Sales For The Nigerian Business Person: The Sales and Marketing Blueprint
Sales and Marketing Talk with Taver: The Nigerian Business Blueprint. Get straight-to-the-point advice to boost your sales and grow your business in Nigeria. Are you tired of generic sales tips that don't apply here? I give you practical, strategies for the challenges and opportunities of the Nigerian market. From building strong relationships to handling tough conversations, each episode has lessons you can use right away. Whether you're a startup founder, or a seasoned expert, you'll find the tools and inspiration here to succeed. Don't just listen—start selling.
Episodes
Why Your Business Isn’t Moving: How to Find and Fix the Root Cause
Why Your Business Isn’t Moving: How to Find and Fix the Root Cause
Selling to Institutions: Understanding Approval Paths and Discretionary Budgets
Selling to Institutions: Understanding Approval Paths and Discretionary Budgets
Why 200 Members Isn't Enough: Building for the Long Term
Why 200 Members Isn't Enough: Building for the Long Term
The Step-by-Step Guide to Moving Customers from "No" to "Yes"
The Step-by-Step Guide to Moving Customers from "No" to "Yes"
The Revenue Trap: Why Your Social Media Following Isn't Making You Money
The Revenue Trap: Why Your Social Media Following Isn't Making You Money
Building Trust in Nigeria: How Honesty Beats the Competition
Building Trust in Nigeria: How Honesty Beats the Competition
Debunking the Top 4 Myths About Nigerian Customers
Debunking the Top 4 Myths About Nigerian Customers
Closing the Deal: Two Perspectives on Finalizing the Sale
Closing the Deal: Two Perspectives on Finalizing the Sale
Sales Mastery: The Power of Practice and Repetition
Sales Mastery: The Power of Practice and Repetition
Sales Mastery: Strategies for Closing High-Value Deals
Sales Mastery: Strategies for Closing High-Value Deals
Holistic Marketing: How to Blend Different Channels to Scale Your Business
Holistic Marketing: How to Blend Different Channels to Scale Your Business
Stop Blaming Your Tools: How to Actually Grow Your Sales
Stop Blaming Your Tools: How to Actually Grow Your Sales
How to Use NotebookLM to Build Your Personal Brand
How to Use NotebookLM to Build Your Personal Brand
Sell More by Talking to Fewer People: The Power of Sales Screening
Sell More by Talking to Fewer People: The Power of Sales Screening
How to Manage WhatsApp Business Leads Without Losing the Human Connection
How to Manage WhatsApp Business Leads Without Losing the Human Connection
Winning the Price War: Why You Don’t Need to Be the Cheapest
Winning the Price War: Why You Don’t Need to Be the Cheapest
The Professional Edge: How to Compete on Quality, Not Price
The Professional Edge: How to Compete on Quality, Not Price
Overcoming the Fear of Failure: Taking Initiative in Sales
Overcoming the Fear of Failure: Taking Initiative in Sales
The 3Ds of Sales: Decision Makers, Deliverables, and Deadlines
The 3Ds of Sales: Decision Makers, Deliverables, and Deadlines
Mastering Urgency: The Secret to Closing Sales Faster
Mastering Urgency: The Secret to Closing Sales Faster
Managing Up and Down: The 360-Degree Responsibility of a Sales Manager
Managing Up and Down: The 360-Degree Responsibility of a Sales Manager
The Human Touch: Unlocking Sales When Technology Fails
The Human Touch: Unlocking Sales When Technology Fails
The Amateur Trap: Protecting Your Brand Reputation When Hiring Fresh Graduates
The Amateur Trap: Protecting Your Brand Reputation When Hiring Fresh Graduates
Why They Aren’t Picking Up: Solving the Value Gap in Business Calls
Why They Aren’t Picking Up: Solving the Value Gap in Business Calls
The Why Factor: How to Uncover Your Customer’s True Motivation
The Why Factor: How to Uncover Your Customer’s True Motivation
Claiming Your Digital Identity: A Guide for Small Business Owners
Claiming Your Digital Identity: A Guide for Small Business Owners
Complex Sales vs. Simple Sales: Setting Realistic Trial Periods
Complex Sales vs. Simple Sales: Setting Realistic Trial Periods
"How Much Business Will I Get?" Why Success is Your Responsibility, Not Mine
"How Much Business Will I Get?" Why Success is Your Responsibility, Not Mine
The Business Transition Blueprint: From Finding an Idea to Mastering Sales Communication
The Business Transition Blueprint: From Finding an Idea to Mastering Sales Communication
The Art of the Courtesy Visit: Why Face-to-Face Still Wins
The Art of the Courtesy Visit: Why Face-to-Face Still Wins
21 Years of Sales Mastery: Lessons in Systems with Mr. Femi
21 Years of Sales Mastery: Lessons in Systems with Mr. Femi
How to Close Deals Faster
How to Shorten Your Sales Cycle and Close Deals Faster
Why Your WhatsApp Messages Are Being Blocked: The Truth About Business Spam
Why Your WhatsApp Messages Are Being Blocked: The Truth About Business Spam
Networking for Growth: Why Your Business Intro Isn't Working
Networking for Growth: Why Your Business Intro Isn't Working
Why "Convincing" is Killing Your Sales
