The Ultimate Guide to Business Meetings: When to Say Yes (and When to Say No)

Hello and welcome to the show. Pardon My voice this evening. Because this is a late night recording. Then I'm also not in the audio booth, so I expect to hear some interruptions in the background. And yeah, the noise you can hear is just this, you know, it's this thing that's been going on in Abuja for a while. You know, guys just buy, you know, super cars like Ferraris and stuff like that. Then they, you know, they modify the exhaust and then they soup it out and they put like like fluorescent lighting underneath the cars and things like that.

And then when it gets close to midnight, you know, boys are just driving and blasting these things all over the place. So that's the those are the nuisances that you can hear outside the window. If you can hear all that zooming and everything, it's just money miserable basically. And then my wife says that it's mostly boys from Lagos, you know, Aspire, you know, Tinaboo is now in so Lagos boys have moved down and things like that.

So the trend of people just flashing their supercars, they think as a it's on another level these days. Anyway, today's episode is not about supercars and about trends in the auto industry, if we can put it that way. Today I'm going to take a detour from what we've been discussing because we've been looking at prospecting in How to Grow Your Business by Prospecting. And the case study that I've been using the last 2-3 days has been a young female lawyer, 10

years Boost call, trying to build a consultancy practice when it comes to securities compliance. Yes. So today I'm just going to take a little break to address something else which just came up recently and which also buttresses something I've been talking about on the podcast, which is qualification and discovery. Now this is your first time listening to the podcast. There's a central theme that I keep coming back to over and over again, which is that if you want to build your business, you need to pay attention to the big three.

And if you've been listening for the last, you know, 2-3 minutes, I'm sure you'd have figured out that the big three are actually prospecting, qualification and discovery. Now prospecting is all around. Who might be interested in my product or my service? Where do they hang out online or in the real world? How can I find them? How can I initiate conversations with them? That is prospecting. Now, when it comes to qualification and discovery,

that is the process of you actually having those conversations. What are the sorts of things that we should be having conversations about? And that is what I want to discuss today because I had an interaction with Wonder Woman. And when I say Wonder Woman, I don't mean Gal Gadot. I mean, even though she's a fine bee man, you know, if any of you are connected to her, just please give her my phone number so that you know me and how we can start liaising because after I'm looking for a second wife.

So won't be a bad idea to have a multi Abbey. He's a multinational Abbey international wife who is also earning in dollars in the Hollywood space. So that would greatly increase my how would I say you'll increase my wallet charge? Let me just put it that way. So if any of you know, Gaga dots just all out harsher, just let her know that boys in Nigeria were saying what's up? So where was I? So there's somebody else that I've called, I've been calling one woman over here on the podcast and that's just a code name for a young lady in Nigeria in Benway State, Benway State University, who is in the catering space.

And we've been following some of our adventures over here on the show. So Wonder Woman reached out. There's been some developmental historians. So I figured, let me just hop on here and then make a recording real quick and now touch on the importance of qualification and discovery in sales. Now before I continue the usual shout outs today, I want to shout out Margaret Spicy. That's a very nice name, very interesting name.

She was a listener to the show on Spotify and she commented on Spotify. Now she's also a consultant in the Oriflame thing. Now Miss Oma, who also listens to the podcast, has really told me that Oriflame has nothing to do with sheer butter. You know, Ori, the sheer butter thing. So I guess those of you who are Oriflame beauty consultants, please, you guys make me educate me on the business, especially Margaret Spicy because she says she has a couple of questions.

So I dropped my contact details on on the chat in Spotify and I'm going to do that again. So if you'd love to connect with me, you know, for a business audit for a strategy session or if you have questions just like Margaret Spicy does, then the phone number is 08064662140. The country code is lost 234. For those of you who are not Nigerian, then also connect with me on LinkedIn, the name to look for establishing my ID.

