Managing Middlemen in Nigerian Business: Navigating the "Chief" and the "Connector"

Hello and welcome to the podcast. Today we're going to be talking about what to do when you're being forced to work with an intermediary in business. In other words, what we're talking about today is this. Sometimes you are in that situation where there are two or three parties in the middle of a transaction. You know, there is you, then there is the client, then there is a connector, the middle man, the middle woman, you know,

whoever it is that you want to call, whatever it is you want to call that person. And these situations can get tricky for a number of reasons and that's why we're going to be looking at it today also because there's one of my clients based in Lagos, they're in the business of content production and they are precisely in this situation. They are the ones who provide content production and there's a client who needs the service and there's somebody in the middle who has made the connection.

But this person in the middle won't just get out of the way. And of course, it creates problems. But you know how for, do you know we're Nigerians now. So it's just one of these things we have to deal with. Is this your first time listening to the podcast? My name is Tavi Shima Ayede. I am a former lawyer turned business consultant. I'm making today's recording out of about the kids are having cat keys and classes and I'm in the parking lot.

So expect to hear some noise in the background, whether it's instructors shouting or children running about or, you know, people just cleaning the compound. Well, then of course, there's a construction site right next to the church because there is another shopping mall coming up in Abuja, Everywhere in Abuja, shopping mall, shopping mall. So that was one of these things anyway. So of course, you know that we're not here today to talk about Abuja or my family situation.

So we're talking about what to do when you're being forced to work with an intermediary in business. Oh, by the way, if you'd love to get in touch with me, you can call, send me a text message or send me a WhatsApp message on 08064662140. So again, we are dealing with a situation where there are two or three people in this transaction in this business marriage, there's you, there's the client, there's the middle man, middle woman, the connector, the whatever.

So you are the person who has the product, you are the person who has the service. You are the person who is going to do fulfillment. Now, if you've been listening to the podcast for any length of time, you know that fulfillment just means carry out the work. So for my clients who are in the business of social content production for for businesses, fulfillment means when they actually design the campaign, when they actually execute the campaign.

Now for another client of mine who is in the solar space, fulfillment means when at the time actually comes to install the inverter equipment, install the battery, put the solar panel up on the roof, you know those sorts of things. So there is you and this is your responsibility. You have the product, you have the service, you're the one who does fulfillment. Then there's the client. The client is the beneficiary. The beneficiary is the person who is receiving the benefits of what it is that you are doing.

So the person on top whose house you go and put solar panel, that is the client. That also is the person who is paying the bills. Then there is the middle man, there's the connection, the connector, the person who made the introduction, the person who called you to say, oh boy, how far they say I'm good man, I'm good. So what in there now any better? The person say yes, so that you know, I met Chief so so and so and this and this and this and that and the guys saying one do solar.

That's the reason why I'm bossing you because you're the solar guy. No problem. Now hook me up now and a small thing. So what kind of houses is you know, blah, blah, blah. You start having the conversation. You tell the guy that and let me put you in a beg. Now just put me in touch with chief. Let me find out what chief wants. But in the middle man will start to you start now start to play funny. He won't give you chief's phone number.

He won't carry you to the office to go and see chief. Excuse me? The guy always wants to be in the middle. He won't put you in direct contact with the chief. And you know, we're in Nigeria, so we understand, you know the reason why the guy doesn't want to connect you directly to chief because he doesn't want you to go there and then secure a deal of like 50 M and then maybe by the time you finish, you now remove maybe like 500 K and then dash him.

No, no, no, no, no, no. He's not going to be happy with that, that for this kind of connection, how you give if I already came, the guy wants to be in the middle so that the end of the day he will say this is my 10% or this is my 20%. The middleman, the connector is looking out for his own pocket. He's not really concerned about chief. He just wants his own. He wants his own pound of flesh. So for those of you who find themselves in situations where there's a connector, there's a middleman, there's a middle woman, and then you begin to frustrate, like why are you getting frustrated?

Calm down. Where Nigeria, this is just how it happens. You have no interest. Chief has his own interest, this middleman has his own interest. So getting angry is not going to solve the problem. You can't wish these people away. In fact, when we're new in business, sometimes this middle man, this middle woman disconnect us. Sometimes they're a good way for us to enter into the business. So don't be angry. What we do now.

