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Hello and welcome to the show. Sorry about the noise in the background. That's because we're still in the villa. Like I said, mumsy hassle over here. But the neighbour has been running generator non-stop and that's because NEPA has been absolute crap. Yeah and Makuti. So it's just one of these things. I hear that some of you are also dealing with Napa issues, you know, pie issues in different parts of the country. You know, the usual exclusive excuses, dry season, no water in the dam, blah, blah, blah.
So I guess which is why for those of you who can afford to, if you can afford to hook up your house with solar, might not be a bad idea. You know, Speaking of solar, I'm going to do a series in 2025 that's in the new year about a solar company, an alternative energy company that I did some consulting work with earlier in 2024. And they are Crimson Power. I just saw in Business Day that they've been awarded a huge contract for providing a mini grid somewhere in Ogun State.
And mini grids are think about it like a solar project, but on a much more larger scale where you instead of trying to hook up one house, you're trying to hook up hundreds of houses or thousands of houses at the same time. So that'll be something that we'll talk about in the in the new year, just me talking about the former client and then also trying to expose you guys to some of the developments that are going on in Nigeria when it comes to infrastructure, power development and all these sorts of things.
Anyway, today's episode is not going to be about power, but today we're going to be looking at networking ideas for business growth. Now, the reason why we're going to be looking at that is because of some ideas that I've been throwing around recently. The last couple of episodes concerning a company that we shall call ABC Decor. They're an actual company, but not a client of mine because talks didn't progress that far.
And since I don't have the fellow's permission to talk about him or his company in in detail, that's the reason why I'm using the fictitious name ABC Decor for an actual company that is not my client. But we ended up doing some having some conversations around strategies that would have helped to strategies that they could have explored for business growth. Now, if you'd love to connect with me and explore opportunities, the number to reach me on is 08064662140.
The country code is +234. For those of you who are not Nigerian, then you can connect with me on socials. I'm on LinkedIn and establishing my idea. I'm closing down the other accounts, so don't bother following me there. So on previous episodes where we explored my conversations with the folks behind ABC Decor, remember what they do is material decorations and space management. Yeah, space management. That's what they do.
So in the previous conversations that I had with them and in the previous episodes that I've made over here on the podcast that we have explored, we have looked at what is an ICP that is your ideal customer profile, why the ideal customer profile is important and how to use your trading history, how to use common sense and also how to use artificial intelligence to figure out who your ICP, your ideal customer profile is, who the ideal person you should be running after to do business and you know, hopefully the most profitable segments of people that you should be doing business with.
So we've tackled all that in the previous episode. So if this is your first time of listening to the podcast, after you're done listening to this episode, skip back a couple of episodes, you know, 3-4 episodes and you're going to get caught up to speed. You'll find out who ABC. OK, well, I didn't talk about that. I didn't identify the company, but you discuss, you will hear some of the discussions around strategies for business growth that we explored, that we would have explored for ABC Decor.
And the first one was the ICP. The ICP is just trying to figure out who are you supposed to be chasing in the 1st place. Because if you're going to start any sales or marketing thing and you're running after everybody and anybody, but you don't have a clear sense of who you're supposed to be running after. You're going to be wasting time. You're going to be wasting money, you're trying going to be wasting attention. You're going to be wasting all kinds of resources on running after people who are not going to become profitable customers at the end of the day.
So today we're going to start the conversation on prospecting ideas. And the first prospecting idea that we're going to look at is networking. So yeah, so that's it. That's what we're going to talk about today. Now before we go into prospecting ideas and networking, we have to define what prospecting is. That's for those of you who are first time listeners of the show. Now we hear prospecting that's just any strategy or any execution that has to deal with looking for people who might need your product or service or who can afford your product or service.
Those are the conversations that we have and those are the ideation and the strategy that we do. Whenever we talk about prospecting or trying to figure out who has a need for my product or my service, where can I find them in the real world or, or online? And then how do I go about starting conversations with them? Those are the kind of things you worry about when it comes to prospecting. And I hope you guys can see that these things are central to a successful sales or marketing campaign because you need to know who are we even chasing after in the first place.
So we need to know all these things. We need to have a sense of an ICP first of all. And then we can now come up with the prospecting plan. So those are the ideas that we're going to be discussing this next couple of days. So one of the ideas that we explored in the previous episode is how you can use networking as a tool for prospecting. So remember, prospecting is basically we're trying to figure out who has a need for my product or my service, Where do they hang out?
