Latest / Closing Sales in Nigeria - Sales For The Nigerian Business Person: The Sales and Marketing Blueprint / Forget the "Oga": Why the Boss Isn't Your Only Customer

Transcript

Forget the "Oga": Why the Boss Isn't Your Only Customer · Closing Sales in Nigeria - Sales For The Nigerian Business Person: The Sales and Marketing Blueprint

0:01
Hello and welcome to the podcast.
0:03
Apologies because today's recording is being made at home
0:06
and as usual, there's no light and all my neighbors are
0:09
blasting their generators. So expect some noise to come in
0:13
through the background. Apart from that, everybody's
0:15
home. It's a public holiday, so there
0:17
will be interruptions. Now, today, OK, now most
0:23
Nigerians assume that you have to be selling to the orga, the
0:26
very orga at the top. You have to be selling to the
0:28
big boss or you have to be selling to senior people in the
0:32
organization. That is if you are in AB to B
0:35
space. So that is what I want to look
0:40
at today, whether that is indeed the fact that if you are in B to
0:47
B sales, B to B sales just means you're not doing any personal
0:50
selling. What you're doing is you're not
0:53
selling one-on-one to individual people, but you're trying to
0:56
sell to a business, you're trying to sell to a corporation
0:58
as a whole. So let's say I know the branch
1:02
manager of Zenith Bank in my locale, in my city, I'll be in
1:07
my ward. How will I put it off?
1:09
And you understand what I mean? Let's say there's a Zenith Bank
1:12
close to me and I know the branch manager.
1:14
Now, if I'm a fashion designer and I go there and I'm trying to
1:17
talk to him, I'm trying to talk to her and I'm trying to sell
1:20
her on one or two pieces, you know, let her buy, you know,
1:24
suit and suit or whether she should buy a gown or something
1:27
like that. That's not business to business.
1:30
This is business to consumer. This is me, a business person
1:33
trying to sell her, the branch manager on a piece, a suit, you
1:39
know, a gown that will look nice for her.
1:42
But if I come as still as a fashion diner or whatever, but
1:48
this time what I'm trying to sell is I want to be the one
1:51
who's going to provide the official uniforms for everybody
1:55
in the whole building. Now that's different.
1:57
That is business to business because I'm a business person
2:01
and I'm trying to sell this time not to the branch manager as a
2:05
person, but I'm trying to sell to the whole business gone, gone
2:10
as in the Zenith Zenith Bank, that particular branch, I'm
2:13
trying to sell to the whole business.
2:16
So that is what we mean when we talk about business to business
2:20
sales. Now, there are lots of Nigerians
2:22
who assume that if it's business to business, right?
2:26
And you're not talking to the main auger.
2:28
So let's say Zenith Bank, you're not talking to CEO, you're not
2:32
talking to MD, you're not talking to somebody at the top,
2:36
they're wasting your time. Now, the reason why This is why,
2:39
sorry, the reason why this is what we're looking at today is
2:41
because I saw something on LinkedIn where somebody was
2:44
talking about how they were trying to sell something.
2:47
You know, it's a long time ago I saw the post so I can't remember
2:49
the details, Basha. Eventually the guy connected
2:52
with your guy at the top and the person was able to close the
2:54
deal, Sharp sharp. And the guy wrote that his that
2:57
this experience has taught him a very hard truth in B2B sales in
3:01
Nigeria that if you're not talking to the senior leader,
3:05
then you are not getting the right perspective.
3:08
And so that's the reason why I'm making today's podcast episode.
3:12
So like I said, bTB sales is when you are selling to a
3:17
business or to a corporation as a whole.
3:21
So ordinarily I would agree with the guy to say you know you
3:24
should be talking to somebody senior, somebody at the top.
3:26
But those are not the only things that we have to consider
3:29
The other dynamics that are at play now for you to properly
3:33
understand all the things that are going on, you have to 1st
3:36
understand that when you are in AB to B scenario that is you as
3:40
a business person, you are selling to another business.
3:44
Remember the example that I gave in one scenario, you the
3:47
business owner, you know, you're a stylish, you're a fashionista,
3:51
you're a clothier, you are, you know, whatever.
3:54
But you go and you talk to the branch manager, but you want the
3:57
branch manager to buy 1 three piece suit from you.
