Prepare Your Kids to Succeed Despite Society’s Ills

If you’re a parent in Nigeria, you really – and I mean REALLY(!) – need to read the story told by Ayodeji Adeyeye, about the traumatizing JAMB examination centre experience, his 2 daughters had during the recent 2014 exams.

Unless you’re like one of the adults he says orchestrated the massive exam malpractices he described, you’ll be just as outraged as other right thinking adults who have read it.

Click to read

Adeyeye had no reason to tell a lie. He had nothing to gain…

What’s more, I have access to comments by another responsible adult, from a different Facebook discussion thread, which lend credence to Adeyeye’s claims.

That, and the testimony of other Nigerians living in Nigeria, was enough to convince me this was the truth.

In his Facebook post, Adeyeye narrates how, that fateful morning, he gave his young girls N2, 000 naira each, for refreshments at the exam venue.

He however noted that their older brother who was taking them down, had pointed out that the money he’d given them would be inadequate.

Being he, being uninitiated in the new ways of doing things at the exams, had argued that the money would be more than adequate for their needs. After all, they would only need to buy snacks to eat!

How wrong he turned out to be.

As I read the story, I could almost not contain my outrage!

Adeyeye said his girls were first of all met with a request to pay what was called “Marching Ground” to enter the exam hall.

The fee was N500 (Five Hundred Naira).

But that was mild…

The demand for N5, 000 (Five Thousand Naira) to get them connected to an “aide” via mobile phone who would supply answers to the questions, which followed soon shook them up!

The girls could not pay the requested fee. So the invigilator’s put marks on their papers meant to indicated they were caught engaging in exams malpractice!

Can you believe that?? Those who did NOT do wrong being given punishment meant for those who did?? Unbelievable!

Now, if you’re wondering where the policemen were, when all this was going on, Ayo tell us that they dutifully came in, collected their “allocation” of money and left.

And the invigilator’s…?

Well, they were the ones coordinating all of the action, from the front……while the parents of the candidates, we are told, monitored and controlled proceedings from right outside the examination hall!

Click here to read Adeyeye’s original narrative.

What many who read this story may not immediately appreciate…

You see, there a lot of damage being done to kids who are exposed to this kind of experience – on both sides…

a. For those kids like Adeyeye’s whose parents challenge them to study diligently, and take exams without cheating, frustration is bound to be their lot.

For instance, they are likely to get negative attention from invigilator’s, and peers who play the game…

b. For the kids whose parents have coached them to cut corners in this manner, they are bound to develop a warped sense of right and wrong.

And hard work or honesty will certainly make little or no meaning to them.

What’s more, since they’ll see their parents actively conniving with unscrupulous others to help them cheat in exams, such kids will grow up expecting such support all through school, and even life!

And they will in turn teach their own kids to be the same too, since they would not know better.

But that’s not the worst…

You see, society will gradually feel the negative multiplier effects of such happenings – as in today’s Nigeria. That;s why so called graduates cannot speak comprehensible English. It’s also why most of them are incapable of meeting the lowest employer standards for recruitment.

CEOs of multinationals in Nigeria have often cried out in frustration, after interviewing supposed First Class and Second Class Upper degree holders whose performances call their credentials to question!

The irony is that the misguided kids go around feeling they deserve to get the best jobs and opportunities. And their crooked parents (who often got where they are through similar methods), often help them open the needed doors.

But anytime they meet the kids of upright parents, crooked people feel threatened.

It happens all the time…

The crooked person whose credentials are phony naturally feels threatened by competent others. S/he knows given a level platform based on merit, such persons will outdo him/her.

So s/he will go out of his/her way to bring such persons down, so they not longer constitute a viable threat to his/her ambitions.

In other words, if YOUR child meets such a crooked person s/he would instantly be perceived as a threat to be eliminated (I’m assuming here that YOU, are one of the good guys…like I AM…)

So, no matter how nice your child tries to be, the fraudulent kids and their parents will never be comfortable around him/her.

As happened to Adeyeye’s kids, who now have to look forward to next year’s exams through no fault of theirs, your child may therefore be doomed to failure within the existing social setup in Nigeria.

My argument is that if you are not prepared to go crooked like those mentioned above, need to HELP their kids prepare better for the REAL world.

You will do this by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to flourish regardless of attempts to use existing systems to derail their progress.

By this I mean, rather than send them abroad (which I do not subscribe to, and many cannot afford), you can deliberately prepare your kids much earlier for LIFE outside school.

Formal schooling today needs to include life skills coaching.

Fewer jobs await school leavers at any level. And that’s why more and more people are finishing schooling and finding cause to launch careers in various vocational fields.

Today, it’s best that kids are introduced much earlier in life, to knowledge and skills they can use to earn a good living.

This does not stop a child from finishing school.

But it makes him/her better prepared to deal with the real possibility that formal schooling may NOT be enough to achieve success in larger society.

Take it from me, dear reader. Nowhere is the above statement truer, than in Nigeria.

No matter how intelligent your child is academically, today’s world makes it imperative that s/he acquire the know-how to earn EXTRA income using a variety of skills, within and/or outside paid employment.

You cannot foresee what is in store for your child. But you can prepare him/her better to deal with challenges that life and society will throw at him/her.

I’m doing that for my kids.

In past parenting articles I’ve shared several true stories/examples e.g. how I taught them to use pineapple peels to make a drink and cakes (baked without using an oven) which they sell.

You can do the same too.

Prepare yourself, by paying attention to what INTERESTS and TALENTS your kids have. Then learn how to match them with what WORKS in the real world, so they arrive adulthood with income earning abilities to succeed in spite of the antics of society’s "bad guys"!

Your kids are your most valuable investment in life.

Do NOT let society’s bad guys make you lose them!

You Do Not Need Direct Access to 2 Million Buyers For Your Farm Products!

Many small business owners hold grossly misguided views about marketing. Most do not track Cost of Customer Acquisition (COCA) – a crucial parameter that determines profits! Smallholder farmers in Africa are especially guilty of this. That’s why most will question this article’s title. And it’s also why they rarely find profitable buyers!

FACT: You Do NOT Need  Direct Access to a Database of 2 Million “Buyers” For Your Farm Products!

Today, I made over 15 “sales” phone calls. Most lasted at least 5 minutes. One actually lasted over 15 minutes.

But about half of those calls involved respondents calling back – when they saw my missed call. Not just that, they readily let me tell them why I’d called – even though I was doing so on their dime.

However, being the dignified professional that I am, I always insisted they hang up, so I could call them at my own expense. Despite my best efforts though, the erratic networks on two occasions terminated my call before I could finish.

Both times, the person I was calling promptly called back at their own expense, and encouraged me to finish telling them what I’d called about. And it’s not the first time this has happened.

1. So who are these people who are so nice to me?

Well, they were/are my clients.

But I have NEVER met any one of them in person. And this is despite transacting business with them for upwards of 4 years in some cases.

2. Why do they relate with me in this manner?

I believe it’s because they value their relationship with me. They do not see me as a guy just trying to sell stuff to them.

Most are subscribers to my newsletter. Even when I’m out of the country, I make social phone calls to them. We share jokes and exchange information.

Indeed, some call ME, to ask for my help in finding employees for their farms.

Others ask that I refer them to suppliers of items they need for new ventures they are launching.

For instance, I recently sent contact details of  a client in Kano (who has links to manufacturers of packaging for livestock feed) to a new Farm CEO in Uyo who asked for it.

All of this happens because I enjoy the trust of these business owners.

And I built that trust through the Web Marketing System I used to attract them to me in the first place.

Most of them are past buyers of at least one of my farm support products. And they’ve found it worthwhile staying in touch with me since then.

My point is that I have this highly RESPONSIVE group of people who have connected with me, because they want what I offer.

But I do not have one million of them.