Where can I reach them? One of those tools that we explored in previous episodes is networking. So you can use networking to try and figure out who has a need for my product or my service. Where can I find them? How do I start conversations? How do I build partnerships? You can use networking to answer that question because networking is good for client acquisition. You know, talking to people, attending seminars, you know,
things like that is good for finding clients. It's also good for meeting stakeholders and it's also good for meeting channel partners. Now, those of you who are new to the show, you're going to ask, what's the difference? Client, stakeholder, channel partner? Why these big words? No problem. I will define the big words. A client is just somebody who has paid you money in the past and who is paying you money now and you hope will pay you money in the future.
So you can use networking to find someone who's going to pay you money today, pay you money tomorrow. And stakeholders are just players in the industry, different people who are out there. So you can use networking to meet other people who are in your industry who might be important people for you to have partnerships in the future. Now China partners are just people that you can get in partner with so that both of you can chase customers together.
So back to the wedding photographer example, because that's where I started off this journey. So the bride and groom that pay you money, that's your client. Stakeholders, other players in the industry, video people, those are stakeholders. What else? Wedding planners, those are stakeholders. The core people, those are stakeholders. People who sell soft drinks, sorry, not soft drinks. What do you call it? Well, yes, soft drinks for people who provide Butler services at weddings, those are also stakeholders as well.
Then if you partner up with any of these people, if you partner up with a wedding, with a wedding planner so that both of you can do business together, then that is a channel partner. So that's the difference between a client, a stakeholder and a channel partner. But bottom line is, what I'm trying to say is that networking is a good way for meeting these classes of people. Meeting clients, networking is good. Meeting stakeholders, networking is a good idea.
Meeting channel partners, networking is a good idea. But now let's discuss time frame or time expectations because there's nothing that is perfect when it comes to sales or marketing. Networking is a good tool so long as your time frame is medium to long term. Let me repeat, networking is a good tool so long as your time frame is medium to long term. If you are looking for short term results and if you're looking for who is going to give you money today, then I repeat or let me emphasize, do not do networking.
If you are looking for who will give you money today, now, now, now, do not do networking because networking, the best results are medium to long term. If you need money today, don't network. I'm going to help you because if you need money today, the best time to have been networking was last month, three months ago, six months ago, last year. Those are where the relationships are going to yield money today. So if I get any money today from networking, it's because of seeds that I planted months ago,
weeks ago, years ago that will bring money today. So I repeat to if you are dead broke, don't attend the networking session. It is not going to give you money today. Know that any networking that you're doing in December of 2024 is not going to give you money in December of 2024. It will give you money in 2025, all things being equal. Of course, you know, lucky things happen. So let's get the time frame thing out of out of the way then.
OK, so now. Remember that what I'm trying to do with this company, ABC Decor as a case study is I'm trying to show you how you can sit down. We can come up with ideas, think about all sorts of things and coming up with ideas. You can see how these ideas can relate to your own industry and how you can execute on them. So if we're going to use networking as a strategy, for instance, to build a business and. The business is one similar to ABC Decor.
You guys are into interior decor and space management. First off, if we're going to do a networking strategy from a common sense perspective, when we hear networking, we're thinking industry events. So that should be the first question that we have to ask ourselves, what are the industry events in Abuja or in Lagos that we should be attending to boost a networking strategy? The reason why I'm using networking Lagos and Abuja is not because all of you have to move to Lagos and Abuja to build successful businesses.
It's just that I started off my business journey in Lagos and currently I live in Abuja. So that's why I use Lagos and Abuja a lot of the time. So networking ideas, off the top of my head, I was thinking industry events and I was thinking real estate, real estate expose. And OK, so I did a Google search and I was able to come up with some stuff. I did an AI search and a Google search and I was able to come up with some events.
Now in a couple of minutes, I'm going to explain to you guys, flesh it out how you know my thought process so that you can do the same thing for your own business because not everybody listening to this show right now is into the interior decor and space management business. So from Google and AI was able to come up with the Nigeria Build Expo. It's an annual thing and they're going to have another one in 2025, but they're based off in Lagos.
I found that one on Google. Then I also looked for home and living fairs and I was able to find the Nigeria Decor Expo. I didn't know that that show existed, but they're also based in LAG. Then I also found the Africa International Housing Show, but I want is based in Lagos, so that's good. Then let's see. OK, Lagos and Abuja Chamber of Commerce because the Chambers of Commerce organize workshops, they organize networking events and they organize seminars and those are not bad ways for networking.
