Don't fear the algorithm: Why AI is an essential tool for Nigerian entrepreneurs

Today on the podcast, we're going to be looking at how to do business outreach using AI. And then we're also going to talk a bit about the Challenger sale because I think last week or maybe 2 weeks ago, I mentioned it on an episode and I didn't really do well. So don't worry, I'm going to make an episode soon about the Challenger sale, you know, flesh out that whole approach so that you guys can understand it and see how it applies to your business, you know, particularly those of us who are doing business in Nigeria.

So excuse me because, you know, when the challenges all came out, you know, a long time ago, it was all the rage. But you know, it was as if it's a conversation that happened a lot in the West but didn't reach this side, didn't reach Niger. So how to do business outreach using AI? Of course, you already know what AI is. Everybody says artificial intelligence, but the way I prefer to look at it is augmented intelligence, because these technologies are not really intelligent and they are not doing intelligence in the real sense of the word, since these are just algorithms that are running statistical probabilities.

OK, So with these bunch of words that we put here, statistically speaking, what are the next bunch of words that should show up? So that's essentially what these tools are doing. So they're not intelligence. So I don't like to say artificial intelligence. I prefer to say augmented intelligence because we can use these tools to augment our intelligence. You know, just like the calculator, the science calculator. So the science calculator itself has no concept of semantics or meaning.

It doesn't understand the numbers that you're punching in. But the algorithms have been programmed in such a way that if one, 2-3 and four variables appear, it is supposed to give you output, you know, in terms of 456. Excuse me. Which is one of the reasons why people say that AI can tell lies and it hallucinates. And I'm like, what are you guys talking about? It's not telling lies. It's doing exactly what it was programmed to do since it has no concept of meaning or semantics or truth.

If there are number of variables that show up like this, and statistically it makes sense that an output should come out, you know, like that, it will go ahead and give you that answer whether it is true or not. Because it has no concept of truth. The thing is not alive. So please, you people should stop saying that artificial intelligence tools tell lies or that it hallucinates. It's hallucinating nothing. It's not telling lies.

It has no concept of the truth. However, these tools are very effective, so we should be using them for our business. We should be using it to augment that is the A there for me, augment our intelligence, augment our skills. Now for those of us in particular who are running businesses in Nigeria, we should be using these tools every single day in our business and that's part of what we're going to discuss over here. If you're new to the podcasts,

my name is Tava Shima Ayede. I'm the host of the podcast and these are the sorts of things that we talk about over here on the show. How do we grow our business? How do we get new customers? How do we overcome challenges? How do we get more efficient? You know, things like that. So if you like what you're hearing so far, subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, Apple, or any player of your choice. And if you'd love to connect with me, if you have a question or comments, a query or you want a collaboration, then call, send a text message, send a WhatsApp message on 08064662140.

Now I'm making today's recording at home, the kids at home because of the midterms. So there's going to be some noise in the background. And then a bit of a warning, this episode is going to be a freestyling episode kinda because to be honest, this case study that we're using actually is a conversation that I had with someone last year, I think was last year July. So, you know, I won't be filling in a lot of the gaps, you know,

using memory. You know, this is just one of these things that happen. You know, you have really interesting conversations and you want to make some content out of it, but you know, you forget, which is why it's important to write things down. Use reminders. Use schedulers. Things like that. So yeah, how to do business outreach using AI tools? The reason why we should be using AI tools is because they're quicker, faster,

sometimes more efficient. So we should be using them. Now, since you're listening to this podcast and you're involved in sales or marketing or trying to grow your business, one of the first things that I'm going to recommend that you use AI for is for ideation. Ideation is shall. Let's come up with some ideas. What should we be doing next? Some of you say, I don't want to outsource my idea, my brainstorming to AI tools.

And to that I say, my friend, do not deceive yourself because this is precisely what we used to do in the past. Those of us who are in business, we don't sit down and think of all our ideas ourself. It's just that in the past you will call your brother and you say, bro, what's up? I'm thinking about one or two things. How you see him or you will call your husband or your wife and you say, babe, I'm thinking about this, you know, how do you see this name?