If you don't dig Spotify, you can find my stuff on YouTube. Same name as well. OK, so today we're taking a detour. So we're not going to be discussing anything legal related. Today is going to be all cuisine and all food and all chef like, you know, stuff like that. So like I said, today, the focus is qualification and discovery in sales. Now, this is a very important topic because it helps us to figure out a couple of things #1

the reason why I think we should be paying attention to qualification and discovery. And remember, qualification and discovery basically is just the conversation phase. As per you've already figured out who should I be talking to? Where do they hang out? Now you guys are face to face or ear to ear or keyboard to keyboard or whatever it is that you have in this conversation. Now, the next step is what are the kind of things that we should be talking about?

That essentially is what qualification and discovery is about. Now, qualification and discovery is important because it helps us figure out two things. Number one, when to take a meeting because you will find that in some cases, I mean, for those of you who sell products like maybe or reflame people, I guess there's no need for maybe there's no need for a meeting. And it depends because we sell products like let's say you sell gadgets like Bluetooth keyboards or something.

I guess it's a matter of qualification and discovery. You guys with a chat back and forth, once you figure out what it is that the person wants you just tell them a look Orga, we've been chatting for like 3 weeks now. I've told you Bluetooth keyboard IS250K if you're already this is my account details. So I guess there's no need for a meeting. But for other people like Wonder Woman, remember she's a chef, she's into catering and all that kind of stuff.

And I started off as a wedding photographer. Now I'm a business consultant. And even for our sister self who wants to start off legal consulting services for people like us, at some stage, we guys take a meeting because there's some things, some complex hill scenarios that you can't just wrap things up by just sending people your account number. At some point you have to take a meeting. Now qualification and discovery is going to let you know when to take a meeting and whether this is something that you should even be taking a meeting in the 1st place.

So number one, that's why qualification and discovery is important. We'll help you figure out when should you take a meeting next is also going to help you figure out when to issue a proposal or when to start talking about price. Because if you do your qualification and discovery real good. One of the things that will help you achieve is it will help you know that you know what, this thing is not serious. This person is not serious.

There's no need for a meeting. I'm never going to dignify this guy or this girl and start talking price. Let me just flashy this thing. It actually is a benefit. Some of you might think is a downside, but remember, sometimes it's not just about looking for the right people to talk to. It's also a matter of getting rid of the wrong people so that we don't waste time with them. Now, let's define qualification and discovery.

Qualification and discovery. Yeah, there's lots of technical definitions, but for the purpose of this episode, every time you hear me talk about qualification or discovery, I just means sorry. That's it. It doesn't means sorry. Forgive me. Like I said, it's a late night recording, so my brain is a little slow today. It was a long day. So when we're having questions about the person, the person that you're yawning with that you guys are seeing face to face or ear to ear.

If you're using a phone or keyboard to keyboard, if you guys are doing e-mail, you need to be able to figure out who is this person, who is this dude? Who's this guy, who's this girl? All those kind of questions. That is qualification questions. Then you also ask questions about the opportunity or questions about the problem or questions about the vision, what the person is aiming towards. Those are called discovery questions.

So when you hear qualification and discovery basically just means that part of the conversation we are trying to source out who is this person, what's the problem self, what's the opportunity? Is the opportunity juicy or is the opportunity rubbish? All those questions, that's qualification and discovery. And remember I said the reason why qualification and discovery is important is because it would give you information.

You will know whether this is a person worth talking to. The person is worth talking to. Then by all means diving, but the person is not worth talking to. Try and weave this thing as I tell the person is not going to be a good fit or try and refer to somebody else that might be a good fit. And then you call the other person and say, look, dude, I think this kind of client is more like your thing. So we think clicks just send me 10%, you know, have that conversation, then let's see what else.

So qualification and discovery will help you figure out is this person worth working to? Then it's also going to help you figure out, is this something that is worth my time or is this something that is worth me getting emotionally invested, especially in the early days for those of us who consider ourselves to be artists. So you yeah, catering people, you guys consider yourself to be culinary artists, you know, so know how know how any gig that you take, you will be emotionally involved because there's, there's more.

