Sales is Leadership: Why Every Businesswoman Needs a Customer Pipeline

In the last podcast episode, I spoke about how I was invited to speak at the Elevate Women's International Conference on the 25th of March 2020, sixth, in honour of International Women's Day, which occurred earlier on the 8th. So I also mentioned that at that particular session, I can only talk about how we can use sales and how women can use sales and business development skills to advance themselves. But I couldn't go into it in any measure of depth.

And that's because there were two other speakers before me and collectively both of them took up about 20, almost 30 minutes of the time that was allocated for the session. So essentially I just had to answer one question quickly in about, you know, in less than 5 minutes and then move on. But even though that was all I was able to say, I thought there were going to be a couple of issues, you know, up for discussion. And actually I had come prepared to talk about a whole lot more.

Well, since I couldn't say it then I figured let me just come and share it here, at least for my female listeners who would have loved to be at the event or would like to go for events like these. So at least you have a sense of, you know, if I were on stage, the kinds of things that I will talk about. So now I assumed that some of the potential issues that were going to be up for discussion will be this whole thing about economic empowerment as a right for women.

Now, the reason why I thought this was going to be one of the items that we will discuss is because the convener of the conference, that's Ambassador Tina Kenichuku, is someone that I've collaborated on twice. That's on January 6th, on January 12th, 2026. That's for my own radio show. And then she invited me on her own TV show that is wealth creation with Ambassador Tina. I think that's on global TV now. DSTVI, think channel 365.

So we've collaborated twice. And eventually she found out that I used to be a lawyer. And since then she's been calling me Barry star. I can't get her to stop everywhere. Barry star. Barry star. Barry star. But anyway, so I assume that, OK, now that she knows I'd be barrister or at least former barrister that we'll talk about some of those things. So I came ready. Sorry for those of you who came thinking this was a business podcast.

Yes, we're going to get into some of the business stuff soon. We'll get there. So I thought we're going to talk about, I was ready to talk about how, yes, we talk about things, you know, like economic empowerment as a right. We talk about all kinds of rights, especially in the I don't know which version of the Constitution we have now because to be honest, since I dropped my wig and gown, wig and gown, that's the stuff that lawyers wear.

Since I dropped my wig and gown years ago, I haven't picked up anything law related. But I remember the back in school, I think with the, I can't remember which constitution it was. I think it was either Chapter 6 or Section 6 or something like that. Anyway, that's where, excuse me, the statements of rights were or are as the case may be. That's if you haven't changed the Constitution yet. Anyway. So I remember as a young student back in the Buffalo University,

you know, talking about these things as from my professors and you know, this whole conversation of what is a right to self. When you say women have a right to economic empowerment, what do you mean? Or you say your child has a right to education. What do you mean? And then eventually one of my professors, you know, he asked, I don't know if it's a point of view, but he asked that if these rights are not justiciable, justiciable, sorry, justiciable just means, you know, if you need to get up as you can't go to court and hang anybody, you can't force the government.

You can't go to court and force the government, you can't hang, hang, you know, hold anybody by the truth and say guarantee me this, right. So that's one of my lectures positions that if these things are not justiciable, can you say really it is a right. You just say every child has a right to education. Meanwhile he's nothing. We can go to court and enforce anything. So now right to be that right just for mouth. So I thought that was more of the things we're going to talk about that.

Yeah. Right to economic empowerment for women. But now right to be that just the proclaim for mouth. But meanwhile he's not as if you can't hold anybody, you can't hold any minister, you can't hold any government. Paris later you can't hold any office, you can't hold any official, you can't carry them to court. I said this no violation of social and so right, So now right be that at least the other ones, you know, right to life,

right to liberty, right to all these, you know, all those other rights. You can hold somebody. I say the guy who violate my rights to social. And so if police my hand do you, they do anyhow, you can say they violate my rights to this and this and that and that. But all these other ones became rights to education, women rights to economic empowerment. Now right to be that. So excuse me. So I thought these were some of the things that we're going to talk about.

But however, my own point of view was that even though these things are not justiciable, they still are important because at least in the West, in the Western part of the world, I think particularly in North America, they have some research that shows that when you empower women with education and some form of economic empowerment, you know, the financial outlook for the kids improve. In other words, if Mama goes school or Mama get BA, Mama get money, it means on average, the children will also be sharp and the children will also, you understand, they also make money.

