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Today on the podcast, we're going to look at whether it is possible to sell at social events. In other words, when people are gathered together because they want to mix, they want to socialize, they want to flex, they want to flange or they want to judge or they want to enjoy themselves. Is it possible for you to show up in their midst and then start trying to drum up sales? Now the reason why we're looking at this today is because there is a Niger Tech founder who had a successful exit, who was giving a series of talks in 2025.
And at one particular event where he was talking to some newbie founders and entrepreneurs, he tried to give them a what would I say now speed course on what to expect when it comes to selling and marketing and promoting your business idea, your startup ideas. And one of the things he spoke about was how you can sell at events because you can jam somebody in the club. You know, all of them are just the groove, enjoying yourselves.
And then you meet another founder or another service provider who is interested in signing your product, signing your service. So what he would do is, you know, he's out in the club. You know, music is just, you know, boom, boom, boom. Everybody's enjoying themselves, alcohol flowing, and then you get into those sorts of business conversations. And the next day he'll be in the office and then he'll tell the sales team that yesterday I was at the club I was chatting with.
So, so and so they are interested in possibly buying, possibly trying us out. So go give this guy a call. So that is the context, that is the background. Is it possible to sell at social events and should we even bother trying to sell at social events? If this is your first time listening to the podcast, my name is Tavishima Ayede. I'm a former lawyer turned business consultant and I am your host. If you would love to connect with me, then send me a connection request on LinkedIn or you can call send me a text message or send me a WhatsApp message on 08064662140.
Also, if you enjoy the trend of the conversation that we're having here so far. If you're feeling the vibes of this podcast, then subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, Apple, or any player of your choice. So let's go straight into the question now. Is it possible to sell at social events? And was this guy correct when he said you can be chilling at the club or you can meet someone else and they might be interested in your product or service.
And then the next day you just follow up or you instruct your crew and tell them that you guys follow up, somebody's interested. Now the answer is yes, you can. So that social events so long as you are not using a by my stuff kind of all I put it now, so long as your household is not by my stuff, by my stuff, by my stuff. I don't know how to explain it, but you know those kind of people that every single time you guys are doing also called reunion, secondary school,
union, university reunion, you know that guy who's always going around, you know, buy my thing, buy my thing, buy my thing. You know those guys. Now, if you do, if you did reunion in 2025, the guy showed off that's like crypto this, crypto this, crypto this, crypto this and you do Rihanna in 2026 and you know that he's going to show up and be talking buy this, buy this, buy this. But you know that Shah, he has his also, his also has changed.
So yes, you can sell our social events so long as you are not that guy or you're not that girl who's always buy my stuff, buy my stuff, buy my thing. This is the future, this is this, this is that, buy now, sign up, be part of my network, be part of this too. You know, yes, you can sell our social events so long as that is not the approach that you take. Because if that is your approach, buy my stuff, buy my stuff. You're going to end up being a Leech.
You're going to end up being an irritant. People will know you when they cite you in social gatherings is going on. Come again, You're an irritant. The reason why you're going to be an irritant is because when people come at social gatherings, whether people are at the club or whether they're doing secondary school reunion or church reunion or what else, you know, descendants of descendants of a girl or more doodoo or something like that.
You know, whatever it is, it's a social gathering. People are there for a good time. People are not there for a sales pitch. You're jamming somebody in the club. The person is there for a good time, but most people anyway, there's some people who go to club to network. I'd like to be one of those guys because let me learn too how I can, you know, be networking with Hennessy and all that. So basically social gathering,
people are there for a good time. They're not there for your sales pitch. But the major problem with this buy my stuff, buy my stuff, buy my stuff thing is eventually people figure you out. They know that that is your MO, your modus operandi. As we say in this part of the world, the way that you function, people will know you don't know your Steve's, don't know your pattern. And because of that, you will stop getting invitations.
So if you think of yourself as a very, how do I put it like you're very, like you're a go getter, you know, and you talk passionately about your, your products, your ideas, your whatever it is. But you noticed that over time, it's like people keep forgetting to invite you for all these events. It is by design. They are not forgetting to invite you. They know that you today do you're a Leech, you're an irritant, you're getting on people's nails.
