Latest / Closing Sales in Nigeria - Sales For The Nigerian Business Person: The Sales and Marketing Blueprint / Networking Strategies: Meeting Customers & Building Partnerships

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Networking Strategies: Meeting Customers & Building Partnerships · Closing Sales in Nigeria - Sales For The Nigerian Business Person: The Sales and Marketing Blueprint

0:01
Hello and welcome to the show. Sorry about the noise in the
0:04
background. That's because we're still in
0:06
the villa. Like I said, mumsy hassle over
0:08
here. But the neighbour has been
0:10
running generator non-stop and that's because NEPA has been
0:14
absolute crap. Yeah and Makuti.
0:17
So it's just one of these things.
0:20
I hear that some of you are also dealing with Napa issues, you
0:23
know, pie issues in different parts of the country.
0:27
You know, the usual exclusive excuses, dry season, no water in
0:31
the dam, blah, blah, blah. So I guess which is why for
0:36
those of you who can afford to, if you can afford to hook up
0:38
your house with solar, might not be a bad idea.
0:41
You know, Speaking of solar, I'm going to do a series in 2025
0:45
that's in the new year about a solar company, an alternative
0:48
energy company that I did some consulting work with earlier in
0:52
2024. And they are Crimson Power.
0:55
I just saw in Business Day that they've been awarded a huge
0:59
contract for providing a mini grid somewhere in Ogun State.
1:04
And mini grids are think about it like a solar project, but on
1:09
a much more larger scale where you instead of trying to hook up
1:11
one house, you're trying to hook up hundreds of houses or
1:14
thousands of houses at the same time.
1:17
So that'll be something that we'll talk about in the in the
1:22
new year, just me talking about the former client and then also
1:26
trying to expose you guys to some of the developments that
1:28
are going on in Nigeria when it comes to infrastructure, power
1:32
development and all these sorts of things.
1:35
Anyway, today's episode is not going to be about power, but
1:37
today we're going to be looking at networking ideas for business
1:40
growth. Now, the reason why we're going
1:41
to be looking at that is because of some ideas that I've been
1:45
throwing around recently. The last couple of episodes
1:47
concerning a company that we shall call ABC Decor.
1:52
They're an actual company, but not a client of mine because
1:56
talks didn't progress that far. And since I don't have the
1:59
fellow's permission to talk about him or his company in in
2:04
detail, that's the reason why I'm using the fictitious name
2:06
ABC Decor for an actual company that is not my client.
2:10
But we ended up doing some having some conversations around
2:15
strategies that would have helped to strategies that they
2:18
could have explored for business growth.
2:21
Now, if you'd love to connect with me and explore
2:23
opportunities, the number to reach me on is 08064662140.
2:31
The country code is +234. For those of you who are not
2:33
Nigerian, then you can connect with me on socials.
2:36
I'm on LinkedIn and establishing my idea.
2:38
I'm closing down the other accounts, so don't bother
2:40
following me there. So on previous episodes where we
2:45
explored my conversations with the folks behind ABC Decor,
2:50
remember what they do is material decorations and space
2:54
management. Yeah, space management.
2:56
That's what they do. So in the previous conversations
2:59
that I had with them and in the previous episodes that I've made
3:01
over here on the podcast that we have explored, we have looked at
3:04
what is an ICP that is your ideal customer profile, why the
3:09
ideal customer profile is important and how to use your
3:12
trading history, how to use common sense and also how to use
3:16
artificial intelligence to figure out who your ICP, your
3:19
ideal customer profile is, who the ideal person you should be
3:23
running after to do business and you know, hopefully the most
3:27
profitable segments of people that you should be doing
3:30
business with. So we've tackled all that in the
3:32
previous episode. So if this is your first time of
3:34
listening to the podcast, after you're done listening to this
3:37
episode, skip back a couple of episodes, you know, 3-4 episodes
3:40
and you're going to get caught up to speed.
3:41
You'll find out who ABC. OK, well, I didn't talk about
3:44
that. I didn't identify the company,
3:47
but you discuss, you will hear some of the discussions around
3:52
strategies for business growth that we explored, that we would
3:55
have explored for ABC Decor. And the first one was the ICP.
4:00
The ICP is just trying to figure out who are you supposed to be
4:02
chasing in the 1st place. Because if you're going to start
4:05
any sales or marketing thing and you're running after everybody
4:09
and anybody, but you don't have a clear sense of who you're
4:11
supposed to be running after. You're going to be wasting time.
4:14
You're going to be wasting money, you're trying going to be
4:15
wasting attention. You're going to be wasting all
4:18
kinds of resources on running after people who are not going
4:20
to become profitable customers at the end of the day.
4:26
So today we're going to start the conversation on prospecting
4:30
ideas. And the first prospecting idea
4:34
that we're going to look at is networking.
4:37
So yeah, so that's it. That's what we're going to talk
4:42
about today. Now before we go into
4:44
prospecting ideas and networking, we have to define
4:46
what prospecting is. That's for those of you who are
4:48
first time listeners of the show.
