Beyond Packaging: Honesty and Value for Nigerian Business Growth

Today on the podcast, we're going to look at honesty, trust and confidence, how that helps us to sell better. We're also going to look at presentation skills, packaging. When we say packaging, we mean in the Nigerian context, you know, when we talk about things like, you know, how you arrange yourself or how you brand yourself, packaging like that and then also dealing with abusive clients. So that's what we're going to be looking at today.

You can see that it's a mix of all kinds of things, honesty, trust, confidence, presentation skills. How do you show yourself packaging? How do you arrange yourself and then dealing with abusive clients. Hello and welcome. My name is Tava Shima Ayedi. I'm the host of the podcast Making today's recording at Home. It's a weekend, so there will be noise in the background. And if you'd love to connect, you can call, send a text message or a WhatsApp message on 080 64662140.

Also subscribe Spotify, YouTube, Apple or any player of your choice. Now the reason why we're looking at all these things again, honesty, trust, confidence, presentation skills, packaging. How do you arrange yourself dealing with abusive clients is because on the radio show, you know, people call in, not on the podcast or on the radio show because you can't call me. Now on the radio show, people call in. So on the radio show, some people called in and these are precisely what some of the caller comments were about.

You know, this was this was two weeks ago. So some of these things are really important. So I said, let me just come and share over here with my, you know, my podcast audience. So there was one caller you do now you do called in and he was talking about the importance of diagnosing honestly. Now, let me give you the context. We had been talking about how another caller was a generator mechanic, how he can build his business.

And I was talking about how you do traditional sales motions, you know, prospecting, direct outreach, things like that. You know, some of you will say that isn't it, isn't it too technical? But no, it's not technical. These things apply to every single industry. You sell bread, you can do prospecting and direct outreach. You sell catfish, you can do it. You want to start up your POS business, you know it's the same. You want to start your fintech or your whatever, it is the same.

These principles apply. It's just that the mechanic is going to do direct outreach and is going to be doing these sales motions in a different way from the person who is running a fintech or a startup or a consultancy practice or a pharmacy. But we all gas the pass through these motions. We all do so now as a context. So it all called in now to say that, you know, everything that I said is on point, but that he wants to stress that mechanics that they should just and people who do handiwork, they should learn to just diagnose honestly,

because too many of them show up and cause problems where there's no problem or say something that is a problem when they should not be. And so because of that, trust gets ruined in the process. And it was a very important thing that you do said. So I emphasized it on the radio show to say that, look, this thing that you do said last week, it actually is on point to is correct. Because when we look at things from a traditional sales and business development perspective, we're not trying to get somebody to buy one time.

So let me repeat, when it comes to traditional sales, a business perspective, I'm not trying to collect deposit now, All right. I am trying to collect deposit today and I'm hoping that I'll be able to collect money next month, maybe next six months. Bottom line, I'm trying to keep this person around because selling is hard, Attracting customers is hard. So traditional sales people, we do everything possible to make our job easy so that we don't keep selling all the time.

So we don't try and capture one big fish now and then collect millions and then we don't hear from the person. Today, the goal is to capture one big fish and collect millions now, collect millions next year, collect millions again, and collect millions the year after that. You see how it works? Because the more people that I have within my ambit and I'm collecting steady, steady, steady recurrent money, recurrent money, I can plan.

Life gets easy. I can have a conversation with my wife and say, oh, you know what? Next? More school fees. Don't worry, this payment is coming in. This one is covered. This, this, this, this, this, don't worry, this one is covered because recurrent income, I can plan. So for salespeople, traditionally that is the goal. The goal is repeat business. Let this guy come back again and again and again, and then referrals as this guy is coming back again and again.

Let him be telling his friends, his family members, his associates. It will make my job a whole lot easier if I start off January. I did business with 50 customers last year and then last year. This year, January 30 of them have already called me. This is going to be a sweet year because there's some revenue that I can be looking forward to. Now, if of those 30, let's say even if it's only 10 of them, they refer somebody already, the year is starting off sweet.