Well, what we're going to do here today on this broadcast episode, we're going to figure out how we can solve this problem. Oh, by the way, Speaking of solving problems, if you have 2345678910 business ideas, no matter how many you're trying to run all of them, but you're not making a single cobble with any of those businesses, then stop wasting your time. What you need to do is you actually need to reach out to me because I talk to people all the time who are facing these kinds of problems.

Talk to me so I can help you figure out which of these business ideas is the best one to pursue. After that, we're going to validate the business idea. We're going to show the one that there's actual demand for, that people are willing to pay for and the people are willing to pay well for. And then after that, we're going to come up with a come up with a selling system for you so that you can have regular revenue. So if you're in that situation,

you're juggling a bunch of ideas, you don't know how far, you don't know how to make this thing work, then reach out to me. I gave my phone number at the beginning of the podcast episode, but here it is again. It is 08064662140. So reach out to Bing unless here this help you get your business started in three easy steps. So back to what was saying now. So this whole connector, you know, hookup dynamic, The problem is whenever there is a somebody in between, it now becomes he said, she said, they said and that they said he said she said, You know, Kai, the is bad communication is Hanford.

The reason why it has a problem is because whether OK, let's look at these my 2 clients now. If you're in the solar space, there's something that you need to do, which is need analysis. A need analysis is a very technical thing. So if you're on the solar space, you actually need to find out what kind of house does Chief live in? What kind of roof does Chief has? Is the roof facing to the east or to the West? How many kind of solar panels can go on Chief's roof?

How many deep freezers does Chief want to power? How many TV's? How many fridges? How many this? How many that? Does Chief have children? Does Chief's children? Do they have maybe PlayStation 4 inside all of their rooms and this and this and that and that? What exactly is Chief trying to power the building that Chief wants to power? Is it an office or is it a residential something? If it is an office, what are the kind of things that they power?

Is it machines that are going on there? OK. If it's a residential or something, do people live there every single time of the year and is everything always on? I be is it just a holiday house that people come once in a while every two, two months and then they leave? So if you're on the solar space and your friend has got this kind of connect, now that's the problem. You actually need direct access to Chief because you need all this information direct and you need it quick so they can give them a quote or so that you can,

you know, whatever it is, you need the information quick, quick. Now when there's a middleman, he will slow things down. Communication will be happened because the middleman will have to talk to Chief first. Then Chief will now tell that middleman what's up. The middleman will now relate it to you. Now for any of us who have been in this situation, we know that it is not effective. In fact, it is inconclusive. Inconclusive just means we no goofy conclude because the middleman will always forget one or two things that have very,

very serious implications about how how we do this job, about the kind of quote that will drop or about the kind of configuration that we use. Now putting the solar panels on top of the house. So all these kind of middleman whatever always causes serious quarrel. Now, the reason why it causes squirrel because expectations are all clear and The thing is, if chief has told your middleman what's up, the middleman no relate time to you in a very clear way and then he's busy going forward this problem, you think your middleman is going to say chief no vex namir fob.

The middleman will throw you under the bus. And that's all reasons why these things are very, very frustrating because for you, you're just trying to do a job and collect your money. But in this middleman, he's there and he's just frustrating everything. He's frustrating chief, he's frustrating himself, he's frustrating me. Now when expectations are unclear and when obligations are OK like this, this is is not the best.

This is not the best way to talk to a potential customer, to be talking to that customer through the person. But remember what I said, the reason why we have this impasse, the reason why we have this breakdown is because the first guy that is hooking you up, his own concern is he wants his Commission or he wants his appreciation or he wants his payment, he wants his money, whatever it is that we call it. And then also sometimes people are guarding relevance and social currency, you understand?

So if you need to get to President Tinobu, for instance, there are some people who will never give you direct access to the president because that is their relevance, that is their social currency will always be a matter of OK, you want to pass a message to the president, tell me, I will tell president, Whatever president says, I will tell you. So these are the reasons why some people want appreciation or they want Commission.

Other people are trying to preserve their relevance and their social current currency. Now, what is the solution since we've been able to spell out what the problem is and remember what I said, solution is not to get angry, at least not now. It is the first time you're jamming it. Don't get angry. What we need to do is we need to have some very, very frank conversations. Excuse me, Obviously you can't have a frank conversation with Chief because the guy has not given you the direct access to Chief.

