Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, What Happened to SpontaneousDevelopmentDotCom ?, Writing/Blogging

Back Good Quality Website Content With Delivery of Value Promised, to Achieve Web Marketing Success (Special Offer: Buy My Ration Formulator Software, and get my Poultry Farm Manager Software FREE)

July 19, 2014 Tayo Solagbade 2 Comments

Just like I’ve said in recent articles, the loss of my 9 year old spontaneousdevelopment.com on 4th May 2014, has not limited my online sales lead generation via my tayosolagbade.com, which replaced it. The number of enquiries has risen to the extent that my Website Conversion Ratio has actually INCREASED. This means that I’m actually getting MORE people contacting me about what I offer per traffic volume, than I used to.

NB: If you don’t know what a Website Conversion Ratio(WCR), or how to calculate it, click here to read an article I wrote in 2005, that explains (Note that my byline at the bottom of the article is yet to be updated to tayosolagbade.com. So you’ll find it still links to spontaneousdevlopment.com – which got taken over by Aplus.net in May 2014. Click here to learn why/how it happened.

But how come I’m getting a higher rate of Website Conversion after losing my domain?

Here’s my experience based understanding. And I’ve taken time to study this via trends, to be sure.

You see, the 9 year old domain had been around quite a while. So a lot of my syndicated articles all over the web, on 3rd party websites have by-lines at the end linking back to it.

That was responsible (in part) for thousands of visits I got daily. The other factor was the RSS feeds driven traffic I was getting.

But with the loss of that domain, tayosolagbade.com which is just a year and some months old does not have many such back links to feed off of. As such, my major source of traffic has tended to be RSS feeds, articles marketing and social media.

Now, what I have not openly made known is that I took the opportunity of the domain name loss to refocus my online efforts.

And this time around, I’ve used my years of experience to pitch my offers more directly to Farm CEOs. But I still offer to work with those in other industries as well (like the private university and a startup consultancy I’m about finishing web development projects for here in Cotonou).

So when you visit www.tayosolagbade.com (and this blog as well), you will notice the clear statements I make about my primary target audience.

Then I went to my Youtube video channel, and updated all the descriptive content to reflect the new development. Plus, I’ve begun putting up educational videos (on sales and marketing) for farm business owners, alongside the software product demos already present.

In addition, I’ve focussed a lot of writing more blog posts with deliberate slant towards farm businesses.

Whatever blog category I write on, I deliberately try to use examples related directly or indirectly to farm businesses, as often as possible.

This way, MORE of such people who encounter my work online are getting drawn in, more often than was the case with the old domain name.

And that is why I keep getting enquires via email, phone and social media – in addition to those that come via the website.

Over the past 10 days for instance, I have taken a call from a farm CEO from Uyo, and responded to an email from one in Uganda. Both are poultry farmers, and both were interested in my Poultry Farm Manager app.

Below: Screenshot of website contact form enquiry from a Farm CEO based in Uganda – received on the 15th of this month (July 2014)…3 days ago

Below: Video Demo of My EXCEL-VB DRIVEN POULTRY LAYER FARM MANAGER

This afternoon, an enquiry came in via my website contact from a Farm CEO based in Rivers State in Nigeria.

The individual had initially filled/submitted the 2 field form to access the free downloads on my website. Then he’d gotten the auto response which contained a link to a detailed web form, to request for a demo of my Ration Formulator.

However, he wanted the Poultry Farm Manager. So, he filled the form and sent it to me, asking for a demo of that app to be sent to him.

Within seconds of getting it, I decided to call him up – because of an entry in his submission which made me quite curious.

See the screenshot below – note the circled entry field.

Below: Screenshot of website contact form enquiry from a Farm CEO based in Rivers State, Nigeria – received this afternoon (19th July 2014)

I was surprised that he wrote that he’d found out about me/my website from www.africanbusinesscommunities.com. This was because I knew all my guest posts/articles accepted for publication on that website still had my by-lines at the bottom linking to my old domain. So it was not possible for him/her to have used that to get to my new domain name.

I knew it was likely he’d “Googled” to find me. But I expected that he should have said that, if he’d done so, rather than mention the 3rd party website.

So, I wanted to ask him and hear him respond, just to be sure.

You see, I’ve been getting software developers sending enquiries to get access to “demos” from me, using all sorts of aliases. And they’ve been coming from within and outside Africa (especially India).

Their motives I cannot be sure of. However, I do not like to have my time wasted.

That’s why I make a point of calling to speak with each person just to be sure s/he is a serious farm business owner looking for a solution. I want to help farm CEOs – not make myself open to being used and dumped (which has happened before).

First time I called, he did not pick up.

So I sent him an email stating that I needed to speak with him, and asking that he let me know when I could call.

Below: Screenshot of my email reply to the website contact form enquiry from a Farm CEO based in Rivers State, Nigeria

Within a few minutes, he replied. I then called again and spoke with him.

Our conversation was brief. I explained that I offer a demo only of my Ration Formulator, which has been on sale since 2004. He then asked me to send details of the mini version I told him could be had at a lower fee.

I also got answers to my questions. He told me he’d first discovered me at africanbusinesscommunities.com and then decided to Google for details about me. If you do that, tayosolagbade.com comes up in the first page of results. So, that was how he found me.

The above account confirms what I’ve always said that when people want something badly enough, they will go out of their way to get it.

That conversation however inspired me to write this article…and to launch a special offer that will remain open to ANYONE willing to take it up(see at the bottom of this post).

My reason for doing this is that, from speaking with this latest Farm CEO from Rivers State, I could feel he was serious about making a buy.

He noted that my video demo on Youtube was impressive, but that it was not enough to make a decision.

My experiences however indicate lack of a demo WILL NOT stop people who are READY, from buying…

And I have over 7 years of proof to back up that claim.

For instance, I only began to offer demos of my Ration Formulator in May 2014 (2 months ago).

Yet, I’ve been selling it since 2004 (offline), then in 2006 I put up my You tube video demo and began selling it online!

Below: Video Demo of my Excel-VB Driven Ration Formulator – Computing 30% Protein Content Feed Formula – Excel-VB Ration Formulator

Click here to watch additional demonstration videos of my Ration Formulator, and also get details of my popular Feed Formulation Handbook.

And I have since had buyers from all across Nigeria (no exaggeration) who today are friends on Facebook, and speak with me on phone like we’re old friends. Some have been subscribers to my mailing list for over 5 years.

That’s not all. I have also had buyers from outside Nigeria – like Tanzania, and as far as Canada…who also NEVER asked for a demo!

All of these people took the decision to buy from me without getting (or even asking for) a demo of the app.

Indeed, many have NEVER met with me in the flesh till this very moment.

One such buyer who simply did a bank transfer online to my account, is a Nigerian based in Saudi Arabia, who owns a Feed Mill and Farm in a Northern State in Nigeria.

He was in Nigeria for a few days, came across my Ration Formulator’s Youtube video, and simply wrote me an email asking for payment details.

I sent him the details, and less than an hour later, I got an email alert announcing the transfer from him!

So many have happened like that.

And after the payment, they ALL got the product (via email), and we discussed further via phone, email etc.

Incidentally, in recent times, I’ve even had some buyers send additional payment, to cover the extra expense of having me send the products physically to them via courier (Fedex and DHL, so far) on CD/DVD.

After getting the products, some of them have requested that I help them find reliable hands to hire to manager their farms, or locate suppliers of bags for feed, or laboratories where feed ingredient analyses can be done etc.

I share the above details to indicate to the reader that I aim to build LASTING RELATIONSHIPS with my buyers.

So, when this prospective buyer said the video demo for my Poultry Farm Manager was not enough to take a decision, I knew he belonged to a minority.

However, because I’d gotten an impression that he was sincere, I decided to come up with an offer to help MORE people like him take the leap of faith to buy.

And that new offer is what I now end this article with.

If you, or anyone you know, are thinking of getting my Poultry Farm Manager app, this offer is one you want to take up – while it lasts.

Starting today, I offer a FREE (customized) copy of the mini version of the Poultry Farm Manager app, to any Farm CEO who makes payment for 1, 2 and 3 listed below:

1. My Feed Formulation Handbook (N8k)

2. My ExcelVB driven Ration Formulator Software (N12.5k) View 2013 upgrade version here

3. One year of web hosting/domain registration (N7.5k) – view my webhosting service website here.

NB: Using item 3, I will build – at zero cost – a 5 page powerful Joomla based website for the CEO’s farm. This website will be specially designed to be updateable by even a web novice. And I’ll send the CEO a PDF userguide on how to manage/update the site as well.

Adding 1 to 3 gives N28k (Twenty Eight Thousand Naira)

That means, all an interested Farm CEO has to do is pay N28k, to me, and s/he’ll get the mini version of my Poultry Farm Manager (N25k value) as a 100% FREE bonus, in addition to 1, 2 and 3 outlined above.

And I will provide zero cost support in addition to supplying a detailed PDF user guide.

Note however, that this offer is only open to real life farm owners…NOT to persons “planning” to start, but persons ALREADY running their own farm businesses.

Interested? Click here to get in touch with me…

My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Self-Development

What Do YOU Tell YOUR Child About Rampant Wrong Doing S/he Sees In Society?

