Category Archives: My DN Travel News

Make It Impossible for Anyone to Badmouth You Successfully

September 25, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

What I am going to say in this article may rub some people the wrong way. But it needs to be said. It’s funny. Sometimes people periodically resent others for no justifiable reason. They may even subtly engage in acts aimed at bringing those they resent down, by discrediting them.

No one – regardless of age – can escape having this kind of experience.

The only way you can avoid it is probably if you choose not to live in society.

Some people actually begin having such experiences before adulthood. It happens in schools, and other environments.

There’s a good chance you have already had one – or more – of such experiences.

For some strange reason, one or more persons may decide to see you as a threat to be eliminated.

A threat to recognition they desire, or a position they wish to occupy.

Ironically, you may even be unaware that they see you as a threat

Or you would probably have no interest in whatever they think you’ll take from them.

But even if you told them so, people like this are often very insecure. They would never believe you. Your “potential” will often be what scares them. What they see/know you would be capable of accomplishing, if you were to set your mind to it.

They would ONLY feel at ease when convinced they have destroyed any chance of your beating them to it!

And that is why they would make it a prime objective to discredit you.

To them, that would ensure they can go up where they want to be. Many times you may not even know who feels this way about you.

But, if you’re lucky, the rumours they spread could provide useful signs of their ill will. Also, the reactions of others to you would provide further proof.

People giving you funny stares as you walk by. Some bold enough would walk up to you and say "Shame on you Tayo! How could you do such a terrible thing?"

And you would ask "But what did I do?" in honest surprise. To which another would sneer "Oh come on, who do you think you’re still going to fool with your good guy act. It’s all out in the open now. We know you’re not better than the others. Don’t pull any innocent acts here!”

If You’ve Never Experienced This Problem, KNOW That It’s Real – and Prepare Yourself

I realise not everyone can relate to what I’m saying here. Maybe you were raised in society where this does not happen – or you’ve never seen it happen.

But there are places where it’s almost a way of life.

You never know where you’ll find yourself in future. Or who you’ll have to relate with.

People are products of their environments and experiences. And they carry the habits formed from exposure to their society and culture with them.

Not many will be able to avoid acting based on their formed habits. Character, as my people (the Yorubas) say, is like smoke.

No matter how hard you try to keep it hidden, it always finds a way to reveal itself.

That’s why I suggest you use what you learn from this article to prepare yourself. That way, if/when you do have such an experience; you’ll know how to handle it.

What You Can Do

Refuse to let them get you down or stop you from being who you are.

Instead, every day go out with courage, faith and determination to excel regardless on what anyone says about you.

Rest assured in the firm knowledge that falsehood can never overcome truth. And you will succeed.

It’s really simple, and easy to understand.

But I’ve discovered that it can be notoriously hard to remember and diligently apply.

However, if you are to arrive, you MUST learn to do it.

If it’s already happening to you, understand that it’s very likely a sign that you’re headed for great things.

So many quotes by people who achieved greatness warn that on the way to that TOP, lots of negativity may be channelled in your direction.

It’s actually nature’s way of making you qualify for the reward of success and greatness!

1. Do You Know How to Deal With People Who Mock and Ridicule You

2. How To DEFEAT Haters – Permanently!

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News

Grow Your Sales Log, and You’ll Always Be In Business!

September 24, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

“Because its purpose is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two – and only these two – basic functions: Marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results, all the rest are ‘costs’.” – Peter Drucker

NB: This article is based on excerpts from an issue of my Self-Development Digest newsletter published in November 2008.

I share (by way of 3 tips) my hard won knowledge and experience in selling – profitably – in a VERY difficult business environment. Since these ideas worked for me in Nigeria, they will work for you anywhere…just like they’ve been working for me here in Benin Republic for over 6 months now!

1. Develop a Practical Marketing Strategy Suited to Your Target Market

In April 2002, I sent out my first introduction letters and flyers to many big and not-so-big name companies – within and outside Lagos.

I kept doing this for at least the first three (3) years – in addition to placing newspaper adverts. But very little reward came of it.

Over time I learned one hard lesson:

Finding the RIGHT clients for your products and/or services may not require you to do what others do.

I did NOT win a single project using those methods.

You have to develop something that works for you. Of course you can start by borrowing ideas from others.

But make sure to look carefully at your business environment, and come up with your own unique ideas. Mix it all up in as many creative ways as possible, then go out and TEST, TEST, and TEST!!

What I have said above is what I did years ago. And I still periodically do it today, to improve the results I get.

When I arrived in Benin Republic, I had to do it all over again. And it’s worked again!

It took me nearly four (4) years of hard work to get the “formula” right.

When I started out, finding clients was a haphazard process.

You see back in Nigeria (and here in Benin) reliable business directories and yellow pages – to search for prospective clients – are not easy to find.

The few available listings are often disorganised/unstructured and NOT comprehensive.

Over time, especially due my limited resources, this problem made it necessary for me to ultimately adopt what I call a 100% door-to-door, foot soldier marketing of my products and services.

In the process, I gradually learnt what to say and how to say it to get hired or make a sale. But I also learnt that pavement pounding was an inefficient way to market what I offered to those who needed it.

In short, I discovered that a lot of the stuff in imported sales and marketing books would NOT work without intelligent adaptation. They needed to be modified to accommodate unique socio-economic realities of our African societies.

Over time, I learnt to develop a marketing strategy suited to the environment in which I operate.

Today I get called up by prospective clients looking for custom spreadsheet software solutions I offer – instead of having to go looking for them.

More than 95% of the new or repeat business I have gotten has come as a result of my phone ringing. Either due to an existing client needing me again – or prospective client calling based on a referral.

Read my article titled: “To Win Profitable Clients More Frequently, Find & HIT Your Prospect’s Exposed Felt-Needs Nerve!”

2. Regularly Create NEW Products Addressing Your Target Audience’s Needs:

People will buy a software solution if it does something they want, which they CANNOT get from off-the-shelf commercial software.

In Nigeria, pirated copies are so widely available in the market, that selling your custom software for profit can be tough.

