Stop Losing Deals: Master the Art of Scheduling Your Next Call

Hello and welcome. My name is Tavi Shima Aidi. I'm the host of the podcast that I'm making today's recording outside and expect to hear some noise in the background. That's because the neighborhood kids and my kids, of course, they're all running around and playing and having fun. Now, the goal of this podcast is solving business problems. So if you're struggling to get customers, your marketing isn't working, issues with side hustles, something is holding your business back, then this is the show for you.

So subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, Apple, or any player of your choice. And if you'd love to connect, you can call SMS or WhatsApp me on 08064662140. Today on the podcast, we're going to look at how to schedule calls, meetings and appointments. Again, today on the podcast, we're going to look at how to schedule calls, meetings and appointments. And the reason why we're going to be doing this, even though this sounds elementary, is because most salespeople, most business owners do a very poor job of this.

And it's killing your sales and it's destroying business opportunities for you. It's something that I've realised. It's something that has really been hitting me in the chest this year in particular because, yeah, all I put it, you know, you're coaching for business people. You have clients that you're working with. And then people reach out during, you know, from the podcast and people want to ask me questions and things like that.

And some very basic things like, oh, you know what, I'm busy now, so why not get back to me Thursday at 10 AM. You know, just that simple something. You find that there are lots of people who can't do something that simple as scheduling a call, scheduling a meeting, scheduling an appointment. So it's not unusual for me to tell someone I'm in the middle of something right now. Came back, came back to me Friday morning, send me a reminder the day before.

You know, it's not uncommon now for me to have that kind of conversation with someone on a Monday and then not hear back from them until next Monday. And, you know, I have some people like, OK, didn't you schedule it? And people are like, what do you mean? So it's becoming clear that lots of people don't know how to schedule a call, schedule a meeting, schedule an appointment. And that is why I'm making today's podcast episode.

Now. First of all, let's look at the why. Why is this important? Now, let's pretend that this has nothing to do with me, although the reason why I'm making the podcast is precisely because I've realized that a lot of you don't know how to schedule. But unless you move me from the equation, why should you even bother with scheduling? You should schedule because it's necessary for sales success. Let me just put it that way.

Because a lot of us are involved in complex sales and the only way we can close complex sales is if we gain advancements and avoid continuations. Let me repeat. If you want to move your complex sail forward, you're only going to do that if you gain advancements and then you avoid continuations. Continuations are where you have conversations with people and everything seems cool, everything seems fine. You guys are just gisting.

Looks like you are becoming friends, but at the end of the call, people who did not agree to anything. Now that's OK when you just want to make friends, but The thing is if you have somewhere that you're going and the reason why you're talking to this person, then continuations are a complete waste of your time. Because if you spend 2-3 hours talking to somebody in a week, you guys don't decide on this is what is the next step.

You have just wasted your time. So in order to close deals, what we have to do is we should try and secure advancements. And advancement is when you and the other person who is the other person who is talking right now, you know the potential business partner, the potential customer, the potential stakeholder, the potential whoever. When both of you agree that we are going to do something next to further this business deal or to further this agenda, then that is an advancement and that is how complex business deals are closed.

So if you're a Carpenter, you're in a simple business situation, you know there's no need to get involved with scheduling and all, you're just wasting your time. Well, if you're a Carpenter, like your business will improve if you use some of these techniques. But if you don't, maybe you can't say your business is suffering because of that. But for those of you who are involved in the complex, complex sale, you will need to get on board.

You say you're a social media manager and you're not scheduling meetings with your clients. You wonder why you didn't close the deal. You've been waiting for them to get back to you. Like who is supposed to get back to you? Are you not the one who is chasing something? You're the person who should be scheduling something and be following up on this thing. Be on top of your game. Don't say if they're interested. They will call me back.

That's not how it works. This is a complex sale. There are lots of things that are involved. It's not a simple decision that somebody can just, you know, sleep and wake up and say, well, let's go ahead. You need to be on top of the ball. You need to be scheduling appointments. You need to be scheduling meetings. You need to be scheduling follow-ups. I prefer to call them follow through. By the way, I stay on top of this thing.

So the reason why a lot of you are not closing deals is because you are scheduling nothing. And because you schedule nothing, you remember nothing. And if you remember nothing, you won't make any any any calls. You think if the other person is interested, then they'll wake up and then they'll call you. That's precisely the reason why your business is in the situation that it is. If the other guy remembers and calls you back, Oh well and good, then you close the deal.

