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Hello and welcome. My name is Tavishma Aide. I'm the host of the podcast and I'm making today's recording outside church because my kids are having cat kissing classes. So expect to hear some noise in the background. Also, it looks like it's going to rain soon. Anyway, The goal of the podcast is solving business problems. So if you have issues with customers, issue with marketing, issues with sales side hustle career, in case you're a career salesperson or generally something is holding your business back, then this is the show for you.
So subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, Apple or any player of your choice. And if you'd love to connect, then call, SMS or WhatsApp me on 08064662140. Today on the podcast is going to be another diary session. So for those of you who are career salespeople, you should learn one or two things here. But even if you're not a career salesperson and you know, you're the horse who like you're self-employed, you have to deal with customers once in a while and with that client who is you know, you know those people now they like to form as if not in no pass and on to intimidation on the call.
That's what we're going to look at today, how to deal with all those people that you call them for the first time. I know they say, come on, what what do you mean? What do you know? Do you know how long since I've been studying engineering? Small boy, just give me the code Jerry, what do you know about engineering. I will teach you your own job. How come and be explaining anything to me. So when you have all those customers that give you that kind of attitude.
So how to deal with it as I'm going to be looking at today on the podcast. Sorry if I can't come up with an elegant title for anyway, I'll think of something by the time I finished this recording. Oh yeah. So I gave my phone number earlier for those of you who would love to connect. And unfortunately, that is going to be the only viable option from September 3rd because Spotify, they have sent all of us message those of us who podcast on their platform.
They say that September 3rd, they're going to take away the comments on the platform. So for those of you who have been dropping comments, I really love you guys. I appreciate the support. I really think you guys are instrumental for growing the podcast now to just under 3000 subscribers on Spotify. So I really salute you guys, those of you who are commenting, making the podcast visible in the algorithms, you know, I, I
really appreciate you guys, but unfortunately that area is coming to a close. So September 3rd, you won't be able to comment on any of the podcasts again. But sure, you know, I still salute you. I still appreciate you. Thank you very much for the love and for the support. So for those of you who want to let me know what's up, who want to reach out and say I like the podcast or you want to say I hate the podcast or you want to say please explain this thing better.
It'll have to be what's up from now on because the the options for comments are not going to be available in another month as at the time of this recording. So today's episode is a diary session for my 3 Musketeers, Shell LC and Rudolph show Elsie and Rudolph who sells solar services for my client in Lagos. I've been dropping diary sessions. The whole point of the diary sessions is so that them my 3 Musketeers, they can listen in and remember one or two things.
And then also for you guys to be able to pay attention and learn from the experience of other people because it is not everything you're supposed to learn from your own experience. It is OK to hear somebody's mishap, somebody's mistake, somebody's miss, you know, Miss Wacker and learn one or two things from that. You don't have to make every single mistake yourself, which is one of the reasons why when I'm talking to young men and usually around, you know,
amorous affairs, if I can put it that way, to say, leave me, let me make a mistake. I'll say, look, don't, don't be an idiot. Don't be stupid. If it was any other area of life, you will learn from other people's caution. But because this one woman is involved, you say leave me, let me make my own mistake is that that was unreasonable. But anyway, that's for another podcast, so let me see. OK, so this was an old session.
Of course, I won't remember all the details. So we're doing call monitoring and then let me see. I think I have spoken about this before where somebody was talking to one client and while they were talking on the phone verbal, you know, verbal on the phone, somebody who say one or two things, you have an idea for a quote and you just give the person a rough figure. So one of the sales person gave a rough figure. He said Olga, based on what we're talking about right now,
looks as if to hook up this will be like, I can't 8.9 AM. And then the customer once he had 8.9 M in his head, that's what was fixed there, ma'am. 8.9 But of course, you know, it's things like these that are highly technical, you know, solar sales. And for those of you who sell technical solutions, whether it's in software or construction or solar or water engineering or whatever, you know, The thing is, sometimes you have to go and sit down and then look at everything and then cost it.
How many pipes, how many engineers, how many panel, how many dis, how many overlay, how many relay? So by the time you now calculate everything, you now be able to say, OK, this is the exact figure. So of course, now sales sales person went to the chief engineer, you know, back in the office and you know, they discussed, they don't call the client self to come in for a meeting. But by the time they added everything, now what what it came up to was 10.3.
