Speak Their Language: Closing Deals Without the Confusion

Hello and welcome to the podcast. Today I would like us to talk about why it's not a good idea to use fancy terms that your potential customers don't understand. Now this is a very old principle and be a very old practice in sales. OK, Well, First off, when we are trying to close the deal, usually we're trying to entice someone or convince someone. I don't like using those words, but basically we're trying to invite them into a buying relationship.

And sales professionals have long since recognized that it doesn't help if you're throwing around terms that they do not understand. Now in Nigeria, there is a move to appear credible and there is the move to appear professional. And so because of that, sometimes we throw around terms that are impressive and are meant to make us look bigger, which is the reason why in the past I have always picked on our brothers and sisters in the web development space.

You know, who go around saying I'm a UIUX, you know, i.e., Lt. certified JavaScript, C++, triple BS that, that, that, you know, and all the fancy things that they throw around. So yes, when people throw around technical terms, they mean well, you're trying to impress whoever it is that you're talking to. You want them to know that you are the guy or that you are the very babe as per you don't gather qualification and you know everything like you know what you're talking about.

So yes, there are times when all the credentials, all the technical terms are impressive. Maybe when you're speaking from stage, for instance. Well, then in personal selling one-on-one, when we're trying to invite one person in particular into a buying relationship, it doesn't help. And then maybe on contents that we create on social media because we're trying to establish for leadership and things like that, all the big complicated technical terms that probably don't help except if you're writing for your peers.

So like somebody reached out to me to tell me that yes, all these web development people who say front end, back end developer, UIUXC script, Java plus something, something Tel whatever, whatever certified Google triple plus something, something rating certified. You know that the reason why they put all of that out there is because they are hoping to get jobs or hoping to get gigs from other people in the field. So that's why they use the inside speak.

So yes, if you're talking to your industry peers, then yes, use all the terms you want. However, if you're talking to ordinary people and you're trying to close the deal, then use words that they can understand. Now, the reason why we're talking about this today is because I was chilling on LinkedIn earlier in the morning and then I saw some stuff about sustainable fashion and cyclical fashion. That's right, I forgot where my man is.

My name is Tavi Shima Ayede. I'm the host of the podcast. And what we do over here is every single day we solve business problems. I bring you business goodness, especially from the perspective of sales and business development. So your business has a problem, especially if it's problems that are customer related, client related. Those are the sorts of problems that I like talking about over here on the podcast. So you've been looking for this kind of content for a very long time and this is your first time of coming across the podcast.

Then subscribe on Spotify, Apple iTunes, YouTube, any player of your choice. And I have quite the catalog because I think I'm close to 1000, 350 a 1400 episodes now. So if this is your first time listening, there's quite a bit to catch up on. Then if you'd love to connect with me, you can call, send me a text message or a WhatsApp message on 08064662140. If you have questions, comments or queries, reach out. If you just want to say hello,

reach out. If you have a question, reach out. I love interacting with people who listen to my podcast then. Aha, yes, there is one class of people that I'm hoping to hear from in particular, and those are people who have 34567 different business ideas and are not making a single cobble from any of these ideas. Because I've had lots of those questions early this year, you know, already in February of 2026 as at the date of this recording.

But from generator now people have been reaching out. You know, I'm passionate about this, I'm talented about that. I believe my true calling is this. Which business should I be involved in? I'm a multi potentialite. I'm a serial entrepreneur, I'm a renaissance man, I'm a multi creative, I'm a multi passionate, I'm a multi, blah, blah, blah, Boo Boo Boo. So for those of you people who can't decide, reach out. I'll put together a package and we can help you figure out which of these ideas should you be working with.

Then we're also going to help you figure out, We're going to help you validate the idea because you need to figure out which ones are people, Which of your business ideas are people actually going to pay for and find enough people to pay for it. Are they comfortable enough for it? That will make this whole thing profitable so that you can reinvest back into the business and also have some money to flex as well. Because if you're in business and you don't have the hope of flexing eventually, then what are you doing?

Then after that, we'll come up with a selling system so that we can get people coming back to buy again and again and again and eventually refer their friends, family members and associates. So now back to what I was saying about not using, you know, gain gain terms, you know, technical terms, you know, big, big, big grammar. Because I was chilling on LinkedIn earlier on in the day and I saw some stuff about sustainable fashion and the cyclical fashion and, and you know, all that kind of jazz.

Now the reason why this has come across my radar was because I also do some mentoring for the Faith Foundation in partnership with the OCIF that is Orange Corners Innovation Fund or something like that. Now together, both of them have this program where they take Nigerian entrepreneurs and they run them through an incubation program. I can't remember how many weeks it's supposed to be. Then eventually the people are paired up with mentors like us.

