Why Nobody is Replying to Your Business Proposals

Hello and welcome. Today on the podcast, I want us to look at a case study. And this one is not a fictional case study. This one is a real case study. And I am the case study today. And the reason why we're looking at this is because I want to give examples about how you should be listening to potential customers, potential clients to contacts, to leads. You should be listening to them before you send out a proposal because a lot of you are trying to do business with people and you're sending out proposals left, right and center.

And these proposals are proposals that you sat down with your creative team, your creative in house marketing team or whatever. And you came up with these things because you think it is a good idea. But unfortunately you're not even paying attention to what it is that people actually like. So you sit down, you create these beautiful proposals. But The thing is, the beautiful proposal is it's general. It's not really targeted to whatever it is that the potential customer actually wants or what they are telling you that they want, but you still insist on sending them out.

I want to use me as a case study today to show you how this thing lands the wrong way when it gets into the direct message or into the e-mail inbox of your potential customers. So just to give you a summary, because I'm a podcaster, there are lots of people who reach out to me who try to sell all kinds of podcasting services and OK, well, usually people who talk about producing podcasts and you know, things like that.

Now eventually, like anyway, I have a conversation with everybody because I'm in sales. So I feel somehow turning down salespeople actually do. So I actually have a chat with them and I tell them this is what I am looking for or these are my biggest problems when it comes to podcasting. But then what do they do? Every single person without exception turns around and they send me a generic proposal that they have created for everybody because they think that is what everybody needs.

Even though I have had a conversation with them and I have told them that when it comes to podcasting, this is what I want. Since I started podcasting 7 years ago, there has been nobody who has reached out to me to sell podcasting services that I have told them exactly this is what I want. There is nobody that has turned around and given me a proposal trying to address exactly what it is that I have said. So a lot of you are struggling in business because your marketing and sales is tone deaf.

You're talking to people, People are saying I want this and you're turning around and sending out proposals that do not relate to absolutely anything that the person has told you. Why people do this, I have no idea thing just blows my mind. Anyway, sorry, it's not as if I the vex. I'm just trying to make a point because I know that a lot of you listening to today's podcast episode, I know that a good 8090. In fact, 99% of you are making this mistake.

You have a conversation with someone, somebody says this is what I need. You go back to the office, you have a chat with your team, you prepare a proposal and you totally disregard everything that they said. You just send the proposal out anyway. And then you wonder, why are they ghosting me? Why is nobody calling me back? OK, so let's just get straight into it. By the way, if you'd love to connect with me, you can call me, send me a text message or a WhatsApp message on 08064662140.

If you want me to audit your sales processes, then contact me on the same number 08064662140. If you'd like to be a part of my WhatsApp channel because you're scared to talk or you just want to see what you know, nice things I'm up to from time to time, then get in touch with me at the same number. Or please I beg, I beg I'll give you my phone number. Don't try and tell me podcasting services that I don't need. I beg.

If you must try and tell me something podcasting related, please let it be related to the problem that I've been complaining about. In fact, let me give you a heads up for those of you who still want to sell me something podcasting related. For me, the problem I have with the podcast is I'm trying to leverage the podcast for paid speaking and coaching engagements. If you're trying to sell me podcast production services, I'm not interested.

I don't want, I don't need. All right, so if you're going to if you figured out a way for consultants to leverage their podcasts into speaking and coaching engagements, then give me a call. I've said it now on this episode and I tell every single person that I speak to, but for some reason everybody keeps sending out the same proposal. And you people, sometimes you guys get so lazy. Everybody is sends essentially the same proposal.

Anyway, let me stop. So I was just chilling and somebody sent me a message. He's someone that I've been chatting with from the from the podcast. So the guy sends you a message. He says good morning, Sir. We have a flash. We had a flash podcast package. OK, Basically they have this thing where they were advertising a package for April. And then of course, April finished. Now, it's four days ago at the time of this recording, and then you guys said that they've decided to extend it to this Friday in case I'd like to take advantage of it.