So therefore and the next one they will say, you know that guy cool. No, don't invite him. Say why I was wrong and just just leave cool. Forget him, forget him or how far we came in. No, I came in. No, just leave her. Leave her. No need to call her. No need to call her. These are some of the reasons why. So if you want to sell a social events, this is what you do. You walk up to someone and you say hi, first of all. OK, well, when I say hi, I don't mean you must say hi, you know,
like it depends now, like who are you? It depends on the context. You know, some places where if you go and say hi, you'll be like, this guy's rather formal. This guy's rather English. So, you know, it depends. There are some places where you roll up and the proper greeting could be some like, or Benny, how far or my *** waiting day, you know. So it depends because I remember when I was new in Saint Gregory's College in in Oberlin Day.
Yeah, Oberlin Day, Southwest to go. Coming from Abuja, nothing was weird because in Abuja, you know, we were normal guys or gentlemen. You see your classmates, I say, oh, boy, Alfredo, what's up? How you been, As we used to greet like normal people, but then enter my classroom in Saint Gregory's College. Next thing I had bastard, I turned round. There was this guy LMRO. Now me and LMRO would end up becoming quite good friends.
It turns out that his father, I think his father was a member of the NURTW, that's the National Union of Rd. Transport Workers. And I think LMRO later on will become a big player in that space 'cause when I started the wedding photography and I went to what's this place called on the island to buy my camera equipment. I can't remember what the place is called. I ran into him anyway, and it looked like he was controlling a number of buses and stuff like that.
And I thought to myself, like, wow, interesting. But anyway, so I had bastard and I turned around. I saw an MRO. Yeah, I just entered the classroom, you know, looking like the thug, you know, he is or he was, and then he walked over to his friend office. I say bastard and the way they were greeting themselves, very violent, kind of, you know, and even me, I know that bastard is an insult. And I'm wondering how can you be greeting your friend like that bastard?
Anyway, I just realized that after a while that that's just how well and do boys are. You know, there's even some strong, stronger language that I cannot see on this podcast. Let's just say, MFA, if you understand the the other put it the shortened form. Some people just roll up and say, ah, bastard MFRUD, you know, yeah, yeah. I'm like, why are they just abusing their mother up and down anyway? So the whole point of me going into all this is basically I'm saying that whichever way you guys are used to greeting in your social circles, that is the appropriate greeting.
So there are some circles where somebody can enter the the place and shout bastard and it's an appropriate greeting. Although for me to be honest, I think it's weird. You Yoruba boys, you guys need to call back or some of that. Anyway, it's your culture. So, so you roll upon the person. So whether you say bastard or you say what's up or you say how you doing or whatever it is, but you roll upon the person, appropriate greeting.
After that, some small talk. You're trying to find some common connection to the host, some common connection to the event, some common connection between your prior history together, some kind of connection. That's all you're aiming for in the beginning. So it's a matter of hey, what's up? Why are you doing now? Also, you know Kunle, let's assume that Kunle is the person who invited everybody for this hangout. You know, say what's up?
How you doing? So how do you know Kunle? Simple. The person will start talking about how he knows Kunle. If you make Kunle in primary school, you make only university good, some form of commonality. You guys be gisting a bit. And then of course you get to explore some stuff. You know, primary school, university, blah, blah, blah. Small talk. But remember, you roll up on someone, you say what's up, you say hi, you say Bruce wedding day.
You say you know, whatever these people say. And then you ask a couple of questions because you're trying to find a common connection with the host. The host is the person who invited you for this event with the event itself, because obviously if it's a meeting of Saint Gregory's College or banning the old boys, you know, and I roll up on someone, I'd want to know what set did this guy go to? Because, you know, from there,
that's how the conversation will flow, you know, So if you are a 1973 set and you're talking to somebody who is, I don't know, a 2001 set, well, OK. Well, the gap is large, but you guys will have some very, very interesting conversations about how Saint Gregory's College has changed since 1973 and since 2001. See, these are skills that you can use to just open conversations. Remember, you roll up on someone, you say what's up, you give the appropriate greeting,
and then you ask some simple questions because you're trying to find a connection, some common history with the host, the person we invited you with, the event itself, or with the prior history that you know you guys have. So that's, that's how you do it. So if the NBA, that is the Nigerian Bar Association, because remember, I'm a former lawyer turned business consultant. So if the NBA is doing something in Abuja or marketing, I can attend as I'm somebody who finished law school, who practiced for a while.
And you know, I'm, I'm enrolled in the bar so I can call myself a lawyer even though I still even though I don't practice. So it's not a place for me to say what's up. You know how you do and then you know, start talking like, oh, which chapter are you from? I haven't seen your face before. And the person says, well, from a new good chapters, no worries. No wonder now because man, I'm an Abuja, a member of Abuja chapter.
