Level Up Your Career: Why Sales and Marketing Matter for Everyone

This morning on the podcast, I'd like to go through one activity that I have been well going through with employees of one of my clients. So over here on the podcast, if you've been listening for any length of time, you know that I keep advocating about how business owners, self-employed people, entrepreneurs, whatever it is that you call yourself, we need to have an information diet. We need to have some form of personal development regimen.

So yes, the usual stuff about physical fitness and mental health and everything, but we also need to have some form of learning on a regular basis where we're learning how to do the marketing function of a business. How do we let people know who we are? How do we let people know what we can do? How do we let how do we let people know our business exists, the problems that we solve, our product, our service can be useful.

So we need to be learning those sorts of things because you need to stay sharp. And So what I haven't done a good job of doing over on the podcast was also to stress that same training regimen for people who are employees of a business. So I've done a good job talking to the business owner, the business owner over the, you know, past couple of years, but I haven't been talking to the employees. And so recent episodes have been well, OK, well, some of the recent episodes have been directed towards employees and this is one of those episodes.

So it's continuing in that same vein about how and why employees need to take a sense of ownership and personal responsibility when it comes to their information diet and their personal development. Now, I stress this for a number of reasons. There are some people who don't want to do anything that is going to move Auger or Madam's business forward because there are some people who resent doing things that is going to make their orga a millionaire or they're Madame a millionaire,

but they are not going to become a millionaire in the process. And for the sake of argument, yes, I am going to agree that if you take responsibility for your personal development and you go out and get coaches or you go and look for learning material so that you can hone your craft, yes, I admit you will be making another person a millionaire and you won't be making yourself a millionaire. Well, in a sense, while for now the outside rewards might go to the business owner, those of us who are involved in the sales role of the business, for those of you who are tied to the outcomes, you'll see that you're going to be able to get a percentage of the pay.

And I know that for you, that is still not a good enough reason because you say that ultimately the chief benefit goes to the auger or the Madam of the business. And so for the sake of argument, let me just take it as a given and let me accept your premise. But there is one thing that you guys fail to consider. That is those of you who are refusing to make your auger or your Madam a millionaire. In refusing to make Olga and Madame millionaire, you are also impoverishing yourself Where you are today.

You're staying with Olga, you're staying with Madame. You're learning nothing new. You're collecting your salary, and that is the only benefit that you shall receive. So you can stay five years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years with Olga. OK, well, these days nobody stays 20 years. But the point I'm trying to make is this. You can spend a bunch of time with someone, whether it's a year or two years, and gain absolutely nothing but the salary that we have.

In that case, let's forget who wins, But obviously who is the person that loses. The person that loses is you. You are labour costs and since you have not tried to improve yourself in any way, you're replaceable. You can easily be swapped out. Olga will replace you with someone else, Madam will replace you with someone else and move on. The business still goes. This is something that we know and this is something that we see because we have, we all have that favorite shop, that favorite restaurant, that favorite whatever that we go to.

And you know, our usual server or our usual attendant is there one day and then one day the attendant is not and the business continues. So you're a label cost and you can easily be swapped out. So the very least that you can do while you're in this situation is try and improve yourself. Learn how to sell better, learn how to market better so that you can acquire skills that will go with you and that will help you to improve your own business or whatever it is that you do after you leave your employer.

So if you're Madame is Sandra Leia boutique boutique wares or whatever, do your best YouTube motivation podcast, whatever and learn on the job so that when you say I have had it and I'm no longer going to be under Madam Sandra Leah, I'm going to use my savings. I'm going to buy one small shop in the corner and then I'm going to open my own shop. At least while you're Madame Sandrailia and you tried improving yourself and learning.

Excuse me, You would have learnt some skills on how to have conversations with the customers, how to market to customers, how to attract them, how to negotiate with them, how to handle pricing, how to handle merchandising. If you spent two years with Madame Sandrailia in her shop and then you learnt all these things in two years, when you now open your own shop, you are starting a step up or several steps up because you've used Madame Sandrelia's business to practice whole bunch of stuff.

But if you say I will not make Madame Sandrelia a millionaire, I see her children travelling abroad and I resent that fact that it's my blood, sweat and tears that are making her children go abroad and study for masters. And you say that I will just show up at 8:00 and sit in the shop and then do nothing but be on my phone or watch Big Brother until 5:00 and then I clock out and then I leave. You are the one who is losing because the time is going to pass regardless.

