The Nigerian Sales Hustle: Multi-Channel Follow-Up That Pays

Today on the podcast, we're going to be looking at random ideas around prospecting. I repeat, random ideas around prospecting. If this your first time of listening to the podcast, prospecting is just the whole process. You know the strategy and then also the activities that you carry out when you're trying to figure out who is your ideal customer, who is the ideal person that needs your product or service, who might want your product or service?

Where are they? Where do they hang out online? Where can I find them physical, physical. Where can I see them? Now that I know where they are? How can I come up with a plan to call them up or to go to the office or to get them to come to my office or for me to go to their showroom or that we should have online meeting. So all the activities that are around these sorts of things, who are my customers, who are my customers, where I did, where I

did, how will I track them down? How will I start the conversation, how we be yawning, how will I set up a meeting, all of that, that is called prospecting. So the reason why we're going to do that is because while I consult for clients, sometimes my work involves prospecting on their behalf. It's not as if it's my work or but sometimes just so that the sales team I'm training know that look, this thing no be like, it's not like do or die like it's not that hard.

It's difficult to and it can be stressful, but just so you know that look, this thing is a normal something that anybody can do if you just follow some simple processes. So once in a while me my pick up the phone on behalf of my clients and I say, Oh yeah, you guys just watch. You see, as I do, I'm this is the thought process. Just following step by step by step like this. Just be cool, just be calm. If you can do it like this, you should be able to knock up,

excuse me, knock out your calls and prospecting should be a little bit easier. So I made some prospecting calls today. So excuse me. And then what is a few things that I'm sure I haven't spoken about on the podcast before? So I said, let me quickly come and make this recording. Oh, and then sorry about my voice because, you know, I already made one podcast recording before, been in a coaching session and then also had to do prospecting calls.

So my voice is a little tired. Oh, by the way, that seems to be the only working hazard when it comes to those of us who are professional salespeople. You know, your voice will become tired. So I've heard that you can drink or grow. I heard that you can take honey and ginger. Excuse me, and a couple of other things, you know, take care of your voice. So maybe that's one thing I should mention I haven't mentioned before.

You know, if you're going to get into sales, you know, look for some regimes, you know, some tips and tricks to take care of your voice because your voice is a, you know, is a tool of trade because you want to pick up the phone and you want somebody to hear hello. And once they hear your melodious sweet voice, you know, they are ready to engage in conversation. So yeah, that's one tip for today. Now, of course, making today's recording right at my desk at home.

So there's going to be some noise in the background. Now. Welcome to the podcast. I'm your host. My name is Tava Shima Aidi. For years I've been bringing you guys value over here, practical, realistic, relevant insights, things that work in the Nigerian market. So if you want to move away from all that generic stuff you see online about growing business in Nigeria and you all practical way to move your business forward, then this podcast is for you.

Excuse me. So subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, Apple or any player of your choice. And if you'd love to connect with me, call me, send me a text message, send me a WhatsApp message on 08064662140. So today, now I said just some random stuff. It's not as if my ideas are very organized right now. So one of my clients now in the content production space, brand new sales team, just fully minted. You know, they haven't done this thing before.

So that's the reason why, you know, I'm picking up the phone, calling one or two things on their behalf. After that, I say one or two things, one or two companies, one or two people on their behalf. After that, you know, we will ask we compare notes and then just to show that look, you people are fresh, but you know, no, they fear is not that it's not that hard in the beginning. Your mouth good is Sheikh you know is normal because it's not as if when we're born, the teachers, this is how you talk to strangers.

But we practice and then we having a framework following some principles, some simple guidelines. You know, it can be OK, but or you get better with time and trust me, everybody fumbles. In fact, last week I fumble one call and I'm wondering like, haha, a homie, how can I be fumbling at this stage? But it's just it's perfectly normal. So it happens. It happens to everybody, every single person, even Brad Tracy. I heard him say one time that he's have a formal they call.

I knew Brad Tracy can be from being called because this guy has been calling since since before us an embryo. Even Brad Tracy can form who am I? So don't worry, don't fear. It's just one of these things. So there's one organization now and I'm supposed to call into on their behalf. I called front desk and of course, you know, nobody answered, which is normal, by the way. That's the reason why the parties have been saying whenever you're trying to reach out to somebody, if it's the general number you found that you're just wasting your time because let's face it, how many secretaries or front desk people are proactive?

You know, it's not as if they will see your call and then they will call you back. So do some research ahead of time. Check websites, check Instagram, check LinkedIn, go and see if you can get an alternative contact, you know, but anyway, if front desk is the only option you have, no holler, no problem. We'll call the front desk. So that's nobody gave me. I called the front desk. Of course, you know, Popo no answer. I sent text messages.