4:50
Now we hear prospecting that's just any strategy or any
4:53
execution that has to deal with looking for people who might
4:59
need your product or service or who can afford your product or
5:02
service. Those are the conversations that
5:04
we have and those are the ideation and the strategy that
5:07
we do. Whenever we talk about
5:08
prospecting or trying to figure out who has a need for my
5:11
product or my service, where can I find them in the real world
5:14
or, or online? And then how do I go about
5:18
starting conversations with them?
5:20
Those are the kind of things you worry about when it comes to
5:22
prospecting. And I hope you guys can see that
5:24
these things are central to a successful sales or marketing
5:29
campaign because you need to know who are we even chasing
5:31
after in the first place. So we need to know all these
5:35
things. We need to have a sense of an
5:36
ICP first of all. And then we can now come up with
5:39
the prospecting plan. So those are the ideas that
5:43
we're going to be discussing this next couple of days.
5:45
So one of the ideas that we explored in the previous episode
5:49
is how you can use networking as a tool for prospecting.
5:53
So remember, prospecting is basically we're trying to figure
5:56
out who has a need for my product or my service, Where do
5:58
they hang out? Where can I reach them?
6:01
One of those tools that we explored in previous episodes is
6:03
networking. So you can use networking to try
6:06
and figure out who has a need for my product or my service.
6:09
Where can I find them? How do I start conversations?
6:12
How do I build partnerships? You can use networking to answer
6:15
that question because networking is good for client acquisition.
6:19
You know, talking to people, attending seminars, you know,
6:21
things like that is good for finding clients.
6:24
It's also good for meeting stakeholders and it's also good
6:26
for meeting channel partners. Now, those of you who are new to
6:29
the show, you're going to ask, what's the difference?
6:32
Client, stakeholder, channel partner?
6:34
Why these big words? No problem.
6:37
I will define the big words. A client is just somebody who
6:39
has paid you money in the past and who is paying you money now
6:43
and you hope will pay you money in the future.
6:45
So you can use networking to find someone who's going to pay
6:48
you money today, pay you money tomorrow.
6:52
And stakeholders are just players in the industry,
6:55
different people who are out there.
6:56
So you can use networking to meet other people who are in
7:01
your industry who might be important people for you to have
7:03
partnerships in the future. Now China partners are just
7:07
people that you can get in partner with so that both of you
7:12
can chase customers together. So back to the wedding
7:16
photographer example, because that's where I started off this
7:19
journey. So the bride and groom that pay
7:21
you money, that's your client. Stakeholders, other players in
7:25
the industry, video people, those are stakeholders.
7:29
What else? Wedding planners, those are
7:30
stakeholders. The core people, those are
7:32
stakeholders. People who sell soft drinks,
7:34
sorry, not soft drinks. What do you call it?
7:36
Well, yes, soft drinks for people who provide Butler
7:39
services at weddings, those are also stakeholders as well.
7:43
Then if you partner up with any of these people, if you partner
7:47
up with a wedding, with a wedding planner so that both of
7:49
you can do business together, then that is a channel partner.
7:53
So that's the difference between a client, a stakeholder and a
7:57
channel partner. But bottom line is, what I'm
7:59
trying to say is that networking is a good way for meeting these
8:02
classes of people. Meeting clients, networking is
8:05
good. Meeting stakeholders, networking
8:07
is a good idea. Meeting channel partners,
8:10
networking is a good idea. But now let's discuss time frame
8:13
or time expectations because there's nothing that is perfect
8:17
when it comes to sales or marketing.
8:19
Networking is a good tool so long as your time frame is
8:25
medium to long term. Let me repeat, networking is a
8:30
good tool so long as your time frame is medium to long term.
8:35
If you are looking for short term results and if you're
8:38
looking for who is going to give you money today, then I repeat
8:42
or let me emphasize, do not do networking.
8:47
If you are looking for who will give you money today, now, now,
8:51
now, do not do networking because networking, the best
8:56
results are medium to long term. If you need money today, don't
9:01
network. I'm going to help you because if
9:04
you need money today, the best time to have been networking was
9:08
last month, three months ago, six months ago, last year.
9:13
Those are where the relationships are going to yield
9:15
money today. So if I get any money today from
9:18
networking, it's because of seeds that I planted months ago,
9:22
weeks ago, years ago that will bring money today.
9:26
So I repeat to if you are dead broke, don't attend the
9:30
networking session. It is not going to give you
9:32
money today. Know that any networking that
9:35
you're doing in December of 2024 is not going to give you money
9:39
in December of 2024. It will give you money in 2025,
9:42
all things being equal. Of course, you know, lucky
9:45
things happen. So let's get the time frame
9:48
thing out of out of the way then.
9:54
OK, so now. Remember that what I'm trying to
9:57
do with this company, ABC Decor as a case study is I'm trying to
10:02
show you how you can sit down. We can come up with ideas, think
10:05
about all sorts of things and coming up with ideas.
10:08
You can see how these ideas can relate to your own industry and
10:13
how you can execute on them. So if we're going to use
10:15
networking as a strategy, for instance, to build a business
10:20
and. The business is one similar to
10:23
ABC Decor. You guys are into interior decor
10:25
and space management. First off, if we're going to do
10:28
a networking strategy from a common sense perspective, when
10:31
we hear networking, we're thinking industry events.
