Latest / Closing Sales in Nigeria - Sales For The Nigerian Business Person: The Sales and Marketing Blueprint / How to Talk to Your Team One-on-One to Get Work Done

Transcript

How to Talk to Your Team One-on-One to Get Work Done · Closing Sales in Nigeria - Sales For The Nigerian Business Person: The Sales and Marketing Blueprint

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  Hello and welcome. Today I just want to make a
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  brief note to discuss something that I find quite troubling in
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  the Nigerian business scene. You know, you have business
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  owners, you have sales managers, you have founders, you have
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  entrepreneurs, you have CE OS talking to members of their team
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  and trying to do lots of management by WhatsApp.
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  Now, I understand the temptation that you know WhatsApp is there,
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  it's already available. So if there's a problem, you
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  just file off a quick message what the problem is.
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  In doing that, people are not using WhatsApp as effectively as
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  it should be. Well, First off, WhatsApp is a
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  messaging tool, not a management tool.
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  I repeat, WhatsApp is a messaging tool, not a management
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  tool. If you're going to manage people
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  as a founder, as a business owner, as a CEO, or as a
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  whatever, your primary skill is going to be in being able to
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  have difficult conversations. And the more direct you can have
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  those conversations, the better. If you're going to use tools
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  like WhatsApp in a general messaging platform.
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  And let's say a project is behind and you just send a
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  message blasting everybody saying so, so, so, so project is
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  behind. Why is all this thing happening?
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  You people, we need to move now. We need to move now.
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  What you need to understand as a business owner and as the CEO,
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  as the founder is this, you blast that message out to the
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  WhatsApp group. You have the emotional
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  satisfaction that you have put out a message and that everybody
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  should know how disappointed you are.
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  But this is what really happens on ground because people are
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  used to seeing you rant on WhatsApp, the truth of messages.
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  Your sales team, they're not reading that message.
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  They have other priorities on their mind right now.
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  And quite frankly, they can't be bothered about whether today or
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  guy is venting or tomorrow Madam is having a fit.
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  You know they can't be bothered, but you feel as if you put that
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  message out into the group. What's happening?
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  We're behind our social so and so project.
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  This is irresponsible. If you don't want to work, you
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  all should resign and leave the company.
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  There's only people who are serious that should be here.
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  So you put all that rubbish out into the WhatsApp group and you
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  think you're making progress, but meanwhile nothing they
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  happen. So as a manager or as a business
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  owner, as a founder, as a CEO, as the executive, as the
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  whatever, this is what you need to do.
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  If a project is behind, call the person that you think is
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  responsible. Or if you're going to send a
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  WhatsApp message, slide into the DM of the person in WhatsApp and
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  send a message directly to the person who you think is
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  responsible and call out whatever you think the
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  insufficiencies are in the message.
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  Then have a very particular discussion about what you need
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  to do to bring the project back on track.
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  Then in that private message, direct message, I agree on what
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  the next steps are and what you're going to do to hold that
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  person accountable. So I don't prefer you do all
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  this over WhatsApp, but if you must do this over WhatsApp, this
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  is the way. Rather than taking a WhatsApp
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  tool or another general messaging tool like what's it
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  called? Rocket?
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  Is it Rocket Cast this messaging thing.
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  So whether using Rocket, is it Rocket Chat or WhatsApp or
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  Telegram or some group e-mail or something like that and you just
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  start ranting into the chat. We're behind on so, so, so and
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  so project what is going on? We need action, please.
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  We need closes this week. We need movement.
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  We need movement time is going no reach out to somebody in
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  particular who's responsible for something.
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  Then have the difficult conversation about why the
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  project is not moving. Both of you agree collectively
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  on what it is that people are going to do next.
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  Then come up with measures for how you're going to hold that
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  person accountable. That is what you're supposed to
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  do. So this is what I would
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  recommend, particularly if you're a business owner,
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  founder, sales team, you know, sales leader, chief marketing
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  officer, chief revenue officer, you know, whatever your title
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  is, listening to this podcast right now, this is what I'm
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  going to recommend. If you notice that you are
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  behind on XYZ project, instead of ranting into the group, pick
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  up the phone or walk into the office.
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  If you overwork physically in the same space, walk into the
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  office and have this conversation face to face.
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  This is about making progress and achieving results.
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  It is not about having the emotional satisfaction or firing
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  off angry messages into the group.
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  So walk over to the office and he said, Culli, how you there?
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  Culli will say, I, Sir, I did. Your boys are loyal.
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  You say, Culli, I beg, there's something I want to discuss with
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  you. Then Culli will say, ah, boss, I
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  beg, oh, there's no problem. And you will now say, of course,
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  now problem D, we've been discussing this thing for the
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  last four weeks. I thought you're responsible for
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  so, so, so and so. But I'm not seeing any movement
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  waiting to happen. What's going on then Kule will
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  now respond for you. People having a back and forth.
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  You will now be able to know what the issues are.
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  If is that Kule is lacking, you'll be able to chat Kule or
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  scold him directly in a way that allows him not to avoid
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  responsibility for his own roles.
