Be Missionary About Your Business: Prospect for Clients

Today on the podcast, we're going to look at why being a missionary and being a business person, roughly the same thing. And the reason why is because I connected with one of my classmates recently. We went to, we did our undergraduate together and in Obafeme at Wolowa University. And after that we lost touch like how most people do. So it's been a couple of decades. Actually, it's not that long. It's not. It's never up to three decades,

but time is long. Sure. Anyway, so we've connected again on LinkedIn and she's built a legal practice in Canada. And she put up a post recently where she was talking about how her missionary background has helped or has played into how she's building the legal practice, how she's promoting her legal practice as a lawyer in Canada. And I was like, yeah, makes makes sense. And I agree because I've often wondered, you know, in America,

for instance, solar sales, lots of people who are superstars in solar sales and lots of companies that are really big in that background have come out from the, you know, Utah region. And I think that's where the Mormons are based. I think that's like their headquarters, you know, Church of Latter Day Saints. And, you know, they have these thing, they have this thing where they do like international ministry. We know where they send youth abroad.

So you have to go to a country to go and talk about Jesus Christ and you don't know the language, you don't know the culture or shadow just drop you down. You're like, you know, it's one year, go on, do your thing. So there are lots of people who have wondered, I'm not sure if there's any academic research out on that. You know that is there any correlation? You know, the fact that you've been put in a spot where you have to do missionary activities, Christian missionary activities, does that now translate or does it parley into business success or being successful?

Yeah, let's just say business success. So that's all we're going to be talking about today on the podcast. Don't worry, this is just going to be a a brief 1. So ordinarily what we talk about here are business matters, not matters relating to the faith. So if this is your first time listening to the podcast, you don't need to be scared. You can safely subscribe on Spotify, on YouTube, on Apple, on any player of your choice.

And don't worry, you're not going to suffer a barrage of Christian apologetics. So don't worry. We're here for business, so don't worry, I got you. As in I like money too, so don't worry. Then if you'd love to connect with me, you can call, send me a text message or a WhatsApp message on 08064662140. Just make sure the questions are sales and marketing related because this is not a theology podcast. All right? So how being a missionary and how being a business person are the same thing.

Now for those of you who are listening to the podcast for the first time and you don't have any background what all of this is like, let's say we have a couple of Muslims who are listening in or a couple of atheists or, you know, maybe I don't know, a couple of Hindus or wherever. So what is missionary work? Who is a missionary and why is that important? Well, missionary work within the Christian context is important because there was a Great Commission.

That's what you know, that's the nickname for when Jesus Christ was ascending and he told the disciples, go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. So that is the Great Commission. Then later on, Apostle Paul would also have, I can't remember which chapter in the Bible anyway, what Apostle Paul was said will say that, you know, faith is going to grow through hearing and people are only going to hear if people show up to preach.

And of course, within the Christian context, you know, there's the great hope of all of her creation, the whole cosmos being reunited to God at the end of the day. So this is the thing that drives Christian missionary activity. Now, that is one part of the conversation. What's a missionary then #2 being a business person, or better yet, business development, because that's what we talk about over here on the podcast. What is business development important to define that for those of you who are brand new here on the podcast and discovering the show for the first time.

So what is business development? What is sales, and why is that important? Now, the reason why this is important is this Peter Drucker, I can't remember which of his books. Management consultant, legendary fellow. So Peter Drucker in one of his books. Funny enough, I read the book and I remember the first time I read it and I came across the passage where he said this and I was like, man, The thing is not correct. This old man doesn't know what he's saying.

Yeah, I closed the book. But after a while, by this time I my chore in business small and my eyes have seen one or two things that's like, oh, OK, this guy was actually correct. So in the early chapter of the book, forgive me, I can't remember the title. I'm going to look for it later. So in the early title of in the early chapter of the book now, Peter Drocker asked one very important question. He said, what is the goal of a business?

What is the main goal of a business? And of course, when I saw it, I was like, what is this guy asking this kind of question now, this jam question. Now the main goal of a business is money. Now funnily enough, I have been talking to a couple of people at the time and I said in my full chest that the main business, the main reason why I went in business is to make money and some people are trying to found holiness. I say no, it's not money, you know, we have to make society better, you know blah blah blah.

So some people are saying societal impact and in my mind I'm giving an emu as I like how societal impact be deceiving yourself. It's all about the money. Then there are some people, another guy where we have this argument. The guy said that no, that the purpose of a business is personal development, that as you grow your business, you need to develop yourself personally, you know, so that you can all, I put it like basically he was saying that the longer you stay in business, the better of a person you have to be.