July 18, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

I call it the 21st century parenting dilemma. How do you convince your child to accept that stealing, cheating or lying for instance are “bad”, when s/he often sees them happening routinely? This ranges from adults s/he sees (or hears) about in public office diverting state funds, to sports persons found guilty of doping, as well as musicians who steal other people’s songs…and lecturers who plagiarize (or sexually harass) students they are supervising.

But that’s just one dimension of the problem...

How do you explain to the child, why most of those who do such bad things, even when found out, rarely pay any serious price for it in the long run?

In past articles, I’ve written about the rampant examinations malpractice palaver in Nigeria.

It started as a small flame. Today, it’s burning like a wild fire. Indeed it is a pandemic of sorts!

True Story: Way back in 1993, I served in Niger State’s Gulu Vatsa village during my NYSC service year.

One day, I was outraged to hear the students tell me (while taking them extra classes in Agriculture, Maths and Physics), that I was stressing myself needlessly.

When I asked what they meant, they told me I would be in the exam hall to read out the answers to them. So why not wait till then, they asked…like it was the most normal thing in the world!

To them, it was only fair that I did that. After all, I was their teacher. I would be “wicked” to “let them fail” they added.

Amazing. These kids had no idea that what they were asking for was wrong!

I told them that was not possible, and they all laughed at me. So, during the exams, I made a point of staying away from the halls.

But one day, as I walked past one of the halls, I heard the head teacher as he called out “No1: A”, No. 2: C” etc, while walking up and down the exams hall!

As it turned out, I was the uninitiated.

The head teachershad apparently known what the practice was, because he was one of those who made it happen!

That explained his casual response when I’d complained to him that the students suggested I would be reading out answers to them

He must have thought to himself: “Who is this funny youth corper guy. Does he not realize that when you’re in Rome, you have to act like the Romans?”

I recall returning to Lagos, and penning a long article describing what I experienced in that school. Then I submitted it in a large envelope addressed to the Editor of The Guardian Newspapers.

I even included a passionate cover letter. In it I challenged the editor to consider the damage that would happen to the educational system, if that practice was allowed to continue.

Not a word of response came back to me from The Guardian, or the Editor.

Later on, it became obvious that I was the one who was not in touch with reality, when I told one of my sisters about my letter and its contents.

She also basically laughed in my face. Then she told me worse things were happening in Lagos. At the time, she had just taken the exams, if I recall correctly. And she told me stories that left me dumbfounded.

That damage to the educational system I worried about has now gone much farther that I thought possible!

Today, those students who “passed” exams using that crooked approach back when I was a youth corper, are NOW parents of their own kids.

And not surprisingly, they are openly and actively collaborating with invigilators, to do the same thing for their kids.

Sadly, the older generation who could have stopped it, have allowed themselves to be compromised.

They do this either by accepting some form of gratification (cash or kind e.g. sexual favours) or by getting themselves into situations in which they can be blackmailed into agreeing to anything.

Not all, but quite an unhealthy majority, of the older generation, are implicated in this manner. As for the rest of the “oldies”, they’ve chosen to either stay silent or look the other way.

And lest we get it mixed up, this is NOT limited to Nigeria (even though it happens there in alarming extremes!). Instead, we are experiencing this wave of sharp drops in morals and values right across the world.

Just look at what sells on TV for instance today.

More events being sponsored today often promote nudity, and sexual indiscretion. Less effort is made to develop programmes to repair the social fabric.

That’s why our young people pay less attention to adults who tell them not to copy dressing styles of celebrities who go almost naked.

Religion, which used to be a means of passing moral instruction, now has religious leaders condoning what they used to rebuke.

As a matter of fact, some religious leaders, in increasing numbers it would appear, are even getting caught in acts of indiscretion.

For most of those engaged in the naughty acts described above, they had to adopt deception, and insincerity as a way of life to do them.

By so doing, they lost the moral courage to correct others – whether young or old.

Which is why things have been falling apart: There are effectively fewer people willing – and able – to correct those doing wrong!

Certain misguided “elders” even disappoint me more, by arguing that they have “done their own bit” and it’s up to the “rest of us”!

I feel nothing but pity, laced with contempt, for older persons who hold such views.

They fail to learn from the examples of Zig Ziglar and Jim Rohn….as well as the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

All three men stayed active in influencing society till they passed on. And there have been others like them.

Today, Wole Soyinka, a Nobel prize winner, is 80 years old. Yet he continues with the same tradition of being a Social Change Agent: A journey he began in his early twenties!

Just as this problem is happening in the educational sector, so it rampages in the other aspects of societal life.

In the face of all the above, I ask again: What do you tell your child?

Just like back when I was as a youth corper, I remain uninitiated today.

Indeed, I refuse to be initiated into wrong doing habits of any sort!

Not just for my own sake. But also because I happen to have kids of my own – who are exposed on a daily basis to people who do all these, in society.

The truth is you cannot hide a child away from the rot, because it is everywhere.

So, you need to diligently invest quality time and effort to DRUM the morals and values you KNOW the Creator expects them to uphold, into their little heads

For me, it’s a nightmare of sorts just imagining what my kids see and hear each day they are away from home.

I know what trouble I got into while a child, in a much saner Nigeria.

The Nigeria of today offers so many temptations to young people! What’s more, deception – indeed the ability to tell barefaced lies without remorse, as well as doing wrong and producing crocodile tears while denying it, has been elevated to an art form by today’s kids.

That’s why I challenge YOU as a parent to get close to your child – and be sure you KNOW him/her as well as you think you really do.

This is the time to do it – while s/he is still under your care, living under your influence and authority. You still have a chance to detect and correct any character flaws that s/he may pick up from corrupt society.

You owe yourself, and your child, a duty to play your role, so you do not have cause to regret when s/he becomes an adult, and leaves home.

So, the question comes up again: what do YOU tell your child in the face of rampant wrong doing s/he sees in society?

I say tell him/her NEVER to accept that standard – no matter how attractive it appears.

I say make yourself a shining example of a superior standard, and let him/her know that the Creator approves of that standard: That is, a standard which does NOT condone cheating, lying, stealing, deception or wrong doing in any form.

And I say, demonstrate to him/her in words and action on a daily basis that you truly BELIEVE what you tell him/her.

Do so by walking your talk with pride and dignity, even if it means having to accept humbling circumstances for a while, until the Creator elevates you.

Do this without fail, every waking day, and by the time that child leaves home, NOBODY will be able to tempt him/her to go off track.

S/he will therefore always be a source of pride to you, and your entire family.

Don’t waste time. Start doing it today. Your child’s future most likely depends on it.

Good luck!

I Flopped Badly At The National Finals! (A True Story About How NOT To Prepare For/Deliver An Important Presentation) – with Photos

July 17, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

The lessons I share in this article are based mainly on a true-life experience I had, in 1997, at the age of 27. I was delivering a management research paper at the National Finals of the now defunct Young Managers Competition, organized by the Nigerian Institute of Management(NIM). I provide graphic details of how my inexperience made me take certain important preparatory steps for granted.

You will learn how that eventually led to a botched presentation that earned me considerable embarrassment, and a 5th place position that I would have bettered on a good day.

Click here to continue to the revised version of the article

General, My DN Travel News, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

A Powerful Tool for Solving Your Website’s RSS Feed Problem (Based on a True Story)

July 16, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

When I posted my video based blog last Thursday, no RSS feeds appeared for it on my Facebook wall. But I assumed it was a glitch from the RSS syndication service I use. When it happened again the next day, I knew it was time to be concerned! This article explains how I spent 2 hours investigating and eventually rectifying the problem.

RSS feeds can be powerful tools for driving (actually “PULLING”) traffic to your website

That is, if they are properly setup and used.

And also if you churn out content that’s perceived as useful by your target audience.

I estimate that mine have always brought me over 80% of my website traffic. When you publish a blog post, and within seconds you see the number of views rise, it’s often due to people subscribed to your RSS feeds.

They see your published feeds much more readily than others. But you will rarely know who they are, except for those who choose to signup to your mailing list.

A growing number of people today want to avoid adding to the avalanche of e-mails they get. So they prefer to use RSS feeds to decide who to follow and what to read.

Smart website owners realize that maintaining valid RSS feeds is crucial to their ability to PULL traffic in…

This is why they always check that their RSS feeds are working.

In my case, every now and then I click the link to my Feed burner managed RSS link, and watch to ascertain it loads correctly.

The screenshot below shows what it normally looks like.

But even if I did not click on the RSS link, another readier way I can check is by watching my feeds on Facebook.

Having setup my RSS feeds to appear on my Facebook profile each time I post a new blog, all I have to do is check that the preview for that new post appears on my wall.

The screenshot below shows an example.

Having setup my RSS feeds to appear on my Facebook profile each time I post a new blog, all I have to do is check that the preview for that new post appears on my wall.

Well, last Thursday, that did not happen: Nothing appeared on my wall!

When I noticed that, I shook it off as being due to a possible glitch in the syndication service I use (i.e. RSS Graffiti).

But the next day when I posted another blog, and my wall was again left bare!

At that point I knew there was a problem – and its impact on my posts was immediately obvious.

The one from the day before had recorded less than 5 views. Normally, there would have been at least 20 to 25 views within 24 hours.

Indeed before I lost my 9 year old former domain (spontaneousdevelopment.com), most of my posts would have gotten up to 50 or more views within 24 hours.