10:37
So that should be the first question that we have to ask
10:40
ourselves, what are the industry events in Abuja or in Lagos that
10:45
we should be attending to boost a networking strategy?
10:47
The reason why I'm using networking Lagos and Abuja is
10:50
not because all of you have to move to Lagos and Abuja to build
10:53
successful businesses. It's just that I started off my
10:56
business journey in Lagos and currently I live in Abuja.
10:59
So that's why I use Lagos and Abuja a lot of the time.
11:03
So networking ideas, off the top of my head, I was thinking
11:07
industry events and I was thinking real estate, real
11:11
estate expose. And OK, so I did a Google search
11:18
and I was able to come up with some stuff.
11:19
I did an AI search and a Google search and I was able to come up
11:22
with some events. Now in a couple of minutes, I'm
11:24
going to explain to you guys, flesh it out how you know my
11:28
thought process so that you can do the same thing for your own
11:31
business because not everybody listening to this show right now
11:33
is into the interior decor and space management business.
11:37
So from Google and AI was able to come up with the Nigeria
11:41
Build Expo. It's an annual thing and they're
11:43
going to have another one in 2025, but they're based off in
11:48
Lagos. I found that one on Google.
11:50
Then I also looked for home and living fairs and I was able to
11:56
find the Nigeria Decor Expo. I didn't know that that show
12:00
existed, but they're also based in LAG.
12:02
Then I also found the Africa International Housing Show, but
12:06
I want is based in Lagos, so that's good.
12:09
Then let's see. OK, Lagos and Abuja Chamber of
12:14
Commerce because the Chambers of Commerce organize workshops,
12:19
they organize networking events and they organize seminars and
12:21
those are not bad ways for networking.
12:25
Then I also came up with some professional groups, one of them
12:29
being the Nigerian Institute of Architects.
12:32
That would not be a bad set of folks to network with if you are
12:37
in the business of interior decor and the space management.
12:41
Then we also found the Interior Designers Association of
12:47
Nigeria. I did not know that that
12:48
existed. So those were some examples of
12:54
bodies that I came up with that we could have explored some
12:58
networking with ABC Decor. But remember what I said when it
13:03
comes to time frame, networking yields results in the medium to
13:09
long term. It yields results in weeks and
13:12
months and years. So if your business is
13:17
struggling, ABC Decor was not struggling, you know, because.
13:22
You know how you ask someone, hey, what's up highest business
13:24
now and they say with a push up, you know, it could be better.
13:28
That's the level where ABC Decor was.
13:30
So that is the reason why they can have time to spend resources
13:35
in networking because they're not broke.
13:37
I mean, it's not like this fire on the mountain.
13:39
If this fire's on the mountain, ignore networking.
13:43
Go and do direct response marketing, go out and do heavy
13:47
prospecting. You know, things like that.
13:50
So assuming that you are, you have the liberty, you guys are
13:56
chilled so you can explore some networking.
13:59
This is the way to go about it. So again, let me repeat the
14:03
events and the organizations that I came up with.
14:05
Nigerian Build Expo 2025 based in Lagos, the Home and Living
14:10
Fair, sorry, no Nigerian Decor Expo based in LAG, the Africa
14:16
International Housing Show based in Abuja, Lagos Chamber of
14:20
Commerce, Abuja Chamber of Commerce, and then the
14:22
professional groups, the Nigerian Institute of Architects
14:25
and then the Interior Designers Association of Nigeria.
14:30
Now let me explore the thought process because some of you
14:33
might just hear the names and like, OK, impressive list, but
14:35
then again, you're wondering how did I come about that list?
14:38
I want to share with you the thought process so you can do a
14:41
similar thing in your own business because whether you
14:43
sell bread, you know you want a bakery and you sell bread, it's
14:46
the same thought process. Or whether you sell soap, you're
14:49
trying to introduce a new range of soap into the market, it's
14:51
the same process. If you're waiting photographer,
14:53
it's the same process. So now this is a thought process
14:55
so you can apply it to your industry.
14:57
Whether you do cassava, whether you do interior decor, whether
15:00
you do catfish or whether you do business consulting, this is the
15:03
process AI and then Google. Now, when I say AII don't mean
15:10
the fancy stuff, I mean the one that already exists on your
15:13
phone and already exists on your Apple computer.
15:16
Because you know, some people say, oh, the one that is on the
15:19
phone, Gemini. These are the yes, everything
15:21
has limitations, but it's always a good place to start with the
15:25
easy and to start with the free. Because when you start with the
15:27
easy and the free, The thing is you will actually end up using
15:31
it. And when you use it and you get
15:34
into the habit of using it consistently and efficiently,
15:36
you will start getting results. And then.
15:39
Sorry, one moment. OK, Sorry about that.
15:45
There are some repairs being done in the house.
15:47
And so I had to leave the room where I was making the the
15:51
recording. So, yeah, this is the beauty of
15:54
doing things live. And it won't take, you know, we
15:55
have to account for interruptions.
