Time to ramp up sales

With less than four months to go before SA closes up shop, now is the time to make sure you can meet your targets by year-end. This is according to Louise Robinson, MD of CG Consulting, who notes that companies in South Africa have a habit of leaving everything to the last minute.
“Given the current economic climate, with the South African Reserve Bank predicting zero economic growth this year, if you haven’t been ramping up your income line, now is the time to really move it,” she says.
Robinson adds that everyone is now chasing the same, increasingly small, pie to get ahead and make their projections by year-end. However, repeatedly knocking on the same door is not going to persuade companies to part with their cash, she says.
“In fact, it will likely have the opposite effect as you’re just irritating them at a time when they are also nose to the grindstone. What companies need to do now, is tap into new markets, and do so quickly because everyone is seeking growth rates higher than what they are finding at home. We can help you tap into new markets in every possible economic sector in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Morocco and Tanzania.”
This professional business-to-business offering also means CG Consulting is matching what you offer with what companies want, instead of just blindly throwing darts at the Yellow Pages, Robinson explains.
Robinson adds these African economies – with the exception of Nigeria – have continued to remain resilient. “Although Nigeria is battling the slump in the oil price, and a global glut of the liquid, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still demand for niche products or services. The right consultancy can hook you up with the right client – a win-win situation.”
Although low commodity prices will weigh on economies this year, as a region, sub-Saharan Africa is still resilient, says Robinson.
The World Bank says the region will gain 2.5 percent overall in gross domestic product this year. It also says growth this year will be lower because low commodity prices, tightening global financial conditions, and drought in parts of the region will continue to weigh on growth this year. Although that is 1.7 percentage points lower than the previous estimate, it is faster than many other economies, which are on the brink of a recession, says Robinson.
Tapping into this market will not only help a company increase sales, but also open doors for when the region starts to bounce back, she says.
The World Bank adds the recovery is expected to strengthen to an average of 4.1 percent in 2017/18, which will be driven by a gradual improvement in the region’s largest economies and commodity prices stabilising. The global authority does, however, warn that there is a downside risk, especially if commodity prices continue to languish.
Robinson says a consultancy like CG Consulting can also act as a hedge in this instance, by providing connections in sectors that are less affected and still going strong. This, she explains, is because these companies have a reliable, verified database of keen customers across all sectors of the economy.