4:00
That is business to consumer. All right, You're selling only
4:03
to one person. But then you go to talk to the
4:05
branch manager and you're trying to get the branch manager to
4:08
sign the contract so that everybody's uniform, everybody's
4:12
three piece suit, everybody's, you know, whatever is going to
4:15
come from you as a business person, then that is business to
4:20
business. Now by by how will I put it now?
4:26
Now whenever you're selling business to business, you are
4:31
already in a complex sales scenario.
4:34
You're no longer in a simple sales scenario.
4:36
The first, the first situation where you walk to Zenith Bank
4:39
and you're trying to sell to the Zenith Bank branch manager.
4:44
You know, that's a personal something.
4:46
That's the simple sales scenario, all right?
4:48
It's very personal, but trying to get her to buy for the whole
4:54
business, for everybody in the whole branch, that is a complex
4:58
sale scenario. Now, the reason why is because,
5:01
well, First off, when we say complex sale scenarios, we're
5:03
usually talking about expensive solutions, expensive offerings,
5:07
you know, things like that. So let's say your suit and suit
5:11
1 is like 400K. So you can see that 400K.
5:15
By the way, I'm not a stylish person, so I don't have any
5:18
idea, you know, how much suits costs nowadays.
5:21
So I don't know if 400K is expensive or 400K is cheap.
5:24
You know, I just, I don't know, I just decided on saying 400K.
5:28
So if you're selling one suit and suit 400K, OK, let's assume
5:34
that that's a reasonable price. So one suit and suit 400K, you
5:37
know, it's a reasonable, straightforward something you're
5:39
trying to sell to someone they can never afford to or they
5:41
can't. You know, you follow up, you
5:43
know, close on our TTS. No Allah, no problem.
5:46
But let us now say that it's not just the MD, but let's say the
5:51
the staff, they have let's say 10 staff over there now and
5:54
you're trying to sell one suit and suit 400K now because it's
5:58
10 staff, that's 10 * 400 K Abby, that should be like
6:07
4,000,004 M OK, good. So now by the very fact that
6:12
you're now looking at the number of all the stuff that are there,
6:16
so ten of them, that's now 4 million.
6:19
And if you now look at the cleaners, the security guards,
6:21
blah, blah, blah, maybe you're supplying their own uniforms as
6:24
well. You know, the money goes up, the
6:25
money goes up, the money goes up.
6:27
So we are now talking about expensive solutions.
6:30
So that automatically puts us within the realm of a complex
6:33
sale. Complex sale just means, you
6:36
know this one, no straightforward.
6:38
It means you suppose take them easy, you know it's dicey, you
6:41
suppose play them softly, softly.
6:43
That is what the complex sale means.
6:46
Then by the very fact that we're dealing with expensive solutions
6:50
in complex sales, automatically it will not become a matter of
6:55
buying committee. It's not just one person that is
6:58
going to sign the cheque or it's not just one person that will
7:00
decide. It is a simple matter of buying
7:02
committee now, except if you're dealing with businesses where
7:06
the CEO, the founder, the whatever is the undisputed
7:11
champion. Like I heard for instance, that
7:13
if you're going to do business with Adenuga, well, it's a long
7:16
time ago. I don't know about now, maybe
7:17
the guy don't mellow. But a while ago I heard that
7:20
you're going to do business with Adenuga.
7:22
Like you have to deal with him direct.
7:24
Like until he says go, nothing they happen.
7:30
Until the guy approved nothing, they happen.
7:33
Until the guys sign nothing, they happen.
7:37
So if you're dealing with those kinds of businesses, OK, in that
7:40
case, you better try and get as close to identity as possible
7:44
because everybody knows he's the mover and he's the shaker.
7:47
But then if you look at his other contemporaries like down
7:49
with a, for instance, you know, down with a runs a different
7:51
kind of enterprise. Everything is set up, you know,
7:54
presidents, vice chairman, you know, departmental head, blah,
7:57
blah, blah. You know, you don't have to see
7:58
down with a for absolutely every single thing.
8:01
So depending on the kind of organization it is, once you
8:06
start dealing with expensive solutions, it's going to be a
8:08
matter of buying committees. You're going to have to talk to
8:12
different people because the decision is going to be made by
8:15
different people, not just one person.