And I doubt that I need a tenth of that number to achieve my business goals – financially or otherwise.

The truth is that the solutions I offer are NOT meant for mass distribution.

Instead they are targeted at Farm CEOs operating at a certain high profile level.

That’s why I do not subscribe to mass advertising channels to promote my products and services.

This is what many smallholder farmers do not understand. As a result they end up (figuratively speaking) fishing in over sized ponds with sparse – and starving – fish populations.

Little wonder they tend NOT to reap bumper harvests in their marketing.

Look, as I type this, I’m talking to about 4 clients about having them share “costs” with a new Kano based CEO who has asked me to develop a Ration Formulator for Ruminants™.

This new application will allow use of concentrates with locally available ingredients of the farmer’s choice.

For instance, it will be used to formulate balanced low cost rations for Horses, Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle (lactating, pregnant) and other ruminants.

We discussed on Sunday (he called me) for over 30 minutes, and we agreed on a tentative scope of work for development of the app.

Being a member of my Farm Business Ideas Club, he is entitled to a lifetime discount of 40% on ALL my products and services (with the exception of my Feed Formulation products).

So, of the required investment of N150,000 (One hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira), the Functional Requirement Specification I sent him stated he would only pay N90,000 (Ninety Thousand Naira).

But I also offered another incentive: If he pays 100% in advance, he gets an extra 10% discount.

I sent him the FRS on Sunday afternoon, and he acknowledged receipt.

I sent him the FRS on Sunday afternoon, and he acknowledged receipt.

But since sending it to him, I’ve been thinking it would be useful to bring others on board, so they can split the development costs, making the cost per head much less.

And that was why I began calling up my other clients. I did not have to, but I chose to, because I like to help my clients make the most efficient use of their funds.

I believe in protecting my clients, because it effectively amounts to protecting myself!

Now, even though those I spoke with said they did not have an immediate interest in or need for the app, 2 of them promised to speak with contacts they believe may be interested.

Past experience assures me they are not making idle promises, as I’ve had many referrals from these CEOs over the years.

One example: About 30 minutes after my conversation with one of them, he sent me an SMS saying “Sorry I forgot to ask you the cost of the software development.”

One example: About 30 minutes after my conversation with one of them, he sent me an SMS saying 'Sorry I forgot to ask you the cost of the software development'

So, I use my existing base of serious buyers of my products/services, to reach out to others like them.

It’s a high quality Pre-Qualified Sales Leads Generating System that enables me achieve a low Cost of Customer Acquisition (COCA) = higher margin per sale.

PLUS, I get to make sales at premium rates to ready buyers, convinced about the value of what I offer.

In contrast, vendors of so called databases of millions of potential buyers often offer less value.

Especially in my part of the world.

I’ve said this many times to those who use such platforms.

Little or no profiling of the mobile phone numbers and email addresses in such databases is done.

As a result, those who choose to “advertise” to those audiences are basically shooting in the dark and hoping for the best.

They rarely know what kind of people they are sending their marketing messages to. No demographics or psychographics of ANY sort.

The vendor does not tell them how s/he got the phone numbers. Indeed, many vendors don’t care. They just offer you the “opportunity to advertise to millions”.

For a farm business owner looking for serious bulk buyers, this is not a smart way to advertise.

The fact that everyone eats farm products does NOT mean you will make more sales by marketing to everyone!

Not unless you have an outlet like a hotel or restaurant through which you can do so. For instance, selling your catfish or chicken meat in form of special dishes served with drinks or for home delivery.

If you do not have that, sending adverts to millions of phone numbers makes little sense if many are individuals who may only want a few units of what you sell.

Depending on their location, they may find the market in the neighbourhood a more convenient source, compared to your farm, no matter how gre4at your products are.

Also, there is the important matter of stress arising from attending to hundreds of small buyers over 2 weeks, for instance, compared to dealing with few bulk buyers who buy you out in a few days.

Sadly, even when it’s pointed out to many smallholder farmers, they seem unwilling to save themselves the hassle.

It  would appear they prefer the “easy” way of throwing “advertising” money at millions of phone numbers and emails, then crossing their fingers, to THINKING of smart strategies to connect with high value prospects looking to buy bulk farm products.

If you’re ready to step up your game, and operate at a superior level of sales and marketing, then you want to adopt the approach I’ve described in this article.

And it is to help interested Farm CEOs, that I’ve launched my new Farm Products Sales and Marketing Support Service.

To give you an idea of what you’ll get by enrolling for this service, click here to download my PowerPoint Show offering details.

You will be able to book a 30 minute to one hour Needs Analysis Session with me. 24 to 48 hours afterwards, I will prepare and send you a ready-to-use PDF Sales and Marketing Action Plan.

When we talk, I will explain to you (among other things) why…

1. People in Your Farm Neighbourhood Are NOT Likely to Be Your Best Buyers

2. You Will Rarely Be Able to Afford the Service of Competent “Sales Agencies” for Your Products

3. Your Best Bet Will Often Be to Take Ownership of Your Own Marketing!

There is so much I can tell you that will make you more effective in the THINKING you employ towards finding buyers for your farm products.

Enjoy MORE successful Farm Products Marketing & Sales.

Email me via tayo at tksola dot com TODAY.

PS: What You Get When You Signup

1. A step-by-step Marketing Action Plan: that you can implement to start attracting high profit BULK buyers for your farm products.

2. My DVD: containing the full Sales & Marketing Coaching Video

3. Access to my Sales & Marketing Support Service: in which I help you develop and implement strategies to find long term and profitable bulk buyers using my contacts, and access to relevant networks.

See my PowerPoint Slide Show

4. And I’ll also add your farm products and services to my new online directory’s exclusive listing of Farm Products Buyers & Sellers in Africa (terms apply).

Email me via tayo at tksola dot com for details.

No. 139: Make Your Competition Obsolete!

Over a decade ago, I read an article about Bill Gates, in which he said that he saw his software business as a big bus, with no brakes, no clutch, and no rear view mirror.

The bus however had an accelerator pedal, on which was placed a very heavy weight to ensure that it continued moving at top speed, never slowing down, talk less of stopping!

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Publication: Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Newsletter

Date: Monday28th April 2014

No:139

Title: Make Your Competition Obsolete!

Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [Tel: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) ]

Blog URL: http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/blog

Archive (E-mail version started 14th May 2012): Click here to view

Archive (Blog version started 24th September 2011): Click here


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No. 139: Make Your Competition Obsolete!

Web definition of 'obsolete'

Over a decade ago, I read an article about Bill Gates, in which he said that he saw his software business as a big bus, with no brakes, no clutch, and no rear view mirror.

The bus however had an accelerator pedal, on which was placed a very heavy weight to ensure that it continued moving at top speed, never slowing down, talk less of stopping!

The moral of his analogy was that since his competitors were always trying to get ahead of him, there would be no point looking (in the rear view mirror) to see if anyone was coming; neither would there be a need to slow down (using brakes), or change gears (using the clutch).

The only thing to do was therefore to keep going FORWARD at full speed!

Little wonder that Microsoft continues to lead in its market(s), with introduction of new, and innovative products/services.

What Bill Gates Said Amounts to Making One’s Competitors Obsolete…

When you look at Microsoft today, and its long term future focussed domination of its market, it becomes obvious that Mr. Gates knew exactly what he was talking about.

Now, if you would just begin to think of yourself (or your business) as that bus described by Bill Gates, then you would never have to worry about anyone “catching up” with you in your area of expertise or market.

Constantly work towards improving yourself in every aspect of your knowledge or skill and you’ll find that you’ll ALWAYS have something new and useful/relevant for your market than your rivals will.

By implication, buyers looking for real world relevant solutions in the market you and your competitors serve, are likely to conclude that what others offer is/are obsolete compared to yours.