These are of course not big numbers, but their fidelity is rarely in question. And I periodically get sales leads that I sometimes convert to sales via this channel – from within and outside Africa too.

That’s why I would say an RSS feed is a reliable indicator of the quality of your web content.

You don’t know them. So they don’t have to worry about you feeling offended if they do not read your stuff.

If it’s good they will click and come over to read.

If it’s not, they’ll ignore it.

Which is why I reckon more with people who have large RSS feeds in partcular – and to some extent those with large mailing lists. Both often have prequalfied prospects (or potential buyers) in there…

As for people who brandish huge website traffic figures, I believe that’s not as useful an index of performance as the aforementioned. And I say this from experience. Traffic regardless of source makes no sense. We want human beings potentially interested in what we offer.

Getting traffic by any means is not an efficient way to get such people. And it can often cost more than it saves or makes for you. My experience based opinion of course :-))

To find out what was wrong, I went to my blog and clicked the RSS link. Sure enough, I got a scary error message.

Here is it (in part):

“Error on line 200 at column 331. Input is not proper UTF8…indicate encoding…”

I did not know what to do. It had never happened to me before. And I had never read about it either.

But I knew I needed to take corrective and timely action fast. So, like the rule on the web says, I began “Googling it!”

I Googled everything I could think of relating to “repairing RSS feeds” (like this and this). All sorts of website articles came up (like this and this). And I also came across nifty Word press plug-ins (like this one) developed to solve a certain kind of RSS feed problem.

As you can imagine, I hungrily read through the various articles sharing tips about how to solve RSS feed problems the author had encountered.

I also watched videos (like this one) created by website owners who managed to find solutions to their own RSS feed problem version.

But none of the solutions I found online worked for me. Not a single one!

At this point I began to get a bit scared.

I felt like someone who’d been told by a doctor that there was no cure for the ailment he’d been diagnosed with.

But something told me to keep searching. So I Googled some more.

That was when an article appeared in which the author recommended using the popular RSS Feed Validation service, to check what exactly the problem with my feed was.

I’d used that service 2 years back, in checking that my RSS feed was valid.

But I never knew it could be used to TRACE the cause of an invalid feed.

So, this turned out to be a useful learning experience for me!

Within a few seconds of getting to the Feed Validation Service website, I’d generated a report that yellow-highlighted the HTML content in EACH of the blog posts featured in my RSS feed.

And it indicated what line numbers the invalid entries were on.

If you’re familiar with Word press, you know that when editing a post in TEXT mode, you can see the HTML code for the content in it.

So, all you have to do is search for the offending bit(s) of code (identified by the Feed Validation Service) in each post, and either modify, or delete it.

Then save that post, and click to view the RSS feed again. If you’ve removed all invalid ones, the feed will display normally.

Also, clicking “Check” on the Feed Validation button for your RSS feed will generate a new results page with this message:

“Congratulations! This is a valid RSS feed.”

When I saw that for my feed, I went back to my Facebook post (where I’d earlier announced the problem), to share that I’d resolved it. (See screenshot below)

And I also promised to explain how I did it.

With THIS blog post you’ve just read, I have now fulfilled that promise.

Hope you found it useful.

And if you have any questions, do let me know what they are, in the comments.

I wish you well!

PS: The Feed Validation also noted some minor improvements I could make by removing items that could impede “interoperability with the widest range of feed readers”. I’m already working on that.

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News

To Win Profitable Clients, You Must Know Their Hot Buttons (A True Story)

July 15, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

One day in September 2006, I walked into a large Lagos hospital in Akoka area, and asked for the accountant. The receptionist got him on intercom. Using my elevator speech, I explained that I provided MS Excel-Visual Basic automation services to help business users get their work done faster, and with less effort – giving examples.

After a few questions, he asked me to pass the phone to the receptionist, and told her to send me to his office in the hospital penthouse at the top floor.

Our meeting lasted just over 15 minutes!

He was really business-like. I had hit on his VERY exposed “felt-need” nerve. He asked to see demos of past projects I’d mentioned. I showed him the “Cash Inflow & Outflow Tracker” I built for business centers, and a “Restaurant & Bar Manager” app I built for a restaurant in Gbagada (whose owner is today serving a second term as a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly).

Those two were apparently enough to convince him.

Wasting no time, he took me to a computer used by his assistant.

Then he called up what turned out to be a number of manual MS Excel workbooks used to manage their Cash Books for various purposes. (E.g. tracking receipts and payments for the main hospital, and also movements to/from the different bank accounts.)

He told me he felt – from looking at what I had already done – that I would be able to help them automate their manual Excel Cash books to make them (as his Medical Director would later say) “more friendly“.

“So how much will it cost?” he asked (a question that often tells me the prospect is to be taken seriously. If a prospect asks you that, consider it a good sign. Make sure you’re ready to answer.).

I told him.

We negotiated and came to a compromise.

Then he ended the meeting by asking me to send in my proposal with a quote. I did that a day later, and went on to other business marketing tasks with other prospects.

I did NOT hear from him for nearly two months subsequently.

Some weeks after my last meeting with the accountant, my other marketing efforts led me to win a project to build an automated records management system for a medium sized hotel located on the busy axis leading to the airport.

It involved working closely with the hotel account, and the auditor, to build an automated Cash Book that generated a trial balance etc.

As I approached completion of the hotel project, I called the hospital accountant in Akoka, to inform him that I had since gone on to build an automated cash book for another client.

(I often do this to help clients move closer to taking the decision to buy, as it gives them more verifiable PROOF that I can deliver a solution that meets their needs).

He told me they had someone who was working on an alternative, and as such he would only call on me if the alternative did not work.

I thanked him and ended the call

[Tip: Never object when you hear such things. Leave the client to decide whether or not to get back to you. Pushing will only “weaken” your negotiating power, and most likely will make you come across as desperate. Maintain a dignified air, and go do MORE marketing!]

Three weeks later, I got a call from him on my mobile. He said “Mr Solagbade, this is….. from …..hospital. We want you to come and build the automated cash book we discussed about. When can you come and pick up your cheque?”

I went on to build a fairly different type of cash book from that used by the hotel, to match the format used by the hospital’s accounts department. But the logic was still the same, so I was quite at home with it.

But there was another opportunity soon to follow…

On 5th Feb. 2007, I won a much larger paid project with another Lagos hospital by using the above cash book for my business marketing demo to them.

I was engaged within days after my first meeting/demonstration to build a custom automated Excel-based software to handle this hospital’s general accounts preparation.

It covered routine data recording of from cash office receipts, and report generation of all kinds, including year-end Profit and Loss reports/balance sheet auto-generation.

Still It Did Not End There…!

On 12th March 2007, I got a call from the accountant of another large hospital to pick up a 100% advance payment cheque to build an automated cash book(and a Payslip Generator) for his department.

That made it the third time in 2007 that I would be asked to build that kind of application for a hospital! Each time I had used the more recent version to “sell” my services to the next prospective client.

And I continue to use this strategy till date, even here in Cotonou (as recently as yesterday afternoon!), to win new and repeat business from profitable paying clients!

Final Words: You can achieve similar results – BUT be ready to assert yourself, and to persist!

All you need to do is be confident in speaking about what you offer. It’s important to be able to say it in the first 10 seconds or so, because most times, that’s what will ensure you don’t get told “Look I’m busy, come back tomorrow.”

You have to speak of benefits that will GRAB the serious attention and interest of busy decision makers. Notice I always dealt directly with top people who could approve PAYMENT to me.

Always insist on speaking with the person in charge, who can often sign the cheque or convince the person who does that. Don’t squander your time trying to get to the decision maker by going through the subordinates.

My experiences, especially in the Nigerian market, indicate that if you fail to assert yourself in that manner, you’re going to get sent on many wild goose chases, and have lots of your time wasted…PLUS possibly get harassed for gratification of all kinds.

So, instead tell the receptionist or whatever other “gatekeeper” you meet, him that you’d like an appointment with the boss.

Do not take no for an answer.

Ask if you can come back at another time. Tell them what you have to say will only be said to the boss, and that you assure them s/he will find it very valuable.

For your sake, I hope you’ll be able to back up that claim if/when you get the opportunity. Make sure to ascertain the true benefit of your offering to your target audience, BEFORE you make such pronouncements.

Good luck!

PS: This article is based on excerpts from a write-up originally published online for the first time by Tayo K. Solagbade on 7th April 2007 via www.excelheaven.spontaneousdevelopment.com, and later Ezinearticles.com

Below: Video Demos of Some of my Popular MS Excel-VB apps built for offline clients and now sold online

Having written so much above about different apps I built for different companies, it only makes sense that I give you an idea of what exactly those who hired me, got for their money.

So, here are some video demos from my Youtube channel, which show what some of those apps look like and how they work.

0. Start-Up – Excel-VB Ration Formulator.avi

1. Updating Nutrients Table – Excel-VB Ration Formulator

2. Excel-VB Driven Ration Formulator – Computing 30% Protein Content Feed Formula – Excel-VB Ration Formulator

3. Upgrade Version of the Excel-VB Driven Ration Formulator

4. Advanced Payslip Generator DEMO 1 : Modeless Data Entry Form

5. Advanced Payslip Generator DEMO 2 : Modeless Data Entry Form

6. Membership Records Manager – for Clubs, Associations, and other Groups

7. EXCEL-VB DRIVEN POULTRY LAYER FARM MANAGER

8. General Accounts Manager (With Powerful Automated Cash Book Driven By Modeless Floating Dynamic Data Entry Form)

I’ve put up an “offer” page (click here), of some of these apps as a bundle, for a give away price.