I'm sorry, like me rather, but it's on a what's that word? It's on a it's not assigned generally. So you have to ask in particular. So just in case you are listening to this episode right now and you happen to be going through that incubation program with Faith Foundation or that the particular one where they're administering it with the OCIF ask for me in particular and they'll hook you up with me and let's see how I can help you get the best out of your business ideas.

Now they recently there's been a competition. The money seems to change every year. But anyway, Shah, it's always thousands and thousands, thousands of EUR. So one year I think was like €2000, another year ahead maybe like €10,000. Don't start salivating because they don't give that money to me, They give, they give that money to the winner. And so far I've represented 3 winners. So I was just playing with my wife the other day and I told her that it looks like I have the magic touch, like anybody at touch wins this prize anyway.

So for the next set, the next cohort, let me see if that's going to be the same case that whoever it is they sent to me, I end up winning the prize for the person anyway. So the last person that I worked with was a prize winner. And she happened to be in that space, sustainable fashion, cyclical fashion, although the term that she used was cyclical fashion. So while we're talking the first name, the first name, she said silica fashion.

I said, OK, look, you know what? I'm not in the industry. You have to break it down for me because when you say cyclical fashion for me, what I hear in my own head just means the style is coming around again, again, again, you know, like bell bottoms. So there's a time when bell bottoms are cool for like Popsy's generation. Then I noticed that after a while guys started wearing flare jeans again. I'm like, which one be flare jeans now?

Flare jeans and bell bottoms, nobody the same thing. So when I heard cyclical fashion, that's the thing that came to my mind. Honestly speaking, because I'm a novice, I know day for that space. So I don't I don't know what's up. So I asked her and then she explained, OK, sustainable fashion, cyclical fashion, that it's about reusing and it's about recycling because the waste industry as a waste industry, the fashion industry,

whether in Nigeria or whether globally, they produce a lot, a lot of waste. You know, you use plenty of fabric. Fabric will fall on the floor, you just repeat and then throw it outside your building waste or, you know, chemicals tie and dye this and this and that, you know, all kinds of processes. And so they're just producing waste, producing waste. So there's a new crop of entrepreneurs not just in Nigeria but the world over.

And what they're trying to do is they're trying to solve 2 very big problems #1 they're trying to build fashion businesses because people who have fashion, we know that people in fashion, they like money. In fact, they like money more than the rest of us. Like this winner of the competition, Organic Organic Euro urges to tease her that she likes soap, you know, and she said how would she like soap? That she has to be correct as when you see her, her skin,

everything looking smooth, everything just they shine. So this fashion people, they like money. So they're trying to solve 2 problems #1 they're trying to make some good money, some good, good, good cheddar. Because fashion entrepreneurs, they like soap, they like cream, they like to flex, they like to baby themselves of life. Then the second problem that they're trying to solve, those of them in the sustainable fashion space or the cyclical fashion spaces, they're trying to reduce the amount of waste that they're putting out into the environment.

If you don't understand what I'm saying, next time you go into the market, OK, Well, like in Abuja now, for instance, markets are divided into different sections. So the meat section is one side, the vegetable section is one side, you know, frozen food is one side, you know, like that, like that. Then the tailors, they just slam all over them into one building. If you go to the tailor section, you see what I mean? Every time you enter the tailoring section, just go to the back of the building.

See there does being you just be seen, you know, waste clot, clot, clot as in plenty of waste, plenty of waste. Now, organic Jedro, that's the lady that I mentored and her own business is scrap to style. So you can check them on Instagram scrap to style. But I think the two is like a number. So scrap, SCRAP, and then #2 and then style FTYLE. So what they do is they look for ways to take all these small, small scraps that people don't use.

You know, like, OK, let's say people who make raffia now, for instance, raffia baskets don't use everything. They can take the small, small wood chippings, everything, you know, come and make earring, come and make, you know, bags, you know, different kinds of stuff. And then from the clippings that people don't use, there's a way that they just take it before you know it. Now they just blend in with a Cara and then before you know it, bam, very solid, very beautiful.

Angara top has been made. So very good stuff. So they're trying to solve these two problems. And for that I clap for them. But the reason why I'm making today's recording is this and ignoring the cyclical fashion space or the sustainable fashion space, My message is to you guys, you are trying to solve very big problems. And I commend you and you guys are adding value to the ecosystem and I commend you. But honestly speaking, the people who are supposed supposed to buy your clothes, ordinary people like me and my wife and my mom and your relatives, we honestly don't know what sustainable fashion means.

We don't know what cyclical fashion means. We don't know what those other terms means mean. So perhaps you guys, you know, you will have your meeting fashion association, you guys should have a chat. Perhaps you are using terms that are not helping you sell your market. It's one of the things I should talk about. Not just people in in, you know, web developers, UI, UX, but also people in the crypto space. You're running around shouting crypto web 3, crypto web three,

web three, web three, Web 3, this protocol, that protocol, but you want Nigerians to buy into this thing. But you're using words that the average Nigerian does not understand. And you're not talking in terms of benefits that the average Nigerian is going to enjoy. And then you wonder why Nigerians catching, Why aren't they picking? How would they pick? Even me as an educated fellow, I don't know the difference between Web 2 and Web 3.