I was catching up with a former client recently, a professional in the real estate space and I noticed something that a lot of you are probably struggling with right now. He was spending all his energy trying to convince people why they should buy property. He was running from pillar to post, trying to explain the benefits of real estate as a hedge against inflation to people who hadn't even e
How to Follow Up Without Being a Pest
Are you tired of feeling like you're "chasing" your clients? In Nigeria, when we talk about follow-up, it often sounds like desperation. We're calling Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, hoping something sticks because we're afraid of losing the deal. But here is the truth: if you are in the follow-up game, you are already on the back foot.In today's episode, I
Why Professionalism is Your Best Sales Tool
If you've been following this podcast, you know we are obsessed with one thing: revenue. We're always calling for the money to come, and were usually focused on how to find that next new customer.But today, I want to talk about something that often gets lost in the hustle - customer retention!We spend so much time, energy, and money on ads and networking to bring people through the door. B
Targeting for Revenue: Making Online Ads Work for Small Businesses
Hello everyone! Im coming to you today from a very full, very noisy house. Its a public holiday here, the kids are watching cartoons, and the energy is high, but the show must go on! Today, I want to talk about a trap I see so many small and medium-sized businesses falling into: Brand Advertising. We all see the big players like Coca-Cola and Mercedes-Benz running beautiful ads that dont necessari
The Expert Advantage: Why You Are the Product
It is midnight, the kids and my wife are finally asleep, but I couldnt go to bed without sharing this. Ive been talking with a salesperson, lets call her "Cinderella", who is stuck in a trap that many of you are currently in. Shes selling technical equipment, and every time a customer tells her shes "too expensive," her first instinct is to drop the price. She went from 5.5 mil
Content Marketing Made Simple
Hey everyone, Im back! You might hear some basketball and school noise in the background of todays episode, but I couldn't wait any longer to get this message out. Ive been away for a few days migrating everything to my new device, a massive 8-inch "phablet." My wife and kids think its hilarious that Im holding a tablet to my face to make calls, but honestly, with my eyesight changin
Stop Selling Price: How to Discover Real Value
If you're a founder, a CEO, or a professional salesperson and you're feeling frustrated because your leads seem "unserious," I need you to hear this: Most of them ARE unserious. We have this wrong expectation that if we talk to 100 people, 50 or 60 should buy. But look at the data - depending on who you ask, only about 3% to 7% of people are actually "in market" and rea
Why Your Customers Actually Hire You (And How to Ask Them)
Yesterday on the radio show, I had a really interesting conversation with a caller named Stanley about something every single one of us needs to master if we want to sell well: our USP.Whether you call it a Unique Selling Point, a Unique Selling Proposition, or as our American friends say, a Unique Value Proposition, it's the key to your business growth.Are you just guessing why people do busi
How to Spot Serious Customers (and Stop Wasting Your Time)
Hey everyone, are you tired of chasing prospects who never actually buy? We've all been there spending weeks talking to 20 people only to find out 19 of them were just "curious" or doing research. If you want a "heavy" bank account instead of an "anorexic" one, you need to change how you filter your leads and talk to potential customers and clients.We talk a lot a
Don't Change the Business, Change the Way You Sell
I see it all the time. A business owner is struggling, sales are down, the "vibe" is off, and the bank account is looking thin. Suddenly, they get a "brilliant" idea: This business is just too hard. I'm going to start a new one! Ill move from soap making to cashew farming, or from corporate gifting to web design.I had to be blunt with "King David" (the subject of
Rescuing the Family Business: A Guide for the Next Generation
Hey everyone, I recently had a deep dive with a listener I'll call "King David" (not his real name). He's the firstborn son stepping into his family's beauty products business, trying to help his father, "King Solomon" (also not his real name) navigate a tough season. Like many of you, David's first instinct was to ask: How do we raise capital effectively and ef
Start with Your Mouth, Not Your Invoice
In this final installment of our three-part series, we dive deep into the world of troublesome clients and the traps even experienced sales professionals like "Fresh Prince" (not his real name!) fall into. We look at the "quote-quote-quote" game where you send multiple invoices only to hear its "too expensive" and why this happens when you fail to use a proper convers