You might as well spend the time improving yourself because of your Madame Sandralea for two years. The two years will pass regardless. If the two years has passed and you have learnt nothing and you haven't applied yourself in any way, you are the one who is Warsaw for it, for it. Because Madame Sandralea's children, we still go abroad and they will still do masters. She'll just swap you out. You're here today, tomorrow you're gone.

She'll get somebody else. It continues. Her and her children, they'll be fine. So the most selfish thing to do actually in this situation actually, is to look at yourself and see how you are improving yourself while you are with your current employer. Look for material, learn this podcast shouldn't be the only one that you're listening to. Pick a bunch of other stuff too. Once in a while on the podcast, I mentioned other things that are important, but I don't I'm not a specialist in like in my earlier series where I spoke about what else, like cash flow management, cash flow management, time management, all these sorts of things, you know how they're important in growing sales.

So I'm not a specialist in those sorts of things. So if I mention that and you think, oh, these are wonderful skills that I need to learn, get on Google, get on YouTube, check out the podcast, find more stuff like that and develop yourself as you develop yourself. Do it with a pen and paper. Write down some stuff that you can practice for free tomorrow or starting today, the day that you have learned it. So today's episode is in that same vein.

I'm speaking with the sales team for one of my clients, the three of them, and my time with them is coming to an end. So I've used the final week to try and see how I can get them into the habit of personal development because their personal they think they have a habit of personal development. But in my own opinion, it's it's 0. So for there's someone who attends seminars in the team, but The thing is he the last seminar he attended was two years ago attending seminars every two years that that's not really that's not really self improvement or personal development.

In fact, in the in the legal in the legal profession. Well, OK, I haven't been a lawyer for a very long time, but back when I was there and people used to talk about professional development and you know, stuff like that. At the very least, at the very least NBA conference, one year annual, you show up, there are different sessions, there's a business development committee, there's I think wasn't investment committee, there's Ethics Committee, there's, you know, different committees.

So at least once a year you show up and everybody learns something new and that's the law. You know, people say lawyers are not very forward thinking. So for lawyers that are not forward thinking folk, we expect that at least once a year you're doing something to improve yourself. So the matter, the profession that you're involved in, if you say you're doing something every two years and then because of that, you have a, a habit of personal improvement or self development, you're, you're deceiving yourself.

At the very least, let it be once a year. Now that was in the old days where if you wanted to improve yourself, you actually had to go someplace and then pay money because let's rewind the clock 30 years ago for the young lawyer, that was the only way you could learn. NBA conference is coming up. The NBA president and a bunch of other people have hooked up some seminar. So people are going to come and talk. So that's the only way you can do it.

You get on the plane or you get on the bus, you go to a nugu or you go to Lagos or you go to Abuja, wherever The thing is heading and then you go and learn. But now things have changed. So still do the NBA conference or still do whatever it is that you know, all the old school stuff, but now you have YouTube and now you have a bunch of other stuff and lawyers have been taking advantage of that. I've seen some people who are still in the profession, they are online learning services and libraries and things like that that people can access on the daily.

There's recorded seminars and all sorts of things that are available on YouTube. And so you can take advantage of this thing as well. Even if you work with Madame Sandra Leah, there's stuff on YouTube about what's it called merchandising, how to run an online store. In case you're interested in the online aspect of Madam Sandra Leah's business, you know, let's say you're more interested in how Madam Sandra Leah organises the Instagram handle.

There's lots of stuff there about how you set up your Instagram page engagements, creating contents, bleed generation over Instagram. There's, there's a whole bunch of stuff that you can be learning. So take advantage of that. Anyway, so like I said, I've been trying to get these people into a learning, learning habits, personal development habits, information, diet and all that. So what I recommended to the team was that they listen to a podcast called the Sales Influence Podcast by Victor Antonio.

Now, the reason why I recommended Victor Antonio's podcast to them was because Victor Antonio on average, his episodes are 10 minutes. And I'm dealing with some people who didn't have a sense of who didn't have these habits before. So if I say that they listen to my own podcast where episodes sometimes enter 3045 minutes, I've done a few that are over an hour that would be too much. So I just want something that is short, short, short, sharp,

sharp, sharp. Now, this team is based in Lagos, except for the very lucky few. Commute in Lagos is like 30 minutes. If your commute is short on average, I'll say commute is like one hour. As in going to work will take you one hour, coming back will take you one hour. So my assignment to them was take Victor Antonio's podcast. Each episode is 10 minutes. Make sure you listen to one, whether driving to work or driving from work, listen to it.