So the first thing you do when you have a connector like this, who is looking at his own pockets, looking at his own appreciation. OK, well, women too are in this situation. In fact, if you're dealing with a woman, if I let me not talk, let me not talk, at least if it's a guy, you'll be able to say I'm a guy. How I'll be able to talk to one or two things. But it was a woman, she'll be like, so because I'm small, you think you can do me like this thing that do me like that?

She will now double down. You'll now be in the worst situation. So sorry, I'm not trying to feel sexist, Say anything sexist. You know, I'm just being real. You know, usually women in business in this part of the world, they actually have to be more was that word. They have to be more unlabuted, you know, like they have to take a stand so that nobody will say and a woman will don't like this. No dorm like that. So I should need to stand firm.

So I'm just saying that, you know, sometimes or knowingly we trigger one or two things. I've been in that situation and I was talking to a lady and I wanted to give them some suggestions about some of the campaigns that we're working on. So I said, oh, Madam, did you consider this? Madam, did you consider that? And I didn't realize that every single time I said Madam, Madam, Madam Rumor was taking it as a jab or as a court, you know,

trying to be respectful. But every single time I said Madam Rumor was taking that me, I was, I was jabbing her, you know, like calling her Madam when she's not really like as if like I'm abusing her or calling her authority into question or something like that. But honestly speaking, I was just trying to be respectful if I'd have left my lesson because since then, there are a couple of women who have told me do not call me Madam.

And I have to say, oh, sorry, sorry, Ma, no, Vex. I'm just trying to be respectful. What would you like me to call you? And I'm still working on it because there's some people who say, no, just call me Alice. And I'm like, Madam Nina, Jawe do if people see us outside and I'm saying, Alice, how are you doing? Like they will slap me like you're my mom's age, mate. I can't be saying good morning, Alice, so I can't. So sometimes I try to get around it, you know, I say my once in a while, maybe I say auntie or something.

And some people that the thing still causes quarrel. My wife has said was your own. If she says call her Alice, just call her Alice. Anyway, maybe maybe one day I'll have the liver look at my mom's age, mate, and I'll say, oh, good morning Alice, how are you doing? How are the children? Anyway, let me move on. So we need to have a frank conversation now without middle man or that middle woman. Now, first of all, since these people are just worried about themselves, themselves,

themselves, we have to play into the whole thing. I know some of you won't like it, but hey, that money will be fine. You know, when you have an obstacle, we have to go through it somehow. If based on principle, you don't like doing these things, then just hashing, just hashing like somebody else talking to, I can't remember. The guy said he would never call anybody bigger Bros. So OK, no problem. You don't want to call people bigger Bros.

It's not as if it's compulsory. But you know, there are times that, you know, it's Niger that we just do one of those things, Say senior man, I heal you. What's going on now is money you're looking for, you know, say anything, get out of the way. I'm not saying go on grovel. I'll never recommend any of you should grow up anyway. Let me just keep going. So first of all, now they only care about themselves and no problem.

Let's continue. So first of all, you thank the person you acknowledge the person you say. Guy, I appreciate you because if not because of you, I cannot get this kind of connect at all. Thank you very much, my brother. Thank you very much, my sister. You put that one out there, you know, you smoothen their ego and even if you think you could have gotten this job without them, as far as they're concerned, they're the ones who are the alpha and the Omega.

They're the ones who are the way. They're the ones who are connecting you to, to, to, to eternal life. So it doesn't matter what you think. So let's just get this over with, Bros. If not because of you, if I don't get this kind of connects like how, how for no presidency, my guy, I appreciate you. Then you now move straight into intentions. You tell the person, now look, say Bros, see this situation away. Now I want to do a very good job here because this kind serious contract like this, I don't want to rubbish your own reputation.

I don't rubbish my own reputation. Because if if we don't handle this thing well and I rubbish your reputation, who knows how we'll see this kind of opportunity again. And then like you're my guy now, like you've you've you've tried to hook me up on this thing. So no, how, no, how. I can't solve your own reputation. I can't. I want to do this thing. Well, so that chief will come back again, presidency will call us again so that they can give us good business, good contract again.

