Boosting Your Glovo Sales: Optimize Your Storefront & Master Operations

Hello and welcome to the show. Taking today's recording at my desk and my neighbor is still doing renovations and the other neighbor has let his Peacock out of the house. So, you know, that's where all that noise is going to be coming from. You know, the screeching noise that's from the Peacock, all the hammering that's from my neighbors who my neighbor who is doing some work in his house. Now this is your first time of listening to the podcast.

Don't worry, this is not a show about my neighbors. It's a show about business education, so I would appreciate it after you listen to the show if you talk to it about your friends and family members so that Nigerians at home and abroad can benefit from all the questions that we tackle over here. They can do that by subscribing on Spotify, YouTube, Apple or any player of their choice. And if you in particular have any sales or marketing questions, bring them to me.

You can call, you can SMS, you can WhatsApp me on 08064662140. Now today on the show, we're going to look at another listener question and this one is from Miracle in Abuja. And his question is on how to get sales on the global app. Miracle also happens to run a restaurant in Sun City in Abuja. And he did the smart move of trying to put himself on the global app because remember, therefore, those of us who run businesses are first and our primary function, it should try and be everywhere that our customers are because we're trying to chase market, we're trying to create a customer,

we're trying to make some money. So it only makes sense that if we think our customers are on this app or that app in this location or that location, we owe it up to ourselves at the very least to go and taste, taste and see if they are there, then continue. If they are not, we can always make AU turn. This is life, you know, there's nothing that is set in stone. So even though Miracle has a physical restaurant, if you got this global thing, may I try himself?

Let me just give you one shot. Now, for those of you who don't know what global is or by the way, any information that you hear, you know, here what I'm trying to talk about facts and things. Please make sure that you go and verify because I'm human, I make mistakes and sometimes the gist that I've heard is not correct. So verify. But if I'm saying anything and we're talking about principles of sales and marketing, rest assured you can take it to the bank.

That one is 100% correct. But if I'm talking about facts and figures of this business or that business, I beg go and verify first. Don't say because I've said it that you know what I've said is truth. So global for those of you who live in Abuja and in Lagos, because the vibe I'm getting is that global is mostly like a Lagos and an Abuja thing. So those of you who live in pH, you know, if Global is in pH, let me know UKD people, if Global is there, let me know where else.

If Global is in Sokoto or wherever or in by Elsa, just let me know that OK, we have global over here. But for now, global GLOVO, the impression that I get is that is mostly Lagos and an Abuja thing. Now Global is a mobile app, of course. So it's a map on your an app on your phone that originally came from Spain. That's the gist that I had but like I said go and verify. If I'm wrong please let me know. So originated in Spain and their day behind it is on demand delivery services.

In other words, it is supposed to be an app where you will order anything you want. If you want paper, order. If you want to buy scissors, order. If you want to buy cabbage, order. If you want to buy anything at all, order OK, apart from human organs. So that's supposed to be what the app is meant for. But in usual practice, in normal practice, what I'm seeing now, just based on, you know, people around, you know, my cousins here and there, because there's this cousin of mine here.

He's a foodie. The guy can't show up like the guy likes to lamb. As in he's he's half my size, but twice my weight. You know, that's how bad The thing is every time I see him, I'm like, I bro, you need to take some action anyway, so the guys are foodie. So it's one of these global people always buying food from global. Although in my own opinion, I'm wondering if I buy something and you know, the food is worth like 8K and then delivery now enters like 5K like like was the and it does Misha doesn't make sense to me, but there's some people that do that.

So based on what I'm seeing, based on what I'm hearing as I see most people when they go on global, what they do is they order food from restaurants or, you know, they buy one or two groceries, or maybe you buy medicine, you know, pharmacy stuff. And then maybe, you know, some, some retail things, you know, like soap, face cream, you know, all these all these kinds of stuff. So that's what most people seem to use global for.

So if you've never heard of global before, GLOVO, in my own opinion, from the small interaction I've been doing to people, it looks as if that's what global is all about. I remember what I said at the top of the show that as business people, our primary homework will wake up every day is you try and figure out where our customers, where our clients, how can I reach them? How can I penetrate that space where they're there?

