Serious, Curious, or Waka Pass? How to Spot a Real Buyer

Today on the podcast, I'm going to be talking about selling in a screen first world. Again. Today on the podcast, we're going to be talking about how to sell, how to move market, how to look for customers. Now that most of the things that we do are screen first. Now, the reason why we're going to do this is because I recently spoke at the SME Vcon 2 days ago, two maybe 3 days ago, and it was the title of my session. And I figured, let me come over here and share some of that goodness, share some of the stuff that I spoke about with the people in the audience just so that you guys are not left out over here.

Even though I'm promoted just a little bit on the podcast, you know, I don't think you know how podcasting can be now. I mean, you guys would have heard about it, but then by the time you go and search for it, you know, it's it's already done. So yeah, that's what we're going to be talking about today. Now, if you're interested in these sorts of things, how do you sell? How do you look for customers? How do you get people to take the next step?

How do you close a deal, all these sorts of things. Then subscribe to this podcast on Spotify and YouTube, Apple or any player of your choice. I am the host of the podcast. My name is Tavi Shima IED, if you'd love to connect with me, you can call, send me a text message or a WhatsApp message on 08064662140. So let's get straight down to business. How do you sell in a screen first world? So First off, definitions because I want to make sure that we're all on the same page.

So selling, what does selling mean? You know what, let me just take a look at the notes that I made during the session because I actually had some of the participants give their own opinion. And OK, so Ayesha it was is rather Ayesha is a network marketing, it's just new in business. And OK, so how definition of selling was exchanging products or services in exchange for money? And of course, you know, that's a very practical, functional definition of sales.

So, you know, we can't fault her. You know, makes sense, especially since lots of us, the reason why we're in business anyway, because we want to make some nice paper, want to make some good money. And she's also one of those people who saw on Psyche Motors Instagram handle the purple, the purple Tesla Cybertruck. That car is really, really cool and she likes it as well. So I gave her a challenge that you know what, let's also real hard and let's see if, you know,

we come between and doing him, his and hers, you know, so I'm driving my own purple Tesla, She's driving her own purple Tesla too. So hopefully, you know, maybe one day you're chilling in Abuja and you happen to notice 2 purple Teslas driving in different parts of the city. Hopefully that will be me and maybe the other one will be Aisha. So Aisha, she says selling is exchanging products or services in exchanging products or services so you can get some money.

Then I also got the opinions from Akan Charles and she is a community manager and a virtual assistant based in pH if I remember correctly. And let's see, OK, I think for her, sales was about getting people to recognize that you have a product or service or getting people to recognize the problems that you solve. Now, of course, those definitions for sales, you know, they're, they're all right, they're all right, they're OK.

Well, the most important thing was I didn't want to hear anybody saying that sales is about persuading or sales is about convincing because too many people assume that sales is about going to toast someone. Sales is about trying to, you know, catch all somebody. And the truth of the matter is that you cannot twists, you cannot toast, you cannot cajole, you cannot convince, you cannot, you know, whatever it is that you want to do.

You cannot persuade somebody to buy something that they didn't already want to buy in the 1st place. So the first thing that we need to learn about sales is this. Stop trying to persuade people because you can't. Now there are people who can get you to do what it is that you did not want to do in the 1st place. And if you notice, we call those people fraudsters or we call them Hulksters or we call them something else.

So it's an advanced skill. It can be done, but it definitely is not sales. So what we do in sales is we just try and figure out people's motives, figure out what their motives are, see if it aligns with ours. And then that is the crux of our proposal of our sales pitch that look, this is what you're on about. This is what you want to achieve. This is what you're trying to, this is where you're heading. Your my product or my service can actually help you get there.

And so that is the whole point of the conversation and that is what I wanted the participants to take out of this. That sending is a series of conversations because lots of people assume that sales is toasting or that sales is fooling around with some magic words. You know the top three keywords that will help you do this, the top five phrases that will help you triple your profits. And you know, all that kind of jazz that is not selling.

Selling is conversations. So if we want to sell in a screen first world, we should be thinking about how to engage in conversations with people on the screen. So it's not about magic words that you put on the screen that will get people to buy more. It's about a couple of words that you put on the screen that will get people to engage in a conversation with you. And hopefully, if you're good at conversions, conversions just means getting people to take the next step.