So, you know, at least before presidency, you know, let's say this in no workout, at least this year we'll chop one contract. Next year we'll chop one contract. You didn't know. Enter. No problem. At least we don't chop 2. But how you tell the person the intention will be like, look, I don't want to mess this thing up because I don't want to spoil your reputation and I want us to be able to get good money again. So that's how you set the scope of the conversation.

That's how you lay down the intention. Eventually you have to start talking about money expectations because remember, whether we like it or not, money and social relevance are the root of these whole things. So there are two ways of going about it. When it comes to sales. I've told you guys about how for me, I like to set the expectations. There's some other people who prefer to try and tease out what the other person's expectations are.

You know, either way is fine. So in this case, you can try and tease out the other person's expectations. You say, you know, Bros for this kind of thing, you know, I suppose greet you whenever you don't finish. So she if I bring 10%, you know, go bad. Put it like a question. This is the beginning is the opening salvo is just the beginning of you haggling. But start off with whatever is customary in your trade. So like, OK, guys I'm working with right now is based in Orca.

He does real estate. So for that particular part of the world, the lawyer collects 10%. So if you are talking to the lawyer and you tell the lawyer that you give him 5%, you're insulting him. So if the lawyer normally collects 10% and the lawyer is the connector and you tell him and you tell him that you tell him 10%, you know that is not an insult at all. You're recognizing what is customary. The lawyer will now say, what do you mean 10%?

That 10% is my official something. We have to put something extra because I'm the one who introduced you to him. They will now start jumping back and forth, whether it's 15% or 20% or whatever is customary, start from there. But you can see how you know, you ease into it. You know, oh, when this thing is over, I'd like to greet you. So if I come like this, would it be OK? But either way, we started discussing these things upfront.

When you discuss these things upfront, these are some of the things that make people relax. Like, OK, this person that I'm connecting that I'm bringing in or this deal is not a greedy bastard. The guy who shines me, the guy will try and run away, The guy will try and corner, you know. So these are the things that make people relax when we start discussing these things upfront, money expectations. If you don't discuss these money expectations upfront, expect that this middleman, this middle woman, we still want to stand firm in her place between you and between chief or between president or between senator or between whoever.

He or she will stand firm. When you start discussing these things, people can now start relaxing, they can start shifting because they can see that you're a serious person, you are mature somebody you know what's up, you know, you know, game, recognize game, you know what's going on, You're not trying to be too quick. So discuss these things upfront. These are the kind of things that give people confidence. So they will say, OK, here's Chief's phone number, but never you call chief, only WhatsApp message or no problem, let's go and see chief.

But never you go there on your own, only when two of us are together. When you get to that level, you know it's better than he said. She said, oh, I spoke to chief, Chief said this. Chief said that at least this one, when you're on WhatsApp level with chief, you can ask directly or when both of you go house to the house together, you can go directly. Now that is when you try and tease out what the person is thinking whether that 10% is good or not.

Now there are some place, there are some people like my mom see for instance, because she was a marketing executive. And of course, you know like I said now Niger we day is just one of those things. So it doesn't matter when you started, whether you started your career in the 80s or you started into business in the 2000s is something that will not go away. So I've seen my mom see in those kind of situations before. I've seen it.

And I'm sure that for people who entered business, you know, 2-3 decades before, my mom see was the same thing now. So that's some people like my mom see who come forward and say, oh, how can I say thank you? And they put the ball in the person's court also. Because sometimes when you put the ball in the person's court, you know, they're reasonable. Somebody, how will I put it? You know, their sense of shame will take over and they won't call something that is too high anyway.

But these are just two general approaches. But we can't run away from the fact that, look, this middleman, this middle woman, she wants something. We both know that he or she wants something. The sooner we start talking about what this something is, what constitutes this something? What is this efficient something? We can get people to start to relax on one or two things. Who knows, if you conduct yourself well, who knows, you might even get the phone number.

And they say, oh, you know what, just whenever I need to call Chief, call him. Whenever I need to see Chief, see him, just keep me updated. You never know. So in fact, this update is also another mistake that some of us make. Now, whether somebody says they want something or they don't want something, it is just good business practice, whether in Nigeria or America or in the Netherlands or in Antarctica, it is just good practice to regularly update people.