When I tell you people one-on-one, you don't get the point. You're now trying to educate me that this difference between Web 2, Web three, no, trying to get me individually is not the point. If you're trying to gain buy in on certain kinds of technologies on the African continent, Let's be real, we know who we are, we know what's going on. We're not a level of education, we're not a level of sophistication, We're not a level of exposure.

Talk in terms that people can understand. So those of you in the sustainable fashion space, those of you in the cyclical fashion space, perhaps you guys need to have association meeting and you guys need to, how I put it, talk in terms that people will understand. Talk in terms of the benefits that people are going to, the benefits that people are going to enjoy. Because talking sustainable fashion and talking physical fashion might not be enough to get everybody on board to get the mass markets on board.

No, I think it's a cool idea. What is the average Nigerian person going to buy? Just because like, oh, you're trying to save the environment? Really. They've already tried that in the West and it doesn't seem to be working. You talk environment, environment, environment. But so far, looks like people in America and in Western Europe prefer this whole thing of, you know, staying on trend to being fashionable. So you know, the rush for Winter Line, rush for what?

Again, winter line, summer line, autumn line, you know, this and this and that and that. So we can't, they can't be talking environment all they want, but the market seems to be let's be trendy and let's be cheap. So for those of you brothers and sisters in the sustainable fashion space, in the cyclical fashion space, Nigeria perhaps achievable's next meeting if you guys have association, you guys need to start talking in terms of all people understand.

So I'm going to go and do some research. And it looks as if sustainable fashion or Secret Fashion actually has some benefits that ordinary people like me can enjoy #1 superior quality and long lastingness. I was going to say longevity, but I don't bite my tongue. So superior quality and longevity. So somehow, somehow, somehow it looks as if sustainable brands in Nigeria and also sustainable brands abroad. Somehow, somehow they always focus on durability.

It's not just a matter of let's package this thing and then put it out and make some money. They're also concerned that if you put this thing, outlet, this be the kind of thing that will last. OK, now, I didn't know that spiritually that is part of your motto. Those of you who are involved in these kind of things, they wanted quality something that the person will buy once and they wear over and over and over again that the thing will last,

it will look nice, the Shank will still day. You understand. So you people need to start talking in those terms that this is superior quality fashion, that this is not just anyhow, anyhow, Ankara top, that is Ankara top, this line of bags, this line of this, this line of that, this one has been engineered to stand the test of time that you buy this Ankara, you see the Sheen, you see the shine now, so you go, they shine for the next 5 years straight,

no shaking. So you should be talking in those kind of terms, this is superior quality, this is long lasting. I really think those are the things you should be talking about. Those are things you should be tweeting about, posting about, writing about instead of every single time you guys are talking sustainable fashion, sustainable fashion, cyclical fashion. What does that mean? It's not just me. I haven't asked my wife.

I said, oh, that your sister that I'm working with my said who is my sister? I said no, that Beanie Babe that I was telling you about now organeted you. She said oh, OK, OK, so sickle fashion said sorry. Remind me again, what does secret car fashion mean? So it's not just me. And for those of you who are in the business of single car fashion and sustainable fashion, if you think I'm just being mischievous, no problem.

After I listen to this podcast, go and ask your mom, see you say, mommy, what is secret care fashion? It will shock you that your mom, see, living in the same house as you, has absolutely no idea what secret care fashion means, what sustainable fashion means. Then go and ask your siblings. Then go and ask your husband. Then go and ask one or two people inquire in church. Maybe you now understand what it is I'm talking about.

So talk in terms that people can understand. So instead of tweeting, talking everything about sustainable fashion, sustainable fashion, how about, you know, bias? Because what we're doing is these are superior clothes, superior quality, long lasting. How about that? Anyway, that's one thing I found. I also saw some things online about health and safety because apparently I didn't notice it looks like fast fashion, you know, looking good.

Quick, quick, quick fashion. They use some chemicals like for formaldehyde for you know what I saw formaldehyde. My wife has this thing. She says there's a certain presidential figure. I won't see whether he's dead or alive, but the fellow, when the fellow entered office, the fellow started having significant health challenges and the fellow in question would travel abroad from time to time. And my wife, she says that they have carried him outside to go and pump him with formaldehyde.

