Stop Selling Price: How to Discover Real Value

Hello and welcome. Today's episode is going to be a noisy one because I'm home and the kids are around. All right, so let's get straight into it. Now today I want us to look at the wrong expectations that a lot of you have when it comes to sales or when it comes to anything related to, you know, talking to customers, persuasion, you know, that sort of thing. So this is an episode that should apply to those of you who are founders, you know, trying to sell people on your early stage product, trying to get people to use your MVP.

You're a professional salesperson. You sell on behalf of someone else. You know, you have one orgar, you have one Madam or you're self-employed like me and you spend your days trying to talk to people, trying to, you know, Ghana market, you understand. So unfortunately, we have a lot of wrong expectations when it comes to sales and we have a lot of wrong expectations when it comes to persuasion. The reason why I'm making this episode today is because for those of you who've been listening for the last, you know, 2-3 weeks, you will.

I'm sure you've been getting the gist. You know, me and Cinderella, who's a real life salesperson by the way, her name is not really Cinderella. I'm just trying to, you know, protect her identity. So me and Cinderella have been trying to work through a couple of things. She's been involved in technical sales for like close to a decade. Very young girl, very sharp girl, and she's now sorry lady. Very young lady, very sharp lady.

OK, so please don't cancel me. So where was I now? So she's currently in solar sales and we're trying to bring her up to speed and make sure that she's effective in the setting solar. She has sold other technical solutions in the past. You know, she has an engineering degree, as in, you know, she capable, She's smart. She capable, no doubt. But unfortunately, there are few, you know, bad habits or wrong ideas that we need to strip away.

And it's going to be a very painful process. It's a painful process where anybody, for the person who is trying to teach, it's a painful process. For the person who is on the receiving end, it's a painful process. Because like me, for instance, when I quarrel with my wife and my wife says Tavi Schumer, you don't listen and then we start talking. You know, it's a painful process to have things stripped off. So you're a founder, you're a business owner, you're ACEO,

you're a self-employed, you're a hustler, you're a whatever. This is going to be a painful process. Be ready for pain. This is 1 expectation that a lot of us get wrong. Cinderella has been telling me because the company provides leads, so they run advertisements, they get leads and then she talks to them. She's been saying most of them are on serious. I repeat, the customer the the the company has been paying for leads and then she contacts those people.

You see they're interested in buying solar. And what she's taking away from the experience so far is she's saying most of them are on serious. Now. I want you to listen up clearly, loud and clear. Of course, most of them are on serious. Of course, most of them are browsing. Of course, most of them are just curious, what do you think? What are you expecting? You think when somebody clicks on something online, it means that they are ready to buy.

You think everybody who walks into your shop is ready to pick up something. We don't know these people's motivations. Of course, most of them are on serious. If you don't like my opinion, no problem, let's move over to America because after all, in America, people measure everything. Now, depending on who is doing the statistics, some people say only 5% of people are in market at any given time. Let me repeat now, some people who do some research and they'll say it's 5%.

Some people say it's 7%. I've had as low as 3%. Either way, you can see that it's not looking great. Nobody has said 10, nobody has said 15, nobody has said 50%. So depending on who you're asking, 3% of people are in market, 5% of people are in market, 7% of people are in market. In market just means the people are interested and are ready to make a decision right now at this moment as you are talking. So if you jump 100 people, what does that mean?

Only three people are ready to buy or five people are ready to buy or seven people are ready to buy if you jam 100 people for your product or your service. Hope you guys are feeling me now. If you accept this thing now, you will not be frustrated when you have to pick up the phone or when you have to talk to people in the mall or when you have to chase down people or when you have to send emails. Because like I said, depending on who is asking on on who you ask because different groups have put out different kinds of research. 3%, five percent, 7%,

Nobody has said 10, nobody has said 20, nobody has said 50. Why are you surprised that most of them aren't serious? It's the nature of the game. You should stop being shocked. It is what it is. When we do research in Nigeria, OK, maybe we'll find out. But for now, yes, most of them aren't serious. Welcome to life. That's just business and there's nothing you can do. There's going to change those odds. Let me put it another way, in case some of you didn't get it,

95% of the people you meet are not ready to buy or 93% of the people that you meet are not ready to buy. All right, so welcome to life. It is what it is. Stop complaining. It's just the reality. Some of you now say, OK, only 5%, only 3%, OK, maybe 7%. OK, So what are we supposed to do? Very good. Your job is to just find who is serious within those people and try and have full, full conversation with them. Your job is not to try and convince every single person that you're talking to, to buy.