Well, there's creativity and artistry involved in most businesses. But so I started off as a wedding photographer and I just noticed that wedding photographer caterers, you know, cake people. Who else? Fashion designers, you know, we get very touchy with our craft. Anyway, that is criticism for another day. I have. So I said the reason why I'm looking at qualification and discovery now is this. Remember that now we're talk,

we're back to Wonder Woman's matter. And Please remember, when I say Wonder Woman, I don't mean Gal Gadot. I mean the lady who is based in Makudi, who is a student of Bengal State University, who is in cuisine and catering and chef. And, you know, that's our business. Yeah. And we started exploring her matter over here on the podcast when we're looking at the issues that she has around business expansion. So she's been doing this for a bit.

She wants to expand the business. So that's how her matter came over here on the podcast. Now I did an episode, I think the last episode that I did concerning Wonder Woman was on whether she should accept equity investment. That was the episode where I went on and on about why you shouldn't do business with your boyfriend or do business with the toaster. Now, even though we started off with boyfriend and toaster, eventually we explored the broader topics so that if you are considering equity investment and equity just means somebody's dropping back, the person is dropping pig and the person wants a certain share of your business.

Because in our own case, the there was a potential investor who, yeah, there was a potential investor who was thinking of dropping money on an equity basis. And so that whole episode was on, look, my own opinion basically was like, look, don't do business with a boyfriend or a toaster on or with anybody who might have some kind emotional entitlement in the future. But even if you want to do so, these are the sorts of issues you should be discussing.

So whether you have friendly benefits or emotional entanglement or we're just friends or whatever, it's a good episode to listen to. But even if you're looking for institutional investors, it also is a good episode to listen to because I went through a number of things that you should be discussing before you guys exchange, exchange, exchange contracts and exchange money. And please, I hope that's the only thing that you guys will be exchanging.

No exchange anything else. Where was I? OK, now, so this is how Wonder Woman came back into the picture. So me and Wonder Woman, we've been chatting and the good news is, is like she's got a Commission, a possible Commission, a possible engagement. You know, someone reached out, you know, are you available in marketing? You know, of course she responds yes. Then she asked a couple of questions. Is this private or is this a restaurant?

The person says private, and then summary person says, OK, we have a physical interview tomorrow. And then she's like, OK, send the address. And then that's how the conversation ended. And of course, it turned out not to be a bad meeting. But anyway, how it turned out. I meant to leave that for Wonder Woman to share the testimony amongst her friends and her family. But the reason I'm making this episode is just to say that the conversation could have been handled a little bit more differently.

Sorry. Look, forgive me, I'm really slow this night. The conversation could have been could have been handled better because the way she handled the conversation was OK. Are you available in marketing? Yes. Is this private or restaurant? Private Physical interview tomorrow. She says OK, send me the details. Now that's cool and I'm glad it worked out well. But The thing is, most of the time, for those of you who are listening to this show and you guys are caterers, you know,

it's not every single meeting that you take because sometimes exchange happens like this. You show up for the meeting and then by the time you see the people and by the time they open their mouth, you'll be like, hi, me, Sir, why did I come for this meeting? I went out one chance like nothing good is going to come from come out of this. So we need to be able to have ways of engaging in conversations. That tells us a couple of things about whether this is a good meeting to take, whether we should even start talking money with these people.

Is this person we're talking to, is this something that is worth my time? Oh, by the way, I told Wonder Woman that she was going, that she should carry 1 personal, you know, and this is just being real as per security conscious in Niger. Because you know, these days, you know, with the kid, we, they hear all kind stories, all kinds of stories. So it just helps if I even my wife sometimes when I'm going out, she's like, where you going?