So that's the goal. And this applies whether you are doing startup, doing fintech, doing consultancy, doing photography, doing catfish, doing copywriting, doing whatever it is that you do building contractor. It's the same. We want people to keep coming back again and again. I want them to send us people. Now. If we have not built trust in the process, there will be no repeat business and referrals. We will not be able to have planned cash flow like OK,

January, I suppose collect like this, this, this February, I suppose collect like these, these, these much. It'd be like say this amount will enter my account, won't be able to do that, won't be able to budget. So it's not just for mechanics, it's for the rest of us. Honestly, in our work, we're trying to build trust here. If there's no problem, say there's no problem. Where there's problem, say there's a problem. Don't over diagnose.

And for mechanics, I gave a very simple formula. Mechanics are people who do handiwork. Always tell them, OK, Olga, yeah, I'll solve this problem. But just in case I discover any problem, any extra problem, should I tell you or should I keep quiet? Some people will tell you, mechanic, you started again. I say fix my Boris, just fix it and give my car back to me for that person. Fix and give you back for the person who says if you say anything, let me know.

We cannot educate that person. Say, Olga, we fix this. But you'd be like say we should check this, we should check this, we should check this and have that honest conversation in your own professional opinion. So you do was on point. Whatever you do, diagnose honestly, we're trying to build trust. The goal is they should buy again. And the goal is after a while they should send their friends or their side chick or their whatever shot.

If you send us some business, that's the whole goal. Then with that in mind, I also mentioned that people who do handiwork, you know, mechanics, plumbers, those sorts of people, if you try and have in mind all I put it have in mind like a service maintenance culture, you know, more or less. So coming up to check up on people, you know, things like that, it's because OK, let's say servicing somebody says services the car 1st of January.

Well at least in night in Abuja traffic is not bad compared to Lagos. In Abuja we have traffic, but Abuja traffic is all right compared to Lagos. So you can expect in Abuja reasonably you can go like four months before you service your car. Don't try that in Lagos. If you try that in Lagos, your engine will knock, severe knocking. And when I was in Lagos, you used to see it all the time you'd be on 3rd Mainland bridge and you see that some poor idiot, his cars broken down or the gas blowing a gasket or something.

But in Abuja you can expect a service every four months. So for mechanics, people who do handiwork, it's not a bad idea to make it a part of your business culture, your follow up culture to be calling people around these times when they should be coming up for their maintenance anyway. So somebody does 1st of January to come and work on their car, they do servicing. Maybe you call like on the 14th. How far? Nothing that we did on the cash,

everything is cool, nothing is broken. OK, no Allah, no problem. Then maybe in months 2, you know, two weeks in, like on that kind of February 14th Bros, happy Valentine's Day, blah, blah, blah, just say my greet you. Then March you're calling again is a Bros you don't tell you know, we suppose service like around that kind every 3 three months. So we know how far can we schedule something for this month. So that's the scope.

So whether you're a mechanic or you're a plumber or you're a consultant, the idea is still the same. Remember, it is called repeat business and referrals. The goal is recurrent income. It will help us to plan our cash flow. It will help us to budget. It will help us to arrange our life so that we'll stop that thing off. You know, it's now January 21st, you're already sweating that OK money for February. We don't know where The thing is coming from.

So how's it do then? Adam called from here. It also in Abuja and and what he took away from all the stuff would be we'd been talking about was confidence in preparation. Sorry, I said preparation in presentation. And yeah, when you're making a presentation or a sales speech, you know, you guys appear confidence. Yeah, because it's important for closing business. But then I don't mention something, the thing prick my mind and I say, you know what, I

need to come back and talk about that. So he said that appearing expensive because you know those were talking about confidence in presentation. This whole thing of packaging now came into it. You know how you arrange yourself because Adam was talking about how his oger said that you go and get a plumber to solve something in the office and then he went to go and get a plumber who looked on point like this guy looks professional.