If the other person does remember on call, if they forget your phone number, if their phone gets stolen or if their wife says, oh, I know I better somebody then not say you've lost the deal. So this is the reason why scheduling is important. You're involved in the complex sale. Be a professional. Start scheduling things also. Scheduling is important for building trust and it demonstrates professionalism, especially in Nigeria, It sets you apart.

How many Nigerian business people do you think are scheduling anything? Nothing. So the moment you take some initiative to say OK Sir, I understand. It looks like these are parameters. You want to achieve this, you want to achieve this. OK, no problem. Give me a moment. Let me discuss with my team. Sir, is it OK if I call you back Friday 10 AM person says yes and then by Thursday, you send him a reminder or you call him saying that?

Sir, I hope you don't, hope you don't mind just sending a reminder. Remember, we're supposed to talk tomorrow at 10 AM. By the time you drop the phone, the guy will be like, you know what, this guy is sharp. That is a professional here in Nigeria. This is how you set yourself apart. Other people are sleeping. They're not scheduling anything. The moment you schedule, you're already ahead of everybody else because other people are sleeping.

Other people are thinking if the guy is serious, you will call me back. So be a professional. Schedule your calls. It's very simple. Every single phone has Google, Google Calendar or Apple calendar or whatever calendar you want to download. You just put it there. You finish the phone call. You put it there. Open the calendar. You type. Mr. Oyebami, finish phone call today. Agreed. Next meeting Friday, 10 AM. Set a reminder.

Set the reminder so that the thing will remind you on Thursday. When the thing reminds you on Thursday, you now send Mr. Ortega by me another text message reminding him about the meeting on Friday. Is that simple? That simple. It's costing you nothing already. You're looking like a professional. Other people are looking like the, you know, anyhow, Anyhow, people, that's why you should schedule. Anyway. Sorry that my blood is boiling.

It just amazes me how in 2025, the kind of things that I have to be explaining in 2025, I really don't understand. It's not the kind of thing I should be explaining anyway. So now what are some of the common mistakes that people make when they try to schedule #1 sometimes people are too pushy. You're trying to schedule a meeting. You're trying to schedule a meeting, but you have to calm down 1st on this podcast. When I say being too pushy, what I mean is you've not been able to confirm whether the person is interested in your product or service.

You haven't confirmed if they want your product. You haven't confirmed if they need your product. You haven't confirmed if they can, if you if they can afford your product. You've not been able to see whether there's any sense of urgency and you're trying to schedule meeting schedule meeting like calm down. You don't know if they're interested first. The first point of call is to say, oh, Madam, you know, we're talking for like 20 minutes now.

And to be honest, man, the way I'm the vibe I'm getting my is as if you're not really interested in da da, da, da da. And my dad might say, oh, you know what? I'm not really interested. Now my son is getting married next month. That is a priority. Now after the wedding, we'll get back to you. At least now you know you so OK, Madam, congratulations. You know, may the union be successful. This is this, that, that, that.

OK, no problem. The wedding is next month. I'll be OK, no problem. Next month, February 15th. OK, Ma, can I call you like around that kind? March 7th. Oh, yes, that'd be perfect. OK, thank you. You now schedule it. But if you're there, you're talking and you know you're trying to schedule something, you're meeting resistance. Like don't just keep being a pest. Try and figure out what's going on. Try to figure out if they're still interested.

Do they want this thing? Do they need it? Can they afford it? Is there such of urgency? Ask questions when you now know that the interest is still there and it looks like, OK, there's there's room for progress, then you can now schedule something. If you haven't confirmed the fundamentals, whether there's want, need, afford or urgency, then you're being pushy. Another mistake that people make is they give too many options.

Some people say, oh, I'm available OK, Ma, I'm available for a meeting. Third week of April is fine. Does that work for you? Third week of April is too vast. Now how can you say I'm available third week of April, 3rd week of April can be I'll be let me see first, then 7th. So third week of April can be anything from April 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15161718. That is too many choices. Narrow something down. OK man, you're travelling now you're going to be back third week in April.

OK, no problem. When exactly are you coming back? OK. April 11th. OK, no problem. Let me just give you like 2 days to rest my shit. I'll be OK. Yeah, sure, no problem. So my if I buzz you April 13th, is that fine? Oh, yes, that's good. Does 4:00 PM work for you or 4:00 PM is fine? You know, go and schedule it. Don't be giving people too many options. Narrow things down. At best, give them two or three options. OK, Mark, I'll call you back again.

I'm available Thursday, Friday. Does that work for you? Oh yes. Thursday, Friday is fine. OK, No problem man. Should I call you in the morning or in the afternoon? I think I might be busy in the morning, so afternoon will be fine. OK man, when you say afternoon, do you mean like 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM? No, actually I mean more like 5:00 PM. OK, no problem, I'll call you Thursday, 5:00 PM. OK. Thank you very much man. You caught the call.