Then I also came up with some professional groups, one of them being the Nigerian Institute of Architects. That would not be a bad set of folks to network with if you are in the business of interior decor and the space management. Then we also found the Interior Designers Association of Nigeria. I did not know that that existed. So those were some examples of bodies that I came up with that we could have explored some networking with ABC Decor.
But remember what I said when it comes to time frame, networking yields results in the medium to long term. It yields results in weeks and months and years. So if your business is struggling, ABC Decor was not struggling, you know, because. You know how you ask someone, hey, what's up highest business now and they say with a push up, you know, it could be better. That's the level where ABC Decor was. So that is the reason why they can have time to spend resources in networking because they're not broke.
I mean, it's not like this fire on the mountain. If this fire's on the mountain, ignore networking. Go and do direct response marketing, go out and do heavy prospecting. You know, things like that. So assuming that you are, you have the liberty, you guys are chilled so you can explore some networking. This is the way to go about it. So again, let me repeat the events and the organizations that I came up with. Nigerian Build Expo 2025 based in Lagos, the Home and Living Fair, sorry, no Nigerian Decor Expo based in LAG, the Africa International Housing Show based in Abuja, Lagos Chamber of Commerce, Abuja Chamber of Commerce, and then the professional groups, the Nigerian Institute of Architects and then the Interior Designers Association of Nigeria.
Now let me explore the thought process because some of you might just hear the names and like, OK, impressive list, but then again, you're wondering how did I come about that list? I want to share with you the thought process so you can do a similar thing in your own business because whether you sell bread, you know you want a bakery and you sell bread, it's the same thought process. Or whether you sell soap, you're trying to introduce a new range of soap into the market, it's the same process.
If you're waiting photographer, it's the same process. So now this is a thought process so you can apply it to your industry. Whether you do cassava, whether you do interior decor, whether you do catfish or whether you do business consulting, this is the process AI and then Google. Now, when I say AII don't mean the fancy stuff, I mean the one that already exists on your phone and already exists on your Apple computer.
Because you know, some people say, oh, the one that is on the phone, Gemini. These are the yes, everything has limitations, but it's always a good place to start with the easy and to start with the free. Because when you start with the easy and the free, The thing is you will actually end up using it. And when you use it and you get into the habit of using it consistently and efficiently, you will start getting results.
And then. Sorry, one moment. OK, Sorry about that. There are some repairs being done in the house. And so I had to leave the room where I was making the the recording. So, yeah, this is the beauty of doing things live. And it won't take, you know, we have to account for interruptions. Yeah. So where were we? Yeah. So I was talking about using the ones that are already available on your phone or already available on your computer,
whether you use a Mac or whether you use a Windows based one. Because if you use a Mac, what you're going to have is if you use Apple, what you're going to have is Copilot. If you use a Windows based computer, what you're going to have is especially if you use Bing, you're going to have access to ChatGPT 4. And then if you use an Android phone like I do, then you're going to have access to Google Gemini. It's already installed on your phone.
So you don't have to look for it. So, so long as you bought your phone in middle of 2024 to late 2024, these tools that I'm talking about are already there on your phone. It's there on your phone, it's there on your computer. You don't need to go and look for it. And yeah, that's it. I'm just mentioning that because a whole lot of you don't know that these things are already on your phone. So if you use an Android phone,
then this is what you do, especially if you bought your Android phone, you know, after, you know, kind of like July, you know, August, July of 2024, just go to your Android phone. There's a folder there that says Google. If you click on it, you'll see all the usual stuff. You'll see Gmail, what else? Google's browser and all that other thing. Now, if you Scroll down, you're going to see an icon that is white and has a blue star in the middle.