Your primary job is just trying to figure out who is serious. That is all. OK, well not that's all, but that's the beginning. 93% of the people you meet will be on serious or 95% or 92% depending on who you ask. So therefore your primary consign is not buy from me, buy from me or go follow me, come buy, follow me, come buy. No, your primary consign is I. You serious? Who is this person that I'm talking to? Do they have a problem?

Can my product or service fulfill this need? Does it look like they're ready to take action anytime soon? That is your primary consign. When you meet somebody, when they walk into the shop, when they walk into the store, when they slide into your DM, when they respond to your advertising campaign, You're not supposed to go into sales mode. Follow me, come by, follow me, come by, buy from me, discount, blah, blah. No, who is this person?

Are they serious? Well, that's the reason why for those of you who've been listening for the past, you know, 2-3 weeks, that's what I've been going on about balance and qualification and everything because I need you all to get this like I need you to like open your skull and then shove that thing inside. A lot of you are frustrated because your expectations are wrong. Somehow you think that if you meet 100 people, 50 people are going to buy from you or 60 or 70 people are going to buy from you.

My friend, that's not the case. Even Jesus Christ did not have 100% closing rates and you're not better than Jesus. So relax and stop being frustrated. Your job is just to find out who is serious when you know who is serious. And hey, follow them, the young. But then this is also another thing. Please bear this in mind. Let's say you're into crypto, right? You're a crypto bro. You meet 100 people. Only three percent, 5% or 7% of those people are going to be in market.

All right, guess what? You are not the only person who is into crypto. There are other people who are into crypto, into solar, into fashion, into web design, into whatever it is that you do. All of you are struggling for that 5%. Hope you feel me now. Hope you understand. You see why this is a hard job. That's why for some of you, I say honestly speaking, you're better off just resigning from sales, going to customer service, like customer service,

you'll be fine. For sales, you struggle. So even that security 3%, that is what all of you are rushing after. That is why this game is hard. Your job is to find out who is serious. Your job is not to try and sell everybody. You can't sell everybody. Not everybody wants what you have. Not everybody needs what you have. Not everybody's ready to take action right about now. You can't sell everyone. So that's the first wrong expectation.

Well, there are plenty of wrong expectation, but this is one that I want to look at for today. Another one is this whole idea that if you give a discount or if you give a cheaper price, it should solve the problem. All right, let's tackle this. Discounts. First of all, discounts harm of the bottom line. Discounts reduce the amount of money that is coming into the business and over time, discounts for those of you who are professional salespeople,

discounts will reduce the amount of money that you take home as Commission. Discounts is helping nobody. Discounts is even teaching the customer to devalue the product. So then they rate you even less. Discount is helping nobody. The proper way to use discounts, and I've used, I've made a podcast episode about this before, is use discounts to bring people into your store, to bring people into your shop, to bring people into your ecosystem because you have excess inventory in other places that you want to offload.

So they come in and buy this one sheep, but they make it up when they buy something else. That is proper way to use inventory. So for my Nigerian sisters who are listening to this podcast, that is precisely what does we, what people do when we go to the UK and to America on holiday. They put winter sale, this sale 5% or blah, blah, blah, and then we rush inside. Then we buy some things on discount. Guess what? The other things that we buy are not on discount.

The other things are full price on markup. That is the point of discount. So if you don't have excess inventory, what are you discounting for? You're just losing money. Another thing, discounts only work when people already have a sense of urgency. For instance, let's say somebody is doing discount now because there's this car has the car of my dreams Tesla Cybertruck. The last time I I price it 450 million cool. The last time I saw it, I don't know about the price now, just in case it has gone up 450 M.

Now if they say they are doing discount on Cybertruck 50% off, do you think I will buy it? The answer is no, because there's no sense of urgency. My jalopy is still working OK. I'm kind of squeezed for cash. So you know what? They've taken 200 M off. I'm still not going to move. The discount is only going to work when you're talking to somebody who is a properly qualified buyer, somebody who was interested in the first place, somebody who had a genuine want or need in the 1st place, and somebody who had a sense of urgency.

