How to Explain Why You Cost More - Selling Value

Today on the podcast, I want us to discuss or I want us to learn how to push back on price. That's for those of you who are not comfortable pushing back on price, pushing back on the budget. Because the problem is when we're having conversations with potential customers, with potential clients, usually they throw out a figure and a lot of us just take the figure as gospel truth. You're talking with somebody, they said their budget is 5

million. Then next thing you're trying to adapt to that five M or they say, you know they spoke to Susan, so and the person quoted 5 million for them. And then because of that, that 5 million figure that the client has put out will now become the anchor. I will now set the context for the rest of the conversation as it flows. Should we be doing that in our business that just because the clients say that five M that I mean get so because of that we should just flow with that five M or whatever price that they put out.

Should we be doing out in our businesses or we should learn to push back on the budget, inquire on the budget because it's a serious problem when we take the customers budget as gospel truth. Now whatever the customer says and that's the truth. First of all, is this a realistic attitude to have? Then when the customer just gives you a figure, you will just blend. You will just roll with it. Don't you know that sometimes the customer is just throwing this figure?

Meanwhile the figure is out of date? Honestly, when I was in the event space, I used to get that a lot. I'll be talking to a bride and she'll say, ah no, that my sister for video is 250. We paid. You say 250, you say yes, now you say when? Yeah, she got married four years ago. That is why now it was 250K four years ago. Sometimes your potential customers, your clients, they're just throwing out figures. The figure is out of date.

So yes, somebody gave her a figure. OK, no problem. The person said 5 M press her small, you'll find out that somebody told her 5 million two years ago. Is it realistic that somebody has out of date market information on a 2 year old quote? They threw the thing out. You didn't ask any questions. You just started trying to adapt. You just started trying to blend to their own, to their own circumstance. There's somebody that I was coaching yesterday, she sells solar for one of my clients and I told her to push back.

You don't believe one of the people who called him. The guy said 10 to 16,000,000. I hope you don't mind Sir. How did you arrive at that figure? By the time we dug into it, now just guess, Now just guess the guy, they guess he saw the advert, he was interested in solar, so he clicked on it. And honestly speaking, he selected 10 to 16,000,000 just because, you know, now random guess the guy, if you say 10 to 16 sounds just about right.

But of course, by the time you start discussing now, you will see that the thing, the system that the guy actually wants to install far exceeds that. Sometimes people are reaching out to you, dear Nigerian businessperson, Nigerian salesperson. They throw out a figure. The figure is out of date. It's something that somebody told them last year, their sisters, brothers, uncles, second wives, cousin told them that figure 2 years ago.

And since then, in their head, that has been the figure that is good for your own business. But you didn't ask. Sometimes it's just a random guess. The guys saw you guys online and he just thought 10 to 16,000,000 just like that. When you don't push back on these sorts of situations, can you see the kind of difficult situation, the kind of hole that you're putting yourself in just because you're not asking questions? Sometimes somebody gives them a figure.

Your friend will tell them something or the competition will tell them something, but the figure is not accurate or the figure is OK, but it is not an accurate, it's not an accurate comparison. It happens all the time. I've given the example over here on the podcast when we needed to buy roofing sheets or be roofing shingles or whatever they call them for Mumsy's house. I went to one place, somebody told me one thing, I went to another place, somebody told me something that was higher.

So of course, I told the second guy that I'm just coming from so, so so and so shop and the person told me that it is so, so, so and so per square, you know, per square meter B per square feet or however it is at the price though shingles. The second person did something I thought was masterful. He said, oh, is it Switzerland or is it blah, blah, blah. In my own mind, I didn't even know that they're different qualities or different caters.

I just said, oh, I don't know what's the difference. Then the guy went to go and bring out, see, trust the more men see. But The thing is, the evil guy, I'm sure that somebody taught him this when he was new in the business. But see, that's the reason why when you're selling, when you're trying to improve your business by learning how to sell, sometimes watching other people, you can pick up some ideas because people have some good tips, good tricks.

They're just not conscious that that's what they're doing. So the guy just asked me, Shebina, Switzerland or Nah, you know, whatever, please. And I said, oh, I didn't know, is there a difference? And the guy brought them out and honestly, they looked the same. I said, what's the difference? He said this one, Switzerland, this one is oven baking. I say, which one is oven baking? And he explained the whole process that basically you take,

is it clay or shaft, whatever. You take these things and you bake it in an oven and it's almost like having terracotta. It's almost like having a clay pot on your roof. Basically. It doesn't just look like it's that brownish clay thing. It actually is a brownish clay thing. Then you brought the other one. So you see this one say yes, he said this one, there's no baking. That is just coating. It's just iron, zinc. Then they just coated this something on top.

Then he brought an older sheet and then he showed the sheet look 1. So you see this is a scratch arm, say scratch arm now because the thing looked old. So I felt OK, I scratched the thing came off. So you see, that's the difference between this and this, this one oven baking, this one, we can guarantee it. I can't remember if he said 50 years or 80 years. I said this other one, no guarantee. In fact, this one rainy season,

by the time rainy season handled his roof, 5-6 rainy season, the team, you know, the team will judge the peel. Everybody will see that this house that you have that it is not correct. Terracotta or whatever he called it, roofing tile that was just zinc that was under. He now asked me this house that people are building, is it your own house? I said no, it's not my own house, is it for tenancy? I said no, that actually is Mumsy's house and he said I

would not recommend that you use this current thing or top Mumsy's house because if you do 4-5 rainy seasons, if you're lucky, everybody will see that this mum sees fine mansion. It's just zinc that was under. It is not proper. You know, I can't remember terracotta or whatever roofing sheet. Forgive me. Those of you who are at the building space. I gave him a figure, he pushed back. He got some more information. He was able to educate me and was able to sell on value because I pushed back.

