Networking for Introverts in Nigeria

Today on the podcast, we're going to talk about networking. We're also going to talk about introversion and we're going to talk about business growth. Some random thoughts around these topics that were inspired by a post that I saw on LinkedIn. So again, today we're going to be looking at networking. We're going to be looking at introversion. Are you introvert? Are you an extrovert? What is introversion? What is extroversion and then how all these things tie into business growth?

So hello and welcome. My name is Tava Shima IED. I'm the host of the podcast making today's recording at home. So there will be noise in the background. Of course, we solve business problems over here. So if this is your cup of tea and you would love to connect, you can call, send me a text message or WhatsApp message on 08064662140. Also, you can subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, Apple or any player of your choice. So like I said today,

networking, introversion, business growth. And the reason why we're looking at this today is because I came across a LinkedIn post where the author and I mean, this guy is is big. So that's why I didn't call him out here because you know, all these big people can be now, you know, they have fans and sometimes fans can be savage. And you know, I'm a humble guy in my corner of the Internet. I don't anybody's fans to be dragging my name up and down.

So I said let me do this post Incognogro. So I say Incognogro, I mean the Incognito. So let me do this Incognito. So the guy went on LinkedIn. Now the guys are writing that him he's an introvert him he hates networking, The guy doesn't like cold outreach and the guy doesn't like pushy sales approaches. I repeat, the guy said that him he's an introvert. He says that he he hates networking. He said he doesn't like doing cold outreach and he doesn't like doing pushy sales approaches.

And of course, whenever people write things like this you think catches my attention, I said no problem myself. Let me read because I won't lie, networking is hard. Talking to people is hard, Talking to strangers is hard, especially if you're like me, you consider yourself an introvert. Cold outreach is hard, sales my is hard. So anytime somebody says they have discovered something else that will make my life easier on my rush day, I say let me go and see what is this Nirvana?

What is this thing that they're promising me that will make my life easy? So I have to forgo or de stress something that I will just wake up, be in my house, put on the AC, let the AC blow me and my business will be growing. So I said no problem. Let me read this this guy's post. Let me see what what offer. So the guy said now, even though he's introverted, the guy has connected with influenza up and down. The guy is connected with self Gordon.

Self Gordon is a legendary, at least legendary in America, in the West, legendary. How will I put him now? Author and marketing guru. So the guy don't connect with Seth Golding. The guy's connected with Leila Homosi. For those of you who don't know, Leila Homosi is the admin. She's like the admin person, the person who runs what's it called? This other guy, her husband, Homosi, Alex. Alex Homosi. So most of you know Alex Homosi,

you know, muscular guy, the guy would always wear for his cap, you know, bushy beard and I think his own business is acquisition.com. Sorry, 1 moment. OK, sorry about that. I'm back was my wife. She needed to get something and to be honest, I don't like you. My wife, he's around and I'm recording because she'll be looking at me somehow. Sometimes she'll even be laughing and you know, it's hard to make a podcast when somebody's looking at you and the person is laughing.

You know, there's a problem of being married. You know, he's see finish. So one moment. OK, I'm back again. Like I said, yeah, it was my wife again. And like I said, sometimes we just be looking at me, should be smiling, should be laughing. So it's hard to concentrate and make a podcast when your significant other is over there. And anyway, it's just one of those things, you know, some of you see me and some of you respect me.

Some of you see me say Bros, you know, but over here, I'm not Bros. I'm just, I'm just Irish man and to my kids, I'm just dad, especially to the baby. But he's not really a baby anymore. You know, he calls me Fatu. That's because I'm, I'm on the big side. So you guys see me say Bros, but you know, over here I'm just Fatu or dad or that vision anyway. So what was I? So this guy has been connecting with everybody. Now he's connected.

He's a golden. He's connected to Leila Homosi. Now Leila and her husband Alex, they run acquisition.com and what they used to do is they used to be in the gym space and they used to run gyms. Actually, they're very good. At first they used to run gyms. Then they realised that they were very good at doing the sales part for gyms. And so I think they acquired a bunch of gyms and started managing it, you know, running it, growing it, you know, that kind of thing.