Where you going? I'm like, look, babe, don't worry, I've been doing this for a while. I always meet people in public places, you know, so Co working space or you are going to check the person's office, you know, like I check address and you know, things like that. So you know me. So if I don't want to go somewhere and then miss, you know, before you know it, I'll wake up and then maybe my head is inside basin and then they Call My Name three times and that's not for meeting dollars,

you know, that kind of thing. So so security has so it's kind of thing. Do your research ahead of time or and then of course young ladies, go with somebody, let somebody know where you're going. I was like, so security issues aside, yeah, we need to be able to figure out should we take this meeting or not? Is this person somebody of timber and calibre or is this personally useless Anyhow, personal is this, is this what a meeting was taking?

So we actually should be having much more qualification and discovery questions whenever people hit us up in the DMS on e-mail or they call us up on the phone. You don't just show up for a meeting like that. So qualification and discovery more questions. Remember from previous episodes that we try and keep the covers the questions conversational because you know, like I keep saying Nigerians they don't like interview or query.

It was sounds like you're interviewing them. You know they will they will just lock up. You know, the attitude will be like, therefore tree of this girl, I'm calling you for money and you're the one that's not interviewing me. Even all serious. I beg, just get out, let me call somebody else. You know, that'd be like the attitude that they'll give you. So you keep this thing nice and conversational and then you keep the conversation, you keep it open-ended.

So it doesn't sound like it's a it's a query or as an interrogation. So the first question that she asked about Home Office. Yeah, that makes sense. You know, that's that's cool. That's a nice question to ask. And then they respond, Oh no, that is a private something. Then you just run into some more questions now, like, OK, like number of meals per day, you know, is this going to be like a breakfast, lunch, dinner kind of thing?

Or is it just like one or two meals in a day? You know, from the answer, you now be able to know how you how I put it based on what they say, you know, know, whether you can probe more, you know, into size of the home or size of the office, that kind of thing. Like it was an office thing, but only one meal a day. It was like, oh, OK, so this is just going to be a lunch thing. And lunch is usually like what, 1:00 PM? So Oh no, no, lunch in this case is going to be like between 3:00

and 4:00. So how come? How come most other establishments is 1? So, Oh no, in our line of business, something, something, something. So oh, OK, what line of business are you in? So you can see that as a conversation is flowing like that, you'll begin to be teasing out one or two things. Who are these people? What are they about? What am I getting myself into before you show up for the meeting? But it's also possible I show up for this meeting and then you find out that it's a maybe it's a local government school or something like that.

And it's going to be maybe 40,000 naira a month or something. And you see that you just wasted your time. You took bolts 2K to drive their bolts going back will be 2K. You spend 4K to go and discuss with somebody that what do I thinking is full time employment for 40K in a month, You know? So This is why I have to ask a couple of questions before you leave. So Home Office, yes, number of meals, is it breakfast, lunch and dinner?

Obvious only dinner only. How many times a week? What's the size of the home? Alzheimer's, the office or how many children do these people have? How many people are in the office? Now of course, the usual question now what kind of cuisine is it going to be African cuisine or continental cuisine? You know, you also need to know because some of you in the in the cuisine space, you know, some of you are local champions, you know, you don't know how to do full English breakfast,

Scottish breakfast, that kind of thing. You need to know upfront before you say yes. You show up for the meeting and then they start telling you that we want eggs and ham and bacon and something and you're thinking like bacon, eggs, ham. Like all I know how to do is I know how to make tuition cover. I know how to do pardon yam. I know how to do at my life. Any of those things you're on your own. So you need to ask these kind of things before you show up.

Also, because there's some of you that are very, very Snooty the other way around. You know, you've been to, I don't know, some fashion cuisine, something in London or Paris or you schooled in New York or something like that. So you only know how to make all these fancy fancy. You know, Sunnyside up eggs and toast, something you consider pounded them to be beneath you. So you need to ask before you show up for the meeting.

And they say that, oh, this one is going to be straight up rice, beans and pounded yam. And you think, OK, some of that is beneath you. You're looking for something much more challenging. You know, you want to broaden your your expertise, you know, broaden your palace, broaden your craft, you know, have all these conversations so they don't just show up for a meeting and you're like, I just wasted my time. So when there's African or continental dishes, you have that kind of questions.