That’s not all.

When prospective buyers/clients see the rate at which you create new solutions that meet their needs, they’ll conclude that it makes more sense to connect with you, than with others who are less innovative.

It’s just simple common sense. A no-brainer, like the Americans would say!

In Nigeria, we would say “Who no like better thing” i.e. Pidgin English for “Everyone loves a good thing”.

But What If Your Competitors Choose to Play Dirty?

Not all competitors or rivals will be gracious and fair minded.

Quote by Tony A. Gaskins - Not all competitors or rivals will be gracious and fair minded.

The above is a reality we all have to face from the day we arrive this world. Some of us came without the gift of sight, with incomplete body parts etc. Yet they applied themselves to succeed in spite of all that!

So, life is never fair. If you have issues with that, I urge you to get over it, and learn to deal with those who attack the good they see in you.

Some competitors will be resentful and mean. And they may try to destroy what you’re building.

So, if you adopt the Bill Gates formula describe above, be prepared for the possibility that some guy may try to (figuratively speaking) deflate your tires; mess up your paint job; smash your windscreen etc.

In other words, rather than let you outshine them, by leading your shared market with your innovative efforts, they will seek to bring you down.

What should you do to protect yourself from mean spirited competitors?

Well, first be sure to arm yourself by acting with intelligence and discretion.

Since you know it can happen, you need to be alert – and sensitive – to their words and actions.

Unless you’re really dead to the world, you WILL detect the subtle acts of insincerity.

They WILL give themselves away. You see, people with bad intentions often cannot help themselves – they give off an aura that a pure soul will not fail to detect.

When you “detect”…let what you discover guide your interactions with them…and you WILL be OK!

The foregoing implies you cannot hope to protect yourself against those who wish to hurt you, if you’re also guilty of doing the same to others.

So, start by purging yourself of such thoughts, and avoiding such actions.

The second thing you can do is to fight back.

And the best way I’ve learnt to fight back is to let my work speak for me.

If a guy (or group) go(es) announcing you’re a fraud at what you do, how do you think s/he will look, if each day that passes (or every month), you turn out something new, and original, that boosts your credibility as an expert in that SAME field?

The above takes us right back to what Bill Gates said.

In other words, by keeping your focus on doing what you, and doing it better, every time, you’re bound to eventually demonstrate beyond the shadow of a doubt that you are who you say you are.

That is, an expert, with real world relevant competence, capable to continually developing innovative problem solving products and services, that the market you serve needs.

Indeed, you may never need to say a word in response to “haters” claims about you.

Quote by Amy Poenler

Instead, you’ll so saturate the “market space” with your value-adding offers that no one will bother taking note of anything they say.

And by that time they’ll have so badly damaged their own credibility in the process of trying to bring you down, that few people will take them seriously anymore.

You will have, in effect, succeeded in making them O-B-S-O-L-E-T-E!

Final Words: For Over 10 Years, What I’ve Shared Here Has Helped Me Grow My Success

What I’ve shared with you above is based on what I’ve done – over the past 10 years – as Performance Enhancement Specialist and Multipreneur with a bias for Best Practice Support of Farm Business Owners.

Below is a link to the article announcing my LATEST product/service, launched late last week:

Coaching Program for Farm Products Marketing Success (Verbatim Text Transcript of Introductory Video)

Explore this blog, and my Farm Business Best Practice Support Service website for more.

You can use the same strategy to succeed better in your chosen field!

NEW: Coaching Program for Farm Products Marketing Success (Verbatim Text Transcript of Introductory Video)

Tayo Solagbade's Coaching Program for Farm Products Marketing Success (Verbatim Text Transcript of Introductory Video)

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Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

*Sole Agent For Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Service In Africa

Mobile: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic)

http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com

Self-Development/Performance Enhancement SpecialistTayo Solagbade – works as a multipreneurial freelance writer providing  zero risk article and report writing support for website owners, while travelling slowly across West Africa as a Location Independent Multipreneur.

He’s presently based in Benin Republic, where he’s preparing an English-French Language Guide, City Travel Guides, and a Commercial Rabbit Farming Guide.

He earns multiple streams of income providing clients with performance improvement training/coaching, custom MS Excel-VB solutions, web marketing systems, freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners).

In a previous life, before leaving to become self-employed, Tayo served for seven years as a high performing manager in Guinness Nigeria. He rose from Shift Brewer, to Training & Technical Development Manager, then later acted in senior management roles as Production Manager and Technical Manager.

When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Self-Development Nuggets™ blog, and Public Speaking IDEAS newsletter (which he publishes to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring service to experts working across the African continent).

For a limited time, Tayo is available to speak to your group or organization for a moderate fee. Send e-mail to tayo at tksola dot com. You can also visit www.tksola.com to learn more.

Connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook.

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Smart Exercising Will Keep You Fit, Healthy and Alive - Click to read
Click to read article titled: 'Smart Exercising Will Keep You Fit, Healthy and Alive'...and ONE other. Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist - Tayo Solagbade - works as a multipreneurial freelance writer providing zero risk article and report writing support for website owners, while travelling slowly across West Africa as a Location Independent Multipreneur. 

 

Using MS Excel® Solver for Least Cost Feed Formulation Can Be Easy - But Also Dangerous (How to Protect Yourself) - Click to downloadDownload above PDF

NEW PDF - 10 Frequently Asked Questions About Feed FormulationDownload above PDF

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“(Tayo Solagbade) is amazing and I think he is going to produce some impressive results online…” – click here to read full comment by Patrick Meninga (US based 6 figure income blogger who gained fame for building a $2,000 per month adsense website and selling it for $200,000).

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“Tayo, I honestly believe you are one of those who will succeed at anything he does. Your commitment and effort has been outstanding….Thanks for all your hard work since I’ve been here – you will be sorely missed. I don’t need to wish you good luck, you have the ability to make your own luck. – Andy”(R. Jones)*

*Operations Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc Benin Brewery, December 2001 (Handwritten comments in farewell/xmas cards sent to Tayo Solagbade following his resignation to start his own business).

———————–

Click here to contact Tayo… 

SD Nuggets Blog

New posts from last week that may interest you! *
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What Client Product Development Request to Take Seriously?

When serious potential buyers show great interest in a solution, you don’t want to keep them waiting. Yesterday, I launched a new product i.e. my Sales and Marketing Coaching Service for Farm CEOs. And I’ve not been surprised by the serious enquiries I’m getting about it from old clients.

My interactions with them had told me they needed it…

Sometimes you need to listen to what people are NOT saying, just as much as you listen to what they do say to you.

What they leave unsaid may be a useful indication of where they need help.

The thing is you will not detect such needs unless you train yourself to be alert to their presence.

Years of experience has taught me to devote a good amount of time and effort to diagnosing the unstated needs of those I serve as clients.

And it’s turned out to be a very reliable way to boost the remuneration I get from my work.

Basically, I have now gotten to a point, in which solutions I offer are so value adding, that a growing number of my clients call me to ask that I do more for them.

Just yesterday, a recent Farm CEO who bought my Feed Formulation Handbook and Ration Formulator software, called me to ask for enhancements to the app.

Among other requests he asked if I could include an interface to generate the Phosphorous content of the derived ration.

He also asked if I could develop a version of the app that would enable ration formulation for cattle and other ruminants using concentrates.

We also discussed about having it generate Least Cost Ration Formulas, and also cater for more elaborate amino acids balancing.

I told him that apart from the aspect of catering for use of concentrates for ruminants, I had already commenced work on a much enhanced version of the app.

This superior version is to deliver all the features mentioned above.

But my work is always market driven i.e. I let the demands from my target audience determine what“solution” I accord priority attention, and effort.

Basically, I check for “popularity of” or “interest in” the new feature requested.

If low or poor, I let it go or wait.