Because the goal is I'm trying to make some money and money will not come and find me in my own house. So I have to look for a way to go and target these people. So even like Miracle, you have physical restaurant and then it looks like this global thing, they pop off, you go and give it a try. So where was I? So as a vendor now, because global, these things, you call them two way market, 2 sided marketplaces now. So you have global in the middle and then on one side you have vendors that's people like you and me.

You know, those of us with a fine market we're looking for customers will be on global. Then we also have people, retail customers, people like my cousin who likes to drop, he's there, he's the clientele, he's the consumer. So that's how these things operate. You call them two sided marketplace, the app is there, vendors the one side and then customers, they're on the other side. So the vendors now on Global like Miracle in Abuja who has this restaurant they have, you don't have a profile.

I just call all of them profile. But you know, depending on the app that you're using, the name will change. So for Global, they don't call it profile, they call it storefront or they call it listing. So that's what you have as a vendor, you have storefront or listing. Now when Miracle called to say that this Global thing is not popping off, it's not working. What I told the guy was you know what right now on the air, so we can't really talk in detail.

So send me a WhatsApp message less let's talk in detail, but the guiding sent a WhatsApp message. So anyhow, let me just make this episode and just throw it up like that. Just freestyling on the matter. Now the reason why I said the guy should send me WhatsApp message, let's let's Yan is because when you're trying to diagnose when something is going on in this kind of situation, whether you're on global, whether you're on Jumia, excuse me, whether you're on Conga or whether you're on Amazon or any of these two sided places, there are lots of factors.

So we need to ask some questions before we can drill down and figure out exactly what's going on. So I told you guys now that first thing as a vendor, you'll get storefront. So on the storefront now there are some things that now comprise the storefront that we now have to start checking 1 by 1 by 1 to figure out where is this problem coming from. The storefront, definitely you have a name. Your name has to make sense.

By the way, don't go and collect a name that is off putting. Then #2 logo, your business logo #3 images. Since Miracle is in the food business, images is very, very, very, very important for him. Now, I don't think Global does service businesses like me as a business consultant. I don't think I can have a profile on Global. But for somebody who is selling food, the image gets to be on point, The photography gets to be of good quality.

Because remember, the whole point when we get on these sorts of thing is we're trying to make ourselves appealing. We're trying to make ourselves enticing. We're trying to make somebody run after us. So if we take a picture, I mean like you are soon might be the best in town, might be the best in the world, but excuse me, if your picture is shaky and grainy as if it's your two year old son who took the picture, then it's not going to help you.

Then there's also the menu that is part of your storefront on Global or your catalog. And then there's ratings and reviews. So there's other ways that we can go about this, but for me, I would have started asking questions about these things. First, let's try and figure out what the problem is. Has your profile, has your storefront, has your listing, has everything been set up right? So the reason why is this, since all of us here now, all business people, we'd be hands on people who say things called SEOSEO

just means search engine optimization. Search engine optimization just means how can people find me online? And a lot of times when people asking their questions, how can people find me online, the question they are trying to answer basically is how can people find me on Google? So the scope is the same. The same way we want to organize everything, our websites, our photos, our you know everything so that when people search they will find us sharply on Google.

The scope is the same when you're on Global, when you're on Amazon, when you're on Jumia, when you're on Conga, the scope is the same. How can people find me easily on these sites? So that is just the scope. So in theory and in practice, if you optimize your profile, your storefront, your listing, well, it should make it easier for you to get orders. So course of action number one, whenever these kinds of things happens, I try and see how far with the profile you don't optimize.

Is it optimized? That is the main thing. So how to optimize your storefront, your profiles, your listing, your account, your whatever it is is we now take this list that I've come up with and start going small, small, small, small, small. Remember I said there are some other things that will need to be fixed, but if we start with these first, how many is it for IB5IB6 anyhow? Sure, if we start with these ones, we are beginning to now diagnose what's the problem.