Then this thing now calls wahala. So this is how the thing calls wahala, obviously. So you think, 'cause well, because you know when you're talking to a client and then verbal on the phone, you now say boss, be like, say this thing will be like 8.9. The guy will register 8.9 in his mind and in his chest and he'll be ready to deal with 8.9. Then when you come into the office and then you start looking at particulars and now tell him 10.3 in his mind he's like what the hell?
Where did this two point something come from? Now it won't be helpful if you say now Bros now no be two points something. It's actually more like one point something something something you say in his mind. It's like where did this 2M come from? And I think will cause some gap in expectations. So it's not as if what the salesperson did was bad. I don't want to say the person's name, so I'll throw them under the bus because actually I told them that we should be having money conversations up front.
So it was good that they had that conversation. So it actually is a good thing that you tell somebody verbally on the phone that look, based on what we're saying is as if you can't fall like this, you can't fall like this. Are you cool with that? Now the reason why we bring money up early is because we're trying to run away. We're trying to remove financial objections in the future. If you don't tell somebody that Luke Bros is looking at this will be 8.9, but it's not giving me a bill of nine M or 8.3 or 8.5.
The person will shout you say what? And rightfully so because you didn't tell the person that they think can reach like this. So the whole idea of bringing these money conversations up front, it's just that at the end of the day, nobody will shout, nobody will shake, nobody will shiver because you told them so that if it's truly, truly an issue, they will fade from the beginning. So actually it's better that you tell somebody like boss is looking at this is 8.9.
What do you think? So the person who budgeted 5 will say 8 point. What? Look, if you shake me up and down, it's only 5 I have. If you can't do it for five, let me be going. So that's a good response. Remember what I keep telling you guys? Yes, it's a good response. That means we're making money. Some people think maybe it's a good response. You think you're in the game, but you're not. And some people think no is a bad response.
But actually it's the other way around. Yes, it's a good response. It means we're making money. They're ready to go. No is a good response. It means that they no one do so freedom and move on to somebody else. No is a very good response. Maybe is a very bad response. It is all those maybes that will continue to lead you on and to whine you and to whine you and to whine you. Since you mentioned romantic affairs in the beginning, let me go back to romantic affairs.
Now, young ladies, you know that yes is a good response. No, it's a good response. Maybe it's a problem. When you sit down, you ask the boy, what do you want of this relationship? And they say, look, I want us to go steady. Hey, yes, that's a good response, very good. If you say, look, what are we doing here? What do you want out of this relationship? And the guy says, ah, relationship. I thought we're having a good time.
No one is no is also a very good answer because now you know that you've, you've, you've wasted the last six months of your life. You can't move on. But in the book, who says maybe, but why should we label things? And you know, and that response, No, no, no, no, you are just wasting your time. Same thing for the guys. If you toast the guy, she tells you, she tells you, yes, very good. You have a girlfriend. If you toast the girl and she tells you no, very good, you can't move on or you can reapply.
But if he says, let me think about it, I don't know, I like you, but and I want you know, that's that's a problem. So yes, it's good. No, it's very good. At least you can move on. Maybe it's a problem. So that's the rationale behind bringing money up early. So the mistake that these sales professional made is this, at least if you're using my own method, when you bring up this money thing, you give them a range first so they know what's coming.
And so even yourself, judging by that body language, judging by how they sound on the phone or judging by how they shift in the chair, if you are sitting across each other, you will now know whether OK, this person can handle it or not. So you don't give an exact figure, you give a range. So in this case, if in your head you do some rough math and the thing came up to 8.9, you don't tell the person 8.9, you put some, what's it called?
Buffer. You put some buffer. You can say, bro, you know what, based on what I've thrown out in my head because OK, .9, that's more or less 9, so you just put buffer. Maybe you can just buffer it. 1 million or $1 million, say. Yeah, Based on all we're talking, this thing can be anything between 10 M and eight M You just say it like that. Remember, you say the highest figure first because it's called anchoring in pricing strategy.
If you say the higher figure first, the overall figure doesn't look that bad after all. But we say the low figure first, the high one seems unreasonable. So if you say between 8:00 and 10:00, all of a sudden it is looking like it's a reasonable something. Well, if you say between, sorry, if you say between 10:00 and 8:00, eight is looking like a reasonable something. If you say between 8:00 and 10:10 is looking like like 10 is looking, 8 is looking like a very, very hard ankle, and 10 is looking like a highly like a high, unreal, unrealistic figure.