15:58
Yeah. So where were we?
16:01
Yeah. So I was talking about using the
16:03
ones that are already available on your phone or already
16:06
available on your computer, whether you use a Mac or whether
16:09
you use a Windows based one. Because if you use a Mac, what
16:12
you're going to have is if you use Apple, what you're going to
16:15
have is Copilot. If you use a Windows based
16:18
computer, what you're going to have is especially if you use
16:21
Bing, you're going to have access to ChatGPT 4.
16:24
And then if you use an Android phone like I do, then you're
16:26
going to have access to Google Gemini.
16:28
It's already installed on your phone.
16:29
So you don't have to look for it.
16:31
So, so long as you bought your phone in middle of 2024 to late
16:36
2024, these tools that I'm talking about are already there
16:40
on your phone. It's there on your phone, it's
16:42
there on your computer. You don't need to go and look
16:45
for it. And yeah, that's it.
16:48
I'm just mentioning that because a whole lot of you don't know
16:50
that these things are already on your phone.
16:52
So if you use an Android phone, then this is what you do,
16:55
especially if you bought your Android phone, you know, after,
16:58
you know, kind of like July, you know, August, July of 2024, just
17:03
go to your Android phone. There's a folder there that says
17:06
Google. If you click on it, you'll see
17:07
all the usual stuff. You'll see Gmail, what else?
17:11
Google's browser and all that other thing.
17:14
Now, if you Scroll down, you're going to see an icon that is
17:17
white and has a blue star in the middle.
17:20
But the star is not a 5 point star, it's a four point star.
17:22
That is Google Gemini and that is Google's artificial
17:25
intelligence tool. So that's what we're going to
17:29
use now for brainstorming. And I hope that by the time
17:31
we're done with this exercise, you guys are going to get a
17:33
sense of why I say that AI tools are very, very good for
17:37
ideation, very, very good for strategy, very, very good for
17:41
creativity and brainstorming, for giving us ideas about what
17:44
we have to do. But please take note that all
17:48
the brainstorming in the world will amount to 0 if we do not do
17:52
something with it. So like in this case now for ABC
17:55
Decor or for companies that are similar, we've come up with some
18:00
options for networking. We have come up with Nigeria
18:03
Build Expo 2025, we have come up with Nigeria Decor Expo 2025, we
18:10
have come up with Africa International Housing Show 2025
18:15
and we have figured out Nigerian Institute of Architects and the
18:19
Interior Designers Association of Nigeria.
18:22
If you come up with this list, but you do not do any networking
18:26
around it, then this your activity, this your all the time
18:29
you've wasted here is equal to 0.
18:33
So the trick or the main thing is not in coming up with these
18:38
fancy ideas, but is in doing something with these ideas,
18:42
which is why I keep saying time and time again on this podcast
18:45
that as you're listening, listening with a pen and paper,
18:48
be writing down. The thing to write down is not
18:51
what is interesting or what sounds intelligent or what
18:53
sounds smart. Write down the thing that you
18:56
know you can do tomorrow. So if you're in this space, the
19:00
decor space, if you're taking any notes from this episode and
19:05
you want to try out networking, I'm expecting that you would
19:07
have written down these shows that we've spoken about.
19:10
And when I go through the thought process and the action
19:12
plan, I'm hoping that you will write down things that you can
19:16
do Monday morning to get the ball moving.
19:19
OK, no, Monday will be unrealistic because OK, today's
19:22
already Monday. This is December 23rd.
19:25
So landing means that next week Monday should be on that kind
19:28
like 30th, December 30th. OK, it's realistic. 30th you can
19:32
start making some moves because some people would have started
19:35
returning to work even though they might take another break
19:38
for for new year. So anyway, basically this is the
19:42
thought process now. So you can use AI and Google.
19:46
If you're using AI, then this is the prompt.
19:48
Remember that to prompt effectively, you have to say
19:52
something about you, say something about the context, say
19:55
something about the challenge before you ask the question.
19:57
Because if you just give a general prompt like give me good
20:02
networking ideas or good give me good networking events, it's
20:05
going to give you everything under the sun.
20:09
And that might be helpful and it might not be helpful.
20:11
So the more particular we can make our search, the better.
20:14
So in this case the I prompt that I used.
20:17
For the search was something like I am a Nigerian, I'm a
20:22
Nigerian interior decor and space management company.
20:26
I'm based in Abuja, Nigeria. I'm looking for good networking
20:30
opportunities and annual events for 2025 where I can meet
20:36
customers and stakeholders and channel partners.
20:40
So that is the background. That's the first step.
20:42
The second part is now what are good networking events for Lagos
20:46
and Abuja? Question mark and then send.
20:49
So you can see that the prompt here in this case has to be
20:52
fairly lengthy. It has to give the AI tool an
20:55
idea about who you are, the context or what you're trying to
21:00
do, what problem you're trying to solve before you ask for the
21:03
question. And then it's spat out a couple
21:05
of things now because AI tools, there's statistical engines, let
21:14
me just put it that way, So they come up with answers that are
21:17
statistically probable. It means that sometimes it's
21:20
going to give you results that are not actually the case.