You go and schedule it. Make a note, send it. Send Madam a reminder 2 days before that. Simple, schedule something. Stop giving too many options then. I've already said this in the podcast. Let me say this again because some of you didn't hear me. Let me repeat it again so that you hear me. Well, when you schedule a call well and you schedule a call, you do a smooth, you sound like a professional. I'm telling you, you appear, you sound like a true professional.

You're standing apart in Nigeria immediately. You did not pay anything extra for nothing. You just sound different. These are some of the things that I discovered in my early career as a wedding photographer. I assumed that people liked me because of my wonderful wedding photography. I assumed that was it. When I started asking people, I started hearing things like, oh, I don't know, I don't like, I just like you. When I started digging down, I

started hearing things like oh you're professional, you're on time, you're different, blah, blah, blah. Eventually I was able to figure out that it is all these small, small things that people enjoyed dealing with me. Timelines will stay on point, meetings will be early, delivery schedule will be on point. If there's going to be a delay, I will inform you all these small, small things. If our one bride told me, she said you are the only wedding vendor that I never had to worry about.

Now, I would have preferred if they love me for my photography, honestly, I would have preferred it because you know, as an artist, you know, we like you when people like our stuff, but you know, them feeling my professional side, you know, it's good. And I'm telling you from my own personal experience that just doing all these small, small things automatically you stand out. Some people talk about achieving mindshare and all whatnot.

This is how you're achieving man share. Sorry, sorry. Forgive me is it makes me angry. You see that in 2025 I still have to be talking about things like this. Then let's look at the how practical tips, practical techniques. I've already spoken about how use your Apple calendar, use your Google Calendar, use your whatever it is you want to do. The tools are plenty. So I'm not going to I'm not going to insist on any particular tool for you.

Whatever tool you want to works fine. Funny enough, the lines on these things are being blurred because like I like taking notes on Google Notes and I've noticed that even in Google Notes you can now set reminders. So even in note taking apps now you can't even start setting reminders. So whatever it is that you know you like, just go ahead and do it then. So when should we schedule the call? When should you try and schedule something?

The best time to schedule something is as soon as you have wrapped up the agenda for this present call or this present meeting. In other words, if you're talking to Madam Ogadingbay now, she was looking for an architect you were you're trying to toast us so you can become the architect of new house she wants to build in her village. When you schedule the next meeting for your Madam Ogadingbay is now that you are on the call with Madam Ogadingbay or if you went to Madam Ogadingbay's office and you will are talking across the desk, then it is now that you are talking in the office that you will schedule the next call.

Too many of you wrap up the call and then you will now start trying to send text message later on to to schedule the appointment. But The thing is our clients are busy. Madam Ogdenbe is busy. You had our attention now you didn't schedule it. Now you're now trying to send text message later on saying, hey Madam, I'm just following up. You know where she did like your. You're wasting her time. Madam Ogdenbe is busy now that you have her attention as you finish this meeting.

You're not allowed. OK, Madam Ogdenbe, I understand. These are the specs. I'm going to draw proposals and drawings based on this and this and that and that and that. How soon will you be available for us to go over my proposal? Oh, OK. I'm traveling for my son's wedding. Something, something, something. OK, I'll be back in three weeks. OK, No problem. So my looks like you'll be available first week of June. Yes, by then I should be back.

OK, how about I call you Wednesday, Thursday so we can go over these drawings. OK, that's fine. You have agreed it. Now in that meeting, in fact, if Madam Ogdenbe has PA and the PA is there, collect P as number at that meeting apart from sending Madam Ogdenbe reminders, you know. Well, first of all, you send out congratulation message. Oh, Ma, your son is getting married tomorrow. Congratulations by the wedding. Be fruitful.

You'll be grandmother, you know, blah, blah, blah. Long life, you know, you know all those greetings. But then you'll also be sending her reminders, you know, welcome back into the country, Ma. Do not forget our meeting in two weeks. Also have P as number be sending PA these messages to PA. What's up? How are you doing now? It's me architect, the guy that came and met with people in the village. Remember Madam said we're going to have meetings, send PA

reminder. True. This is how we stay on top of things so we can close the deal. It's no matter of oh, if she's interested, she will call me. Madam Morgan Abbey might be really, really interested. But I wonder if her son says, oh, I went to school with an architect. He's a very good architect, you know, blah, blah, blah. You might be more qualified by the other person. But the very fact that Madam Morgan and Mason said, oh, I

know another architect. That's how you, you, you will, you fall out of favor. Schedule things and the time to schedule is now that you are talking with Madam Ogdenbee, now that you're with the client, that's when you schedule. Don't let things drag. Our customers are busy. Stop letting things drag. Don't cut the call now or leave the meeting. Now. You don't start sending e-mail and sending text messages. You try and schedule something.

