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Sustainable Progress in the New Course with Certuis

The condition of the Iranian market has undergone changes in which businesses are dramatically in need of consultants for their guidance. The Certuis Company, which is among the business consultants with regard to its successful performance, has been able to guide numerous businesses. The company, in line with its activities, recently held a news conference in which it outlined the status of the Iranian market and its performance. The company, in addition to the news conference, held an event in the presence of senior managers of major domestic companies. In part of the event, the Sales and Marketing Deputy Office of the Ramak Company commented on the positive experience of cooperation with Certuis Company and responded to various questions of the participants.

What follows is a detailed report of the news conference and the remarks of the Sales and Marketing Deputy of the Ramak Company.

Outlining the Iranian Market

Managing Director and a member of the Board of Directors of Certuis Company, Dr. Gerhard Barcus, speaking at the news conference said: “During the time of our activities in Iran, in addition to forging cooperation with different Iranian and international brands we have accurately outlined and surveyed the Iranian market. The Iranian market has found better conditions after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the Iranian businesses should be prepared for a new arena of competition: An arena in which we are trying to help the Iranian businesses to successfully move forward. The Certuis Company helps the businesses to have a sound structure and take advantage of the new sales and marketing methods in the competitive atmosphere. This company renders assistance such as market research, compilation of market executive and strategic programs, brand building, investment, selection of trade partner or corporate merger and consultation on human resources to the businesses. The Certuis Company in addition to offering services to the Iranian companies also renders full services to international companies in line with their entrance into Iran’s trade market. Certuis reminds the companies that using new business methods would provide them with the possibility of confronting the market rivals. Senior directors of the Certuis Company have a record of over thirty years of executive experience at the higher management levels of top and outstanding Iranian and international companies in their work record. The main difference in Certuis Company in rendering specialized consultations is lacking merely theoretical aspects and its executive nature.”

Challenges Facing Iranian Businesses

Dr. Gerhard Barcus referred to the challenges facing the Iranian businesses and said many of the Iranian businesses enjoy high capabilities and conditions, adding that if they are assisted they could maintain presence in international arenas and have close competition with the work brands. “In this regard, the businesses should pay attention to different points where decision-making is an important factor. If decision-making does not take place with detailed information and the required experience, it would not be useful. This is an important category that has been turned into the main challenge of many business directors. At the time of making decision, directors should pay attention to the market reality. Without considering these cases no sound decision would be made. Considering that in the Iranian culture showing respect for the elders is of prime importance and the directors as the elders of the organizations enjoy a specific status, the directors should also consider themselves a trainer for the members of the organization and at the time of making decision take all the aspects into account. Unilateral decision-making without information would not yield good results for the organizations. Moreover, the administrators at the time of decision-making should consider the opinion of the remaining colleagues.

Capability in the Field of Sales and Distribution

Training of the work force is one of the other cases that businesses should pay special attention to. People in different countries are more or less at the same level of skills and creativity and would reach capability and could help their businesses through training. However, the Iranian businesses should know that grounds have been paved for their activity and vigilance in this respect is the prerequisite for their job. For the start, they can have a deeper look at the markets in the region of their activities. To enter into such markets trends of the day and the process of activity of the world brands of the day should be scrutinized. Of course, the businesses in order to enter into the world markets are faced with other challenges such as capability in the area of sales and distribution. This is the challenge they are faced with in the domestic market as well. The Iranian companies are always faced with difficulties in the distribution of their products in chain stores and this approach has made a return to the traditional method. The business should have a sound understanding of their consumers for sale and the more they invest in this field the more successful they would become. Understanding the consumers is an important point because market fluctuations would change their outlook towards brands. For example, in the 1980s demand in the market was higher than supply. The work force at that time was inexpensive and businesses through production could easily sell their products. But in 1990s the issue of distribution assumed importance and was turned into one of the business concerns. In 2000s the issue of distribution was solved. That is to say, the businesses had both good production and good distribution and were faced with the demand for innovation and distinctive marketing services for better sales. In the continuation of this trend and in the course of the forthcoming years, the companies would feel the need for the expansion of communication with their customers and would be obliged to develop a deep understanding of them. Some of the Iranian businesses have synchronized themselves with such changes and are making progress. Surely if the businesses do not synchronize themselves with different aspects of fluctuations and market leaps they would be faced with problem.”