Or you go and call somebody respect in church, you say Deacon token, I beg. I'm thinking of getting into so so and so business. You know, I see you, I respect you. So I'll be what do you think was the way forward? So whether we like it or not, we have always been outsourcing some aspects of our ideation, some aspect of our creativity because we've been asking people for opinions like, you know, oh boy, how far? Like, babe, I'm going into business.

Like, what's up? What do you think about this? What do you think about this? All I'm saying now is while in the past you had to wait until Sunday before you see Deacon Token, you can sit down now on your computer, on your phone, back, back, back and do that ideation now. You don't have to wait till Sunday. Sometimes you say, babe, I'm thinking about blah blah blah. Your wife who said I've had a long day at work, I beg, I'm tired.

I just want to watch Desperate Housewives and sleep. You now be angry, you now be Bony, You now be carrying face for your wife. That's how you guys require for two days, then maybe you know, two days reconcile and then you finally talk about it. Shower. One week has passed. All I'm saying is you don't need to quarrel with your wife now that is not being a supportive wife. You can sit down, sharp, sharp, excuse me, and then start brainstorming and get some solutions.

Or for those of you who have parents who are involved in business, you know, you don't have to wait until you travel home or you don't have to wait until you find a good time for both of you to talk. You can sit down and come up with some ideas using AI tools. And that is why we should be using these things because these AI tools, like I said, they're not intelligent, they're not alive. They're no gay feelings. So while your wife can say I

beg, I've had a busy day at work. I just want to watch desperate housewife and sleep. Once you hold Google Gemini and you give an instruction, he'll respond to you. Google Gemini. She's never tired. So if you'd be having these issues with your husband, for instance, you want some ideas, you want to brainstorm and your husband says, babe, the business you're doing is fashion. You know say me I no get fashion skill like why are you asking me Like from where to where You will now quarrel with these AI

tools. You won't have any quarrel that your husband is not being supportive. Once you take Google, no book LM that guy never sleeps. No book LM always awake, always available. It's not like your husband no book LM won't say that he's tired. He won't say he has your time. Sorry that he doesn't have your time. Use these tools. That's why they're here. Use them especially now that they're free because with the kind of things that these things can do, I'm surprised if 510

years from now, Google will now tell Nigerians oil, if you want to use these things, begin their pay. So please use these tools and don't worry about outsourcing your creativity except if you're a Don's. Trust me, you are putting some creative element into the process and in fact this can Even so excuse me covering from a bit of a cough, this can even. Help your creative brainstorming because if you sit down with Gemini and talk about one or two things, research one or two things, by the time you now sit down with Deacon Token or sit down with your wife or sit down with your husband, you can even have much more productive conversation because you're already starting with some good ideas on ground and it's already been 10 minutes.

So let me move on, Washa, I'm just telling you guys, stop shying away from these tools. They're free. They're on your phone, they're on your laptop already. These two that I've mentioned Gemini and notebook LM if you bought your phone this year, 2 of them are on your phone. So don't do yourself. Just begin, start applying now. The person that we did this case study with, her name is Joy. I'll use her full name to preserve, you know, give us some anonymity.

But by the way, Joy, if you hear yeah, it's you. This is the conversation that we had last year. So Joy. Now she's based in pH Port Icott or Port Icott, like my roommate used to say. The first time I remember, you know, when we met in law school, I'm like, hey, what's up? My name is so you know, blah, blah. I start talking. Which school did you go to? You know, he asked me as I went to where you were you correct. So which school did you go to?

The guy called his and said, hey, where is that guy said what I called. I say where say what I called. By the time he said it the third time is then he clicked Oh my guy. They say Port Harcourt. OK, OK, so Joy she's based in, but I got and she's involved in tech space always like talking to you tech people, always very interesting ideas and the product that Joy was selling at the time. Joy, I hope you're still in that business.

Oh, because too many people will start one Business Today by the time you jam them in three months. I'm just saying, you know what? I'm no longer doing crypto now I'm doing forex. Then you meet them three months afterwards. I'm no longer doing crypto nor forex. Now I'm doing event planning. Then you meet them next year, say I'm no longer doing crypto, no forex, no wedding planning. I'm now doing so your business. So please no up and down.