If you are an Abuja person, you know, if we don't recognize your face. And then from there I'll say you guys start talking. Then eventually you guys are going to start talking personal or you guys are going to start talking business. But when you do this, you're going to start exploring these topics from their own personal perspective. So when you do the whole thing of oh, what set were using Gregory's or what set were you Christ the King College or what set were you King's College or which chapter are you MBA?
Are you a new chapter? Are you on each chapter? Are you Abuja chapter? Are you Cano chapter? Eventually, we're going to start talking about some things, either personal or business, but you will ask from their own perspective. This is not time for you to show how smart you are, how good you are, how knowledgeable you are, how abreast of things you are. No, no, no. You're trying to find out things about this other person because eventually they're going to say,
talk about something in their personal life or in their business. Talk where you will now be able to sleep in and say, oh, you have this kind of problem. I have this product, I have this service that solve this kind of thing, or I know someone who has this product or who has this service and it solves that kind of thing. Then your call to action. I'll be after this event. How far can I buzz you? So that thing we discussed,
maybe I'll bring it to you at the office. You know, you see, maybe it's something you're interested in, something that might help, you know, something like that. That is how you sell at social events. If you run around saying buy my stuff, buy my stuff, you're an irritant. Nobody's going to invite you. But if you make things easy and organic, it was up. How you doing? Your face is fresh. I haven't seen you before. And this is your first time joining MBA.
OK. You just graduated last year. OK. No worries. I understand now. Yeah. I got called to the bar 15 years ago. Where'd you say you're from again? I did not see your face when I was in BSU. Oh, OK. You finished that Saint Mary's College in, in, in Oxford, in London. Oh, OK, OK. And then from there, Jose Gist. Jose Gist, not a gist. You know, eventually you enter Kemi Badenoch. That's the lady who I think she was running for head of Labour Party.
I know that whole controversy with her saying stuff about Nigerians. So eventually now you enter Kemi Badenoch and you'll be talking, talking, talking. But remember it is from their own perspective, you asking them questions, not you showing how sharp you are at current affairs. Now eventually they might start talking about stuff around immigration policy and blah, blah, blah. Maybe they know somebody who is trying to jackpot.
But the person know who if what you do now is immigration law, that is the point where you say, Oh yeah, well, so this uncle now was was with what was going to happen. You know what, I actually do immigration law and I have partners who are currently in, you know, Wolverhampton currently in blah, blah, blah, wherever, you know, as we speak. And this is the kind of thing that we specialize in. So you see, that is the organic shift.
But if you show up talking to everybody. Hello, this is me. My name is Tavishima. I graduated first class and my specialty is immigration law. Here's my card. If you need an immigration lawyer, call me. And that's what you're doing all evening. You're going to end up being an irritant. So this is a much more organic way for how you get to, and I put it, slip your agenda into the whole thing. So remember, you show up appropriate greeting after appropriate greeting.
Explore some commonalities, explore some connection with the host. How do you know? So so so so the person who invited you guys or with the event, if it is a federal, federal government, old boys, federal government, college Obama, sure. Then you're exploring, you know, the event itself and and and the history. So OK, FGCN would set me I'm 1976. Which one are you? 01999 said Hey, yeah. Are you a small boy? By the time people graduated, I
was already working in central bank, you know, and there from there, you know, conversation was just low like that. But as you guys talk about personal and business talk, remember to take things from their own personal perspective. Eventually the chance to come for you to chook your own agenda and then the call to action or what you're trying to do is after this event, you're trying to call them up, go to their house, go to the office, have another meeting where you guys are talking.
So more detail about how you can help. So for those of you who are trying to sell our social events, you're a tech founder, you're whatever, you're an architect, you're a consultant, you're, I mean, the playbook is all the same. So the reason I'm making today's podcast is what that guy said is absolutely correct. You can't sell our social events. He just didn't say how. In fact, he's, he spoke about beating somebody yesterday at the club, but he didn't tell you when you go into the club, how do you put your business agenda on the table?
And this is how. And by the way, you have to be satisfied that it's not every single time that you're going to be able to get your agenda on the table. It's not every time. So sometimes you go out, you want to network, you want to do your business thing. It's not going to work all the time. In fact, when I sold insurance, there was one guy who specialized in, I can't remember the name of the insurance product, but it's one of these insurance products that have come up because, you know, the cost of burial in Niger is, is high, astronomically high.