If high, I put in the needed investment of time, effort and/or money to make it happen.

In the case of what the Farm CEO wanted, I noted that no other client had ever asked for it. Not one…even though I also felt it was something that would be useful to have…

And this was what made me adopt the currently leisurely pace I employ in working on it.

No matter how much I want to, I have to remind myself that I need to get paid for what I do – and profitably too (Otherwise, I might as well be running an NGO!)

So my efforts will be focussed on projects most likely to yield such rewards

With regard to the above, the Sales and Marketing Coaching service assured of ready interest, by potential buyers.

First of all there was the Akure based Farm CEO who’d contacted me via Facebook 2 years ago, and who I spoke with a few days back….

He’d expressed ready interest in purchasing such a solution if I came up with it.

In addition I had past experiences from working with clients who’d suffered at the hands of market women/other buyers.

The latter were often in the habit of holding the Farm Owners to ransom with regard to buying their eggs and catfish during glut periods.

That told me my new service would fill a gaping market place need.

Furthermore, when I told another Farm CEO client in Jos, who had bought my Poultry Farm Manager software, he promptly expressed interest.

And he even called back to remind me he was ready to call me to find out how to get it, if I so desired.

Compared to the “silence” that has greeted the many references I’ve made to my clients about the advanced Ration Formulator I’m working on, this new service is one that interests many.

And so, I put in the needed work to create and launch it.

Within hours of notifying the Akure based CEO, he responded as follows via phone SMS (see below)

Within hours of notifying the Akure based CEO, he responded as follows via phone SMS (see below)

Creatively presenting my offers using multiple presentation formats

Uploading the introductory video for the service, like I anticipated due to the periodically erratic connectivity we have out here, is taking a while.

I also recognise that this may affect the ability of many interested persons to watch the video as well.

It is for this reason that I’ve created the PowerPoint Slideshow version, which can be downloaded from HERE, and is now also published on Slideshare.net.

It is also why I’ve created an MP3 audio version of the introductory video – which you can request download links to via tayo at tksola dot com.

This will enable as many people as possible gain access to my offer message, and learn what they stand to benefit, as well as how to signup for the service.

As for the enhanced Ration Formulator, I’ll most likely be offering the Farm CEO asking for the customization, a paid service option to have it delivered to him…

Coaching Program for Farm Products Marketing Success (Verbatim Text Transcript of Introductory Video)

[Verbatim Video Transcript Text] It’s taken me about 9 years of serving farm CEOs to decide to offer this service. During this period I have interacted with farm CEOs of all kinds. Some are part-time farm owners, employed in high profile jobs like Oil companies and multinational manufactures.

Both the part-time and full time farm owners have told me, that finding profitable buyers, on a timely basis, for their products, remains a major challenge they face.

I’ve however noticed that many of them lack even the most basic sales and marketing know how, to successfully find buyers for their products.

Most don’t even want to concern themselves with the marketing and sales process for finding buyers.

Instead they depend on buyers who come to the farm/who tell others to do the same.

They hope that over time the word will spread, and more people will come.

This approach works, but most times it takes too long, and can yield unreliable results.

Among others things, they cannot b e sure of the sales they will get, or visits that will happen.

Some Farm CEOs even go as far as engaging 3rd parties to market their products to buyers.

The problem with the latter approach however is often that paying attractive commission to retain the services of competent agents can be difficult for a farm business.

In addition, the profit margins they get can vary, since many times they need the buyers who show up to help them clear out market-ready products, so they can free up space, and avoid losses from spoilage or in the case of livestock, excess maintenance expenses.

Very often most of them claim they want to focus on what the do best.

I’ve heard this said often. And it’s not a bad thing. However, one must avoid extremes, and instead strike an intelligent balance in doing it.

In other words I’m saying even as you focus on doing what you do best, you must not undercut yourself e.g. by failing to put in place a reliable system to get your products into the hands of those most equipped to give you best returns for it.

The importance of knowing and controlling your Cost Of Customer Acquisition (COCA) cannot be overemphasised in this regard.

Every time you choose a 3rd party to handle marketing of your farm products, you diminish the moderate profit margins due to you.

And if you’re not careful, this can undo you over time as such “losses” accumulate.

Few farm products emerge with enough room for such approaches to work.

This is why I strongly advocate that farm business owners take more direct responsibility for generating their own sales and marketing leads.

Even group activities for sales (e.g farmer cooperatives, associations etc) will not always serve the best interests of all the individual members.

Like everything else in society, it will often be useful for each person to explore independent avenues to achieving his/her sales and marketing goals.

The coaching program I offer is designed to help ANY willing farm business owner, setup and implement a self-sustaining and reliable system.

If you really want to make profits in today’s world, you must give buyers a good reason to buy from you instead of the other farm or retailer.

Why should they come to you? Your marketing system is what will determine that.

These are the issues you need to look at if you want to sell – and sell PROFITABLY.

Therefore, this coaching program is designed to teach every willing Farm CEO, the techniques and strategies they can use to develop and implement a system, to endlessly and effortless attract ready buyers, who will pay them profitably, for every single farm product they turn out.

Like I said it’s not something that happens overnight. It tends to be a process.

That is why you need a system to manage that process. Because you need something that can work outside of you even when you’re asleep to make it happen.

And it’s going to be a mix of different but complementary and self-sustaining strategies and techniques.

Those are things I teach in the DVD and in my live coaching interaction with you.

But there are basic principles you need to first understand, and which you will put to use on a daily basis. I explain them also on the DVD.

The crucial aspect of what you need to know will be the implementation of whatever you learn.

So first of all you need the foundation. You need to understand the concepts.

You need to understand the thinking that will help you achieve the kinds of sales you want from your farm.

And this will happen w ithout you having to chase buyers, or have people dictate unfair prices to buy your products…because they know there’s a glut!

You can actually – as a Farm Business Owner – have your product taken off you, at greatly profitable prices, almost without lifting a finger, IF you do everything I teach you in this program.

However, you’ll most likely need to undergo a complete reorientation with regard to marketing your farm products to achieve that outcome.

What I teach is based on the successes I’ve achieved in marketing and selling my products and services to buyers within and outside Africa.

Many people request my help, to find buyers for their products.

One especially popular article I wrote few years back is titled “Producing Good Catfish is Important. Finding Good Buyers Is Imperative”. It’s been responsible for over 80% of enquiries I’ve gotten in this regard.

To take this forward, engage me in developing an action plan that you can put to use…

This is what I offer. That’s the idea behind launching this coaching program.

I’m not going to offer to do everything for you, including finding buyers. That would be impractical, because I’m simply too busy for that.

Even if I wanted to therefore, I could not do it.

Apart from writing and publishing new content on my website, delivering products and services to clients, I also travel.

As a Location Independent Multipreneur I am travelling slowly across West Africa.

In the past year, I’ve been based in Benin Republic’s Cotonou. In a few weeks from now, I’ll be moving on to another West African nation’s capital.

But I can be available to work with you in a support capacity.

I have a growing number of Farm CEOs in my Farm Biz Ideas club who regularly communicate with me via phone, email, Facebook and even Skype.

Many have been sending me payment for my products for years. Today, I relate with them more as friends than as clients.

If you signup for my sales and marketing coaching program you get to enjoy similar benefits to these CEOs…

This flyer announces the Introductory Video for my new Sales and Marketing Coaching Program for Farm Business CEOs: Click to download the PowerPoint Slideshow version

This video you’re watching now offers you details you need to make up your mind about my offer.

To proceed beyond this point, you’ll need to signup for my Needs Analysis session.

24 to 48 hours after the session, I’ll send you the Sales and Marketing Action Plan report based on my assessment of your unique situation.

In other words, the questionnaire I administer to you will help me find out you exact circumstance, the nature of business you run. And the resources available to you, the environment in which you operate, as well as key challenges you’ve identified to be limiting your marketing success.