Schedule it now that the person is in front of your face. Now, what are the best days and times to schedule a call? Now, this is my own opinion. All the things that you see on excuse me, all the things you see on Instagram and LinkedIn and everything like that, all those are just, you know, American and UK, whatever you know, the best day of the week is Monday. The best day of the this is this. Don't follow all those people.

Don't follow them. Don't follow them. Don't look for a best time. Just ask. Madam will get angry when she's free. It's that simple. The best time will depend on her. If her Mondays and Fridays are very very busy and she's only free Saturday to Sunday, she will tell you and you will schedule it accordingly. If you're a Christian and you're Catholic, she schedules a meeting for Sunday that is no problem. Attend the the Saturday evening mass.

It fulfills your Sunday obligation. Then Sunday you'll be free. You go and meet her in the office and people discuss and then you get your money. So stop looking for any perfect day if you follow these American people and be saying the best time to set appointments is Monday at 8:00 or Wednesday at 12:00 PM or something. Anyway, if you want to follow the Americans continue well here just ask your clients. Stop trying to guess this thing,

just ask now. However, there are some general rules of thumb in some industries. Like I hear that for construction in America that during Monday to Friday, everybody's on site. So anybody who you want to call that is involved in the construction, they don't have their phone with them. So the best time to reach them is Saturday or Sunday. So maybe in, in Nigeria that will also be the case. But to be honest, for all the building sites I've been going to, it always looks as if the foreman, the architect, the, you know, all those people, it looks as if they have their phones all the time.

So me, I will still call, it is the foreman who will now tell me that, oh, you know what, this is not a convenient time. How about you call me on weekends when I'm not on site. So if you know some of these general rules, no problem. Like in Nigeria medical doctors, you shouldn't be able to reach them. I think between 9, I think between 9:00 and 4:00 because 9:00 is, you know, consultation. Then like 12-1 is like rounds,

medical rounds. You know, they're going to surgery, surgery ward and you know, things like that. So I sort of these things where you and besides, if you're in that industry, you will know the tradition, you will know when doctors are not available. That's if you sell to doctors. So I sort of these things stop guessing, just ask then. Sorry, it's 20 minutes. Looks like it's going to be a long episode. But let me just put everything together then.

If people give you objections like just send me an e-mail or I don't have time right now. Whenever you're getting responses like that, it might be a sign that there's a problem. It might, or maybe they're just busy. But if it's a sign of a problem, then actually it's more like people might not be interested. So in this case it might not be a bad idea to try and confirm their interest. But either way, you always affirm and ask questions to try and get to the root cause.

So you affirm, affirm. You say, oh sure, I would love to send you an e-mail. What would you like covered in the e-mail that we didn't get to on this call? As the person is talking about the things that you would like covered, you know you will now be able to see how, OK, this current meeting, there's some things that you did not address and you would be better prepared for the next meeting. Then you can also say something like, oh sure, I understand you're busy, Sir.

Or understand you're busy. Madam Ogdenbe, when would you like us to reschedule? And then you hear from her. If it's just a matter of genuine busy, you know she will give you a nice time. But remember I said it could be that maybe they're not really interested so you can ask. You said OK, Sir. OK, Sir. OK, Mark, I appreciate that you're busy. Would you like us to reschedule or if this is not a priority right now, should we just drop this matter altogether?

I know some of you think is too bold, but go ahead and ask because that is where if Madam Morgan is really really interested. But the problem is her son is getting married soon so her mind is in another space. It is then you will hear that oh OK, well my son is actually getting married blah blah blah blah blah blah, blah blah. And if you can reschedule until a later time. But just in case somebody says, you know what, to be honest, I'm not really that interested right now.

Let's just drop it. I know some of you think it's a bad answer, but it actually is a good answer. Let me repeat this. I've said it on the podcast before. Let me repeat it again. When you're talking to customers, there are three possible answers you can get. You can get yes. Yes is good answer because it means money will enter your pocket. You can hear no or you can hear maybe. Some of you think no is a bad answer and that maybe is good.

It actually is the other way around. Yes is a very good answer. 1 is entering my pocket. No is a good answer too, because it now means that I can leave this person alone and start chasing another person. No is a very good answer. Yes and no. They're both good answers. Maybe is a very bad answer because maybe, maybe, maybe is how you can be following somebody and be doing a follow up. Two months, three months, six months, five months, one year.