A lot of you will just hear so, so, so, and so. You'll be afraid that, oh, if I don't match this guy, he will go back to the other person. Meanwhile, you match the price you're selling at a loss or you're selling at break even on top information on top a comparison that was not even adequate to begin with. And the way that the IBO guy closed the sale for me was he said if it is this one that you like, no problem. That's the lower quality 1.

He said I will give it to you. I will even give it to you as a lower price. But as you take it, as you see, I'm just as you take it, just anything where you see, just just take it like that. I know give you guarantee, but I'll give it to you at a lower price. But if you want this one, Switzerland, this is how much you cost per roofing, whatever, whatever, whatever. So I need to know the square, you know how they do it now,

square meters, square, whatever. He wanted to know the size of the house. And then from there, we'll be able to come up with an estimate and then know what that discount even makes sense or not. I ended up buying from him. I can't remember if it was the second or the third person that I went to. Other people did not bother with this exercise. That one was just, you know, so, so, so per square meter, what I'm telling you is real life live Abuja Builders Market go to that's where I went to, not making this thing up.

It was me that's the problem. These are the kinds of things that can happen when you take a customer's budget as gospel truth. You don't push back. You don't inquire on the budget. So because they have said they have a budget of 5 million or whatever it is that they said, it doesn't mean we should start acting on it. It doesn't mean that we should start showing them now. Oh, your budget is 5 million, OK, for 5 million, this is what we can do.

No, what you should do, especially when people come to you, they already have a very specific budget. You don't know where this budget came from. Ask questions. The answers to the questions are going to determine the next thing that you will do. Remember, just like whiz Mabel Bros when we're trying to buy roofing sheets from Mumsy's house, he asked questions. The answer to the questions determined what it was that he did next.

It determined the kind of presentation that he gave. It determines the kind of clothes that he would use. Somebody comes to you with a very specific budget. Ask questions. The answer will determine what you do next. By the way, if you'd like to connect with me, you can call me, send me a text message or WhatsApp message on 08064662140. If you're interested in a 15 minute sale audit or you want me to look at one of your business processes, call me, send me a text message or WhatsApp message on the same number, 08064662140.

Or if you just want to join my WhatsApp channel, then WhatsApp me on the same number. Or if you just want to say hi because some of you say I love the podcast, I just want to say hi, then yeah, do that and that'll be cool. Either way, I love having a chat with people who listen to the podcast. So if you're discovering the podcast the very first time today, I hope you're going to call me, send me a text message or WhatsApp message.

No point in repeating the number again. So now what kind of questions are we going to ask? Some of you be afraid of this, just like the sales lady that I was coaching yesterday. But if you think some of these things are too direct, you can use modifiers. Modifiers are just ways of softening the blow. So for me, the way that I modify the question is I say, oh, I hope you don't mind me asking, how did you arrive at that figure?

When somebody says my budget is 5 million, you need to push back. You need to know how did they arrive at that figure. That's all determine what we do next. So excuse me. So more modifiers. I hope you don't mind me asking, how did you arrive at that figure? They hear what it is that they have to say. If it's one of those situations that the price that they gave her was accurate, but that's the price that her uncle's wife's second cousin's best friend's second wife told her two years ago is Then you educate and say,

ah, Madam, was it not two years ago while we in the Chernobyl regime back then? And then you will start to educate or you start to distinguish accordingly. But you have learned some information because you push back another way. Mr. asks Like really 5 million? Somebody gave you a quote for that figure. You just say it like that and keep quiet. And then you hear what the person has to say like that. Igbo Brasu tackled me.

That was his attitude. That was like somebody gave you a quote for that figure. And then his next question was Shabina, Switzerland, or, and then the conversation moved from there. But you just even if you just say it like that, really somebody give you a quote for that figure and you keep quiet, you hear what is the person has to say, But the person says yes, now yes, I'm coming from another shop. It is my cousin shop.

Something, something, something. That's the reason why he gave me that figure. OK, no problem. You've learned some information. The person got it from another shop. So now you know that there are multiple quotes on the table. You're not just the first person that he's talking to and the other person is quoting the low ball figure. You have some extra information. Another thing that I like to do is when somebody throws out a figure, especially when the figure is ridiculous.

I say that sounds like a very good price, very, very good price. If not me for take up. And then I now flip it back on it on the person. See, if you trust that person, how come you haven't taken the offer Then I keep quiet. Last year when I was coaching another solar salesperson, this was a tactic that he needed some help with the call. And that's the Kung Fu that I pulled on the other guy. The other guy was insisting on 8.

What they were negotiating was around like 12. So I told him now look, see this 8 million that you're saying you got a quote for that It's the guy said yes. I said you trust the guy. You guys say yes, that it is my brother Gong Gong. That's what he said. I'm quoting him. He said my brother Gong Gong and I said, OK, if it's your brother, you trust the you trust the quote. How come you haven't taken the offer? Now in the guy laugh, he begin,

they laugh. That's when conversation changed. We continue talking. It turned out my brother Gong Gong was not really his brother nor his blood brother. It was just somebody that a friend in church introduced him to. The person is, you know, that kind of like from the same village, you know, so it's not really zip. But when he was answering me, he said my brother had gone gone. That's what he said. The guy emphasized it.

My brother and I said, OK, that 8 million for this setup is good. If you trust the guy, why are you not taking it? Now? You can push back, but remember, keep a conversational no be fight. All right, It's not a fight. So that's also something I do. That sounds like a good price. If you trust the person, how come you haven't taken the offer? You now stand here and the story change. There's only one person that I've told that to their say, oh,

OK, you know what, I think I actually will. I said OK, sure, no problem. I'll call you back in a couple of days just to find out how things went. Would that be OK? Say yes, I called the person back personally answer. I said, OK, I say, of course you won't answer. You try yourself and you probably got burned anyway. Maybe that's just me doing bad belly. Maybe he tried it and everything worked out fine anyway. You never know.