That was why I set about offering real-world relevant solutions that addressed unique peculiarities businesses faced – which existing foreign software did not cater for.

The result: Dramatic increase in clients’ perception of the relevance of the solutions I offer.

The lesson: Sometimes the market may be rejecting you because you have not yet done enough THINKING i.e. about how to communicate the value you offer that can benefit them.

You must be willing to “research” why they reject you, to identify what they really want. Never take it personal. The same people who reject you today will embrace you tomorrow if you get this right.

Just do the required thinking to narrow down to what they need…

The title of the book by Napoleon Hill was not a mistake: “Think and Grow Rich”!

3. Implement An Aggressive Zero Receivables Policy:

This is probably the most important one.

Ensuring that I get the ALL the money from EVERY sale into my hands, pockets or account.

Getting people to pay for almost anything they buy from you in my part of the world can sometimes be a big problem.

I believe (as a client of mine often says), that what you permit grows.

After some unpleasant experiences in my earlier years, I started by requesting 100% advance payment for my services. People paid – but I got to a point that I saw it was stopping me from getting more business.

So I began asking for 50 – 75% advance, and then offering the client up to 10% off if s/he chose to pay everything ONCE.

That way, I got my money in, and did not have to wait long periods, making endless calls and visits to get my balance.

In the few instances when a client tries to delay payment without convincing reasons, I simply use the strategy of “Confronting Without Being Combative”, to bring pressure to bear.

Very rarely has this failed to work.

Read my article titled: “To Win More Often in Life, Master the Art of Non-Combative Confrontation”

My reputation with my clients in this regard has earned me nicknames such as “Ijebu” – because according to them I do not joke about money”. But it has worked, and I enjoy very good relations with most of them – one in which there is mutual respect and consideration.

Others have noticed it:

For instance, another service provider with the same client once asked me:

“Mr. Solagbade, why is it that you always get paid immediately and my payment is often delayed?”, after he witnessed me collecting on three different occasions.

I think you can guess what I told him!

Final Words

Herman Holtz – the renowned (now late) consultant’s consultant, was right:

Any business that is making SALES (that is getting CASH in, NOT credit sales) is very unlikely to fold up. Even if it is mismanaged in every other area of its operations.

For as long as sales continue to come in, there will be CASH to keep running the business.

An outage of cash will bring even the biggest giant of a business to its knees.

Here’s ONE sign that could suggest a company is not making enough sales to keep going (or is engaged in undisciplined spending):

It obtains an overdraft facility from the bank to cover daily operating expenses!

The minute that happens, all sorts of bad things can follow, until it has to close shop!

Here’s hoping the above information will help you grow your sales log, so your business can flourish

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, Public Speaking

No. 108: How to Sell More Successfully

September 23, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Not all prospects go on to become buyers. Having great qualifications, a nice office, and proficiency in your chosen vocation may not always be enough to make people buy. A few factors, some having little to do with those criteria, can influence “buyers” purchase decisions.

A prospect may decide s/he does not “believe” you. Or s/he may feel uncomfortable with you. For instance, unbelievable as it may sound, a prospect may choose to NOT hire you, because you remind him/her of an ex-spouse!

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Publication: Tayo Solagbade’s Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Page (PSIP) Newsletter

Date: Monday 23th August 2013

No:108

Title: How to Sell More Successfully

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

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

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

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

Hi,

Please find below the latest issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter.

No. 108: How to Sell More Successfully

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NB: If you ever find yourself wondering what else I’ve written, some days after you’ve read THIS Speaking Ideas newsletter I send out on a Monday, here’s what you can do to find out: Point your browser to www.spontaneousdevelopment.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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Not all prospects go on to become buyers. Having great qualifications, a nice office, and proficiency in your chosen vocation may not always be enough to make people buy. A few factors, some having little to do with those criteria, can influence “buyers” purchase decisions.

A prospect may decide s/he does “believe” you. Or s/he may feel comfortable with you. For instance, unbelievable as it may sound, a prospect may choose to NOT hire you, because you remind him/her of an ex-spouse!

These are realities of life. Yet, they can be quite difficult to remember when prospects contact us.

Since Prospects Can Be So Fickle Minded, Your Best Bet Is Attract Them in Large Numbers

When many of us get enquiries for our products or services, we typically begin pushing to close the sale.

That’s not a bad thing.

Depending on what you’re selling (and who to) however, things may or many not turn out okay.

An eagerness to close the sale could put off the prospect. And if s/he happens to be one who thinks you remind him/her of something or someone “unpleasant”, you’d be making your case worse!

But most people who hurry to sell don’t realise this.

When the prospect asks for (sometimes unfair) discounts/concessions, they quickly grant them – all in the hope of selling.

The irony is that despite saying so many “yes-es” to a prospect’s demands, s/he may still not buy. And that can be quite painful.

But Nine times out on ten, you’d only be that “pained”, if you lacked OTHER serious prospects!

Think about it, and you’ll see I’m right.

Imagine you have prospects constantly bombarding you with emails, phone calls, and face to face visits.

Do you really think one or two who never call back or buy would really bother you that much?

Quite unlikely – because you would be able to turn your attention to OTHERS still clamouring for it!

Only when we lack enough prospects, does departure of some, tend to bother us.

That’s the way the human mind works. If you have others waiting to “hear from you”, with respect to the enquiry they made, you’ll naturally say “Oh well, I better follow up with others.”

Hopefully, you get the point I’m making here.

When I Used to Go to Prospects, I Discovered It Was Too Much Hard Work, for Too Little Gain

In my first few years as an entrepreneur, I did a lot of pavement pounding. Over time, I came to realise that the kinds of products and services I offered could not be effectively and profitably sold that way.

I can never forget how I repeatedly got laughed out of people’s offices – in Lagos. This happened most often when I went to introduce my Custom Excel-VB Driven software Development service.

I lost count of people who told me no one would pay me to build software for them using MS Excel Visual Basic.