So he was saying that for him the purpose of business development is personal development and that's the reason why we start the business. So basically you have three guys arguing and we have three different opinions. On one end you have me, those of us who are money lovers and we say that the purpose of being in business is to get money. Another person said no. Societal impact which should leave society better off sustainable development, you know, all those sorts of things.

And then another person said personal development. Now reading Peter Drocker. Peter Drocker said no, he said no. Peter Drocker said neither of you are correct. The purpose of business is not money. The purpose of business is not societal impact. The purpose of business is not personal development. He said the purpose of a business is to create a customer. When I read that line, I say, ah, that rocker doesn't know what he's saying.

I closed the book back so this man doesn't know also and I left him. But then after a while now trying to hose market as a wedding photographer and trying to be in the export business, trying to do a few things, I open up that book again. And I started reading with fresh eyes with some experience behind me. And I read further and I saw that, oh, Professor Drucker was actually correct. And this is the larger context of what Professor Drucker was trying to see.

Now, the primary thing you do as a business owner, every single day when you wake up, you ask yourself, how do I create a customer? Where do I find market? When you wake up every day as a business owner, that's the primary question you ask yourself. And he said the reason why is it you have to get that customer first before money will now flow or before you will achieve social impact or before you will achieve personal growth and development.

But you wake up first and you will say, where is my customer? So Drucker says that the purpose of a business is to create a customer. And I already like that. I was like, OK, this old man knew what he was saying, then said this guy is making sense. So I continued to read and then Drucker said, now we have agreed that the main role of a business, main goal of a business is create a customer. We now have to ask ourselves what is the best, the fundamental, the utmost function of a business?

I don't mind. I'm thinking, OK, this is all my you started again anyway. Sure, may I read, Let me see. Now, Peter Trucker said a business only has two functions. I said two functions. Peter Trucker said, yes, two functions. And the functions of a business are #1 marketing #2 innovation. And I'll say, OK, Drucker, continue. I had a few more to go and then Peter Trucker said marketing is not business function where you wake up as a business owner.

Are you trying to figure out how can I tell people I am here, I'm on ground, What did they be? I am here for you. This is who I am, this is what I do, this is my product, this is my service. I say, OK, that makes sense. I agree. That's the marketing function. Then he said the second function, business function, is innovation. And innovation is when you improve on your product or your service or you improve on your method of business delivery.

So I read it. I said, OK, Rocker, this guy, you don't make sense. You didn't make sense. And I continued reading the book. But The thing is, that first chapter, I've never forgotten that first chapter. The purpose of a business, create a customer. How do you create a customer? Two business functions, marketing and then innovation. Marketing begin the shouts let everybody know I'm here a mini. This is where you can find me.

This is what I do. This is the value that I bring. The marketing function then #2 innovation. I went to my friend's office today and he's a lawyer was a set ahead of mine. So I sat down and then he said oh can't offer you tea and biscuits. In my mind I was saying tea and biscuits see this guy I said sure no problem tea and biscuits. So he offered me tea and biscuits and then next thing I saw on his hand. So oh boy waiting be this he said oh the Samsung fold something something something I

said is this the phone? And then he smiled. I said like this phone? No, it's just when I heard this 2.5 fear Kashmir and then he just laughed and I said about me, I don't like you like you get this guy, guy works in Ministry of Finance. You know he's my guy. So he he buys the phone fresh then when he's about to upgrade and I'll buy the phone from him secondhand I said so he said he didn't pay 2.5. So where am I going with this innovation?

So sorry, 1 moment. Sorry about that. I'm making today's recording at home and yeah, the kids are around and there's a problem with the Internet, so they wanted me to sort that out. Sorry, I should have let you guys know at the beginning of the recording. Now where was I? So I was in I was in my friend's office and he's holding this Samsung Fold 2.5 M as incorrect phone. That phone is sexy die. And we're talking about innovation.

Yes, innovation. That's why I remembered it because you know, when Samsung came out with this V fold, you know first it was bulky. Some people complained that the hinges used to break these, the screen used to crease. But this one has been getting smaller and thinner and sexier. You know from what I hear, the camera is getting better and better and better and that phone is pretty. It's just I can't get around this 2.5 million naira price tag.

Of course I don't have 2.5 million now right now. So that's the second function of the business. Now Samsung is doing what innovation they're making the phones finer and finer, upgrading everything. Casing is looking sweet, phone is looking nice and slim, slim everything. You know, even though it opens up to about 7 inches when you fold it, the thing looks nice and portable, looking cute. That is innovation, innovating on the product.