Then he brought it. So I say it brought him. Then your guy look at this plumber. I look up and down. I say Oger, you realize that you go be expensive small. So the thing was weighing on Adam's mind and so Adam decided to bring it up. Can appearing expensive be a problem? The answer, if you've been listening to the podcast for any length of time, you'll be surprised. The answer is it depends. It's not one of those things that is a fixed answer by my own opinion.

Not really. If you show up to your place and people are saying you're too expensive, then from a sales and business development perspective, traditional sales and business development, you are marketing in the wrong place and you are appealing to the wrong clientele. Let me repeat from a traditional sales and marketing perspective, if you show up to a place and everybody's like Kai Bros, you hash, you're too expensive,

chances are you are marketing in the wrong place and you are appealing to the wrong clientele. So back in the good old days when people would sell Xerox photocopier and stuff like that, of course, Everly you will always get price objections, people saying you're too expensive. But The thing is there are some kind of neighborhoods that by the time you show up with a Xerox photocopy, you know they don't want to see you because you know you're too expensive.

They have other ways of getting the photocopying needs met. You know, back in those days now people don't do photocopier anymore. So what you do is you will now remove yourself from that zip code. You now remove yourself from that local government area, remove yourself from that portion of the city and go to other places where it looks like people around here use photocopying machines. Then you can go and start selling there.

So the challenge I want to give to you listening to the podcast today is if you're getting nothing, let's say you're a plumber, you're looking to, you know, packaging is on point. Every time people see you, they're afraid, they say blessing, you're expensive. Stop hanging around that part of the city. Move to another part of the city where people will appreciate a plumber that is on point. That you look clean, you smell fresh, you sound fresh.

You talk like, you know, like you went to school, like, you know, what's up? Move to another part of town. Don't stay in your place. You need to start marketing to new people. Now, of course, we need to learn how to deal with pricing objections because if you're that kind of plumber, because these people, they do exist. When I was serving in Kano, I was quoting because I don't know anybody in Kano. So there's this correct guy, His name is Didier from Cameroon.

He was mechanic, although I used to tell him that, look, bro, stop calling yourself mechanic. You're an engineer. And he now educated me that, look, this is what an engineer does. This is what a mechanic does. An engineer is the person who has the knowledge and is able to build the system. That is why they're called engineers. Then there are people who know how to repair the system whenever the system breaks down. And he said I didn't go to school to learn how to build the system, but I went to school because I know how to diagnose when something is wrong and I

know how to fix it. So yes, I deal with fancy because used to deal with big, big engines, you know, not I better pass my neighbor not, you know, 1.5 KVA big engines. So they do say, you know, yes, I deal with all that big stuff, but I'm not going to lie and call myself what I'm not. I'm not an engineer, I'm a mechanic. ISD day was also very clean. His overalls were always blue. I don't know how he did it. He will go out, he will come back.

Of course, you know how it is now, engine oil, sand, everything. You know he had like 4, you know, you soak it and wear the next one and before you know it, in three or four days, no wonder was soaked. Sand, mud, engine oil, grease, it will be blue again. He will dress in his blue and blue, whether his boots carry his. What do you call that thing? You know that like 2 box and then will be out. So there are people like that who are, you know, building the handiwork business in Nigeria who are doing it on a professional level, on a very,

very professional level. So for that kind of person, now somebody will look at you and tell you that, look guy, I can tell you expensive. I just want somebody who's going to fix this thing for me cheaply. Now you have a situation where there's a pricing objection, an objection. So excuse me, an objection is any reason that somebody gives for not wanting to go ahead with the sale, with the agenda, with the matter dies on hand.

So if you're toasting a babe and she says I like you, but I want to graduate first class, I need more time to study, that is an objection that needs to be overcome. 1 moment. All right, sorry about that. One of my kids needed my attention. So as I was saying, you're toasting a babe now. She says not to graduate first class. My parents sent me to school to come and do boyfriend, girlfriend. They sent me to graduate first class pharmacy.