That's the reason why he was sending the message to me. And by the way, in fact, let me break this down a little bit for those of you who like to create urgency by using artificial limiters, you know, you limit how long this thing is going to be available for things like that. Now listen, if you don't honor these things, all right, they have no value anymore and people don't take them seriously. So if you are in business or you are a vendor or you are a service provider or whatever,

and you advertise that something is available for April and April only by the time April finishes, lock it. If people come through and say, oh, for you, make an exception for you, make an exception after a while to understand your pattern. And the next time you save 50% off for the month of June, then we wait and move whenever you know they feel like because they know that this, your way of creating scarcity is artificial.

So if you do it, stick to it. April is April, April has passed. Oh, sorry, The thing is no longer available. If you want it now full price or we're running this promo again in another three months, would you like to be on the e-mail list so we can keep you up to dated so that next time we're doing this, next time we're doing that, you know, but if you say April, let it be April. If you say April, all but for you, we'll make an exception.

You're training people to not take you seriously for all these things. So for those of you who are thinking about these sorts of things, no extension. If it has ended, it has ended. Not only has it ended, put up a post on social media saying thank you or congratulations to everybody who took part. And then, you know, you drop the handles of people who want the promo and they say thank you very much for taking part in the promo, taking part in discounts.

Also people who seem like, oh, OK, this, this guy is serious. So that next time you say for the month of August, 50% off, they'll rush because you'll remember that the last time we said April 50% off, they tried, they were late. Not only that, you are even promoting and you are hailing the people who even took advantage of it. Now, for those of you who are listening to the podcast for a very long period of time, you remember that me and discount or more.

I don't like discounts at all. And I think it's a mistake to be using discount to sell for most people. Now Grant Cardone has this idea that I agree with that this is the proper way to use discounts because Grant Cardone also doesn't like discounts, but the guy discounts a lot. Now this is how he harmonizes it. When you have inventory that you're trying to move, then you use discounts to bring people into the door. I repeat, discounting is not a good business practice because you are undervaluing what it is that you have.

You're teaching people to undervalue what it is that you have. However, if you have inventory when we say inventory will mean plenty of products or services you're trying to sell, then yes, using discounts is a good way to bring people in through the door and to even make more money. Like all these fake Black Friday black this black whatever that they do, they'll save 50% off some people generally reduce the price, but I want to do is the prices of water things are now jackets.

So you come in to buy this cheap something, but then you buy all these other ones are more expensive at the end of the day and I will win. No be them. You came in for the cheap, you bought the ones that are expensive. That is the scope that how it works. That's how it works for those you've been listening for a long time. You remember my experience in the UK when I wanted to buy some good stuff for my lady, you know now my wife, I saw some good things and I thought correct, we went in there for the discount and I wanted to buy 5 items for her.

She collected the five. By the time we got to the teal, The lady at the teal, she said would there be anything else for you? I said no thank you. As I was bringing out my card, the lady looked towards my girlfriend, now my wife, and she said you know that they have matching sets upstairs. And then my girlfriend, now my wife, her eye opened. She said really matching sets, would you like to have a look? My wife said Oh yes, please.

I said hey, I'm finished. Because in my mind, in my mind back then I came here. I say in the shop, I'm not spending more than £50, that's what I wanted to spend. But once that girl uttered the magic words matching set and my girlfriend eye open, I say hey, I am finished. That's how we went upstairs and lo and behold, matching set was not a discount. Matching set was at full price and then trust UK sales girls now as were there she was even now saying that, oh I love your earrings, I love the tone of your whatever.

This will fit nicely. This will fit nicely. In my mind. I was thinking, oh Jesus, my 50 lbs, my 50 lbs, my 50 lbs. As they were adding and they were adding and adding. I say, hey, I begin the shake. But you see, that is how you use discounting. You have inventory to move. So for Marks and Spencer's, they have plenty of inventory. The inventory is sitting down there, but people know they buy. So what you do is on ground floor 2, you put some things on discount.

