Level 3 · Part 2
Matching products to buyers
A product only has more value if someone is willing to pay for it.
The most common mistake in value addition is to make something first and look for buyers later. Start with the buyer. Ask what they need, what they now buy, and what they are not happy with.
- Name the buyer you want to serve (for example households in a town, a school canteen, a small shop).
- Find out what they buy now, how much they pay, and what they dislike.
- Describe how your product would be better: easier, safer, longer lasting, cleaner, tastier, or available when others are not.
- Offer a small sample and ask for honest feedback.
- Change your idea based on what you hear.
Why a buyer would not switch
People are used to what they buy. They may not trust something new, may find it more expensive, or may not know where to find it. If you cannot say why a buyer would change, you do not yet have a product.
Exercise 3.2 · Product idea card
- Write your product idea in one sentence.
- Write who the first buyer is and where they would buy it.
- Write why this buyer would choose your product over what they buy now.
- Write one question you still need to answer before you start.
Background reading for this part:
- Developing Sustainable Food Value Chains: Guiding Principles — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2014