21:23
So it might give you some events that don't function anymore, or
21:27
it might make up some events. AI tools don't know how to
21:33
distinguish between. Sorry, excuse me.
21:36
They don't know how to distinguish between true and
21:39
false. What they are trained to do is
21:41
to give a statistically probable answer.
21:44
So because of that, you should always cross check whatever it
21:47
is that you get on these tools. Now, one reason why I tell
21:50
people to start with Gemini, because Gemini already has
21:54
Google, Gemini already has access to the Internet.
21:56
So it's probably going to give you some things that already
21:59
exist and it's also going to share some links so that you can
22:02
verify that these things exist. But whatever the list is, take
22:06
it and then start using Google Now and checking these events or
22:10
checking these things 1 by 1 by 1.
22:12
And that is how you're going to be able to confirm that the
22:14
event actually exists or existed at some point.
22:18
And you're going to be able to now get reliable contact
22:22
details. Because if you're going to go
22:25
after Interior Designers Association of Nigeria, for
22:30
instance, it is from Google that you're going to be able to get
22:33
the correct website, the correct phone number to call, the
22:35
correct address in case you want to go and visit the office.
22:38
So this is how it works. Use AI, use Google, you're going
22:42
to be able to come up with good networking suggestions.
22:45
Then next, sorry, one moment because the weather here, you
22:52
know, once you leave Abuja and you enter Nasawa and you enter
22:55
Benue Estate and you go as far as, because I spent some time in
22:59
Kano, I was in Kano for over a year.
23:02
You know, once you get to this part of the country, how my time
23:04
here is something else. So I'm still there.
23:09
Yeah, I'm still dealing with the fallout.
23:11
All right now. So now we've gone through the
23:13
thought process. So now it's the action plan.
23:15
Remember time frame, if you are broke, do not do networking
23:22
because if you attend Nigeria Build Expo Lagos and Abuja
23:26
Chamber of Commerce Interior Design Association of Nigeria,
23:30
the chances that you're going to get customers directly is not
23:33
likely. Even if you meet customers, the
23:37
chances that they'll end up paying you money today is not
23:39
likely, but it can happen. You can get customers.
23:42
So this is the action plan for when you attend Chamber of
23:46
Commerce, when you go to Interior Designer Association of
23:48
Nigeria, when you attend Nigeria Build Expo 2025, assuming you
23:53
are like ABC Decor and you're into the interior decor space
23:57
and space management, First off, you're going to go there with a
24:03
contact list. Those of you who show up to
24:06
networking events and all these sorts of things, you don't have
24:08
contact lists. You have no way of capturing
24:10
people's information. You're wasting your time because
24:13
what does it profit you to attend this thing and have an
24:16
interesting conversation with five people by the end of the
24:18
day? You didn't collect phone number.
24:20
How the heck are you going to follow up?
24:23
So having a contact list is absolutely pivotal.
24:25
When you go for these sorts of things is the first thing that
24:28
you should prepare. Whether it's a simple sheet of
24:31
paper, it's OK. Whether it's a diary is OK.
24:35
But this whole thing of, you know, you go to a cyber cafe,
24:37
you tell them to design the sheets, you know, with a name, a
24:40
space for e-mail address space for phone number, space for, you
24:43
know, it looks more nice, it looks more professional.
24:46
But I'm just saying that even if you don't do anything that fancy
24:48
and you just show up there with 60 leaf book where you're
24:53
capturing details, you know, it's OK.
24:55
Let's not get hung up on how nice it looks or how
24:58
professional it looks or everything.
25:00
But for now, decide contact list.
25:02
We have, we need a strategy for contact list.
25:04
Contact list is important because we're from contact list
25:07
that we're going to do follow up and we're going to do
25:09
relationship building. So First off, if you get a stand
25:12
at any of these places, goal is attract people to this hand.
25:16
Now this is where merchandising comes in.
25:18
Merchandising is just making things look nice and attractive
25:22
and merchandising is OK. Let me explain it to you guys
25:28
the way I explained it to my son.
25:30
So recently we were at the Hilton Jar Village and you know
25:35
how it is now when you have these things just be eating up
25:37
and down. So my son's stomach started to
25:40
act up. So I said OK, let's go and use
25:41
the toilet in the Hilton. So went to the toilet and then
25:44
when we finished and they were coming out, he noticed that my
25:47
car outside. It's the it's by GAC Guangzhou,
25:53
Guangzhou automobile. It's a Chinese company and their
25:57
cars look sweet, as in sweet. When I have some money, I make
26:01
sure I buy a Guangzhou. I've already seen the one I want
26:03
to buy myself. It's AG 8, but in all these cars
26:06
now, millions, 1,000,000 millions and I'm not in that
26:08
stage of life yet where I can remove 40 M and buy a car
26:13
comfortably. But God willing I'll be there
26:16
soon. So I should be able to buy AG8
26:18
Guangzhou correct car. So of course my son was looking
26:23
at it because I've been talking about sweet cars recently.