Stay in your hustle and give something a chance to work. So join up The business was doing demos they were using, they were coming up with AI tools to help schools come up with personalized plans for their students so that they can study for exams. I really like hearing this kind of innovation in Niger is a very sweet something that we're using the word designing AI tools that a school can use to come up with personalized study plans,

personalized tutoring sessions for children just to help them, you know, boost, you know, boost their studies, secondary school kids, of course. So that was the plan. And of course, the challenge that Joy had in time was with this groundbreaking product, with this new approach in the Nigerian market, how we sell this thing now, how we enter into the Nigerian market. So of course I asked you a couple of questions about the company, about the product,

about the kind of schools that they were trying to trying to target kind of schools are trying to approach. Because believe me, when it comes to sales and business development, this is the first question we have to ask ourselves. Who is the ideal customer? Who are the people that we love working with or who are the people that we think have money or assuming, you know, you've been doing it as a hobby before you ask yourself why the people that have paid me the best, paid me on time, the ones that I

enjoyed working with the most. So that is one that you will now double down on as your ideal customer. So if before you've been, you know, like me taking pictures, you know, birthday party, wedding, but you know, you just do it on the, you know, those like on a very hobby level where people like your stuff, maybe one or two people dash you something. You're now ready to go into business. These are some of the questions you ask yourselves.

Who are the kind of people I want to attract or who are the people that I enjoyed working with the most or the people that are dashing me money, which sector did they come from? So if you are taking picture generally and you know parents with children who are dashing money, maybe it's a good idea to start focusing on that batch. But anyhow, shall, no matter how you want to reason it in the beginning, who is your ideal audience?

Who is your target audience? Who are the people that we should be chasing after? If you don't answer that question, you waste time and you waste money running after people that you need not have been running after at all. So this is the first question. So with Joy, that's the first session that we had. Who are you chasing after? After some back and forth now asking, answering some questions, it became clear that Joy obviously was looking at private schools.

Of course, you have to look at private schools. Is it government school that will come and pay for this kind of tool for where when the total budget of education is not even enough, the small and I remains. Yeah, politicians will now go and invest lead. So, Joy, I don't blame you. It's a pity that those of us in our public schools would not be availed of these resources. It's a real pity. And the thing makes me sad because I, as you hear me and my brothers and my sisters, all of us are a product of public education.

We all went to LGA schools, local government, something, something I can't remember LGEA in Abuja, that's where those calls the schools used to be. So if you are in Zone 2 for instance, and you're close to the Catholic Church, there's a one school, there is a secondary school. Now when I was a little embryo running up and down, a little miscreant that used to be called who say one primary school, that was my school. Seven of us went there, seven of us, me, Sevy, Gabriel, Theodora Sue, who again, OK, I can't remember Boja, there were seven of us.

We went there. We are a product of these kind of schools and it's a pity that Nigeria, we have given up on these schools. So I passed there now and I see my my junior brothers and sisters. I see the young ones, not, you know, that's not like that from my family. But because that's my school, I still have like, I still see them like this is my school. I see our children, tattered uniforms, overcrowded schools looking like prisons.

I think it really pains me. Education can be a tool for for developing this country. Honestly, you can some of you meet me or you think I went to school in Harvard? No, I'm not Harvard educated. I'm public educated all through and through. Well, for three years, my junior secondary school was Christ the King College, Abuja. You can say that was the first private school that I touched. Even for my master's program. When I went abroad, my master's program was also in a public school.

I didn't go to a private university, although to be honest, you know, public university abroad and public university here, they're not the same thing. The difference is clear. I won't lie you anyway. For those of you who are going to be involved in education and determining public policy in the future, I beg, let's pay attention to these schools. My parents were a product of LG of local government schools. Me and my siblings were also products of LGEA schools as well.

We should pay attention to these things. But anyway, bottom line is I'm trying to say I don't blame Joy for looking at private school because my this is about, this is about money, collect good money. So private schools, of course, she's also looking at international schools and she's looking at schools that have a focus, excuse me now have a focus on STEM, STEM, science, technology, engineering and mathematics, which I think is also another mistake that the Nigerian educational all I say system is making while focusing too much on STEM.