So there's some research to to show that. And so, yeah, my own point of view was that, yeah, economic empowerment is a good thing. I was also hoping that we're going to talk about mastering sales and business development because at the end of the day, it's a tool for building wealth and autonomy for any human being, whether man, woman or child. OK, Well not children because you have to be at least 18 years old before you begin to also on a legal setting you guys be 18

year old before it begin hustle. So all those people with the hustle, you know 13141510 you know all of that is considered child labour and it's not something that is legal in this part of the world. But you know half of do now you know when there's poverty in the land, you know if policy say you know go and sell this, you won't sell. If mumsy say go and do this, you won't do so now poverty, the causes guarantee anyway.

So yeah, I thought we're going to talk about mastering sales and business development because it's a tool for building wealth. It's a tool for building autonomy. I also thought we're going to talk about sales as a leadership skill because in trying to sell, you learn a couple of things. You learn how to read people. You learn how to read their motivations. You learn how to read what's important to them. You learn how to align their own motivation with your own motivation or align their own motivation with whatever 'cause it is that you're trying to promote.

So last, last sales. When you master sales, it always helps you to become a competent leader. I thought we were going to talk about stuff like that. And then, of course, we'll also talk about sales as a transaction versus sales as leadership, because there's some people who think sales is a matter of I want to sell cough syrup, you want to buy cough syrup, Why I buy cough syrup and go now in our sales. Well, yeah, in a certain extent,

yes, sales can be transactional, but selling can be a whole lot more because we have to gain advancement on an idea. We have to get people to buy into something, OK? Like take for instance, this whole thing of come and buy my cough syrup and go or come and buy my hypertension medicine and go, OK, yes, on that level you can just do it as a transaction. But then there's also that thing that, you know, if you're a healthcare worker, for instance,

and somebody's in front of you, you're trying to sell somebody on a greater outcome that look or guy, you're currently overweight or guy, your heart, your blood, your BP's like this like this or guy. If you want to live a good life, you suppose do 123, take this drug, reduce weight, don't eat meat, cut down salt, you know, blah, blah, blah. You're trying to gain advancement on the idea. There's an idea here that you're putting before orga.

You want Orga to buy in so that our gas life will be fruitful. Then sales skills also very important because they come in very handy when it comes to securing funding. Because whether we like it or not, you know, you're a young man, you're a young woman, you want to build your startup, you want to build your whatever you have to secure funding. Now sales be that you are selling yourself Now This is why I'm worth investing in.

You are selling the idea that this idea, this app, this website, this whatever is a correct idea, and This is why you should key in because returns good day. Whether is, excuse me, returns in, you know, XYZ amount or whatever Basha Olga drop money now invest because returns go day. Then of course, talking about how sales skills can come in handy. Well, when it comes to public advocacy, because all these things that we're going for, you know, women's International Conference and all that, you know, now who gets to be that or trying to speak up for something or trying to promote certain ideals.

So I thought we're going to talk about things like that. I also thought we're going to talk about scaling women LED businesses and of course I will talk about scaling any kind business. What we need is we want the business to grow beyond the founder because if you're a one man show or a one woman gang, you will always be the chokehold in your business because there's a limit to what it is that you can do. So scaling ultimately means you're trying to grow beyond yourself, you're trying to hire a team, you need people, you need systems, standard or procedure standard operating procedure frameworks in place.

They will use train your staff. Now, of course, you also need technology, you know, just like how I talk about how you can use artificial intelligence or augmented intelligence as someone's like to call it, you know, to increase your productivity and your effectiveness. So I thought we're going to talk about things like that scaling women LED businesses. I thought we're going to talk about market entry strategies for women in business.

You're a woman, you want to do your business whether or not start up, whether or not solar panel. Well then no matter what it is, I thought we're going to talk about market entry strategies now. So you go penetrate the market now. So you go enter the market now. So you will begin the make waves. That's what I thought we're going to talk about. I thought we're going to talk about lead generation for women LED businesses.