Why 3 Months Without a Deal Isn't Always a Failure
Welcome back to part two of our three-part series on tackling poor sales performance. If you're an employee or salesperson struggling to hit your monthly targets, you're in the right place.Today, we're continuing our case study with "Fresh Prince," (not his real name) who sells roofing sheets in Lagos. He's been worried because he hasn't closed a deal in three months,
Why You Aren't Closing: Diagnosing Poor Sales Performance
I'm back to kick off a brand-new three-part series on a topic that hits home for many: dealing with poor sales performance.I recently heard from a listener I'm calling "Fresh Prince," (not his real name) a salesperson in Lagos who has been struggling to close deals for three months. It happens to the best of us, but as a "business doctor," I know we have to diagnose the
WhatsApp Business 101: Catalogs, Bios, and the Art of the Personal Message
Today, were diving into a real-life case study with a listener named Idara, who is building a perfume business. We had a great chat on WhatsApp about how to stop waiting for a "savior" or an expensive consultant and start using the tools already in your pocket. If you've been ignoring that colorful floating icon in your WhatsApp, youre missing out on Meta AI (or the Business Assistan
How to Start a Business Podcast for Free in Under an Hour
Stop waiting for the perfect moment, the fancy studio, or a 2 million naira budget to finally launch that podcast. I'm telling you right now: you can start today, for free, using nothing but the phone you're holding in your hand. I've recorded over a thousand episodes on everything from iPhones to "toy" Nokia phones. You don't need crisp, professional audio to grow your business; you need exposure
How to Command the Room in Your Next Presentation
Today, Im sharing a real-life case study involving a client I'm working with in the solar industry. Let's call her Cinderella (not her real name). She's been crafting a high-stakes proposal to take an entire estate off the grid, and we've been refining it to make it less salesy and much more conversational.The secret sauce we are using is the SPIN selling framework: Situation: Show
Pricing Psychology: The Power of Anchoring High
Are you tired of sending out proposals only to be ghosted? Are you frustrated because youre spending hours on presentations and quotations for people who don't even have the budget to buy from you?Today in the Oracles Chamber, we are talking about a senior-level shift in how you qualify prospects.I was speaking with a top-tier sales professional, lets call her Cinderella (not her real name) wh
A Founder's Guide to Advertising: Targeting, Copy, and Cash
I've been having some intense conversations lately with a client in the software space, and it reminded me of a trap so many founders and entrepreneurs fall into: the Reach Trap.As a sales coach and business development consultant, I live in a world governed by revenue and conversion. But too often, I see marketing professionals high-fiving each other because they got 5 million impressions on a ca
How to Talk to Your Team One-on-One to Get Work Done
Stop management by WhatsApp. I see it everywhere in the Nigerian business scene - founders, CEOs, and managers blasting angry messages into group chats because a project is behind.You might feel an emotional release from "ranting," but here is the truth: your team is ignoring you. They see the first two lines, close the app, and go back to their own priorities while you think you've
Closing the Deal: Lessons from the Oracles Chamber
Today, I want to talk about why your business conversations are stalling and how you can maintain a forward-looking trajectory using two critical tools: advancements and scheduling.Too many of you are ending meetings with "we'll keep in touch" or "no wahala." That is not how business moves forward. An advancement is a mutual agreement between you and your potential client o
How to Prove Your Value When You're Double the Competition in Price
I recently sat down with one of my students, "Cinderella," who is navigating the high-stakes solar industry where quotes often reach into the tens of millions. She was hitting a wall: prospects kept telling her, "You're double the price of your competition."If you've heard this, your first instinct might be to drop your price or get frustrated, but that is the wrong move. Selling is a highly creat
How to Use Mutual Trust to Grow Your Business
I've noticed a major issue that is killing your business growth: you are receiving referrals - those golden introductions where trust is already implied, and you are killing the deal before it even starts.Too many of you are acting like order takers instead of consultants. When someone calls and says a former customer gave them your number, your first instinct is to just send a price list. That is
How to Spot a Million-Naira Customer in Your DMs