After that you can purchase the DVD if you’re impressed enough by what you’ve gotten up to that point.

Now, the DVD will contain video presentations that elaborate on ideas you will implement.

I will itemize and outline them. Each of the ideas you will be able to put to use on your own.

So what this means is that first of all I will be educating you.

I will also do some research from my end, using my contacts and my networks. And using what I learn, I would develop the sales and marketing action plan for you.

If you request it, I will then work with you on a support basis,as you implement the plan. Anytime you get stuck, you will be able to reach out to me.

If you do it right, it will only be a matter of time before you begin having PROFITABLE buyers coming to you, on their own, in increasing numbers.

NB: If frozen chicken can be transported from producers in one country to buyers across the world, it goes without saying that YOUR farm products can be purchased by buyers from virtually anywhere.

This will however happen ONLY if you know how to get the serious attention and interest of such buyers.

And this applies not just to chicken or poultry products, but to ANY other farm products.

Indeed any product whatsoever.

As long as they offer benefits potential buyers will be willing to pay for, you can successfully get buyers to go out of their way to offer you good money for your products.

It’s just about how you present yourself, and how you intelligently inform potential buyers about what you offer.

It doesn’t have much to do with your popularity. Instead it has more to do with how you reach out to people who can pay you what you want to buy your products.

And that’s what I teach in my coaching program.

Click here to download the Power Point slideshow version of my Introductory Video on this service. It contains additional details about how to signup for my coaching program.

NB: This article is a verbatim text transcript version of the Introductory Video for my new Sales and Marketing Coaching Program for Farm Business CEOs. It’s subtitled “How to Attract Profitable REPEAT Buyers for Your Farm Products – at ZERO COST!” (click to read article precursor).

How to Attract Profitable REPEAT Buyers for Your Farm Products – at ZERO COST!

“Mr Tayo, Good morning. I’m greatly pleased with your advice and sale strategies given to promote increase in yields and low over head costs. Please kindly permit me to use this avenue to request every assistance you could offer in getting buyers for my cat fish. I live in Akure, in Ondo state. I really need your help in this regard. I appreciate your sincere efforts and anticipated response. Thanks. from Engr Taiwo <surname removed>. 080<phone number removed>”

Tomorrow, I launch my new “Sales & Marketing Coaching Program for Farm Business CEOs”

It will be a video DVD series coupled with an optional LIVE support service. Frequent requests for help from farm CEOs (like the one reproduced above) finally made me decide to offer this formal service.

What some of us take for granted, is like rocket science to others.

I think I was born with ready made selling skills. My mother once told me I am capable of persuading a person to do almost anything.

Maybe that was an exaggeration.

But I can confirm that this ability of mind is the key to my increasingly growing success as an entrepreneur – both online and off the web.

In developing and implementing my business marketing strategies, I have never attended any formal training.

Instead, most of what I do today I conceived on my own, sometimes after studying what other successful experts were doing.

Many times however, I followed my intuition and instincts to add my own unique twist in implementing whatever I learnt.

As a result, I have over time succeeded in using fairly unusually creative methods to successfully promote my products and services to specific target audiences.

The problem however has always been that I simply assumed that I only needed to hint at what I’d done, for others to learn how to do it for themselves too. I wrongly assumed others could easy learn how to do it themselves the way I did it.

So I’ve been writing many articles sharing my ideas, but without offering full details – be it free or for a fee.

The result has been that so many farm CEOs who read my “Smart Farm Business Marketing Ideas” articles keep calling me to ask if I can help them put them to use.

Most times I’ve simply replied that they try doing the needed thinking to make successful use of them – giving them additional tips on phone.

But then a few days ago I discovered the above email, that I surprisingly missed when it came into my Facebook message in box on February 5th 2012 – 2 years ago!

In fact, the same day I saw that email, I discovered 7 others which I also somehow NEVER saw when they arrived – during the past 18 months or so!

And they were from enquirers about my various products and services – from within and outside Nigeria.

What even made this more strange, was the fact that the messages ONLY appear when I check my messages in Facebook from my Blackberry.

Even now, when I check from my laptop, NOT one of them is visible! (If anyone has any clue as to why this happens email me via tayo at tksola dot com – I’d LOVE to know)

Anyway, feeling guilty, I decided to call the gentleman whose email appears above, because he included a phone number (I’ll respond to the others later on).

After I’d introduced myself, he told me he’d been unable to find enough buyers to offload his farm output, and not hearing from me, had decided to suspend his farm operations.

I then asked if he would be willing to resume operations if he could gain access to a reliable action plan for attracting profitable buyers for his products.

He responded in the affirmative.

Apart from his response, my review of marketing challenges faced by poultry farm business owners in some other African nations, also made me resolve to create my “Sales & Marketing Coaching Program for Farm Business CEOs”.

For instance, an article published in the Vanguard newspaper, a few days ago, had this title:

Nigeria: Plateau Poultry Farmers Cry Over Excess Harvest of Eggs (click to read).

In it, we are told the farmers asked the CEO of Grand Cereal and Oil Mills Ltd, producers of Vital feeds, to help them out by mopping up the excess eggs they were stuck with as a result of a glut currently being experienced.

For me, that request was not practical, since Grand Cereals is NOT an NGO, and the CEO needs to ensure spending done yields useful benefits, especially profits to the company. Buying more eggs than they have need for will therefore not really make sense.

Not surprisingly, the CEO advised the farmers to work towards marketing their products more effectively, even as he promised to help out a bit, by purchasing eggs for delivery to schools, as a public service of sorts.

Out of curiosity, I called up a new client who recently bought my Poultry Farm Manager software for use on his farm in Jos, Plateau state.

I asked him if the news about the glut of poultry eggs was true. He confirmed that it was.

When I told him about the service I plan to offer to help farmers facing such a challenge, he promptly told me he would be interested.

That’s what convinced me this would be a good thing to do. My clients very often tell me what new product or service to develop, that will interest them. And this particular challenge was one that I’d actually forseen that I would have to help out with. In fact, I recently published a fictional story about a Farm Business couple (click now) as a basis for sharing my insights on what can be done.

And I always listen!

If you’d like to learn how you can access this DVD program, and the optional support service I offer with it, click here to send me a message now.

PS: Related Article

Story: After Resolving Layers Feeding Problems, Selling Increased Eggs Output Became a Headache

Insights from BBC’s “Doing Business in Nigeria” article, vs New Income Opportunities I see for Farm Business Owners

The BBC’s “Doing business in Nigeria” article linked below, went live yesterday, and is trending ferociously.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27081948.

Isn’t it amazing that a newspaper outfit run by a Pulitzer prize winning journalist could have failed in Nigeria, as described in the article?

That reminds me of Richard Branson’s Virgin Nigeria airline partnership that failed in Nigeria few years back, and Branson’s very unflattering comments about how institutionalized corruption killed the venture!

Kudos to the Article’s Author (Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani), and the BBC!

For me, I think it’s great that more people are now willing to write the truth about what it’s really like trying to run an honest and upright business in Nigeria.

All these years I’ve written about clients who literally attacked me for trying to do things right.

Many told me I could not make it in Nigeria. And some went out their way to make sure I did not.

Like I’ve explained in past articles, it got to a point that the Attorney General’s office assigned me a lawyer to respond to a phony petition by an abusive client who wanted to make me work without paying my fees.

That incident, followed by some others, coupled with a confrontation with the local branch of the power company, about bloated bills, made me relocate to Benin Republic

Now, with articles like this, fewer people in their right minds can accuse me of being unpatriotic, or of exaggerating the problem in Nigeria.

In relation to my part-time marketing of high profile solutions like Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking mentoring products and services(as sole agent in Africa), my deep understanding of the “psychology” of Nigerians – as illustrated in the article – is what convinces me VERY few of them with financial means will be prepared to purchase them.