So you say the high number first. So that kind of thing. Now if you say that over the phone, you're not asked for feedback. So is this, even though this is beyond your budget, is this the sort of thing you'd be willing to invest in for your solar solution? You ask, You're trying to get some feedback. The person who says not ten. Well, anyway, let's be going first. Let me let's, let's see you know that, OK, there's room.
The person that says I told you that 5 is my budget. You're telling me 10. You're telling me, 8, please don't waste my time if you can't do five, Let me be going that kind of person. You now know that you guys can part on very good terms and you know you just remain friends. They put them in relationship nurturing because you know, sometimes things change. Sometimes they go and buy the 5 million system. I've seen it happen with this my current clients.
They're talking to somebody the best in leaves. In this case, person went to go and buy system for three and over the weekend the system of three M started giving wahala. They now came back to them and lo and behold the money that they needed to use to rectify and everything was more than that first quote that they were giving them in the first place. So it happens, stay on good terms, you know, be friends, you never know.
So you give a range first, then you get feedback. The person that says, oh, OK, it's doable. You know, that's the person you cannot invite for the office and then have a conversation with that person. And then since you told the person between 10:00 and 8:00, if they see 10.3, they won't shout too much because the address between 10 and 10.3 is not that large. OK, well it's large. But when you're talking million, million, you know, 10.3 is not that large, but you know, for some of us that .3 is, is not bad.
At least .3 will put fuel in your car for like 3 weeks. So it's not bad. All right, so where are we? OK, so that was so that was that was the first one. But now the call now that inspired me. I said let me make this phone call is one of the guys now called and was somebody in Lagos and the conversation went OK, except that the guy was very testy on the phone. Very, very testy. Like look, give me a quote. Like look, I know about these sorts of things.
I know about solar, solar, I know about blah, blah, blah. Just give me the quote. So you know that some customers like that, you know, I know, I know, I know it happens in all industries. So even back when I was a wedding photographer, it used to happen. The best one start of the course say, Oh yes, you know, in 1970, whatever, I opened the first photography studio in Kernel States. And so I've been in the business for a very long time, blah,
blah. You know, they're just trying to intimidate you. Like day 2, they're in the business. So before you start calling a high figure for them to cover their daughter's wedding, you know, they're just trying to intimidate you. Like, you know, I've been in the field since 1974. You when were you born? Don't come and tell me that you charge me 400 K. You know, that kind of attitude. So that people that do that all the time, all the time, like it's not just catering, that I've been catering for a very long time.
What kind of bill is this? Am I not a kid caterer as well? You know, all those sorts of things. So that's how this guy was as well. I know this, I know this, give me the quote. I know this, I know this, give me the quote. And actually, this is the second kind of client that we've been having since we're doing live call reviews. The other one, and I think I mentioned it on a previous podcast, the guy was talking about how look, I'm an engineer,
I know this solar. I've been to Guangzhou, I've seen where they produced the panel. I'll see why they produce the lithium, I'll see why they produce the everything. So if I want to go and buy this thing at producers price, I know this thing. So stop fuffing around and just give me a price. You know that kind of out to you, that kind of air. So that's how the guy just try and bamboozle the whole conversation. So when the conversation was over now, I told the guy because I think my sales guy handled it quite well.
But I told him I look for all these people that wants to big their chests and say, you know, I know this, I know this, I know this. I've been a photographer since 1974. By the way, don't what happened to me. It really, really happened to me. The guy said, I won the first social studio in just in 1974, you know, because you know, he was trying to pull rack you a photographer about me. I'm I'm I'm the king of photographers.
I'm a photographers photographer. I've been photographing since since before your parents hooked up like anything. So for those people who want to form, this is what you do. They have a lot on their chest. Compliment them and allow them to to vent. Allow them to vent. When the event and the temperature comes down. You can now regain control of the conversation and go into qualification and discovery or need analysis. Qualification and discovery, the part of the conversation where you're trying to figure out who is this person, what do they need?
What's the problem? How can you help? Do you have the inventory or do you have the skill set to be able to meet this person's need? Need analysis? Well, I know that word is another word saying need analysis basically. So we let them vent. So I told her this word should have said Mr. I or Digi. It's like you know a lot about solar and then you keep quiet. That's why the person will now really talk, say yes, I know about solar because I studied metallurgical and mechanical engineering in above me at Wolverine University.
And after that I did my internship. And so as in the person who went, I went, I went. They just want to get it off their chest. Like I like, I know, I know these things. You can't bumble with me like I'm knowledgeable. So he let the person vent. So like in my own case, I said, wow, 1974. He said yes, 1974. So what kind of technology we're using back then? I mean, was it regular Polaroid film? Said no, this was before Polaroid used to use so, so, so and so millimeters.