Many times I was mocked by prospects who called me on my mobile days or weeks after I visited them. They would ask, “So, how’s business going?” – even as they laughed out loud.

It’s Smarter to Create a System That Generates Regular Enquiries, from Serious Prospects.

At a point, I made up my mind I would learn how to make clients COME to me.

So I deliberately began using my website to promote my solutions. Over time, with results I got, I developed what I now call a Web Marketing System.

Today, I have made sales of Excel-VB applications I built to people I have never met. E.g my Livestock Ration Formulator and my Automated Employees Payslips Generator.

And I’ve also been hired to build applications from scratch for different sized businesses.

From those lean early years when no one took me seriously, I now get enquiries via email, and phone on a regular basis, for this service – and related products.

People come across my web marketing resources online – on youtube, my blog, and facebook/twitter – and they realise I can help them.

To avoid feeling disappointed, pressured or frustrated when prospects fail to buy, create a system for attracting enquiries from prospects as possible on a regular basis.

Some Real-Life Examples of Results I Get, From Using The Strategy I Propose

By the time you read this, I’ll be back on a farm in South West Nigeria, installing an Excel-VB driven Poultry Layer Farm Management software on the farm office PC.

Then I’ll train the farm manager to use it.

The owner hired me to develop the app, about a month ago. This was right after I finished moving his static html based website to a database driven Joomla! version, he paid me to setup.

In case you’re wondering, while doign the website job, I upsold the idea of having a farm management software to him. I showe him online articles I’d written on that, and followed with a demonstration of the application on my laptop.

Just 2 days ago, I exchanged phone calls with an enquirer, after he contacted me via email. I’ve since sent him details of the required investment. He wants me to develop a similar application for his own layer farm operation – also in Nigeria.

By way of interest, this second prospect found me online, while searching on Google.

I’ve attended to three other enquiriers, this week – this time, for my feed formulation software. The most recent being today – Sunday!

It’s Much Easier to Sell When Prospects Come to You…and Not the Other Way Round!

No matter what you sell – including your speaking service (which Burt Dubin can help YOU master) – the same principles apply.

Create a system that attracts potential buyers – regularly (emphasis on regularly is deliberate).

Many people who are exceptionally gifted in their fields are unable to make the above happen in their businesses.

Various experts who do it successfully have their own “systems”.

I call mine a Web Marketing System (WMS).

Today, I help clients develop and implement a similar system, for promoting their own products and services.

Click here to read a 3 part series I wrote on it a while back.

Need More Details of How to Make The Above Ideas Work for YOU?

If you need more specific details of how to make use of the ideas I’ve shared in this newsletter, send me a message using this request form – with “Re: No. 108: How to Grow Your Sales, With Less Effort…and Peace of Mind” in the subject line.

SD Nuggets Blog™	New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking [Monday]:	No. 107: Two Ways to Make Extra Money at Zero Cost
Entrepreneurship [Tuesday]:	Adopt Standard Operating Procedures to Succeed More With Less Effort (This Works for Solopreneurs and Large Organisations)
Self-Development [Wednesday]:	You Do NOT Have To Be Expensive To Make Profits
Career Development [Thursday]:	Use Your Personal Interests and Hobbies to Succeed at Work
Parenting [Friday]:	“Professors” Cannot Afford to Resist New Ideas
Writing/Blogging [Saturday]:	Are Businesses Faking Online Results?
Want me to write for you? Click here…

Have a lovely week!

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

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

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

http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Have you been undecided about whether or not to become a paid speaker? Or have you been trying to get your speaking career off the ground with little success?

Here’s a tip: 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.

Comments?

What do you think of the above message? Do you have any personal experience to share on this subject? Are there some other points you feel can be added, to help persons looking for answers? Please share your thoughts!

Share this issue!

Do you know anyone who might benefit from reading this newsletter issue? Why not hit the forward button now, and send it to him/her with a short recommendation. You can also use share it via your social media channels. Thanks in advance.

What fears or doubts are keeping you from (a) taking up Burt Dubin’s monthly speaker mentoring, or (b) buying his products?

You can choose to purchase Burt’s mentoring at any of the three (3) levels listed below:

1. Top Shelf [Click here] | 2. Mid Range [Click here] | 3. Budget Delight [Click here]

Burt’s three mentoring packages can be likened to the seating options offered by airlines: Budget Delight (Economy); Mid Range (Business); and Top Shelf (First Class).

At least that’s how I like to think of them!

All three will get you to your desired destination of “speaking success-ville” – so long as you meet the requirements/play your part well (your fare, abide by the set guidelines etc). During the “flight”, the seat you have will determine how much personal service attention and preference the provider will accord you. It’s that simple

So, make your choice:1. Top Shelf [Click here] | 2. Mid Range [Click here] | 3. Budget Delight [Click here]

Send me an e-mail with your questions via tayo at tksola dot com. In the meantime, why not get started by subscribing here to get his 7-Part Course (How To Succeed And Get Paid As A Professional Speaker) . . . and receive his monthly newsletter (Speaking Biz Strategies Letter) at no cost.

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Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News, Parenting, Public Speaking, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

Are Businesses Faking Online Results?

September 21, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Yes they are. Apart from my experience-based opinion, this article features real life evidence in form of a Channel 4 TV Dispatches investigative video report exposing how businesses manipulate social media statistics.

It’s a sad reality. But I doubt that any conscious adult would really be surprised to learn this is happening. It’s however the scale on which it’s occurring – given the capability of the web – that’s mind boggling.

They Say One Thing & Do Another

When I first started using the web as an entrepreneur in 2002, I saw everything through rose coloured glasses. It was a perfect world, where everything worked as people said it did.

Over the years one scale after another has fallen from my eyes. Steps prescribed by many (but of course NOT ALL!) experts yield nothing like they promise or claim to get.

A lot happens behind the scenes that the average person cannot detect or unravel.

If no one is buying back links, why do people still keep sending so many emails offering them? And if no one is buying Facebook likes, Youtube views etc, how come I still get such offers?

They’re obviously getting patronage – else they would have gone out of business long ago!