Meanwhile you haven't closed any deal. Maybe is a very bad answer. The best answer you can hear is yes. The second best answer you can hear is no. No is actually good. If somebody tells you no, you know, ending on a nice note. OK, Sir, it was a pleasure talking to you, blah, blah, blah. If priorities ever change, you know, you have my phone number. You know, can I be in touch once in a while? Well, you're sure, young man,

you can be in touch once in a while. So. OK, Thank you very much, Sir. And then, you know, you leave once in a while. You drop messages on the gang or Madam. But at least you are now free to be chasing somebody else. Maybe is a very bad answer that maybe maybe maybe you'll be following people up and down doing. And the problem with the maybes is all the maybes become plenty, plenty, plenty. You'll find out that you wake up in a week.

You have 10 people to call. The yes was 2, which is good. The no was 2, which is OK. The remaining 6, maybe you'll be following them up and down for like 2 months. You think you're making progress meanwhile nothing. So please, let us stop being afraid of no. Then another question. What is the best time duration for a call? You know, those of you who follow American influencers, you will you will worry about these things.

Should I tell them? Oh, Madame Ogdenbe, this is just going to be a 15 minute call. This is going to be a 30 minute call. It's just going to be a 45 minute call. You're worrying yourself too much in America. Yeah, that's part of their culture. But The thing is, over here, every time you're meeting with the client, every time you're talking, Madam Mogadingbi, get into the habit of getting straight to the point and conducting this meeting.

To be as short as possible, confirm that she's available for the next meeting. Put it on the calendar. You don't need to tell her this will be a 15 minute meeting. This will be a 5 minute meeting. This will be a 2 hour meeting. You don't need to tell her that for now. For those of you who are involved in really, really, really complex things, like if you guys are negotiating heads of agreement for oil and gas contracts, that kind of thing is different because as a baby lawyer, I was involved in some of those things.

Some of those meetings, man, is like 7 hours ago. So that kind of thing. You have to let the client know ahead of time that, you know, boss, if I want to schedule this thing, let it be when you're free. I need like 1233 free so that we can iron this thing out, but not a lot of us are at that stage yet. So for now, you don't need to tell Madam Morgan is a 15 minute call. So let Americans continue to worry about this sort of thing.

But in Nigeria, just get into the habit of going straight to the point. Whether you take 5 minutes or 30 minutes and continue to schedule and you won't have any problem. If Madam Morgan this is that you're a time waster, trust me, she will not like taking your meetings. So get into the habit of getting straight to the point. Then another question, Should you use technology to make scheduling easier for you and your prospects?

Well, you know, the Americans now, they like doing Calendly, HubSpot, all these things. And I just have started adopting this thing. But I'm telling you on this podcast, look, the culture here is different in Nigeria, in America, Yeah, do that where Nigeria don't, because in Nigeria, the attitude is now you define something. You understand me? You are the person who is looking for something in Nigeria. You can be looking for something then you will now be sending the other person scheduling link.

You're the person who think in their mind. OK, you're not ready. Sorry. 1 moment. OK, sorry about that. I was one of the neighborhood kids. I was just looking for my son. You know they're playing police antif. So anyway, what was I so in Niger Now you define something. So if I want to have a deal with Dangote or have a meeting with Dangote, I'm hoping that this will get me like 500 M or maybe one 1 billion, you know, then OK, sorry.

One moment. Let me attend to the kids again. OK, Sorry about that. Yeah, like I said, the other kids are looking for my son. You know, everybody's playing the only adult here. So if there's problem, I'm the one that is. That is very free. I was. I know. OK, yes. So using scheduling tools because, you know, we listen to American podcasts, you know, some of us go to American schools, you know, we come back and then we start doing things like, oh, OK, yeah.

So are you available next week? OK, I'll send you a calendly link, you know, to schedule the meeting. You'll be feeling cool because when you're in America, that's what you learnt. Now in Nigeria, things are a little bit different in business or in sales. Well, everybody's of equal status, let me put it that way. But this whole dynamic of naive define something, it puts an imbalance in the dynamics in the relationship.

So you can be forming big boy, I'm designing, somebody can let Calendly link or HubSpot link. You're the one who is trying to get something. So try and schedule something now that you're face to face with the prospect. So if I want to do business with down with it and I'm hoping to get like 500 M, 800 M from that deal. By the way, if any of you know, even if you don't know down with it, please give down with it. My phone number.