But the star is not a 5 point star, it's a four point star. That is Google Gemini and that is Google's artificial intelligence tool. So that's what we're going to use now for brainstorming. And I hope that by the time we're done with this exercise, you guys are going to get a sense of why I say that AI tools are very, very good for ideation, very, very good for strategy, very, very good for creativity and brainstorming,
for giving us ideas about what we have to do. But please take note that all the brainstorming in the world will amount to 0 if we do not do something with it. So like in this case now for ABC Decor or for companies that are similar, we've come up with some options for networking. We have come up with Nigeria Build Expo 2025, we have come up with Nigeria Decor Expo 2025, we have come up with Africa International Housing Show 2025
and we have figured out Nigerian Institute of Architects and the Interior Designers Association of Nigeria. If you come up with this list, but you do not do any networking around it, then this your activity, this your all the time you've wasted here is equal to 0. So the trick or the main thing is not in coming up with these fancy ideas, but is in doing something with these ideas, which is why I keep saying time and time again on this podcast that as you're listening,
listening with a pen and paper, be writing down. The thing to write down is not what is interesting or what sounds intelligent or what sounds smart. Write down the thing that you know you can do tomorrow. So if you're in this space, the decor space, if you're taking any notes from this episode and you want to try out networking, I'm expecting that you would have written down these shows that we've spoken about. And when I go through the thought process and the action plan, I'm hoping that you will write down things that you can do Monday morning to get the ball moving.
OK, no, Monday will be unrealistic because OK, today's already Monday. This is December 23rd. So landing means that next week Monday should be on that kind like 30th, December 30th. OK, it's realistic. 30th you can start making some moves because some people would have started returning to work even though they might take another break for for new year. So anyway, basically this is the thought process now. So you can use AI and Google.
If you're using AI, then this is the prompt. Remember that to prompt effectively, you have to say something about you, say something about the context, say something about the challenge before you ask the question. Because if you just give a general prompt like give me good networking ideas or good give me good networking events, it's going to give you everything under the sun. And that might be helpful and it might not be helpful.
So the more particular we can make our search, the better. So in this case the I prompt that I used. For the search was something like I am a Nigerian, I'm a Nigerian interior decor and space management company. I'm based in Abuja, Nigeria. I'm looking for good networking opportunities and annual events for 2025 where I can meet customers and stakeholders and channel partners. So that is the background. That's the first step.
The second part is now what are good networking events for Lagos and Abuja? Question mark and then send. So you can see that the prompt here in this case has to be fairly lengthy. It has to give the AI tool an idea about who you are, the context or what you're trying to do, what problem you're trying to solve before you ask for the question. And then it's spat out a couple of things now because AI tools, there's statistical engines, let me just put it that way, So they come up with answers that are statistically probable.
It means that sometimes it's going to give you results that are not actually the case. So it might give you some events that don't function anymore, or it might make up some events. AI tools don't know how to distinguish between. Sorry, excuse me. They don't know how to distinguish between true and false. What they are trained to do is to give a statistically probable answer. So because of that, you should always cross check whatever it is that you get on these tools.
Now, one reason why I tell people to start with Gemini, because Gemini already has Google, Gemini already has access to the Internet. So it's probably going to give you some things that already exist and it's also going to share some links so that you can verify that these things exist. But whatever the list is, take it and then start using Google Now and checking these events or checking these things 1 by 1 by 1. And that is how you're going to be able to confirm that the event actually exists or existed at some point.
And you're going to be able to now get reliable contact details. Because if you're going to go after Interior Designers Association of Nigeria, for instance, it is from Google that you're going to be able to get the correct website, the correct phone number to call, the correct address in case you want to go and visit the office. So this is how it works. Use AI, use Google, you're going to be able to come up with good networking suggestions.
Then next, sorry, one moment because the weather here, you know, once you leave Abuja and you enter Nasawa and you enter Benue Estate and you go as far as, because I spent some time in Kano, I was in Kano for over a year. You know, once you get to this part of the country, how my time here is something else. So I'm still there. Yeah, I'm still dealing with the fallout. All right now. So now we've gone through the thought process.
So now it's the action plan. Remember time frame, if you are broke, do not do networking because if you attend Nigeria Build Expo Lagos and Abuja Chamber of Commerce Interior Design Association of Nigeria, the chances that you're going to get customers directly is not likely. Even if you meet customers, the chances that they'll end up paying you money today is not likely, but it can happen. You can get customers. So this is the action plan for when you attend Chamber of Commerce, when you go to Interior Designer Association of Nigeria, when you attend Nigeria Build Expo 2025, assuming you are like ABC Decor and you're into the interior decor space and space management, First off,
you're going to go there with a contact list. Those of you who show up to networking events and all these sorts of things, you don't have contact lists. You have no way of capturing people's information. You're wasting your time because what does it profit you to attend this thing and have an interesting conversation with five people by the end of the day? You didn't collect phone number. How the heck are you going to follow up?