We also need liberal arts programs because they help people to think. There's no point in producing scientists to technicians, engineering and mathematics, people who do maths. But when it comes to critical thinking, the skills, no D it's part of the reason why I think everybody's running around shouting AIAI and everybody's afraid. Of course you're afraid. You didn't have the benefit of a liberal education. You don't know the difference between intelligence and and computation.

So you see something where they compute at a very high level. You say, hey, this thing is intelligent because you guys did not have the benefits of of a liberal arts education. So any small team they fear any small team they shake. Why are you shaking anyway? Where was I? So private schools, international schools with a focus on STEM. Now when we're coming to define our ICP now who are we chasing after? Can you see how specific we need to be?

You say joy, she says, Sir, who are you chasing? Private schools that didn't give money, International School that didn't give money and the connects because if you finish from one school and the team makes sense, you can leverage that in another school to say, you know, Sir, have you heard of British International? So on. So yes, I've heard of them. The AI program, not me, I'm the one that did it. You can leverage on that.

And then schools with a focus on STEM in sales, there's some guesswork. You know, we're assuming that if the school has a focus on STEM, then they will look kindly on all these AI things. But you can see the level of granularity. When we say who's your ICP? So if you're selling something to the educational space, who's your target audience? Don't just say schools in Abuja, private schools in Abuja or international schools affiliated with the British Council that have a focus on STEM, especially the schools that prepare their children for GCSE and educational opportunities abroad when you are.

Specific like that, we now know where to start searching. Now nobody knows everything and I don't know everything. And this is where the beauty of these tools come out. I said OK now since I'm in Abuja, I've been a Lagos boy and I lived in EFA. I know nothing of pH no more. We guys go Internet. She said no problem. So I told her, download these two apps on your phone, download Google Gemini. So say what about ChatGPT?

I say and well, anyhow, sha, whatever you want. But for me, the reason why I say Google Gemini is because number one is free. Number two, it has access to the Internet and that's on the free plan. So I don't have to pay for any upgrade downgrade this grade that grade. So sha, that's why I recommend it to everybody. Google Gemini things already on your phone, especially for those of you who are using all those sweet expensive phones like the Samsung.

Phone. I'm still repeating any of you want to bless my life. I give my phone number at the beginning and at the end of every episode. Just call me up, holler at your boy. I'll take that gift and I'll pray for you well, and God will bless you. So if you bought iPhone 17, you bought Samsung, whatever, whatever these tools are already on your phone and then no book LM I'll explain why. OK, let me explain. Now Google Gemini.

It's a large language model. It has access to the Internet. The data it has been trained in is data available on the Internet. So carry one like that and just keep old one. Then notebook LM is also a large language model. But The thing is, it allows you, the user, to program in the kind of information that you want it to be running searches and running queries for. So in other words, if I ask Google Gemini a question, Gemini will be answering me from all of the Internet.

But I can take notebook LM and let's say, OK, let me go religious now, let's say you like Bishop or edible. OK, No, no, let me, I use Christians all the time. Let me use Muslims now. So let's say you like Zag. Zag. You're one of his disciples, you know, free Zagi. I really, really love Zaki. You can take all of Zaki's sermons and just be putting it inside Notebook Ellen. But but, but anytime the guy drop sermon, drop it in Notebook Ellen.

Then one day, let's say you have like 7080 sermons in Notebook Ellen. You can ask Notebook Ellen that dear Notebook Ellen. Excuse me. I'm a devout Muslim living in Abuja. I'm dating this babe. She's a Pentecostal Christian. I want to marry this babe, but I don't know whether it would be a good idea under Islamic law for us to get married. What would zag Zaki advise another prominent Muslim scholars in this field? You know, hit enter, bam, no book.

LM will only be answering you based on our input that you've given it. The sermons of Zaki. If you sound mind blown, trust me, the first time I heard it, my mind was blown too, which was why I downloaded this thing promptly and I've been using it ever since. So you need these AI tools, one like Gemini Open Access to the Internet, then another one like notebook LM that you can customize, that you can tell it answer me question, but only answer based on this input that I don't give you this training material, these resources that I've given you.