In light of the above, how do I know that expert did not BUY his own thousands of LIKES and VIEWS?

Yet he may offer to “teach” me how to get similar results by writing articles and publishing a newsletter!

A Real Life TV Report That Confirms What I’m Saying

So you can have someone using doing naughty things Google says not to e.g. buying links. They go to great lengths to cover their tracks.

The idea is often the same. To do everything possible (legal or not) to get themselves in front of as many eyeballs as possible online.

Click here to watch this shocking investigative TV report video trailer. In it, film-maker Chris Atkins uncovers how some businesses purchase fake Facebook ‘likes’, Twitter followers and YouTube views to promote themselves.

See what I mean??

For me, what’s important here is that we will probably NEVER know those who have used the services of the crooked guy in the video. Even worse, many of us may have taken serious business decisions based on the results people like that have shown us!

When I took care to begin studying these groups of people, I noticed they had a few things in common.

They often employed hype in their copy and offers, targeting large numbers of people promising to turn your fortunes around overnight.

And you rarely needed to do anything, know anything or how to do anything!

Just jump on by paying a little cash and you’d be made for life.

Now, in my candid opinion, only greedy and/or lazy people take up such offers. And I’m neither. Which explains why I’ve never been “had” by them.

Of course what they offer rarely works as promised. But these guys are good at “selling” their stuff :-))

They always have a follow up that explains what steps you need to take to improve your luck. At some point they’ll also bring in another “expert” who’s decided to do YOU a favour, by sharing some new “secret” formula with you.

You’re asked to jump on to his/her list to learn the new XYZ formula. Eventually, you may have to pay a little cash to LEARN…and LEARN…and LEARN….!!!

Right now, in my honest opinion, there’s a webinar and teleconference pandemic on the web. Everybody is teaching something someone else needs to learn.

For the bad guys amongst those offering these events, it seems to me that their key strategy is building of mailing lists. Then they relentlessly “work” those lists.

Someone’s bound to buy something eventually – especially when they keep sending tempting offers that will be potentially appealing to the more lazy/greedy of their subscribers.

NB: Keep in mind that some of these guys have mailing lists running into hundreds of thousands of subscribers. You can therefore imagine how lucrative this whole arrangement can get!

Google’s Algorithm Updates Confirmed My Suspicions

Yep. Must give thanks to the good guys at Google. They sometimes set-up things in ways that punish innocent website owners too. But very often that ends up being only a temporary side effect of any new measure they take, to sanitize the results they give their users.

In time, if the good guys who are affected keep doing the right things, they eventually get plenty of love from Google. I know this because that’s what I’m getting today.

About a year ago, I certainly could not say that!

**So What (and/Or Who) Do YOU Believe Now?**

Sorry, but I can’t help you there. You will have to do your own thinking

A good first step will however likely be to purge yourself of any laziness or greed. That way, when they come with their offers, your thinking will be much smarter!

However, having watched the above mentioned video, my worst fears have been confirmed. I no longer know what to believe about certain aspects of using the web.

If one man with 1,000 facebook IDs can work overnight to add LIKES to a client’s page, imagine how many people MUST be using his services!!

That’s why I never let the number of Facebook likes or Youtube views anyone waves in my face, sway me.

But that’s not the only thing I NOW question: Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m just too daft to get it right…or some “dark forces” are against me

You see, after taking time and great pains to test/develop something that works for me online, I sometimes deliberately announce it in an article. Just to see what will happen.

On more than one occasion, I’ve noticed some strange occurrences.

One example:

Up till 20th August 2013, my Excel-Heaven Custom Spreadsheet Software Development Service facebook page had been getting steady trickle of LIKES weekly. This began mainly after I began linking to it, and the related website, more often in my blog posts and email newsletter issues.

But since the day I wrote an article criticizing buying of Facebook LIKEs, and also highlighting the new results I’d been getting without buying LIKEs , NOT ONE SINGLE new LIKE has been added to that page.

“Strange” does not even begin describe it. Scary is more like it. I mean, what kind of coincidence is that???

Note that the day Iwrote the article, it already had 39 LIKES. On the day I published the post, the page had gotten 42 LIKES. Just within a 48 hour interval.

But from that day I published thepost discussing those results, NOTHING…

Hmm…make what you will of that.

As for me…”I know what I saw“(like the guy in the horror movie told his disbelieveing friends!)

So, What About Me. How Can You Be Sure I’ve Not Been Lying (or I’m Not Doing So Now)?

It’s only fair that anyone ask me the above question. I may be screaming foul play and still be a part of the whole mess.

People do that in real life – that’s what “duplicity” entails.

The simple answer in my case is however “No”.

I do not, have not, and will not lie about what I do online – or the results I’m getting.

I have no need to.

You see, I’m based in Africa. Over here, Internet use remains a fairly expensive venture for most people. And connectivity can be often quite erratic – making it even more costly.

This means I need to ensure I make the most productive use of my time online.

I’ve kept my website – www.spontaneousdevelopment.com – constantly updated, via relentless web marketing, since July 2005. Over 8 years!

If I was not getting decent rewards for my web marketing efforts (by way of sales of my products and services), I would have shut it down long ago.

I would not be so committed to publishing articles Mondays to Saturdays (sometimes Sundays) here.

But that’s not all.

My clients would NOT pay MORE money for me to write (or re-write) their website content. Or to ghost-write articles/special PDF reports on their behalf, for web marketing systems I setup for them.

That’s mainly because they KNOW that MY web marketing was what led them to find me – often via search engines.

In other words they know it works… and that makes them willing to PAY me to do it for them!

Final Words: In the End Though, You’ll Have to Take My Word for It…Or Move On

Of course, like I said earlier, you’ll probably have no choice but to take what I say as the truth.

Those who have the skills, or means, to do relevant checks should be able to verify some claims or assertions I make. Some people send in enquiries via my contact forms just to “see”.

I do my best to respond to their enquiries.

Sometimes, to avoid having my time wasted, however, I “ask” certain email enquirers to call me.