In fact, when you hear that, you know, your uncle has died or pops, you don't die or something. The first thing that will grab you the first, you know, BP the first hypertension that would, that would get you be, hey, are we going to pay for this whole burial thing? So there are a couple of insurance products that have been designed by some Nigerian insurance companies that deal with this sort of thing. So there's a there's a beneficiary.
So forgive me, I'm not speak about in technical terms, so I don't misinform you. But basically, you know, you'd be dropping some small, small money and then unfortunately, you know, death comes also, God forbid. Well, unfortunately the time comes, you know, all passes. You guys took out a policy, you know, so they pay so that the money cannot be used to defray to cover the funeral costs. Now there was one guy in the office where I used to work who that was his specialty and the reason why I was his specialty was because the thing happened to him.
I think it was Popsy that died 1st and they were not prepared and so Popsy's barrier cleaned them out like it was terrible. So him now working in insurance is like this product is here, why shouldn't I take advantage of it? So they took the product and then unfortunately later on, Mumsy passed. Whatever Mumsy passed, the difference was clear. You know, they were not bankrupted because Mumsy passed. There was good money.
I was able to cover enough, enough of stuff. So he was able to talk about this thing from his own personal experience. And in fact, that was his own strategy. He used to like to go out drinking every single Friday, you know, with guys and it was part of his thing from drinking eventually. They will start talking about these sorts of things. And his personal story would always come in about Momsy Popsy and how this thing was so useful.
And of course, you know, now, Nigel, now none of us want to be irresponsible. We want to make sure that we bury our parents well. So if you hear that kind of thing, like, OK, I would like to know some more about that kind of thing. And I was that guy's shtick. That's how he used to sell that particular product very well, but he knew that he wouldn't always get the opportunities to have that conversation. So it's possible that he will go drinking for one month and not talk about the product one single time.
It's just one of those things. But eventually the time shows up where you have the opportunity to put your own agenda on the table. But yeah, the next time you had an event and you hear someone talking about how do I closing deals at the club and you're wondering how are people closing deals at the club? This is 1 possible way. How? All right, it's been 20 minutes. So let me bring today's podcast to a close. Remember, if you would love to connect with me, call, send me a text message or WhatsApp message on 08064662140.
Also remember we are getting ready for a series of trainings from the 12th of January to the 23rd of January 2026. If you are interested and you would love to learn how to sell effectively using the phone. So let's say now for instance, this whole club thing, you want to meet somebody at the club, so you have an acquaintance. How do you build the relationship over the phone? How do you nurture the relationship over the phone?
How do you agree that the hookup is going to happen in the club? How do you agree to do that on the phone when you're in the club and you guys have a nice meeting and you know, looks as if you guys are making progress and you might want to meet again after the club is over? How do you reignite? How do you continue the conversation? How do you continue to pursue the agenda over the phone? These are the sorts of things that we're going to be talking about in the course coming on the 12th of January to the 23rd of January, 2020.
Sixth, it's a paid course and it's going to be worth your while. It is not going to be a pre recorded thing. So there's no videos. It's me, I'm there. I'm live with you guys. Any questions that you have, I'm there to answer. And in fact, the whole point of me being there live is I want to be sure that we come up with protocols, we come up with frameworks, we come up with the next steps that will be particular and unique to your own situation.
That's the reason why I'm there. So would you like to learn some more about the training? Hit me up, call me, send me a text message, send me a WhatsApp message on 08064662140. If you're not interested in training, still reach out anyway because I like meeting people who listen to the podcast. So thank you very much for your time and attention. Again, thank you to those of you who've been supporting the podcast since day one and the people who found the podcast newly in 2025.
It's been an honor that you have. Let me be a part of your business development growth and your personal I be personal development. I be personal growth and you understand what I'm trying to say. It's an honor that you know, I've been a part of this journey either professionally or personally over 2025 and I'm looking to be to remaining as a significant part of your life for 2026. So subscribe to the podcast, reach out, let me know questions, comments, queries,
things you like, things you don't like, topics you'd like us to explore, reach out. And then if you're interested in the training, I'm available. Hit me up, let me know. Also, apologies for the noise in the background. For those who've been listening for the last week, you know that I'm in the villa. So I'm still in the villa. So all that noise in the background is the kids, cousins, uncles, you know, the aunties. It's hard to find a quiet place to record, you know, when you travel for these sorts of things.
Anyway, we thank our for 2025 and looking forward to a smooth 2026 as you crossover in a couple of days. So yeah, that's it. I'll be in touch some other time.