26:25
And so he's also been in to explore the concept of what is a
26:29
sweet car for him. Because for me, the kind of cars
26:31
that look sweet don't seem to blend with the kind of cars that
26:34
look sweet for him. Although I've advised him that
26:35
look, all those two door cars for a man is very unpractical
26:39
because you spend all that money, you buy a 2 door car.
26:41
I mean, to do what? But then you can't do anything
26:43
with it. You can't travel with it.
26:44
You can only drive it in the city.
26:46
Maybe you can take your baby in it or your wife in it.
26:49
But two guys, 22 door cars are impractical.
26:52
So I've been trying to steer him away from Lamborghini and all
26:55
those things that look real, look real nice because they look
26:58
nice, but they're highly impractical, at least for this
27:00
part of the world. And then they're too low.
27:03
So, so we're looking at the car now like this is a very sweet
27:07
ride. And then he was like, OK, why
27:11
did they put the car here? I told him, OK, it's just
27:13
merchandising. He said, Dad, what is
27:14
merchandising? So merchandising is just when
27:17
you have a product, well usually product, and you try and arrange
27:22
the product in such a way that it looks sweet to the eye, it
27:25
looks pleasing to behold, It looks good to the touch.
27:28
It looks good to the. That's what the devil did for
27:29
Eve. You say look at this fruit.
27:31
Doesn't this fruit look nice? Doesn't this look sweet?
27:33
That's merchandising. And Eve said, Oh yes, yes, yes.
27:37
It looks beautiful to the side, it looks wonderful to the touch,
27:40
it is amazing to behold. So that is merchandising.
27:43
Make it look sweet to the eye, sweet to the touch, amazing to
27:45
behold because you're trying to get somebody to want to buy this
27:48
thing. So I told him, look, it's just
27:50
merchandising because GAC, they also have an office not far from
27:53
our house. Remember GAC, Guangzhou, Hope
27:56
I'm pronouncing it properly. Guangzhou automobiles, they have
27:59
a place not far from our house, so they have a showroom.
28:02
So I told him when we're driving out and you see the car in the
28:06
showroom, it looks all right, doesn't it?
28:08
He said yes, but I said now that The thing is in Hilton, you can
28:11
see how the sweetness of the car is more, you know, emphasized
28:17
and said yes. And I said that's because there
28:20
it's on the showroom floor. When you see this G8 in the
28:24
Hilton, it is in a luxury five star establishment.
28:28
So the car looks even more prestigious, more fancy, more
28:32
fine, more sexy than it has created to be because we have
28:36
changed the environment and we have introduced some sort of
28:39
associations. So I told him that, look, this
28:41
is just what is part of business.
28:43
This is just called merchandising.
28:45
So that people who come out and see the G8 parked outside Hilton
28:49
will now start having associations of G8 Guangzhou
28:53
automobiles with luxury because you know, they, they're
28:57
newcomers. Mercedes-Benz has been in the
28:59
market for a while, and Mercedes-Benz has the BMW and
29:04
who else? In all these other companies,
29:06
they have already had time to build this whole thing of luxury
29:10
around them. So Wanju automobiles, Great Wall
29:14
cars in China, and all these Chinese companies are trying to
29:16
catch up. So that's the scope.
29:19
You see the thing in Hilton is lit, well you know, or what not.
29:23
That's just merchandising. And remember, what is
29:26
merchandising? Just remember Genesis.
29:28
It should look pleasing to the site.
29:30
It should look pleasing to the touch.
29:32
It should look wonderful to behold.
29:33
That is merchandising. So when?
29:35
You're going to. Attend these sorts of things.
29:37
Merchandising is very, very important.
29:39
That's for those of you who sell stuff.
29:41
So if you're into interior decor like ABC Decor now for instance,
29:44
if you just have a bench with a desk and with a sheet of paper,
29:49
that does not give you the sexiness thereof that make
29:53
people want to work with you. Now, I'm not an expert in.
29:56
Merchandising, So make sure you look for someone who knows a
29:59
thing about merchandising to help you set up your stand.
30:02
But the way you have to set up your stand should be that when
30:04
people are walking by, it should be pleasing to the site, it
30:07
should be pleasing to behold, it should be pleasing to the touch.
30:10
That is merchandising or what Yoruba people like to call
30:13
packaging merchandising, packaging is all the same, so.
30:18
It is important. When you're going for these
30:19
sorts of things to sort out your packaging, sort out your
30:22
merchandising so that you shall be pleasing to behold.
30:25
Because if you are pleasing to behold, if your company is
30:29
pleasing to behold, people might want to come by and say, ah,
30:32
good morning sister, sorry, which company is this?
30:34
And then from there, that's how you start the conversation or
30:36
good morning brother. You know, equal opportunity
30:38
here. So merchandising very, very
30:43
important. So attract people to the stand
30:45
or when they start, attract people to the stand by making
30:48
sure that we have sorted out packaging, sorted out
30:50
merchandising, making sure that we are pleasing to behold.
30:54
Some people also send. People out into the crowd to
30:56
come and start off conversations with people and then you now
30:58
bring the person back to the stand.