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  Because if you put this angry message on WhatsApp, Kule can't
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  ignore the WhatsApp message. And I have told you, I am a
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  sales coach and a business development consultant.
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  I work with boys on the ground, boys and girls on the ground,
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  The boys and girls on the ground, they feel like they have
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  other priorities. So if Olga, the perambulator
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  anyhow, on the WhatsApp group, they will ignore the message and
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  go about that what they think is important for the day.
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  You or guy will feel as if you've done something, you've
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  done nothing. Everybody ignore that message.
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  Every frigging person in your team, ignore that message.
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  You will now feel as if you've done something to get this thing
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  back on track. Go into the office and have this
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  conversation. Clearly then, if it is because
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  rules were not clear, things are not properly assigned, things
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  like that. Have that conversation with
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  Coolie Coolie, This is what we're going to do to bring this
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  thing back on track. I expect you to do XYZ and ABC
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  before Friday 14th of October, blah blah, blah, blah blah, so
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  we can move this thing on track. Cool.
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  You say yes Sir. You say hey cool.
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  It's not a matter of yes, Sir, we're talking now.
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  You're not writing anything down.
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  Write this thing down or put this thing in your diary.
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  Do it now. Let me see it then.
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  Both of you now agree. OK, cool.
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  Since I expect this action to be taken before October 14th, blah
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  blah blah, blah, blah. I'm expecting a progress report
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  on October 10th to see how ready we are for the 14th and if all
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  goes well on the 14th, I want us to have a general meeting with
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  so, so, so and so team on October 18th so that we can
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  review next steps. Are we clear, Cooley?
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  Cooley would say yes, Sir. Again, you stress.
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  Cool. This one will be yes Sir.
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  Yes, Sir. You're not writing anything
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  down. Put this thing down in the
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  diary, Put this thing down in Google Calendar, blah, blah,
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  blah. Cooley, I'm holding you
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  responsible. Are we good to say?
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  Yes, Sir. No problem.
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  So. And as you're leading, as you're
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  leaving, you know, small jokes they couldn't know.
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  They tell me your boys are lawyer.
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  Meanwhile, you know, they work. You know they work.
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  Cool. I beg more now.
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  Shake body more. You should be moving.
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  Be moving. You know, Then you laugh about
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  it and everything. Then you leave.
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  That is a much more productive way to handle these sorts of
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  things. Business owners, sales managers,
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  Chief revenue officer. Chief financial officer.
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  Chief. This officer, chief executive
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  Officer, all of you who are trying to do management by
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  WhatsApp, stop it. I don't know where this habit,
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  how this habit has entered Nigeria, but honestly speaking,
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  it's ineffective, It's not working and the only person who
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  is satisfied by management by WhatsApp is you, the old guy who
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  is sending this message. You're the only person who is
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  achieving the emotional release. Trust me, all your boys and
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  girls, they are ignoring that message.
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  They say OK, you don't start again.
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  You don't start again. You never see him.
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  Except I beg. I beg.
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  I have nothing else to do. I'm chasing Chief, this person.
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  I'm chasing Madame, blah, blah, blah and making their rants,
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  making their rant. They're ignoring you.
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  It's not working. Now, if the face to face thing
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  is not possible, pick up the phone and the process is the
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  same. Cami, good morning.
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  How are you doing? I'm very well.
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  Sir. Are you coming into the office
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  today or? No, Sir, today is the day that I
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  work from home. OK, No problem.
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  I have some important things that I want to discuss with you.
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  Do you have a moment to talk now?
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  Oh, say yes Sir, I'm free. OK, good.
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  Cammy, I need updates on XYZ project.
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  What is going on? The last time we spoke, I had
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  assumed that we would have done this dot dot dot dot Cammy.
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  How come this thing has not been done?
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  Then you keep quiet and you hear what Cammy has to say.
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  You will have the conversation. It is possible that Cammy has
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  been slacking off. No problem.
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  You will now give Cami clear directions on what it is that
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  needs to be done next, when you want the thing done by and you
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  both agree on what the timelines or the yardsticks, the
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  milestones, the things you will need to hit by certain times as
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  you're talking, you will tell Cami, Cami, I hope you're noting
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  these things down. And in fact, when we're done,
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  I'm sending you an e-mail with a list of all these dates so that
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  you know, we can I can hold you to it.
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  Then sometimes it will be possible that the reason why
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  action was not taken was because Kemi thought it was somebody
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  else's responsibility. You will now say, oh, no, Kemi,
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  yes, it should be coolest responsibility.
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  But Kemi, you are the head of the team.
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  So ultimately, I'm holding you responsible for all this.
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  And this is what we're going to do to get this project back on
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  schedule. You will have the conversation
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  over the phone directly with her in a manner that is respectful,
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  assertive and does not allow her to evade responsibility.
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  Because if you go and blast all these thing in the WhatsApp
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  group, somebody will just say come in or get on the OR get on
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  the complaint again, came and say what is it now?
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  So you know or Ghana, you know as it will be.