That means they already have a timeline for when they want to take action. So for the person who wants to buy Tesla Cybertruck and the person was thinking, OK, around that kind December, let me give myself a Christmas gift. Then the person now sees in May that almost days 50% off, that kind of person will run from pillar to post, mobilize the money. The same idea, this thing that I wanted for Christmas, almost 50% off.

Don't make it happen because they're properly qualified customer and there's a sense of urgency. So therefore your business as a salesperson, as a self-employed person, as ORGA CEO, as whatever, just to make sure they are talking to someone who is a properly qualified buyer in the 1st place. They have a want, they have a need, they're interested, they can't afford it and it looks like they're ready to take action anytime soon.

That's your primary concern is when you find those people, we can start playing all this game of oh 2% or 50% off 20% off. If you give everybody 50% discount, but the person was never interested in the first place or maybe they're mildly interested. They're just curious, but they're not close to taking action in the 1st place. If you like discount it to 0. The person will not even take in fact, by desiring read Zillow,

the person will say this one. The thing is so cheap. It'd be like say you know they're not start looking at you. All kind discounts are not going to solve the problem if you have not been doing the fundamental part about finding properly qualified buyers in the 1st place who are ready to take action or it looks like they are ready to take. They might be ready to take action reasonably anytime soon. OK, that's all discounts.

Now this cheaper price. See, I tried telling one person this before. She didn't get it. So I'm going to tell you who now. I hope you get it. Customers, clients, prospects will always ask for a cheaper price. It is a given. Now there's some people who are motivated buyers. Motivated buyers are people who know exactly what they want, at what price they want it, blah blah blah. Those people are rare. I have only jammed one myself.

I have read about them in books, but seeing them in the wild, my own 2 Coco Rise, I have only seen one. If you ask around other people, you will find that the experience is quite rare. In fact, the first time what happened to you will be shocked. You will be thinking like, hey, I should have called a big number. So those people who come in and say how much is this? And you say 4 million and then they say I want 5. Do you have them say yes ma'am?

Well, which account was the account number? People who come in and then it's like that, you know, back, back, back 5 minutes, they're out. They bought your thing. That is rare. Actualized buyers are rare. Everybody else will ask for a cheaper price. Those ones. I'm stuck in traffic in Abuja. Yeah, I know some of you will laugh that Abuja people use their traffic and this traffic. I mean, yes, we were stuck for like 1 hour.

I know in Lagos you guys get stuck for three hours, but I quote we will get stuck for like 4 hours, 5 hours. Yes, I know Baja for Abuja, it's still traffic by Abuja standards. So stuck in traffic then this guy is selling bathroom slippers. The gentleman not far from me winds down the window, tinted glass, AC, music, everything. The gentleman starts proceeds to start pricing bathroom slippers. You heard me correctly. Somebody was in a luxurious car,

tinted AC, music booming. He walked down. The guy looked like analogy. He was pricing bathroom slippers. Bathroom slippers. Imagine that you're selling bathroom sleepers and somebody tells you you're too expensive. People price bathroom slippers. They price Groundnut. They price cell phones. They price Bluetooth keyboard. If they could, they would price school fees. They price everything. You don't think they will try pricing solar?

Everybody tries to negotiate something. You think when Elon Musk says oh this is the cost of my satellite? You think people don't price people with price? It's a fact of life. People will always ask for a cheaper price. No, this is what happens. I don't want salesperson who she said cheaper price, but if the price were cheaper, I could sell more. I told you Organa, I don't really think so. The organa said, well, she's a strong member of my team, let me try her.

So they went for a lower grade product. Ladies and gentlemen, my dear friends, like four or five months into what? What do you think the problem was now? The problem was price. First you complained that it was a cheaper price. I will sell more, no problem. August says OK, no problem, let us start sending lower grade and then the complaint is still price. Guess what, you will now start sending a lower grade and the complaint will still be price.

This thing never ends. There is no price that you will get to, that people will not price you. You feel me? Doesn't matter what you sell, there's no price that you will get to, that people will not price you. Then there's also a cultural thing involved, you know, so Africans, Asians, Arabs, you know, we price is part of the culture. So just like welcome to life. It is what it is. Cheaper price will not solve the problem.