Any referral just be updating somebody. Somebody gives you a referral and they tell you 10% be updating them when things go on. Somebody gives you a referral and they say no, I'm just doing it because, you know, I'm a Christian. No, don't give me Commission. I don't need Commission. No problem. Whatever the terms, make sure that you update the person. Update the person just means you give the personal phone calls or you give the person text message at major milestones.

So when you establish contact with chief, update this person, say, bro, what's up now? And that chief where we discussed last time and I finally called him today, update him. If Commission is on the line. That's the kind of thing that make the middleman feel at ease, like, OK, this guy is not going behind my back. If there's no Commission on the line. It's the kind of thing that make this person feel at ease, like, oh, OK, he's taking my referral seriously.

So phone call, SMS, WhatsApp are the major milestones. When you establish contact, give them update. Whenever you visit Chief, give them update. If you and Chief have gone for physical inspection, give them update. If you went to Chief's house, since we're talking about solar and you climbed on the roof and you did measurement and everything and you can fit 50 solar panels there, give the connector update. When people are at the contract stage, at the proposal stage and you're talking money, give the guy update.

When Chief makes a payment or a deposit, give the guy update. If there's any quarrel, you and Chief are quarreling, there's any set back, give the guy update. When you have started doing fulfillment, you started doing partial delivery, you started doing installment, give the guy update the connector any which way, always loop the connector in. It is just good practice anywhere in the world. It is good practice if I connect you to somebody else, whether I

ask you for appreciation, I don't ask you for appreciation. It's just good practice. When you call the person you say oh tavish most up now or that guy finally called the personal, this how it went. Oh, OK, if I didn't ask for anything good, it's not a problem. You're updating me. You're showing me that you are a professional and that you're taking the referral seriously. But either way, always update if commissioner is on the line.

These are the kind of things that make the person relax and don't be afraid, especially in Nigeria. One reason why it's very, very important is because let's say commissioners on the line and you go, you do update. Somehow, somehow the person we hear because it's a, you know, it's a small world, it's a small world. Any which way you connect all here the owners are thinking, I was thinking Tavishima is a correct guy. I made this introduction to him.

He now went to go and see Chief behind my back. Meanwhile, it was not like that. It's not as if you're sneaking around. So let him know because whether he like it or not, he will hear it's a small world. He will hear that you went. Then there's some other things that we can, what was I going to say now? So I lost my train of thought. So anyhow, sure. So we always keep this person up to date. Then for all these things that I'm suggesting, you know, these conversations that you have with the person about the money or when we get to the point of talking about how this thing is not working out for you, you always have to explain things from their own point of view.

That's from the connector's point of connector's point of view. And I already gave an example. So how what you're trying to basically what you're trying to say is that look, all these things that I'm saying, all these things that I'm suggesting or all these changes I'm recommending is because I don't want to mess you up and I don't want to mess chief. If you come at it saying this thing does not profiting me. This thing is not benefiting me.

This thing is not good for me. Now not be an easy conversation. So it's not me, me, me, me, me. Yes, you're looking out for yourself, but to make this conversation easy or pretend that we're coming from their own point of view. So it will always be you, you, you and chief, chief, chief or presidency, presidency. So you say, bro, I appreciate disconnect. But then you now have to be honest. Like bro, no vex. But I guess to be honest with you, you know, this back and forth is making me slip on a few things.

Because you see now this chief's house, you know, based on this back and forth, that's how I didn't know that his roof pan, his roof pan is so, so and so I thought the thing will carry only 45 panels, but meanwhile, there's space for 51. Then based on the power consumption and everything, you see that this system that is now on paper is not going to be enough to power chief's house or to power his office or to power his factory.

So you tell your boy to turn that. Look bro, if we continue like this, I will end up rubbishing you. If I don't do it well, I will rubbish you. And I don't want to rubbish you. I don't want to disappoint Chief. I don't want to mess up this opportunity because you're my guy. I appreciate you. So it is now that you now make me ask You see, bro, I beg. Next time you're going to go and see Chief. Can I come with you? Let me go and see him.