So having a contact list is absolutely pivotal. When you go for these sorts of things is the first thing that you should prepare. Whether it's a simple sheet of paper, it's OK. Whether it's a diary is OK. But this whole thing of, you know, you go to a cyber cafe, you tell them to design the sheets, you know, with a name, a space for e-mail address space for phone number, space for, you know, it looks more nice, it looks more professional.
But I'm just saying that even if you don't do anything that fancy and you just show up there with 60 leaf book where you're capturing details, you know, it's OK. Let's not get hung up on how nice it looks or how professional it looks or everything. But for now, decide contact list. We have, we need a strategy for contact list. Contact list is important because we're from contact list that we're going to do follow up and we're going to do relationship building.
So First off, if you get a stand at any of these places, goal is attract people to this hand. Now this is where merchandising comes in. Merchandising is just making things look nice and attractive and merchandising is OK. Let me explain it to you guys the way I explained it to my son. So recently we were at the Hilton Jar Village and you know how it is now when you have these things just be eating up and down. So my son's stomach started to act up.
So I said OK, let's go and use the toilet in the Hilton. So went to the toilet and then when we finished and they were coming out, he noticed that my car outside. It's the it's by GAC Guangzhou, Guangzhou automobile. It's a Chinese company and their cars look sweet, as in sweet. When I have some money, I make sure I buy a Guangzhou. I've already seen the one I want to buy myself. It's AG 8, but in all these cars now, millions, 1,000,000
millions and I'm not in that stage of life yet where I can remove 40 M and buy a car comfortably. But God willing I'll be there soon. So I should be able to buy AG8 Guangzhou correct car. So of course my son was looking at it because I've been talking about sweet cars recently. And so he's also been in to explore the concept of what is a sweet car for him. Because for me, the kind of cars that look sweet don't seem to blend with the kind of cars that look sweet for him.
Although I've advised him that look, all those two door cars for a man is very unpractical because you spend all that money, you buy a 2 door car. I mean, to do what? But then you can't do anything with it. You can't travel with it. You can only drive it in the city. Maybe you can take your baby in it or your wife in it. But two guys, 22 door cars are impractical. So I've been trying to steer him away from Lamborghini and all those things that look real,
look real nice because they look nice, but they're highly impractical, at least for this part of the world. And then they're too low. So, so we're looking at the car now like this is a very sweet ride. And then he was like, OK, why did they put the car here? I told him, OK, it's just merchandising. He said, Dad, what is merchandising? So merchandising is just when you have a product, well usually product, and you try and arrange the product in such a way that it looks sweet to the eye, it looks pleasing to behold, It looks good to the touch.
It looks good to the. That's what the devil did for Eve. You say look at this fruit. Doesn't this fruit look nice? Doesn't this look sweet? That's merchandising. And Eve said, Oh yes, yes, yes. It looks beautiful to the side, it looks wonderful to the touch, it is amazing to behold. So that is merchandising. Make it look sweet to the eye, sweet to the touch, amazing to behold because you're trying to get somebody to want to buy this thing.
So I told him, look, it's just merchandising because GAC, they also have an office not far from our house. Remember GAC, Guangzhou, Hope I'm pronouncing it properly. Guangzhou automobiles, they have a place not far from our house, so they have a showroom. So I told him when we're driving out and you see the car in the showroom, it looks all right, doesn't it? He said yes, but I said now that The thing is in Hilton, you can see how the sweetness of the car is more, you know, emphasized and said yes.
And I said that's because there it's on the showroom floor. When you see this G8 in the Hilton, it is in a luxury five star establishment. So the car looks even more prestigious, more fancy, more fine, more sexy than it has created to be because we have changed the environment and we have introduced some sort of associations. So I told him that, look, this is just what is part of business. This is just called merchandising.
So that people who come out and see the G8 parked outside Hilton will now start having associations of G8 Guangzhou automobiles with luxury because you know, they, they're newcomers. Mercedes-Benz has been in the market for a while, and Mercedes-Benz has the BMW and who else? In all these other companies, they have already had time to build this whole thing of luxury around them. So Wanju automobiles, Great Wall cars in China, and all these Chinese companies are trying to catch up.
So that's the scope. You see the thing in Hilton is lit, well you know, or what not. That's just merchandising. And remember, what is merchandising? Just remember Genesis. It should look pleasing to the site. It should look pleasing to the touch. It should look wonderful to behold. That is merchandising. So when? You're going to. Attend these sorts of things. Merchandising is very, very important. That's for those of you who sell stuff.