I always put it in the beginning of the podcast and at the end tell down with it that this is correct guy. You know the guy Gabriel, you know, if you if you hook up with him, he will help your business grow. So you should tell down with it that I'm here down with it doesn't know I'm exist. So tell him I'm around. So if I'm now trying to get something from down with you, try and hook up this meeting and I'll tell Dangote that I me in Nigerian parlance who is a nobody, I will send him calendly link.

I will wait Tyre for him to respond to my calendar link. Do you guys get where I'm heading? The same thing Madam Ogdeningly, you will go to the same church you want to design her house in the village because you're an architect. If you like be sending her calendly link from now to next year, you will wait tire be sending her Hobbs What link be sending her all those scheduling tools that you've heard from American podcasts or that while you are in America or in the UK

you saw the other people use, you will wait tire no BU define something. The thing is very simple. If I'm with Dan with it right now or if I'm with his PA right now, I will schedule something right now while that we are here. If Dangote says he's going to be in Dubai for the next two weeks, but then he's coming back end of August, you know, I'll try and narrow it down or end of August. So Saddam is like on that kind 28th 29 to be around.

He said yes, actually my flight lines 29th after August is what last September? OK, so let me say the next September is like next Monday said as September 3rd. So OK. Oh fantastic. So Sir, how about we schedule our next meeting for September, for September, Monday, September 3rd he will say, OK, yeah, that sounds OK. That sounds all right. Now the truth of matter is down with you or Madam Ogdingby or whoever your prospect is will not pull out their phone and schedule something.

This is why I keep saying the onus is on you. Now, if Madam Ogdingby or down with you have Pai will also make sure I collect PA phone number at the end of this engagement so I can also be following up with PA as well to make sure that I remain on the calendar. Remember, this is Nigeria. Now you define something. I hope you're listening. Now you define something. If you keep on, you know, calendly link household as you Miss Rd.

These tools are good in certain kinds of contexts, but we're in Nigeria now. We haven't gotten to that place yet. When we get there, you can do that. In fact, me, even me small boy, right now I'm nobody, anybody who sends me calendar link. You're wasting your time. You're not serious. We finished talking, so I'll send you calendar link up. So this guy is trying to impress me. He's been listening to American sales postcards.

He wants to show that he too he knows what's up. He will send me calendar link. Yeah, no problem. Let him send. So scheduling tools. Yes, for America, for UK, Australia, I have no idea. I don't know what their culture is like there, but in Nigeria we are not at that level yet. If you secure a meeting with one of your Popsy's friend, your father is trying to make an introduction to you for somebody who could be a significant deal or something.

When you don't want to look at your father's mate in the face and start telling him, I will send you Calendly link. First of all, how many of them even know what Calendly is? So it's nice to listen to American podcasts, but we should always adapt the knowledge there, you know, to our own local circumstances. So in my own opinion, Calendly, HubSpot, all these things, the time will come, but we are not there yet. It's an American thing.

Don't use that in Nigeria right now because of cultural nuances and the slightly uneven status that is involved in business dynamics. Schedule now that the person is in front of you, don't cut the call and then start sending the person calendly link or calendly e-mail or whatever. Don't. Then what are the best practices for sending invitations and reminders? You know, it depends on how far out the meeting is. But as a general rule, I think it's OK to send two reminders and to do one call on the day off.

In other words, let's say this is January 1st. We agreed for January 14th. I really think it's OK to text the person some sort of reminder. You know, January 7th, another reminder, maybe January 10th, then maybe you call the person January 13th, you know, to say we're looking forward to the meeting or call the person on the morning of the January 14th to say OK, looking forward to our meeting at 2:00 PMI think that's all right, but it depends.

So I can't give any general rules, but for me for short something, when I say short, I mean like within one month, even within one week's off. Generally I'm looking for like 2 touches before the meeting because I want to be sure that the person remembers and that the person is going to show up. Then let's look at the what next? You guys have agreed to the meeting. You will have scheduled the meeting. Now make no mistake, like I

said. Now you define something. Madame Ogy Dingby or Dangote or Popsy's friend or whoever it is, the person is not going to schedule nothing in their own calendar. Trust me, they won't. So all the scheduling, all the reminder, all the follow up, all the everything is on you, the business owner, the salesperson. Because like I said, now you define something. So send people an SMS that very day to confirm interest or to add some excitement or whatever,

you know. So when we finish that meeting, OK, let's go back to the down with the thing. As soon as down with the agrees and as soon as we leave, assuming I have down with his personal number. Well, I hope I do. I will send a message. Lovely chatting with you today, Chairman. Looking forward to our meeting on so, so, so and so. Have a safe trip on your Dubai trip. I hope your negotiations with the Sultan of Dubai works out well, you know, blah, blah,

blah. Best regards. You know, chairs as in that kind of message, you should be sending these kind of messages immediately. You're done with the conversation. Register in people's minds and register on people's phones. Hope you guys are listening because some of you don't even send this basic message. So the next time you're calling to remind them or the next time you're sending a text message to remind them in like two or three weeks time, you know, half the time they've already forgotten.