And eventually they've been able to raise some significant bar. So what they're doing now is sort of like a private equity play. So they take their expertise in sales and in marketing and in managing. And So what they do is they look for businesses, correct businesses, correct businesses that stand, you know, but you just see that, OK, if I take this business, I fix like this, I fix like this, we'll be able to now double this business,

triple this business, you know, that kind of thing. Then what they do is then I'll take a share in the business. Omo is a winning formula. And The thing is, funny enough, even before I go into business game, that was my own attitude because I've accepted that, you know, I'm not the brilliant entrepreneur who's going to invent some product that is going to save the world. But I know that I know how to sell. And I know that I look at some businesses and I say, if not me for doing like this, for doing like this, and then this is how we'll get the profit.

So my own too is also going to be a private equity play eventually. So like, you know what, I see this business, I see where you're heading. You know, I have faith. You know what, let me drop X amount of money and let me drop some time and expertise. We'll grow the business like this by the time we double and triple. And this is my whole share, you know, that kind of thing. So that's what Leila Moji does. She's more of on the operational side and then her husband is more of on the sales and marketing side.

So interesting couple and you can also check your podcast player to look for their podcast and subscribe. They both have separate podcasts. So it's really, really interesting to hear Alex talk about running the businesses from a sales and marketing perspective and then having Leila on her own podcast talk about things from the administrative point of view, hiring, firing, leadership strategy, you know, all that kind of thing.

So it's very, very good. Although I found that some people like either on team later on team Alex and I wonder why, like after all, my husband and wife. So if you must consume, consume the thing, you know, into two as 11 package because now husband and wife, they're on the team. So my opinion, subscribe to both of their own podcasts and then learn. So this guy also said he's he's connected to Gary Vee as well. So the guy don't connect with the greats, you know, and of course, you know, that was another reason why when people talk like this, you know, you know, I don't talk too much.

Let him not drag me and they'll say, who are you connected to? Let's see, my guy is connected to self Gordon, who do you know? Who is your father? Who are you? So I said, OK, let me maintain in my own corner. So this guy hates networking, doesn't do cold outreach, it doesn't do pushy sales, but meanwhile the guys connected to the to the grids, to the big, big people out there. Then the guy also said he hates small talks.

He hates mixers, that he finds them draining. You know, you're just having a small chat with somebody or you know, mixers like, you know, people throw party, you just go, you know, you have small glass of wine going to take small, small chops, you know, just moving around, just mingling and socializing. He doesn't like it. Then again, the guy now give us a solution and the solution is in like 4 steps. So the solution was #1 all over.

Now stop networking. That's what the guy said. Nobody should network. I said OK no problem, I'm reading. He also said everybody start teaching. What you need to do is you need to hop on this Internet and start producing content. When you produce content, now you go leverage that content to get community of people around you. When you leverage that community now, you'll now start building connections, you know, with people and that is the beginning of your business growth.

He's correct by the way, but let's rewind. My guy says he hates networking, but his solution is go out first and start teaching. Produce content from the content. Leverage that to build a community from the community, start building connections that you can leverage on. Excuse me, in my own mind, I'm not asking what the hell is networking? Is that not networking? So excuse me, you'll be networking. Be that that is not working.

You're just going at it from a different angle. I know that's one thing that some sales professionals like us have been saying since time that networking is not just what you do on formal occasions where you go to networking hotel as a member of Korean, you know, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria. Then you go for the Korean mixer, Korean networking session. Some people think that's all networking is.

I know networking, they happen anywhere and everywhere. PTA meeting, you go and drop your child in school, you see that guys? Oh boy, now you it is, you know, blah, blah, blah. You start talking like that. That's how networking is moving even in the market. I've met people in the market before. Come on, you know, market hot and sweaty, plenty of flies, and then, you know, you see somebody, you guys start a conversation.

Networking can happen anywhere. The problem is this. My guy thinks networking is only those formal organized things. So his solution is stop networking, produce content, build community, start getting connections, leverage on that connections. What the hell is networking? If that is not networking, I really don't know what is. What this guy is doing is networking. Do not be deceived. He has just redefined what networking means.