Yes, you have the conversation. Then I also think I don't know 'cause I'm not in the catering space room, but I'm also thinking you should be asking questions around shopping. OK, market runs and call who'll be doing the market runs. Is it that I show up and you guys are really prepared Everything down Mone is just show up and cook and then leave? How far we're cleaning? Do you guys have cleaning staff that will be doing the whole thing or do I come with my own crew so that as you drop everything, I cook it, maybe we'll clean and then we leave.

You may ask all those kinds of questions. Obviously that I'm the one that's going to be going to the market. You transfer the money to me and then blah, blah, blah. But I have all these questions. Then I would also recommend that you have asked some questions stylishly about the previous person. Oh, how come there's a vacancy now? OK, the other lady just left. So OK, she just left. I mean, what's the situation there? What happened?

Was she fired or why did she leave? You know, has those kind of questions, 'cause it would be nice to know, is it that Lady Jack back and so now they need a new cook or is it that she was sacked or something? Maybe because I've been doing this for a while, I know how I'll be able to ask the question. I'll be able to figure out whether there's a back story here. We need to figure out what it is that you're walking into.

Because it's a way like if you ask the question of stylish, it is a way you will know that OK, this place that I'm going, these people are problematic. Just so you know what you're letting yourself up for. So at least if you show up and you do your best, but then there's plenty of quarrel and after two months they psych you, well, you won't come as a surprise because he asked the questions. So all those sorts of things.

Then I'm also assuming you can ask questions based on dietary restrictions because there's some people that don't eat. Let me see, like some people say, you know, I'm old. Doctor Sasha not be eating pounded yam, Dr. Sasha not be eating meat. So all those sorts of things you need to ask, they might also be apart from dietary restrictions, that might also be religious restrictions or cultural restrictions. Because you know, our brothers and sisters in certain part of Nigeria for instance, you know those who that they chopped up,

you know they eat dog meat. You will know yourself, I'm not calling any tribe. So these people that like to chopped dog meat, they eat dog meat. You know, you need to know because there's some people that will say, yeah, me cook dog. No abomination. Where I come from, we don't touch dog or cook cat meat. Where I come from, we don't cook cat. You know, ask all these questions so that you don't show up for the meeting. And then they ask you, you know,

there's now to now prepare dog meat and they bring dog for you and they ask you to to start cutting dog. And then it's there that you now say, ah, me torch dog, OTO abomination, blah blah blah. So we need to have all these conversations. Oh, by the way, my brothers and sisters from other parts of Nigeria where you guys eat dog, don't be offended, I beg. You know I take shots at other tribes. So I guess it was only a matter of time before I will.

I will enter your matter. But let me stop here before I get hit us from certain parts of the country. Anyway, the point of what I'm just trying to make is this, I'm happy for Wonder Woman that someone reached out and I'm glad that it all turned out well. And you know, it's this is January the 26th right now that I'm making this recording. So you know how December can be December, January can be long because you spend money in December and then house rent and then school fees and this and this and that.

So generally can be very tight. So sometimes the temptation is that every anybody that calls you in January, you just rush like me, like I need this, I need this paper, I need this dough. You just rush for the meeting. So I'm not saying you should be for me though, I'm not saying ask a couple of questions first, figure out what's going on so you can decide is this a meeting worth having or not? Because like I said, if you show up for this meeting, assuming it is a private school, but actually turns out that is local government school and what they're offering is 40,000 naira every single month.

And like I said, you took both one or five going, one or five coming, that's three K, you've lost money. So we actually need to ask these questions so you can figure out when should I be taking a meeting? Who should I be taking a meeting with? Should I issue a proposal? Is it worth talking price to these people? Is this a person that is worth talking to? Is this something that is worth my time? Should I even bother getting emotionally invested?