That is an objection. You go and meet somebody is your boy half and I'll buy my perfume. And the person saying do you have easy Miyaki? You say yeah, I have easy Miyaki is how much you say it's 400K450ML. The person says what if I leave here and I go to campus gate, I'll see easy Miyaki there also 150ML but they will sell it to me 150K. That is a price objection. If you people are in church committee meeting, you're trying to plan for harvest, you think that this is the best way we should go about doing harvest for the year 2025 or 2026.

And then people are saying people are blocking your proposal, whatever it is they say that is an objection. So when I'm in business or in any aspect of life, we always face objections. And it's a good idea to learn how to deal with objections before they come up because the worst time to deal with an objection or the worst time to think about dealing with an objection is when it happens. So always learn how to deal with it before the thing comes up.

Be prepared. All right, So sorry. 1 moment. OK, I'm back. Sorry. I beg You guys should know Rex. The kids again. So where was I? Hell. Objection. So if somebody looks at you as somebody who does handiwork, mechanic, plumber, Carpenter. What else? Foreman. Yeah, let me say Foreman. You know, people who you know, work on building sites. Like you're not the bricklayer, but you're the one who's supervising the bricklayer.

Supervising everybody. Now this is the value proposition that you guys have. This is the value that you bring to the situation. You guys typically replace things, you refurbish things, or you solve problems one time. Let me repeat for those of you in this situation, plumber, electrician, Carpenter, handyman, foreman. You guys typically either replace things, refurbish things, or you repair things one time. So first of all, this is what you do when somebody gives you an objection.

You're always leaning. So if somebody says, bro, the way I'm seeing you be like, say you expensive or you don't say, yes, I'm expensive. That's pompous, is somehow is rude. You're full of yourself, you know, you laugh it off. He said, yeah, of course I do charge more than most of my colleagues. And here is why. OK, now you don't have to sound as formal as me because I'm a very, I'm a fairly formal fellow. So I sound formal most of the times.

But you don't have to sound formal, say the way that it will be sweet in your mouth, but you acknowledge somebody says you're expensive. You say, yeah, I do charge more than most of my colleagues. And here's why. Because usually when there's a problem with plumbing, with mechanic, with whatever, whatever, whatever, the way we can solve the problem is, we can either replace what is broken, we want to buy brand new, or we refurbish this thing, let us patch it, let's service it and say we can manage, or we look for a way of solving this problem one time so that it never occurs again.

I am one of those XYZI, am one of those foremen. I am one of those mechanics. I am one of those plumbers, I am one of those borehole driller. I am one of those, you name it, who likes to make sure that we solve the problem one time so that you don't come back to me again. And my brother, you know that this is Nigeria and there's a difference between the cost that you pay today and the cost that you pay over time. So it's up to you, Sir.

You can go look for somebody else. We can take a chance with me. Let us see how we will solve this thing one time so that if I charge you once, we solve the problem once. So that is the scope in this particular context. Somebody says you're expensive leaning admit there's no point in running away from the from the obvious. And the reason why you charge more than your colleagues is because you want to have a good life for your children.

You want to have a good life for yourself, for your spouse. You also want to have some dignity as a man Can't keep going around people treating you like an animal, treating you as if you know, like you don't have value because what? Because you don't have degree? Come on. So admit and they educate them or you justify that This is the value proposition. Some people replace. Let's go and buy new and fix. Some people refurbish and let us try and manage this thing.

Let's be managing and then some people solve the problem one time so that you don't come back again. And I gave my experience of dealing with a mechanic earlier on in the year for those of you who listen to the podcast episodes when they looked as if I was sleeping in the mechanic place every two, two weeks. So every one, one month. That was the problem. The problem was Boris bearing the bearing will. The bearing will, what's the word like, wear out?