Then I said, let me just go on Snoop around a bit. I checked website and then lo and behold, I found some other numbers. So step one, you're calling into another business. You want them to become a buyer of your product or your service. Please, my guy, my babe, listening to this podcast now, my friends, do not rely on one number only big mistake. And do not rely on that general number. That general number goes to admin, it goes to receptionist,

it goes to ground floor, it goes to security post, it goes to basically it goes to a place where it's not going to help you. Then even if you're going to make that kind of call, do some research ahead of time so that you know who it is you're talking to. So like a mouse case. Now the strategy is whenever I'm calling into this business, because one of the per people that I want to talk to is whoever is in charge of their business development or whoever is in charge of their marketing or whoever is in charge of their community development, I just call.

If I do some reset, it helps if I do some reset ahead of time and have a specific name. So if you call that number and it's the reception is the answers and say hello, is this also business? It says, yes, it is who is speaking? And you say, oh, my name is Kuli. Please put me through to Kelichi, your head of business development. You hear the way that thing sounds? It sounds like you already know who you're supposed to.

She'll say 1 moment. Let me check. Oh, sorry. Kelechi is noise. You cannot leave a message. You see? Can you understand Now The thing is moving forward because you don't want to meet at the head of time and you know one specific person that you're supposed to call. By the way, don't worry, the information is outdated. If it's outdated, she will tell you say oh, Kelechi no longer works here anymore. So I'm sorry about that.

So who is his successor or who is now responsible for so so so so you understand? So one number, fah fah foul. Don't rely on one number. Go go and get some other numbers. But if that number is the only number you have and the person that answers it is in security post or receptionist, no problem. Try and get passed through to who the relevant party is for whatever your product or your service is. The people who are supposed to make the consideration, the people who are trying, who are supposed to make the decision,

That's the person that you want to get passed along to. So that is step one. Then I dialed the other numbers, PO PO, no answer. I sent text message the two of them. Now Step 2, whenever you call, don't just say nobody answered. I'll call again the next day. No, you need to register an impression. You need to mark register that you called. You should register an impression. These people that you called, some people are proactive.

They'll say, OK, somebody called. This is the person. Some people will call you back. Not everybody, but some people will call you back. Either way, mark register, make a mental impression so that when you call the next time and you say, hello, this is Kemi from are they Kemi and Emmanuel Design. So say, oh, OK, I think I saw a number like that last week. You see, that's the whole point of marking register. There is some prior context that you can now use to carry on that conversation.

So always use text message to mark register. If I what I've been telling people is send text message, then send SMS if there's e-mail, sorry, what did I say? Send text messages that was really SMS. Then if it's on WhatsApp, send WhatsApp. If there's e-mail, send the e-mail. Some people say is that no overkill, Relax in the beginning seems like overkill. But The thing is we don't know what kind of what kind of communication patterns then put it this way that this company uses.

There are some companies that WhatsApp do answer you shop, shop, shop e-mail if you like, send that e-mail the one side 2 years later and there's some companies that e-mail, don't answer shop, shop, shop, shop. But WhatsApp message that we're showing you is one of the problems that I have working with international NGOs. That's the problem that I have cause to be honest, me, I like WhatsApp. What is international company?

Any small team e-mail, e-mail, e-mail. In my mind, I'm thinking if we can just go on the phone. All these emails have been emailing back and forth for the past three or four days. One phone call 30 minutes before they all sort out everything. So anyway, it's not about us, it's about what the people prefer. So that's the reason why I say in the beginning, just send based on that response, you now know like, oh, OK, this is a phone call person every single time, let me call this person first or this is an e-mail person.

From now, henceforth I will be sending only e-mail. So just send it. So I think that's a Step 2. Like I said, I didn't write all these things out, so I'm just restarting in case I get my numbers mixed up. Now, Step 3. In fact, that's the main thing that I wanted to say. If you're calling into some organization and that organization happens to have a sales team, that is the best place to call into because we salespeople now you know how military people do a spirit decor, you know, soldier, they salute themselves, Navy, they salute themselves.

All of them aspirate decor because you know we are all one. So they help each other. It's the same thing in sales when one marketer sees another marketer aspirate the call. Any way they can help now just aspirate the call. So it's the same thing with those of us in sales. If you call in to a sales department and I say, oh, bro, I beg Novak's, you know, I'd be want to speak to social. And so I'm not sure who's responsible for this.

This is personal though, you know, as per one brother to another, one sister to another, they will help you out. They'll say, OK, Olga Kilichi is no longer the person that is there is now Madam Vadeka. And you know, don't don't put you through because sales people help each other. So if this is a sales number call and another thing, sales people, there are only people that have sense in any organization. And I'm saying it without without fear or favour, not only says people get sense in any organization because this organization now that I'm trying to call big organization Victoria Island, see their website, sweet.