Global Market Conditions

Dr. Gerhard Barcus while pointing out other activities of the Certuis Company said: “The Certuis Company has representative offices in Tehran, Dubai and Geneva and with regard to the conditions of the Iranian market is intended to have further cooperation with Iranian companies and has expanded its activities in the field and is using capabilities of specialized and experienced staff.”

In the continuation of the session, Philippe Val , the Sales Deputy of Certuis Company said: “During our ativity in Iran we realized that the Iranian businesses pay less attention to important issues such as education, ways of investment, brand making structure, etc. These are issues that if they receive little attention they would face the business with problems irrespective of their capabilities and would strip them of the opportunity to be present in international arena. Maybe it is not fair to look at all the failures from the Iranian business angle. Due to the international sanctions, the Iranian market has been ignored and the atmosphere for presence in the international arena has been closed to the Iranian companies. Under various circumstances, the international sanctions have caused the businesses not to take proper advantage of their potential capabilities. But the Iranian businesses, especially in the area of FMCG have high potentials for presence in international arenas. This is the potential which should be fertile through specialized consultation. The atmosphere of the Iranian businesses at present is like a waterfall that is not concentrated at the time of falling and many of their capabilities are thus wasted. Such a performance results in separation of specialized forces of the companies from them after a period of activity in order to join other companies. These are the work force which would perish if their talents are not discovered.”

Changes in Market Conditions

Philippe Val said: “Market conditions are changing and the number of product suppliers increases every day. It is not easy any more to attract customers for different products in the market. These conditions are not specified to Iran and many of the businesses in different countries have taken this course. Therefore, the companies should choose consultants with different experiences in the world trade markets and direct the businesses in operational form. As it was mentioned, the Iranian businesses are capable of entering into the world markets but they should have a detailed plan to do so. Because many bands after entering into a new market realize that the costs are beyond their imagination. For this reason, they should come closer to the global markets stage by stage and start from their region. The Iranian businesses in addition to the 80-million domestic markets are faced with a market close to 300-million which they could supply. As a result, the Iranian businesses with new management can easily capture the world markets. They need a management that would provide every single member of the organization an opportunity to demonstrate their talents — talents that if intended to move ahead of the organization would not be confronted with the deterring decisions of the management.

Iranian Market Is Competitive

Elsewhere during the event, the Sales and Marketing Deputy Office of Ramak Company commented on its cooperation with Certuis Company and said: “Iran’s market is a competitive market where many brands are active in the field of dairy. Ramak Company has been active in the Iranian market for 22 years. Last year in line with the development of organizational performance, it started cooperation with the Certuis Company. Certuis rendered consultative services to Ramak Company in the two areas of empowering the marketing team and launching a group of products.

“According to the information obtained the Certuis Company held workshops and different specialized training courses and familiarized Ramak Group with different tools. The successful termination of the project for empowering of the marketing department provided the senior directors and members of the department with satisfaction. The distinction point between the Certuis Company and other companies is in the type of their performance. Most consultative companies in Iran are administered with the presence of academics but it is not the case with the Certuis Company as capable people who have both good experience in terms of theory and practice are active in the company. This is while the market is in need of operationalization of the processes and one cannot be active only on the basis of theoretic issues. At present in the Ramak Company, with the cooperation of Certuis Company, a new look has been developed and Ramak has taken a faster course in the market. Following the success of the last year projects, it has taken measures to define and launch new projects in the area of sales and trade marketing.”