The thing was not making that noise. Then my tire will begin to chop, begin to chop badly. So I had gone to two mechanics each time I had replaced Boris like two or three times. But then I remembered there's this mechanic that works on my auntie, my auntie's cars. But the reason why I don't like going to that guy is because he's expensive, because the guy's a mechanic will go school. And of course, you know, mechanics will go school.

They don't charge the same way that roadside mechanics charge, you understand? But I say, shall let me go and meet him. I hear his opinion, so I want to go and meet him. And then he took apart the tire. He looked at it and they say, boss, yes, the problem is the bearing. But then this is what he told me next. He said, boss, let me be honest with you, we can take this bearing and I can give it to the boys. They will remove the ball bearings who service it, fix it back and you'll be fine for a while.

Bossa, you'll be back here in two weeks or we can take the bearing, buy a brand new one and put it back. But to be honest, you'll be back here in one month or if you have time leave this car here because sometimes when you have bearing problems it could because of linkage, it would because of then he calls something that is in the shaft. You know I'm not a car person so I don't understand all these things. It will be any number of these systems that are causing the problems.

So let me take this thing apart, discover this problem and let us fix it one time. But let me not lie you the tingle costs. What do you want to do? He now left it with me. It was up to me. You hear the guys approach. He said we can fix this thing. We can service this thing now, but I can assure you'll be back here in two weeks. We can replace it or you'll be back here next month. And of course, as he said that because I didn't tell him that I've been struggling with other people.

As he said it, his recommendation, the thing matched my experience. And I was like, you know what, this guy's on point because truly I have been coming back every month. So for those of you who've been listening to those podcast episodes where it's like I was at the Mechanic every 3-3 weeks, every four weeks, that was the problem. And like he said, the thing cost. I won't lie, you think cost, but the problem hasn't come back up again.

So now what I do is if there's any problem, I try and save small and then I go and meet him because at least I know that with him I will pay. But I'm paying one time instead of paying plenty over time. So that's how you deal with pricing objections if you are in that kind of that kind of space. So that was Adam from Area 8 and confidence in presentation. Can you be too expensive if you are in these kinds of trades? Then Jim is here from Asokoro also spoke about carriage.

That carriage is really, really important, you know, carriage packaging, branding, you know, how you carry yourself, how you feel yourself, how you show yourself, you know, very important, very important. Although for me, I downplay all of those anyway. But as a different story, you know, I'm not really packaging guy anyway. Let me not go into it here, but I'll talk about it later. So he's very, very important. But he now warned that there's a problem that is happening in Niger.

Some boys we package meanwhile not in there their empty symbol. If you carry them up you'll see that there's nothing under nothing of substance. So that was his own warning. Packaging is OK, but don't package to the extent that you know that there's nothing no substance to you. And I agree with you may say that's very true. We need to pay attention to the fundamentals of business and good business practice because you'll be terrible that our packaging is on points.

By the time somebody you know use a stick and just products shake off small, you will see the eyes. Nothing is only paper, nothing there. I think it's terrible and it's very annoying for customers. I remember when wanted to teach my wife how to drive, we went to this place in Abuja and the place looked fantastic from the outside. Then we entered inside the AC was chilling, Mortuary standard, cold, nice place where you can sit down, see me very professional.

A part of me was afraid thinking or more these people will be expensive, expensive die. I was thinking maybe we should have gone to you understand those other kind of driving schools. Now we get to the desk, very fine girl there, very fine, very, very fine. I say hey, this is how people come to Abuja and their marriages Qatar. But then any question that we asked her, she did not know. She has to call her boss. How much she has to call her boss?

What kind of cars she has to call her boss? What is the driving schedule? She has to call her boss. How long will it take? She has to call her boss. Will you help us to procure driver's license? I don't know. She has to talk to her boss. In my mind, I'm thinking, do you know anything? So you're just fine for fine sake. You're sitting down here packaging to the teeth. But meanwhile we shake you small underneath. Nothing, just empty.