Pick any one of your choice. Make a note of what the fellow is saying. Let's hear what you agree with, let's hear what you don't agree with, and let's hear how you can apply it to your station in the Business Today. So that was my simple assignment, and that's all I've been doing for the last week. Yeah, almost the last week. And I'm glad that they've been having fun and we've been exploring all kinds of themes and it has lead to wonderful conversations with the team and opportunities for learning and exchanging ideas.

And that is something I'm going to recommend that you do in your businesses. For those of you who are business owners, I would like your consulting money. So if you pay me, yeah, I'll take it. But you can take podcasts like mine. I know one sales leader who does what she does. She takes 1 episode from my podcast that she likes. She now gives it to her team. She tells the whole team, everybody listen to it. Monday morning we're going to come and discuss.

And that's how they've been using my podcast. So yeah, I don't mind at all. Don't worry. Don't feel like you'll be ripping me off. Please do that. And like I said, it doesn't even have to be my own podcast. The other people that are out there, just go and search YouTube. Victor Antonio. I recommend Victor Antonio because each episode is 10 minutes long. You really have no excuse, especially for people who live in Lagos.

You can't say you didn't have 10 minutes driving to work or being in the bus to work or driving back from work or being in the bus from work. You can't say you couldn't find that 10 minutes. So let us try and instill this habit in our businesses. Business owners try and do this on a weekly basis. Pick one something, give it to them. All of you go and listen. Monday morning sales meeting. We're going to discuss, based on what we've seen, what are we going to apply to the Business Today?

How can I move it forward? You're developing them. You're developing your business. If your guy is not going to do this and if you're Madame is not going to do this, then do it yourself. Pick one. Listen or watch. If you're a YouTube person with a pencil and paper, write down the one that you know and that you can apply confidently and that you can apply for free. I keep emphasizing this free thing because sometimes people say, oh, this is a good idea,

but before I do this, I have to go and buy this or before I do this, I have to go and invest in that. That is just giving you excuses. So just pick the one that you can do conveniently for free. All the other ones that you have to buy something to go and do you know you'll get to that later. So you should be doing that yourself. If you're Olga or Madam is not going to do that for you because you won't be with Olga or Madam forever.

You're going to leave. You're going to set up your own business. Or your husband might set up a business and you'll be able to use the skills there to boost his business or your wife might set up her own business. And it looks as if this thing is moving. It makes sense for me to resign from Okochuku and Sons and then invest more time in this thing that my wife is doing because it looks like it's popping off. After all, this one is our own.

If I invest in this one, I'm able to double, triple the business. It is also that we'll enjoy and our children too can go to fancy school. You know, I didn't offend anybody. So why is it my own children that should suffer? You know, that kind of thing. So invest in yourself. You don't have to pay money. Podcasts are free, YouTube is free. Unfortunately, biros are now expensive. Last time I went to buy a Biro, I think was like, was it 200 or 300 now for a Biro?

I was shocked. Like since when the biros would come? Because how I get my barrels to be honest is, you know, I just go to my wife's bag and then I pull out the barrel and then that's it. I have a barrel. So since she was, you know, in exam phase, I had to keep home, she had to keep her own writing material. So when my kids messed up my barrel supply, I had to go and buy my own. So, you know, I was shocked. So yeah, unfortunately, yeah.

Barrel is like 203 hundred card. So by by row those flip jotters, there's still some not too good quality ones are less than 500 card. You know, just buy one or two of those and then that's it. You have your study journal and then start writing in it. In fact, just so you know that this thing is not theory, let me just share with you the last session that I did with these people. One of the videos that the ladies watched was 2 ladies and a guy, I can't remember the title, but something about 5

things to do and two things not to do when talking to customers. And then so that was that was from Victor Antonio's videos. And so the things that we ended up debating was Victor Antonio's prescription. So Victor Antonio says that when you're talking to customers, listen to understand. I keep on, it's something I've been happening on on the podcast. You listen to understand because it is only when you understand that you can make an effective proposal.