But only one person has taken me up on offer to said, you know what, actually, all right, let me just take it. Either way, the number that the person called, if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you. If it works for somebody else, let the person go and do business with somebody else. And see, this is one of the reasons why I say sales is important and deal flow is important. You should always be talking to people.

You should always have lead flow. You should always have deal flow because you know, if there's you know the attitude, there's more. There's always fish in the market. So like, OK, you don't want to do business. No, I have no problem. I'm cool. Another person will call or tomorrow I'm going to go and visit another person. So you won't tell the person that but in your mind you understand, in your mind I'll be attitude like OK, this one will click, no problem tomorrow,

tomorrow is another day. There's always fish in the market. And then this thing that Nigerian business people like to say that the one that is my own, God has kept it for me and that kind of attitude. So no problem, you didn't know, click end of my own. Now the one way, the one that is my own, God has kept it for me. I will go front, I'll meet them another way. You can push back on price 5 million, Are you sure that it covers XYZ?

You now mention that extra, whatever it is that is a distinguishing feature in your own, in your own business, similar to what the Iboga I did because remember the guy say 5 million, yes, sorry, not 5 million, but whatever figure it was said because I can't remember it was such a long time ago. I say yes, I'm coming from somebody's shop. And then you say, oh, is this Switzerland or is it? So in this case, you can say 5

million, say yes, that 5 million, Are you sure it covers authentic oven baked? Something, something, something. And it's not just roof coating. You say which one is oven baked, which one is roof coating will now give you an opportunity. But sure, that's another way you can push back and you can get more information. 5 million, Are you sure it covers XYZ? Another wing? Somebody call 5 million for you, say 5 million. Wait, wait, see, what exactly are you trying to do with this 5

million? You just ask first you're trying to figure out the nature of the problem or trying to figure out the scope of the problem. You might find out that maybe you are the one that was looking too big. You are looking at the project as a big, big something. But by the time and they explain, you will see that it actually is a small something and that 5 million works for you, say, oh, OK, If it's just a matter of doing like this, doing like this, OK, I have no problem.

Now, 5 million, it's OK. If it's like that, no problem. How many are you carrying? Let's not talk too much. If it's 5 million, that picture is OK. How many are you carrying? Because it happens. It has happened to me once before, just once. Anyway, somebody called the figure, and then I asked. And then by the time I realized that, oh, this one, there's no work involved, you know, by the time I called the other boys, they say, ah, now OK, like collect this thing or let's be going that.

You sure? I say, yes. So now what did guys say that? And we'll just go on site. We interview the people. Once we interview the people, we will hand over the footage. The guy would do all the editing and everything by himself. And this is the price that the guy called. So a guy you sure? I say, yeah, I asked the guy now that that's what he said. They say, oh God, call the guy and collect this thing, that this is a one day job.

We will not spend up to five hours in the field. Go and collect it. And I called the guy back and I was smiling to the bank. Excuse me, Mafia was, you know, sometimes a project can look small and then people are just trying to play a fast one on you. By the time you collect it, they'll now say, you know, we suppose, we suppose, oh, I forgot or that we suppose and I forgot and can you? That's where all the query will start.

You collect 10 million from somebody by the time they say, oh, can you, we suppose we whatever you now find out that you collected 10 million. But then at the end of the day to execute the job paying all the extra boys now and everything, maybe you now spent like like maybe like 9.7 at the end of the day. Is it 300 K that you carry home to Madam? I said that you carried boys, you mobilize the whole squad. You went into the field, you had to go and shoot there.

At the end of the day is only three 100K that came back on top that big invoice. Bon, somebody can say my budget is just 5 million and say yeah, really. OK, this 5 million. OK, no problem. Like what exactly are we trying to do? Sometimes you ask the money is enough for you. OK, good. Take it sharp, sharp and then smile to the bank. Or if the figure is unrealistic, you now educate the guy that OK, look boss or Madam see based on what you said this and this and this actually is the ideal setup you should be looking for.

And this is a much more realistic cost cost. Another way you can push back somebody's my budget is 5 million, so 5 million. Oh, OK. I'm curious what kind of warranty or what kind of guarantee is is this other person giving you for the amount? Remember that IBO boy? That's right, IBO guy that I spoke about, you know, it's the same thing. Remember, warranty and guarantee entered into the conversation. He said for that lower grade that what you see is what you get.

That's you take anything where you see that, you know, you're your own. But then if it's this one that is Switzerland, I can't remember if he said 50 years or 80 years. Well, anyway, some high amount like that. All in my mind, I was wondering this guy 80 years because I was looking at him as like, you know, you're a senior man now and you're saying 80 years, we'll be around in 80 years. You know, sorry, forgive me. I know that sounds pretty morbid, you know, to say, but that's what I was thinking in my mind that you're giving me 80

year guarantee. But as I'm looking at you now, Olga, he's looking at you. Clock out in the next. Anyway, let me not say too much so that people won't think I'm morbid. So we have 5 million, OK, What kind of warranty, What kind of guarantee is the guy giving you for that amount? Somebody else say 5 million if you're on the solar space or whatever you're selling, if you sell infrastructure equipment and stuff, 5 million.

Are you sure this person is buying from the original equipment manufacturer? Because we are, there are lots of third party resellers distributors or Nigeria made, you know, standard organization of Nigeria blah, blah, blah. Yeah, you can get that from a lesser amount. But for this particular setup, Are you sure this person is buying from the original equipment manufacturer? For those of you who've been listening for a while and you remember the fellow, I was talking to you from China, the one who sells construction equipment and heavy machinery,

you know, Sino Hollow trucks and all of that. So that's the guy's thing, you know. Are you sure he's buying from the original equipment manufacturer? Because I am on ground in China. I know these companies. I go to these companies. In fact, today I was at so, so, so and so company. So anything that we give to you will come directly from these companies in China. You can go and check our place in Maotu, you can check our place in Suruleria and blah,

blah, blah. Every single thing you see there is because I am here in China and we have sent that thing down street. I'm the one who made sure the things got on the port here in China. That's the reason why we're doing WhatsApp call because I'm not in the country at the moment, I'm in China. So this person, I quoted you 5 M for this truck. Are you sure he's buying from the original equipment manufacturer? Go and ask the guy first.