You see, this is one of the reasons why I say please, you who should not be deceived by people who go out there and say, you know, I have this new magic recipe lie. They're deceiving all of you. What they do is they just want something that they can trademark and say is my own system something, something. So they just redefine a few things and then they make you look as if they've they've, they've given us the secret everlasting life.

Meanwhile, all of them false prophets, somebody saying don't network, but then his solution is use content, build community from community, build connections, then leverage on those connections. Is that no networking? That's the step one. Now Step 2. He has a 1990 rule. I know those of you who has disciples now because I've said this right now you will know who who he is or please or you should not come and drag me. I beg.

I'm enjoying my own small corner of the Internet. You know, people who listen to me and who like my ideas around sales and marketing, how we can be growing our businesses, especially in the SME space. These are the people I'm talking to. So let me continue to talk to my own people, small, small, small. I know that some of the things I'm saying, you know, will offend your Messiah, but I beg, no drag me. I'm just talking to my own people.

So he has the 1990 rule. What he says is this. Identify one person that you want to meet. Then you comment on nine of their posts 123456789 and he says do that for 90 days 90 in other words three months. Let me repeat, select one person, comment on 123456789 of their posts, then do that for three months straight before you send that guy or girl Adm. Remember at the top of the episode my guy said he doesn't like cold outreach.

If this is not cold outreach, then what the hell is cold outreach? Cold outreach just means you're talking to a total stranger. There is no prior context. You don't know this person. This person does not know you you. But what are strangers? That is what cold outreach means. So from a sales and business development perspective, the challenge has always been how can we warm up the interaction before we get there? How can I get some extra information to personalize the conversation?

How can I get the person to warm up to me? You know, things like that. That has always been the challenge for sales and business development. His own solution is to say don't do cold outreach. Instead, go and look for that person, comment on nine of their posts. Do it for three months straight. Then you send Adm, my friend, that is called outreach. Do not be received. That is called outreach. It is just a different method of doing cold outreach because different methods then they depending on who you listen to,

depending on the industry, but all not cold outreach. If you're reaching out to a stranger, it is cold outreach. If I go and talk to Popsy or my uncle and I say Popsy invest, uncle invest, that's a different thing. You know that one you know too cold because at least we're family. They know me. They can say tavish my you've always been a sharp boy from you know, since you know, since state no problem. Let me take a chance on you.

But the moment you know Sunday I approach elder social and so in church and I say elder social and so I'm starting this thing. Look, this one is cold elder social and so could have been there my baptism and maybe he knows of me and my family. But now that money is involved or more believe The thing is cold, not cold outreach. Do not be deceived. This one 990 rule is called outreach. It is just another way of reaching out to total strangers.

Now the scope here is by commenting on the person's nine of the person's posts and doing so for 30 for three months straight. The goal is you would at least become familiar and you would have been dropping valuable content comments on the person's feed. So, you know, go to look like and irritant so the person will open up to you. But brothers and sisters, that is cold outreach and that has always been the challenge in the sales and business development space.

We have to do cold outreach. What can we do to warm up the process or what can we do to make our outreach relevant to the person who is receiving it? So all this guy has done now this Messiah has done this business guru is he has just redefined what cold outreach is or he has found a much more comfortable way for him to do gold outreach. By the way, can you see how a lot of this thing is personality dependent? I prefer teaching the principals so that you can sort yourself out these guys recommending tactics.

There are some of you who had the 1990 rule and say what that man, this is too much work. Am IA stalker. That's what some of you will say before him is comfortable with this. So it is also another reason why I say when you're looking for where to consume business content, look for people who are teaching you principles. Look for people who are teaching you a system, things that work together coherently. Because the problem with this thing is if you try this one 990

rule and then the thing does not work, OK, what do you do next? You go hang. You don't know what to do next because you land tactics here, here, here, here, here. You don't know how it all fits together when you learn from someone that has a system, that has a coherent framework. When some things are working, you know what to twist. When some things are not working, you know what to push. So stop learning from all these people who give you tactic,

tactics, tactics. My three top tactics, my one, my 5 steps something. Ignore these people please. It doesn't have to be me, but you should be paying attention to people who have systems and frameworks. Then the guy said something that I agree with 100%. He said consistency beats charisma. And of course there if you're one of these guys disciples, I admit, Yeah, your guy is correct on that one. Consistency beats charisma.

