Customer-First Marketing: The Key to Unlocking Growth

Hello and welcome. My name is Tavishima Ayede. I solve sales and marketing challenges and I'm making today's podcast from my living room. So expect to hear some interruptions in the background because even though it's a weekday, the kids are not feeling well. So they're at home and, you know, watching Dragon Balls and stuff. Now, the goal of this podcast is not to tell you about my family life. It's about business education.

So please spread the word so that your friends and family members both here in Nigeria and abroad can benefit from the questions that we tackle. They can do that by subscribing on spotifying YouTube, Apple or any player of their choice. And if you'd love to connect with me, then call SMS or WhatsApp me on 08064662140. Today on the podcast, I want us to look at why marketing needs to be customer focused or needs to be client focused.

I repeat, today we're going to look at why marketing needs to be customer focused or why marketing needs to be client focused. Now, the reason why is because you know, with modern marketing, you know, with digital and all the tools that we have available, we as business people, we as business owners, we're always looking for avenues for self promotion or to promote the business. So always, you know, doing promote, promote, promote.

You know, your LinkedIn, you do post, post, post. You're on Instagram, post, post, post. So lots of writing, lots of posting. In fact, with the AI renaissance that we're in right now, as in it's content overload, as in people just posting anyhow, but then we business people as a default, we always end up talking about why we are the best, why we have the best features. These are the benefits of doing business with us, you know,

blah, blah, blah. So it always ends up being a, a whole sea of buy from me. I'm the greatest, I'm the best, I'm the greatest, I'm the smartest, I'm the cheapest, I'm the fastest. I'm the this, I'm the that. I only import from America. I only import from Dubai. I only, you know, just me, me, me, me, me, me, me. And that's all modern marketing has become, people, business owners, entrepreneurs, everybody talking about themselves.

But our communication would be better, our advertising, our everything would be better if we were to focus on the other people. That is focused on the audience, focus on the customer, focus on the clients and talk about things from their own point of view, not from ours. Think about it. Everybody else in your space, all the competition, pick a line of business. Everybody's talking me, me, me, me, me. I'm the best. I'm the cheapest.

I'm the this me. Even if you don't do a good job of looking at things from their own point of view, if you're the only person in your space who at least has a different kind of messaging, if nothing else, you will stand out in from the sea of sameness. But I'll, I put it, I guess it makes sense that people just keep talking about me, me, me when it comes to business. And that's because you don't have information and you don't know anything.

You don't have the experiences of your customer. So you're just saying what it is that you know. So to the best of your knowledge, you produce the best or you produce the cheapest, or you produce the fastest or you produce the, you know, whatever. And so you talk about that. So what we should do trying to move forward is that we should always be in constant touch with our customers, always getting information from them, always talking about their own experiences.

We should always try to get feedback about the customer experience from them or the user experience. That's for those of you who sell software or those of you who sell physical products. You know, you need to know what's the customer experience like when you are using our product or service. How did you guys feel? What did you experience, what was good, what was bad, you know, blah, blah, blah. What benefit did you get from the product or from the service?

These are the things that are going to give you the kind of information and experiences that you need to be able to craft messaging from their own point of view. So because of that, marketing should always be in touch with the sales team or with the account officer. You know, people arrange their businesses differently. Some people just have a marketing team and then somebody you call account officer. So marketer, marketing team,

those are the people that put up all the fancy stuff on Instagram and then, you know, go out and talk to customers. And then there's account officer, account of size, the person who ends up kind of like doing the customer service functions. Yeah, let's say the customer service functions. So those of you, if you're one of those organizations where these marketing team and his account officer marketing team should always be in touch with account officer, you will need to be reconciling notes.

This is what we were hearing in the field. This is how we're interacting with people. This was coming up. Account officer, what do you think? What have you been hearing all these problematic customer marketing, Madam Will getting basically to the parachute to the shout. You know, this is the problem. This is the problem. Talk to account officer too. You guys talk, compare notes, that's how you get good insight, good Intel as per what's going on with your customers.

It will help you to get an accurate read on what customers actually think and the customers experience with you guys. Now the reason why I'm saying this is because whenever people hear about talking to your customers, well at least in Nigeria over here, for those of you who are tech savvy, the first thing that you guys think about is Google survey. Sorry, Google Docs was something survey. What's it called again? Something monkey.

I can't remember. I opened an account on it once, but I totally forgot about it, and so I haven't gone back to it again. Is it SurveyMonkey? Yeah. So Google Docs, SurveyMonkey, something, something, all those sorts of things. Now, all those things are good, but that is not where we should begin the process of interacting with our customers. Because when we create these survey documents, we run the risk of teleguiding the customer to the response that we already think are correct.