You may want to check it out. If you need my help developing custom MS Excel-VB driven apps, or learning to develop powerful apps like the ones I create, click here to send me a message.

As far back as 1995, I began developing bullet proof automated spreadsheet apps (starting with Lotus 1-2-3 before adopting MS Excel) for business users at the highest decision making levels.

This began right from my time as a high performing manager in Guinness Nigeria, when during a 7 year I built a variety of apps officially adopted for management reporting).

Since becoming an entrepreneur in 2002, I’ve developed smart solutions for a wide variety of individuals and businesses. Some of them you have seen above. But there are so many others!

So, one thing is certain: I can help you. Click here to get in touch with me now.

General, My DN Travel News, Public Speaking, Self-Development

No. 150: 4 Tips on Successful Public Speaking…from Muhammad Ali!

July 14, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Muhammad Ali gave us his gift of beautiful and entertaining boxing. However, I believe an even greater gift he gave us was his unique brand of eloquent & impact-FULL public speaking. Ali remains one of the most widely quoted celebrities to ever grace this planet.

I doubt many will disagree with that sentiment.

Ali, in his prime, was an extremely proficient public speaker…

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE

Click now to view the latest issue of Tayo Solagbade's Public Speaking IDEAS page

Publication: Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Newsletter

Date: Monday 14th July 2014

No:150

Title: 4 Tips on Successful Public Speaking…from Muhammad Ali!

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

Blog URL: http://www.tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets

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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NB: This newsletter is published every Monday. Point your browser to www.tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays) in line with this publishing schedule

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IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS newsletter is published online on the “reincarnated” version of my Self-Development (SD) Nuggets blog. I continue to put finishing touches to the content. If you encounter ANY bad/dead links, and you can spare the time, email it to me via tayo at tksola dot com. Thanks in advance

No. 150: 4 Tips on Successful Public Speaking…from Muhammad Ali!

I doubt many will disagree with that sentiment.

Ali, in his prime, was an extremely proficient public speaker…

His many famous one-liners (e.g. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”) earned him incomparable fame worldwide.

Certain insightful experts have however rightly pointed out Communication researchers have often missed the opportunity to examine Ali’s public speaking performances, to distil useful lessons others can learn from them.

I agree.

One of my greatest passions is analyzing successes by authentic achievers. That is persons confirmed to have done it without cutting corners.

Muhammad Ali happens to be one of such persons. And he made it look so easy!

That’s why I want to be like him when I “grow up” :-))

This probably explains why many who admire and celebrate him, do not know that Ali actually spent a series of years barred from boxing. So, he could not box to earn a living.

Documented records indicate that he came close to financial ruin while pursuing the historic case he eventually won as a Conscientious Objector (CO), after he was accused of dodging the draft to the US Army.

Ali thus became – and remains – the most high profile CO from the military draft in the history of the United States.

He obtained this status, under the law, when the courts ruled that his objection to military service on moral or religious grounds was legitimate.

What I find most noteworthy however, is that Ali used his famed doggedness, and adaptability, to survive financially, during the period of the ban.

For instance, during the years of his ban from boxing (for refusing to fight in the Vietnam war), he went across the U.S. giving speeches at various venues – including university campuses – on race, racism, inequality, non-violent civil disobedience etc.

In other words, he wisely used his celebrity status to attract invitations to speak his mind, and challenge the status quo.

We can all learn from that.

Aside from your core skills or expertise, can you think of any other abilities you can fall back on, in the event that you are temporarily unable to do what you do best?

Sometimes, this can prove to be “life saving”. For Ali, his speaking ability “saved” him!

Do you have a skill, or ability you can fall back on in the same way, should the need to do so arise?

If no, I suggest you start working at it NOW…: honing your public speaking skills might not be a bad idea…to start with…:-))

And that brings me to the message for this issue of my newsletter.

My study of Ali’s story, so far (there’s so much exciting stuff written about this great man!), has revealed potentially useful lessons I believe experts-who-speak can learn from Muhammad Ali’s public speaking exploits.

1. He Always Knew His Subject(s) Well Enough to Impress, & Be Remembered

Both in the ring and out of it, whenever he was speaking, Ali never had to pause to think or refer to notes. He knew what he needed to say, how to say it, and when to say it!

It’s why most of us remember his rhetoric so well.

We have no evidence of it, but Ali must have devoted some quality time to thinking up and planning his delivery.

His passion added fuel to his drive, because he truly believed what he was saying in the boxing ring (e.g. “I am the greatest”).

Outside the ring, Ali did his research and spoke truths based on facts. Here’s an example no one could argue with back then:

“I buy a lot of bullets, at least 3 bombers a year, and pay the salary of fifty thousand fighting men with the money they take from me after my fights”.

Wow, what a wonderfully VISUAL speaker. He used picture words right there. Ali wasn’t “just a boxer”. He was an educator!

In other words, there was MORE to him than just his boxing.

Google “Muhammad Ali videos” and watch him speak. The words basically poured out of him. He had a message to deliver on each topic – boxing, racism, equality, non-violence etc.

If you can be that way, no audience will forget what you tell them!

2. He Believed He Was Good Enough

This is one big grouse I have with formal schooling. Especially in one’s formative years.

There is this requirement for everyone to be like everyone else, to avoid being called a wet blanket or anti-social.

It can be good for controlling people – which benefits teachers and school administrators. But it can often kill the creative and spontaneous instincts of those exposed to it.

And this is why so many people leave formal school with a fear of being different.

The result is that even when they see things they know better about, that they can add useful value to, they shy away, for fear of being criticized or looking different.

Ali had no problems with being different.

Many others of his kind had already been drafted. He knew that.

And it goes without saying that some of them would have wondered what his problem was.

But that did not bother him. Instead, when it came to finding an alternative vocation, he settled on public speaking. And his self-belief enabled him do so well that he became sought after.

If you want to succeed in impacting audiences you address, BELIEVE you are good enough.

In fact, believe you are the best!

That’s what Ali did, and he kept saying it (while also working HARD towards it).

Below: A screen shot of Muhammad Ali’s quote that I posted on my wall yesterday, in which he said:

“To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are.” – Mohammed Ali

3. He Was Not Afraid

The fear of public speaking is common among adults across the world (ever noticed kids rarely harbor such fears?). Like others before you, that fear can be overcome, with effort.

Experts out here need to stop hiding behind the excuse of being “too busy” to make out time to speak, or write. I do both, and it does not keep me from competently serving my wide variety of clients!

If you think you’re too busy, to add speaking/writing to what you do, what you need is better self-management. I can help you with that, email tayo at tksola dot com.

4. He Did Not Expect (or Wait For) Someone Else to Do it

Now, apart from fear, I’ve found some experts believe others should do the speaking. They actually think speaking should not concern them.

As a result, their interest in developing their public speaking skills is low.

Ali did not do that. He did not decide to leave the speaking to Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam. Or to Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr.

He did not think or say “I’m a boxer, not a speaker”.

Ali was smart enough to understand that his public speaking could be used, simultaneously, as a powerful promotional strategy, and a subtle psychological weapon against his opponents.

He also knew his fame gave him a unique advantage to reach larger audiences, with his message about race and equality, better than the other activists.

In developed societies, one can find practicing professionals offering speaking services in their various fields.

Even within the same field, experts brand themselves by identifying a market niche they want to serve as speakers.

So in addition to providing their expert services, these savvy individuals also offer learning solutions (talks, seminars, workshops) and products (books, videos, audios etc) for a fee!

By so doing, they make themselves more complete solution providers.

They do not assume some other persons will do the speaking. Rather, they step up and offer themselves…and get paid sometimes MORE than they earn for doing what they are expert at!

More experts in this part of the world (Africa) CAN – and should – adopt a similar strategy.

I use it, and it helps me achieve multiple benefits.

Apart from getting paid to speak, I also get to market my products/services to many people at the same time – achieving name recognition/credibility!

Final Words: Ali Chose to Be a Public Speaker, & The World Was The Better for It!

Because Ali chose to speak, people got educated about history, race, equality, non-violent civil disobedience, human rights etc.

Not just that, we also got entertained with poems, and memorable one-liners such as those in the screen shot below:

Source: http://www.muhammad-ali-boxing.org.uk/witty-quotes-by-muhammad-ali.htm

That last quote – on the benefit of hindsight – was quite prophetic, wasn’t it? Today’s boxing is nothing compared to Ali’s era.

What a speaker he was: truly INSPIRED!

Next Steps You Can Take : Get Help from a Seasoned Expert

Learn how to improve your public speaking, by getting help support from a seasoned mentor.

Burt Dubin is an accomplished speaker, and veteran mentor of some of the world’s highest paid speakers. He works with experts who want to be speakers, and with speakers who want to be masters.

With regards to today’s theme, Burt can help YOU use Public Speaking to show clients that there’s MORE to you than what you’re expert at!

For instance, apart from his renowned Speaking Success System used by experts across 5 continents, Burt distills key lessons from his studies of some the world’s greatest speakers.