Who is this? Who is this strange number? But at least if you send this immediate number now, whether they remember or not, by the time the second message comes in, they will now see, oh, call history. This is somebody that I've been yawning with before. This is not a message that just came out of nowhere. So send a simple text message to confirm and that you're looking forward to the prospects. Also let them know in the message how you intend to follow up.

So I always tell people, lovely chatting with you. Looking forward to our meeting on the 14th. Would it be OK if I call you if I send you a reminder on the 7th? If I send you on the 7th? Oh yeah, sure, sure, sure. That's fine when I was on the 7th or when I send a reminder on the 7th. I'm not being an irritant because I already told the person already telegraphed it during our last meeting. Not only did I say it face to face or say it over the call, I

also put it in a text message. So I'm not being impressed. Then go and create an agenda for this meeting. Create the agenda now that The thing is still fresh in your head. Store that agenda on your phone. Store it in your calendar reminder app, or store it under the person's name. You cannot wait until the day of the meeting before you now start deciding that. Oh, OK, what am I going to discuss about with Chairman Dan Gothi?

Or what am I going to discuss with Madame Morgan? You're human. You forget, but if you prepare the agenda that immediately all you have to do just open your phone, open the calendar, something or check order their name and contact. You will see it meeting December 23rd. Agenda 12345, you say? Oh, OK, everything will now rush to your head, brah. Good. In fact, that can even be one of the follow up items. Hello, Madame Morgan Denby.

Welcome. I saw the Instagram photos. Your son's wedding was beautiful. God bless their family. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. She'll respond. Oh, thank you very much, my dear. We thank God. We thank God. Oh, by the way, Ma, we haven't forgotten our meetings. So, so, so and so. Oh, yes, yes, yes. No problem. Well, I've prepared an agenda. I'll send it to you 2 days before the meeting starts. OK. No problem. Thank you very much.

My son may end the conversation there. Then the two days before, just like you said, you send the agenda ahead of time. Of course, like I said, if Madam Mogading, they showed up with PA, please make sure you collected P as phone number. You are sending PA all these things as well so that you remain firmly on the calendar for this meeting. So this is what you do afterwards. These are the post scheduling actions. Now, the part that some of you might be concerned about,

unfortunately sometimes you go through all these people don't show. So it's possible that Dangote lands and is looking forward to our meeting, but then the president calls him and says, Aluko, where are you doing now? So I just landed Abuja, so I beg show, show, show, show. We have something that we're discussing and then now what it takes off. Of course, the president calls down to you think that is going to prioritize my own meeting?

These things happen. Same thing with Missus Rogan and Beto. Something can come up, they can call me. So Madam Ogadembe in the village that this happening, this happening, or maybe Madam Ogadembe has been pursuing some political something and they have people say we're having caucus meeting come and show up. So for lots of reasons we don't know, people don't show up for meetings. It happens. However, you have no control over this.

All you do is just stick to your process. You've done all the reminders show up for the meeting on time. You agree for 10:00 ten o'clock you haven't seen the person. It might be rude to calm and I'm getting by herself. So call PA by time is like 10 O 5/10/10 as just like APA. What's up now offer your PA can PA one saw you and let you know. Oh sorry, you know this is what happened then you now start trying to reschedule.

Too many of you go for a meeting, the person doesn't show up. You wait for one hour and then you leave and then you're now angry. No, that's not how it's done. Shut up, show up on time. When it's time and nobody's calling, maybe send text message. If I what I do is by the time I get to the venue, I always send a message, try and I arrive there earlier. So I get there and I send a message. I say hello chairman, I have been house on free time, so I

got to the meeting early. I'll be chilling and waiting at so so so and so for 10:00 meeting. You know, whenever you're close to the venue, just let me know. At least I sent something like that. So mentally the other person will register that. Oh, OK, this guy on the ground like he's around. So if they don't show, that's it. You know, don't be annoyed. It's just one of these things. It's the cost of doing business. Some people show up, some people don't show up.