Like those people who say how did you enjoy working with us? Good, average or wonderful? In that case, you are teleguiding the conversation. You have assumed that people's interactions with you were good, average or awesome. What if somebody wants to take downright idiotic or absolutely rubbish but he didn't put it on the survey so the person can only click what in his own opinion is the worst option there which is average.

But The thing is average and absolutely awful and not the same thing. When you are having a conversation with someone, it is there that you are going to hear really what's going on where somebody can tell you that, look, I called, I spoke to Cami and Cami was an absolute idiot and this is what she said. And I don't appreciate being spoken to that way, you know, when you get that kind of information from a Google doc or survey document.

On the other hand, if somebody wants to say I called in and I spoke to Alicia, Alicia was wonderful. This is how she handled my problem. I didn't know that the software could do this. She helped me do this, organizes workflow. And because of that, you know, my business has been going along smooth way even able to accomplish this and this and that. What Alicia did was absolutely wonderful. You won't get that kind of response from a Google doc or a survey doc.

So that's the reason why I say fest Fest. It should be all these simple conversational tools that we have. I'm sitting in somebody's office, I'm asking a question, I pick up a phone, I make a phone call, maybe worst case scenario, chatting on WhatsApp. But we have to be able to be in a conversational setting with our customers and our clients for us to know what's really going on. So in my opinion, it is only after you have had all these kinds of conversations that you can now create your Google Doc,

your survey doc, because we have a realistic set of options. Because you've spoken to a couple of people, maybe like I kind 10:15 you already know now that OK, when people interact with our product, these are the possible range of options that could happen from the good end to the bad end. And then the options would adequately reflect that. So interact with customers first. After that, you can create your own Google doc or your survey document or whatever.

Now, what do you do with all this information? The information that you get from this process is what you will use to inform your sales, your marketing, your social media, your business communications and all that. So this is where you get information to do innovation on your business, on your product or service as well. Because if your product is crap in certain areas, you will find out how you will now improve it. But from the sales and marketing, and we'll now be speaking to people using terms that they understand, talking about issues that actually chokes them.

And anyway, that's what you're going to use this information from. Just use it to refine your sales and your marketing or your business communications. Now let me use a case study and I'm going to use a business that a lot of you haven't heard about. Now we're going to talk about credit bureaus in Nigeria. I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing this word correctly. I need to go and learn credit Bureau. I'll be Bureau or Bureau.

So credit bureaus in Nigeria. I'll explain the reason why I'm using credit bureaus by the time I'm done with this. Let's just say usually when I'm making examples here, I'm talking about more relatable businesses, you know, wedding photography that I started off with, farming, agric, catfish, what else? Retail, simple examples that everybody knows. But I said today, let me just try another example. So now we'll talk about credit bureaus in Nigeria.

Now credit Bureau is, I'll explain it now, OK, there as a business, what they do is they collect data on people's borrowing and repayment. Then when they carried this data, now they will now sell the data to lenders, to banks, to landlords, to employers, you know, other people who need this kind of information so that they can decide who they're going to give assets to. So let me rephrase, like how many years ago, OK, Remember, I

think my first bond was like maybe 3 or 4. Back then I was in the pinch. So I decided to borrow 50K from Zenith Bank and Depot bank because that time I was not liquid. Now it took me like 4 or five months to pay that money as in Access Bank, well back then to a called Diamond Bank. As in Diamond bank Mandy harassed me die on top that 50K. They really harass my life to collect that money. So now credit bureaus are the companies that collect data on people's borrowing and repayment.

They're the ones that are supposed to have the information on the establishment. Is he a correct guy? Does he pay on point, pay money on time? When he borrows money, does he pay? Is he a salary and how much does he? And is he a good guy that if you give him money, he will give you back quick? That is what credit bureaus are supposed to do. They're not carry this data. They'll now sell this data to banks so that by the time Diamond Bank as was called back then, when they see the data,

they say establishment, he doesn't pay on time. By the time I apply for a loan, they'll say no, we're not giving you loan. That's because they have gotten the info from credit Bureau. So that's what credit bureaus do. They collect data on people's borrowing and repayment. Does this person borrow money? How much does he borrow? When does he pay back? Does he pay back on time? Does he pay back the interest? Is he owning people?