People who see it and collect it, by the time they walk downstairs, all the sales they have to say is, oh Madam, this thing is a matching pair. The matching pair is on Level 3. Would you like to take a look? They know that some people who say Oh yes, and then go and take a look, that is where you make the extra money. That is the right way to use discounts, which is what some people like Grant Cardone do. So you know he has plenty of coaching programs, plenty of pre recorded this, plenty of this,

plenty of that. So discount, discount, discount 70% of $1.00 only. Something, something, something you come for that you buy that one and then you say the guy get this course, another course, this one, this one, this one, this one. By the time you know, you had everything join who's winning? At the end of the day, the business is winning. Now, the reason why I say for a lot of, you know, discounting is because you have no inventory.

So when you discount you lose instant automatically something before something that you've been selling before for 200K200K. Then you say, oh, you're doing discount half of 100K, you lose immediately, you've gained nothing. But other people who have inventory, they have several courses or they have several things that they're trying to sell and they say 70% off here. When they Jack the price up on the other place, they win.

So for those of us who used to be in the in the media space like B&H now for instance, where they sell camera equipment that is scope. You advertise brand new Sony A7 full frame something something discount going 50%. Now they're Nigerians that like to buy equipment. What do we do? All of us rush on B&H. So boy you never hear say here waiting Sony A7 blah blah blah 50% discount is a lie CCM now they impose you rush. So the camera will be 50% off the lens will be full price or they will add something on top of the lens, then the cost of the battery to add something on top of the cost of the battery.

Then maybe the cost of the bag will still be OK, full price, you know, Then the cost of the charger, they add something at the end of the day. Now who win B&H is the one that will win. So B&H, Marks and Spencer's Grant Cardone. People with excess inventory, they can play these games because they have inventory. For those of you who have no inventory, every time you play these games you are losing money in the worst way possible.

You've brought somebody in at half price. Normally you sell AT200K. You brought this person in 100K. You expect that this guy will come and buy from you later again AT200K when you brought him in 100K. Reason this thing well. So for those of you who sell podcast producting production services, reason this thing. If you normally sell this thing at 500K per episode or whatever, keep it. I want to look for people who can pay 500K.

Instead of you bring somebody in AT250K later on, you now want to migrate the guy back to 500K per episode. Reason this thing. Reason this thing. Well, the person took advantage of this 50% thing because the guy is a 250K guy. After that, you don't want to double the price on his head. You think he will stay? If you don't have inventory, don't play these games. It's not everything. We should be copying people. The people who play these games,

they have inventory. It's a different ball game. So that's why for me, the price is the price. There's no discount. I don't have inventory to move. If there was other things I was selling, OK, I'll play those games. I could say, OK, you know what? Coaching. Yeah. Yeah, 50% off. But if you want to buy my book, buy it at full price and you must buy at least 10 copies of my book. OK. If I had inventory like that, yeah, I'll play those games.

I'll go follow. Now where would they play? But I don't have inventory, so I won't discount and neither should you. If you have in rent inventory to play around with good discount. You don't have inventory my friend. Keep your prices the way they are. Look for people who can play, who can pay. In fact, increase your price self because hyperinflation D the cost of everything is going up in Niger. Increase your price. Stop playing this discount game.

It's not helping anybody. If you like continue, it's because you're single. By the time you marry and your wife is getting discount, discount, discount, she will rake for you. She'll rake for you. One day she'll tell you that OK, discount, discount, discount will discount be paying the bills and I'll begin the quarrel anyway. So discount ended in April, but for you, we'll make an exception. Please, none of that. Don't be making any exception.

You know, April is April, the team has closed. The team has closed. If it's for first time people, once the first time people enter, close it. Now put up a post. Congratulations to our ten winners, put their names there. This is how you claim your prize. People will see it and be like, wow, OK, this thing is for real. Next time you say discount, don't take you seriously. Don't discount except if you have inventory. If you don't have inventory,

don't discount. Keep your full price, work hard, look for people who can afford it. In fact, raise your price. By the way, raise a small, small. That is what I do, right? Small, small, small. If people are used to buying something from you three, 300-3300, then you raise it to 600. OK, this problem. But you know, you can go from 300 to 315, from 315 to 340, from 340 to 360, Small, small, small, small. That's how you do it.