8:17
It's not a matter of what guy at the top has said, yes.
8:20
Therefore everybody who's everybody who just fall in line
8:24
Now because of that, because you have to talk to different
8:26
people. Relationship building is key.
8:28
You're going to have to know a bunch of folks.
8:30
So if it is the Adenoga example, by the way, you know, this is
8:34
just gist that I heard, you know, so I don't know if it's
8:36
true or not, you know, go and do your own research.
8:39
So back to this example. Now, if truly, truly Adenoga is
8:43
the top dog in charge, then there's no need for building
8:46
relationship with anybody else because the aim is to go
8:49
straight to the source. Maybe you try and, you know,
8:53
parlay with one or two people, but the idea is that you're
8:56
trying to get to the source of power.
8:59
So that I didn't know I was signed the contract, but then
9:03
we've done with it, for instance, where everything is
9:05
properly set up, you know, chairman, vice president, deputy
9:08
D senior, D senior, that you will have to know a couple of
9:11
people within the organization because it's going to be a
9:14
commentary of people at the end of the day, who will meet and
9:17
who will decide. So back to that Zenith Bank
9:20
example. She's buying suit and suit as
9:22
the MD for the branch. Sure, no problem.
9:26
She will sign 400K, she'll buy a house which will give you the
9:28
money. But then to say she would take
9:30
the bank's money, you know, for M, you know, use the businesses
9:35
money for M like that to buy suit and suit for everybody.
9:38
You know, you should go, you have to pass one or two avenues.
9:44
You understand, you know, procurement, human resources,
9:48
who again you know, you understand you have to pass
9:51
through certain stages. So that's what happens when you
9:55
are in a complex sales scenario. Now, if you are involved in a
10:00
complex hill scenario, it is your job as a salesperson or it
10:03
is your job as a as a business owner to try and figure out who
10:06
the different parties are in this whole setup.
10:11
Who are the essential parties? Who are the important parties?
10:14
Who are the critical parties that I need to talk to?
10:16
It's a huge part of making sure that we get this deal to close.
10:20
Oh, by the way, if you think you're in a complex hill
10:22
scenario, you've been running your business and you've been
10:25
facing these sorts of issues, who am I supposed to be talking
10:27
to? You haven't been able to figure
10:28
all these things out and you need some help.
10:30
You can call me, send me a text message or a WhatsApp message on
10:34
08064662140 and let's see if I can help you get that money by
10:40
talking to the right person. So there's also nothing I want
10:48
to tackle. Some people think that when
10:50
you're selling business to business solutions in Nigeria,
10:52
that is different from other parts of the world.
10:55
Is that the case? Now, what I'm about to say is
10:58
just my own opinion. My answer is no, that the
11:02
dynamics are the same. If you're in a business to
11:04
business situation in America is the same as in the UK, is the
11:08
same as in Afghanistan, is in the same as in India is the same
11:13
as in Nigeria. They're all the same.
11:15
The dynamics are the same. Now, the only thing that would
11:17
be different is the level of man, no man, if you understand
11:22
what I'm saying. All like, what is man?
11:23
No man Now, man no man is the level of personal relationships
11:33
that you have within an account. OK, yeah, let me put it like
11:36
that. The level of personal
11:37
relationships that you have within an account.
11:38
So I'll say it's the same, but from what I hear about our
11:42
brothers in India, I hear that it's just about the same thing
11:45
in India as it is in Nigeria, that the level of man on man is
11:48
a, you know, man on man is a significant factor.
11:51
So in other words, if you know one or two people on a personal
11:55
level, it will help you. But overall, the dynamics are
11:59
the same. Then in Nigeria, sometimes, in
12:02
fact not sometimes, a lot of times, we have less strict
12:07
restrictions when it comes to procurement, like dealing.
12:12
One of the reasons why I don't like dealing with international
12:13
NGOs, 1 international NGO in particular, every single time
12:18
it's time, you know, I have to do a job for them, that's when
12:21
it comes to producing documentaries.
12:22
I always have to go through this whole dog and everything where a
12:28
couple of us, you know, three of us will drop proposals and stuff
12:31
like that. And in my own opinion, and I've
12:33
been telling them that look, this thing is highly
12:35
inefficient. You people have done business
12:37
with me before. You know, clearly I'm the best
12:40
person for the job, but you have to act this drama every single
12:43
time and collect invoices from three different people.