You know all these sorts of things. That's the kind of information that credit bureaus have. Now, some of you will say, Are you sure there's business like this in Nigeria? And the answer is yes. In fact, I did a small search before we started the podcast. You see, I'm becoming sophisticated now. I'm actually doing research before I come on the show. I found three of them. So one is CRC, that is credit Bureau Limited. Then there's CR Registry, The full name is CR Services Credit Bureau Limited.

Then there's also First Central Credit Bureau Limited. So I found 30 by the way, I thought of credit bureaus because I was thinking to myself which kind example case study where I used to do on the podcast. And so I say, you know what, I will flip on LinkedIn, the first business I see. That's one I use as an example. So I flipped and there was a credit Bureau and I said, OK, fantastic. So I'll use a credit Bureau now as an example to show how your market messaging, your market,

your sales messaging, your marketing messaging, how it should come not from the angle of the business, but from the angle of the customers. Now, this is how credit bureaus market themselves. If you don't believe me, I've given the name of three companies now. So just go on like go and check them on Google, check their LinkedIn, check their whatever. You'll see that when these businesses are marketing themselves, they talk about things like risk management,

they talk about things like risk reduction, they talk about things like efficiency, automation, business growth, profitability, compliance, regulatory adherence. Now, this marketing copy actually is not bad. It's it's quite good. The problem with this marketing copy is that it is not immediately relatable to the audience. Now, the people that they're selling to, you know, bank managers, GM and all these sorts of things, you know, people in the banking sector, employers,

landlord, yeah, yeah. They are educated enough or sophisticated enough to know what these things mean. It's just that these are the words that when you hear them, you have to think small before you understand. And that's your problem. Because remember, we are trying to make marketing relatable and intuitive. I want somebody to see my marketing copy, see my advertising, see my whatever. And the person should just the person should just then how will I explain it?

Person just understand one time the deal will just flow. The person doesn't have to slow down and think. And trust me, if your marketing messaging has words like risk management, reduction, efficiency and automation, business growth, profitability, compliance, regulatory adherence, that kind of thing requires somebody to stop and think small, even if it's half a second. So in my own opinion now, if you run a credit Bureau in Niger and you want to market yourselves,

you should be talking about things from the customer's point of view. So you should be saying things like we help you avoid bad debt. Remember the example that I, oh, when I say that, you know, I mean DEBT, not DEATH. I've now been able to pronounce this word correctly because there's something my mom's used to query when I was small. You know, she would say, I would say debtor and she would say, no, it's not debtor. And I'll be quarreling back and forth.

I'm saying that's exactly what I said. She would say no, that's not what you said that you said DEATH and I'll say no, I'm saying DEBT. So avoid bad debt. I'll be debt depth. However it is you pronounce it avoid bad debt. So now if they say avoid bad debt, everybody knows what that means. It means I give somebody money and the person does not pay me back or the the person you know, the thing has entered the voicemail.

Everybody understands that situation avoid bad debt. So that's what how they should be marketing themselves, do business with us, avoid bad debt. You won't give people like Tavishma money who will take you 5-6 months to pay back 50,000 naira. But that was back then. You know, my situation has changed now. So if you loan me money now, don't worry, I'll pay you back on time. So don't worry about that. By the way, if we're friends,

you shouldn't be loaning money. You should actually call me up and say Tavishma, I like what you do. Let me have your account number. I'll just send you like 5 M. Just just carry on Flex, just to say thank you for what you do. Yeah, so I give my phone number at the beginning of the podcast and at the end. So if you want to be a nice guy like that or a nice girl, a nice lady, yeah. So call me up and just say I like what you do.

Send me your account number. And where was I? So did you talk about avoid bad debt or they can talk about process your loans faster? Because it actually takes time for the bank to decide who am I going to give loans, stuff like that because they actually need to get lots of data on someone. And I know this one for a fact because back then, not now, not now, but back then when my first born was like I'm like 3-4 years, I also approached the Sterling Bank.

I want to go and look for a loan and man, was a process as I feel for me, I feel for seriously because they needed lots of information on me. Then after they got the information about my cash flow situation, my business, you know, stuff like that, somebody needed to sit down and assess the whole thing. And in assessing the thing, Shah, it took a while. So if you run a credit Bureau, especially now that you know, we have AI and all these fancy tools, I'm sure that things, the information you can run through the information a lot more quicker.

Just gather the info, give it to AIAI will print out recommendations, carry recommendation, give it to case officer, case officer or now sample it, check one or two things, make sure everything aligned. Then you now decide, OK, yes, I'm giving the loan. No, I'm not giving you a loan. But you see that can be a benefit process loans faster or credit bureaus can talk in terms of identifying risky customers early. So that's telling back now if they're able to get access to the information that I gave access, sorry, the access man gave me 50K.