Of course, for those of you who've been listening, you know that the lead is anybody who has done something to show that they might be interested in your product or service. The person has done something objective, the person has raised their hand so that you have confidence to walk up to that person or to call that person or to send that person an e-mail because they might be interested in them, in your product or in your service.

I thought we were going to talk about lead generation for women businesses. I thought we were going to talk about building robust sales pipeline for women builders businesses. We'll talk about sales pipeline. What we mean is the number of people that you're talking to will be prospect. Prospect just means somebody might be interested in my product or my service. You guys have plenty of prospects because it's from talking to prospect that you will get customer.

Customer no confront you inside your house or inside your office. No, it doesn't work like that. It doesn't even if you are in fashion retailing you at least you go and rent shop in the community and then you put sandboard outside. It's still a matter of, you know, going out and looking for customer. Customer will come and find you. Doesn't work that way. So I thought we're going to talk about that. How do you put more prospects in the pipeline?

They also that we're going to talk about other aspects of the pipeline, which is repeat business. That's people who have bought from you before. How do you get them to come back and buy again? I thought we're going to talk about that. How do we get repeat business, repeat purchase for women, women LED businesses. Then apart from that, there's also referrals. Referrals are people who have bought from you before they were happy and so therefore they introduce you to your to to to their friend and the same bestie, my friend, come and buy from this woman, not just because she's a woman, but because this business is a correct business.

This is a solid woman. I thought we're going to talk about that. How do we get referrals for women LED businesses? I thought we're going to talk about mentee and mentor relationships because at these events, people talk about these things all the time. Somebody even spoke about, I think was even the former minister for aviation. What's her name again? I'd even write it down. That's NATO Caesar Mom, this musician, can you big deal?

Can you big deal. Was this woman's name again? Oh, OK, Forgive my ratio. I've written it down. I've written it down. But the former minister was there, so she talked about mental and mental relationships up. We're going to talk about that. I thought so because there are lots of women, young ladies who are running around and who I need of a mentor, but they don't know how to get that mentor and mentor relationship going.

I thought we're going to talk about these things at this International Women's Conference. These are the sorts of things that we're going to talk about when it comes to women empowerment. Of course, you know, I suspected we might talk about mental health. I suspect that we'll talk about women in leadership and politics. These are the kinds of issues that I thought we're going to talk about. Yes, there was some health talks and yes, there was some politics talk, but all these sort of things that I'm talking about from the business sphere.

My sisters, for those of you who are organizing these kinds of conferences, next time, whether you're going to wait for March 8th of next year, honestly speaking, I think some of these things are the topics we should be talking about in this conference. If you don't believe me, repeat and start again from the beginning. You see that some of these things, it makes sense, especially the ones I've spoken about from a business perspective.

I thought so, I thought so. But anyway, that wasn't the case, which is the reason why if you've listened to my last episode, if you listen to the previous episode, that is the reason why when the moderator asked me that was mistake women are making. That's the reason why I answered all this way. Because honestly, when they invited me for this conference, I said correct. And I came, Ginger, to talk about some German and cogent issues that women need to hear so they can run their businesses well, achieve economic empowerment, achieve independence for themselves,

take care of their kids. In fact, there was something that the moderator said at the beginning, you know, cause us to laugh and then call some of the men in the crowd to be embarrassed. Duma said, when you give your own money, you know that the money is coming home. People clap. Then those of us who are men in the audience will bring you the smile because you know what comes next. And then Duma said, well, there's some people that if you give them money, you don't know whether it's coming home.

And then people laugh. Funny enough, I was a kid when my father told me nothing. We went to the village and there was one of these mama's there that was in a rough time. So what Popsy do was I think Popsy gave me like 150 this when I was young, really, really small. So, you know, money was different. And then woman was so happy and she was praying and everything. I know what not for Popsy there as we left. Now Popsy say you see the way the woman was behaving.