So we need two of them. So I told Joy, download those things to your phone. She downloaded it. I said cool, let's go forward. The next thing now is private school, International School, the focus on STEM. Me, I'm not based in pH, but of course, we know that information is free on Google. So that was the first prompt that we used. Excuse me now, of course, since we had this conversation in July of 2024, I can't remember the exact prompt, but basically it would have been something like that.

I'm a Nigerian entrepreneur in the education space, Edu tech space. Trying to come up with I have developed a tool that helps create personalized AI sessions and AI bots for students so that they can pass their exams. We're focused in particular on. Private schools in Port Harcourt, Nigeria international schools with international affiliations that have a focus on STEM and that prepare children for educational. Opportunities abroad.

Give me a list of schools in Port Harcourt and environs that match this description. Bam, that was it. 1 prompt and then you started giving off schools. By the time she looked at school, you know I'm not a pH boy. But by the time Joy looked at school #1 school #2 she said this thing makes sense. Can you guys hear what I'm saying? It's not every single school there that made sense on the list, but by the time she saw #1

and #2 she said. These are the schools I'm targeting. You can see how in the old days, you have to sit down, be thinking which school? Which school? You write 1, You write 1. You now call your friend. Oh, I don't know. Let me think about it. Your friend might say, oh, my auntie started the school. Something, something, something. She sends it to you. But then it's not the kind of school. But we Gemini. Yeah, Downloading the app, plus coming up with the prompt plot,

all of these didn't take 30 minutes. And before you know it, sharp, sharp, we already have a list of, you know, 1020 schools that were already going to chase. Can you see how these tools can make your business life easy? Can you see you're not being a Dons when you do this? You're making yourself more efficient because AI can give you the list of the 20. Schools AI is not going to go to the school and talk to the people.

So don't worry, there's still plenty of work for you to do. But sure, 30 minutes we had our list. This is what we call traditionally speaking, this is what we call a prospecting list. And please, it has to be a concrete list, physical list on paper or somewhere on your phone so that we can be going down the list. Number one, number two, number three, number four, be going orderly until you finish it. Because if you don't write it down and you're trying to freestyle, you're trying to remember, how can you remember 20 schools all at once?

You forget after two months you realise that oh, I never went to evened young university, I didn't try them. So ideation, AI tools, ideation very important. It help us narrow down our ICP, help us come up with a prospecting list. This is how we help Joy and believe me, this thing can help you too. So now people are shouting AI is going to cause the end of the world. I know what not look, just you know, it may be true, it may be not, but just leave them.

We're trying to build a business here. Let's see how we can use these tools to build a business. So where was I now? So that's my prospecting list. Now we now have to figure out who are we going to talk to in this school Because Joy admits that before what she was doing, what she was sending e-mail to schools and I told her no. If you have listened to the partners episodes that I made, I think it was yesterday or maybe the day before on writing effective proposals, you already know that I propose that way.

That's not the way. First of all, any proposal that you're sending, it is going straight to the general e-mail. So let's say there's a school called Igmani International, for instance, and you have info at Igmani International and you send it to info at Igmani. The person that will receive that e-mail is a secretary or an intern. And if something is not urgent, if it doesn't look like it's of any consequence, this is what they will do.

They will delete that e-mail or they will leave it and the inbox will clog. Another person who has higher administrative authority will come at the end of the month and then just click on select all and then delete. In your own mind, you will say that I tried to drum up sales by sending emails to 100 schools. But think about this logically. Did you really send 100 emails, you know, emails to 100 schools? If what happened is that 99 of those schools, the secretary either deleted his thing immediately or somebody who had higher admin authority came and deleted it at the end of the month, Realistically speaking,

you only sent one e-mail. So stop with this general approach. Stop. Even if you must do an e-mail something, at least get a name, get a title, get a department. So you're sending it to 1 specific department so that the intern will open the inbox and see that oh, this thing is supposed to go to Madam Principal and therefore to Madam Principal. Now of course, for those of you who listen to the older episodes, you will not be surprised that I recommended that Joy should not even be sitting down and just be banging out emails.