31:00
Which one is the best? I don't know.
31:03
I'm not even. Going to say 1 is the best.
31:04
Bottom line, you should be trying it all.
31:06
Make sure your merchandising is on point, packaging is on point.
31:10
Everybody dress well. Suits ironed tie on point.
31:15
If you're wearing T-shirt and jeans make sure you look good.
31:17
Make sure you smell good. Then also have.
31:21
Somebody going to go and talk to people and then pull them back
31:23
to the stand when? People come to the.
31:25
Stand, we're trying to figure out who is this person?
31:28
Why are they at the show? Are they just curious?
31:32
Are they doing research? Do they have a problem that
31:34
they're trying to solve? Do they have a vision that
31:36
they're trying to work in? They're trying to.
31:40
Solve for And then we're also trying to figure out who is
31:43
interested in discussing something specific because it is
31:46
possible that somebody might show up for the show, let's say
31:48
like my mom, for instance, who has just recently built a house.
31:53
And she's done with most. Of the decor, but she's also
31:56
thinking she might try out like one or two ideas, but she's just
32:00
curious because, you know, it's Christmas.
32:02
It's not as if there's money, you know, But Charlie Josie was
32:05
out there just in case money happens to land sometime.
32:09
So with a contact list and having conversations with these
32:14
people, this is how we're going to be able to get the contact
32:17
list of people that we can follow up with and build
32:19
relationships with later. So you see why I say that when
32:23
it comes to getting money now, these networking ideas and trade
32:27
shows and things like that are not a good way to bring money
32:30
now, but it might be a good way to get money next month, three
32:35
months time, one year. You see what I mean?
32:37
It's the same thing with the stakeholders that you're going
32:39
to start building relationships with because it's not just
32:42
potential customers. You should also be going around
32:44
to other people and looking at their stands.
32:47
So good morning, Sir. Oh, so, so so so they call.
32:49
OK, You're based in Abuja. Oh, yeah, me too.
32:51
Just like I'm, I'm also based in Abuja as well.
32:53
How long have you guys been in business?
32:55
Oh, OK. Nice.
32:56
I see the kind of things that you have here.
32:58
Oh, So is this the end of market that you focus on?
33:00
OK, we, we actually focus on the other end of the market.
33:03
Can I have your business card, you know, after the show, let me
33:05
call you up. Let's see if we can be channel
33:07
partners, if we can do referral business later on.
33:09
OK, fine. No problem.
33:10
You now exchange contact details.
33:12
So you see what I'm talking about contact list.
33:15
You've just collect the guy's. Business card, but you don't
33:17
write down the details somewhere.
33:18
Chances are you could lose the business card.
33:20
And you know, anyway, I'm just saying that contact list, follow
33:24
up relationship building, absolutely important.
33:27
So step #1 how do I put it? The main strategy to make these
33:34
things work? Contact list.
33:37
It's about the contacts that you're going to get at the end
33:40
of this show, so. That when the show.
33:42
Is over. You now know who to start
33:44
following up with and who to start building relationships
33:47
with. When you talk to people who
33:49
might be potential customers, or you talk to people who might be
33:51
potential channel partners or other stakeholders, the formula
33:54
is the same. Who is this person?
33:57
Why did they come for the show? Are they curious?
34:00
Is it that they have a problem? Do they have a vision that
34:02
they're trying to solve? Is this person interested in
34:05
discussing something specific in the future for all those people
34:09
you get down their contact list. So if you get someone who comes
34:12
with the show, they're not in the industry, they're just walk
34:15
up us. They're wasting time.
34:17
They don't have a problem, they don't have a vision, they're not
34:20
interested. There's no need in getting those
34:22
kind of people's phone numbers because you'll just be wasting
34:24
your time. Those people go into ghost mode.
34:26
So have conversations with everybody, but it's not
34:29
everybody's phone number that you're going to write down on
34:31
the list or it's not everybody's business card that you are going
34:34
to take at the the the event. So anyway, over 30 minutes.
34:44
So let me just wrap this up. I've given you guys a.
34:47
Thought process, how we came up with these ideas.
34:50
Do the same for your business for 2025 networking events if
34:54
you want to try out networking. So I've given you guys a thought
34:56
process and I've given you guys an action plan.
34:59
You know, in the beginning, the merchandising part really,
35:01
really important. Trust me, really, really
35:03
important because I remember my early shows, I would just drop
35:06
my table and just book my books. And then one day, one of my
35:08
friend Laura and later business partner, because she was the one
35:13
who first paid me to start training her students in sales,
35:19
in sales because she had a school where she was training.
35:23
People who wanted to come. Into the wedding event planning
35:27
game. So I was teaching her students
35:29
and that's how I got involved in sorry, excuse me, that's how I
35:32
got involved in this. So one day Laura said look, you
35:35
showed up here, but you're looking like a Carpenter.
35:37
Look at this table you didn't even put you didn't even put I
35:41
can't remember. The thing is called, you know,
35:43
this is like bed sheets that you use and cover at the table.
35:45
She said, look, you didn't even put clothes.
35:46
You didn't put this, you didn't put that.