We had to pronounce this in formaldehyde. Abby, sorry, I didn't study chemical stuff in in uni, but any people who know you know, so instead of going to go and pumping with formaldehyde so that he can stand well. So fast fashion uses formaldehyde. Some of the dyes that achieve the colors, the bright colors are that cheap, but apparently they're not good for the skin. So those of you in the sustainable fashion space, in the cyclical fashion space, I

didn't realize that is part of your spiritual mission, all of you. But it looks like you guys like to focus on non-toxic chemicals, natural dyes, no harsh chemical finishes, you know, stuff like that. So it's part of the things you can be talking about. Like you buy these products because all that cheap stuff people like getting from the UK and from Western Europe, you know to tap the team will damage your skin. That look at me, see my skin,

see my glow. You want to glow like me, you want to be fly like me, you want to be fresh like me. Then use these things. Buy this Ankara, buy this our this, buy this our that because it is good for your skin. These are some of the things that you should be talking about. Then this one I also noticed about personal style. Like I've noticed that sustainable fashion, whether in Niger or abroad, I've noticed that you guys have your own,

like you have your own look, you have your own style. There's a way that people dress, you know, in popular culture, there's a way that they just dress like they're trying to be in trend. But you sustainable fashion people like, you know, you match their own drum. You know, you have your own, you have your own swag. It's part of the thing that you can be talking about. There's no need to be going with the trend. Buy this, whatever, whatever,

have your own unique style, be classy, be timeless, be sophisticated is part of the stuff you guys can be talking about in your in your marketing. Instead of saying good for the environment, you can be saying good for the environment. I'm just saying that I suspect getting Nigerians to buy start buying sustainable, you will have to start talking and posting in those terms, you know, so that people like me now I like to have my own sense of style, even though my wife says I have the fashion sense of a Canadian school teacher.

So yeah, maybe if you push that kind of message in towards me, Mita can now say, you know what, myself, I suppose the you know, like classic man. So I'll go and buy one or two things. So I want to step outside people like Mr. Yiddy on point and I say, of course, I say most def that before encore. How was am I supposed to be? So that's I'm thinking this is me just riff, you know, it's my idea. I'm thinking when you guys have meeting sustainable fashion people, I think you should be talking about things, excuse me,

you should be talking about your industry in these terms. So there's a whole bunch of stuff that I can say, but I think I've kind of made the point. But for those of you who are in the sustainable fashion space, in the civic of fashion space in Niger or in Ghana or South Africa, however you are listening to this podcast, please, I'm not trying to attack you guys like I like to attack my my brothers in the crypto Web 3 space or my brothers and sisters in the Web 3.

Abby, OK, now ready Sir, crypto or the web developer space? I have front end, back end developer, UIUX. Those ones, I admit, yes, I enjoy blasting them. I enjoy abusing them. So I admit, for those who are in the fashion space, this one is not abuse. Just take me as one of your younger brothers. I like the movement. I like what people are doing and from outside, I think people are doing a very, very good job. And I think it's nice if this team picks, if your gospel, what people are preaching will be nice if the theme picks.

But I really think you're not going to sell this market in Nigeria of 2026 if all you guys do whenever you're on Instagram, whenever you are on TikTok, whenever you're on LinkedIn, whenever you are on podcast, if you guys continue this whole thing of sustainable fashion, single car fashion, I don't think people will clock it. I don't think the thing will catch on. So the suggestions I've given is just my suggestions as an outsider, but you will next time you are doing association meeting, association of cyclical fashion entrepreneurs,

sustainable fashion entrepreneurs, you know, whatever association people might have, think about it. How can we start talking about these things in terms of what our customers, our potential customers will enjoy? Those of us who are in the sales field, we have discovered that when we start talking in terms of what people will enjoy, our job becomes easier and we make and we are now able to now say so. How far now how far sure you buy like 2.

The only reason why we can get to that point is say how far how many are you buying? Sure you pick two you carry on for Madam is because we're speaking in terms that the person understands. But if we show up our talking a whole bunch of stuff, how are we going to move market? So that's just my own two cents. So that's it and that's all. Thank you very much for listening. Remember, if you'd love to connect, the phone number is 08064662140.

If you have questions, you have comments, you have queries, then if you're a fashion entrepreneur, you're trying to walk through a couple of difficulties. You're having issues with customers. Sustaining relationships is a problem. Closing deals is a problem. Getting referrals is a problem. You'd like to get my own two cents on the matter, Reach out. The phone number is 08064662140. Then for the special class of people that I referred to in the beginning, yes, I have you guys in in in my mind this year, in 2026, those of you who have 345

ideas, you can't decide on which one is the best, reach out. I'll put together a training course. Reach out. We will select the one that is best for you. We will validate it. We'll show that it is profitable. By the way, that also means if we show that it is not profitable, be ready to pivot, please. And then we'll also create a selling system around it. Again, the phone number to reach out to call, send me a text message or a WhatsApp message is 08064 662140.

So thank you very much for the time and attention. I will catch you all some other time. And don't forget to let people know that we have these kinds of wonderful podcasts in Nigeria as well.