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  Then can we open the message, maybe see the first two or three
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  lines? Should we close it and go and do
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  other things else other things? You will feel as if I have done
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  something meanwhile you have done nothing.
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  Everybody is ignoring you in the WhatsApp chat, in the group
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  chat, in the Rocket chat, in the Telegram chat, in the group.
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  In fact, is even worse. If his group e-mail, if at least
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  if his chat, at least people see the first two or three lines.
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  If his group e-mail, forget it. Nobody even clicked on that
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  e-mail. Nobody.
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  We think we'll just sit down there for days now, get buried
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  by other things. Business owners, sales managers,
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  CEO, OGA found founder, team lead.
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  Madam CMO, you should stop this bad habit.
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  It's part of your job to learn how to have difficult
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  conversations. Difficult conversations are had
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  in a respectful manner, are had in an assertive manner.
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  And you have these conversations one-on-one.
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  You go and meet the person direct.
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  Don't evade nothing. That is why you're the ogre.
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  That is why you are the boss. That is why you are the senior.
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  Go direct. Why you they fear why you are
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  afraid. Go and have a conversation with
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  somebody instead of blasting all kinds of messages into the water
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  group. See, sorry that venting about
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  this in this morning. It's just that, you know, like I
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  said, you know, work with boys and girls on the field.
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  And I've just noticed that it's it's a trend I'm noticing.
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  I'm an outsider. I'm a consultant.
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  No problem. You will have given me access to
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  the inner platforms, to the inner chatting to the inner
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  every, every. And yes, they'll be challenges
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  with projects, but I've noticed that orgasm nowadays they have
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  they prefer the the comfort or do whatever.
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  I'm just ranting in these messages instead of calling
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  somebody who's your direct report, have a very direct and
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  frank conversation before WhatsApp, before group office
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  e-mail chats and everything existed at least in Nigeria.
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  If it was a problem, what would your guy do?
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  Your guy would have sent the secretary to go and say go and
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  call Mr. Tavishima, tell him to come and see me in the office
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  and the conversation would have been had.
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  Or you would have issued a query and call a panel or, But either
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  we sure something would have been done objectively in real
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  life in a manner that is direct and assertive in a manner that
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  the person who is concerned cannot evade responsibility and
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  clear consequences or clear course of action for next time
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  would have been agreed upon. And I'm sorry that I've been
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  writing for 30 minutes, but I'm just trying to prove a point
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  that if you've been guilty of this sort of behavior, stop it.
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  It's not effective. It's not helping you move your
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  business forward at all. It's giving you emotional
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  closure that you blasted people, but honestly, it's not moving
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  your business forward. Go and learn.
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  Learn how to start having these difficult conversations.
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  Learn how to start having assertive, direct conversations
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  with your subordinates, with your people who work under you,
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  with your peers, with your colleagues.
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  Learn how to have these direct conversations.
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  Venting into the group e-mail, venting into the group Telegram,
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  venting into the group WhatsApp is not doing anything to move
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  your business forward. Believe me, it is not doing
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  absolutely anything. I'm not a lecturer, I'm not an
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  academic. I'm out in the field and for
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  people, OK, well, you have not had me to come and work in your
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  company, obviously, But for other people who have hired me,
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  I'm seeing the effects live. I'm on the ground, I'm seeing
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  you rant and I'm watching your team ignore your ranting.
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  Worst of all, I am the one who is now having to go in to start
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  having these frank conversations with people to say how far with
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  this, how far with this? The problem is I'm just a
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  consultant. Eventually my money will expire.
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  You pay me for one month and one more.
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  Don't reach if you don't learn how to do this thing yourself.
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  As a business owner, when I leave, what will happen?
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  Back to square one for whatever. Sorry.
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  Now for how do you say it again? One step forward, 2 step back.
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  So please mowing and land, if you do bring me into your
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  company, I'll do my best to make sure that you orga because it's
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  not just the boys and the girls who need training.
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  Even you Orga founder but I'm CMO but I'm Chief revenue
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  officer even you self use on training.
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  I'll do my best to tell you that look you know bro or look Madam,
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  I think what you do on WhatsApp, you know, you know pure pick up
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  the phone call. So so and so and this is the
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  reason why. But please management by
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  WhatsApp, I beg let us stop it. Nigerian business owners,
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  Nigerian managers, I don't know where this culture came from,
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  but let's stop this thing. Management by WhatsApp is not
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  helping your business, is not helping your carrier.
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  It's not doing, it's not, it's not moving the needle forward.
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  So that's it. If you'd love to connect with
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  me, call me, send me a text message or WhatsApp message on
• 16:28
  08064662140. If you want me to audit your
• 16:33
  sales processes or look at any of your business process
• 16:36
  processes, just call me, send me a text message or WhatsApp
• 16:39
  message on 0806466 2140. If you'd like to be a part of my
• 16:45
  WhatsApp channel, maybe because you're shy, you just don't want
• 16:47
  to talk, you want to be receiving updates, it's not a
• 16:49
  problem. Just get in touch with me on the
• 16:51
  same number and I'll hook you up.
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  So thank you very much for your time and attention.
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  I'll catch you all some other time.