on marketing for success in a tough economy.

Read also: Century CEO shares marketing insights with entrepreneurs at Riversands

According to Corbett, marketing happens across the board, from the cleaner in a company right through to the CEO. “Marketing is not complicated; it is everyone doing their job faster, cleaner and neater,” he asserted.

Corbett’s top tips for effective marketing are:

• Word-of-mouth marketing – This is the most valuable form of marketing as it is trusted by customers and is more likely to generate sales. “You must be good and get people to vouch for your product – it’s worth 1 000 times more when people talk about your product,” he said.
• Know what you’re selling – According to Corbett, many businesses fail because they market the wrong product. He advised entrepreneurs to be clear on what they’re selling. “Know what you want to market – your message shouldn’t be complicated, to allow other people to market it for you.”
• Make sure people want or need your product – To emphasise his point of the importance of getting the timing right, Corbett jokingly said it was a bad idea to sell ice-cream in winter. “Know when and where you’re selling and when and where you shouldn’t sell.”
• Ensure customers get value – Corbett talked about the three levels of exchange: Exchange in abundance, fair exchange and rip-off. He stressed that entrepreneurs must always ensure customers felt like they’re getting more than they’re paying for and should strive for exchange in abundance – the perceived value. To get this right, Corbett said quality control was important. He added that small business owners should adopt the habit of controlling the quality of their product while they’re still small, as this gets more difficult as the business grows. “While small, use the opportunity to set up quality control systems.”
• Identify your unique features – According to Corbett, success attracts success and sometimes a small business owner must be larger than life. “Find something that doesn’t need you to re-invent your product every day, to start building an annuity income stream.”
• Marketing happens across the board – Corbett dispelled the myth that marketing was a complicated exercise and something that only a few can master.

In closing, Corbett motivated entrepreneurs and said every business had its hassles and the important thing was for one to not compare themselves to others and wished they had it easier. “Don’t invalidate yourself. It’s your self-confidence that people buy. Dust yourself off and remember that if you’re clear about where you’re going, people will let you in. You have the ability to build successful businesses.”

The guest lectures fall under Riversands’ Growth and Learning offering, which has a mix of lectures, training, workshops, information sessions and practical exercises which according to Riversands CEO, Jenny Retief, are aimed at enriching entrepreneurs as they pursue their business journeys.