Of course, you know, remember to soothe their mind because they're afraid. They don't. You had to hijack everything. So next time you're going to go and see Chief, can I follow you? But don't worry, when we get there now only the technical aspect I'll be talking. Anything will concern money. I'll leave it to you. My own is I'll just talk to technical something when we go outside. And you and Chief, you can carry the money thing on your own.

So that's where you now make your proposal. Next time you're going to go and see Chief, can I follow or boss? It will help if the next time you want to talk to chief, can we do group call or WhatsApp or can we do group meeting on Zoom? Then you'll explain to the guy the rationale that look, and once me and Chief are talking directly when it comes to the technical something or the technical something, you know, the panel on the roof, the number of battery, the number of gas worker, number of TV, number of AC.

When we're on that level, I will now know exactly what Chief needs so I can make him happy. And once Chief is happy with this system I provide, it will be sure for us, it'll be sure for you, be sure for me so you can see how you're making the something, you're making this, the suggestions you're trying to make, the change you're trying to make. You're not trying to say this is frustrating me. It is difficult for me. It is impossible for me to work under this condition.

It is not me, me, me, me, me. It always be him, him, him, him, him and Chief, Chief, Chief, Chief, Chief, you know the prospect. So always from the own point of view. And Please remember, please, Please remember these people who are standing in the gap, what they're looking for is their Commission. A lot of times some people are looking for social relevance. So always assure this person who is the connector that you are only going to be discussing scope or outcomes with the client.

You will always leave money conversations to the other person. Start like that as a proposal. You never know. Some people who say Oh no no, no, Tavishma is OK now I trust you. It's OK. Even if it's money, discuss money with chief. Just let me know what's going on. But sort of like that said, I look, when I'm with chief, I will only discuss the technical requirements. I will only discuss the scope of the project. I will only discuss the outcomes of the project.

Tell the person like that, oh, that when I follow you and when in front of the President, I will only discuss the technical requirements of the project. When we are done and we leave, I will leave you to discuss money with the president or with the vice President or with the governor or with the Speaker of the House of Reps you know, with the whatever. I will leave all the money conversations to you. A lot of these connectors are only concerned about their share of the money.

So start like that. So going ahead, here are some simple suggestions how to give those of you listening who are new in the business. If you find a connector that is easy with all, by all means continue. Continue. If it's easy, continue. Don't look at the Friday. Your profit margin is small now just continue 1st until you know the lay of the land, until you know what's up, until you know your left from your right. Just continue and be happy that you find the connector that is easy to work with, because if you ask anybody, it's noise at all.

What would all these middle men is noise. Now, if the connector is easy to work with, but the Commission is too high, no problem, try and renegotiate. But after you do like two or three jobs first, because remember, I'll say you're trying to land the lay of the land. And then if you're doing two or three jobs with a guy, you know, it shows in good faith that you're trying to be, Allah put it, reasonable, appreciable. Also, you don't even know the quality of what this connector is.

So I say two or three jobs because it will give you a sense of, oh, this guy, I'm going through all this stress, He's collecting 30% from me. Isn't the clients that he's bringing his own sweet self. That person now know they can get away. You can leave that person. But if you see that, OK, this guy is asking for 40%. But every single time the person brings jobs, it is correct Jobs that even though you don't benefit in money, at least the fact that your name is associated with this and this and this project, you know, it's still good for you.

You know, that's why I'm saying that if the Commission is too high, but the person is easy to work with and try and negotiate. When you're negotiating. Renegotiating remember what I told you guys you start off with bro I appreciate you you know I respect you know thank you very much for the hookup unfortunately Bros you know my margins are really tight and if. This spread is too. Small I will not be able to maintain quality when we get to bigger and bigger contracts.

So bro, the reason why I'm constrained to start talking these things because I don't want quality to sleep when we start moving on to bigger and bigger contracts or I want to be able to maintain after service and warranties and this and this and this. Well move to bigger and bigger jobs because if I F up on this one it will spoil the possibility of other ones coming to us. So that's how you level with the get. By the way, in case you have not figured this out because some of you are not sharp, you won't get it.