35:48
I was like, no, I can't be bothered.
35:50
She's like don't worry, wait, I'm coming.
35:52
She went and she brought this thing like bed sheet and she
35:54
covered the table. Then she had some fancy frames
35:57
and then she put them there and then she had like one or two
36:00
flowers and then she put it and then there's a way she just put
36:03
the frames at the bottom of the table.
36:04
When I stepped back and I looked at the table, I was like wow
36:07
because. Before it was just empty.
36:09
Table and then albums. But looking back, I now saw that
36:11
my table was now impressive to the eye, was impressive to the
36:15
touch, and was pleasing to behold.
36:18
And of course, she gave me some. Tips that I should also try and
36:20
dress different and blah, blah, blah.
36:22
You know, my dressing is old school.
36:23
My, my gown, my dresses are big and, you know, not properly
36:26
fitting, you know, the same sort of things that my wife
36:28
complaints about. So I said, OK, OK, OK, thank
36:31
you. And that was my first lesson in
36:33
merchandising. So for some of you who can't be
36:36
bothered, you have a fashion sense of a Ghanaian school
36:38
teacher like me. Please, these things are
36:40
important. You don't have to do it
36:41
yourself. Look for a friend, look for a
36:44
lawyer to help you out or pay somebody else to do it or
36:46
consult with your wife. You say, my dear, I'm about to
36:49
go for the show. And, you know, you've been
36:52
saying one or two things. So can you just show up, You
36:56
know, help me arrange this, arrange this, arrange that.
36:58
I want things to look nice, you know, that sort of thing.
37:01
Have that conversation. So.
37:05
Let's see what. Else.
37:06
So that's just it, but essential tools that you need.
37:10
You need a calendar, you need a diary, you need a contact list,
37:15
you need a CRMCRM is just customer relationship management
37:18
tool. You need something because it is
37:22
not realistic that you will attend these events and talk to
37:26
maybe 5 to 10 interesting people at each event and you will
37:29
remember with your brain who to contact.
37:31
I can assure you, you will talk to 5 or 6 interesting people by
37:35
the time the event is up. You go home, you eat a bar,
37:39
you're watching news or you're watching Netflix.
37:41
You would have forgotten all the people.
37:44
Maybe you remember one person. So you need a calendar, you need
37:47
a diary, you need a CRM, you need contact list, you need
37:50
something. Even if you go with a sheet of
37:52
paper, then yeah, that's it pretty much.
37:57
So the next step is if you want to go through similar ideation
38:04
process, similar strategy for how you can explore networking
38:07
in this coming year, in 2025, I've outlined the steps.
38:12
Get a sheet of paper. We listen to the show.
38:16
Then you're going to be able. To map out networking events for
38:20
2025 in your industry and how to go about tackling it.
38:23
And that's the reason why we did this show so.
38:27
In the next episode. We'll continue with ABC Decor,
38:31
remember not their real name. And then after that, I will
38:34
start off, oh, if this carries us into the new year and I'll
38:37
start off with my client that is Crimson Power.
38:41
Actually they do business with in 20 early in 2024.
38:48
So they're in the alternative energy space.
38:51
So inverters, solar panels, those sorts of things.
38:54
And recently they've moved into energy as a service.
38:58
And they? Want a contract to provide a
39:01
mini grid for some project in Ogun State.
39:06
So I'm going to talk a little bit about the company, the
39:10
training sessions that I had with the staff, what we hoped to
39:15
achieve with the company. Also so that those of you who
39:18
are interested in these sorts of things, solar panels, you know,
39:20
those sorts of things, you live in Lagos.
39:22
They actually are a good company to to meet because I have
39:26
trained them. So I can speak myself.
39:29
No, this is not them say them, say.
39:30
I actually spend time with them. I know their work culture, I
39:33
know their teams and I know what is that they're trying to build.
39:36
So Crimson Park, good company that you should be doing
39:39
business with. So we'll explore some of that in
39:40
2025. So thank you very much for your
39:43
time and attention. Remember, if you would love to
39:45
connect with me, the phone number is 08064662140.
39:50
The country code is +234. For those of you who are not
39:53
Nigerian, connect with me on socials on LinkedIn.
39:56
The name to look for is Tavi Shiman Ayede.
39:59
Please ignore my handles on Facebook and on Instagram and
40:03
all those other places, places and on TikTok.
40:05
I have started the process of deleting them and those handles
40:09
will be inactive. By mid January of 2025 S Thank
40:14
you very much for your time and attention.
40:16
If you've connected with me on those channels, please make sure
40:19
I've given you my WhatsApp number.
40:20
I've given you my LinkedIn. Please hook up with me on these
40:22
channels as well because you're not going to find me there
40:24
anymore. So thanks for your time and
40:26
attention. I'll catch you guys in the next
40:27
episode. I hope everybody is warming up
40:29
for a wonderful Christmas celebration because it's 23rd
40:34
December 23rd as of the time of making this recording.
40:37
So you'll have fun, have a wonderful Christmas celebration
40:41
for our Muslim friends, enjoy the holidays, and I'll catch you
40:44
at the next episode.