I say yes. And he said the reason why is because this one fifty that I've given her, what she was saying was that she would use it to buy soap and that for the children who buy uniform, school uniform too. That's why she was rejoicing. And so epoxy told me then even I was a small boy or primary school. I don't even think I was up to primary 5 very on board. My father told me this and I hasn't left my mind since then. My father told me that look, if you want to help the family,

give the money to the woman. My father is a man, obviously, but now someone obviously tell me. He said if you want to help the family, give the money to the woman. He said, do you know why? I said no Sir, I don't know. He said because if you give the money to the woman, she will buy soap, she will buy school uniform, she will buy food. And she said, if you give the man, the man will drink and the man will give it to you,

understand? The man will use it and acquire small jobs, if you understand what I'm saying. Just reading between the lines, you hear? You get what I'm saying. So it's a pity, you know, the woman said that we all laughed, you know, as men in the audience know, we smile, we cover our face because we know it's true, unfortunately. And then where was I anyway? You know, there's a lot to be said, but these business podcasts, not a philosophy podcast.

Let me just end there. Let me just leave it like this because the former minister was talking about how men have power and talking about status relationships between men and women. So there's a lot to be said, but is not a philosophy. So it's a sociology podcast. No, nothing like that. So I was hearing all those things. Basha, please, my sisters, if you do organize this kind of event, I beg when we talk about women empowerment, know her,

know her, know her. Know how some of you say I'm biased. It's not. I'm biased. It's a critical issue. We were talking about economic empowerment. We can't talk about this without talking about sales and business development. We can't because that is what women are going to use to build wealth and build autonomy. That is what women will use to build leadership. That is what women will use to advance the ideas, advance themselves.

This is what women will use to secure funding for their businesses. This is what women will use in advocacy for the 'cause we have to talk about scaling women LED businesses because women run lots of businesses, especially in Nigeria where lots of people are in the informal sector. Like this morning, for instance. I had a job to do. Of course I couldn't eat in the morning. So as I was about to drop my wife, I was now racking my brain and why would I eat?

I say hi, Mama would check. My wife laugh, she said. I said, why are you laughing? She said that you know that woman's name. I said, now how would I know her name? Like when I drop you off and I'm leaving, I see some guys there. You know, some people buy yam, some people buy beans, some people buy a car. You know, everybody knows my Mama would check. But of course, my wife doesn't like me going to those places because she said when people see you there, they will say that I

don't take care of you in the house. That's the reason why you're going to eat with all those other men in Mama or just place. And I have to keep telling her, babe, it's not like that. You're looking at it because, you know, you're a woman. But for the rest of us, you know, guys who are there, it's just a matter of, you know, it's like fast food. You know, she's there. You just go there sharp, sharp, eat one or two things.

You're on the move now. Fast food, that's all. It's not a statement on what's going on at home. So all of us there, men that are buying stuff, whether it's a car or yam or rice or beans, is not as if we're not being well taken care of at home. And then plus my wife doesn't like me hanging around, you know, people that should consider as riffraffs, you know, all the other men that go to those kind of places. Washa, where was I?

The point I'm just trying to make is that there are lots of women in the informal sector or in the formal sector. There are plenty of Mama or chair apart from my manager, there are plenty of women like more abudu. That's for my Bunny life. Apart from that, there are plenty of women like this. For my minister who is running her own NGO, who is still running one or two businesses even though she's 70 years old. There are plenty.

We got to talk about scaling women LED businesses, market entry strategies, lead generation, building robust sales by blind. So I beg my sisters, my aunties, my mommies, when the time comes, next year for March 8th of 2027 or whenever you're listening to this thing, 2028202920302050 this 2090, whatever I beg, expand the agenda inclusive of these things, be very, very helpful. And in the meantime, you want me to come and speak on one of your panels, Give me a call 080

64662140, call me, send me WhatsApp message or send me an SMS. I carry some of these matters on my heart because I was raised by a woman solo, me and my five siblings from when I was about 13 years old. So it's a matter behind my heart. So that's one reason why even though normally I answer one question for free, usually when a female buzzes me, I don't talk and talk and talk and talk and talk. The reason why is because when I

see you, actually I see my mom. And anyway, let me just leave it like that. Just call me, send me a text message. What's that message? 08064662140? So thank you very much for your time and attention. I'll catch you on the next episode. And depending on when you're listening to this, I hope you had a happy International Women's Day celebration. And especially since the month of March is dedicated to sensitization around these sorts of issues I had.

I hope you had a wonderful celebration and wonderful deliberations. So I'll catch you all some other time.