I told her, pick up the phone and make a call or go to the school, talk to someone. We need to try and figure out who is the right person that we are supposed to be talking to. So the question now then became who are the people that we're supposed to be talking to? Of course, nobody knows everything. I'm not in the educational space. I know that well principal maybe maybe, maybe principal maybe Who else did I think of?

I thought of VP academics, I think Bosha, since we still had the original prompt, we now added an identity, added an extra bit to the original prompt. We now added thank you very much for the information Yes, I know I'm one of those people who say thank you to AI tools. I know it sounds somehow does anything you do something that is not alive, but I don't know, it's just the habit. So thank you very much for the information.

Now, can you please give us a list of officials who most likely will be involved in decision making when it comes to these sorts of opportunities? So give us a list of officials in the school that we should target. Excuse me. And then we hit man. And then before you know, you think came out with a list now. Proprietor or proprietors was there. That's good. But then the AI tool also said principal. Good also said head of school.

I didn't think of head of school actually, he said director of academics. I didn't think of director of academics because to be honest, when I was in school, there was no such thing as director of academics. Then it said head of curriculum. I didn't even know that there's something called head of curriculum because when I was in school we only had was it called principal and then vice principal. That was all So some of these to be honest, then new titles to me never heard of it.

You see why these AI tools are good then it also put. ICT manager and when they say ITICT manager was like OK you know what that makes sense because I know that schools have ICT managers but somehow the thing didn't click in my head that we should include ICT manager. You see why these AI tools are good for brainstorming. Then it also put a head of department and. That's also good. And to be honest, I didn't know that was HOD because I didn't never heard of an HOD until I

got to university. I didn't realize that primary school secondary school has now become. You know another thing, so you can see how we use the AI tools to refine our ICP and then to also figure out who within those accounts we should be talking to. You see how if we're using these tools for ideation, we're saving ourselves a lot of stress. And by the way, hope you can see now why I say that in 2025. The idea is not the problem because the idea is free.

The idea is cheap. The idea is very available. Execution is the thing. Because I can assure you, Joy is not the only person who is working on this. In fact, I'm sure there's one person listening to this podcast right now. Who, as I'm talking, the person is saying, Chai, this is my business idea, so there's really somebody working on it. Of course there's somebody working on it. What do you think you're the only person who's going to come up with an AI idea for how it applies to Nigerian schools?

Be realistic in 2025. Ideas are free, ideas are cheap. The person who wins is the person who executes. If Joy executes well, she would beat all these other people in pH. But if Joy slacks, other people who are executing better than her will end up beating her. It's that simple idea is not what sets anybody apart again in 2025 in Niger. It is execution, execution. That's what we need right now. Don't just come up with all these fancy ideas.

You move, you move. No time move. So when I came up with the list, we now have people there. Then we look at the. What's it called, the e-mail or the proposal? You know, just generic proposal. I said no, no, no, no, no. That's not going to work. What I need to? Do is let's see how we can reach into these schools, maybe offer a pilot program to a couple of them. Pilot program just means you know with the rollout, you know,

with the test time, you know, so you will get the benefit of you know the 1st. 50 people free. You know, something, something, something. Let's on board. Let's see how this thing works. Let's validate the concept. You know that kind of approach. That's one approach. It's just an easier way of getting into the school so that if you get in, The thing is free 50 students, you're able to show progress with maybe 10 students is the kind of thing that principal can say.

You know what? OK, let's roll this thing out to the whole school. So I can't remember which approach we agreed on because like I said, this was July in 2024 currently now when 2025 when in September. So that's like one year or something. How many months? Like four or five months? So I can't remember the exact approach. I'd have to check my notes. But remember when I said? We need to know the person or the office or the department that might be a good idea to talk to because.

Sending a generic e-mail to info dot social school, that's rubbish. Or going to the school and handing the secretary a proposal that is marked to whom it may concern, that's absolute rubbish. Our proposal is dead on arrival. So I told her, you walk in or you call. So let me see, let's see, let's see, let's see. So one of the talking points that I came up with at the time, like I said, sorry, apologies. Oh, this gist is one year something months old.