He periodically shares his findings in his newsletter broadcasts.

Click here to signup and get more time tested wisdom to boost your speaking success.

Don’t plan to do it later. Do it now. Your speaking success could depend on it. Good luck!

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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.tayosolagbade.com

Tayo K. Solagbade is a Location Independent Performance Improvement Specialist and Multipreneur (i.e. a highly versatile/multi-skilled entrepreneur), with a bias for delivering Best Practice solutions to

Farm Businesses and others.

Since 2002, he has earned multiple streams of income providing individuals and organisations with personal development training and coaching, custom MS Excel-VB solutions, web marketing systems/web hosting,

freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners).

Tayo is the author of the Self-Development (SD) Bible™ and the popular Livestock Feed Formulation Handbook. He is also the developer of its accompanying Excel-VB driven Ration Formulator™ and the Poultry Farm Manager™ software.

He has delivered talks/papers to audiences in various groups and organisations, including the Centre for Management Development, University of Lagos, Christ Baptist Church, Volunteer Corps, Tantalisers Fast Foods

and others.

In May 2012 he was the Guest Speaker at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development’s Annual Semester Entrepreneurial Lecture at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos.

On 1st April 2013, Tayo (who reads, write and speaks the French language) relocated to Cotonou, Benin Republic to begin slowly traveling across the West African region.

His key purpose is to deliver talks, seminars

and workshops on his key areas of focus and interest to interested audiences (Email tayo at tksola dot com for details).

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, and then later acted in senior management roles as Production Manager and Technical Manager.

He is an Associate Member of the UK Institute & Guild of Brewing, a 1997 National Finalist of the Nigerian Institute of Management’s(NIM) Young Managers’ competition, a Certified Psychometric Test Administrator for Psytech UK, innovator of Spontaneous Coaching for Self-Development™ (SCfS-D™), and Founder of the Self-Development Academy Limited.

When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Daily Self-Development Nuggets blog – on which he also publishes his Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS

newsletter(which he uses to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring service to experts working across the African continent).

You can connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook.

Visit Tayo Solagbade Dot Com, to download over over 10 performance improvement resources to boost your personal and work related productivity.

====
[IMPORTANT NOTE:====

On 4th May 2014, Tayo’s 9 year old domain (Spontaneousdevelopment dot com), which hosted his website, was taken over by Aplus.net.

Within a few days however, Tayo used his advanced self-taught web development skills to build a SUPERIOR “reincarnation” of it the website http://www.tayosolagbade.com.

But updates are still ongoing to URLs bearing the old domain name in most of the over 1,000 web pages, and blog posts

he’s published.

If you experience any difficulties finding a page or document, email Tayo at tksola dot com.

Click “Tayo, What Happened to SpontaneousDevelopmentDotCom ?” to read a detailed narrative about how the above event occurred :-))

Here’s an article Tayo wrote, to inspire others to defy adversity, and bounce back to even greater reckoning at what they do EVERY time:

Succeed by Emerging from Adversity Like a Phoenix (TayoSolagbade.com launches extra Hosting plan with FREE Web Marketing!)

And he wrote the one below, to explain why losing a domain name, no matter how old NO LONGER determines your online success or otherwise:

A Proven Strategy to Find Profitable Buyers Regardless of Your Domain Name

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

Useful Resources for Speakers

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:

1. Top Shelf [Click here]

2. Mid Range [Click here]

3. Budget Delight [Click here]

Publications

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

Download Chapter 1 Preview as PDF

Visit the “On Being a Master” website

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Showmanship Stratagems

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

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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

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

Download above PDF

Download above PDF

—

NEW: Your Practical Feed Formulation (& Compounding) Home Study Video Series Is Now Available

Click here to learn more

FREE TALK: How a Best Operating Process Management Sysem (BOPMS)™Will Earn Your Farm MORE Profits!

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FREE TALK: 3 Zero Cost Strategies to Attract Profitable Buyers for Your Farm Products!

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NEW: Coaching Program for Farm Products Marketing Success

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[Monday]:	No. 149: To Succeed, Use Adversity To Become More Creative
Entrepreneurship[Tuesday]:	One Major Reason Why People Avoid Entrepreneurship (True Story)
Self-Development [Wednesday]:	To Succeed, You Need a Gut-Level Instinct for Self-Preservation
Entrepreneurship[Thursday]:	Video Narration: She Called Me a Peeping Tom (A True Personal Story) – What If This Happened To YOUR 8 Year Old Child?
General [Friday]:	The Mental Attitude That Yields Web Marketing Success (Hint: Tips for “Marketers” In Paid Employment…and others)
Writing/Blogging/Entrepreneurship [Saturday]:	Many People Who Should Write Are NOT Writing – and YOU Are Probably One of Them (Read This to Learn Why) – Part 1 of 2
Writing/Blogging/Entrepreneurship [Saturday]:	Many People Who Should Write Are NOT Writing – and YOU Are Probably One of Them (Read This to Learn Why) – Part 2 of 2
Want me to write for you? Click here to send me a message

Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring

for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

General, My DN Travel News, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

Many People Who Should Write Are NOT Writing – and YOU Are Probably One of Them (Read This to Learn Why) – Part 2 of 2

July 13, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Who better to tell you what it feels like(or takes) to survive as a start-up entrepreneur, if not someone currently in the struggle – or recently out of it? To get an authentic update on the situation in Nigeria, would you ask someone who travels once-a-year to Lagos on official visits – or would you ask your Aunt who LIVES in Lagos, and visits New York on business every other month?

The foregoing is why I chose to write about my experiences early in my entrepreneurial career, and not wait till I got “up to the very top” before doing so.

I wanted people who needed it to get it raw and undiluted, as I like to say (I also wanted to use my writing to put on record the struggles I passed through, and had to learn to overcome). It’s more useful that way!

NB: This is the second and final part of this article. Click here to read part 1 of this 2 part series.

Incidentally we need not wait until we have succeeded in achieving the goal we pursue before we write for others to learn from us.

For instance a person who never made it to the finals of the Olympic 100m, could use THAT thought to motivate him/herself to draw from his/her “failures” and coach a younger athlete with potential to win the gold.

Taking this further, a person who has “failed” in a bid to achieve a valued life goal could, with a positive mental attitude, articulate a set of learning points about what caused him/her to fail.

And s/he could use them to teach others(one-on-one or through a book or article) about what to do to increase their chances of success.

You do NOT need to wait till you become the Managing Director before sharing useful learnings about how to pursue career advancement that you pick up along the way.

This is because while you are BUSY “climbing”, others coming after you will be in the process of taking the decision to START “climbing”. And compared to you, will be LESS experienced or knowledgeable about what to expect.

Many of them are likely to appreciate hearing from you, up front, some hints about what they will face during their journey. They would also be grateful to learn how you dealt with the challenges that cropped up, plus what you think THEY can do to make good progress.

In my case, I began sharing insights gained from my experiences as an entrepreneur, back in 2002, my startup year – through writing articles and books, and in daily interactions.

Today, I’ve gotten lots of failures and successes under my belt that enrich my writing and speaking even more. And I have HIGH QUALITY tips I can give, based on what I’ve discovered works, and does not work.

I implore you to begin documenting as much of your own experiences as possible. This way, you can also become equipped over time, to share useful learning with others, and make their journey less difficult.

No one person has the duty of teaching others about how to succeed in life.

Every one of us can teach what s/he knows to those who need to know it by writing about it. The best part is that once you’ve written it, you will not need to write it again. All those who want it will only then have to go to the bookstore or website where it is available and get their copy.

I Found Supporting Evidence That “You Need To Write”, In Dr. Spencer Johnson’s Book: “Who Moved My Cheese”!

Now, here’s something interesting…

I got even more convinced that writing as early as possible in my journey was the right thing to do, when I read the little book titled “Who moved my cheese?” written by Dr. Spencer Johnson.

What follows below are insights I gained from reading it, which I believe will benefit you as well…if you keep an open mind that is ;-))

The Book’s Parable About Hem & Haw(2 little people) As Well As Sniff & Scurry(2 Mice)

The book narrates an engaging parable about 4 characters – Sniff and Scurry (2 Mice) and also Hem and Haw (2 little people).

The parable illustrates the various ways different people react to unexpected changes/setbacks that occur in their lives on a daily basis.

The author’s parable admonishes us(readers) to learn to laugh at ourselves, and the mistakes we make in life, (so as to be able to learn from them and “move on” with our lives).

Dr. Johnson uses the analogy of “moving cheese” to illustrate how our circumstances/situations in life will inevitably change.

The moral of the parable is that we all need to be prepared for those changes when (not “if”) eventually they occur. If we’re prepared, and we respond quickly and intelligently to them (instead of protesting and complaining), we will often find that we end up being better off in the long run.

Dr. Johnson takes the reader through a series of scenarios in which the 4 characters employ various methods to deal with the unexpected changes.

The 2 little people – Hem and Haw – unlike the mice, had major problems getting over the setback – and moving on with their lives. Not surprising is it? A typical human reaction.

Hem in particular remained adamant that it was “unfair” for the cheese to have been moved. And he prevailed on Haw (who over time became more disposed to trying to find a way out of the fix they were in) to stay with him till things “returned to normal”. Or at least until “someone gave them an explanation” for moving their cheese.

How familiar does that sound. Don’t we humans have that habit…!!!