So that's the reason why I wanted to have a conversation with the guy. You send me a screenshot, Let me see, let me see the profile. Let's look at the photos. What's the quality of the photos like? You don't have to go and be a professional photographer anymore because the phones that we use nowadays are solid, solid die. For instance, yesterday I was in a meeting with a lady who runs a charity and the charity is against gender based violence and rape.

And we're discussing, you know, some other things, how I can support our project now She uses iPhones. She uses 2 iPhones. Then I was talking about how her phone is very sexy because iPhone is a very sexy phone. It's like, I bet this phone, this one is old is something something something. I told her, you can sell two of them. Of course it has 2, so you can sell two of them. You buy iPhone 16 at least you see it like A600K, she said.

She say where I said iPhone 16 is in relaxation cases. No, she says one point something I say. I do realize that iPhone is very expensive and so that's actually was checking out my phone. I said which phone is this? And I saw this Jiaomi. She said Jiao Guinea. I could. Yeah, of course she's Zebo. She said Jiao Guinea. I said Jiaomi. Now you know, I heard of Jiaomi. She now turned. I saw the box. He's saying he's read me.

I said he's all the same now and read me. Yes, lots of people say read me, but the original name is Jiaomi. And then she starts saying, I mean, my phone self is good. My phone is is correct and picture quality is on point. So what I'm trying to say is you don't have to hire an expensive photographer. If you have two iPhones, any of those iPhones will be good. If you're using China phone like me, you're using Xiaomi. Even Xiaomi itself is good.

It's on point. All you have to do is make sure that the place where you're shooting your food, make sure that is well lit and clean. If you can put it next to the window for that natural lighting will be good. If you want to try and use ring light and all those sorts of things, it can work. It's just that, to be honest, especially as a former photographer, that kind of deliberate technical lighting, it requires a lot of skill and training.

So you have to go online work to get good results from that. But if you open your window, you carry nice white bed sheets, cover the window so that as the light is coming through the window, the light is now soft and diffused. You get a good, you get a good shot. I'm just trying to show you how you can get good pictures without having to go and watch YouTube. But yes, if you want to watch YouTube and get ring light and then flash and then this light and that light, Oh, sure, no problem.

You know, it's all up to you. But I'm just trying to let you know that if you have a table, you have a window and you have a white bed sheet to cover the window so that as the sunlight is coming through, the sunlight won't come harsh and yellow. You know the bed sheet to now, you know white. If I that light make it nice, make it smooth. You can get some good shots. Then you also make sure that your background is, is clean.

If you're taking picture of food and then in the back people can see your children's toys, you know, it's somehow so you just clean up the, the whole place, you know, before you take the shot. So those are the kind of things that we worry about now when we talk about photo quality. Any phone, whether I was Xiaomi or his iPhone or anything in between is is good. You can start with that. You want to hire a professional photographer in the future.

That's not a problem, but you can start with this. For now, the most important thing is lighting. Let there be adequate light. Let the light not be harsh, let it be smooth. Hence I say white bedsheet. In case you're taking the picture late in the afternoon, White bedsheet will now soft smooth everything. Make it nice and clean for you. The background. Make sure that the background is clean. Don't take a picture of your food and then the towel that you used to bathe in the morning is in the background.

Children's toys are in the background, or maybe your wife is watching Netflix and people can see her in the background. Make sure the background is clean. Then plating is also a problem. Oh well, not a problem. Something you have to pay attention to. Now this is something I did not like when I was a photographer. So for me, I used to say, look, you are the chef. You are the one that will arrange the food. Yeah, I don't know anything about this.

Arrange it as you like it, but there's an art to it. You have to arrange the food in a way that the colors will blend this way that you plate it so that it look clean and appealing. Because there are some places. My wife took me to this joint. I was called Amana Joint. Amana Hot, Amana Hot in in Abuja in which place again towards our poolside and I went there. So my wife bought Amana. So what they do was they took the plate, they put the Amal inside.