I should mention that my website’s terms of service allow me to mention names, reproduce emails, and discuss details, relating to transactions I engage in (up to a point), with enquirers.

Most of the names I mention in my articles are for real people – subscribers, some clients or both (e.g Oladipo Mann stayed a subscriber to my newsletter for over 3 years, before finally buying my Feed Formulation Handbook, and software).

Sometimes I include photographs.

And I also know that some of my past clients/buyers would gladly take a call from ANY interested person(s), to speak on the details of their interactions with me.

If you’re an enquirer, email me via tayo at tksola dot com if you want to do that.

That’s the best I can do.

If it’s not enough, just ignore ME, my articles, websites, and of course any products and services I offer.

That should keep you safe :-)))

My DN Travel News, Parenting

“Professors” Cannot Afford to Resist New Ideas

September 20, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

What you are about to read is based on a true story – actually a personal experience that I had.

A Shocking Demonstration of Non-Critical Thinking by Two Professors!

Sometime ago, I had the opportunity to spend roughly 5 minutes with two professors (specialising in Agriculture) in a tertiary institution. I actually got an appointment to see only one of them. The other – who I met for the first time – just happened to be around when the meeting eventually held.

A few days before, 5 male university students had eagerly followed my instructions, to make a drink using a procedure I developed. All they used were pineapple PEELS and small amounts of sugar.

When I left their room that night, they were ecstatic, and thankful.

That experience made me think of possibilities in terms of empowering students to make drinks from waste peels of different fruits (like I propose in this FREE PDF report).

What I had in mind, was a practical workshop arrangement that would last for about 4 hours.

Interested students would enrol, and learn basic principles involved in making drinks from different fruit waste peels. And I offered to source funding by exploring partnerships with sponsors, so attendance could be free or low cost.

Sadly, these “professors” failed to see what I saw.

Not even when I noted the fact that job seeking graduates could earn side income using the skill – as they pursued employment opportunities. We all know how scarce jobs have become today!

The second professor was the one who actually resisted the entire idea and my proposal.

He said in a very firm voice, looking sternly at me:

“I am quite sure none of the students will be interested in this kind of thing. Your best bet will be to go to companies that already make juices with pineapple fruit, and tell them about this idea for making drinks using the peels they throw away. They are the ones who need it.”

When I tried to refocus his attention on the potential benefits to the students, he said:

“Look, I’m telling you no student will be interested. I know I will not want to attend such training. So you can be sure no student will want to learn it either!”

Wow, what ingenious insight from a man (supposedly) of sound intellect. And he was far from being “old”, so the issue of senility did not come in here!

Looking back, I could not help feeling he somehow felt I would “steal” loyalty he had from the students. Just a theory I have…I could be wrong.

His colleague (the one who’d actually invited me) had seemed more willing to discuss with me initially.

In fact I vividly recall him asking what he could do, and offering to give me contact details of students I could invite to the event.

But on seeing how intense his partner was, he strangely went silent.

And at the end of his colleagues “pronouncement” he basically said “Ok. Tayo. See you next time then.”

I stood up, shook their extended hands and left. And that was it.

Professors Lacking Critical Thinking Skills Have Little to Offer Anyone!

To say I felt deflated would be an understatement. But I only let that feeling last for a few seconds.

In no time I shrugged it off, and began thinking of where else I could go. I met with the administrator of a Francophone nation’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

This followed an invitation extended to me by an officer of the chambers. She’d tasted a sample of the drink I gave her while at their International Trade Fair stand, at Cotonou’s Stade De L’amitie.

The administrator did not hide his excitement, when I told him how I’d made the non-fermented version of the drink in my hand. Our chat lasted over an hour (all in French, as he spoke no English).

By the time I left, he’d given me his private mobile phone number, and requested I send him a bottle of the fermented version to taste. He also indicated interest in exploring the propositionl I’d discussed with him – requesting that I send him a copy in French.

And that’s just one of a number of opportunities that have come up. In the meantime, I’m also exploring variants of the product, and conducting shelf-life trials for a version I aim to produce commercially.

Our “Professors” Must Not Be Too Busy to Think!

That encounter with the professors proved to me they’d lost their critical thinking skills. And it has convinced me that I MUST take further steps to protect my kids’ natural creativity from being “beaten out of them” – as someone once wrote.

No “professor” can afford to become too busy (e.g. publishing papers to boost his/her status) to find time to think up newer/better ideas…or to explore useful ones conceived by others!

We must remember that founding fathers of some fields professors specialise in today, had only few months of formal schooling.

A good example: Thomas Edison was a serial inventor, with about 10,000 patents.

He stressed the importance of exercising the mind. That was the secret of his amazing ability to innovate: he did a lot of thinking!

Interestingly Albert Einstein, another great mind, who went through formal schooling, reportedly hated it – claiming “his professors only taught old science”!

In his early schooling years, Einstein had been bored by the emphasis on rote learning (i.e. memorisation). But the teachers –narrowly – interpreted his attitude to be due to laziness.

Later in life, Einstein constantly made out ample time to think. He did this despite being busy working (6 days a week at a patent office), pursuing a doctorate at the University of Zurich, and coping with family life.

It was during those busy periods, that he came up with his most amazing discoveries and revolutionary ideas!

Einstein Was Once Asked How Schools Could Improve…

He replied by saying that schools that force students to memorize periodic tables, and maths theorems, would not progress; while those that teach imagination and creativity will influence society’s evolution.

One writer wondered why – considering that Einstein was (probably) the smartest man who ever lived – no one listened to him!

(I’ll hazard a guess: the egos and personal interests of those in charge were/are getting in the way…)

In my parenting articles, I have repeatedly challenged parents to help their kids discover and maximise their God-given potentials.

Most conventional schools, as they are currently set-up will NOT do that!

Final Words: What I Am NOT Saying/Have NOT Said…and Do NOT Mean

Before someone calls for my head, let me state clearly that I have not said, and do not mean to imply, in any way, that professors are bad or incompetent

However, it is my considered opinion, that some members of that group are – today – misrepresenting the larger majority (a sign they probably should not have gotten that far?).