12:46
I mean, just for the sake of what?
12:49
But anyway, you know, that's how they do business in that
12:51
particular NGO because it's the the home body is in the UK and
12:58
you know, in the UK now they have this whole thing of let's
13:01
play fair, everything must be put to open bids and, you know,
13:07
stuff like that. So yes, so in Nigeria, we don't
13:11
have lots of all those rules around procurement.
13:15
And then there's issues around corruption and then there's this
13:20
culture of appreciation that, you know, you suppose appreciate
13:23
when somebody do something for you, you go appreciate them.
13:26
Nobody seen our bribe, you know, our appreciation.
13:29
And of course, you know, trying to figure out the difference
13:32
between bribing and appreciation is kind of hard.
13:34
But yeah, in Nigeria, I would say these are the kind of
13:37
dynamics that make things a little different.
13:40
But essentially the, the dynamics are the same whether in
13:44
America, Afghanistan, the UK or, you know, whatever.
13:47
But some of you will say that all these other things that I've
13:49
spoken about, you know, man, no man, procurement is relaxed,
13:54
corruption and then appreciation, you know, that all
13:57
those things make the Nigerian situation different.
14:00
But anyway, let me not dwell on that.
14:04
So let's get to the central question.
14:05
Now the main question is, do you have to talk to a senior leader
14:08
to get the deal done? Do you have to be talking to
14:11
CEO, founder, GMMD? Do you always have to be talking
14:16
to dem dem, those kind of people to get the deal done?
14:19
Now the answer is not necessarily.
14:22
OK. That's the reason why I'm making
14:24
today's podcast because this guy assumed that it is because he
14:27
was now talking to Orga Pata Pata direct.
14:30
Now that's why the deal closed. It's possible, but if you run
14:34
around all the time trying to look for, you know, the phone
14:38
number or the PIN code of Olga Pata Pata because you think that
14:42
is the most significant factor that is going to lead to closing
14:45
the deal, you will be, you might be wrong some of the times and
14:50
you're going to miss out on some significant, significant deals.
14:54
And I found that out the hard way.
14:57
So we shouldn't just be thinking in terms of seniority.
15:00
Now, you know, now who get power pass, now who senior pass.
15:03
We shouldn't always be thinking in terms of seniority within the
15:07
organization, but we should be thinking also in terms of
15:10
responsibility for decision making.
15:13
Because sometimes there are some junior people, some junior desk
15:18
officer, some junior stakeholders, low, low, low,
15:21
low, low on the totem pole who have lots of responsibility for
15:25
making some decisions. So even though Orga at the top
15:28
says this and this, if that desk officer say, then nothing will
15:33
happen for you. So it's not just seniority, but
15:37
who's responsible for making decisions and then who are the
15:41
different stakeholders that have to implement this, your
15:45
solution? Because if MD likes you and GM
15:48
likes you and the one does need to go ahead.
15:51
But then the people in the technical department, they
15:54
insist that your solution is inferior and blah, blah, blah,
15:58
no what not. And it's that kind of
15:59
organization where their own opinion matters.
16:02
Then the fact that, you know, MD and CEO and all that is not
16:06
going to help you. So seniority is something that
16:10
we should consider, but not just seniority.
16:12
We should also be thinking who is responsible for making this
16:15
decision and then which other stakeholders, which other
16:18
stakeholders have implicated, Abby, that's implicated, which
16:27
other stakeholders have repercussions or implications
16:31
for when this thing has to be implemented.
16:33
That is how we should be thinking about it in a holistic
16:35
sense. Now for this client of mine that
16:39
I've mentioned I think last week or maybe 2 weeks ago, currently
16:42
working with them, what they do is they sell their ad tech,
16:47
their ad tech consultants, they partner with their licensed
16:53
distributors of the licensed implementation partners
16:55
implementation, sorry, implementation partners for
16:58
Admatic. Now Admatic is a digital
17:02
advertising technology, you know, on the same level as
17:06
Google and Meta and things like that.
17:08
But Admatic is supposed to help, is supposed to help any.