Then for this particular person, the discount the Flash offer, they're offering to do 10 episodes for a full season. Remember what they do is they sell podcast production and instead of doing a 300K for 10 episodes, but when they do it for 150 KRB or hand. So before it would have been three M for one season, but now they're doing a 1.5 M. See this is where the problem starts. Normally your service is 3 M you do discount you get a bunch of boys and girls to come in at 1.5

and you expect tomorrow when you now tell them OK you have to pay full price of three M you think they will stay the 1.5 million naira boy is with you because now only 1.5 in get he's not going to all of a sudden wake up and say oh OK this thing actually worth the value. Let me double the money. Doesn't work that way for most people. Then he mentioned that he mentioned that as part of the package you're going to get project management, you're going to get studio space, you're going to get the clean controlled environment, you're going to get 3 camera setup.

You know, dynamic video, professional audio recording, lighting setup, good lighting, full video edits. You're going to provide short clips for Instagram and TikTok and then also going to do branding integration that's put your logo in the video and then stuff like that, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, all those things. Now, funny enough, this guy that sent me this message, me and him we have related before. If you're listening to this episode, don't I didn't call your name because you know, I

don't. You feel like I'm dragging you. So Novex, I'm not using you to illustrate to other people so that they will see that. Look, everybody makes his mistake, you know, including you. And I haven't told you in a message. I haven't told you in a message before I made this podcast episode. So you know, I already told you direct. I'm now just telling other people. So this guy already knows because I already told him and I've told every single podcast person who reaches out to me.

Project management is not my problem. Studio space, I don't care. I just record anywhere and everywhere. I really don't care. It's been over 1500 episodes. I don't care if you're selling project management, podcast recording, whatever, and you're talking to people who don't care about audio quality. Are you not wasting your time? It's a waste. He's telling me professional audio quality. I've never cared about professional audio quality.

Those of you who listen to this podcast, you already know if my kids are playing in the background, they're playing in the background. It is what it is. And then I don't do video. It amazes me the number of people who reach out to me to try and sell me video services for my podcast. I've done 1500 episodes. I've never made one single video. People still keep trying to sell me video even though I tell you I know they do video.

A lot of you are making your lives unnecessarily hard. Somebody say I know they do. I know they do, I know they do. You're still trying to pitch. I see that all the time. I see it all the time. Like for my mother-in-law, remember one insurance guy, the guy no one rest. They continue to ask my mother-in-law. Like at some point I wanted to call up the guy and say bro she know they do. She said I know want I know want I know want.

Like what's up with the you saying aggressive follow up? Like no, no, be follow up be that if somebody say I know want I know want as in really they don't want. Go and look for somebody who is interested in what it is that you are selling. Make your life easy. The more time you're wasting with somebody who's saying I don't want, I don't want. I know they buy. I know they buy. I beg free me. I beg free me. Like that is time you could have been you're wasting.

You could have been talking to other people. The most I've said on this podcast and the most I've admitted to anybody who tries to sell me podcast product and services. The most I've admitted is, you know what, I could use a production assistant that would really help, you know, keep my notes tidy, blah, blah, blah, things like that. So all these things I've mentioned, have you noticed that nobody has come back to tell me,

oh, you know what, we're not offering a new service. We're offering virtual production assistants for social and so thousand a monthly. Nah, never, nobody has ever done that. Even though people have spoken to me. I listen to everybody. I talk to everybody because as a salesperson, I don't like sending people away. You know, I engage everybody. I've told them this is what I'm looking for. Nobody else. Come back and say, bro, that thing you told me you're looking for, Oh yeah, here is it.

And this is how much per month anyway? So the message continued that you'll be getting full value at half the rate, blah, blah, blah. And then said, we're recommending this for anyone serious about building a consistent podcast. If I, when I see this one, this is the one that makes me laugh. This is the one that makes me laugh because everybody says it. They're trying to sell podcasting services to somebody who is wants to be the consistent podcast.

Dude, I've been doing this for seven frigging years. I have over 1500 episodes. Does it sound like consistency is my problem? Does it sound like consist? Like people don't even do some basic research before you start pitching to someone? That's the reason why I say you look at somebody's social media. Do some small data enrichment, you know, do some investigation, try and get a sense of who this you're talking to before you even make your sales pitch.