Send me a message, send another message, send somebody message. You know by if you guys agree for 10:00. By 10:10 you haven't seen somebody, 10:15 you haven't seen somebody call, you know, send a message. If there's need to reschedule, you reschedule. If they are running late, they will let you know. You know, you wait and hopefully you will do the business and everything should go on OK. If you're trying to reschedule and then people goes to you after that, then you never know.

Maybe they're not being, they were never interested in the first place. You never know. But either way, that's the point where I send a breakup message to confirm interest. That was how I'll send a message like oh, Madame Ogadenbee, how do I put it now? OK Madam, after we missed that, no, how do I put it So 1 moment, OK, let me just freeze down. So I'll say, oh, Madam Ogadenbee, after I failed December 1st meeting, I tried reaching out severely and I

haven't gotten a response from either you or your PA. I'm going to assume that maybe priorities have changed on your end. And perhaps you know how I put it, OK, I'm going to go assume that, assume that maybe priorities have changed on your end. You know, question mark or leave it like that question mark, and now just send it like that. There's some people who now respond and say, oh, my dear, I'm sorry, this is what came up.

This is what came up. And then the conversation resumes. But if somebody even goes to you after that one, then for me personally, I just take it, OK, it's one of those things that wasn't meant to be. And then I wrap it up and I remove my mind from there. Maybe once in a while I'll send the person, you know, the usual messages, happy Christmas, happy New year, you know, all those kind messages. And then maybe value add messages.

I'll make another podcast episode about that. But honestly, my mind will not be there again because you know, I followed my process. I scheduled the meeting. I tried to, that one didn't hold. I tried to shut down another one. That one didn't hold. I sent the break up message. You know, I used to be interested. Our priorities still the same. They ignored that one. Honestly, there's nothing I can do again. I'm not going to go to my number with the miss house and start knocking on her door now.

I'm not going to do that and you shouldn't either. Don't be desperate, don't worry, go to make your way. It happens. Then in case you're scheduling the meeting and the meeting is far, let's say, you know, like I said, now that let's say Download is travelling to Dubai, he's going to be away for two months, then what are ways, OK, let's say Madam or getting away, OK, because download, it does, it's too big. Not everybody can relate to that.

Don't mind me, I can't really. I don't have any friends who have billionaires. I'm just running my mouth, don't mind me. So let's say Madam or getting away is traveling for two months actually. So what are the things that you can do to keep the prospect, the person you're chasing? What can you do to keep them engaged, maybe even excited about the upcoming event? So This is why I say prepare an agenda. Setting the agenda ahead of time could be a way of keeping people engaged.

Some people will even see the agenda and might even start texting you back and forth on specific things that actually is beautiful. If you send the agenda and they start texting you on one or two things, My guy, babe, continue be texting. Continue anything that is moving the agenda is is nice either testing on the agenda continue to converse on the agenda because you agreed December 1st doesn't mean you have to wait till December 1st.

If you agreed December 1st, you sent her the message now is September 23rd and she starts to engage you continue to engage anything you can do to move the deal forward anything. Then of course there's also value added stuff that you can do that you can send from from a professional points of view. So like in my own case, if there are specific techniques, specific problems that we've discussed and you know, there are interesting articles or resources that the person might want to see dealing with those problems.

You know, I send people those things once in a while. It's just a well remaining top of mind. You know, they're just there, they're just chilling. And so. Oh, OK, I send a message. Oh, boss, Madam, we're getting based on our conversation of blah, blah, blah ahead of our meeting, I just came across these resources. I thought it's something that you might like to have a look at send, she said on WhatsApp. I'm remaining top of mind and this is one way that we engage people.

Anyway, 45 minute episode. I'm terribly sorry. I know I promised you guys I wasn't going to do anything more than 15 minutes, 20 minutes. But it's all just on my chest and I just, I just needed to vomit it because I find that I'm having to teach so many people how to schedule. So these are plenty of ideas around scheduling. So please take dressing. It is very, very important. It is vital for your business. And these are the ways that we close the deal.

Small, small, small. I hope you guys are seeing that the reason why people are losing some big deals is not because your father's people are chasing you in the village. It is not a spiritual attack. You don't know how to schedule. That is why things are falling apart. You don't know how to schedule. You do not know how to get advancements in a business deal. You don't know how to move things forward one step at a time.

So it is not your father's people. Yes, your father's people don't like you. They hate you. They want to see your downfall. But honestly, their spiritual attack has never reached you yet because you you're doing a good job of spawning your business by yourself. Learn how to schedule, please. You'll make a huge difference. All right, so that's it and that's all. Remember, if you'd love to connect, you can call SMS or WhatsApp me on 08064662140.

Thank you very much for your time and attention. I'll catch you next time. Same place in your headphones or in your speakers.