So I'm it's just from scraps in my notebook. I'm trying to piece this together talking points, talking points. So so the question now became OK if I call now. How will I start this phone call? Because when I call is a general person that will answer is the secretary. Don't answer. I say no problem. You just call. You remember the call outline that we've spoken about in the past. If you've listened to the podcast in the last one week,

you've already heard me talk about it. So it's the same thing. Greeting intention of our proposal close. So hello. I'm so, so, so and so. You know, that's the greeting part. Hello. I'm so and so from XYZ company. That's greeting intention. Get straight to the point. The reason why I'm calling is I want to make enquiries about how your school is adopting AI to support students. Prepare for, you know why AQGCSE something, something, something and then you leave it like that.

You've gotten to the intention. Of course some people will be confused. That's where you get a chance to explain. Some people want you to explain more. Some people will say, yes, we already have a program. You talk about the nature of the program because you're trying to figure out whether it is similar to what you have to offer or not. Remember, we're keeping the conversational. We're just asking simple questions here.

That's how we'll know how we're going to pursue this opportunity or whether there is an opportunity here in the first place. As of course we say. We've never even thought of it at all. Now this is where the challenges here comes in. The idea behind the challenges here is this, that you're going to start conversations with people by using helpful insights in the industry that they have not considered before. This sets you apart as a professional, and it also makes your expertise and your solution appear much more valuable.

So in this case, if you call up a school that is private. On International School, it has international affiliations. It focuses on STEM. You ask them about how they use AI to be able to prepare their children for GCS, ES and everything. They're not doing it. You can drop an insight here. Oh, really? You don't have one? Because I have noticed by the way, we went online and we did some research. So we found some schools, we found that pounds, that's Lagos Business School, Pan African University based in Lagos.

Then we also found Covenant University. Can you see the beauty of AI tools? I didn't know this myself. I went to go and research it using Google Gemini to find out which schools in Nigeria have programs that use AI to help their students. So we found, we found more than two, but the popular ones are Pounds, Lagos Business schools. And then we also found Covenant University. Of course, we didn't find any secondary school, but that's no problem.

It's just enough to say, oh really? You don't Because I've noticed that schools like Lagos Business School and Covenant University, you're aware of them. Oh yes, of course I'm aware of them. There's also Walden University that has OK as Walden University in America with affiliations here in Nigeria. These schools have programs adopting AI, you know, blah, blah, blah, adopting AI, you know, to help their children learn better on and on and on and on.

That's an insight that you can drop something with the challenger sale as a challenger sale approach. You can use that in insight to get an introduction. So Madam, that if you could just hook me up with your ICT manager or hook me up with your OK, who is the appropriate person that we came up with? I can't remember who we said we're going to target. OK, let's just say. We were going to target ICT manager. OK, no, let's say head of academics.

So, OK, well, so if you can hook me up with your head of academics, you know, I'd love to have this conversation with her and I'm sure that. We can, how do I see it now come up with some useful proposals for how this school can implement AI solutions to make your children score higher in GCSE or whatever. So I've been out of school for a while so I can't remember. I think GCSE is the one that like if you write it you prepare for school in the UK, but I

can't remember, it's been a while. So you see the approach. Instead of sitting down and sending general e-mail to info at something, something something, you actually pick up the call from the phone and call somebody, in fact, for joy. My recommendation to her and my recommendation to anyone who is in a similar position to her actually go to the school. And have a conversation with some more physical. The dynamics are different.

Sometimes, you know, Nigel factor comes into a play. You know how? Like if you're a young girl and you're trying to hustle. And people see you. They're like, let me encourage this girl's hustle. That is how you might be able to get past the receptionist and get into the office of proprietors. Just because wherever you meet likes you. You sound nice. You're a young girl. Let me not block your horseshoe then. That's how you get through.

It's not necessarily the case if all you do is pick up the phone. So don't run away from going to some of these places. Physical. Physical. 11 meeting. 11 meeting. I know. That it takes time, but the payoff is worth it and it's before one minute. So let me quickly round up here. What I was trying to stress basically was this, especially as I came across these notes. Some of you are wondering or you know what to do next in business.