So if you're into interior decor like ABC Decor now for instance, if you just have a bench with a desk and with a sheet of paper, that does not give you the sexiness thereof that make people want to work with you. Now, I'm not an expert in. Merchandising, So make sure you look for someone who knows a thing about merchandising to help you set up your stand. But the way you have to set up your stand should be that when people are walking by, it should be pleasing to the site, it should be pleasing to behold, it should be pleasing to the touch.
That is merchandising or what Yoruba people like to call packaging merchandising, packaging is all the same, so. It is important. When you're going for these sorts of things to sort out your packaging, sort out your merchandising so that you shall be pleasing to behold. Because if you are pleasing to behold, if your company is pleasing to behold, people might want to come by and say, ah, good morning sister, sorry, which company is this?
And then from there, that's how you start the conversation or good morning brother. You know, equal opportunity here. So merchandising very, very important. So attract people to the stand or when they start, attract people to the stand by making sure that we have sorted out packaging, sorted out merchandising, making sure that we are pleasing to behold. Some people also send. People out into the crowd to come and start off conversations with people and then you now bring the person back to the stand.
Which one is the best? I don't know. I'm not even. Going to say 1 is the best. Bottom line, you should be trying it all. Make sure your merchandising is on point, packaging is on point. Everybody dress well. Suits ironed tie on point. If you're wearing T-shirt and jeans make sure you look good. Make sure you smell good. Then also have. Somebody going to go and talk to people and then pull them back to the stand when? People come to the.
Stand, we're trying to figure out who is this person? Why are they at the show? Are they just curious? Are they doing research? Do they have a problem that they're trying to solve? Do they have a vision that they're trying to work in? They're trying to. Solve for And then we're also trying to figure out who is interested in discussing something specific because it is possible that somebody might show up for the show, let's say like my mom, for instance, who has just recently built a house.
And she's done with most. Of the decor, but she's also thinking she might try out like one or two ideas, but she's just curious because, you know, it's Christmas. It's not as if there's money, you know, But Charlie Josie was out there just in case money happens to land sometime. So with a contact list and having conversations with these people, this is how we're going to be able to get the contact list of people that we can follow up with and build relationships with later.
So you see why I say that when it comes to getting money now, these networking ideas and trade shows and things like that are not a good way to bring money now, but it might be a good way to get money next month, three months time, one year. You see what I mean? It's the same thing with the stakeholders that you're going to start building relationships with because it's not just potential customers. You should also be going around to other people and looking at their stands.
So good morning, Sir. Oh, so, so so so they call. OK, You're based in Abuja. Oh, yeah, me too. Just like I'm, I'm also based in Abuja as well. How long have you guys been in business? Oh, OK. Nice. I see the kind of things that you have here. Oh, So is this the end of market that you focus on? OK, we, we actually focus on the other end of the market. Can I have your business card, you know, after the show, let me call you up.
Let's see if we can be channel partners, if we can do referral business later on. OK, fine. No problem. You now exchange contact details. So you see what I'm talking about contact list. You've just collect the guy's. Business card, but you don't write down the details somewhere. Chances are you could lose the business card. And you know, anyway, I'm just saying that contact list, follow up relationship building, absolutely important.
So step #1 how do I put it? The main strategy to make these things work? Contact list. It's about the contacts that you're going to get at the end of this show, so. That when the show. Is over. You now know who to start following up with and who to start building relationships with. When you talk to people who might be potential customers, or you talk to people who might be potential channel partners or other stakeholders, the formula is the same.
Who is this person? Why did they come for the show? Are they curious? Is it that they have a problem? Do they have a vision that they're trying to solve? Is this person interested in discussing something specific in the future for all those people you get down their contact list. So if you get someone who comes with the show, they're not in the industry, they're just walk up us. They're wasting time. They don't have a problem, they don't have a vision, they're not interested.
There's no need in getting those kind of people's phone numbers because you'll just be wasting your time. Those people go into ghost mode. So have conversations with everybody, but it's not everybody's phone number that you're going to write down on the list or it's not everybody's business card that you are going to take at the the the event. So anyway, over 30 minutes. So let me just wrap this up. I've given you guys a.