What I AM therefore saying, in essence, is that teachers at any level must be open to new ideas.

They must also be willing to think them up…and to encourage those they teach, to do the same.

“Professors” can simply NOT afford to resist new ideas – or hold on to outdated ones!

Career Development, My DN Travel News

Use Your Personal Interests and Hobbies to Succeed at Work

September 19, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Everyone talks about Self-Development (SD) – now and then. But that seems to be about all that most people do i.e. talk about it.They never seem to actually do much of the self-development they talk about. At least not in a self-sustaining way that will yield them lasting benefits.

I want to challenge you to adopt and actively practice SD – in all its aspects within – as well as outside your workplace.

Now, you must avoid thinking activities you engage in outside your workplace, have little or no bearing on your job – and how well you can do it.

In my personal experience, if you channel your personal interests and hobbies properly, they can become invaluable to you in delivering exceptional performances on the job.

Let me illustrate with an example from my workplace, back when I worked – as a high performing manager – in a corporate multinational.

Between July and August 2001, we had to prepare for the visit by auditors from the Standards Organization of Nigeria as part of ISO 9002 certification requirements.

About two weeks to the audits, I was forced to use my (self-developed)knowledge of Excel Visual Basic programming, to develop an online Training Records database management software package for the brewery.

This was due to our inability to secure a suitable off-the-shelf application package – on time – through the Information Systems department.

Many departments in the brewery had been marked down by the auditors, for lacking easily retrievable training records. What most had was on paper, and rarely well archived. That situation would have meant our failure, if it remained that way into the final audits.

During this period, I was acting as Training and Technical Development Manager(TTDM) for the first time (I was 28, and barely 4 years old in the company).

Knowing that I possessed the skills to do develop a viable solution, I decided to produce a custom database package as a temporary alternative.

You will agree with me that this would have been a major challenge since I was not formally trained as a computer programmer, but in my case I was “lucky” because computer programming – especially spreadsheet based automation – had always been a hobby.

It was a skill I had initially picked up from Richard Chambers during my trainee days.

Below: 1995 Photo of me (as a Graduate Trainee in the Technical Function) sitting next to Richard Chambers, Training Coordinator, – taken in the Training Department, Guinness Nigeria, Ikeja Brewery.

I subsequently used it to develop custom software packages to successfully solve major user problems. This was done mainly via automation of data recording and report generation for departments I was opportune to work in.

Also, I never stopped working to stay up-to-date with trends in that area either. This enabled me easily shift from writing Lotus spreadsheet macro programs(which Richard introduced me to), to events managed Visual Basic for Applications(Excel)programs.

It is worth noting that I “taught” myself to write Excel-VB code. My invaluable companion at the time, was a Microsoft Developer’s Self-Study Guide written by Reed Jacobson. I attended no formal classes or training.

I began working long hours daily – and sometimes overnight – over the course of those two weeks.

During that period, I tasked my Training Instructors to prepare complete training records of ALL departments, in MS Excel formats matching the application’s database records table.

When the time was right, I imported the staff training records into it, and hosted it on the internal network server, to check that it worked as desired.

On the morning of the day scheduled for final audits, I went round and installed shortcuts to launch the app on each departmental head’s PC.

I also showed each person how to navigate the app’s mostly graphic user interface, to generate a training report (on screen or in print) for a member of his/her team.

By the time the auditors arrived, every departmental head could competently use the app.

Like I mentioned earlier, in order to achieve my objective within the short time available, I had to spend a good number of nights in the brewery. Without that, I could never have achieved the result I did.

That’s called “Going The Extra Mile(GTEM)”.

You can imagine how relived everybody was – including myself! – that we eventually scaled the audits without incident, and got certified.

I did not get a medal for what I did. But I drew great personal satisfaction from knowing I helped solve a problem that threatened to thwart our collective ambition. And that was more than adequate compensation for me.

Final Words: The Rewards Seldom Come Immediately…But They Eventually Do, If You Don’t Stop!

If you’re going to use your hobbies and personal interests to succeed at work, you’ll most likely need to GTEM a lot!

That implies making personal sacrifices to make a noticeable difference in your workplace, to the benefit of the company.

And you will often have to do this with absolutely no expectation of reward (be it immediate or remote) in your mind. Otherwise, you’ll get tired of doing it sooner than is required to reap the rewards that are bound to come.

Think about this before you start. Or you could make yourself look bad before workplace colleagues – if you start doing great things and suddenly stop for no obvious reason!

Oh…by the way…I should also add that in my case, I never stopped: I just kept doing more…and eventually, many useful career advancement opportunities subsequently came my way.

They included excellent appraisal ratings, a subsequent longer stint of 3 months as TTDM, then a promotion to the position of TTDM. These would be followed by nomination to a 6 week overseas training course across the UK. And on my return from the UK, I went on secondment to act as a head of my former department (brewing)!

So you see, smart thinking decision makers DO take note of those team members who make a difference. Just don’t expect them to tell you directly, or reward you instantly. It rarely happens that way.

Remember: Working in paid employment is not like going to the Olympic games, where you get a medal immediately after you “win”

My DN Travel News, Self-Development

You Do NOT Have To Be Expensive To Make Profits

September 18, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

No you don’t. And I explain why in this article, which was originally published – on Monday 6th December 2010 – as an issue of my static html based Self-Development Digest Newsletter here.

Myth: To Make Good Profits, Your Product Or Service Price/Fee Must Be High.

Fact: The above statement is NOT true.

It is important to avoid falling into the trap of thinking you need to charge a lot to make a lot of profits.

Companies like Richard Branson’s Virgin, have shown again and again, that substantial profits can be made from sales of affordably priced products and services.

The logic that makes this possible is simple. Just follow the tips outlined below, and you’ll soon be reaping VERY decent profits, while offering prices/fees LOWER than your rivals can afford to!

1. Aim to maintain low operational overheads:

How much does it cost to deliver your product or service to customers? Are you certain that you have captured all contributors to the cost of your operation? If YES, then whatever figure you end up with will be what you will mark up by some profit margin to arrive at your selling price.