When people finish com, let's talk. Then another approach. This is one that people use in consulting when somebody throws out a figure. You say 05 million, OK, no problem. These are the ideas that we've discussed. So what part of this proposal are you willing to remove? This is the approach. 5 million. Oh, sure, no problem. We can work with the 5 million budget. But if it's five M, we can't cover everything on this bouquet.

We suppose. Pick and choose. So Olga, which one would you pick? Which one would you choose? Which one would you remove so that we can bring everything down to 5 million? Because this bouquet where I arranged for you like this, this bouquet don't pass 5M SO5M is your budget. Oh, cool. No problem, Sir. No problem. Mommy, we can't do that. Which part will you remove? So you see, if you're discovering this podcast for the very first time that there are different ways that you can push back.

That's the reason why it's important to listen to stuff like this. Listen to my podcast. It doesn't have to be my own podcast. Listen to any good podcast, Nigerian podcast or able podcast that deals with these sorts of things. But the general strategies that we have been exploring so far are like this. Number one, there's the discovery approach in sales. There's something that we call discovery qualification and discovery qualification and discovery is when you ask questions about the person, you ask questions about the opportunity, you ask questions about the problem, you ask questions about the vision because there's always a person who is in front of you.

There's always an opportunity or a context in which the person is operating. Then people are generally dealing with two things. They're either trying to solve a problem or they have a vision that they're trying to achieve. So back to me on the roofing thing, the problem might just be, look, mumsy's on my neck. I'm tired of this woman on my neck shy. Let me just get this thing done. So some people come out this thing from, you know, problem Mango.

There are some other children, good children, who'll be thinking mom sees house, the house, you know, you suppose, you know one in town that people will see this thing and say that no, no, no, no, no, that me too. I must have children that would do something for me, you know, that kind of thing. So no matter what kind of product or service you have, some people are looking at it that oh, I have a problem. I have a problem.

Some people are looking at like, oh, there's this ideal vision where the poor shoe I must execute. You just ask questions around that. That is what we call discovery. So part of the strategy has been we're trying to just ask questions or figure out what kind of problem are these people actually trying to solve that they're just throwing out five M. What kind of problem are they trying to solve first? What do you actually need to solve?

Or what is the vision that they're aiming for first? We'll discover it before. We will now enter the whole level of OK, this 5 million is accurate. Whether you know whether this 5 million go walk or a no go walk, then scope alignment, it's kind of similar. Scope just means, yeah, how I defined it now scope, scope scope guy. OK, Scope is how how wide I be, how wide or how far reaching is this project? How wide of how she is supported.

When we ask questions about the scope, we're just trying to figure out, you know how how far apart are we? You might discover the scope and see that, like I said, in one of those situations where somebody wanted us to just record footage and then hand everything to him, you know, given the scope of the project and then the everything, you know, in fact, we were even in surplus. The money that work on were even in surplus because when I spoke to my video guy, the way he was looking at it was like, boss,

this thing is a is a one day work. In fact five hours. We don't finish everything. So how far apart are we, our motives, How far apart are we the prices, how far apart are we? Maybe we can make somewhere in the middle, maybe we can meet somewhere that is fine for, you know, both of us. So we're asking questions around scope just to be sure that, you know, the scope is aligned. Then another part of the strategy is that we're asking questions around comparison.

What do they actually have on ground? What do they need? It is then we'll now be able to show them that. Look what you have. Or when you spoke to this person, when you spoke to Chukudi or when you spoke to Kelechi, or when you spoke to Shagun. You know what they told you is insufficient. But see, when we're doing this comparison thing, we have to be ready to let some people go. You have to be able to to let some people go because sometimes they've spoken to Shagun before they called you or they've spoken to Cheniere before they called you for share Gun or Fortunery.

They might be trying to market penetration strategy. Market penetration strategy is OK. I'm brand new into the market. I need to get some customers quick, quick. So because of that crash, I'll crash my prices so that people will rush me. If Share Gun or Chinery is trying to do market penetration strategy, look, that has absolutely nothing to do with you. So if 5 million is OK for share Gun or Chinery, no problem, let the guy go.

If it's that 5 million can work from you but you're trying to get some extra money, OK, I understand. But honestly speaking, if that 5:00 AM doesn't work from you, work for you, let them go. We have to be ready to let some people go. It's not by force. By force. Remember secondary school where they should say first to tire, but that was for, you know, excuse me, you know, for relationship issues, first to tire, you know, you like your babe, the other guy likes the baby.

Said first to tire now like I'll try and toast that you to you try and toast that the person who gives up first time that's their own see first to tire it might be OK when it comes to relationship issues you know boyfriend girlfriend you know Brandy and what's her name Brandy and you know the boy is mine. You need to give it up had about enough. It's so that anyway, some of you know this song and but was something that rained back when I was in, was I in secondary school or was I think I was in secondary school back then.

So you know, Brandy and what's this girl, this lady's name Now was this musician Brandy? Then there's another musician. I can't remember her name. Anyway. So anyway, that song though, I'm fighting over a guy. So first to tire is OK for personal relationships, but first to tire is not profitable in business. So if Sherwin and Cheney are doing first to tier, drop the price, drop the price, drop the price, allow them, you don't want those kind of customers.

We have to be ready to walk away. Then another strategy behind the questions was, you know, kind of like walk away type questions. So that time, you know, when I said oh, like if the offer is this, why didn't you take the offer? That's like a walk away question. You're supposed to show that look me really I have nothing to lose. And you from what you're saying, if you have nothing to lose then why not just take the other person's offer?