I see. I was letting the guy vent that, you know, he's a pro. I said, wow, really. Like the only analog cameras I know are the 35 MMM, that my father had. So 35 MMM, that small, that small. Your father was a small boy who was a journalist Abby or no one that was a small boy. What we used to do was we used medium format film back in those days. Something something, you know, I'm letting the guy vent and vent and vent. And by the way, have you noticed that then what you're doing is you are building rapport is no longer antagonistic something the guys trying to put me down now shut up.
You're a small boy. I've been doing this since 1974. What do you mean 400 K? But I'm, you know, letting the guy vents, bringing him into a conversation, piping things down while building rapport. Like I'm not quarreling with you. You say you've been photographed. You know, you've been on in the game since 74 and no problem. Now mow the flow. Educate your boy. Oh, really 1974 no be 35. MMM or medium frame. Really. What does medium frame of analog look like?
You know, I just let the guide events and that's how you do it. Let them talk, Mr. Mr. Aki, be very knowledgeable about solar and keep quiet. They will talk and talk and talk. Or is that Mister So so so you're sounding like an engineer. You're so very educated about this. Let them talk. Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. As a matter of fact, I graduated in this that I went to Guangzhou, China to go and look for this. Is this because I was working on so so, so, so projects.
Did you hear about this project? Yes, we're the ones I handled that project. Let them talk, let them getting off their chests, let them feel big. Then you now circle back. So OK. And that's really, really interesting, Sir. So, yeah, I'd love to give you a quote, but to be honest, there are a couple of things. And yourself, you will know since you're in the field. So, you know, there are some questions I need to ask you before I can give you an accurate quote.
I can't just throw numbers like that. You know, you're on the field now. So, you know, yeah, situation has stopped down from there. You slide into need analysis or qualification and recovery and start asking your questions. So that's what I did. That's for that photographer. But I didn't get the job anyway because, you know, plus transport cost plus everything. And to be honest, I didn't want to be shooting. And I have that kind of guy around who will now be looking over your shoulder, will now be giving a tutorial on the day to say, young man, what are you doing?
This is not how you shoot. I say no, I don't want that problem. But from there I got some details. When is the wedding card? Do they meet? Blah, blah, blah. What date? How soon can you put me in touch with the bride? Because of course, remember, authority in BANT budget authority need and then timelines. So authority, yes, he's one that's going to pay the money. But the person who's going to be photographed is the bride.
So as soon as I can bring her into the conversation, the better. If she loves me, then it will be easier to for me to be a contender. So it's the same thing. So I can't give you a quote, you know, I have to ask you a couple of questions, engineers as well. So OK. And then from there, you know, ask all the questions I need to ask. How many AC, how many fridge, how many bedroom, how many hours of backup do you want? How many days, how many days,
how many that all those questions that you that you need. So that is how to deal with those clients that their chest is big and they want to flex muzzle to show that you, you are nobody that you are new in the game and you know nothing. And trust me, it does happen. The caterer one I've seen it happen to like, is it not just catering? I run my own catering outfit now. What kind of figures like these? This is ridiculous.
How much is rice in the market, Makitra? So it happens. If it doesn't happen to you, thank God. But if it happens to you in the future, at least now you know how to deal with these sorts of things. So it's not a matter of saying, anyway, it's 20 minutes, let me drag this thing for too long. So there was also another call where there was opportunities to build rapport. And that is one of the things that you guys miss out on.
And this was a call that was handled by Rudy Rudolph actually. So you know that Rudolph is not really a Nigerian name now, you know, it's not as if we bear Rudolph. And then The thing is, Rudolph is even Eboo. So the first time I had Rudolph, I was wondering, ah, you went since when the Ebo people bear Rudolph? You know, Anyway, please, I'm not trying to be tribalist or anything. I'm just saying the facts. You know, it's like the name.
I'm Athanasius. If you hear any Nigerian named Athanasius, the guys either Ebo or the guy's teeth, it is only teeth people and Ebo people that beer, Athanasius, that beer, Alloysius, that beer, what else? Sixtus Callistus, Ebo and thief. You will not hear of a Yoruba Sixtus or a Yoruba. OK? This is only Yoruba Sixtus that I know. OK, scratch that, but you will hear of a Yoruba Callistus. It's not possible or Yoruba Athanasius.