Now, if others offer higher prices compared to yours, it would NOT mean they make more profits than you do.

This is because they are likely to have a different operating cost profile compared to yours. If you can get access to such details, you could compare to ascertain for sure what the case is.

However, a more practical option would be for you to ensure your costing has been done right. Then explore possible avenues to LOWER your operating costs over time.

This way, without increasing your prices further, you would increase your profit margins, and still delight your customers by offering stable, friendly pricing.

2. Work hard to build high volume, sustainable, long term patronage:

Many times, businesses do not do as much marketing as they should.

As a result the incoming volume of customer patronage tends not to be adequate or sustained.

This can force the company to employ give-away promos, or discount incentives to encourage more sales.

The reality is however that sales/marketing efforts can be intensified. This, combined with intelligent initiatives to generate valuable sales leads would make conversion rates up, resulting in increased sales.

Most importantly, effective after sales service and customer relations would attract repeat purchases and referrals (depending on the type of product or service).

3. Constantly employ creativity to re-invent your offering:

Think up new and better products/services to delight your customers. Explore creative ways to serve them. This will make them happy to stay with you.

And those extras – some of which could be designed to come at no additional charge – would give them something to brag about to their friends, associates etc.

The latter could in turn indicate interest in what you offer over time. Even if they do not, at least your name/brand would be impressed on their consciousness. In future, this could work in your favour.

Think about it. What are the factors that determine your price?

One would be the prevailing prices in the market place.

But sometimes checks reveal others are exploiting customers via exorbitant pricing. You stand to gain by offering more reasonable prices.

Branson hinted at this when he said he looked for places where companies were “taking the Mickey out of the customer“.

This made him aim to enter such markets with value adding, affordably priced alternatives, to compete with such companies.

Going by how long he has remained in business in most markets he has entered; it is obvious that what he advocates actually works.

You can benefit by adopting a similar philosophy.

Final Words: To Make Profits As Explained Above, You Are to Be Affordable – NOT CHEAP!

I cannot end this without pointing out that my experiences in serving some narrow minded clients. You are likely to meet them too.

The kind who demand the lowest (or if possible NO) price, in exchange for your product or service. Most times, they simply want to exploit you.

I have had such prospects/clients say all sorts of (honestly silly) things to me, just to have their way:

a. They said: “We don’t have money. Don’t worry, do it free for us and God will bless you”.

I responded: “Sorry, but I cannot afford to do that. Indeed, every time you pay to have me do it, it is actually God who is blessing me!”

b. They said: “Why not sell to us at a loss, since you are just starting, so that we can recommend (the product/service) to others, who will then buy from you”.

I responded: “I have already done that in the past for others, and by so doing proved that the value I offer is worth paying for. If I had continued that way, I would not have stayed in business long enough for you to discover me.”

Resist the Temptation to Give In – You’ll Only Hurt Your Brand!

Napoleon Hill once wrote that human beings rarely appreciate – and often discredit – anything they get for free or without effort.

My experiences confirm this to be a very accurate statement.

I urge you to be guided by it, especially if you operate in a society like mine – otherwise you could end up being used and dumped!

Remember: You do not have to be expensive to be profitable. BUT offering your products/services CHEAPLY – or worse at NO cost – is not likely to win you healthy profits that can sustain your business for the long term either.

You have been warned!

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News

Adopt Standard Operating Procedures to Succeed More With Less Effort (This Works for Solopreneurs and Large Organisations)

September 17, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

It won’t matter if you work alone or employ staff/operatives. To get the best results, setup proper systems for running your business. This is what solopreneurs and large businesses that succeed for decades do.

I’ve studied individuals who setup such formal systems for managing their own businesses. And I’ve also worked in a large organisation that monitored and managed its processes using similar systems.

What I learnt helped me realise what to focus on in my own business, so as to make long term progress towards my goals. No matter how tough things get, these systems help you make the most of every situation you encounter – until you breakthrough.

People who do not have this knowledge often operate their businesses in a more or less disorganised manner. Rarely are decisions proactively reached. Seldom does accurate forecasting happen.

Most decisions tend to be taken on the spur of the moment. Performance indicators do not get computed or reviewed. And Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are often non-existent.

Such a disorganized setup can hardly be expected to produce consistently acceptable output. For the simple reason that nothing is under control!

The following ideas can help you prevent such unfavourable situations from developing in your business:

Adopt a Best Operating Process Management System (BOPMS)™

If you’ve been reading my business articles, you’ll have come across this concept before.

By BOPMS™, I refer to a way of working, that enables you turn out optimal output, cost-effectively in a timely manner.

To do this, carefully examine what it takes to deliver your chosen product or service to satisfy buyers, while earning profitable returns.

Then tailor your mode of operation to achieve that outcome as often as possible.

Take a batch production process like livestock farming for instance.

It is always advisable to hire and train farm hands to run, say a poultry layers farm, based on established industry standards.

That implies YOU, the owner must educate yourself – and stay informed – about those standards.

(NB: So many useful resources exist on and off the web that you can consult. Email tayo at tksola dot com, if you want me to send you a list of a few exceptionally useful ones I have found over the years.)

One example: For best results, commercial poultry layers should be fed about 110g of feed per day.

Using that value, you can accurately project your likely need for feed purchases, for a day, week, month or year.

And you would build in allowances for waste – in line with your farm’s unique needs.

Without reliable knowledge of operating standards like the feeding rate mentioned above, a layers farm owner would most likely engage in haphazard feed purchases.

Excess feed inventory could occur, and depending on storage conditions/shelf life, if not used on time, feed spoilage could result. What’s more, purchasing too much feed could lead to tying down vital funds. When you need funds in other areas, you may come up short of cash!

(Remember: The above scenario can apply to virtually any other kind of business.)

And that’s why a farm business owner will be better off setting up a BOPMS™ to guide decision making along those lines. A key requirement for the foregoing, will be the establishment of SOPs.