Remember! It’s a parable, and if you think back to our lives as humans, you should’t have much problems recalling those occasions when you’ve been a complainer.

Sometime in the past(or possibly even now) you may have been just like Hem – who never saw any good in a change that affected you(in your opinion) “negatively”.

An example of such a change is a lateral movement from your job to another seemingly less glamorous one in your company.

Lest I reproduce the entire book here, I will get straight to the point I wish to make. At a point, Haw decided that since the mice had taken off in search of another cheese almost immediately the initial cheese had moved, he would do the same.

So, he left Hem, (after trying without success to get him to go along), sitting and complaining, and began his search.

“Haw” Starts Writing To Share What He Learns BEFORE He achieves Success

As he journeyed, he made a lot of new discoveries, gaining new and fresh insights that excited him a great deal. In fact, he found the learnings he picked up while trying to find new cheese so profound that he decided to write each learning on the wall(in form of a short phrase).

This was so that anyone who was coming along after him, would benefit from the knowledge he had discovered.

Examples of the phrases he wrote are: “If you do not change, you can become extinct”; “When you move beyond your fear, you feel free”; and “Imagining myself enjoying new cheese even before I find it, leads me to it”.

I have chosen to adopt the method used by Haw, by writing to share my experiences so far, for the benefit of others who might wish to also go into entrepreneuring.

Even before he found new cheese, Haw began to share the little knowledge he was picking up along the way/during the journey. He felt (quite rightly too) that there was no point waiting till he got to the “end” of his journey, and found new cheese, before he shared the little he already knew.

This was because he recognized that he was experiencing useful – though sometimes painful – lessons that could benefit others tremendously, if they knew them before facing similar challenges.

Final Words: Writing About Your Experiences, To Help Others, Will Rarely Be Easy…But It Will Be Worth It

I personally believe that it takes strength of character – and tremendous self belief – to repeatedly make out time to do this. Writing like I propose here involves sharing (sometimes) painful lessons learnt (through writing, and/or speaking), in the pursuit of a challenging goal(s), especially while still working to achieve it(them).

Another lesson we can take away from Dr. Johnson’s book, is that we can each move our own cheese(become “masters of our fate”), instead of waiting for others to do it for us.

Over a decade ago, I chose to “move my own cheese” by leaving the comfort of what should have been a comfortable job in a corporate organization, to follow my longstanding vision of running my own businesses.

I also decided that I wanted to spend much of my time, sharing with others about how to do the things I have achieved in various areas of my past, present and future endeavours.

We need to share information/knowledge and discoveries about life, and how to live it better, with each other.

We need to do so regularly, and with plenty of excitement and passion. Our actions in this regard must be borne out of a genuine desire to enrich the lives of others, and help them get ahead like we are doing.

The result would be a society in which mutually beneficial exchange of information takes place among people in a way that enhances social development, making life more fulfilling for every member.

A society where this happens continually, and spontaneously, would be a very successful one. Many developed countries are already on the path toward attaining this futuristic state.

Developing countries which desire to achieve similar progress, will need to challenge MANY MORE of their members to write MORE OFTEN. This would at some point translate to giving (more) public speeches, conducting seminars, practical workshops, coaching programs.

All of which would be done based on authentic experiences they have had, that when shared could empower others to succeed in pursuit of their life goals.

Here’s the mistake none of us should make. Let us NOT wait for the government, or those in “power” to start this. Let each of us begin to do what s/he can from his/her own corner of influence.

And let us who are like minded and agreed on this course, selflessly work together to do more of it over time.

Sooner than later, those in government will take a cue from us and either get involved or organize similar efforts to consolidate ours!

NB: This article is based on excerpts from a write up first published online on 18th August 2006, by Tayo K. Solagbade via www.spontaneousdevelopment.com and www.ezinearticles.com

My DN Travel News, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

Many People Who Should Write Are NOT Writing – and YOU Are Probably One of Them (Read This to Learn Why) – Part 1 of 2

July 12, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

For society to develop fully, it MUST encourage members to write – and read – as frequently as possible(especially non-fiction).You can influence society’s progressive evolution, by acquiring qualitative experiences in pursuit of challenging goals, and sharing what you learn with others.

This article explains (in part) why I have written so dedicatedly, since 2002. And it highlights multiple reasons for you to do the same.

Writing is a powerful way to communicate useful knowledge,e acquired through years of experience and sometimes painful effort, by the writer, to others.

Recent feedback from a long time subscriber to my email newsletter.

Many ideas that are used to influence happenings in society are often communicated in written form for others to read and reflect upon. Religious and political organizations send out written material “preaching” the ideals they want their followers to imbibe in order to actualize a vision of the future.

In this article I explain why each one of us needs to look deep within him/herself and discover the unique area of experience based knowledge s/he has, to offer others who lack it, which s/he can then start sharing TODAY by writing.

You may not believe it, but there is something you know, which some others NEED and would therefore be glad to read/learn about. But that’s if you would only write about it!

What would this world have been like if Hill had not written his book: “Think And Grow Rich”?

Think back to all the successful people you know who have mentioned that reading THAT book transformed their lives.

Imagine if they had never read the book, because Hill never wrote it. The implications would have been multiple fold.

Let’s consider a few examples

Maybe today, Dr. Walter Doyles Staples works would not have become a source of education and inspiration for thousands of people worldwide.

Robert Kiyosaki would probably NOT be the person we know today. A man whose message about proper education of children, and the need for a reform of our traditional educational system, opened the eyes of many parents to what they can do to help their kids succeed in life.

These powerful influencers noted that they read, and were influenced by Think and Grow Rich, while starting out!

That book helped them make the most of their own experiences, so that they were able to achieve their own purpose in life.

Coming closer home…

Without Wole Soyinka’a writing, I am almost convinced that I would not know as much as I do about aspects of Nigeria’s history. Especially events that occurred around the early years of Nigeria’s independence – including the civil war – that most of my peers seem disconnected from. Same applies to Chinua Achebe’s writing.

Many others exist on this part of the divide. And they have all enriched the lives of millions by choosing to write based on their experiences.

My point is that when people who undergo useful/authentic experiences (or who make contact with those who do so), write in order to share their acquired knowledge with others, significant positive social development can quite often take place as a result.

This will happen especially if those who read the written works, actually take action to diligently apply the knowledge they acquire from doing so in their personal lives.

You Too, Can Change Lives Through Your Writing…!

By writing, we give others the opportunity to embark, more intelligently, and therefore with greater chances of success, on doing something we(or persons we closely studied) have also done in the past and/or are still doing. Anyone who has applied honest and diligent effort to a particular cause, can write competently about what s/he has done in a way that can benefit others who wish to pursue a similar goal.

While we are on the subject, here’s something noteworthy…

Millions of parents worldwide have bought books by Robert Kiyosaki, and followed his advice about how to educate kids/prepare them to achieve financial independence.

And they continue to do this even though Robert clearly stated in the books that he and his wife(Kim) had no kids of their own!

To me, the ONLY logical explanation for what should have been an unreasonable action on the part of the parents is this…

They (wisely) chose to look beyond Robert NOT being a parent, to the intuitive and common sense logic of the ideas he presented, which resonated with those they had themselves battled with, during their own childhoods.

That’s why when you read some of the re-printed testimonials in Robert’s bestseller titled “If you want to be rich and happy, don’t go to school?”, you will notice many of those people quoted said things like “That’s what I think”; “puts into words what I have been thinking for a long time” etc.

I wonder if they would have ever done anything about what they were “thinking”, IF someone like Robert had not written it all in a book by himself?

Again, back to the questions with which I started this article: What if Robert had never chosen to write any of his books?

One thing at least is certain: our thinking about how children should be educated and prepared to pursue success in life as independent adults, would be worse off than it is now.

That is the value that Robert’s writing has added to millions of lives the world over – mine inclusive(the distance between our continents of residence notwithstanding).

Many People Who Should Write Are NOT Writing

In many societies, people undergo unique experiences of all kinds, every day, that those around them may never have the opportunity of going through.

For each person, the learning acquired through those experiences literally shapes who they become over time. And that ultimately determines whether or not – or better still how well – they succeed.

We can each draw upon the knowledge and insight acquired through such experiences, to teach others how to deal with them successfully, should they encounter something similar.

What I have just stated is the reason why I am convinced we can never have too many public speakers in the world.

It is not possible to have too many pastors, or preachers or trainers in the world either.

I speak with regard to the possibility of a situation arising where you end up with many individuals, who do the same thing in exactly the same way EVERY time, so that if you have seen one, you would have seen all the others.

No two public speakers can have exactly the same audience appeal, and effect on people when they speak.

Think about it. If you heard that Zig Ziglar (when he was still alive) was going to speak at an event, your expectation would be different from what you would have, when another speaker’s name is mentioned.

Each one of us has a distinguishing trait or quality that sets him apart from others who do what s/he does.

Another analogy: Not matter how many stand up comedians perform on one show, each ONE of them will always have at least ONE joke that is different from those told by his/her counterparts.

And s/he will also have a peculiar “style of delivery” that is unique to him/her – except of course s/he unwisely chooses to mimic a role model, mentor etc.

If all of the above is true, it then logically follows, that if an individual were to write based on his/her area of competence or experience, there is a possibility that a person looking for such information will find it a useful, if not entertaining, read.