If you're good at conversions and getting people to take one step after another after another, at the end of the day, they should become a customer. Now, the goal of the conversations that you're going to be having with people when you are online is #1 how can I help? That's not a bad way to start of a conversation. You know, what can I do for you today? You're trying to figure out who is this person? You know, what do they want?

For those of you who reach out to me because I give my phone number at the beginning and at the end of every episode when you guys holler at me, I mean, of course in the beginning, this home intro, you know, nice reaching out, nice to meet listener of my podcast, you know where you are, where you based, blah, blah, blah. What business do you do? But eventually I get straight to it. So how can I help you today? That is part of the goal of the conversation when you're having conversations with people online on the screen.

How can I help? Eventually you're going to get into the question of budget and how much because there's no point spending three months building a relationship with someone when your solution cost 2.5 million but the person was thinking, you know, 800K is supposed to sort that kind of thing out. There's no match or meeting of expectations there. So eventually we need to have the money conversations quickly. So one conversation we're going to be having with people, how can we help?

Another series of conversations we have to get to that. How much? Then eventually we're going to try and figure out how we can get people to buy. Again, that's also another series of conversations. And then we're also going to try and figure out how we can get these people to introduce us to other people so that they can buy as well. So any which way that you want to cut it, any which way that you want to splice it, you will see that sales is a series of conversations.

Let me repeat conversations and let me say it one more time. Con ver SE shuns. So when you're trying to sell in the screen first world, trying to sell on screen, stop talking at people, stop trying to toast people, stop trying to look for magic recipes that when you put on screen, it will triple your profits. Stop it. Start engaging in conversations with people. Stop using magic words, start conversing. So that's the first set of definitions.

Then next screen first. What do we mean when we say that we're in the screen first world? Well, what we mean really is just that reality now or most people, most of people's experiences are mediated through phones and tablets, through laptops and computers. So what that means is, yes, there's a real world out there. So Zuma Rock, Yeah, Zuma Rock exists, but for most people, they are going to Google Zuma Rock, see videos of Zuma Rock,

see pictures of Zuma rock. That is the way that they'll perceive reality first before they actually get to Zuma Rock. So that's just what we mean when we say screen first world. People are solving problems, people are looking for information, people are doing all kinds of things. But I do need screen first before they get to the real thing. So back to that purple Tesla Cybertruck that me and Aisha, we behind that thing because that car is a beast.

That car is a sexy car. So Aisha and I, we have perceived this car on screen 1st through circuit motors Instagram handle first before we will go and see the car in the flesh and touch that beauty and look at that car maybe sit inside the car seat. So our experience has been mediated through phones, through tablets, through laptops, through computers. So now that we know that people are in the screen first world, the solution is don't fight it.

Don't fight it at all. Just go with it. Now, some of you say, look, I don't want to be an influencer, but nobody's asking you to be an influencer. Selling the screen first world doesn't mean you have to be an influencer. Yeah, some people are influencers, like Sarah Kimoto, you know, big Instagram handle. I mean, whenever the guy goes to the mosque, it's, it's a man. It's like a showdown. Yeah. Come out from his Jeep.

You know, people are recording him, people following him up and down. You know, the guy. Don't become celebrity, but that doesn't mean you have to engage in that kind of behaviour. You do not need to be an influencer, but still don't fight it. You need to come up with a plan to take advantage of other screen dynamics that you're more comfortable with. So if you don't like that whole celebrity lifestyle, then, you know, think about it, you can come up with other stuff.

Now, how can you take advantage of the different, what will I call them now? Screen dynamics? Yeah, that's why I said different screen dynamics that are out there. One, number one is you have to make sure you show up online and be easy to be found. So people like Sarkin Mota who are taking the the influencer strategy, I mean, obviously they are being big and in your face on Instagram. By the way, if you're curious, I just want to see what the guy looks like.

You know, just sample the guy, see his teas. It's Sarkin, Mota, SARKIN, Sarkin and then Mota MOTA that is car or motor, you know, in in Hausa or Sergey motor, the king of cars. So First off is show up online and be easy to be found. Now for the rest of us who are not trying to pursue any influenza status, the first thing is we have to make sure that we're easy to be found on Google because for most people, most of the experience of the Internet is going to be through Google.

