Artificial intelligence enables small businesses in Kuwait to compete with larger rivals by identifying potential customers and creating sales opportunities. Mohammad Rashidi, an artificial intelligence lead generation specialist, emphasized the importance of a targeted approach in attracting customers.
New Opportunities for Small Businesses
Rashidi explained that identifying customers involves recognizing individuals or businesses that are likely to need a product or service and starting a conversation with them. Although this practice has a long history, the increasing competition for customer attention has made targeted approaches more important.
Read more: Signing of Three Agreements to Strengthen Omani Companies' Participation in the Energy Sector
Rashidi said, "Attention is now the rarest resource in business. Mailboxes are full, advertisements are becoming more expensive, and people quickly ignore anything that feels like a sales pitch." He added that a strong product or service is not enough if a business cannot reach the right audiences. "If the right people never hear about you, the business that reached them first wins."
Smart Use of Artificial Intelligence
Rashidi explained that AI tools can analyze thousands of businesses, create personalized messages, and manage initial inquiries before passing on further discussions to staff. He continued, "In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), we are still in the early stages, and this is exactly the opportunity."
Rashidi emphasized that success in attracting customers depends on selecting the right audiences. For example, a company providing healthy food for schools would be better off contacting school administrators or those responsible for student health rather than departments that have no role in selecting food suppliers. He said, "Achieving this goal turns communications into real conversations."
He also pointed out the main needs of businesses in using AI and said, "Now a five-person startup in Kuwait can leverage decision-makers just as effectively as a full sales team." Rashidi advised businesses to clearly define their ideal customers and use AI for research and reminders while keeping meaningful conversations personal.
He also warned that excessive automation, especially in the Gulf, can tarnish a company's reputation and said, "AI opens the door, but only humans can walk through it."
Read more: Achieving Ten Indicators in Oman's 2040 Vision by 2030 · Meeting of the Kuwaiti Ambassador with the Bahraini Minister of Health to Strengthen Health Cooperation
