Latest / Closing Sales in Nigeria - Sales For The Nigerian Business Person: The Sales and Marketing Blueprint / How to Break Into Nigeria’s Most Exclusive Circles

Transcript

How to Break Into Nigeria’s Most Exclusive Circles · Closing Sales in Nigeria - Sales For The Nigerian Business Person: The Sales and Marketing Blueprint

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There are lots of Nigerian sales experts in quote out there who
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go around talking about different things that might have
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an element of truth in them, but are not really helpful when it
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comes to growing your sales or when it comes to increasing
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growing your business. And today we're going to be
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talking about some of those things and it's not something I
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would normally talk about, but you know, listen of the podcast
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sent me a video. I wanted my comments on a couple
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of things. So yeah, that's what I'm doing
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in the most recent series. So yeah, that's it.
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Essentially. I'm just taking a look at some
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content that currently lives on the Internet, on YouTube,
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Instagram, where else? OK, the fellow also has a
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podcast and I'm not trying to do it takedown per SE, but I'm just
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looking at the idea is expressed.
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We're going to talk about some of the things there that are
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good and true and some of the things there that perhaps need a
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different perspective. Let's just put it that way
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anyway, so today we're going to talk about breaking the matrix
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or breaking mindset barriers. Now, for those of you who've
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been listening to the podcasts for a very long time, you guys
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will be surprised because you know that I don't touch all this
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mental stuff. But anyway, let me just go ahead
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and react to some of the ideas that were in this guy's video.
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Of course, in my usual fashion, I'm not going to call the fellow
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out by name because that is not important.
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So it's the ideas that we're going to tackle here.
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So breaking the matrix and mindset barriers.
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So of course, I have to define what mindsets he's talking about
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and what a matrix is. Now, this fellow defines the
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matrix in quote as systems that exist in society, systems that
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exist in business that prevent people from breaking into
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wealth. And he talks about a cabal.
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Let me repeat. There's this idea.
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It's not even a uniquely Nigerian idea because yes, in
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Niger they will say, you know, an occult or Bony and, you know,
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kitchen cabinets, presidential cabinets, you know, cabal this
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and this, that and that. And then in nine in America, you
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talk about, you know, maybe the Illuminati and, you know, the
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New York mafia, blah, blah, blah, sorry, the New York
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entertainment mafia and, you know, all these sorts of things.
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So all these ideas that there's a group of people who hold the
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key, you know, they're the ones who are the captains of the
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guard and they're the ones who will decide why are you, you'll
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be wealthy. You you won't be wealthy.
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So that's what this fellow is talking about in some of his
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contacts, content that we have to break down our matrix and we
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need to shift our mindset. So yeah, that's what the guy
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says, that there's a cabal that exists that is stopping some
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people from breaking into wealth.
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So the barriers that he talks about, he describes them as
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restrictions to market entry. And, you know, just like me, you
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know, he mentions these things and then he moves off to
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something else. So it's not really something
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that he substantiated or that he really delved into, but it's an
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idea that I want us to talk about just because I know that
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there are lots of people listening to this podcast today
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who believe, they honestly believe that there's a cabal
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somewhere that wants to block their progress, that doesn't
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want to allow them to to move. The first time I came across
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this kind of idea was after legal practice and after my
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master's when I was back in the country trying to break into the
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event space. I started hearing that there was
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a cabal in Lagos. I heard that there was a cabal,
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you know, of wedding planners, you know them, them high society
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type people. So there's a cabal and they
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don't want people to break in. OK, no problem.
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So Lagos get cabal and no problem.
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Eventually I moved into Abuja and I found that there was also
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a cabal as it is a northern cabal of wedding planners, you
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know, makeup artists, you know, people like that who have access
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to the northern markets, northern clients where all the
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big money is. And so there's a cabal that
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don't want younger wedding photographers to, to, to
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progress, you know, to move on. So I say, OK, Abuja Savv, get
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cabal. So what I'm saying here is not
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story. If you haven't heard it in your
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own industry, eventually you will hear it that there's a
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cabal that somewhere there is them, them and then those people
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in their secret meetings or whatever.
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So excuse me? They're the ones who get to
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decide who's going to move forward or not, who make
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progress or who make progress. Now, do these cabals exist?
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Quite frankly, I don't know, and honestly, I don't even care.
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But it'll be nice to see somebody talk about this thing
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and substantiate it. You say Kabal D and these are
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the Kabal members. Or this is how the whole setup
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works now, regardless of whether these cabals exist or not.
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And by the way, I'm not a professional in these sorts of
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things, but this, I think, is the likely dynamic of what is
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taking place. It's not as if there are people
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who are saying, no, we don't like this person.