So those are the only two functions of a business, marketing and then innovation. Some of you say we started from missionary, now we're talking about Samsung V Fold. What's the connection? Don't worry, I'm going somewhere. Let's just be, let's be going so well, Druckers now. So Professor Drucker now said that of these two functions, which one is more important? I know some of you say innovation and you're wrong. Drucker said, and I believe him,

that marketing is the most important. The business function where you wake up every day and say where is my customer? Begin the wrong, begin the hose up and down. How will I attract this customer? He said that is the most important business function. So for those of you who didn't know before, I'm telling you now, the function of your business is to create a customer. How do you create a customer? Through marketing and through innovation.

Of the two, marketing and innovation, which is most important? The most important one is marketing because that's what will bring the customer in in the 1st place. And of course, sales, advertising, PR, branding, all those other things are the children of marketing. So that's what joins all of us. So now you know the most important part of a business and why we get into business. So those of you who are like me, money lovers, you think is Naira and Kobo, we're looking for,

actually we're looking for customers first. That is our pathway to Naira and Kobo. Now back to the main question of the podcast, missionary work and business development. Nobody the same thing is the same with missionary work. We are prospecting for souls. Prospecting just means the process, the thought process, the disciplines, the strategy of trying to figure out who might be interested in our product or service, who might need our product or service.

Where do these people hang out? How do we reach out to them? How do we start conversations with them? How do we start relationships with them? How do we close the deal? How do we enter into a customer and seller relationship? How do we make this thing official? How do I marry my customers? So all that thought process involved, all that is all go prospecting. So when you are a missionary, you are prospecting for souls.

I have this good news about Jesus Christ. Who is in need of these good news? The world is in existential crisis. Who is looking for certainty? Who is worried about salvation? If you're one of those prosperity preachers who is dying broke, who needs money and then you come up with a plan to go there and to start that relationship, you get them to give their life to Christ so you can be collecting tights. You understand now what is business development?

We are prospecting for clients. If you sell Samsung V Fold, you wake up every day and you ask yourself who are those Nigerians who have bastard money and who want to buy phone? Where are they? Where can I find them in the real world? Where are they online, where are they? How can I reach them? How can I start the conversation? How can I move the conversation along? How can I build this relationship? How can I collect that money?

So you can see that missionary work and business development, they're the same thing. One person prospects for souls, another person prospects for clients. As my mom used to say when I was little, I would say something that you say in the same difference and I'll be like, what does that even mean? If you say it's a dramatic expression, you'll figure out what it means. Till today, I still don't know what it means, right?

But I just know that, you know, if somebody is splitting hairs, you say same difference. So same difference. The reward is different, but the skills and the thought process are the same. So in other words, I want to say learn how to be a missionary today on this podcast. That's what we're doing. We are missionaries for business. Anyway, I'm sure some of you are curious. What exactly did my friend say in the post? Let me go ahead and read from it.

So she said, let me paraphrase. She said she grew up in a missionary church and for the missions they used to go from 1 village to another, knocking on every door and sharing the gospel. Yeah, she went to a village church. But if you see that, my friend, you won't know because, man, she looks keen. No way over you above me. I Willow University, the greatest university in the world, she was clean, she was fresh. So when I saw her on LinkedIn, I

said, I quickly sent her a message. I said, Boomi, you're still fresh like this. She laughed. I said, you've always been a fresher, too fresh to be stressed. So even though she went to a village church, if you see her, you won't see village on her at all. She's clean. She has always been clean, always smooth, always on point. So they'll go one village to another, sharing the gospel for a while. I had a similar experience because I joined the Legion of Mary as a teenager and, you know, some other Catholic lay apostolates.

So I have small experience, you know, trying to do missionary work and oh boy, it's Scario to go and knock on the door of a total stranger. So here's who is that We are from Legion of Mary, want to talk to you about Jesus Christ. Come all, you get out with Jesus Christ. So anyway, interesting experiences, but we can talk about that later. So eventually she shifted into, OK, let me not call the name of her law firm because her partners might not appreciate that I'm talking about the law firm.

So she now said when she talks about the value that her firm brings to individuals and businesses, she goes back to her missionary days and she adopts the same approach. So my friend Bhumi, she shows up at networking events, she shows up at local community gatherings, and she shows up anywhere that people are having meaningful conversations about business growth. And she sees herself as the firm's chief evangelist. Can you hear that?

You see what I'm saying? We should be missionary about our businesses. She considers herself in the role of an evangelist anywhere in the community where she's based in Canada, two or three people are gathered and they're talking about business growth. She will show and she will say I am here the chief evangelist for my law firm. She considers that her mission field. That's what she calls it. If people gather and are talking money, she will say that is a mission field and she will buff up fresh booming and show up.