See the videos, everything flowing wonderful. See the Instagram to die for you look at this organization Mandy thing resembles you know, international agencies like New York, London, you know that kind of thing. But meanwhile, not on any pick up. I tried sending WhatsApp message. Nothing on WhatsApp message about trust the sales team now sales team definitely down WhatsApp. So I've sent WhatsApp message and of course I know that we'll start chatting.

So that's why I say salespeople that only people that have sense in any organization. The only people that have initiative everybody else the only just to show up and collect salary. Salespeople were the only people who have ginger were the only people who have drive. So if you do research and you see that they have #4 sales and marketing team, call them. Sales and marketing people aspirate the call. They will help you out.

They'll hook you up. I know some of you are not convinced. Try it first. You will see. I don't know why it works, but military people, you know, they help themselves out. The same thing. Salespeople, we just help ourselves out. I don't know why, it just is. Then let's see what again. So there's one company now. I told these people that they should do research. Go and research the company. Tell me about the company that will make the call.

Now, this is the reason why I've made some podcast episodes in the past where I spoke about data enrichment. Now data enrichment is this. When you're about to call somebody, you want that person to be your customer. You want the person to buy a product to buy or service. You suppose do some small research before you call. And this is the reason why when you're about to call somebody and on sheet of paper it's just 080, blah, blah, blah, blah,

blah, and then there's a name. It's hard to make that call. You don't know the person I'm calling. Is he a man or a woman? Is the person old or young? Is the person nice or cold? Is the person yoga or is the person the houseboy? You have no idea. So entering that kind of call now is just too vague. But by the time you do some small data research, you will now have the proper frame of mind to now address that call. So if you do small research, go and check Google something, you find out some information on the person you will know.

So let's say the information you had before was 080 blah blah blah and the name on it was Khilichi Hen Nacho during I'll stop using here natural. I just heard the name recently and it sounds like a correct name. So that's what I've been saying in here natural. So let's say that was on the something 080 blah blah blah Khilichi Hen Nacho. How you make that call, you don't know. But if you now if you know that Khilichi Hen Nacho is the MD of the company, he founded it when he was 15.

He's currently 65. He's currently in retirement, was educated in Harvard, and relocated back to Nigeria 20 years ago. You see in your mind, because you already have that mental picture, you already know how you start that conversation, the way you greet the guy, you already know the accent you want to form. You already know you see where I'm coming from. Whenever you see Kelechi and then you do some small research, you find out that this guy just recently founded the company.

He recently finished from last PO tech. He did his NYC just two years ago. You know, you can see how in the first example, the way you start the call is different. The second example, the way you start the call is different. The way you expect the calls to flow is different. So data enrichment very, very important. Too many of you will just see the phone number 080 something something something Kelechi and natural, and then you will now call.

How do you know if you're supposed to start the conversation by saying good morning, Sir, or by saying good morning Bros, or by saying chief I heal or by saying senior man. How you know data enrichment first and Please remember sales is always a conversation is a human being talking to a human being. So be relaxed, become be free is a human being we're talking to is not angels, it's not demons, it's not God. So relax, become, do small data enrichment and then just call.

Don't worry, some of you end up being too forward. That happened to me. Don't worry when you're forward, they will shut you down. Well, when they shot you down, you'll never make that mistake again. But don't worry, you will only make that mistake once. So don't even worry about being too forward. In fact, it's even better that you're too forward and then they shot you down. Then you are too meek, you are too timid. You are too, you know, somehow.

And then the conversation never peaks. They'll say be like say this guy never shop or this baby slow. So it's OK. I'm not saying we should go and be rude, but I'm not saying that you can make mistakes either way. Being too forward or being too withdrawn. Being too forward is OK if your mouth is running too fast, this is Nigeria, they will shut you down and you will take dressing and you will learn. If you're too withdrawn, your conversations are never moving forward.

You will never know why because nobody's going to say young man, can you speak up please? Or you know young lady, can you be more assertive? You know, nobody will tell you that. Where was I? Data enrichment? So they gave me some information or rather they said they couldn't find any information. So my mind I'm thinking is because these boys are young than you, that's why. So I took it now and then I said Google prep. I didn't see any information.

I said now. So that's OK, let me try one thing. So I now went to Google Gemini and then I put it there as a prompt. Please give me information on so, so, so, and so company. To the best of my knowledge, the registered office is supposed to be on so so so and so St. Eric Moore, Sue Leary. It is supposed to be a Co working space. And then I hit send because I know that sometimes these AI tools can be more thorough than human beings when we're doing our search.