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This person won't progress. Or we like this person, we'll
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let this person in. We'll keep this person out.
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We'll let this person. It's not as if that's what's
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happening, but I understand that sometimes they can't feel that
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way. Let me give you an example.
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You guys know that I've been podcasting for a while, going on
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7 years now. And those of you who are regular
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listeners, you will know that I've been trying to break into
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certain podcast syndication networks, Nigerian podcast
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syndication networks. That's when certain people come
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together and jointly try and promote their podcasts and
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things like that. So, you know, there are a couple
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of them that are going here in Niger, Lagos mostly, and then
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some guys based in the UK and, you know, try getting into those
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sorts of things, you know, to also grow my show.
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And you know, to be honest, I remember some time feeling like,
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you know, like, what the hell, this is nice.
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I global, you know, like them them, you know, and after a
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while you start seeing some things like this one lady that I
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reached out to. She has a newsletter that
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promotes podcasts as I was opera with her.
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Oh, I see what you do. Looks real nice.
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So how does somebody get in? What's the application package?
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You know, how much, what does it take?
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And then the talks went nowhere. But then after a while I started
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noticing that the people who were in podcast syndication
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club, the podcast that she was promoting, if I one of the
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podcasts that she promoted had been dead for about 5 years.
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But I just noticed that do it from a certain tribe, you know,
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if I can put it that way, reading between the lines.
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And so I understand at times like that, it just feels as if
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cabal de dem dem, they're putting a chokehold on the
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market. But honestly, I think this is
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the likely dynamic of what's going on.
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When people come together and you put together a club or you
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get something going, it's just normal that in this new club or
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in this new space, in this new whatever the older members
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expect, that newer members must pay their dues.
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It's that simple. I think that's just what is
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going on. We come together, we create
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something that is viable. We're extracting market value
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from this thing. You know, we have something nice
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going on. And then all of a sudden
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somebody just called from outside and the person just
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wanting like, like, who are you? Like, you know who you be?
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Like, what value do you bring to the table?
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I think they just want people to pay their dues First.
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Let's see who this guy is. Let's see what this guy is
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about. Let's see if this person is
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going to be a valuable asset to the team.
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Simple questions. It's nothing cynical.
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It's nothing devious. Nobody means you harm.
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Nobody sat somewhere and they say, you know what, anybody that
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comes from this part of the country won't let them in or
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anybody who is this sex or this age won't let them in.
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I think it's just a simple something of paying your dues.
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So if you're patient enough and you're willing to pay your dues,
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you should be OK. Then another dynamic plays this
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whole thing of building alliances because know how know
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how when people are. You know, I think of it now,
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secondary school, like those of you who didn't start from JSS
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one, maybe you transfer from JSS 2 or something.
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By the time you enter in JSS 2, like everywhere don't set now,
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like people already have been rolling with their clicks since
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JSS one. They all know themselves.
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So you're kind of like an outsider.
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So you the outsider who is coming in, you, you know, you
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understand the lay of the land. Now you see who is who.
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Then you would build your own alliance now.
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So you would enter small, small, small.
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So even from secondary school, not the same dynamic.
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Now you're coming to a place where don't set like everybody
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knows themselves, everybody get their own click.
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You're just coming from outside as a fresh boy.
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Then you want that they'll just turn over this valuable asset
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that they've built. How I think that's likely
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dynamic. So go there, be patient, learn
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the alliances, know who is who, begin to build your alliance.
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Then you plot your way in instead of staying on the
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outside and complaining that Kabal D in Lagos, Kabal in
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Abuja, Kabal in politics, Kabal everywhere, Kabal figure out the
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alliances leaning. Play the whole game.
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It's not cynical, it's not devious, it's not devilish.
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There's no ground, masterpiece. There's no ground, you know,
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whatever. It's just a simple something.
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Everybody is really cool. Then get their own click.
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You are an outsider. And who is this guy?
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It's as simple as that. And I understand that people
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feel that way because even me too, sometimes I get that
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feeling because when I'm trying to talk to this lady now and as
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I seen all those names. Oh, OK.
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So she only messes with these kinds of people who went to
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these kinds of school. You know, I just got back kind
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of people. I said OK, now so, but it's
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nothing personal, nothing devious there.
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Just relax. There's no cabal.
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There's just no more human behavior when people come
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together and they put together an association, whether it's
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wedding planners who are trying to hack into another market or
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track into any kind of hack into any kind of regional market and
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able to succeed and they get things going.
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It's not a cabal. It's just people getting
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together, playing well together, trying to make money together,
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trying to grow together. You coming in as an outsider and
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you want to join you guys to pay your dues.
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It's not paying dues. Don't know who you are, don't
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know what you're about. Whether you can blend with the
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system or not. Figure out who is who within the
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setup, blend, build your own alliances inside.