That's ambition field. So she was talking about how there was a Christmas market that was going on. Let me now call the festival. So you won't know exactly where she is in Canada. So you won't go and meet her and say, are you so? So I heard about you on the podcast. So she said that at the Christmas market, she met inspiring business owners and she learned about their work and people listening. This is somebody who is not trained in sales.

She went there to the business market and the first thing she did was not to go around and say, let me be your lawyer. I'm the smartest, I'm the best, I'm the brightest, I'm the cheapest, I'm the fastest. She didn't say none of that. She went first to learn about people's businesses there. From learning, she now started sharing how her firm, our law firm, can support their businesses, but first went to learn about their businesses.

And that's part of what we do when we're in the field as missionaries. We don't want to start preaching to people immediately. Eventually we get to the preaching. But first you want to know what it is that the person is dealing with. If you're if you're a prosperity preacher, you want to know first like the person is broke ourself. Now you can now start screaming, you know, now you're a couple running it over and all whatnot.

And then you collect your tights. Or if you're dealing with somebody who is an atheist and an existentialist, then you can now start talking about what is the meaning of life. But sure, you will listen to the person first because that was where you will know how you are going to stress the gospel. It's the same in business, and Boomi is not trained in sales, so she says that she likes to genuinely collect with people and that she shows up.

So care for people, showing up, listening to them, understanding. She said that is work that she learned in church as a missionary and that is what she has used to drive business growth. So some of the things that Boomi has said are things I've already said on the podcast before. So no need to stress that, Bosha, from what you've heard now, please let us all be missionary about our businesses because nobody is going to share the good news about your business.

But you, if you don't know, know it now, especially in the early days, nobody is going to share the good news about your business. But you, if you sell skin care products and your skin can take somebody who is black like me, I make the person yellow like purple. Nobody is going to share the good news of your cream or your business. But you eventually you will get some evangelists when people have seen the light that OK,

this cream works. But in the early days, nobody will share the gospel of your business but you. Some people tell me that I'm too promotional. I say promo Guinea. I don't promote nothing. In fact, you haven't heard from me yet. That's because I share all my LinkedIn. I post about let's say 5-6 times every day. Some people say it's too much, as in it's too much What? They're Nigerians that have never heard of me. They're Nigerians that have never heard of my podcast.

You want me to slow down because what? When people don't know my name, when people don't know what I do, why should I be slowing down? Nobody is going to promote the good news about my podcast and about my consultancy services and my training services bought me. So every day I gas promote violently. So if you follow me on LinkedIn, don't be surprised. I know vex and if you're vexed then unfollow me. But you will see 57, sometimes 10 posts from me every single day.

Nobody is going to be more missionary about your business than you. We all need to wake up. We all need to be missionaries. So for those of us who grew up in the church, just like how they sent you forth, I said go and preach the good news about Jesus Christ. It's the same thing. Sorry, hold on before some of you get angry. I'm not saying it's the same thing. Jesus Christ is more important than money. So it's not the same thing.

What I'm just saying is the, the, the approach, the zeal, and that's, that's that's all we should be doing. You understand me? I'm not saying that money and Jesus is on the same level. Now, I'm not saying that, but yeah, I'm just saying if we want to grow that business, if I want to acquire the customers, if I want to exercise the marketing function of your business, well, if you want to make Peter Drucker proud, wake up every day and be missionary about growing your business.

So that's it, and that's all for today. For those of you who are patient enough to listen to everything from beginning to the end, hope you're happy with the way I landed the plane. I'm sure some of you are thinking how, boy is this guy trying to make a Christian out of me. Now don't worry if you're not giving your life to Christ, I'm not trying to convert you, at least not yet. Right now, my concern is that we should all make this money.

We should make this clean money. We should make this bastard money. That's my primary concern for now. All other philosophical and religious conversations, we'll have them later when we see in the flesh. Yeah, we'll have them. We had better make that money because I expect that when we see if you and I decide to hang out, you know, we should be chilling somewhere in the bar. You should buy your boy a couple of drinks.

Don't expect me to buy drinks from you. I've already been giving you this podcast for free. If we see you now, expect me to pick up the tab. Come on, be serious. If we hook up, you're the one who is pretty Bill. Whatever I eat, you pay for. Whatever I drink, you pay for. Anyway, it's been 30 minutes. Then bring it to a close. So thank you very much for listening. Thank you very much for your time and attention. If you'd love to connect with me, call, send me a text message, send me a WhatsApp message on the 08064662140.

Thank you very much for your time and attention. And just in case you happen to be based in Canada and you happen to know a boomi who is a lawyer, share this abusoha say boomi is this you share with her. You never know. Anyway, let me just leave you like that so I'll catch you guys some other time.