When you use all these walk away type questions, you actually tease out what is important to the other person. So for the guy that was telling me, my brother Gong Gong, why not take the offer? That's how we now started finding out exactly what was that was important to him. And the reason why he was still talking to us is because my clients company was the more professional 1. So now we can now focus the conversation on value that look,

if you really think that this company is the best, is the most professional company, then this is precisely why you should go ahead with this offer for 12. This is the kind of faculty we have. This is the kind of stuff we have. This is our engineering expertise. We have work with the original equipment manufacturers and these are the warranties and guarantees that we stand by. So you have said that we are the professional outfit.

This is the reason why these are all the things. So this is 1 on the table. The 12 is the ideal thing. If you must play around with budgets. We also put another budget there which is a 10.2. But of course it's for lesser, lesser panels, lesser batteries, you know, something, something. So it was a while, I can't remember the exact details, but from asking walk away type questions, we're able to now refocus and start talking value.

Professionalism is important to you. Or I now pay for it. That's the scope. By the way, this is sales, right? Not everything works all the time. So some of you will hear some of these things and say, oh, that sounds wonderful, that sounds masterful. You go and try the thing won't work. You will now be discouraged. Don't be discouraged. Not everything works all the time. We keep trying it, we keep improving, and then we get more effective over time.

But basically, there's nothing I will say on this podcast or there's nothing you will hear from any other podcast or read in any book that will work 100% of the time. There is absolutely nothing. So let's have realistic expectations as we're trying these things out. Then the strategy that the guy used, the EBO guy on the roofing thing was, you know, education and distinguishing, figured out what was going on. And then the guy educated me on what I didn't know before about roofing sheets.

Then distinguishing. Distinguishing is when you show that, OK, this is how I am different from that other person or this is how what I have on ground is different from what you saw outside. So back when I was still in events and doing media, OK, well, if any media gigs come, I still take it, but I don't push myself out there anymore, you know, in that kind of industry. But what I used to tell people that look, Olga, Madame, babe,

Sir, you know, whatever the proper address, I tell them that, look, I understand that this is what you're used to or this is what you think. But in Abuja, this is how it works. There are boys that can collect anything between 50K and 150. See, this was a long time ago. So don't, don't take my the prices now as reflective of what happens today, but I should educate them and look see this is Abuja. If you want somebody to do this thing for you for 50K, you'll find a person.

Just go to UTCUTC is a place in area. How is it now? Should I say area 8? I be area 10 in Abuja where people do lots of photography work, you know, camera work, paint, computer design, posters, frames, you know, things like that. You know, so if you ever need to sort out these sorts of things, you're looking for a photographer. You want to paint your house or you want to design the banner or you want somewhere to design the website.

Yeah. If you go to UTC you, you know, you find somebody. So I told him for I would tell them rather that was my specific script in fact, that if you want somewhere to do this work for you for 50K, you will find today anything from 50 to 1 to 150, you'll find them. Models are UTC boys and Olga sister. The truth of matter is those UTC boys are what you see is what you get. What you see is what you get. Make sure you chook your eye on them well and close.

Mark them well or else there'll be stories that touch somebody will cry. Either you will cry by the time the job is done, or maybe they will cry because you squeeze too much out of them. But either way, the person that will cry, it ain't going to be me. So I'll educate them and tell them that yeah, no problem, that your price, it works 50K self, you will find just go to UTC 50 to 150, no problem. Then there's the middle tier market.

These are the people who are between, like the 250 spent all the way to about the 450 spent. That's where guys like me come in. And typically, these are the kinds of things that you can expect. You've seen the samples, you've seen the frames, you've looked at the website, you've seen the sample videos. These are the kinds of things that you can expect. And then there are the top dogs. And then I called specific names.

You've been hearing those names on Instagram. You say, yeah, so those kinds of *** if you go to them, you didn't drop at least 750 don't talk to you. So 751 M 1.2, that's like the top whatever. So I used to educate them. So this is how the Abuja market is. It's obvious I'm the first event vendor that you're talking to. So with this information now, why don't you just go out and ask a couple of people, you know, just do some more research and then let's let's talk again next week.

So for me, that was it. I'd educate them. Now look, this is the layer of the one. The land is Tier 1 is Tier 2, there's tier 3. When you're talking to tier one people, these are the kinds of things that you can expect. When you're talking to Tier 2 people, these are the kinds of things you can expect. When you're talking to tier three kinds of people, this is what to expect. My own professional recommendation is don't fall below so, so, so, and so, so.

I always just advise them that, look, it sounds self-serving, but honestly speaking, don't fall below this middle tier. It doesn't have to be me, but don't fall below this middle tier because if you fall into the hands of the wrong UTC boy, you will cry. You will cry. So anyway, so sorry, excuse me. So those are the strategies behind the questions. So you can do qualification and discovery. We can try and figure out the scope of the project and see if there's any alignment.

We ask questions to kind of compare what's going on. We have to be ready to walk away. Please be ready to walk away. Please, please, please, please, please. I'm begging you. There are situations where I didn't walk away, where I was broke and I took the money and I have never been in that situation and I was happy at the end of the day. Never anyway, you never know, maybe a time will come when I take one of those and it works out.

But so far like, oh, I'm broke, like I'm really desperate, like I need this money now. Now you know, let me just, you know, sharp, sharp, quick, quick, let me just take this thing. I've I've never been happy at the end of the day, yes, the money has ended up solving one or two problems, but the level of problem that came that came with those kind of jobs anyway, So let me leave you to make that mistake. But now we need to discuss,

excuse me, we need to discuss tone. The tone of this thing is no be fights. We're not being combative here. We're trying to be collaborative here. So I'm curious, you know, help me understand, you know, blah, blah, blah. You know, you're working with the person as a partner. So like with that Ebo Bros, you know, his attitude was not like, you know, come on, get away from my shop. You're not serious. You know, he was like, you know,

walking with me. We're collaborating now, OK Be like, say, you know, there's one or two things you don't know. So let me, let me catch you up to speed. Let me let you know what's up. That's the kind of attitude when you're asking these kinds of questions. That is how you won't sound as if it's a quarrel, right? Then another pro move about tone. Sometimes silence. So somebody says 5 million. You know that 5 million is a is a ridiculous price if it's face to face, you know, just smiling.