17:14
The problem is a whole bunch of stuff and I think one of which
17:16
is that they can, so sorry, they can acquire customers for
17:22
businesses at roughly about half the cost that Facebook can and
17:25
Google can. So, you know, there are other
17:27
stuff that makes up part of their unique selling
17:30
proposition. So when I was having a session
17:33
with that team, the sales team of my client, it is one thing I
17:38
have to tell them. I look, when you're trying to
17:40
get into an account, it's not just a matter of who is the
17:43
senior person, who is the senior person, who is Orga at the top,
17:46
who is Orga, Pata, Pata, You know, who is the person that
17:48
holds the key to power. It's not just that we should be
17:51
thinking in some broad categories and one of them is we
17:54
should be thinking in terms of management, management decision
17:59
makers or management users, then technical decision makers,
18:02
operational decision makers or financial decision makers or
18:06
financial users. Now the reason why we think
18:09
about that is because like in all cases they sell advertising
18:11
technology. Definitely you have to know
18:14
management because it's management who is going to be
18:16
thinking about strategic imperatives and things like that
18:20
and fixing budgets and things. So you know, you guys know one
18:24
or two people in management definitely.
18:27
But then you also suppose know some guys and some girls in the
18:32
technical side. You know, the people in the
18:34
marketing department, the people who are actually, you know, at
18:36
the end of the day, running the apps or running the, you know,
18:39
people who are running all the software, running all the back,
18:44
back end stuff that make it possible for the business to
18:47
operate. So you need to know the
18:49
technical and operations people. You suppose get some of those
18:51
people on board. Then definitely you also need to
18:55
know people on the financial end, you know, procurement.
18:59
OK, no sense they are in ad tech, they don't have to deal
19:02
with procurement, but you understand what I'm saying.
19:04
There are some of you who have to deal with their procurement
19:06
or who have to deal with people in accounting or whatever to get
19:10
your job, your job approved, your contract approved.
19:14
So that's the way to think about it.
19:15
Think in terms of managerial responsibility, technical
19:19
responsibility, operational responsibility, financial
19:22
responsibility. You know, they're called
19:23
different things by different people, like Antonio, Victor
19:27
Antonio, he calls them users. So Victor Antonio would say
19:30
management user, technical user and financial user.
19:34
But you get the point. It's not about the name, you
19:36
know, it's about the rationale you understand.
19:39
So don't follow people and be arguing too much online that no,
19:42
this is the right time. This the time is not important.
19:45
Just do the thing. Forget the term.
19:48
Now the reason why I'm going through pains to explain this
19:56
thing is remember I told you that if only you're only looking
20:00
at seniority, you will miss one or two things.
20:03
And this is my own example. I've told the story before and
20:07
I'll say it again. And the reason why is because
20:09
the team pained me. You're paying me very, very
20:13
well. And also because I cannot
20:15
believe that I was held to ransom by secretary.
20:18
You heard me, you heard me. There was an end of year party
20:24
for an oil and gas corporation. So the money was going to be
20:28
good money, good money. And I had told all my crew that
20:32
this thing was a done deal because the person who brought
20:34
me into the organization was she worked in the office of the
20:38
company secretary because she was my classmates.
20:40
You know, I'm a former lawyer. So when she brought me in now,
20:45
by the time I entered the organization, I now noticed that
20:47
all the people in the top, top corners, you understand what I'm
20:50
saying, Audio guard them, all of them went to OAUI say, I say
20:55
this thing is a layup because the girl that brought me in,
20:59
she's my classmate. Audio guys.
21:01
Now, you know, all of them, we all went to the same school.
21:03
They're my seniors. I said, this is a layup.
21:07
So every time I'll go to the office now I go there, network,
21:10
you know, go and greet or guide this person.
21:12
Go and greet Madam, this person, go and greet all of them.
21:14
You know, we're going up and down.
21:16
I will shout greatest affair, greatest affair, you know,
21:20
healing them, bidding relationship.
21:22
And I was feeling cool because I knew all the senior people.
21:26
So I thought this was a layup. And I remember that year I had
21:30
told my guys, I told my crew, I said, forget that this thing.
21:35
Oh, it's a done deal. I told them this is what we used
21:39
to wrap up December because remember was the end of year.
21:42
The money would have been good, good.