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Become a trusted insider as well.
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Figure out the motivations of the group.
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Figure out the motivations of the people who are inside the
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group. Then you will now take your own
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motivation, your motives, and blend with other people's
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motivations or blend with the group motivation and then you'll
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be fine. It's nothing personal.
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It's nothing cynical, nothing devious, nothing devilish.
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No secret cults. Now, secret cults today,
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definitely. But I'm just saying that we
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should stop thinking that every single time that as a guy or as
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a baby can't move forward, you know, Nah, kebab on Illuminati.
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Relax, relax. It's purely natural what it is
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that is going on. And the solution is just apply.
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You like the association, you like the people, you like the
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group, apply. It's the same thing.
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OPEC, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Nigeria is
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now a member. You know, Nigeria wasn't always
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a member because it didn't have oil.
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And then one time we discovered oil and what do we do?
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We apply. You say OPEC, I have oil, I want
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to join OPEC. We say OK, now the application
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process be this, now the, now the levy structure with this,
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now the compliance, you know, this and this and that and that.
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You will now apply if it's worth it.
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You will take your time when you apply and today Nigeria is a
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member of OPEC Organization of Petroleum exporting Countries is
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the same thing. It's purely natural.
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So the solution is applied to get in or you can do what some
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of us do, which is build your own ecosystem, because I've
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tried to crack into some people's flow before, but did
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you no work then go and. Build your own.
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That's the reason why I have my podcast.
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Nobody's going to give up their stage for me to come and shine
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on their own stage. So therefore me, I build my own
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stage. You try The thing is not
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working. Go and.
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Build your own ecosystem. It's not every time we should
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keep looking on people to give us the leg up.
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Go and build your own. So yes, in the beginning,
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honestly speaking people's masterminds, I need to speak on
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other people's stages. I want it to be on other
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people's platforms. If there no one give you
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platform, go and. Build your own.
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But best I can see, those are the two options available.
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You like the network, you like the club, you like the whatever
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it is that is going on there. Apply if you're not patient
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enough to apply like me. Go and build your own.
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Nobody's stopping you know there's many fish in the in the
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water should be there succeeding try your own now yourself.
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You might succeed. So if you want to break into the
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cabal in quotes pay your dues apply.
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There will be a period of what we're like, you know, like
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internship kind of deliver value.
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Once you get into the organization, let people know
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who you are. Let them see that you're a
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valuable asset. And by the time you've been
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delivering value for a while and people see that this guy, this
15:50
babe, my correct guy, be that, then you'll be able to extract
15:53
value from the ecosystem and you'll be able to eat your own
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share of the cake. You need scale skills to be able
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to do that. You need to learn stakeholder
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management. You're coming into a setting and
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you're trying to figure out who is who, what the movers, who are
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the Shakers, who are the important peoples, who are the
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different stakeholders here? How will I blend with all of
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them? How could they manage them?
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Stakeholder management, a very important sales skills.
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You need it. So I'm not going to join other
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people and be saying, ah, Kabal, kabal, Kabal.
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I won't say that, OK, Even if the Kabal exists, where Kabal
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Kabal, OK, So what next? We stand, continue to complain,
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build your own. If you don't want to build your
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own, apply and pay your dues. Learn how to build alliances.
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It's important. There's also another thing that
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I talk about over here on the podcast, the very important
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sales skill, building alliance. Who is who?
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Who is interested in what? How does it blame with my own
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motivation? How does it blame with the
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things that I want to do? This is a foundational skill
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that everybody needs when they are trying to break into a
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clique or whether you're trying to break into a market or
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whether you're trying to break into an individual account,
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you're trying to sell your product or service into a
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company. It's a foundational skill.
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You need to be able to figure out who is, excuse me, who in
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this environment is worth talking to?
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Who should I be talking to? You need to be able to figure
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out. It's a sales skill.
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What is important to these people?
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You need to be able to figure that out.
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It's a sales skill. Now that I know what is
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important to them, excuse me, what is important to me?
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And then how our interests aligned.
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OK, based on how our interests are aligned, I am now going to
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propose this agenda. Propose this agenda, or I'll try
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this thing, or I'll try this thing, or I'll try that thing.
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Very important sales skill, foundational sales skill.
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We should learn how to figure out what people's motivations
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are and figure out how people's motivations align to ours.
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So whether you want to break into a cake, whether you want to
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break into a cabal, what they are trying to sell to people,
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that's how we're going to get going.
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So do these cabals exist? Like I said, I don't know.
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And quite frankly, I do not care.
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But it would be nice for somebody to do some research to
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show that Oh yes, you know, there's a cabal here and you
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know, this and this and that and that.
