​Is LinkedIn a Magic Sales Tool? The Real Truth

Today on the podcast, we don't have any topic in particular. It's just going to be a set of random topics because I responded to some people who called in on the radio show on the 11th of December 2025. And let's see, OK, we discussed a couple of things LinkedIn related, Let's see what else. OK, I think was mostly LinkedIn. So anyway, let's just get straight into it. Like I said today round on my episode, and this is just me addressing some people who called in on my radio show on the 11th of December in 2025.

Now, this is your first time of listening to the podcast. My name is Tavi Shima Ayeri, I am a former lawyer turned business consultant. And yes, I also have a radio show on the regular airwaves. It's on Radio Maria, 91.3 FM. And once in a while I come over here on the podcast and I talk about some of the good stuff that we discussed over on the radio because as far as I know, well, there's this one guy in Abuja who listens to the podcast and also listens to the radio show.

But for the rest of you, because we have over 3500 subscribers currently on Spotify, I just come over here and let you guys know that hey, last night I was on the air. I spoke to a bunch of folks, got some interesting stuff. This is what we spoke about. Now if you like these sorts of things, you're looking for a business, you're looking for business content where we talk about sales, marketing, business growth, those sorts of things,

then make sure you subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, YouTube, Apple, or any player of your choice. Then if you'd love to connect with me, you can call, send me a text message or send me a WhatsApp message on 08064662140. So that particular evening on the 11th of December 2025, four guys called in four chaps. First guy was Alex from Wagwanada. So for those of you who listen to the podcast, you know that that's like my my old hood because I went to Christ the King College in Wagwalada in Abuja LCT.

So that's where I did my junior secondary school and we were the second set. So the pioneer set was I can't remember what. Yeah. So we came in after the pioneer set. So just in case you know, anybody who went to wax Wagwalada pioneer set or the second set, you know, those are definitely my guys. You just tell them, you know, you came across Tavis podcast. Don't say Tavis because they all know you know me as Tavisima. So just so you came across Tarvis podcast was your classmates, you know?

Yeah, those are my guys. So Alex from Guevara, of course, not my classmate. Now Alex called in. OK, No, he didn't call in. He sent a message asking if LinkedIn is a place where sales and business is made easy. Let me repeat, if I like it when people ask this kind of question. He asked me whether LinkedIn is a place where sales and business can be made easily. I like asking all answering all these kind of questions. The reason why I was asking was because on that particular day,

what we were discussing was this. There was someone who had called in the week before who was in the business of selling software solutions for sales analytics, customer analysis and financial analysis, financial reporting, all those sorts of things. And the person wanted to know how to sell his services. Now in discussing that guy's matter, we now discussed how that guy should be on LinkedIn because there are lots of you in Nigeria, especially people who want to advance their career or people who sell services who are not on LinkedIn.

In fact, some people have not even heard of LinkedIn. The first time I came across like I just assumed everybody knew what LinkedIn was because last year that was 20/20/24. In 2024, I got to speak at a conference that was put together by NBCNBC. That's Nigerian bottling company that the people who own the franchise for Coca, Coca-Cola, Fanta, you know, all those things. And you know, the head offices in, you know, in Lagos, in Aggadingbi, for those of us who used to live in Ikeja, I know I

don't pronounce the name correctly, but you know, forgive me, I, it's just one of those things, you know, you move to a location, you don't quite learn all the words correctly. So the excuse in Lagos. So NBC, you know, I know them now 'cause you always drive past going to church, you drive past, coming back from school, you drive past. So the conference was put together by the NBC Nigerian Bottling Conference. And it was about how you can use artificial intelligence to build your career or build your business.

And this was a program that was aimed at youth between the ages of 18 to 35. And I was one of the speakers and we spoke last me and my Co how I say Co compare Abby Abby Co anchor so as well this thing now as one guy asked me that how do I open linked? I shock I said the guy said how do I open linked. That was the first time I heard and for the rest of the afternoon people are calling this thing linked as in they have never heard of it before.

Do asking me what is linked? How do you open Linked, How do you use linked? I had to keep saying and saying and saying that evening I'm stressing it and it's LinkedIn, LinkedIn, LinkedIn but still do asking me of linked. It was then I knew that there are lots of Nigerians who do not know about LinkedIn and who are not on LinkedIn even though they want to grow their career or they want to grow their service based business.

When I say service based business, I mean you know those of us that sit inside office, you know lawyer, accountant, doctor, geologist, what else? OK, geologist also has the go to field. But you know someone, I'm saying Shah, you're selling yourself is not selling a product. So there are also Nigerians who are not on LinkedIn who are not aware of LinkedIn. So I was now telling that guy, the one who sells software solutions for financial analysis, customer analysis and sales analytics.

I was telling the guide, I look you guys to be on LinkedIn. So because we spent like 30 minutes talking about LinkedIn on the radio. That's why this guy Alex that sent a message saying how far this LinkedIn that you guys are talking about, can we make sales and business easy on that platform? And that's why I love this question. I love this question because there are too many of you who are looking for an easy solution.