21:44
You know, it's always nice when the year is closing and then you
21:47
get bam, good money. Then you share with all the
21:50
boys, everybody is happy, you know, and then we all wrap up
21:54
the end of the year, you know, in a good way.
21:57
And then we wake up in the next year, cool, ready to face the
22:01
air. So I already told everybody
22:02
that, look, this one is a done deal.
22:03
It's a done deal only for me to discover one thing by the time
22:10
my evolves was in and the time came for money to be paid and I
22:14
found out that one secretary that I was not greeting.
22:19
I was not greeting. How I will come and greet
22:21
everybody. I've got a shout greatest if
22:22
you're up and down. I because I know all your, all
22:24
of us educated people, all of us will get master's degree, you
22:27
understand. But this one secretary, common
22:32
secretary, she's the one that was firmly in charge of the
22:36
planning committee. Remember what I said?
22:40
That is not just a matter of seniority, but it's also a
22:44
matter of who is responsible for taking what decisions and then
22:47
who are the other stakeholders who have responsibility for
22:53
implementing. So even though she was a common
22:56
secretary, I should not go school when it comes to
23:01
implementation. Let's just say her name is
23:03
Auntie Bossy. When it come to implementation,
23:06
anti Bossy was in charge, was large and in charge and I didn't
23:13
do my homework. So even though I knew all the
23:16
oga and I've been greeting everybody and I did network and
23:20
I did hail everybody, you know, come to the office, then walk
23:24
out up and down the corridor, you know, feeling like it's my
23:27
house now, me on the place because I didn't do my homework
23:32
and because I didn't realize that anti boss is large and in
23:36
charge when it comes to these kinds of things.
23:38
Forget it, forget it. Anti boss said I didn't greet
23:43
when I was coming into the building.
23:46
By the time we move front and my invoice was there.
23:49
Lo and behold, and the boss is the person that I was in front
23:53
of when it came to decision making.
23:55
Now by then I was trying to greet her, but I was ready too
23:58
late. The way she was looking at me,
24:00
you know, that kind of look like you are feeling like you're
24:03
somebody happy you come here, you know the worker anyhow, like
24:08
you know, just smile because she knew that ain't no problem.
24:11
Now you will jam me for front, should be, you know, rate me,
24:15
you will meet me in front. So now, Zito, that's how a
24:21
secretary, come on secretary, help me by the balls, excuse my
24:24
French. And that's how the thing didn't
24:27
pull through. And that is how me and the boys
24:30
that year, we did not end December on a good note.
24:35
We didn't end it on a high note because it would have been nice
24:38
for some hundred 100,000 to come our way.
24:42
Because back then, I think me personally, my own court would
24:45
have been like 800 K. So that would have been some
24:49
good money back then. Sorry, not now, because now
24:52
808100K is not, is nothing, because by the time fuel for
24:58
your car, you put like 400 K aside 400500K for fuel alone for
25:05
one month or maybe like 6 weeks waiting remain again that 300K,
25:08
what would that 300K do? By the time you enter market,
25:12
everything don't finish. So excuse me, so now Zito, so
25:20
the bottom, the summary of what I'm trying to say is this.
25:23
Don't be seduced by a job title alone because so many people get
25:25
seduced by job title. Don't be seduced.
25:28
What you need to do is you come in to the organization, then you
25:31
shine your eye and then you think critically.
25:35
What you're trying to do is you're trying to map the
25:38
decision making structure, map it well.
25:42
Remember the categories that I gave, think in terms of
25:45
managerial responsibility, technical responsibility,
25:48
operational responsibility, financial responsibility.
25:51
So if you have access to the top dogs, you have access to CEO,
25:55
you are CEO, go to the same church is good or well and good,
25:59
but don't rest on the fact that you're talking to the top dog,
26:01
They're talking to the senior people.
26:04
Map the decision making structure well, shine your eye,
26:07
figure out who is who, know who's responsible for what, know
26:11
which other stakeholders are involved, and then begin the
26:15
build relationship with everybody on an equal level
26:18
because you never know. Because the way I tell people is
26:22
it is better that you come into the organization network with
26:25
like 8 people. At the end of the day, you only
26:28
three of them to approve your contracts, no problem.