The environment they live and work in operates on completely different rules, compared to the rest of the normal world.

The truth is years of exposure has trained the Nigerian majority to accept most of the absurdities as normal, just like the author noted.

Over a decade of personal experience as an entrepreneur in Nigeria, convince me this is true.

What’s more, some of the comments posted under the BBC article readily add credence to my above assertion, about the uniquely warped “reasoning” that Nigerians in Nigeria employ in doing business locally.

That’s why businesses with contrarian philosophies and strategies end up being stifled to “death” in this country.

Only groups like high profile farm industry players I work with can be influenced to adopt solutions like Burt Dubin’s and those I offer.

Farm businesses cannot flourish with corner cutting, mismanagement or disregard for best practices that occurs in some other industries.

Their owners know that, and that’s why over 80% of orders for my Cost-Saving Farm Business products and services are placed remotely/online by CEOs of farms across Nigeria!

But I see more income earning opportunities most of them do not know are available to them…

There are, for instance, many agricultural conferences and other learning events held across the world that they can aim to serve as experts-who-speak.

The thing is that most don’t know it yet. So I aim to show them, so they can see how the public speaking products and services I promote can help them.

Apart from groups like the above, my focus will also
be on experts in other parts of Africa and beyond, where normalcy still exists.

That’s why I’ll soon be moving to another West African country, after I return to Cotonou – in line with my goals as a Location Independent Multipreneur.

Succeeding In spite of Poverty (3 Tips You Can Use)

FACT: I never experienced poverty as a child. But as a startup entrepreneur, I’ve suffered such severe lack of money, that my parents and siblings had to help with paying my rent, kids’ school fees etc!

Now, no offense to the reader, but if you’ve never experienced SEVERE lack of money, for prolonged periods(read: years!), you’re not likely to understand that it can damage a person’s self esteem and confidence, if s/he is not careful.

Especially when you’re unable to provide for your dependants.

I’m here today because I used my poverty to CHALLENGE myself to succeed, by diligently creating value adding solutions for clients.

NB: The above is easier said than done. Also, it is noteworthy that living and working in Nigeria made it much worse, for me than it would have been elsewhere

My exciting series of achievements since relocating to Benin Republic a year ago, prove the foregoing statement accurate.

So, if you’re outside Nigeria working as an entrepreneur, believe me when I say you may be much better off than you would be, if you were based in Nigeria.

Here’s why I succeed today:

All the times things were really bad for me (and it was – as James R. Cook said – often in peaks and troughs) – I followed Jim Rohn’s advice.

Mr. Rohn, was a very wise man.

He said “Do NOT to bring your need to the market place”.

In other words, keep your problems to yourself. Go out and offer your solutions to your target audience, so they can give you what you need e.g money – to solve your problems.

Many people think if they don’t have, they need to tell prospects they approach that they don’t.

Big mistake.

Like I told a young Facebook friend – Charles Adeyemi – my life is an open book. So I have no secrets.

But that is no reason to go around telling a potential client my problems.

Simply put, my finances are not his/her business. What I owe him/her is a solution to any need s/he has!

If you want to win high paying clients on a regular basis, I recommend keeping the following points in mind at all times:

1. A potential client does not want to know your money problems

Therefore, announcing them to make him/her feel sorry for you, will NOT inspire his/her confidence in your ability to solve any problem s/he has.

If anything, the opposite effect is what will be achieved!

In other words, a person thinking of paying you to do a job will likely develop cold feet, if you start recounting your financial problems. S/he may reason that your problems may keep you from doing a good job. Or that you could even divert his/her money to meet your needs at his/her expense!

2. Your not having money does not diminish the value you can add to others, that they would gladly pay for.

Indeed your knowledge and skill are not determined by the money in your bank account or pockets.

No matter how hungry you feel from being unable to eat due to lack of money, the other person will not know it unless you tell him or her.

And why would you want to do that?

How does it serve your purpose as an entrepreneur, to short change yourself in that manner?

Many people who make this mistake think they’ll get favours by telling their prospects how bad things are, so the latter can feel sorry for them.

Sadly, that only weakens their negotiating power. And that’s why they often fail!

3. Even if the prospect you tell your problems decides to hire you or buy from you, there’s a good chance a naughty one will take advantage of such inside information you reveal to cheat you.

Knowing how “needy” you have made yourself out to be, they would simply apply psychological pressure on you to make you accept unprofitable payments from them.

I’ve seen this happen too many times. That’s when a consultant agrees to implement a client project at rates that leave him with little or no profits.

S/he will rationalize that half-bread is better than none.

Once again: Big mistake.

This is where I’m different.

Prospects/potential clients with a habit of cheating those who work for them, have often found me a hard nut to crack…

This is because I am not afflicted with the above kind of mentality.

This is not an attempt at bragging or self-glorification.

But the truth is that my wife, kids, and parents/siblings can attest to the fact that in my darkest hours as an entrepreneuer, after falling flat on my face, I repeatedly pulled myself back up, to win high paying income projects, by doing the opposite.

I have negotiated and won projects paying N150,000 to N350,000 with empty pockets. And 95% of the time I got paid 100% in advance.

This attitude of mine, is why I’ve achieved the success I enjoy today.

I refuse to let my personal circumstances dictate the level of confidence with which I offer my solutions to potential buyers.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve done it.

Like I tell those close to me, it is virtually impossible for a prospect or client to tell whether or not I “need” money when discussing paying for my products or serbices. I do not negotitate based on fear or need.

Regardless of my circumstances, I learnt from painful past experience to focus on the value I can deliver to the buyer.

That’s why I offer the above insights into where I’ve been. But I only offer full details in my talks and learning events.

EXAMPLE: The day I got paid an open cheque for N200K 100% in advance, to add a billing system to a client’s hotel software, I barely had enough fuel in my car, to get me to the premises of the hotel client!

Yet, when the client asked me to drop my fees, I refused, and confidently told him if he did not want to pay it, I would rather not take the job.

Many times in the past, that attitude had made potentially exploitative prospects tell me “You will not get clients with this your refusal to be flexible. You must know your customer will always be right”.

And I always responded by telling them I was very clear in my mind about the kind of clients I wanted.

That I knew the benefit such clients would get from using my solutions. And that THAT knowledge was what informed my pricing, and that it also determined how far I was willing to lower my fees.

Then I would end by stating that if my fees, and terms were not acceptable to them, we could agree to disagree, and part amicably.

Painful past experience from giving in has taught me it’s better to be idle, than to take on poor paying projects on terms not favourable to me.

It’s interesting when you know what you want, and you have the courage to confidently state it to those you wish to serve. What happens over time is that more of the kind of people you want to work with get attracted to you.

And most incompatible prospects will naturally be repelled. It’s a law of nature.

However, for it to work for you, it is essential that you adopt the right mental attitude described in this article.

If you do that, you’ll find that even when you have no money, you WILL be able to negotiate successfully, and win high paying proejcts with clients of your choice, thereby turning your circumstances around.

This is a lesson many true entrepreneurs learn, that enables them achieve long term success.

They realise that the road to success will not be a straight one, and that there will be many peaks and troughs (success and failure respectively) for years, before things stabilize.

This tells them that adopting a mindset that can enable them competently function even during the “troughs” of failure, is the key to their ultimate success.

Now that you’ve read this article, I urge you to apply the wisdom it contains to succeed inspite of your poverty!

Related Article:

How Exposure To Poverty & Trial-By-Fire Can Be Deliberately Used To Prepare People To Succeed

 

No. 138: Use Constant Innovation to Achieve Authority Status

Over the past decade, my ability to constantly innovate, has earned me massive name recognition I use to successfully attract buyers worldwide.