Can we just stop this thing? Think about it? Remember that song Since I was born and now I am old, You've been on this earth already, 3040, fifty years. If there was an easy way, you don't think you would have heard about it. And if there was an easy way, you don't think somebody would have already tapped in on it? You don't think you would have seen it? You've been alive for a while. If there was an easy way, you would have discovered it by now.

There is no easy way. So let's stop this thinking. Please. Let's stop looking for this magic platform. It's not there does not exist. There's none. Now. This is the reason why the reason why there's no magic platform where sales and business can be made easy is because no matter the format that exists or the platform or the app or the website, it will require two things of you #1 optimization and then #2 proper participation.

Optimization means make your profile sweet, make your profile attractive. Give the information that people need when they come across your profile so they can quickly decipher who you are, what you do, how you can help, how they can connect with you. That is step one. And unfortunately, too many Nigerians on platforms are not even optimizing those platforms. There are people who open their WhatsApp business profile, but then on your name, you just leave it as a Janet Ezekiel and then you don't put anything again and you wonder why business is growing.

It's not growing like who is Janet Ezekiel? What do you do? Do you sell soap? Do you sell perfume? Are you a beauty skin care therapist? Are you an accountant? Are you a geologist? Are you an architect? You just open WhatsApp business and you just put your name there, nothing else. How is WhatsApp business supposed to make business easy and smooth for you? Same thing with LinkedIn. People open a LinkedIn profile and you put nothing there.

You just put your name, profile picture blank, educational history bank blank, professional background blank. Are you looking to connect blank. Are you looking to grow a business blank. Interests blank. Hobbies blank as in Mt What do you expect? Believe me, this happens a lot. It was I'm struggling with Instagram. I said, well, let me see your Instagram handle. I look at Instagram Hamilton and I say no wonder you're a business owner.

But then your Instagram handle is, you know, Jeremiah 436. Like, who do you think wants to do business with Jeremiah 436? Who then the account has been open for six years and then you only put 5 posts. Does that inspire confidence in anybody? So truly, truly, I say on to the even if LinkedIn was that platform where sales and business can be made easy, the fact that most of you will go there and optimize your profile like you forget it won't work for you.

You work for everybody else, but don't work for you because you're not even bothering to optimize your profile. Same thing. Google My Business. Have you gone to go and claim your business page? Have you updated it? Have you put some pictures of projects that you finished recently? Have you put up your opening hours? Did you put your website there? Did you put your office address there so that if somebody friends you on Google My Business, they can click through and then LinkedIn can.

Sorry, I say LinkedIn, Google Maps can take them directly to your store. Did you put your WhatsApp business number there? Did you put a nice sweet description of who you are and what you do? So LinkedIn is not a magic platform. Yes, it'll be sweet for you if you're trying to improve your career or try to sell your services, but if you don't optimize the profile, you're not ready. You haven't started work yet. Then proper participation.

Now, this is what I mean by proper participation. I just made-up that word. Every single social media platform, you get your own culture, they'll have their own vibe. When you're on Tiktok, you are your authentic self, vibes, phone, authentic self. When you are on Instagram, you're living your best life, a polished version of your life. Because we're all trying to form on Instagram. So on Instagram continue to deform.

Then when you are on Facebook, Facebook now is mostly a connection or something like no need to form really. When you want to talk to grammar, you go to Facebook. When you want to talk to your uncles and aunties, you go to Facebook. For those of us who are nephews and nieces are abroad, that's your nephews and nieces are old because I hear that the younger ones now that's Snapchat. And so so that kind of thing, classmates, you know, Facebook,

but therefore LinkedIn, everybody is in a business mindset, career mindset. So you cannot take TikTok behavior and exhibit it on LinkedIn. You cannot take LinkedIn behavior and exhibit it on Facebook. You cannot take Facebook behavior and start to use Facebook behavior on WhatsApp. So play well and some of you have created the LinkedIn profile and you haven't come to play the way that people play on the platform. So you're on LinkedIn.

What you're putting pictures of your best life, showing your face up and down. I'm glad to show that I just recently been promoted. My children have graduated first class. I bought a brand new car like OK, all that is good for Instagram, but that's not what we do on LinkedIn. It's a professional networking platform. So your children graduated first class, God has been good to you. And so how does that help you to connect with people on the platform?

So this is the reason why even if tomorrow LinkedIn becomes the place where money is being minted in dollars, some of you won't get it because you will not optimize your profile and you will not play on the platform the way you're supposed to play. So no, LinkedIn is not that place where sales and business comes easy. But yes, it is different because people are there to advance their career or to sell their services. So optimize your profile,

whatever it is that you play and make sure you learn the rules of the game and start playing accordingly. Then you can start reaping the benefits. That, my dear friends, is the reason why I got off TikTok because I go there, I'm talking business content, you know, sharp, sharp, quick, quick video. And it's not necessarily at least while I was on TikTok, like I don't know, maybe 2-3 years ago, that was not the reason why people are on TikTok.

So yes, I have that one video, I got like 10,000 views. But apart from that, people are not really on TikTok for this kind of thing. So even if people were minting dollars on TikTok because I was on TikTok in the wrong way, there was no how I was going to make that platform work. If I go back to TikTok, I need to make one or two changes and get back in vibe, get with the original vibe, get with the program for the platform.