So qualification and discovery, that is the and I put it now that is the part of the business relationship where we figure out all these things so we know whether to dive forward or whether to scale back. And then of course, like I said, you know, the security implications involved. So if you're a young lady like Wonder Woman and you're going for this meeting, especially when the meetings last late into the night, you know, go with somebody or let people know where you're going.

You know, this bold thing, you enter into the bold security feature or share the address with someone, you know, do all of that. And I'm pleased I'm not being sexist or by saying that Wonder Woman should do that because I told you that even me, there's some kind of meetings I'm heading out for more often. I'll be asking, you know, this time, where are you heading? And I have to tell her, no, don't worry, calm down. I already asked the person one or two things.

I did some research. I know this part of town. And besides, this is a public place. I'm the person who even selected this venue. So in Abuja there are some places, there are some eateries, there are some Hangouts, some, you know, some public places now that you can, some mutually safe places that you can recommend. OK, let's meet us. So, so, so, so blah, blah, blah. OK, no problem. Do you know so, so, so and so Cafe on this place, this place,

that place. Oh yeah, sure. OK, we'll be there. Let's meet there. 4:00 PM. You know, that kind of thing, public location, you know it, you know, it is a safe place that OK, nothing can happen even if ya wants to bust in this kind of place. You know, I know how I can do like this. Or do ladies do like that? So I'm not being sexist here. It's just practical. Whether you're a man or a woman, you're just unfortunate that lots of times all the horror stories that we see on social media usually is not, you know,

the behavior that was taken advantage of anyway. Let me not be talking bad news, but my prayer is that so wrapping down 2020 also wrapping down January and as a good calls have started coming in for different people, not just for Wonder Woman. You know, other people that I'm in touch with. You know, even me matter some people that have you know already say saying that you know, guy we like what you're doing. Let's see how we can work together, you know, blah, blah,

blah. So yeah, all those meetings are going to happen. So it's my prayer that more of these opportunities and more of these meetings, more of these enquiries will come for the rest of 20/20/25, you know, for February, you know, and beyond. So it's my prayer that all our businesses will grow. Just remember that we should always do good qualification and good discovery so that we won't drive down for this meeting or spend money going to build for this meeting.

And then when we're leaving the meeting, we'll be hang. We'll now be angry that ha, I will step 5K come in here on top is our deal or a deal that was not cool in the 1st place. So just ask a couple of questions. If you need ideas, check Google or check ChatGPT or whatever. Just type qualification and discovery questions for you know XYZ. Put your discipline. So let's say you are a must use. You do massage, for instance, go to ChatGPT and type it there.

I must use I'm a must use slash massage artists. I mean massage therapy something something based in over state Nigeria. What are good qualification and discovery questions to ask potential clients before before going in for a consultation? Question mark, send a list of questions will come up. Some of them you look at some of them and think, oh brilliant, ask those questions. Some of them you look at them and think useless questions or these questions don't apply to Niger.

Delete those questions. But either way, if you do that research and start off with this, over time, you'll be able to refine and you'll be able to refine it as in ask the questions better, add some more to the list, reduce some. But I'm just saying, once you take your qualification and discovery, once you take that philosophy to heart in running our businesses, you can't go wrong with it basically. All right, 30 minutes.

Let me just bring it to a close again. If you'd love to connect for a business audit, a strategy session or you just have some questions, call me. WhatsApp me. The number is 08064662140, country code +234. For those of you who are not Nigerian, also connect with me on LinkedIn. The name to look for is Tavishima IED. Please ignore the other socials. I'm in the middle of deleting all those other profiles. If you see any other Tavishima IED somewhere, that is not me,

especially if the person decides to ask you for money in the first, the first interaction. I'm saying this because they tried to hack my WhatsApp a couple of times and that's one of the reasons why I'm taking everything down apart from LinkedIn, at least LinkedIn I use all the time. So thank you very much guys for your time and your attention. And ladies, I will catch you at the next episode.