What's the solution? The solution is you learn how to sell value. You don't sell price. Some of you say, how do you sell value good. Before you sell value, you have to learn how to discover value. Value just means what does this person want? What does this person need? What do they like? You know what rocks their boat? What makes them happy? What gets them to laugh or get them to move? When you discover what the people find valuable, you will not be able to sell value.

The problem is some of you are trying to sell value but you are using your own. How will I put it now you're using your own yardstick. It's your own mind you're using to sell value. That's not how it works. For those of you who are long time business, you remember the time that we went into a shop, my wife said let's go there and buy stuff for the kids. We went back to school. I said my dear, no problem. I realized that she had shed trap for me because, you know,

I, she says I dressed like a Ghanaian school teacher. So I have all these my clothes that I like to wear, you know, my old faithfuls, you know, we all have those things, you know, like AT shirt you've been wearing for the past like 10 years. And she's been saying that look, you're somebody's father, you're somebody's husband. You can't be going around wearing short Nikka, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I say no point, I'll buy, I'll buy.

So that day she set trap for me. So we entered into the shop. We bought for the kids. We paid. As we're about to go, Mark said, do you have jeans? You say yes, ma, we get your sizes ain't no for men. Unfortunately, I was already there. All I could do was just be angry, but I couldn't run because I'm ready in the shop. So that's how she trapped me. Although one of my friends was now saying that, oh boy, you're a fool that your wife wants to buy something for you.

You're complaining Benny. That's that's another something. So I was like a hand sending value. The guy brought one jeans, black, and then he started talking about Wrangler America or US, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, a whole bunch of stuff the guy was trying to sell value according to his own standard. He didn't find out whether I am that type of guy who values America, you know, Canada or blah blah, blah. For me, the only thing I value when it comes to genes and combats and stuff like that is,

you know, room. Is he free? I'm a big dude. I don't wear tight pencil things. It's very uncomfortable. Then you know, it has to be loose because I carry everything on me. My wallet is on me at all times. My phone is on me at all times. My keys are on me at all times. Everything has to fit my pocket. I can't wear slim stuff. Then since I'm a big dude and I move around quite a bit, most of my stuff, it tears, you know, under the crotch.

So I want to be sure that this is a solid, you know something. So for me, I, I, I can't be bothered. Here's the thing from Canada. Like, I don't care. Mountain shows are OK. This thing looks strong. It looks like I can wear it for three days before I wash it. I don't have to wash it every single day. Then, you know, the pockets are all right. I can put everything inside there. You know, if I was still single. Is it short?

But now I'm married, so OK, I have to wear trousers, look respectful. But those are the things the guy didn't bother to find out what I found valuable. Instead, he started selling that it is Wrangler. Like I can't be bothered whether I wear Calvin Klein or whether I wear Wranglers or whether I wear bend down select. Like I can't be bothered when it comes to clothes, the other things that I've become bothered about. Everybody just has their own,

you know, thing, Discover value. What do they like? When you know what they like, then you can sell value if you ask me the right kind of questions. And, and although I feel sorry for him because, you know, when it comes to clothes, there's something I'm trying to pursue. When it comes to clothes, there's something my wife is trying to pursue because, you know, she wants me to look like somebody's husband and like somebody's father.

In fact, I'll tell you guys a story later on. When somebody mistook me for a painter. Oh, my friend laughed at me. Michael Okudra in back in Lagos, guy really laughed. He says your life as educated as you are. Somebody saw you. I thought you were a painter, but I was back then. I dressed better now. So before you sell value, discover value. What do they like? Before you discover what somebody likes, you need to be having quality conversations.

Quality means in depth while going deep. We're trying to figure out what do they like The only way you're going to be able to figure out what they like go back to our dating stage is if you're asking open-ended questions. Who, why, what, where, when, how? So excuse me? You ask questions that gets the other person talking. So remember back in the dating stage, you're a girl, you think the guy is cute, you ask questions that get the guy to talk.