Thought process, how we came up with these ideas. Do the same for your business for 2025 networking events if you want to try out networking. So I've given you guys a thought process and I've given you guys an action plan. You know, in the beginning, the merchandising part really, really important. Trust me, really, really important because I remember my early shows, I would just drop my table and just book my books. And then one day, one of my friend Laura and later business partner, because she was the one who first paid me to start training her students in sales,
in sales because she had a school where she was training. People who wanted to come. Into the wedding event planning game. So I was teaching her students and that's how I got involved in sorry, excuse me, that's how I got involved in this. So one day Laura said look, you showed up here, but you're looking like a Carpenter. Look at this table you didn't even put you didn't even put I can't remember. The thing is called, you know,
this is like bed sheets that you use and cover at the table. She said, look, you didn't even put clothes. You didn't put this, you didn't put that. I was like, no, I can't be bothered. She's like don't worry, wait, I'm coming. She went and she brought this thing like bed sheet and she covered the table. Then she had some fancy frames and then she put them there and then she had like one or two flowers and then she put it and then there's a way she just put the frames at the bottom of the table.
When I stepped back and I looked at the table, I was like wow because. Before it was just empty. Table and then albums. But looking back, I now saw that my table was now impressive to the eye, was impressive to the touch, and was pleasing to behold. And of course, she gave me some. Tips that I should also try and dress different and blah, blah, blah. You know, my dressing is old school. My, my gown, my dresses are big and, you know, not properly fitting, you know, the same sort of things that my wife complaints about.
So I said, OK, OK, OK, thank you. And that was my first lesson in merchandising. So for some of you who can't be bothered, you have a fashion sense of a Ghanaian school teacher like me. Please, these things are important. You don't have to do it yourself. Look for a friend, look for a lawyer to help you out or pay somebody else to do it or consult with your wife. You say, my dear, I'm about to go for the show. And, you know, you've been saying one or two things.
So can you just show up, You know, help me arrange this, arrange this, arrange that. I want things to look nice, you know, that sort of thing. Have that conversation. So. Let's see what. Else. So that's just it, but essential tools that you need. You need a calendar, you need a diary, you need a contact list, you need a CRMCRM is just customer relationship management tool. You need something because it is not realistic that you will attend these events and talk to maybe 5 to 10 interesting people at each event and you will remember with your brain who to contact.
I can assure you, you will talk to 5 or 6 interesting people by the time the event is up. You go home, you eat a bar, you're watching news or you're watching Netflix. You would have forgotten all the people. Maybe you remember one person. So you need a calendar, you need a diary, you need a CRM, you need contact list, you need something. Even if you go with a sheet of paper, then yeah, that's it pretty much. So the next step is if you want to go through similar ideation process, similar strategy for how you can explore networking in this coming year, in 2025,
I've outlined the steps. Get a sheet of paper. We listen to the show. Then you're going to be able. To map out networking events for 2025 in your industry and how to go about tackling it. And that's the reason why we did this show so. In the next episode. We'll continue with ABC Decor, remember not their real name. And then after that, I will start off, oh, if this carries us into the new year and I'll start off with my client that is Crimson Power.
Actually they do business with in 20 early in 2024. So they're in the alternative energy space. So inverters, solar panels, those sorts of things. And recently they've moved into energy as a service. And they? Want a contract to provide a mini grid for some project in Ogun State. So I'm going to talk a little bit about the company, the training sessions that I had with the staff, what we hoped to achieve with the company.
Also so that those of you who are interested in these sorts of things, solar panels, you know, those sorts of things, you live in Lagos. They actually are a good company to to meet because I have trained them. So I can speak myself. No, this is not them say them, say. I actually spend time with them. I know their work culture, I know their teams and I know what is that they're trying to build. So Crimson Park, good company that you should be doing business with.
So we'll explore some of that in 2025. So thank you very much for your time and attention. Remember, if you would love to connect with me, the phone number is 08064662140. The country code is +234. For those of you who are not Nigerian, connect with me on socials on LinkedIn. The name to look for is Tavi Shiman Ayede. Please ignore my handles on Facebook and on Instagram and all those other places, places and on TikTok.
I have started the process of deleting them and those handles will be inactive. By mid January of 2025 S Thank you very much for your time and attention. If you've connected with me on those channels, please make sure I've given you my WhatsApp number. I've given you my LinkedIn. Please hook up with me on these channels as well because you're not going to find me there anymore. So thanks for your time and attention. I'll catch you guys in the next episode.
I hope everybody is warming up for a wonderful Christmas celebration because it's 23rd December 23rd as of the time of making this recording. So you'll have fun, have a wonderful Christmas celebration for our Muslim friends, enjoy the holidays, and I'll catch you at the next episode.