Then I can now join people and be meeting dollars from the platform. So is LinkedIn different? Yes, because the focus is business and career. Because of that, that is the reason why I keep saying it with my full chest. It is good for networking. Excuse me? It is good for business conversations. So with some creativity, we can make it work. Another caller on the show was Rinzi. Rinzi was a spare part dealer. This is the example that I gave Rinzi.

You can open a LinkedIn profile, optimize it, put your face there, or put your company logo there in the description. Make sure you describe, be clear that you are an auto parts dealer. It doesn't matter that you sell spare parts. I think we can make it work. Then the content you'll be putting out, Mr. Rinzi, will be things around car maintenance, you know, whether maintenance or replacement, you know, auto care, what else, things like that.

This is kind of content that you put out once in a while. You put up when you have info, you put up info on, you know, your promos or your discounts or new items that you have in stores and things like that. Then once in a while you will find opportunities to slide into people's DM because on LinkedIn, you know, people put it, oh, business expansion or something, something just acquired a new car fleet. So somebody now who is like arranged, you can sign into the person's DMS, congratulations,

just so you acquired a new fleet. Congratulations, business is growing. You have some details about the fleet. It's not a bad thing. It's not a scene to not ask like, oh, OK, what plans do they have for fleet management? Some people say, oh, fleet management, we have that covered. Some people say fleet management. What is that? I've never heard of that. You now start talking about fleet management and fleet maintenance and that's how your services will come in because you're a part dealer.

So I know that for those of you who are in the handiwork level, handiwork trades, you might not think LinkedIn immediately, but you know, sales is trial and error. Let's try like me, I tried LinkedIn, so I know LinkedIn, TikTok. I tried TikTok before I left TikTok. So you try some things pop off some things don't. So TikTok didn't work for me. I left Instagram was too much of a headache. I left Facebook one useless guy hacked me.

I shut down the account I left LinkedIn seems to be working on OK I've stayed I'm still there so trial and error. So try and we see then. So just in case I've not made it clear, let me say it again. Should you be on LinkedIn? You listening to the podcast episode right now? If you're trying to build your career, I think you should be there. If you sell services, I think you should be there. I really think you should be there.

Some of you who sell products, it might work. We can, you know, like I said, I've given you a plan for how like Irinzi might be able to make it work. But anyway, let me leave you there, Chuck. Those of you who want to be promoted, go to LinkedIn. Those of you who have services beyond LinkedIn, for those of you who have, you know, products for sale, you know, I don't know, hit me up. That's the reason why I give my phone number.

Let's look at this thing on a case by case basis. Let's see who we can work for, who we can work for, or just check AI and ask AI and see what AI says, whether you stand a shot if you sell. OK, let's say you sell beauty skin care, for instance, let's say you sell bleaching cream. You know, go on AI and ask it and see how you can use LinkedIn to grow your business. You never know, there might be some useful ideas there.

OK, so second caller now arrange a spare part dealer, but I can't remember the question that he had. So basically I just wrote him, you know, thanks for calling. Then let's see. OK, for that, another guy who wanted to get in touch with me. Let's see. Well, who else? OK, Kukui, another guy. Kukui called. OK, Kukui reached out because he wants to collaborate. So me and the guy were already chatting. So. Yeah. Anyway, that is all.

So yeah, those are some of the calling people on the show. And OK, I think that's the only issue. Just this LinkedIn matter. Yeah, so I just said let me come over here. I share that LinkedIn thing with you real quick. Well, summary, please. Let's stop looking for magic platforms. It doesn't matter the platform, you will have to optimize. And you will have to take part according to the rules, according to the culture of the platform.

So stop looking at what is hot. Just ask yourself what is there. Then, within reason, try and figure out if you think you can make it happen. And then trial and error, you try. Go and taste. They say taste and see that the Lord is good. Go and taste. So I'm tasting. You will know whether this thing works for me or it doesn't work. Or you can ask people who you see who are popping, who are rocking it. Like back when I was an event photographer, I wasn't good on Instagram online.

My Instagram game was weak. But it didn't stop me from talking to other people who are rocking Instagram because there were people who are making good money on Instagram. In fact, there was this lady, let me not call her name. She, she's in decor space, she was doing work, Lagos and Abuja wedding and corporate and Instagram was the only thing she had no website. Well, of course she was not very helpful because I asked her like how do you do it?

She says, I don't know, I just post. It's unfortunate. You know, some people are good at the game, but if you ask them break it down, they can't really break it down for you because some people just do it and they're good, but they can't tell you how or they can't tell you why. So I was now looking at our posts and now trying to reverse engineer to see how I could be good on Instagram as well. Anyway, I've said everything I

need to say. No need to keep you guys longer. So that's it, that's all. I'll catch you guys at some other time and if you'd love to connect with me, you can call, send me a text message or a WhatsApp message on 08064 662140. Again, sorry about the noise in the background made today's recording at home, kids at home, wifey is home, you know, holiday period X mass in the air. You understand now? So yeah, that's it. I'll catch you guys.