Agri-Business Training

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), over 70 percent of the world’s food needs are met by small-scale farmers.

Africa’s agribusiness sector is projected to value US$1 trillion by 2030. Agribusinesses provide the inputs and services small-scale farmers need and connect them to broader markets. They employ millions of people on the continent. A flourishing agribusiness sector makes for flourishing agriculture.

Thus, investing in agribusiness training is not only one of the most effective strategies to improve food security and promote sustainability, but it is also essential to many countries’ economic development.

A) Food & Agriculture Business Models

The Right Business Model is critical for a business to scale profitably. Business Models should take the sector dynamics and local context of the business into consideration. This course helps you understand the business model levers and enables you to apply the levers to your Food and Agribusiness context. The understanding and insights this course provides are critical for your growth as a professional or as an entrepreneur.

What You Will Learn:

-Food and agribusiness value chain structures and operational dynamics

-Understanding formal business structures suitable for different agricultural value-creation operations (for-profit, cooperative, and social enterprises)

-Designing the four key business model components(Differentiated Value proposition, Distribution strategy, Complementary partnerships, Sustainability Components)

-Practical application of business model framework contextually based on “Three” real-life case studies

-Understanding how to leverage Business Model elements for Business plan profitability

B) Sales and Marketing Training Module

Marketing and sales training can deliver significant business benefits. Training your employees in better sales techniques, customer service skills, and marketing expertise helps boost sales and improve customer satisfaction.

Marketing and sales training needs:

Identifying your employees’ sales and marketing training needs will help ensure that your training budget is spent effectively.

  1. Review your overall business strategy and how marketing can contribute. For example, whether the business aims to maximize short-term sales and profits, or to develop long-term customer relationships.
  2. Set measurable objectives and standards. For example, how many new prospects you need to contact each month and what proportion convert into customers. Or standards for customer service, and measures of customer satisfaction and loyalty.
  3. Measure how well you are achieving your objectives. Get feedback from customers, for example by using customer satisfaction surveys and following up with customers who stop buying from you.
  4. Identify weaknesses in the performance of different team members, or the business overall, to highlight training needs. For example,
    • poor sales performance might point to a lack of selling techniques;
    • shrinking margins might indicate weak negotiation skills;
    • low levels of repeat business suggest a need for customer service training.
  5. Decide what training is required. This might include:
    • -training to improve specific marketing activities, such as advertising and PR;
    • -developing new capabilities in internet and social media marketing;
    • -complementary skills such as using IT;
    • -training managers in sales and marketing management.

As well as helping develop new skills, training courses can help motivate and reinvigorate jaded employees

  • Sales and marketing training options

A marketing training plan should be part of the way you manage employees from the outset. Start with a well-planned induction program for new employees.

Practical training can be an important part of building skills, particularly in areas such as sales. Options can include:

  • role-play exercises;
  • accompanying employees on sales calls;
  • debriefing employees thoroughly after successful or unsuccessful activities.

If you lack the skills or resources within your business, you might want to bring in a sales coach or marketing consultant to help develop marketing and sales skills. Other options include a wide range of training workshops, seminars, and online training.

Marketing specialists may need a planned training and development program, as part of the continuous professional development (CPD) requirements of a formal marketing qualification.