Now Vika Antonio, I didn't say that part, but this is me adding it. A lot of times I'm making proposals that fall on deaf ears because it is not relevant. I told you about the time when I wanted to go and buy. Well, actually my wife deceived me. She said we're going to go and buy clothes for the kids. I went there and I only budgeted for the kids and then next thing she's like, oh by the way, they have adult trousers, your trousers is old and blah, blah,

blah, blah, blah. So we started looking for jeans for me. So that's how my wife deceived me. Well, by the way, the jeans are real nice, very steady. So for me, I was concerned about buying a pair of jeans that is not going to split down the middle because everything I wear splits down the middle or splits down the armpit because, you know, I'm a big dude and I move around a lot. But this person kept talking about how this was high quality UK something, something,

something, something, you know, I don't give a hoot about stuff like that. I just want something that does not split down the middle. If the person was listening and paying attention, the person would have taken the proposal of the presentation from that angle. Like bro, this one doubly reinforced. They think it's not going to split down the middle at all. In fact, UK designers, this is how they all make their clothes,

you see. So instead of putting the whole UK thing on top, because there's some people that are impressed by that thing, that this is from UK, this is from Milan, That's what some people are after. I'm not at that level yet. You know, maybe one day I'll worry about those things. You know, is this thing from Milan, is it from Italy or is it from Egypt or whatever? So they should have made their proposal or the presentation that way.

Look, this one, see the double seam? See the double stitching? This thing is not going to tear at all. In fact, you see, the one that I'm wearing is the same thing. I'm a big guy just like you. You see the double stitching, This thing has not torn. I have worn it for the last six months. This thing is not going to tear. And by the way, UK brands, that's the reason why we recommend them blah, blah, blah, because you know, they don't tear this that that that, that the whole sales thing.

So listen to understand. When you understand you're going to be able to make an effective proposal or presentation. Victor Antonio also says pause and reflect. I recommend pausing and reflecting because you hear a bunch of stuff. Sometimes you need to think they think that this guy has said. This thing that this customer has said, which one makes sense? Which one is rubbish? And what's going to be my strategy next? So pause and reflect.

So I gave them a tip about how I pause and reflect, and that is by always having my pencil and pen always on hand. And I always tell people that, oh, I hope you don't mind making a note of some stuff because I don't want to forget the conversation that we've had. I want to be able to serve you properly. So I'm writing down stuff and then people don't mind while I'm writing. It's giving me time to pause and reflect. Victor Antonio also says ask for clarification.

And I also advocate for that, too. Ask for clarification. OK. If I heard you correctly, what you mean by that is this, this and that, that, that If the man now says, oh, yeah, you're correct, then good. You now know that you've understood him correctly. You can continue. And that can be a part of your presentation where the person says, young man, that is not what I said. Oh, by the way, that has happened to me. I asked for clarification.

And then the man looked at me and said, look, young man, that is not what I said. And then he now said, I said, oh, OK, I'm very sorry, Sir. OK, thanks. I think I understand now, blah, blah, blah. And he says, yes, very good. Now when you do that, you now know that you have missed the mark if you don't ask for clarification, like when that guy said, young man, this is not what I said. You continue as if all is well. Quarrel will now start in the future.

This is how quarrel starts in the future because you don't ask for clarification, you assume all is good. You assume you understood everything correctly and then that's how you start fighting on later and say, Bulgar, I thought you said so you don't ask now. Then he also Victor Antony also says ask open-ended and empathic questions. That's also something I talk about on the podcast and I've been telling members of the team, don't ask questions that people can answer.

Yes, no, or you know, all those wrong word answers. Ask open-ended questions, who, why, what, when, where, how, whom. You know, those questions need somebody to actually tell the story. You say, ah, Olga, what happened to your microwave oven? It asks that kind of question. The man actually has to say, well, the microwave was working on fine, but then my son took a spoon and put in the microwave. He decided to microwave a spoon and clay and the thing just sparked and now I don't know what happened.

So you see, you ask questions like that, you know, OK, what happened to your microwave? What happened? Who, why, what, when, how, whom? You know all those questions, they're best asked to answer with the story, you know? So open-ended questions give you all the information that you need to be able to make the right diagnosis and make an effective presentation. Now one part of the session and now turn out to be insightful was the don't part because Victor Antonio says don't interrupt.

And yes, I recommend that too. Please try because I know some customers can be very annoying. They don't know Jack and they're just talking OPT, they're talking off point, but don't interrupt. Just allow. It's hard, but just allow because if you interrupt, you're you're prolonging the quarrel because the person just wants to get stuff off his chest or her chest. You keep interrupting. You're prolonging this matter. Just keep quiet and let this person vent.