26:31
Now for you to come in, you only network with you know three
26:34
people only to discover that you need 5 to push your contract
26:39
above the line you get. So don't be seduced by a job
26:43
title alone. So for that guy who said that if
26:47
you're not talking to the senior leader, you're not getting the
26:49
right perspective. It's not as if he's wrong.
26:52
There's an element of truth in that.
26:54
I'm just making today's episode to let you guys know that you
26:57
know it's not always 100% correct.
27:03
Don't be like me that you think I've got this in the bag because
27:07
all the I know them and trust me, company secretary, I knew
27:12
the person in finance, I knew the person in operations.
27:16
I knew the person in technical. I knew, in fact, one of the
27:20
members of the board who was retiring that year because it's
27:24
an oil and gas company, a publicly quoted oil and gas
27:27
company, one of the members of the board who was retiring, I
27:30
not only took photos at her retirement party, I also took
27:34
the photos and provided media coverage when her own adopted
27:38
son was getting married. Honestly speaking, I thought was
27:40
a done deal, that if I don't collect this thing, who will?
27:45
So don't be like me, sorry. Don't be like me as I was back
27:50
then. Now I've learned my lesson, so
27:53
please learn the lesson on my behalf.
27:57
It's not just about titles alone.
27:59
Now, if you are in a similar situation, you're trying to sell
28:02
into an organization and you can't figure out who is who.
28:05
You don't know who are the important stakeholders to talk
28:07
to, or you're talking to one or two stakeholders like you don't
28:10
hook, you don't hang. You're not sure how to move
28:12
forward. You're not sure how to, you
28:14
know, extricate yourself from this situation.
28:17
It's not a problem. Reach out, call me, send me a
28:19
text message or a WhatsApp message on 08064662140.
28:26
Let's see how we can make you. Let's say we can help you move
28:30
along. Now some of you are listening
28:32
and you are scared because I sound expensive.
28:35
Don't worry, I'm reasonably priced for now.
28:38
Apart from that, I have no problem with answering questions
28:42
for free. But I'm only going to answer one
28:44
question. So think really hard and real
28:46
fast about what you want your one question to be.
28:49
Because someone spoke to me a few days ago and he asked me
28:53
about coaching options. I told him, the guy shouts, the
28:56
guys say hey Bros money not the issue.
28:58
I say no problem I understand that money not the issue but
29:01
I'll answer one question for you for free.
29:04
So let's just book a time later and ask me the question.
29:07
I said no, no no that I'm ready for my one question.
29:08
I said. I said look dude honestly
29:11
speaking I will answer only one question like I'm on this call
29:15
now and if you ask your own question honestly we know it
29:18
will take up to like 5-10 minutes.
29:21
I'll give you an answer that Are you sure?
29:22
The guys say yes I'm sure. I said OK no problem.
29:25
The guy asked. I said.
29:27
I said dude honestly this your question it's not the best.
29:32
Like you have me on the phone now this is not the best use of
29:37
your time asking this kind of question.
29:41
So I told him do you want to reconsider?
29:42
He said no, I know my one question.
29:44
I said OK no problem ask. He repeated the same thing By
29:48
the time I answered the question and he saw that some things were
29:50
well. The guy said can I ask the
29:51
second question? I said, no, you can't ask a
29:53
second questions. You've had your one.
29:56
But don't worry, keep listening to the podcast.
29:58
I'm sure I'll make a podcast episode where you know, I talk
30:00
about some other factors and you know you'll be able to
30:02
understand everything. But anyway, the long and short
30:04
of what I'm saying is don't worry.
30:06
Yes, I sound expensive, but I'm reasonably priced.
30:10
So even if we talk a money night issue, no problem, I'll answer
30:13
one question for free. So just make sure you think real
30:15
hard about what you want your one question to be so that when
30:19
you call, we can just head straight to the chase.
30:21
Now, even if you don't have a question, you can still call me,
30:24
send me a text message or WhatsApp message on 08064662140
30:30
because I love meeting and talking to listeners of my
30:34
podcast. Well, at least now.
30:37
So take advantage of that fact because when I blew and when I
30:40
become a big boy, somebody else is going to be on the phones and
30:43
it's not going to be me. So thank you very much for your
30:45
time and attention. I'll catch you all at the next
30:48
episode.