Are you tired of opening your DMs or WhatsApp only to see messages that look "unserious" or "unprofessional"?If your immediate reaction is to just throw a prepackaged price list or a PDF proposal at them with the attitude of "if they're serious, theyll call back," then you need to listen closely. You are leaving a lot of money on the table. In this episode, we div
How to Sell by Showing the Profit
In today's session, I'm breaking down how to sell by using ROI (Return on Investment) because if you cant show your customer how their money will yield a return in "naira and kobo," you aren't really selling.I recently sat down with one of my students, lets call her "Cinderella," (not her real name) who is preparing a major solar pitch for an upscale estate in Lagos
No More Excuses: How to Get Paid on Time
Are you tired of that "corner-corner" dance with clients? You know the one where you're expecting a "sweet" dollar payment, but instead, you get a "next week" that never comes.I recently spoke with one of my former students, "Magic Mike," (not his real name) who found himself in this exact situation with a big-ticket client, "Chief Odomegu" (al
The Secret to Winning Clients by Actually Listening
Stop being tone deaf. I've been on a bit of a rant lately because I'm seeing far too many talented people blow their chances by simply refusing to listen to what their prospects are actually saying.Today in the Oracles Chamber, were looking at a case study out of Abuja. Meet "Amara Chidima," (not a real person! I made this up!) the CEO of Sentinel Wealth Partners (also a made up
How to Schedule and Confirm Meetings Like a Pro
If you are an entrepreneur, a business owner, or a salesperson and you aren't using the phone as a primary tool in your "war chest," you are doing it wrong. In todays episode, Im breaking down why audio communication is your secret weapon for closing deals and moving the agenda forward.There is a clear communications hierarchy, and they are not all created equal: 1. Face-to-Face: The
Why Nobody is Replying to Your Business Proposals
Ive been podcasting for seven years and have over 1,500 episodes under my belt, yet I still get hit with generic pitches from people promising to help me "build a consistent podcast." If you did even five minutes of research, you'd know that consistency is not my problem.The reason so many of you are struggling in business and getting ghosted is that your marketing and sales are comp
Why Your Big Proposals are Getting Ghosted
In today's episode, we dive into a case study featuring a fictional Lagos-based logistics founder, Tunde Balogun, whose business, "Swift Logistics," is facing a common but painful problem: stagnant revenue and a burnt-out sales team.Despite working 12-hour days and churning out endless 20-page proposals, their closing rate is stuck at a measly 5%.Weve all been there chasing a massive
Don't Ignore the "Small Boy": How to Turn Every Lead into a Future Client
Weve all been there. You're busy running your business, paying rent, and managing clients when a message slides into your DM: "Hello."In Nigeria, its common to see people cut these conversations short or be rude if they think the person is a "small boy" without money. But here is the truth: how you handle these "unqualified" leads determines the future growth of y
The Secret to Spotting Real Buyers vs. Window Shoppers
I recently had a session with a sales team where the members were frustrated because potential customers would go silent or sound "confused" the moment they received a price quote.If this is happening to you, it is because you dont have a process for sorting seekers from buyers before you send that proposal.It is perfectly normal to run into people who are merely curious, confused, or we
How to Stop Employees from Stealing Your Profits
Is your business actually growing, or are you just "seeing movement" without seeing the cash? In this episode, we dive deep into why structure and accountability are the real engines behind sustainable growth—whether you're running a neighborhood barbing salon or a high-tech biotech startup.1. The Myth of Guaranteed GrowthFirst, let’s be real: there is no such thing as guaranteed gro
The Secret to Networking: Learn to Listen and Ask the Right Questions
Have you ever been at a networking event—or even just chatting with a new connection on LinkedIn—and someone asks the dreaded question: "What do you do?"Most of us have a prepared "elevator pitch" that we just spit out and then... silence. We give a summary, maybe throw in some fancy industry jargon like "front-end developer" and then effectively shut the door on the
Why 5 Months of Content Isn't Enough to Close Sales
Are you frustrated because you’ve been posting content for months, but your sales are still at zero? I recently addressed this exact issue for a listener named Franklin, and the hard truth is that marketing is a long-term game, especially for coaches and consultants.Many people think that posting for five months is enough to establish themselves as an authority, but in reality, building true autho