So make sure that you can be found on Google. And one of the easiest ways to do that is just simply to create or to claim your Google business profile. The reason why this is important is because Google is local. I stress this whenever I I talk at public events or online events or whatever because lots of people when they think about Google, they are thinking about, you know, the world international, but they forget that Google tries to be relevant to local audience.

So if Ayesha or I are searching for, excuse me, are searching for purple Tesla Cybertrucks, Google is going to try and show us dealers in Abuja because Ayesha is based in Abuja and so am I. Google is going to try and show us dealers based in Abuja who have the Cybertruck on ground and give us the price quote in Naira because it does not pay Aisha or I. If Google will show us results for purple Cybertrucks but then the Cybertruck is somewhere in Washington DC or Cotswold in the UK or in, you know, Alexandria and Egypt or someplace in Australia.

So Google is local and one of the ways that Google delivers this local information is through the Google business profile. They not only show you that look, 5 different people have cyber trucks in Abuja, but to the left, sorry to the right of the screen, they'll put it there Cirque motor, this, this auto dealer, dot dot auto dealer. And the window will be there showing opening times, showing address, showing phone number.

Because Google is trying to be a helpful resource on a local level so that people will enjoy using Google and keep coming back to Google whenever they need have information needs. So take advantage of the Google Business profile. Show up in local searches. Pay attention to your online reviews. Ask people for online reviews after they do business with you. Make sure you post updates on your Google Business profile regularly.

Think of it as social media because these are small things that give Google hints and also everyday people using Google, these are the things that give them hints to show that you are a verified real healthy business. So set up your Google business profile. If you haven't done this before, I've made podcast episodes about that. So just search and if you don't want to go through that problem, that trouble, all you have to do is just go to Google Gemini and just type in there.

How do I set up my Google business profile? And then follow the instructions and you'll be fine. Then in order to be found online, have a website. Of course, when you put up your website, make sure that it is keyword rich because people are going to be searching for certain things. I want to be sure now whatever people are searching for. So back to Aisha and I looking for purple Teslas in Abuja. You want to make sure that on your car websites, you know you have Tesla there, you have EVIBEV, that's an electric vehicle, what else?

You know the keywords that people are going to be searching for. Make sure your website is keyword rich. Then you also need to make sure that your website is properly indexed so that, you know, with metadata so that web crawlers know exactly what is on your website and understand the structure of your website, what is on your website. So we can, you know, throw it up for properly in search engines. So yeah, make sure that you have a website.

Then of course, social media, we should be on social media, but remember, you don't have to be an influencer. And we'll talk about some of that when we talk about content marketing. So social media, now social media, it's not about where you like to spend your time online, but rather where do your customers, where do your ideal customers hang out? That should be your overriding concern. So if you sell cars, but people don't buy cars from Instagram,

then you might be wasting your time being on Instagram. But if people are selling or buying cars from TikTok or buying cars from Instagram, you know, whether you like it or not, it looks as if that kind of business is going on, you know, and it's understandable. It's easy to see. You see a couple of videos, you're like, well, you know what, this game actually know his stuff. And then you show up at the the store, the transaction might actually happen face to face.

But we can't deny that social media hasn't been helpful for people who sell cars in Abuja and in Lagos. Bottom line is you're not thinking about what social media you like. You should be thinking about where do your customers hang out and trying to figure out how to play that game. So if your potential customers are on LinkedIn, better figure out the the LinkedIn game. If your potential customers are on TikTok, then figure out that TikTok game.

But you don't have to be everywhere. The primary thing is where are my customers? Where are my potential customers? And then of course, while you're there, make sure that your profile is optimized. Optimize just means your profile is looking nice and looking sweet, looking attractive. There's some things that make some profiles pop. Learn if your customers are on LinkedIn, learn what makes your LinkedIn profile pop and do it accordingly.

If your potential customers are on TikTok, learn what to do to make your, excuse me, your TikTok profile pop and do it accordingly. So profile picture BIOS, what else? Proper descriptions, you know, on and on and on. So that's part of the social media game. Then there's also paid advertising. That's also another way that we can be found online. So make sure that your advertising boosting, you know your stuff because organic reach is limited nowadays because everybody wants you to pay for their service.