You definitely will not hear of a house Athanasius. Anyway, long and short is a Rudolph strange name. So as we're talking now, the guy called him Rudy and that's something that Rudolph didn't. Well, Rudolph picked up on it and they had that small chat. But I told Rudolph that look, you know, names are very easy way to build rapport because this guy is from the middle, from Midwestern part of the country and his also name was funny.
So use that to build rapport. So so you called me Rudy. Like how come most Nigerians are not familiar with that name and he have a laugh about it? Oh, I knew one Rudolph back when I was in school and so we all called him Rudy and he laugh about it. Oh yeah, only my mom and my sisters call me Rudy blah blah, blah, blah. And so I was even wondering this your son himself, that's why I didn't call your surname. I didn't want to break my jaw.
How do you pronounce his name? Girl laugh. Or you know why Ishah, whenever you see K&H is not, it is, you know all that is just building rapport. So I told him I missed an opportunity to build rapport and around this naming thing, it's a very easy opportunity for building rapport and lots of you, lots of you, you miss it. So whenever these things happen, try and take advantage of it. So it could have been a good opportunity for building rapport, especially since the other person sounded like an elderly, much more elderly gentleman who didn't mind talking to a young boy who's just trying to improve his hustle.
So that was a good phone call. So could have built some rapport on that. So those are just some of the things I want to share from the yeah, from this particular conversation that I had with the team. So at least now, you know, maybe one who flex muscle on the call, you know what to do. A lot of them vent, allow them to show that they're the alpha and the Omega. The most important thing is his money. After ladies conversation up so we can collect your money, then look for opportunities for rapport.
Names are very, very easy. In fact, me, I don't miss those ones at all. Those one call that OK, I think I spoke about this last week that once they gave him the lady's name and I saw it as la, this lady's Ghanaian. So for me, I go into those things, you know, not in the beginning, but eventually I pop it up. So by the way, Ma, I know your surname is so so that's a Canadian, right? Or are you Ghanaian? And then you take it from there and say, Oh no, actually it's my marriage.
If I, I spoke to somebody 2 days ago and that's an opportunity for building rapport. So I said, oh, what part of the country are you from? And she said, oh, I'm from Edu. I now want to go and marry somebody from Mali that's based on her surname. Me. I was just making a guess that the guys from Mali. And she laughed and said, no, no, no, no, no, it's not from Mali, that is from Nassau State, Nassau State. But this surname, it was natural.
States do not pronounce it like this. She said, well, that as the spelling of the surname that her husband's family has, We can see how we build rapport. And then from there, I entered into that whole, you know me, I'm from binary states. You see how opportunities for rapport can just come up casual in conversation that some of you don't take advantage of. Now, the reason why these things are important is because whenever somebody wants to buy a product or a service, this is Nigeria.
And I'm sure it's the same in every single part of the world. The person is talking to two or three people, except if it's mobile phone, because I think mobile phone, like you'll be talking to too many people. But if it's computer, if it's car, if it's caterer, if it's solar, if it's architect, engineer, the person is definitely talking to two or three other people. We need to find a way to stand out in the beginning.
Nobody's going to store your number until you're a serious contender. So when you build rapport, small, small, small is one of these ways that people just remember you. So like I told Rudolph that if it was me, when I call back the next time I will be. Hello, Sir, how are you doing? So I'm very well. So who am I speaking to, Sir? Is your boy Rudolph now? I called you last week. He said, oh, Rudy, how are you doing? So I won't say Rudolph, I say,
is your boy Rudy? We spoke last week. He said, oh, Rudy, how are you? How are you? So I'm very fine, Sir. And then from there you enter the conversation. Then by the time you build rapport small, you've had like 3-4 or five conversations. Eventually the girl will store your name. You're making progress. You're now in the lead. OK, well, maybe not in the lead boy, you're a contender. So be looking for ways to build rapport so that by trying to pick up the phone that was stored your phone on Monday,
remember? Oh, is that Ben Ray boy, you know, rapport established. So is that able boy with a strange name rapport established? They say, Oh, is that a lesser boy Rapport established. So whichever way, but all this naming thing, very, very easy opportunity to try and take advantage of these things when we can. So that's it. And that's all for this episode. Remember, if you'd love to connect, you can call SMS or WhatsApp me on 08064662140.
Especially for those of you who would like to comment on the podcast, sorry, comments are going away next month. So what's up? That's all we have for now. There's the only way for us to stay in touch, so thanks for your time and intention. We'll catch you next time. Same place in your headphones or in your speakers.