In this writeup, I explain why/how any willing expert, in any field, can succeed the same way.
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Click now to view the latest issue of Tayo Solagbade's Public Speaking IDEAS page

Publication: Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Newsletter

Date: Monday21st April 2014

No:138

Title: Use Constant Innovation to Achieve Authority Status

Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [Tel: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) ]

Blog URL: http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/blog

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Archive (Blog version started 24th September 2011): Click here


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No. 138: Use Constant Innovation to Achieve Authority Status

Over the past decade, my ability to constantly innovate, has earned me massive name recognition I use to successfully attract buyers worldwide.

In this writeup, I explain why/how any willing expert, in any field, can succeed the same way.

First, You Must Understand the Difference between Inventing and Innovating

I read about this on a website managed by UNESCO sometime ago…

When you invent a thing, it means you’ve created something that did not exist before in any form.

That’s why people take out patents on their inventions.

On the other hand, innovation typically involves looking at what has been invented (conceived), and which therefore already exists, then making creative changes to it, to achieve a useful outcome.

It could be an idea, it could be an activity or a process.

You would look at it from a different perspective, and consider different ways of doing it, using it, or thinking about it.

And then you would come up with something, which more often than not, is an improved version of what previously existed.

Now, you will find out that when people invent, it often takes a while before whatever is invented becomes useful in a manner worth investing in by others.

More often than not, a lot of imperfections in the invention will first need to be cleaned out, tidied up.

That’s why other people often have to improve on it, before it can be put to general use.

The above happened with the Fax machine, for instance, when it was first invented.

To achieve your goals as an expert in your field, you don’t want to go around trying to invent things all the time.

That’s because it will often take too long to become ready for mass production, distribution and adoption by people. And you may not be around by the time it gets accepted!

Instead, what you could do is make intelligent modification to the invention, or whatever other concept.

In other words, you would innovate, based on the invention, in a potentially limitless number of ways.

“Constant Innovation” is What I’ve Done Over the Past Decade, and What I Continue to Do Today In My Work

Every single day I try to think of newer and better ways to do what I do. Ways that people have not thought of, but which I am able to conceive.

And the ideas I get, I often put into immediate use.  I don’t waste time.

I’ve had countless conversations with prospect/clients within and outside Africa, who express what I personally consider shockingly high level of confidence in my abilities.

On several occasions, some have used a particular word in referring to me: audacity.

Basically, this is because I announce I’m going to do something new to take my work to the next level.

Then I go right out to achieve that new goal.

I don’t ask permission or seek support or approval.

Very often, I just look at what exists, what had been done, and creatively make changes.

That is the key to succeeding in business or life through constant innovation.

You make changes to what people already do or know, in a manner that produces additional value to people, processes, and/or to yourself.

NEW: Practical Livestock Feed Formulation (& Compounding) Home Study Pack

TayoFFHomeStudy-OneSheet

Being Constantly Innovative Will Add Newer Useful Dimensions To What You Offer

When you innovate relentlessly, someone who saw you – say  last month – will likely be surprised when s/he comes across your stuff this month.

That’s because you would have added another “layer” to what you offer.

In other words, you will consistently renew yourself. As a result, potential buyers will see the range of solutions you can deliver to them increasing in VOLUME, in VALUE and in DEPTH.

They will literally find it impossible to say they’ve seen all you have to offer i.e. you’ll never get stale!

And that will make them label you an unrivalled authority on your subject/in your field.

So a meeting planner (e.g. President of a Poultry Farmers Association) will conclude they need to buy your products/services, and/or hire you to speak to their members, to get useful value for their money.

They will feel this way because you will have a mass of useful value adding products and services (in dispersed different forms, via different channels) that put ahead of all other supposed competitors.

But if you don’t consistently innovate, you will not be able to create that kind of impression, or build such an image in the minds of potential buyers of your solutions.

Why Many (Farm) Business Owners Make LESS Money, Than They Are Capable of Making

Now, as I’ve said in many past articles on this website, 80% of the time, my attention is focussed on my primary target audience i.e. farm business owners.

It is my considered opinion, that many (farm) businesses don’t make as much money/achieve as much success as they can, is because they are too rigid in their thinking. They are too traditional in their focus.

They think they have to be like others.

I say this based on years of closely relating with – and observing – many of them as they do their work.

The truth is you DO NOT have to be like other (farm) business owners. Every (farm) business is unique. No two can ever be exactly alike. Same applies to the owners!

Final Words: You Can Generate Multiple Streams of EXTRA Income By Innovating Constantly

And that can happen in a matter of days from today – if you’re serious. All you need do is to add “Constant Innovation” to your business promotion arsenal.

Email tayo at tksola dot com if you want details…

I often tell my Farm CEO clients, that despite not being a farm business owner, I generate good income (mostly passive) by marketing a growing range of products and services to farm industry stakeholders.

And that includes policy makers, consultants, farm support specialists (like extension agents), as well as farm business owners and even their employees.

The solutions I create are designed to meet the needs I carefully identify they have.

So, they naturally come calling. And that’s what makes me succeed.

If I can do that, as one who does not run a farm business (at least while I’ve yet to open my best practice farm advisory services centre), then ANYONE who owns a farm (or other) business can do even better!

*************

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So, with with diligent persistent application of what you learn you’ll start (as Burt says)…”bringing home high speaking fees”…whether you speak or not…in a matter of weeks….

Sooner than later you’ll find you’re ready to go for Burt’s mentoring at Diamond or higher Inner Circle membership level.

The best part is: every cent of your fee to purchase this product counts toward your membership in Burt’s Inner Circle.

In other words, you effectively get to eat your cake and still have it!

CLICK HERE to get full details of what it takes to make yourself a true speaking business champion in Burt’s Boot Camp V: Inside Speaking Business Success Secrets

*************

Have a great week :-))

Get Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring
for Africa Based Experts
(PDF…Click!)

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

*Sole Agent For Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Service In Africa

Mobile: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic)

http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com

Self-Development/Performance Enhancement SpecialistTayo Solagbade – works as a multipreneurial freelance writer providing  zero risk article and report writing support for website owners, while travelling slowly across West Africa as a Location Independent Multipreneur.

He’s presently based in Benin Republic, where he’s preparing an English-French Language Guide, City Travel Guides, and a Commercial Rabbit Farming Guide.

He earns multiple streams of income providing clients with performance improvement training/coaching, custom MS Excel-VB solutions, web marketing systems, freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners).

In a previous life, before leaving to become self-employed, Tayo served for seven years as a high performing manager in Guinness Nigeria. He rose from Shift Brewer, to Training & Technical Development Manager, then later acted in senior management roles as Production Manager and Technical Manager.

When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Self-Development Nuggets™ blog, and Public Speaking IDEAS newsletter (which he publishes to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring service to experts working across the African continent).

For a limited time, Tayo is available to speak to your group or organization for a moderate fee. Send e-mail to tayo at tksola dot com. You can also visit www.tksola.com to learn more.

Connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook.

==================

View Tayo Solagbade's video tutorials and demonstrations on Facebook Productivity Tips, Web Marketing, and for his Custom MS Excel-VB driven software applicationsJoin the SD Nuggets community on Facebook.comConnect with Tayo on Twitter.comConnect with Tayo on Google Plus

 

Useful Resources for Speakers

Burt Dubin works with people who want to be speakers, and with speakers who want to be masters.

Burt Dubin works with people who want to be speakers, and with speakers who want to be masters. Click here to visit his website NOW and submit a contact form message telling him what challenges you’re facing, and how you’d like him to help you. Tell him I sent you, and you’ll get a pleasant surprise offer from him.

Burt Dubin’s monthly Speaking Biz Strategies Letter [Signup & get a 7-Part Email Course on “How To Succeed And Get Paid As A Professional Speaker“]

Get Burt’s mentoring at any of the 3 levels below:

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Publications

On Being a Master (PDF)...A Gift from Burt Dubin - Click now!