So if you're on LinkedIn, you can't keep relying on organic reach. Eventually you're going to have sad advertising. When you're advertising, remember that targeting is key. So you're paying attention to the demographics and to the psychographics. You should be able to, excuse me, you should be able to describe who your target audience is. My target audience is between ages. This to this, living in this city, engaged in this kind of occupation.

Those are the demographics. Then psychographics, the things that the people are interested in. OK, so back to the car thing now. So I'm a gentleman of a certain age and Aisha sounded like she was a lady of a certain age. So let's say now for instance, that the targeting we'll put there is people based in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory and Lagos, men or women between the ages of 25 to 50. By the way, I'm not 50, I never reached it.

So, but let's just put down our age then for occupation, since I'm a consultant and so is Aisha, we can put consultancy there. We can also put oil and gas professionals who has who has carry money. We can put CBN staff, that central bank and NPC staff, you know, all those big, big, big jobs. You know, that's those are the things be putting there on their demographics. Because remember, demographics is age, sex, location,

occupation, all those sorts of things. Then psycho, psycho psychographics, things that people are interested in and their hobbies. So that also will now put in sustainability, eco, eco, whatever. What else will now put EVs, electronic vehicles, what else? Then things in the car culture, like what else? I don't know. Drifting, OK, drifting because Abuja has a big drifting community. So put all those things there. Now the idea is when we're advertising online and we are that specific and we tell Zuckerberg them now look Uncle Zucks only show my adverts to men or women based in Lagos or Abuja who are between the ages of 25 to 50, who are interested in drifting and exotic cars and sustainability and electric vehicles and who have occupations like business consultants.

Or who work in highly paid jobs like oil and gas, civil service, I'm sorry, oil and gas, central bank, NNPC, you know, stuff like that. Then the hope is that it is only people who meet that criteria, this picture that we've painted that will see the advert. Because we're hoping that people will see this thing. And then they'll bustles up and say, oh boy, how far? I beg you, get cyber truck. I'm looking for cyber truck that has purple color because I want to be one in town.

So that's advertising. Then another way that we can be found online is through content marketing. Now I decided to talk about that because people are afraid of being influencers. And this is one way that you can promote your business without being an influencer. When you're doing content marketing, what you're trying to do is to create valuable educational content, the kind of content that answers questions that your potential customers are looking for, trying to answer.

Also about the noise in the background, I forgot to mention I'm making today's recording at home. It's a weekend. The kids at home, you know, wifey's home. Everybody's around. So there will be some noise in the background. So where was I? Yeah. So you're making valuable content, content that informs people, that educates people. If you're funny, yeah, maybe you can throw in some humor. But the main thing here is you're trying to answer questions that your potential customers will ask.

Now, if you do that, that is how people can get a feel of you. And some of your ideas can travel and your content can travel even though you are not being an influencer. So I am not being an influencer. I'm not all over the Internet, but what I'm doing is content marketing. I'm putting out these podcast episodes and I'm writing pieces on sales and marketing on LinkedIn. And that is how my ideas travel and that is how people discover me.

So I don't have to be an influencer. I don't have to record my every waking. I don't have to be a big boy. I don't have to be anything. I can just chill. I can just be me and I can still stay in the game and people can still find me online. So these are ways that you can show up and easily be found. So remember I said don't fight it. You don't have to be an influencer, but don't fight it. We've looked at a couple of ideas about how you can make yourself be found online.

Now this is what to do next when you are found online. Remember that selling is having conversations with people. Whenever somebody reaches out, engage this person in conversation. Stop this nasty Nigerian habit of when somebody says hello, do you have purple Cybertruck available? What you do, you now send them price sheet. That is absolutely rubbish. When somebody says how far do you have purple Cybertruck, engage the person in the conversation.

You say, Oh yes, we do. We have a purple Cybertruck. Which models do you have in mind in particular? We have the 2025 model, we have 2023, and we have 2021. Which one do you have in mind? You see, you're engaging somebody in a conversation person say I didn't do a different model. So yeah, actually they're different models, but it depends on what it is that you have in mind, because from the 2021 model to the 2025 model, you know, these are the differences,

you know, blah, blah, blah. So it depends. What are you looking for in an electric vehicle? And then you keep quiet. I hear the person, let the person talk. What the person will say will now determine which one you promote. Whether you're pushing the 2021 model or the 2023 model or the 2025 model, Bosha, engage people in a conversation. It's a nasty Nigerian habit. Somebody will say, are you available? How much? Next, you send the person price sheet and then you're worried that people ghosted you.