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You know, it's like how people, economists do research in, they
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call it market. So I can't remember what is
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called it. Is it market anomalies or
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markets? You know, like when they talk
18:34
about monopolies because economists claim that a monopoly
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is a market aberration. Like you're not supposed to have
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one person in control, you know, controlling everything, which is
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one reason why people don't like that.
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But anyway, let me not talk about that.
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So economists talk about monopolies.
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They talk about what again? Now monopolies.
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Then OPEC is not a monopoly. OPEC is a I can't remember what
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it's called. That's when people, different
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people come together and they say, you know what, all of us
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would be the supplier. So let us come together and
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let's start doing price fixing so that we can control how
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everything is going because that's essentially what I'm OPEC
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is. So companies that produce oil to
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get together. You agree.
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Look, all of us, you must sell at this price.
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If we sell at this price, all of us make money.
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If we don't sell at this price, you know, won't be able to
19:25
capture good profits. So economists already do
19:32
research on these sorts of things on a very formal business
19:35
level. So be nice for somebody to do
19:37
the research and say, Oh yeah, cabals exist in this sector.
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Cabals exist in that sector. But whether is Illuminati, well,
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none of my business whether it's a House on the Rock, because we
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would say house on the Rock is a cabals of none of my business.
19:55
Whether is a presidential, What's it called?
19:59
The presidential? What do you call the kitchen
20:01
cabinet presidential? Kitchen cabinet, I don't care
20:04
none of my business. Whether I was a Bony, I don't
20:06
care none of my business. But if I decide that it's worth
20:11
the hassle and I'm going to get there, I will either apply and
20:17
pay my dues. So if it's a presidential
20:20
something, you know, I'll apply and pay my dues.
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Or I could do what? Some of our politicians try to
20:27
do, I'm not going to call the guy's name, but I know, but
20:29
there's some people who are trying to build a platform on
20:32
their own so that they can deliver change on their own
20:34
personal initiatives. Well, those are options.
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Essentially, apply and pay your dues.
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Or go and build your own. Well, please don't join other
20:46
people, business comment commentators in Nigeria who just
20:50
sit down and say there's a cabal, there's a cabal, there's
20:52
a cabal. If there's anything we need to
20:55
break, I think that is real matrix that we need to break.
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We need to stop this whole kebab thing they're keeping, they're
21:02
keeping us from getting our own. You'll try.
21:06
Go and apply. If you don't like what you see,
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go and build. Your own.
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You don't know how to build your own.
21:12
Hey, perfect. There's some people out here,
21:14
there's some of us who are showing you the way.
21:18
If you Google Nigerian podcaster or if you look for Nigerian
21:21
podcasters, you know, I don't look like a Nigerian podcaster.
21:24
I don't sound like a Nigerian podcaster.
21:26
I don't have, you know, the, the backgrounds or the, you know,
21:31
whatever. I'm just a simple, simple boy
21:36
doing my own thing. So for those of us who are
21:41
trying to build our own stages, we can't build it, or you can't
21:44
build your own too. Anyway, it's been 20 minutes and
21:49
I normally don't talk about mindset, mindset stuff because
21:52
quite frankly, I think it doesn't pay.
21:55
What we need to do is we need to work on tactics and we need to
21:59
be practical. Because the problem with a lot
22:01
of us is not that we have the wrong mindset.
22:03
The problem is that we actually don't know what it is that we
22:06
need to do. So we need to learn up on the
22:08
frameworks, on the tactics, on the skills that we need to
22:13
learn. So that's why I don't know when
22:15
you talk about these sorts of things Anyway, so let me bring
22:18
today's episode to a close for those of you who are discovering
22:21
the podcast for the first time. Don't worry.
22:23
This podcast is a hardcore business podcast.
22:26
And typically I'll talk about things from a sales perspective,
22:29
sometimes entire marketing, maybe branding, but my area of
22:33
specialty is sales. So don't worry, Come back the
22:36
episode after this and I promise you, you're not going to be
22:39
disappointed. It's going to be hardcore,
22:41
practical, tactical stuff that you have not heard on any other
22:46
Nigerian podcast. And that's the reason why you
22:49
should subscribe on Spotify, iTunes, Apple, any player of
22:53
your choice. It's also the reason why you
22:55
should reach out to me on 08064662140.
23:01
You can call me, you can send me a text message, you can send me
23:04
a WhatsApp message because I'd like to meet people who listen
23:08
to the show. 20 thanks for listening and remember, this is
23:12
our first time discovering the podcast.
23:13
Don't worry, I don't normally talk fluff.
23:16
The next episode is going to be practical, so don't worry.
23:18
Just hang in there and I'll catch you all some other time.