It might help to inform (or remind) you, that even Napoleon Hill was initially plagued with self-doubt, when Andrew Carnegie first asked him to write the book(Think And Grow Rich).

Hill worried among other things that he was not “qualified” or “competent” enough – at the time – to write it.

But thankfully, he eventually brushed those fears aside, and did us all a favour by working hard to write the book that today has changed millions of lives for the better.

No One Needs A Teaching Certificate Or University Degree To Share His/Her Experience-Based Knowledge With Others Who Need It

Consider a person who – through great will power and endurance – survived years of isolation as a prisoner of war. And there have been people like that.

I doubt such a person would ever be required to get a writing degree, or teaching certificate, before s/he could write or speak to audiences about:

(a) what it felt like and

(b) how to survive under such situations

At the least, if you feel you cannot write it yourself, get help to do it!

For instance, engage the services of a freelance professional, who will work with you to produce a worthwhile summary of your experiences in your chosen area of interest or competence.

Having said that, however, I believe that developing your writing skills would not be a bad idea.

That’s because it would enable you do more spontaneous writing, than you could if you needed someone to take notes from you.

The second and concluding part of this post will be published tomorrow.

NB: This article is based on excerpts from a writeup first published online on 18th August 2006 on www.spontaneousdevelopment.com

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, General, My DN Travel News, Self-Development

The Mental Attitude That Yields Web Marketing Success (Hint: Tips for “Marketers” In Paid Employment…and others)

July 11, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

The ideas I offer here can benefit members of sales and marketing teams in companies, who, in addition to offline efforts, have been tasked to use the web to find buyers, by the company (be it micro business or multinational) that employs them.

And of course solo operators (e.g. independent consultants/professionals) who do self-marketing, will also benefit from reading through this piece.

My purpose here is to impress upon you the kind of thinking you need to have, to make the most profitable use of the web to find new business and/or repeat sales.

First of all, understand that “getting” a website built, is NOT the end you seek. Even if it feels like it. Instead that is simply the means to (what should be) your desired end.

Your ultimate purpose as a person in business is to make SALES. Period.

Based on the above, your marketing efforts online – and even offline! – will best be setup to revolve around your website.

Why? Because it remains the most powerfully cost-effective marketing medium available. And I assure you it can be used to sell virtually ANY product or service. You just need to know how.

If you do it right, you will achieve the twin outcomes of LOWERING your overall marketing costs, while INCREASING your marketing reach and impact (AND SALES) over time.

To succeed, you need a website that WORKS ….

How do you know a website that works?

[NB: I’ve covered this aspect in previous write-ups – linked at the bottom of this one. They provide full details, with step by step guidelines you can follow. If after all that you need help taking what you’ve learnt forwards, get across to me via tayo at tksola dot com.]

Now, a website that works is one that attracts potential buyers to you…

It will win you sales leads, and sometimes convert prospects to real buyers.

But don’t get it mixed up. The website will not work alone. At least not the way I use mine, and guide my clients to use theirs. It will work as part of Web Marketing System (WMS).

A WMS based website will often be working even when you sleep…

For instance, it will make people return to read more of your content. When it makes them follow you on Twitter, add you as a friend on Facebook, join your channel in Youtube, or add you to their circle in Google.

All of this can – and will happen – 24/7. Round the clock, even when you’re in bed. You’ll just wake up to see alerts and notices about new connections, and/or enquiries etc. I experience this very regularly.

The web based resources I listed can – and should – be used as components in your web marketing, to complement themselves, and with your website right at the heart of it all.

Never forget that selling is a process…that does NOT happen all at once!

Therefore anything that helps you put prospects into your sales funnel, is WORKING for you. Even though you may be yet to see it.

By integrating your website, into a WMS, you can only improve your chances of getting found by those who need what you offer.

In my experience based opinion, a website should NEVER used in isolation…

It is always best deployed as a key component of the WMS. That’s really the best way to achieve maximum results at the lowest possible cost of time, effort and money.

I say this from over a decade of using the web as my primary marketing medium. And I speak based on fantastic results I’ve achieved as I mastered the process, by learning from what I was doing wrong, and studying those who knew better.

Note also that a website that works is not necessarily one that brings you compliments and admirers...

I know this foregoing statement can be a bit of a blow some people’s egos – maybe not yours. But the truth of the matter is that having people scream “Wow, your website looks beautiful!” has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the potential ability of that website to perform.

In reality, when a website performs, it’s going to be bringing you enquiries about what you sell.

People, who never knew the website existed, who had never heard about you, will contact you. Because – directly or indirectly – they made contact with your website, or whatever else you put on the web to promote your business,

That is when you can say you’re getting results from the use of the web.

So your website would be like a focal point, and every other marketing you do would revolve around it…

At least that’s how it works in what I call a Web Marketing System, that I use, and which I develop and implement for my clients.

I don’t know how you intend to use your website, but I strongly advise you use the ideas I offer.

Here’s why I am ALWAYS so conficent in recommending this approach to others.

It’s the results I’ve gotten (and that I continue to get), as a multipreneur, using the web, getting people to buy from me, from in and out of Africa…

Total strangers send me money, sometimes close to N50, 000 (about $300 USD) into my bank account (or via other channels). And then I send them an MS Excel automated (Excel-VB driven) workbook app – like my Ration Formulator – and/or one or more of my PDF e-books or reports etc.

Then we become friends and some have remained subscribers to my newsletter for over years!

Most of these people are CEOs of their own businesses (often farm based ventures).

The only reason I SUCCEED like this, is that I have a website that works...

And it works because it gets me noticed by my target audience, through it’s links with other components of the WMS I mentioned above, with which I have integrated it.

One more thing: The “beauty” of a website plays little, if at all any significant role in your ability to sell!

Years of careful study of successful websites, has revealed their CONTENT QUALITY and USABILITY, and not how nice they looked, was key to their LONG TERM success.

So, keep that in mind. You want to aim for longevity. Not beauty that people will eventually tire of!

What endures is the quality of useful information you offer via your WMS. It is what will WIN you devoted followers who will rave about what you do to others, growing your brand for you via word of mouth.

And you would not need to pay anyone. They would be glad to do it. Why? Because using a WMS like I recommend will make you add useful value to them.

Everything I say here is what I do daily. And I see the results in various forms – in terms of name recognition and credibility, as well as financial returns.

Get this: Many times my WMS based websire has helped me close offline sales with clients! (True Story)

For instance, one time a client (the account of a large Lagos based hospital) asked me a question about how I could build an automated Excel-VB driven Payslip Generator application for his department.

I asked if his PC was web connected. He said yes. I asked him to join me and I went to my website, to show him Youtube videos embedded there, of demo apps I had built, with features similar to those he wanted.

But I did not stop there. I downloaded a zipped version of one of the apps and did a demonstration right on his PC.

The next day he gave me a cheque paid 100% in advance (N45, 000) to build the app!

That happened in 2007. And that software is one that I’ve built an advanced version of, having sold it to other companies within and outside Lagos, in Nigeria.

See how this works?

When using the web, especially when you adopt a WMS, like I recommend, you will only be limited in how you can attract buyers, and make sales, by your CREATIVITY!

So, what makes a website sell, is what you say (and put) on it, and how you say (and use) it.

I won’t go into elaborate details on that. Just click on the linked articles below to learn more.

Now, if you follow this approach I recommend, some people may criticize you.

Here’s my advice. Go away from them after thanking them politely, into a quiet place, a room maybe.

Then think carefully about them and what they said.

Ask yourself if that person is a potentially profitable buyer of what you offer.

Is s/he someone who has FELT need for the solutions your website offers? If yes, then it may be wise to take what s/he says into consideration, to make modifications.

But be sure s/he is sincere in the feedback given to you. Sometimes wishful thinking can make you “think” a person is a serious prospect, when s/he is not. I’ve been there…and done that. So I know.

My point is you need to focus your efforts on attracting people that want what you offer so badly, that they are determined, and prepared to pay you profitably to get it.

Those are the kinds of people your website that works should bring to you – IF it’s properly setup.

Always remember that you cannot cash compliments and admirations for your website in the bank. I said this, years ago, in one of the articles linked below. Nothing has changed since then.

And I know it’s obvious. But a lot of people think the number of compliments they get on how pretty their website is, is what proves it’s working.

My question is always: How is it working? Is it putting more money in your pockets (by bringing buyers independently of you)? Or is it helping you KEEP more money in your pockets by helping you reduce your marketing and sales costs?

If your website is NOT doing either of the above, then it is NOT working. Sorry.

Granted, making it pretty will not be bad. So congratulations. But beyond that, what else does it do for you?

Remember, you are (or will be) spending money annually, to keep online (via domain name registration and hosting renewals). What happens after that?

For the entire year, how many people come to you, as prospect or as buyers, through that website without you being the one who told them to go there?

That is how you will know how well it’s working. If you’re the one who always has to tell people your website address, so they can go there…your website is NOT working.

And if it’s your friends, relatives and associates (i.e. those who already know you) who visit it, it’s NOT working the way it should either.

Remember I told you how mine continually connects me, for the long term with complete strangers, from far and near?

Well, that’s the kind of experience you WILL have, if you do this right!

Final Words: In summary what I’m saying is…Make the Most of Your Website!

Aim to use it to cut down your Cost of Customer Acquisition (COCA).