Why won't they ghost you? What's the obligation there to continue in a conversation? Engage somebody in a conversation. Then when you're talking with people, also try and figure out who they are. No point of figuring out who there is not just because you're trying to be nice. You're trying to figure out is this person serious or is this person curious or is this person in a walk up us? If the person is serious, then you now know that this is somebody you can follow up on,

but you, this person, stay on the ball. If the person is just curious, it's not a problem. You can answer their questions and then add them to your e-mail list or send them a brochure or something, but it's not somebody they are going to waste time, you know, chasing sharp, sharp, sharp. If the person is a Walker pass, you know, then allow them to Walker pass and do not waste your time, but figure out the identity of the person that you're talking to.

You're not just making casual small talk. You want to know who should I invest time with? Then part of the conversations are going to be engaged in when you're talking to people is going to involve need analysis. You'll have to get to eventually have to get to the point where you ask the person what do you want. That is what will determine what it is that you will present to the person. And please, Nigerian business people, don't forget to ask how soon because you will ask all sorts of questions and you give information but you never ask the person how soon.

So at some point you have to ask me or Aisha if you sell purple Teslas, you have to ask, oh by the way, how soon would you like to be cruising down or Zumba by the way, in your purple Tesla? You say conversationally, but you ask. These are the things that will give you a sense of whether this person is serious or not serious or curious or walk up us. We should be asking about people's timeframes. How soon? How soon would you like to own your blah, blah, blah?

How soon would you like to drive down? Excuse me, how soon you like to pull up in this bad boy? Ask the question. Of course, we also need to be asking questions around the budget range as part of the needs analysis. So if you sell purple Tesla's, you're supposed to let people know each of these bad boys goes for anything between 230 M to 430 M. Is that within your budget? Is that anything close to the ballpark you had in mind?

Where do you see yourself falling along that price scale, you ask? You have a simple budget conversation now. It is only after you've gone through this engaging somebody in the conversation you figured out who they are. You now know whether they're serious or curious. You don't. Some need analysis. You have a sense of their time frame and it looks like the budget. It looks like the budget don't set like you guys are closed.

It is then you can now send somebody a proposal because somebody is interested. You can now make a pitch. And then of course, remember that in having conversations, we should always try to secure advancements. That is something I spoke about a lot. I think the last 2-3 weeks advancement just means whenever you're having conversations with someone, you and the person agree on the next step. So like in this case, the purple Tesla, let's say the person is talking to Aisha instead.

They've gone through all the steps that I've spoken about. At some point, you have to say, look, Madam, Aisha, looks like you're really interested in having a look at this baby, right? As you say, of course, of course, I say OK, good. Currently, I'm in Zarya but I should be back in Abuja Monday on the 1st flight. So I'll be at the car lot by 11 AM inshallah. Would you like to come by by noon to have a look at the Tesla?

Maybe we can even do a test drive. See, that is an advancement. You're on the phone with someone who is a potential prospect and you are agreeing to the next step and you're narrowing down that. Monday, 12 noon, how about you come by and let's do a small test drive? Or you just look at the car, just, you know, feel it, sit down inside, just, you know, just try it out. That's also another thing that is missing from the repertoire of lots of Nigerian business people.

You don't gain advancements, you just talk. You now leave behind, you say, OK, you go be now and we go young. I'll be in touch. Let me get back to you. That's not how deals are won. Let me get back to you. We go. Yeah. And I'll be in touch. It's been fun. You'll hear from me soon. That's not how you close deals. So always, always, always looking for advancements. And this is how you sell in the screen first world. So first of all, don't fight it.

Make sure it's easy to find you. When they find you, remember that it's a conversation. Engage people in conversations now packed a lot into this brief episode. So what you do is you listen to this thing again and you make some notes and then you start applying one or two things or use an AI tool and let the AI tool summarize this podcast episode for you. And of course, you put some things into practice. So thank you very much for listening.

It's been 30 minutes, so let me just bring it to a close. If you'd love to connect, call, send me a text message or a WhatsApp message on 08064662140. So thank you very much for your time and attention. I will catch you some other time.