Some basic something. There was one lady that I had to block. I think she's a beautician and or not, you know, always sending me messages even though I say look like, hey, it's me, it's Tavea, I'm a dude. She'll say, oh, sorry, Sir, sorry, Sir, sorry, Sir. And then the messages, you come here, I keep coming. At least look at the person's water profile first like oh OK, it's a guy. OK, perhaps I shouldn't be sending messages about my nail manicure or something, something something.

OK, Well anyway, I heard that boys in Lagos nowadays do manicure and all that stuff. Anyway, sorry for this long rant. But the message I'm trying to tell you guys today is this. Selling is hard, right? Good. Granted, but for a lot of you, the reason why selling is very, very, very, very, very hard is because you are tone deaf and you're not even listening to people. Selling will become a lot easier once you start listening to people and only show them exactly what is that they're looking for.

So for my mother-in-law now the insurance guy that was chasing her, I don't want, I don't want, I don't want sales. Sales become a lot easier when it's like, oh, Madam, OK, you don't want. OK, what exactly are you looking for in a retirement package? Bam, things are already becoming easy. Oh, you're not interested in this. What exactly are you looking for in a retirement package? What are you looking for in an investment package?

What are your ideas around wealth creation? Have you thought about the legacy for your children? What kind of things you have? You start asking those kinds of questions. What is it that people are interested in? Then what they tell you you go out for meet back to them that Madam, you said that is the kind of legacy you want to build for your children over at my company. These are the kind of packages that we can, but can you see how the conversation with the flow smooth?

It doesn't mean that the woman will buy, but your odds will go up when you start talking to people with that kind of worldview. When you go and ask people questions, you hear what it is that they want and then you do your best to try and sell them exactly what it is that they said that they want. You try that attitude, selling becomes a whole lot easier. Let me repeat it in case some of you didn't get it. You want to be more successful at selling.

Make it a habit to only show people exactly what it is that they ask for. So if you're a stylist and somebody said give me senatorial, only show that person senatorial. Maybe when the person has paid for the senatorial, you can say, oh, senatorial looks good on you. Have you thought of trying? Have you thought of trying them? Can't that can't tell my look exquisite on you, Sir. Ask people what they want. Sell them exactly what they want.

You don't have exactly what it is that they want. Step out of the way. Refer them to somebody else who has what it is that they want. Then you now tell that person that, look, this person I'm sending to you anything that happens, give me my 10%. Do just that. Selling becomes a whole lot easier. There are too many of you who are guessing. There are too many of you who are trying your luck. Please get in the habit of showing people only what it is that they ask for.

The only way you know what it is that they want is if you ask and if somebody has been honest and they have been talking to you about what it is that they want. When you go back and you're talking to your sales team, you're talking to your marketing people and you're putting together the proposal. You're designing the PDF and you're designing the PowerPoint, or you're coming up with a copy for the e-mail, or, you know,

can you make sure that whatever it is you present reflects exactly what what it is that the person asked for? In sales, we call this qualification and discovery. That's the whole point. If you have a conversation with someone and figure out what it is that they want, the odds of you closing the sale go higher. When you say, Olga, you told me you were interested in this. I've spoken to my own boss. My boss say we can deliver this to you at this price.

Olga, how you see I'm closing the deal becomes a lot easier. So sorry it's been 30 minutes of a rant. I'm just moving to a close. So thank you very much for your time and attention. Really appreciate you all listening. Remember, if you'd like to get in touch with me, call me, send me a text message or a WhatsApp message on 08064662140. You want me to audit your sales process? It's the same number 08064662140. You want to join my WhatsApp channel?

Same number, send me a text message and I will hook you up. So thank you very much for your time and attention. And look, even if you're going to try and sell me something, please, I beg you all. I beg, please don't sell me podcast production services, please, please. Because clearly that's not my problem. And if you must, he asked me, and I admit to you what my problem is, at least transfer me what I asked for. Even if you don't do it to me,

do it to other people. I give it, give it 2-3 months, you will start seeing the difference in your bank account. A trial will. How do you say it again? A trial will convince you. It will not confuse you. So that's it. I'll catch y'all next episode.