CBI Workshop on Effective Selling and Export Marketing Skills Held at PAAPAM Skill Development Centre
KARACHI, 20th March, 2014:
PAAPAM Skill Development Centre organized a CBI Workshop on Selling and Marketing Skills, on March 20 & 21, which was conducted by Dutch Trainers, Ton Willemse and Han Leenhouts, supported by CBI Expert, Imtiaz Rastgar. Twenty five marketing professionals from the engineering industry attended the CBI training.
Thirty Private Sector Pakistani Engineering Sector SME companies are undergoing a four year CBI Export Coaching Program (ECP), during which they are being coached and mentored by CBI Experts to make them stable exporters and lead their companies to export led growth. The current Export Coaching Program group has undergone local training in Pakistan through CBI Experts and by attending Workshops on Market Research, Process Control and other ongoing training programs initiated by the CBI.
During the four year ECP plan, participants will be led through the process of refining their Export Marketing Strategies as well as training on Cultural Sensitivities needed for export sales, Buyer Behaviour, Trade Practices etc. The group will also attend at least one relevant world level trade fair to complete their entry into the European market. During such fairs, CBI pavilion has the presence of its Sector Experts who guide the new exporters and help with their export marketing efforts.
Simultaneously with the private sector SME export development, the CBI has a program for development of Business Support Organisations (BSOs), which include TDAP, NPO, SMEDA, EDB, PAAPAM and PFA. The BSO Development Program is designed to steer Pakistan into new directions of Exports, and prepare the Pakistani BSOs for Skills Training and improving skills levels of their staff, for creating effective Sectoral Export Marketing Plans to achieve export-led growth of the Pakistan economy.
It is estimated that the Karachi and Lahore Engineering Industry Clusters have an export potential of at least US $ 5 Billion each, with management expertise, basic skills base and infrastructure already in place. Missing links are the focus of government policy on engineering sector exports, lack of project finance at international rates , attention to engineering value chains and absence of export marketing skills.