So just smiling and nodding your head. You pause for a few seconds before you ask questions. As a pro move. Sometimes the person will even begin to volunteer some information just because you know, nature abhors a vacuum. So you kept quiet for one or two seconds. You know the person who can need to volunteer some more information. In fact, in practice, what most, most people do who try this strategy, what they do is when they hear a lowball offer, they just repeat it back.

So somebody tells you 5 million in your head. You know that this is more like an 8 million kind of job. Well, you look at the person say 5 million, you just repeat it. You shake your head. You didn't say anything. You shake your head, you pause. The customer will now start volunteering, volunteering more information. And then from there, you'll be able to get the extra information that will determine what it is that you do next.

But by the way, I'm not going to recommend that any of you try this pro pro move, this silent move, because honestly speaking, it's just for pros because sometimes you're dealing with customers who knows what's up. And you say 05:00 PM, you shake your head. You're not the Madam. She knows what you're up to. She will say, yeah, 5 million. She too. She will shake her head if she does that. Oh, yeah. You don't hook how you escape.

So don't worry. All these promos as everything is step by step right now, let's focus on the questions to ask. You know, later on when you are done, you know, you can try some of those classy moves like oh, really 5 million and then you shake your head and then you pause. Then the person will start talking. But anyway, don't play all these psychological games. Just let's focus on the kind of questions that we want to ask.

So some of what I'm trying to say is because a customer or potential customer or potential client or prospect has given a price, it doesn't mean we have to jump immediately. It doesn't mean we have to be desperate. It doesn't mean we have to start discounting. It doesn't mean we have to start matching their price. We have other options and the options are these questions that we are going to ask. And plus we need to get better at lead generation.

Lead generation just means the skill, right? The skill, the strategy, the tactics of getting other people to raise their hands to show that they might be interested in your product or your service. If we get better at lead generation and we always have a full pipeline as per you know, today I'm talking to people, tomorrow I'm talking to people, next tomorrow there are people that I'm supposed to talk to. Nobody can come.

And just when you're up anyhow, you know, it's back. Like, you know, in university, you know, when you know, some of us now we're looking at the hottest girl on campus, you know, but the problem is, you know, she has options now. Club boys, the Porsche one, academic boys, the position, church boys, the position as everybody the position. So for you just an option you can't do anyhow anyhow with her and she will shake because she knows that she has options.

So if you have ex and you leave no problem, it's your loss because she knows that tomorrow another boy is going to come and toast her into hostel. So it's the same thing. Get better lead generation. When you have options, you can form, somebody can say 05 million, you know, you can say, oh really? OK, you can flashy them because you know that today before the person came, you're already talking with two or three people.

Those two or three people, when at a price, you know, 10121315 million, you have options, you're not hungry. Get better at lead generation, the attitude will be OK, no problem. 5 million, no problem. You can go. It's OK, I have other people to talk to. So get better at lead generation. By the way, I'm not saying tell people that you know you have other people to talk to. So we've been talking for 45 minutes. Let's make this thing very concrete.

Let's make this thing very practical. Now, by the way, applying these principles can be very tricky. So if you need me to look at your own particular circumstance, see how it works in your own business, then call me, send me a text message or a WhatsApp message on 08064662140. If you're interested in the 15 minute sale audit, then WhatsApp me on the same number 08064662140. Or you can just draw my WhatsApp channel. You stay up to date on things that I'm working on and you know, episodes that we're putting out.

So just WhatsApp me on the same number and I'll hook you up. But quickly, let's look at one scenario that I just coughed up just to make it practical. So since yesterday I was talking to someone who is in the solar space about these sorts of things, let's just stick to the whole solar thing. So let's say we're dealing with the founder of a company. So excuse me. So let's say we're dealing with the founder of a company.

Let's say his name is Engineer Tunde because, you know, in Niger now. Yeah, how I put it. Anyway, let's just continue. So the founder of a company, Engineer Tunde. So let's say Engineer Tunde, now he's the founder of the company, or let's say he's the head of growth, or he's the CEO or the whatever of the company. So Engineer Tunde is brilliant when it comes to engineering and let's say the name of his company is Safe Vault Solar.

So he's brilliant at engineering, but he's kind of frustrated. The reason why Tunde is frustrated is because he likes to use top tier equipment. If he's living on batteries, he wants the best batteries. If it's original, if it's equipment, you know, always original equipment from the the original manufacturer, the original supplier Gong Gong, he doesn't want to be buying from, you know, all these Niger companies here and there.

And so because of that, their growth is now, you know, it's not it's not climbing again, it's kind of plateaued because every single time there's a customer engineer, two days price will be high, very, very high. But all the people that they're talking to, you know, they don't mind going to, you know, roadside installers or cheaper people, you know, here and there. You know, it's not easy to it's very easy to enter into this business.

All you have to do just go and open a shop in the mall somewhere and then put your signboard, you know, solar and then that's it, you're ready for business. So now let's say that engineer Thunde has sat through a meeting with a high net worth client in Leckie phase one. As the guy gave money, we can see that this person has money that they are dripping, dripping, dripping, dripping money. But you know, some people can be stingy, you know the you know,

AKA gum, they don't want to release money. So let's say the client wants to power A5 bedroom duplex, you know with three ACS. But they insist that their budget is strictly 5 million like they don't need as in that 5 million that that's what they have now. Engineer today knows that a reliable system for that kind of load that we're talking about. Engineer Tunde is comfortable doing it at 8.5, you see. But this is the problem, Chief in Leki saying that his own is 55 million is what he has cash on hand.