Burt Dubin’s latest book: “On Being a Master

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Showmanship Strategems

177 Wow! Wow!

Showmanship Stratagems

Discover these secrets of making your programs more interesting and valuable to your clients and audiences now.

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Burt Dubin live

Burt’s Flagship Album

This is the product to own if you can own only one. Why? Because in it you discover principles of platform mastership available to you nowhere else at any price.

You hear performance strategies you can emulate. You shorten your learning curve. You see ways to engage and delight audiences with both content and stories . . . plus you experience a bit of fun.

With its Money back if not delighted Guarantee hardly any are returned.

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Presentation Magic - Speaking Business Success

Presentation Magic

A live example, including a complete audio recording of a program Burt created from scratch–on a topic he knew nothing about and never, ever presented before! See how you, guided by your personal Learning Guide, (Presentation Magic), can do this too and thrill audiences as often as you want.

Presentation Magic Manual with new pages added plus 3 audio CDs.

more information

ProgramManual

How To Create a Great Program Manual

Discover how you can produce a precious memento of you and your program. Capture over 44 model pages you can easily adapt for your use. Engage proven principles that add value to the experience of sitting at your feet and learning from you.

This is a reprise of the historic presentation that launched the Speaking Success System.

No copy of this 2 CD program and 50 page Learning Guide has ever been returned.

more information


 

Smart Exercising Will Keep You Fit, Healthy and Alive - Click to read
Click to read article titled: 'Smart Exercising Will Keep You Fit, Healthy and Alive'...and ONE other. Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist - Tayo Solagbade - works as a multipreneurial freelance writer providing zero risk article and report writing support for website owners, while travelling slowly across West Africa as a Location Independent Multipreneur. 

 

Using MS Excel® Solver for Least Cost Feed Formulation Can Be Easy - But Also Dangerous (How to Protect Yourself) - Click to downloadDownload above PDF

NEW PDF - 10 Frequently Asked Questions About Feed FormulationDownload above PDF

THEY WROTE…


“(Tayo Solagbade) is amazing and I think he is going to produce some impressive results online…” – click here to read full comment by Patrick Meninga (US based 6 figure income blogger who gained fame for building a $2,000 per month adsense website and selling it for $200,000).

—————————–

“Tayo, I honestly believe you are one of those who will succeed at anything he does. Your commitment and effort has been outstanding….Thanks for all your hard work since I’ve been here – you will be sorely missed. I don’t need to wish you good luck, you have the ability to make your own luck. – Andy”(R. Jones)*

*Operations Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc Benin Brewery, December 2001 (Handwritten comments in farewell/xmas cards sent to Tayo Solagbade following his resignation to start his own business).

———————–

Click here to contact Tayo… 

SD Nuggets Blog

New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking[Tuesday]:

Entrepreneurship[Tuesday]:

Self-Development [Wednesday]:

Career Development [Thursday]:

Parenting/Travel [Friday]:

Writing/Blogging [Saturday]:

Want me to write for you? Click here…

 

Achieve Guaranteed Farm Business Success (2 Offers)

Here’s a recent phone SMS from a prospect (edited for clarity): "Tayo, good evening. I read your article online – Producing Good Catfish Is Important (But Finding Good Buyers Is Imperative).Thank you for such insight. I want to start a catfish farm business from scratch as a business. Please any helpful information to get me started? I have never attended any seminar whatsoever. What’s your advice? God bless. Edwin."

Photo - Screenshot of a recent phone SMS from a prospect (edited for clarity) read: Tayo, good evening. I read your article online - Producing Good Catfish Is Important (But Finding Good Buyers Is Imperative).Thank you for such insight. I want to start a catfish farm business from scratch as a business. Please any helpful information to get me started? I have never attended any seminar whatsoever. What's your advice? God bless. Edwin.

This article is based on excerpts from the response I eventually sent to the enquirer.

Like I told him, more people are reaching out to me for help with along similar lines.

I’m however a VERY results focussed person. 12 solid years of experience have taught me to screen out time wasters. This is so as to devote my scarce time resource and expertise to serious minded enquirers.

So, about a year ago, I began to respond with the 2 option offer described below.

If you’re looking to connect with me in the same manner as Edwin, to gain access to my experience based knowledge, insights and expertise, what follows below will interest you.

With my help, and support, you can significantly boost your chances of farm business startup, and management success.

1. A One-Off Needs Analysis/Consulting Service

This requires a N10k payment, 100% in advance – for a ONE hour session. I will send you a questionnaire that you will complete and return to me.

Then we will speak on phone for 30 minutes to one hour, during which I will discuss your questions and answers with you, and also give you tips, insights, information, education and suggestions you can use.

Any questions I am unable to answer, I will research and get back to you on.

24 to 48 hours after the interview session, I will send you a formal PDF report based on my review of our discussion, in conjunction with the responses you give in the questionnaire.

The PDF I send you will be written like an Action Plan you can follow, with modifications where you want, to implement your project’s plan.

2. A Monthly Needs Analysis/Consulting & Support Service

This requires a N25k payment, 100% in advance.

Basically, you signup for a month of access to me.

We will do EVERYTHING mentioned in 1. above.

But it will not be limited to ONE session.

Instead, it will be a month long relationship in which you will be able to ask me questions and get answers you want. (Terms apply).

The PDF report I send you AFTER the Needs Analysis session, will be written like an Action Plan you can follow, with modifications where you want, to implement your project’s plan.

As you implement the plan, you will still have access to me, to discuss your progress and review your plan implementation process.

I will also offer you information (including reports and guides) that I have access to, which will help you achieve your intended goals.

Where appropriate, I will link you with contacts I have, towards implementing any plans we discuss and agree upon.

If You Make Payment, You Also Get My Ration Formulator Software

If you choose EITHER of the 2 options outlined above, and make payment, you WILL get a fully functional and personalized copy of my popular Excel-VB driven Ration Formulator software – which normally sells for N12, 500.

In addition, you will also become a member of my Farm Biz Ideas club, And by making that purchase, you will get a 40% lifetime discount concession on any of my other products and services (excluding my Feed Formulation Handbook and Software).

See sales page for the Ration Formulator at:
http://iff.spontaneousdevelopment.com/wp/feed-formulation/

Final Words: Invest in Best Practice Support for Your Farm Business to Boost Your Chances of Success

As is stated on my website, I am a Performance Improvement Specialist, with a bias for Farm Research & Extension Advisory Services provision.

What I therefore offer are products/services aimed at helping farm biz owners (and those aspiring) adopt simple, practical and cost-effective systems for starting up or managing their farm businesses at LOWER COSTS, and with LESSER EFFORT.

This will enable them enjoy INCREASING financial and other returns with PEACE OF MIND & EASE for the long term.

If that sounds like a BENEFIT you want to have, contact me with details of which of the 2 options outlined above, you would like to work with me on.

Related : Key Products & Services I Offer

1. Excel-VB Driven Feed Formulation Handbook and Ration Formulator Software

2. Excel-VB Driven Poultry Farm Manager

3. Feed Formulation Home Study Video Series/Package

4. Excel-VB Driven Payslip Generator

5. Order a Best Operating Process Management System (BOPMS)™ For Your Farm Business

6. Order A Business Plan(Or Feasibilty Report) For Your Farm Business

7. Custom On-Demand Cost-Saving Farm Ideas™ Workshops

8. Customizable Low Cost Excel Software Development Service for Individuals and Businesses

NB: Purchasing one or more of 1 to 4 above makes you a member of my Farm Biz Ideas club – that comes with a lifetime 40% discount on ALL my products and services(i.e. except the Ration Formulator and Feed Formulation Handbook).