I was not thinking they'll bring a separate plate. But no, they use this local, this thing that used to scoop, scoop about an amala. They used it to press the amala down. They now poured the soup inside the middle of the amala. And that's my I said, what is this my office like? No, that is how they eat it. I said, look, this, this is terrible now. Like what kind of rubbish is this? Because I'm thief, I'm from Banner state.

The way we do it is you put the pounded yam in one place, you now put the soup in another place, Which one that you put the food in one plate. You now squeeze the middle down. You now come and pour the soup in the middle of the something I think just looked just look dirty. My own opinion shot those of you who are my lighters are who you're about people. You know I'm not I'm not I'm not insulting you guys, but for me just looks dirty.

So in my opinion, sha, you are taking photos for global. Not everybody is a, you know, a core amaletor like that. Maybe you should not take the picture that way that you put the amala, you press the amala down, you know, come and pour the beggar inside. I honestly think plate it, put the Amala one side, put the beggary one side, arrange the meat, arrange the everything and then, you know, I don't know, maybe stylishly put the bottle of Coke, chilled Coke, Coke that is sweating, you know, make the picture look appealing.

So you understand, you get the gist. So that is it on photos, photo quality. Then for the menu descriptions, want to make sure that we describe things in a very compelling and in a very appealing way. Don't just go and put amala and bakery. Then leave it like that. Put some text. Since I'm not in the business for now, I have to go and do some research. I cannot recommend any particular way of talking about the food, but you can just put Amalan Bakery and leave it like that.

We need to put some appealing text. There have been some Nigerian chefs who are even taking things a step further. They don't just do Amalan Bakery, they will try and install putting the Amala around. They will try and maybe put it in like ribbon format. I've seen something like that and then they will now give it one gourmet name. You know, you say it is on gourmet gourmet yam something something there's a way that they do each other.

You make it sound French. So you know, do all those stuff. Make sure that the menu make sure all your text is appealing. Then another thing that I mentioned is this global Jumia conga. What else? Amazon, in all of them, two sided marketplaces where the app is there, those of us that are vendors are there. Then my cousin that likes to eat the customer, them, they're there. Or whatever service it is that you sell, the people who are going to be buying your product or your service, they're there.

Now, these options, whether we like it or not, this is the honest truth. These people are there to make money. I want you guys to let that thing sink in. The person that created this global app in Spain, the guy wants to make money. He didn't just create a marketplace so that he can connect you to your customers for free, then him he will not collect anything. That is the reason why these people Global Jumia, Amazon conga, they have opportunities for paid ads for increased visibility.

So in other words, yes, I'll put if the customer types Amira and Gregory will show all the Amira and Gregory there. But if you pay me Mr. Global, if you pay me Mr. Global, a small fee, I will put your own name on top or I'll put your own big so that other people will see you and decide to try your own. And to be honest, to be honest, this is how these people make money. This is part of the ways that they make money. So let's not run away from that reality.

The only thing is we should be asking ourselves how much does the advertisement cost? How much can I afford to run now just to test to see whether this thing works? How much am I willing to risk and what is the potential upside? Those are the questions we should be asking. But at some point, you can't say you're going to be on these apps and you're only going to do a free organic growth. The problem with organic growth is organic growth takes time.

Organic growth means you don't do promo, you don't do advertisement, you don't pay to push in any way. So you expect people to find it on their own, to like it on their own, to refer it on their own. Let's be honest, that process takes time. If you have time, that is fine. If you don't have time, you might have to try more aggressive paid strategies. Then finally, I also pointed out that one of the reasons why somebody like Miracle can be on global, I didn't say this is his own case.

So, but I'm just saying it's also a possible reason why someone can be on these sorts of apps Global Conga junior, Amazon and business is not smooth. Business is not working is operational excellence. Operational excellence just means do you guys deliver on time when deliver, is the food hot and fresh? What else? OK, sort of fresh. Does the thing now taste good? What else? If it doesn't taste good and somebody's angry, is there a line that somebody can call for customer service?