It's frustrating for customers. If you must package, package well, let there be substance. If you step into that kind of establishment and the girl looks like she's descended from the angels, the daughters of the angels of the most high and any question you ask her, she has good answers for you. Prep, prep, prep, prep. She will overwhelm you with the substance, overwhelm you with your beauty. Before you know it, you part with your your, your bank card.

You're entering your PIN. You're PIN. That's the whole idea, not just packaging. So Timothy was very, very correct because the disciples of packaging in this country were plenty people, just package, package, package, package, package. Meanwhile, nothing underneath, no substance. Then there was OK, it's like 30 minutes, OK, and it is the last one. Then there was Gift from Luby and she had listened to a couple of the conversations that we had and she had our own opinions as well.

But then she mentioned that there are some things that she said that validated her own experience because she had been dealing with some abusive clients. I'll go into the details and OK, let me just summarize dealing with some abusive clients. People who don't pay well, people who don't pay on time, people who are not respectful, people who don't value your opinion, who value your own contribution. So I've been dealing with some of those people.

And so this year she decided, you know what, what the hell? Actually, I'm cutting these people off the money that they owe me self. I don't give an FI don't want to gain. She just cut them off. Now, of course, some people were saying that's a bad decision, that our money is good money. And I told her, I look, my sister, you know, what are some things that business people determine for their own selves? And I can understand, especially when you're broke, because I've been in those situations where I'm dead broke and I know that if I collect this thing, it will be a disaster.

But The thing is, honestly, I need money now, now, now, now, now, like I need cash now. So there's sometimes that I've closed my eyes and I've gone to dance with the devil knowing that this thing is going to be it's going to be war. But outside of those emergency situations, actually it's not a good idea to keep hanging around people who don't pay you well, who don't pay you on time, who are not respectful to you, and who don't value your contributions.

And this is the reason why. Remember, at the top of the episode I was talking about how the goal is repeat business and referrals. If this person does not pay well or pay on time, respect you, respect your opinion, respect your contribution. Every time the person shows up in January, February, March, April, May, June, July to the rest of the year, every single time the person is causing you immense stress, that person is not helping your life.

And usually that person is not helping your bottom line because remember, they're not paying well, they're not even paying on time. So you're making my financial situation worse and then stressing me on top again because of what? See, that's the reason why I say I understand that when you're in an emergency because we all get there. Like the bank account is 0 and I need like 500 K for fuel this month. I understand how you would just close as I say, you know what, I

will cry, but at least I will get fuel money from this. I understand but this one should not be everyday thing, should not be habitual thing. So apart from the fact that this person will be a repeat customer who is stressing your life, messing up your mental health, abusive clients Unfortunately usually they refer abusive clients as well. It is hard for a customer who is in Kankar Madhu, who is a useless person to now refer a customer to you who is a correct person.

So usually useless customers refer useless customers to you. Correct people usually refer correct people to you. Now of course, it's possible for a correct person to refer a useless person to you. It happens. But I'm just saying as a general rule. So another reason why I want to run away from these abusive people is if we spend more time dealing with people who pay well, pay on time, respect us, value our contributions, value our opinions every single time that they come, not only will our bank accounts smile even though our self esteem, we will smile.

They give us a good boost. It's good for your pockets to boost and it's good for your self esteem to boost as well. Then the more they refer other people like that, it's just a win win. So for that one, I'll leave it up to you, but my own personal opinion, one gift from Luke did. I don't know about letting go of all the money that they were owing her, but in the long run, I think she's correct. Good customers only good money.

Only people who pay well, pay on time, people who are respectful. So that's it. Like I said, no coherent theme to today's episode because it was just me responding to to call us comments. Probably will make another episode like this on maybe next week, Thursday, Friday, because radio show is every single Tuesday and that's it. So that's it. And that's all. Remember if you'd love to connect, you can call send me a text message or a WhatsApp message on 08064662140.

Thank you very much for your time and attention. I will catch you next time. Same place right here in your headphones or through your speakers, wherever you're listening to the podcast.