How do you do that?

Use it to recruit increasing numbers of potential customers. Use it to generate larger numbers of sales leads.

How do you do THAT?

Simple: Get a website that works!

And I just told you lots about that what features such a website must have.

As a reminder, here’s what it must do for you: It must bring pre-qualified prospects to you, and also help you sieve through them, to find those ready to do business with you.

Read the linked articles below, to learn more specific steps you can take.

Good luck!

USEFUL LINKS/FURTHER READING

A Website That Works Wins You Repeat Visitors, Leads, & Sales: NOT Admirers & Compliments!| EzineArticles

You Do NOT Have To Be Expensive To Make Profits | SD Nuggets

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Public Speaking, Self-Development, Short Stories, Writing/Blogging

Video Narration: She Called Me a Peeping Tom (A True Personal Story) – What If This Happened To YOUR 8 Year Old Child?

July 10, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

This is a True Story Narration. It is available as audio (MP3) & as a video presentation, and PDF on CD/DVD. You can listen to the audio on your phones. This is Part 2 in the Self-Development Education for Parents Series titled “Kukuru Danger™: Adventures – & Misadventures – of a School Age Child Trying to Make Sense of the World and his purpose in it!”

===Narration Begins===

This is TayoSolagbade again. This time around I’m going to tell you another story.

But this story, rather than take you forward in my life following my experience of getting asked to repeat my first year in secondary school.

I’m actually taking you back to a time, I think about a year before I left primary school, ehm, in which I had a particularly (pause) ehm, how do I put it now…even talking about it now still irritates me.

NB: This presentation is dedicated to my mother, my wife (Nkechi) and my kids.

Email your name, phone number, number of children, and country to PT at tksola dot com

But how come I’m getting a higher rate of Website Conversion after losing my domain?

Now, what I have not openly made known is that I took the opportunity of the domain name loss to refocus my online efforts.

In addition, I’ve focussed a lot of writing more blog posts with deliberate slant towards farm businesses.

Below: Screenshot of website contact form enquiry from a Farm CEO based in Uganda – received on the 15th of this month (July 2014)…3 days ago

Below: Video Demo of My EXCEL-VB DRIVEN POULTRY LAYER FARM MANAGER

However, he wanted the Poultry Farm Manager. So, he filled the form and sent it to me, asking for a demo of that app to be sent to him.

Below: Screenshot of website contact form enquiry from a Farm CEO based in Rivers State, Nigeria – received this afternoon (19th July 2014)

I knew it was likely he’d “Googled” to find me. But I expected that he should have said that, if he’d done so, rather than mention the 3rd party website.

That’s why I make a point of calling to speak with each person just to be sure s/he is a serious farm business owner looking for a solution. I want to help farm CEOs – not make myself open to being used and dumped (which has happened before).

Below: Screenshot of my email reply to the website contact form enquiry from a Farm CEO based in Rivers State, Nigeria

That conversation however inspired me to write this article…and to launch a special offer that will remain open to ANYONE willing to take it up(see at the bottom of this post).

My experiences however indicate lack of a demo WILL NOT stop people who are READY, from buying…

Below: Video Demo of my Excel-VB Driven Ration Formulator – Computing 30% Protein Content Feed Formula – Excel-VB Ration Formulator

That’s not all. I have also had buyers from outside Nigeria – like Tanzania, and as far as Canada…who also NEVER asked for a demo!

And after the payment, they ALL got the product (via email), and we discussed further via phone, email etc.

I share the above details to indicate to the reader that I aim to build LASTING RELATIONSHIPS with my buyers.

If you, or anyone you know, are thinking of getting my Poultry Farm Manager app, this offer is one you want to take up – while it lasts.

Note however, that this offer is only open to real life farm owners…NOT to persons “planning” to start, but persons ALREADY running their own farm businesses.

Interested? Click here to get in touch with me…

But that’s just one dimension of the problem...

True Story: Way back in 1993, I served in Niger State’s Gulu Vatsa village during my NYSC service year.

But one day, as I walked past one of the halls, I heard the head teacher as he called out “No1: A”, No. 2: C” etc, while walking up and down the exams hall!

I recall returning to Lagos, and penning a long article describing what I experienced in that school. Then I submitted it in a large envelope addressed to the Editor of The Guardian Newspapers.

That damage to the educational system I worried about has now gone much farther that I thought possible!

And lest we get it mixed up, this is NOT limited to Nigeria (even though it happens there in alarming extremes!). Instead, we are experiencing this wave of sharp drops in morals and values right across the world.

Religion, which used to be a means of passing moral instruction, now has religious leaders condoning what they used to rebuke.

Certain misguided “elders” even disappoint me more, by arguing that they have “done their own bit” and it’s up to the “rest of us”!

In the face of all the above, I ask again: What do you tell your child?

For me, it’s a nightmare of sorts just imagining what my kids see and hear each day they are away from home.

That’s why I challenge YOU as a parent to get close to your child – and be sure you KNOW him/her as well as you think you really do.

So, the question comes up again: what do YOU tell your child in the face of rampant wrong doing s/he sees in society?

And I say, demonstrate to him/her in words and action on a daily basis that you truly BELIEVE what you tell him/her.

RELATED ARTICLES/FURTHER READING

RSS feeds can be powerful tools for driving (actually “PULLING”) traffic to your website

Smart website owners realize that maintaining valid RSS feeds is crucial to their ability to PULL traffic in…

Well, last Thursday, that did not happen: Nothing appeared on my wall!

That’s why I would say an RSS feed is a reliable indicator of the quality of your web content.

To find out what was wrong, I went to my blog and clicked the RSS link. Sure enough, I got a scary error message.

But none of the solutions I found online worked for me. Not a single one!

So, this turned out to be a useful learning experience for me!

With THIS blog post you’ve just read, I have now fulfilled that promise.

After a few questions, he asked me to pass the phone to the receptionist, and told her to send me to his office in the hospital penthouse at the top floor.

Then he called up what turned out to be a number of manual MS Excel workbooks used to manage their Cash Books for various purposes. (E.g. tracking receipts and payments for the main hospital, and also movements to/from the different bank accounts.)

I did NOT hear from him for nearly two months subsequently.

Three weeks later, I got a call from him on my mobile. He said “Mr Solagbade, this is….. from …..hospital. We want you to come and build the automated cash book we discussed about. When can you come and pick up your cheque?”

On 5th Feb. 2007, I won a much larger paid project with another Lagos hospital by using the above cash book for my business marketing demo to them.

Still It Did Not End There…!

Final Words: You can achieve similar results – BUT be ready to assert yourself, and to persist!

My experiences, especially in the Nigerian market, indicate that if you fail to assert yourself in that manner, you’re going to get sent on many wild goose chases, and have lots of your time wasted…PLUS possibly get harassed for gratification of all kinds.

Below: Video Demos of Some of my Popular MS Excel-VB apps built for offline clients and now sold online

0. Start-Up – Excel-VB Ration Formulator.avi

1. Updating Nutrients Table – Excel-VB Ration Formulator

2. Excel-VB Driven Ration Formulator – Computing 30% Protein Content Feed Formula – Excel-VB Ration Formulator

3. Upgrade Version of the Excel-VB Driven Ration Formulator

4. Advanced Payslip Generator DEMO 1 : Modeless Data Entry Form

5. Advanced Payslip Generator DEMO 2 : Modeless Data Entry Form

6. Membership Records Manager – for Clubs, Associations, and other Groups

7. EXCEL-VB DRIVEN POULTRY LAYER FARM MANAGER

8. General Accounts Manager (With Powerful Automated Cash Book Driven By Modeless Floating Dynamic Data Entry Form)

No. 150: 4 Tips on Successful Public Speaking…from Muhammad Ali!

Ali, in his prime, was an extremely proficient public speaker…

One of my greatest passions is analyzing successes by authentic achievers. That is persons confirmed to have done it without cutting corners.

Ali thus became – and remains – the most high profile CO from the military draft in the history of the United States.

In other words, he wisely used his celebrity status to attract invitations to speak his mind, and challenge the status quo.

And that brings me to the message for this issue of my newsletter.

1. He Always Knew His Subject(s) Well Enough to Impress, & Be Remembered

Outside the ring, Ali did his research and spoke truths based on facts. Here’s an example no one could argue with back then:

2. He Believed He Was Good Enough

Ali had no problems with being different.

Below: A screen shot of Muhammad Ali’s quote that I posted on my wall yesterday, in which he said:

3. He Was Not Afraid

4. He Did Not Expect (or Wait For) Someone Else to Do it

Ali was smart enough to understand that his public speaking could be used, simultaneously, as a powerful promotional strategy, and a subtle psychological weapon against his opponents.

So in addition to providing their expert services, these savvy individuals also offer learning solutions (talks, seminars, workshops) and products (books, videos, audios etc) for a fee!

Final Words: Ali Chose to Be a Public Speaker, & The World Was The Better for It!

That last quote – on the benefit of hindsight – was quite prophetic, wasn’t it? Today’s boxing is nothing compared to Ali’s era.

Next Steps You Can Take : Get Help from a Seasoned Expert

With regards to today’s theme, Burt can help YOU use Public Speaking to show clients that there’s MORE to you than what you’re expert at!

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

SPECIAL PRODUCT FEATURE

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

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