Always be consistent. So that's the reason why, you know, traditional cold outreach, you know, make 5 calls every day, send five DMS every day, you know, visit two people every week. You know, whatever shall be doing a consistency, sorry, consistently consistency will give you results over time. It's better than having charisma. It's better than packaging. It's better than, you know, whatever so true process over packaging anytime, any day.

So this Messiah, and he's correct on that one. He's he's very, very correct. Then he also said curate your environment and the guy is correct, you should set up your environment in a way that is conditioned for you. So the guy said instead of networking starting mastermind and invite eight people Max and be having one-on-one conversations with those people. And then again, I am asking you my guys and my sisters, is this not networking?

You call a meeting of eight people, you guys going to meet on a regular once a month, twice a month or every other two, two months or something even would have one-on-one conversation trying to move your yourselves forward. Is that not networking? Why are we playing all these games redefining terms up and down and networking BDS now and this is not the solution that this guy promised. I'm looking for the one that I will be inside my house.

One are the core AC and my business will be blowing. He said he's telling me to be building community, building connections, be doing mastermind. I'm trying to avoid networking here. You're telling me to go and network again. Is this truly a system that involves 0 networking and that involves 0 cold calls, 0 code outreach? Brothers and sisters, the answer is no. So please, all you gurus, messiahs cashed up this rubbish from the creation of the world up until now.

Business progress has always been won by networking, has always been won by some form of sales or marketing actions, sometimes including cold outreach. Can we stop selling people on the promise that is a way that will build a business that does not involve these things? It is not possible. If you don't believe me, whenever you find another guru, I give my phone number at the beginning and at the end of every episode send it to me.

Let me take this guy's system and digest it. I will show you how this person is lying. The only thing this guy has proved is that networking and cold outreach is essential for me. You should have just said you know what networking and cold outreach is essential, but do it in ways that are comfortable to you, are comfortable to your personality. If you say it like that, I will vibe with you. So please, let's be careful about the content that we're listening to.

Anybody that is telling you Top 10, five secrets #3 hacks, 100 steps. Ignore those people. If somebody's not talking to you about the system, about the framework, about principles, ignore those people. You will loss. You will try the tactic. You will work once in a while. You will do 1990 rule. You will work once in a while. When the thing fails, you go hang. You won't know what to do. To top it off, the guy ended up the post by saying, next time you're in this situation, let me reuse the guy's first name.

I will use his complete name. He said next time you're in this situation, just think to yourself, what would Chris do? I laugh. I say, see the infantry of this *** Next time you're in the bind, you're supposed to think, what would Chris do? That's why I'm going to build my business by when I'm in a difficult situation, I'll be asking myself, what would Chris do anyway? Let's let's, let's be careful. Let's be very, very careful.

But that's the beauty of the Internet really. Anybody can put out their opinions out there. And in fact, I shouldn't complain too much because that is also one of the reasons why I have been able to put my ideas out there. So anyways, within 20 minutes, then we bring it to a close. That's all for today. Remember, if you'd love to connect, you can call, send me a text message or a WhatsApp message on 08064662140. Thanks for your time and attention.

I'll catch you next time. Same place in your headphones or in your speakers. But Please remember, remember, remember, networking essential, code outreach, essential. Some form of traditional selling motions, essential. We can't run away from it. Just look for the method that is comfortable, that vibes with you and vibes your personality. But until then, if you find another guru who promises an easy solution like this, let me know 'cause me to our own mind,

let me sit down in my house, let me own AC and do and not go anywhere and let the let let millions just be entering my account. So if you find those people, please let me know 'cause me too. I'm looking for the secret of everlasting life. Sorry, everlasting business life. All right, so that's it. I'll catch you at the next episode.