When the person calls for customer service, the person who answers the phone is the person professional, polite, caring, willing to find out what happened so that they can resolve the problem. Or did you just hire one of your cousins from the village who doesn't give an F and your cousin is rude and brash and turns customers off? These are all the things around operational excellence. So The thing is, you can optimize everything on Global,

correct? You select the right name, the logo is beautiful, the images are to die for. As in they are appealing. Your menu, your catalog, your words, everything is solid. Very, very good. But then if you mess up on this operational excellence, by the time the food gets to them is cold or by the time the food gets to them, the food has started to smell or they had a good whatever. There was one or two command, they called customer service.

Your cousin was now rude. These people will now go and give you one star. That's where everything will not counsel because remember I said now your storefront, your ratings will be there and people come and they see that 20 people tried you out of the 2018 of them gave you one star and then two people gave you 5 star is problem. People will not focus on the two people that got fight that gave you 5 star. They'll focus on the 18 that gave you one star.

So operational excellence, that is what will now kill ratings and reviews. Why we need the rating and review is that is where referrals will come from. If somebody has a good, you know like let's say my wife goes all over and she tries it and the Amala is on point, she will tell me no, I tried this up, the Amala was on point. Let's order. When she goes to work, she will now call her friends a kilichi. You know how last time we went to this place, this place, this place, I have found another whatever, but this one is online.

Let's order, let's try for lunch. That is where referrals will come from. Then on the app itself, on the global, on the Jumia, on the Amazon, on the whatever. Since people are seeing the ratings and the reviews, they'll be now be willing to give it a try. You know, in marketing circles we call that third party validation. That means I'm thinking of buying something. I don't really know nothing, but I know that other people are saying that this thing is all right or this thing is worth is worth it.

That is third party validation. So operational excellence, we can't run away from operational excellence. And you can see how because I say it on the podcast and some people don't get it that growing sales, improving sales is a holistic thing. Some people think in terms of tactics, what will I say or how will I say it? That will get people to buy. All that is important, which is why I talk about selling frameworks. But is a holistic something,

everything working together to grow sales at the end. Because if I give you the right talk track, if you have the perfect things to say and you get people to buy when an operational excellence is 0, you are just you are you're digging your grief. Is that simple? No, I mean business grief. You know, nobody would die because of business in Jesus name. I'm not saying business wise, you're digging your grave. So a miracle from Abuja will be nice if you get in touch again.

Let's talk, Let's see if I can help you figure out exactly what it is going on. But for those of you who have had that global is popping off in your city and you want to give it a try, these are the things you should be paying attention to. Like I said, there are other things. Well, please make sure you pick a nice name, make sure your logo it's nice and professionally done. Make sure your images, especially for those of you in food and fashion, food and fashion.

I repeat food and fashion images, images, images. Please pay attention doesn't have to be protect professional. Like I said, if you're next to a window and you have white bed sheets, you can be managing for now, then your menu, your catalog, the way you describe everything has to be on point. The good thing nowadays is we have ChatGPT and Gemini. You can use those things to craft good descriptions of your products. And then please, I'm begging you guys, operational excellence at the end of the day because that will affect our ratings and our reviews and it will help us to get referrals.

I'm pleased. I'm begging you. It is nice to get families involved, but if your cousin from the village has not been properly trained, do not put him on the phone. He will run your business down. I'm telling you this thing from experience. My father wanted to be a good upstanding member of the community and decided to get some of his cousins involved in business. And you don't need to watch Africa Magic to know how that turned out.

As a boy, I saw it funny enough. Me and my wife get married and it turns out that even in my wife's family there are some of those issues as well. And they're funny enough. You meet other people and you hear similar stories in other families as well. Daddy or mommy decides to be nice. We sort of a business, a boutique, a pharmacy, a taxi company or whatever. You decide to involve uncle so, so, so and so or cousin so so so and so.

They come and they crash the business. So I'm not saying don't hire your family members to do customer service or do whatever. Just train them first before you unleash your uncle on the phone and then he destroys your business. So that's all for today. Remember, if you have sales and marketing questions, you can call me. You can access, send me an SMS or WhatsApp me on 08064662140. Thank you very much for your time and attention.

I'll catch you at the next episode.