But Engineer Tunde for engineer Tunde, you know, give me 8.5, I'll hook you up. So let's say in the past Tunde would have said, well anyhow, anyhow, 9 bypass. So let me just collect this five M, you know, and maybe cut some corners just to close the deal. So maybe that was in the past, but now, you know, two days tired of all these things because the problem and that's the reason why I say any time I've done this, I've not been happy.

The problem with taking money and you know, it's not exactly what the one Bush I will make it work is question mark always comes up. So all those headaches, we call it after sales. You bought something from someone, the person now calls you to say, oh, it's too, it's too long where it's too short, come and edit it. Or it's too, it's too tall. It's too, this is too, this is too that. Come and do this, come and do this.

That's what we call after sales. All these after sales headache, they can't eat profit because like in the solar space, for instance, OK, we're done. The battery has swollen up. You know this and this, you send the boy back your pain, transport new materials, new wires, new this, new that after sales and such. This is such a hassle. So let's say engineer turned him. He's tired of that game. He's not going to do that anymore.

Now, what are the kind of things that engineer turned they can do? You can push back. If the engineer says yeah, 5 million Antone, they pushes back. And then the guy says, well, I've seen people do it for 5 million. So that is my budget. My neighbor did it for 5 million. Tuner can say a smile, so 5 million, or I can start talking and say yes, my friend in VGC did it for this amount last year. You see now the story has changed last year, you've gotten some, Tony has gotten some extra information.

He can now start educating the engineer that 5 million last year worked and that in fact I did this kind of project last year at 5 million and this is the reason why I worked at that time. But now dollar is this or now economy is this or now this is this or you know what is what you see? But The thing is we have gotten some more information because the person said my friend in Victoria Garden, VGC is Toria Garden City.

I mean, so my friend in VGC did it for this amount last year. We have some more information. So discovery, discovery and qualification or some comparison questions. You know, chief says 5 million, so tunic. Tunic can push back. Yeah, tunic can push by say chief, when your friend got that 5 million naira quotes, did your friend also add 10 kva such protection? She will say which one is such protection? You say, oh Chief, now see all this, see this your flat screen TV something something,

something you know, sometimes never can just bring light back current to be high. If you know put such protection. Chief see all this your fine fine TV all this your fine fine deep freezer, see madam's fine deep freezer everything if you will just blow. Why chief we say oh actually well you know it is true. This deep freezer we just got a brand new because last month one of our deep freezers got damaged. The compressor blows.

Chief that is what I'm talking about. So this thing that somebody gave you for 5 million, did this person put 10 kva such protection question or another question, did this person include the five year OEM warranty, original equipment manufacturer warranty as we discussed, you see question, Engineer Tunde can push back on that 5 million. Engineer Tunde can say Chief, 5 million for this kind of load, this duplex that I'm looking at,

Chief, honestly this is a very good price, very, very good price. Somebody has given you 5 million. Chief, if I was you and I trust this installer, I will pay them cash immediately. So Chief, if this is such a good price, you know why? Why are you still talking to me? Like why are we here? Why did you invite me here? Sir, you'll be surprised that the story will start to change. In fact, another able guy pulled his move on me.

I will not say what it was I was buying, but I was there with my sister-in-law by the time I gave my price. The guy laugh. The guy say, Bros, somebody gave you that price. I say yes. The guy say I beg, give me the guy number. Give me the person's number. I want to go and buy now, now, now, now, now for that price. Original. If The thing is original, I want to buy now, now, now, if I buy it at this price and I come and sell here, that is good money.

Say, Bros, I beg, give me that number. The guy called my bluff, to be honest. I was just making up figures. I was just making up figures. It was not as if anybody gave me that figure. But I called the confident with the full chest. The guys say. The guys say where? Give me the phone number. I won't call that guy now, now, now I want to buy now. I will buy 50 pieces now so I can come and sell in my shop. So you know, Tunde can do the education and distinguishing thing.

Say, look Chief, see that 5 million, I understand that that's all you have. But honestly, Chief, in this lacos of today, there are three different levels of people in the solar market. We have all these roadside people, all these boys where there's the entire Plaza. Anyhow, just push on board all these roadside people. Honestly, Chief, what they do is refurbish batteries. That lithium battery not be brand new. This, this battery not be brand new.

That solar panel not be brand new that this that, that not be brand new. No problem, Chief. To be honest, you can go and spend money with any of these boys inside Plaza. 5 million, no problem. Don't hook you up. In fact, I won't saw somebody last month, not even 5 million, your own kind of house, 2 million to hook up the whole thing. But Chief, just know that those kind of boys, every year you'll be fixing something. Chief, I can assure you every single year you will be fixing something.

Then Tier 2 people, you know those ones and then they sell standard stuff, but really they don't offer any after sales support. So if you invent our blow the teen on blue like you've paid them, they don't, it's not their concern. Again, you have to go and find somebody else to sort them out or if they're going to sort you out, you know, to collect extra money from you. So those Tier 2 people and you know, OK, it's OK, their work is standard, but no, no after support.

But in chief, there's a reason why in this lucky area, I, I'm #1 tier one people are people like me. And then I also like to call names at that point because I'm trying to put myself in a certain class if I'm not used to strategy. So like me and I'll call two or three other names. We buy directly from the original equipment manufacturer straight Germany, China, India, blah, blah, blah, blah. We buy direct. And then these are the sorts of things that we offer.

These are the warranties and the guarantees and this is the level of after sales service that you can expect. So Chief, if you insist on 5 million, to be honest, if I want to be desperate, I can do it at a 5 million. But if it's like that, cheaper, no warranty, no guarantee, if the battery swells in six months, my hands are tied, anything will happen. My hands are tied. In fact, Chief, I don't want to spoil my name. I don't to do that kind of work anymore.

So Chief, you know what, if it's like that, 5 million just go and do without other person. But anything that happens, you know it happens. So Chief, is that the risk that you are willing to take? Keep quiet and hear what it is that Chief has to say. Or today can push back trying to get the scope of the project, trying to make sure that you don't want aligned. So Chief, 5 million, are you saying honestly even that 5 million is the only thing that you have in your hand right now?