You're a guy, you think the girl is cute, you ask the girl questions that get her to talk. It's the same thing in business. I'm trying to sell you something, I'm trying to get into your walnut, I'm trying to get from naira and cobo. So I have to ask questions that will get you talking if you sell solar. But every single time you talk to somebody, the only question you ask is how many ACS are you trying to power? How many deep freezers are you trying to power?

How long? How much backup do you need? You are not having quality conversations because all we know is the technical specs of what we're trying to sell. We don't know why, we don't know what the motivations are. We don't know what it is they value. And if we don't know what it is that they value, when the time comes to now sell value, what exactly are we going to push? We will now have no other lever to play with than to drop the price.

So I'll try to give Cinderella an example of quality conversations to have. Remember open-ended questions, questions that get people talking. There are different techniques. One of the simplest techniques, and this is Brian Tracy. Brian Tracy one O 1. That's all Brian Tracy before he started going new age and everything. So the old stuff, all those books, 1980 something, those kind of books, that level of Brian Tracy.

So Brian Tracy says who, why, what, where, when and how I think you got, is it the five WS or something like that? You know, even though how is an H? Well, OK, well, it has an it has AW at the the bottom. So anyway, this is the five WS or the seven WS. So who, why, what, where, when, how? Those are the questions that you're going to be asking these people. So Cinderella asked me to call someone that she was having a difficult time with because we gave the guy quotes.

Thing is not even expensive, just 5.5, only 5.5 really. So I said OK, sure, no problem, I'll give the guy a call. So we know the technical specifications, how many fridge, how many AC, how many this, how many that, Why he wants it, we have no idea. So when I spoke to the guy, I said, oh that yeah, 5.5. To be honest, it's kind of beyond what it is that they're looking for now, but it's something that they actually want to take action on soon.

What did I do? Who I what, where, when, how I went to why? Oh really hope you don't mind me asking why are you looking to take action soon? He says, oh, we just finished the property and about to put solar for it, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Say, oh, so this thing is not even for your personal house? No, it's not a personal house. It's a house that we are building for rent. You can see who I work, where, when, how? By asking him why.

I've now figured out that OK, this thing itself is not even for his own house. You can see that the dynamics are now changing. We now know that OK is not for his own house. It's not for his parents. It's not for his high chick, his investment property. Anyway, my point of calling him at the time was just to because he was, he went ghost, he was not answering Cinderella again. So I was just trying to get the guy back on the phone and then throw him back, you know, get him back, fix an appointment so that Cinderella can continue from there.

And then I told Cinderella, OK, look, this next time that you talk to the guy, the focus is you're trying to book a meeting so that you guys can negotiate. Price Abbey, Good. These are the questions you were asked. Then during the conversation, keep it casual, keep it conversational. You will ask when is the tenants moving in? He will talk when he talks. We now have a sense of urgency. They are getting ready to move by so, so, so and so time.

If he says we don't have a tenant lined up currently, can you see that there is no sense of urgency. They are not ready to take action now, given a discount now we do you nothing because there is no tenant lined up. It's not his own house. It's investment property. If somebody has already paid and the person was supposed to have moved in last month, can you see that is a sense of urgency. Now you can say, Oh yeah, we give you 2%, we give you 5%.

You can, you know, sales involves creativity. It's a game. We need to have options. We need things to play with. If you don't ask questions, if we don't know who this person is, why they're trying to buy it, what problem is going to solve, we don't have much to to play with. We don't have any levers. They hold all the cards. They can use us and do or shake it. They'll be doing us anyhow. Anyhow. Call me today. Call me tomorrow.

You're too expensive. Don't we? Oh, we are the ones that are causing the problem. The client is not the problem. You are Mr. Salesperson, Mr. Business owner, Mr. CEO, Mr. Whatever, Madam, What? You are the problem. You've not been asking the right questions. So I told her you ask when is the turn out moving in. Don't raise your voice by the way, when you're asking, you know, keep it calm and cool, conversational. I also told her you will ask her.

Oh, Sir, I'm just curious, in your own house, what kind of system do you have? Because definitely, definitely this guy has solar in his own house. For sure he will not go and put solar in the investment property for somebody if he doesn't have solar in the house. So you will ask, some of you ask like, why am I asking? Simple. You ask because if he says, oh, for my house, I'm using it so, so, so and so, blah, blah, blah,

blah, blah. I saw the system is working OK. Oh, it's fantastic. He's not having any problems. Task. You don't bluff together. OK, Since the system he has already works, how come you didn't ask the other company to give a quote on this kind of something? You ask and then you hear if he says, oh, yeah, actually, I asked them then Ding, Ding, can you see? You now know that you're not the only person in this fight, that there are two of you.