You need ideas. There are some simple tools that are already available on your phone that can help you. Now, Google is not paying me anything for this. I'm not an affiliate. I'm not making any money off of this. But these are tools that I use every day and tools that you can use every day and they are free. I always talk about the free tools because I don't want any excuses. If it's free, easily available, and it's easy to use, please use it.

So Gemini, it's on your phone. If you're an Android user, Notebook LM, OK. I'm not sure if Notebook LM is on your phone, so check if it's not downloaded. But Gemini, that is definitely on your phone. Use these things for ideation. If you're trying to narrow down your ICP, it's not a bad idea. If you have a clear sense of your ICP, but you're selling business to business, you're selling in a corporate environment, you're not sure.

Which official, which department, which person you should be going to be talking to? Use these tools to try and figure out who it is you should be talking to. Or one more thing, LinkedIn. So I told Joy that the thing will make more sense, even even be more sweet, if when you call in or when you go to the school. You say good morning, ma'am. I want to see Madame Juliet Hadiza, please. Honestly. Madame Julia Hadiza, please.

I said, oh, is she expecting you? Oh, no, she's not. No, she's not. But it's concerning your school's. It's concerning your school's program of how do I put it now? No, she's not expecting me, but it's concerning your school's adoption with AI. That's the reason why I want to see her today. You know, that kind of thing. That approach is a lot easier to get pushed through because you came and you asked for the name of someone in particular.

In fact, in some places, when you show up like that, I say good morning. Can I see Juliet Hadiza, please? Some people will assume that you already know what's up. You and Madam Juliet, you guys are already talking. They'll just pass you. Through. So if you can go on LinkedIn itself and start doing some research or go on these schools websites and do some research and identify the name of somebody in particular is even better.

So instead of going there and saying, can you put me through to director of academics? You go through and you say good morning, can I see Madame Hadiza, head of head of academics? Is it different? You know, the feel, the approach is different, especially if you package yourself well. When you're going for this meeting, don't wear spaghetti top and I don't know how you're supposed to do it. Basha hair nice, you know, dress nice, suit nice, smell nice.

Don't overdo it with the perfume or don't wear a bath in perfume. You know, package yourself well. Use these tools, come up with the idea. Go and look on LinkedIn, identify some of the school officials. Who is the principal? Who is head of academics? Who is head of this? Who is head of that? Check their website come under your information. Then you go there. I'm ready to have conversations with people in this kind of situation.

The challenges here will not be a bad idea. Come armed with some insights. If some people are skeptical, but then you say, oh, schools in the UK have already started doing it and they have been able to show a 5% improvement rate. By the way, I just made that up. But assuming you can find that kind of statistics, these are kind of things that help your help, your approach because the person you're talking to, it's an insight to the person.

It is not information that they knew of before. So come in, educate them, give them helpful insights, expand their horizons, show them what these possibilities are. These are the kind of things that help you to be consultative, to sell well in a complex hill. And please, please and please, especially for those of you listening to this podcast, can I please just sending out these generic proposals? Please. The goal is not to send out as many as possible.

The goal is the few that I send out, how many get read? The ones that get read, how many get actioned? How many? How many of them does action get taken upon? That's the goal because it doesn't profit you to send 100 proposal. I even know I had one meeting. But meanwhile, you walk into some schools or you try and call some schools, you only drop 5 proposals and then you have three meetings. I'm telling you, the second approach pays more.

It's just that the first approach of blanketing 100 emails or blanketing 100 proposals or whatever, you can do that in one week and say yes, I've done work. But then if you want to go physical, physical into the school, especially with the back and forth, you know, come again, everything you know to visit 5 schools alone now probably take you maybe like 2 weeks, but it's worth it at the end of the day. All right, so let me let you guys go.

Thank you very much for listening again. If you have questions, comments, queries you'd love to connect or you want to discuss collaborations, then call, send a text message, WhatsApp message 08064662140. Thank you very much for your time and attention. I'll catch you guys some other time.