Let them let off some steam as they're venting. You will now be able to figure out like, OK, this is actually what is painting this guy or this is actually what is painting this girl. So you now know exactly what it is they need to address. So don't interrupt now. Victor Antony also says do not use a but in conversations with clients. Now that was something that the team disagreed with because the team they sell solar panels,

inverters, batteries, those sorts of things. They they push back on that. They said there are some situations where they have to say, but especially when the customer is wrong. But anyway, I don't want to argue with them too much. So I just, I just, I just freed them on that one. But this is the thing in normal parlance, in normal talk, whenever somebody's talking and then the person says, but the average person feels as if when the person said, but the person is now ready to speak his mind.

So only thing that the person was saying before the bot is just rubbish. The bot thing. Now this is the main, the main thing. So the person discards everything that came before. So if you want to say, oh God, this is a good choice. This is a good choice of inverter and this that, that, that, that, that, that. But you know, the person would say, oh, OK, the truth is now coming. So all the one that he said before was false.

So those are the reasons why some sales trainers like Victor Antonio, even me, I asked actually say that look, the bot thing like be careful, bot can put you in a lot of trouble. Please let's look for other ways. So what I told them to do was instead of saying bot so, so so I told them to ask a question. Have you considered? So somebody can say this and this and this and this and this. And that's the reason why I think this is the best.

You just say, oh, OK, Sir, have you considered that if you do this, so, so and so will happen? So that was something that we came up in the team. The one example that the lady was in charge of solar sails. You know, that's one of the things she brought up that somebody insists I don't want to buy 3.5 KVA inverter. But actually if you consider everything, 5 KV is the one that makes sense. So if the person says this, that, that, that, that 3.5 KVA,

but you have to do so also. Have you considered what will happen if you now switch on these four ACS at the same time on the 3.5 KVA and then you leave it like that and then you hear what the person has to say. That is how you're going to point out that OGA, if you switch on 4 ACS on the 3.5 KVA, you offload, overload the system inverter or backup batteries will get spoiled and you know, blah, blah, blah. So it's not by saying bot if you put bot, you're making the man or the woman turn out to be a fool.

But if you ask a question, have you considered, you know, it's a different thing, You're just suggesting like the ball is in your court, you know, it's your own money, but have you considered so? And it is almost 30 minutes. So let me just bring it to a close here. But you can see how this simple exercise, you guys go listen to this video as you're listening, make a note. What makes sense to you? What doesn't make sense?

The one that makes sense. What can we apply? You can see how you sit down, you have a 30 minute conversation. You are going to be developing your team. So business owners do that. If your guy Madam is not going to do that for you, do it yourself. You see that you're developing yourself so that when you leave your place of current employment, you open up your own shop and you are now selling your own inverters or your own diesel engines or your own whatever.

You will now have very solid sales process, customer service process, marketing processes, everything customer facing. So is the reason why I advocate, excuse me, this reason why I advocate these these sorts of exercises. So please doesn't have to be my own podcast, but just pick one aplenty on YouTube, get the paper, get a pen. The exercise is very simple. This thing I'm listening to, what is this guy saying? The one that doesn't make sense,

write it down. The one that makes sense, write it down. That one that doesn't make sense, go and talk to your colleagues. You never know, they might give you a different perspective, but for the one that makes sense, which one can I apply today for free that doesn't require me buying something or doing whatever? The one that you can do today, go ahead, do it. You want to be better off for it. And yes, it will be hard when your paycheck comes in, the money looks small.

And then you hear that Yoga has now sent his son for masters abroad. Yes, it will be hard and he will be paining you say ha ha. So it's my own blood, sweat and tears that is paying for these boys. Masters abroad. Don't look at that level. Forget the fact that Orga's son is doing masters, or that Madame's daughter just got married and they booked a hall in Leckie where they sat 5000 people or whatever. Don't, Don't look at all that one, just focus what's in it for you.

The one is that you're learning how that you're improving yourself so that when you leave and you're going to start up your own thing, you'll be starting from a step higher than other folks. So that's it for today. Connect me on WhatsApp, phone number is 08064662140. Country code is +234. For those of you who are not Nigerian, then connect me on LinkedIn. Best place for business, career development, personal development, you know all that good jazz.

The name to look for is Tavi Shima Agede. That's my name. I'm the host of the show. You can confirm the spelling of my name from the link where you're currently listening to this episode. If you're listening to this on YouTube. Then you look at the bottom, I think that's bottom left of the video. You see my name right there just above the the video title, podcast title. So that's it. Thanks for your time and attention.

I'll catch you guys at the next episode.