This is not the kind of conversation that you have over e-mail. Please, this is not. The kind of conversation that you have over e-mail. In fact, let me repeat, this is not even the kind of conversation that you have over WhatsApp message. If you're going to call this kind of connector to renegotiate this thing, it had better be face to face. Go and see him in the house. Go and see him in the office or when he passes by your office,

your house, your studio, you know, your workshop, your whatever. You know you have the conversation face to face because when you are texting these things back and forth, there is a lot that gets lost in translation. There are some things you would type that the guy we think what the hell, how is this small boy being so rude that where did he come from? We can give and this kind of liver to be telling me this kind of thing.

It happens, it happens. This Madam, Madam conversation I was talking about, it was through text. I was texting her to say, oh, Madam, what about this Madam? What about that? I didn't know that. Every single time I put Madam, this thing was just jabbing her. I typed, Madam, she'll see a jab. I typed, Madam, she'll receive a stab. But meanwhile, I was trying to be respectful. If it was face to face and I was saying, oh, Madam, what about this Madam?

What about that? She would have seen that. Oh, OK, this guy is trying to be respectful. Then she would have said, oh, no, no, no, Tavishma, That's that's unnecessary. Call me Alice. So this kind of. Conversation please. This is not the kind of conversation that you send e-mail. In fact, if you send e-mail to, if you try and have this conversation over e-mail, forget it. I think you have burnt, you have burnt the you have finished the relationship.

The guy is not calling you again. Text, text message or WhatsApp. You stand a better chance. Well, please, where possible, face to face. In fact, amongst my own people to teach. People, you know, people believe that is that there's some conversations that you have to wait, like even if the person is in another state, there's some conversations that you wait until you go and see the person face to face. So, you know, like when when my father was still alive and I

used to follow him is something I used to see someone would have said, no, we haven't seen you in a long time. No happen. You say that, Chief, that the reason why is because there's nothing that's been on my mind and it's not the kind of thing that you talk on the phone. So I say I will call and I will come here and I'll see you face to face and say is it like that? Said chief is like that was OK, no problem. If it's like that, please excuse us and let's go inside the office.

Let's go and talk. So if it's that kind of thing, then let's say the person is in Plateau, you're in Abuja. When you're in Plateau, when you have time, you know, you drive down there and then go and have this conversation. Do not send e-mail. Do not send, do not send e-mail at all. It's against, it's against the rules. Don't send e-mail. Let's say you are tight and you want to send WhatsApp. OK, I'll manage. But please, face to face is best.

Or phone call. Don't use text. Let's see what else. Another thing, when you're having this conversation, be prepared to walk away. Be prepared because there's some people who will not move and there's another person I'm working with right now who's in the Web development space. The middleman refused to move. The middleman said, I understand all the things you're saying, but this agreement that we've entered, forget it.

We entered at 5050. I will collect my 50%. Forget it. I'm not moving nowhere. Even 45% no go moves. I will move 46 No 48 no 49 No, it must be 50. But Bros like, yeah, I'm giving you 50%, but you know that if the margins are small, how will I pay web hosting, How will I pay this? How will I pay this? How will I pay this? The guys say I understand, but I know they move so that some people who are like that. So in that situation, now you can't be.

Bluffing. Anyhow, be prepared to say, Ah bro or Sir or Madam Abe no vex this one don't pass my power. This one not pass my power. So be prepared to walk away when it comes to that situation. Now there will always be quarreling business when? Situations like this were declared to everybody that you are open and you are respectful, you did all you could do. Once again, No, nobody will begrudge you. The funny thing is, these kinds of connectors are only concerned about the money.

The moment you move, they will find somebody else and they'll be fine. So don't worry, don't worry, be ready to walk away. Be ready to walk away if the connector is difficult. To work with thoroughly difficult to work with. Then, in my own opinion, don't even wait for the second job. After this first job debrief. And then in debrief you say thank you very much, Bros. Thank you very much, Sir. Thank you very much, Ma for the hookup.

I really appreciate it. And then so I hope the everything was cool for you. The money was OK for you, Abby. Good. Good. The client is happy, Abby, there's no problem. They didn't call back. They didn't do this. OK. Then you know, so I brought over a bit. Can we change XYZ terms next time? Because it is affecting my quality control, is affecting the timelines, it's affecting fulfillment. You will continue like this for the next one.