And lo and behold, it worked. It now gave me this and said, based on the information that you have given me, two companies match this profile. Company #1 seems most like it and these are the contact details. The address is indeed so, so, so and so this is the phone number blah, blah, blah. It just put everything down there. Prep I said does it See, when it comes to research, I've been talking about AI tools, but some of you are not paying attention.

These things are powerful tools. Let's use this thing to build our business. Yeah. It's not every time that you just pick up the phone and you're using the phone to you know, you just be browsing theme up and down. Internet is more than a film was supposed to make some money with this thing. So use these AI tools to make money. The research capabilities of these tools very, very nice, very sweet, very, very sweet. I'm telling you from experience.

So that's how the thing gave me two details. I called the first number, no answer. You know, I was looking at see if that company has gone out of business. So we'll fashion that one. But then he also gave me an alternative. Can you see that I told you to please give me contract details for this one. And basically the AI tool said based on what you're trying to achieve, it'd be like say this, other people might be a good candidate, you know, give them a call to and of course I'm going to give them a call.

Now, it doesn't mean everything will click right? But The thing is, you know, when you're in sales now, the attitude is anyway is a way we're trying to see how we can Chuck head so we can move forward. Because in if you Chuck head and the thing works Commission, you make money. But if you relax and you're not trying to, you know, you understand now, if you're not trying to move, nothing will enter your bank account. And believe me, there's nothing as sweet as you organize one or two things and then bring him.

You look at your bank account and you see a few more zeros. Nothing is very sweet, very, very sweet. That is what makes it possible for some of us, because yesterday my children are telling me that they want ice cream. There is Independence Day. My mind, I'm thinking what these children are big, any small thing, ice cream, pizza, ice cream, pizza. And I said no, no ice cream. And then my wife said it's Independence Day.

And then my mom looked at me one time because mom sees around. I said OK, Oh well, maybe so you can only do pizza and ice cream. When you try and use your head, you know, you try and arrange something and then you hear ping him. It is ping him that makes pizza and makes ice cream possible. It is hustling and anyway is a way. Let me make a way. That is what makes school fees possible. I was on Instagram and I was seeing these guys eat Larry Legsos when that guy oh, that guy is bad, very, very bad.

See the way he tricks out his legs host as in the when they revved the engine, you know, detailing on point the gearbox, he the gearbox, he his own gearbox was a samurai sword as Abuja boys are just mad the way that they're customizing their cars very, very customized cars. So if you like that kind of lifestyle, customized car, Lexus one that the engine is shouting. That's only made possible when you are trying to, you know,

that anyway, is a way, that's the attitude that we need in sales. These AI tools are making our lives very, very easy. In fact, there's one of my clients, the the one who owns a solar company. This guy's advanced when it comes to, well, it's not as if he's advanced, but he's more curious than I am. So every time they'll be telling me that, oh, do you know that you can do deep research on this and deep research. OK, OK, OK.

You know, but as I'm concerned, deep research, I don't even need deep research. I haven't finished the ordinary version, which one is now advanced version. So look at it's nice to have the paid version and the everything, but we can do a lot with the free version. So Google Gemini, the free version, it has deep research, it has guided learning, it has, you know, all kinds of things. But you know what, I'm not even going towards that level.

The free version, the basic version is very OK for what we're trying to do, which is we're trying to make some money. We're trying to put some zeros in our bank account so that we can soften our life. Small Independence Day yesterday, no light one week, no water one week. We need to soften our life now. Yeah, it's not a seem to be born in Nigeria Anyway, so that's it. There's just some random thoughts around prospecting.

I know this is not the most organized podcast episode that I've made in a while, but I hope I've been able to deliver some value to those of you who are listening right now. So that's it and that's all. Remember, if you'd love to connect, you can call send me a text message or what's that message on 08064662140. And if you love this kind of content or more, you're in the right place because on this very feed that you're listening to,

whether you're on WhatsApp or iTunes or Stitcher or whatever, right now you can only see 10 but or continue to scroll. Are you scrolling? Can you see it? Your eye is not deceiving you. There are over 1200 episodes on this very feed. Continue to scroll, keep listening, keep binging. Enjoy yourself and it's the reason why I give my contact detail at the end of every single episode, because I know you have one or two questions,

you have one or two comments, you disagree with me on one or two things and you know I make mistakes, so you also try to educate me on a couple of things. Reach out, let's have a chat, it's no problem. But those of you who are reaching out, trying to collect money from me, can you stop this thing? Please do not be rude. I'm ready giving you free resources If you're not calling me because you have a question, a comment or your contribution or you want us to explore how we can work together.

And if you're not calling me to pay tight to me, then instead you're calling to come and collect the small that I already have. Then if it's like that, I beg just lose my phone number. Let the people who have serious needs to talk about, let them call me. All right, so that's it. I'll catch you guys in the next episode.