But because you ask it nice and casual, the information will just vomit from his mouth. You have more data now. I can't tell you how it's going to influence how you will, how it will influence the outcome. But The thing is, at least we now know something extra. We can go and sit back and think. For those of you who are self-employed, you can call your wife and say, my dear, I'm stuck. These are these are these are the facts.

I should say, oh, have you tried this? You say, oh good, good, good. Then you now pick up the phone and try again. You have a business partner. You can talk to your business partner, you have found out your stock, you can go and talk to your board or talk to your investors and get some more ideas. So you will ask him what kind of systems you have in your own house or what kind of system did you install in other property developments that you have worked on.

You never know, he might say, Oh no, this is our first. OK, you have one piece of information now. This guy is new to the property development game. This is the first house. OK, let's think of ourselves as a strategic partner. Or they have other developments they haven't done in the other developments. This is the first one that they want to start in. OK, let's use a land and expand strategy. Enter with this one house.

If you think works, maybe we go to corner the other houses. You never know. But The thing is, you will not know what cards you have, what options you can play with until you ask. Qualified conversations, open-ended conversations, who, why, what, where, when, how. So those are two questions that I told her to ask. You don't need too many going into a sales call. You want to ask open-ended questions. Even if you only have two on your your paper, you are fine now 2 we'll give you more information than you had before.

Now the more information you have, always better anyway. 30 minutes. Let me bring it to a close. See terminal of you. The reason why I'm frustrated is you have the wrong expectations. You think you know people just magically show up and then just buy from you. You don't work that way. Most people are just browsing while most people have priorities. Most people see, I don't even know what's going on in their mind. Shaq, we know that 3%, five percent, 7%, those are doing people that are interested.

In other words, let's be journals. In other words, 90% of the people who you meet are not going to buy from you. Your job is just to figure out from the remaining 5%, three percent, 7%, we're exactly serious. Oh, OK, this person is yours. OK, May I follow on the young Then let me follow up with this person. Then let me give him quotes. Then let me set up meeting. Let me whatever, whatever, whatever. Discounts and cheaper price will not solve the problem, it will only help you if you're dealing with a qualified buyer in the 1st place.

Which is why I'm begging all of you, please, the first thing is not by market. Follow me, come by, follow me, come by. No, no, no, no, no, no. The very first thing is who is serious. You will not be able to know who is serious unless you're having quality conversations. We've spoken about conversation frameworks. I've spoken about spin selling, I've spoken about banks. If this is your first time listening to the podcast, just keep listening back.

You'll find there are plenty. There are many. Just wanna be listening, wanna be learning. If no one seems too much for you, OK, no problem. open-ended questions. Our uncle in the trade, Brian Tracy. Remember old Brian Tracy because now he's kind of new age. So old Brian Tracy. Brian Tracy Say Opal and their convo. open-ended conversations. open-ended. Any conversation that starts with who, why, what, where, when, how and who is open-ended exactly.

When we were in the toasting stage and we used to toast and be toasted, those kinds of questions. Oh, what made you study law? Can you see open-ended? What made you study law? Did people continue to talk? As she's talking, she's feeling validated and, you know, enable you to, you're hearing things. Oh, how come you're a Muslim even though you're from a Christian family? She'll begin to talk. You will hear some stuff. Oh, I thought you are Catholic,

but I noticed that you're hanging around. So. So how come the boy will continue to talk? You hear one or two things, as in toasting our relationships. So also in business, open-ended conversation. Who, why, what, where, when, how? What are we dealing with? Are they serious? Are they all serious? So in dating from asking all those questions, you now know that this girl is all serious. Let me free her. Sorry. You know boys will never free anything 'cause they always want you, understand?

So for babes now you say this guy is useless, He's a time waster, let me free him. So it's the same thing, right? So let me cap it off here. If you'd love to connect with me, call me, send me a text message or a WhatsApp message on 08064662140, I'm out.