Unfortunately, you know you will now look bad on you. It will now mess you up. And you know it will mess up our ability to be able to get more and more contract like this. So I need to make sure that quality control is tight. I need to make sure after sales service is tight if we continue like this bro I can't guarantee that I won't make mistake and I won't rub issue and I know our rub issue. How far can we change XYZ now?

If the connector is smart, he'll keep you. But I told you that there's some people who are unreasonable. Like this particular situation where for my clients, the guys say I know they move 50% and I am not moving, guys say on my 50% I stand. The guy tried his best that look. See, I'm doing web maintenance, I'm doing this, I'm doing this. If they call us for customer support and I need to hire more team like, you know, for me it will now be minors and I can't continue in the minors.

You know, say I don't marry, It's not like before, but the guys say it's not moving. Some people are like that. Ready to walk away, we connect only. Once it's money, any which way you'll be fine. The summary of what I'm saying is this. If you're in a situation where you can't do effective need analysis with the client, you can't talk to the client one-on-one just for need analysis, just for need analysis and none, there are going to be too many surprises.

Then there'll be frustration for you, there'll be frustration for the client. So we're trying to look for ways to exit the situation so that we can have direct connections with the customer at least for need analysis. At least if the connector allows you to do good need analysis and the margins are good for you, continue. The reason why I'm recommending that is because sometimes, like I said, sometimes these people open doors for us to enter into an industry.

You now get a reputation in the industry. After a while, some people will start calling you direct. Is normal about what I? Used to do because of somebody. Who made connects for me in the NGO space, in fact, anyway, let me not go into detail. The person made some connects for me in the NGO space. You know, after all people started calling me direct. What I now do was, hey bro, what's up now? Yeah. About social sound. So event say Oh no, I didn't hear say OK when they reached out to me directly.

I don't say I should, I just I should let you know. We say they reach out to you directly. So yeah. So, OK, so how far now should be actually still send over you know? So I sent over one or two things. But after a while I was like, no, no deed, it's OK, it's OK. I appreciate that you are honest with me. I appreciate it. You know that calling you now direct, you know, it's no big deal, no need to even be updating me anymore.

And then? That's how that one, you know, ruled. Out Bosher, I stuck with you for a while even though I was giving up more than half. Yeah, I know some of you busy half and one or two of you slapped me, but for me, that's what I was just thinking. Now look, I need to enter into this place first. I need to understand what's going on this industry. How is it like? How much do people even charge? Who are the players? You know, so I needed to know.

What's up? So, so long as the margins were manageable for me, I needed to just enter and see the industry and then match, match ground first. Eventually people started calling me, cussing about it when we're on site. Who would they see? Is it the connector? It's me? No, when there's a. Problem I am talking to somebody's. Boys who the boys report to the connector or me. After a while, people kind of got the point that when you call, OK, let's just call the guy's name Jigger, but that's not your name.

After a while, people figured out that any single time you call Jigger establishment UC. So after a while, people started calling intervention man. So it's just one of these things. Anyway, let me wrap it up. Wow. OK, this is almost 45 minutes, OK? So I hope those of you listening have been able to get a lot of value out of the things that we have discussed so far. And if you have any questions, any comments, any queries, you can call me, send me a WhatsApp message or a text message on 08064662140.

Also, like I hinted at at the beginning of the show, if you have two 3/4 business ideas, you're not making a single couple on any of them. Reach out to me. Let me help you solve the problem. I can coach you. To make sure that you. Pick the business idea that is right for you, then we will validate the business idea so we can be sure that the market is willing to pay for the product or willing to pay for the service and pay the price that will make sense for you so that you can reinvest back into the business.

And also there's something remaining so that you can flex, although the flexing part might come later. Just letting you know then we will. Also create a selling system. So that you can keep people coming back happy, let them give repeat purchases and also so that they can make referrals. So don't stay confused because you. Have two 3/4 business ideas reach out to me let me coach you through this thing and let's make sure that we set you up right for business success so that you start your business in three easy steps even though I'm saying.

Easy. Don't be some hard work. Involved. Don't come and say because I said it was an easy step, that there's not going to be hard work. There's always hard work involved, but you know, because of marketing, you know, sometimes we'll say this one easy, this one easy. All right, anyway, so let. Me stop there. Thank you very much for. Your time and attention. I will catch you all some other time.