It took me 5-6 months to pay the money back and the money I paid themselves money. No complete Sterling Bank will now know, OK, this guy is a risky guy. Let's not give this guy any money. Maybe I'm not owning Access Bank any money. I'm just, you know, give an example. So those are terms that credit bureaus can talk about. Avoid bad debt, process loans faster, identify risky customers, or we will assist you in recovering loans if they talk in those terms.

Those of you who are listening to this podcast right now, who when I say credit bureaus was saying, what is that you people will never have to say because you won't understand from the small, small message you've been seeing out there that this is what that kind of business does. And it is because there will now be marketing by looking at things from the customer's perspective, trying to talk about things from the customer's point of view, the kind of benefits that the customer is going to enjoy instead of talking about things from their own point of view.

So let me answer that second question now. Why I use the example of credit Bureau? Well, because I already told you, because I just wanted to use the first business that I saw on on LinkedIn, but also because there's one thing I'm trying to do with this podcast because in my own generation, I'm a late 70s, early 80s kid. And in our own generation growing up, everything was lawyer, doctor, engineer, architect. Basically that was it.

Lawyer, doctor, engineer, architect. You know, back then politicians not true. You understand, it was military or back then. So politician was not a viable career choice or like now that politician is the main thing. Who cares about lawyer, doctor, engineer or architect if you can start with lawyer, but then the goal is entire governor enter house, enter House of reps, enter Senate. That's the main thing now. So politician that's viable career.

So back then now, yeah, lawyer, doctor, engineer, architect, that was all. But with the podcast, I'm trying to show something now. The face of Nigeria is changing. We now have more career and business opportunities, not just the usual things because everybody knows about sports and music and art, but finance, the different areas of, you know, finance that some people have never ever heard about, do not know that it exists and they don't know that it can be a reality for them, you know, so if you're looking for a job, for instance, you don't want to do the business thing just yet.

You can look up credit bureaus that are spoken about and go and apply. It's a career opportunity right there. And if you're a big boy or you're a big girl and, and you have plenty of investor money, you could also think of opening your own credit Bureau, maybe with AI and other kind of automation tools, you think you can do the business better than other people are doing. But I'm just trying to show that the face of Nigeria is changing.

So let's pay attention. And by the way, another reason why I say we should all be on LinkedIn, because some of you will never hear about these kind of businesses or hear about these kind of opportunities. If you're not in a place where people are having these sorts of conversations, you will not see this kind of conversation on Facebook, You won't on TikTok, you won't on Instagram, you won't Instagram be talking to you about Big Brother Niger.

But I understand though, because last night I was watching Abuka and they were doing Big Brother also called again Big Brother reunion something, something I can't remember. And all the housemates were there or more like man, see babes, see babes. I read in their full, you understand, different colors, different sizes. I say, OK, so these are people watch Big Brother. And before you know it, 45 minutes I was watching it and were arguing about this person and this person are they dating?

Are they single? Who broke up with who? Who came to whose house? Who is only who? 300,000 naira, Who is this? Who is this blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I'm telling you, I'm ashamed to admit, but last night I wasted 45 minutes of my life. I was watching Big Brother, Big Brother Nigel reunion. And so I understand. But you know, it's a nice way to step down. You know, you've had a rough day, things like that.

If you just put on the TV or you open Instagram and then this is the kind of thing that is there. You just used to step down, you know, I understand, but still try and make yourself available. I try to hang out in much more serious places online. So please, for those of you who haven't opened your account on LinkedIn, go and open an account on LinkedIn. They're not paying me. You know, there's no response or something.

They're not paying me. I'm not getting any money from it. I'm just telling you that it will help you. There's more to life than Big Brother Niger. Although Big Brother Niger is, is fine. It's correct is you know, it's fun. Now to be honest, if I can get the phone number of one or two of those babes that I saw their own mind ball, go and open that account on LinkedIn as well. Serious content too. Nigeria is changing. We need to roll with the times.

We need to upgrade. All right, I think I've said enough. So that's all for today folks. Remember, if you'd love to connect with me, call SMS or WhatsApp on 08064662140. So thank you for your time and attention. I'll catch you next time. Same place in your headphones or in your speakers. And and just in case you forgot, today's episode was not a rant against Big Brother. I'm actually trying to say that in your business, always try to communicate things from the customer or the client's point of view, not from your own point of view all the time.

So I'll catch you guys later.