No problem. If I'm going to hook up this duplex, what are you willing to remove, Chief? I'm going to remove the AC from the solar. The AC will just be on NEPA direct. Because chief, if you put everything on this setup and what we do is 5 million, if Nepal is bad by 2:00 AM in the night, everything will just cease. Everything will just go off. Chief, I can't give you 8.5 million value for 5 million without something giving away something that's the give way.

So Chief, 5 million is a budget. OK, no problem. Let's look at your house now, chief. So which one are we removing? Is the AC that will remove from the solar. IB is the freezer that will remove but we have to remove something. IB will remove washing machine, we gas to remove something. So you can see using the solar example that there are lots of options. You don't have to jump, but if there's something that I said before that I want to emphasize again, let me just repeat it.

Lead generation, please. Lead generation, please. Let me say it the third time. Lead generation, please. A lead is anybody who has done something to show that they might be interested in your product or your service. What are you doing for lead generation today, tomorrow, next, tomorrow? You need something on ground because if Chief is the only person that you're talking to this week, nobody called you last week. You didn't visit anybody the week before.

In fact, Chief is the second person that you're talking to in the 12 weeks since the year began or more. You'll be desperate because you can't keep going home to your spouse. You know they're supporting you. Meanwhile, you're not dropping anything. It's somehow you need to work on something for lead generation. So whether you're producing content online, whether you're giving people flyer, whether you're attending networking session, whether look, whatever it is, you need to be doing something good.

Lead generation will give you confidence so that if chief walks away, you will know that don't worry, before today close, two or three other people will call you. Or if chief walks away, no problem. I am chatting to four or five other people in WhatsApp. You won't be desperate then remember no be fights. OK, collaborative. Then you know, we're in Niger. So of course respect your elders and respect people who are in a all I put it, you know, when you're in a selling situation.

Now the, the our relative social status is, is is different. But I'm not in support of people being boy boy, being houseboy and being yes, Sir. So it's no, yes or no, whatever. But we respect people. You know, Olga, you know, chief Madame, you know, deaconess, you know, Doctor misses, I dress them well and be polite, but of course, you also be direct. You'll also be assertive. So just use that cultural factor. You know, respect everybody.

Ah, Olga, you know, blah blah blah. And I trust you know what I'm trying to say. I'm just saying that shall be respectful. But don't be boy, boy. Don't be house. Don't be house boy. If you can't think of any modifiers 1 modifier uses. Oh, I hope you don't mind me asking. So I just say it like that. Oh, Chief, sorry. Please. I hope you don't mind me asking. OK, hope you don't mind me asking. Madam Hope you don't mind me asking.

Oh, Doctor. Mrs. Hope you don't have. You don't mind me asking, Chief. Doctor. Pharmacist and yes, people like that exist. They really do exist because there's one time now I was still in Greg's back then, I had learned how to drive. So any small excuse, I should just carry Mumsy's car. So that's how I said I was going to let you know. So by the way, I don't live in Lagos anymore, I'm in Abuja now. So that's how I carry Mumsy's car.

I said oh, that when you're going. I can't remember which estate she said that just passed through. Was it Dolphin Estate? I can't remember. Anyway, pass through this estate, I'm going to give you to doctor, Misses, Chief Pharmacist. Something, something, something, something, something. I said Mom is unnecessary. She said, look, have I have told you she is doctor Chief pharmacist misses something, you know, MFM or Mr. or something as in the title was plenty.

In fact, Mom said, look, give me the envelope I collected. She took it back. My mom now wrote out everything as it was. And I said, OK, no problem, mommy, I'm cool. But I was, you know, now when you're young, you feel as if you know everything. And I just thought no problem now, like because I knew some of momsy's friends and I know that, OK, they're cool. So I just assumed that this one will be cool as well. So that's how I got to the house.

Very correct house. Very very correct house, you know Ding Dong doorbell entire side, you know the house girl left me in very correctly is very plush, very easy everything, but I'm comes down looking very regal. I saw good morning Ma Madam addressed me as in she shot me down as it was written on the envelope. That is how Madam said it. Chief Doctor misses pharmacies FMR something Federal Republic of Niger, whatever she just said it like that.

That is Chief Doctor misses something to you. I said, oh, I took dressing. I said, oh, I'm terribly sorry, Ma. I caught myself saying my again. I said I'm terribly sorry. I repeat the whole thing. So yeah, those kind of people exist, so we should be careful. I've only jammed one, but yeah, they exist. So then last thing, please. I've been saying on the podcast a lot, and I'm saying it again, we need to make a shift. We should stop being the vendors in our mind.

Stop thinking of yourself as a vendor. You're not a vendor. You're not begging money for anybody. You're an expert. You hear me? If you don't take anything away from today's podcast episode, just realize that you are an expert. You're not a beggar. You're not a vendor. You're an expert. Go for these meetings, advise people well as the expert you are on the investment that is required to make this thing happen. If you don't take anything away from what I've said today,

please take this one. You are an expert, you know a vendor. You're not a beggar, You're not a boy boy. You're nobody slave. You have inherent dignity. Sorry. You have inherent dignity. You have worth. You're a child of God. You have value and you're an expert. Go there, sit down as an expert. Yes, they have more money than you, but you are the experts. Then advise them accordingly. Give your expertise on the investment and what is needed to move this thing forward.

OK, so let me bring it to the close. Sorry, I know I've not done a one episode in a very very, very long time, but that's it for today. So if you got value from today's episode and you want to connect with me, call me, send me a text message or one type message on 08064662140. But either way, please stop jumping every single time they throw out. If you go, don't just jump. You have options. And also remember, you're the expert.

You're not the vendor. You're a beggar. Sorry. You're not the vendor. You're not a beggar. Yeah, that's what I meant to say. OK, so that's it. Thanks for your time and attention. I'll catch you on some other time.