Fast Sales: How to Use Deadlines to Close Deals Faster
Are you a Nigerian entrepreneur, founder, or mompreneur wondering why your sales conversations aren't closing? Many of us make the same mistake: we talk to potential customers without ever figuring out their timelines or their sense of urgency.I’m sure you’ve been there—you give a prospect space because you don't want to be a pest, only to call back a month later and hear, "Oh, sorry,
Why Your Side Project Isn't a Real Startup
Stop playing startup! I’ve been consulting for a while now, and I’m seeing a worrisome trend in the Nigerian tech ecosystem. I see teams of three, four, or five people who say they have a startup, but every single one of them is in full-time employment elsewhere. When I try to schedule a meeting, everyone is busy "answering yes sir" to their bosses or going on work trips for their 9-to-5
The 'Chief Okoro' Challenge: How to Close Deals with Skeptical Clients
I shared a case study today featuring Amaka Nwosu (a name I made up) and her company, Zest Way Logistics (also made up). We looked at how she might handle the "sales resistance" from a big-time retailer like Chief Okoro in Onitsha.When the Chief is skeptical about new technology, the answer isn’t a fancy Harvard accent or begging for the account. Begging is a dangerous trap that puts you
Selling the Easy Way: Finding People Who Actually Want Your Product
Stop trying to perform miracles in your business! Many of you have been reaching out lately thinking your biggest problem is that you don’t know how to convince people to buy, but I have to be blunt: you cannot convince someone to do what they do not want to do.Unless you are looking to use the psychological bamboozling techniques of a fraud or a 419 scammer, you need to erase the idea of convinci
Why Hiding From Phone Calls is Killing Your Sales
I had a bit of a shock recently. My wife tried to reach out to an Instagram vendor to pick up an order, but she found herself completely shut out. This business owner had somehow managed to disable every single live call function—regular calls, WhatsApp calls, even Instagram and Facebook audio calls. The only way to reach them was through messaging, which led to a generic automated reply.I get it.
How to Market Multiple Passions Without Confusing People
Today on the podcast, I’m breaking down why your content marketing strategy might be falling flat. Many of you are out there trying to use content to get noticed, but you’re making one fatal mistake: promoting two different business interests at the same time on the same account.Content marketing isn't just about hopping on every trend or doing the latest dance challenge; it's about provid
How to Use WhatsApp to Remember Everything Your Clients Say
Have you ever worried about mixing up client details or forgetting that one critical piece of information shared during a call? I used to worry I was being a bit "weird" by typing live summaries into our WhatsApp chat while on a call, but a fellow professional recently introduced me to a concept that changed my perspective: the Second Brain. By using WhatsApp as a repository for customer
How to Sound Like a Real Person Instead of a Corporate Robot
Let’s talk about that one phrase we all love to hate—or maybe we just use it out of habit: Please kindly advise.If you’re in sales or trying to move a relationship forward, I’m here to tell you: stop saying it.I know why we do it. We want to be polite, or we want to make it clear that the ball is in the other person's court (they are now responsible for taking the next action). And let’s be ho
Why Greeting Strangers Like Friends Kills Your Sales
I was recently coaching someone who was struggling with a major frustration: about two out of every ten people were hanging up on her during the very first few seconds of her calls. What was confusing for her was that these weren't even cold leads—they were people who had actually responded to an advertising campaign and indicated interest.So, why were they cutting the call? The culprit was a
Supporting Your Daughter’s Business Dreams
I recently came across a powerful message from Wuraola Ogundipe, a Senior Program Advisor specializing in financial inclusion and the founder of GA Place Limited. Her words struck a chord regarding how we view the early sparks of entrepreneurship in our children, specifically our daughters.If your daughter is constantly selling things—whether it’s snacks, bracelets, or hair ties to her classmates—
How to Track Your Way to Higher Profits
Are you struggling to see the results you want in your sales? The truth is, many business owners and salespeople fail because they simply don't track what they do every day. You have to understand that sales is a performance discipline, exactly like sports or music.If a musician stops practicing their scales or lines, their performance will eventually suffer. If a footballer skips the fundamen