Establishing SOPs Requires Providing Job Descriptions & Also Work Instructions for Employees

Some people may consider the following to be over kill. But I’ve seen enough locally and internationally, to know it makes a world of difference.

Job Descriptions basically outline the roles, responsibilities and tasks for each job title holder in your business. They must be prepared to ensure no confusion arises when people act based on them.

Work Instructions will guide operatives/employees on specific steps to take in carrying out given tasks.

They will also indicate measurements/amounts to be used, purchased etc. Whenever changes are made to the “operating procedure”, the Work Instructions will be updated, and old versions retired.

Training of old and newly recruited operatives will often be based on the Work Instructions’ contents (with reference to the Job Descriptions where relevant).

And they will be used to establish competence of every trained employee. Only those who pass competency assessments will be “certified competent” to handle relevant tasks without supervision.

They would know what to do, how to do it, and the importance of doing it right, first time, every time. The result would naturally be consistent and reliable volume and quality of output on a regular basis.

Slogans like Right First Time, Every Time arose from a need smart businesses identified to do the above!

Final Words

To get predictable results in your business using the above described approach, you must demonstrate a firm commitment to implementing the system at all times.

Otherwise, all sorts of things would repeatedly go wrong e.g. missed delivery deadlines, product complaints etc…none of which would endear you/your company to clients and customers.

Like I said earlier, even self-employed individuals (e.g. independent consultants) need to operate in this manner, to reap profits at lower cost.

In my case, as a solopreneur, one of the instruments I use to get it Right First Time, Every Time, is a Functional Requirements Specification (FRS) document. Plus I have a Code of Ethics that I strictly abide by.

In working with clients who have employees, I always urge them to adopt a BOPMS™.

Some listen. Some don’t.

The difference is always obvious in the quality of results they get.

What will your story be?

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, Public Speaking

No. 107: Two Ways to Make Extra Money at Zero Cost

September 16, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

You already make money from your business. What if you could make extra money using your expert knowledge and skills – without needing to spend more? Unless it is illegal or dishonest, a low/zero cost opportunity to gain additional (sometimes passive) income – or marketing exposure – should never be passed up.

Forget what others will say – or think. Below I explain zero/low cost ideas you can adopt to grow yourself, and complement your income.

This won’t apply to everyone – but reading it could just trigger ideas you may find useful. So, stay with me here!

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Publication: Tayo Solagbade’s Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Page (PSIP) Newsletter

Date: Monday 16th August 2013

No:107

Title: Two Ways to Make Extra Money at Zero Cost

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

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

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

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

Hi,

Please find below the latest issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter.

No. 107: Two Ways to Make Extra Money at Zero Cost

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You already make money from your business. What if you could make extra money using your expert knowledge and skills – without needing to spend more? Unless it is illegal or dishonest, a low/zero cost opportunity to gain additional (sometimes passive) income – or marketing exposure – should never be passed up.

Forget what others will say – or think. Below I explain zero/low cost ideas you can adopt to grow yourself, and complement your income.

This won’t apply to everyone – but reading it could just trigger ideas you may find useful. So, stay with me here!

This Applies to Solo entrepreneurs As Well As CEOs of Large Multinationals

I spent seven very useful years in Guinness Nigeria. During that time I saw how a deliberate strategy of Variable Costs Reduction, was used to turn the company’s fortunes around within less than 3 years.

But it took changing the way people worked to achieve that.

Even when we could afford to buy new plants, the decision makers challenged us to aim for savings in the production process, towards financing our planned purchases.

They made us implement the workplace organisation and best practice systems we were trained on, to churn out the same or better output at lower costs.

The results were amazing. What we initially thought impossible became daily realities we took for granted.

At a point, we achieved the year’s target volume output in 6 months!

In case you don’t see the link, that translated to doubling the company’s profit…ultimately.

The lesson I learnt was: Rather than dip your hands in your pockets, every time you need new inputs in your business, make the business generate the needed funds. You end up far better off that way.

The Same Philosophy Can Be Applied to Other Areas of Endeavour

Even in running the home. I know this from doing it myself. It’s just the HOW that differs a bit.

For persons in business, I discuss two examples below….

1. Writing for Money (and Marketing Exposure)

You’ve probably had moments when you’ve considered writing a book – or a special report – based on your unique knowledge and insights.

You do know you have knowledge, and especially insights, that others lack…don’t you? If you did not know it before now, then take it from me – you DO.

If truth be told, you probably know it, but are scared to own it. That’s the way most people are wired.

For instance, you’ve probably read stuff written by your peers that you privately consider “incomplete” or “inadequate”.

But you hesitate to voice your own opinion by writing or speaking on the same subject.

Stop doing that to yourself!

Make your views available for your target audience to read. They need to make better sense of the subject. You can help them do that, and reap useful benefits in return.

And if you do a good job, many will gladly pay to read what you write.

2. Speaking for Money (and Marketing Exposure)

Closely related to writing is the business of speaking for money.

I’ve written a lot about this over the years. With proper packaging, promotion and presentation of your “expert” self (to paraphrase Burt Dubin), you can get paid to speak to individuals and groups.

You can also use Public Speaking for Business Marketing.

With individuals, you would “speak” as a coach, mentor or consultant. With groups or organisations, you would act in the forementioned roles, and also a “lecturer, facilitator, seminar leader” etc.

Just as with writing, people will see you as a valuable provider of useful knowledge and information.

Enquirers about certain services I offer are asked to pay N10, 000 (about $60 USD) to speak with me for thirty minutes to one hour on it.

Now, some experts would call that peanuts. But in my local market – and to the audience that seeks that service – it’s proved just right.

What’s more, I use it mainly to ensure I do not have my time wasted. That’s why if they go on to hire me, they get the N10,000 refunded to them, via a deduction from fees they pay me for the full project.

Anyone who refuses to pay that fee has to go elsewhere. Those who take the leap of faith always get value for their money.

Note that most times these people find me via my written works e.g. articles, PDF e-books and reports.

In my write-ups, I mention the fact that I offer a speaking service. Likewise, in the promotional material for my talks, I announce the fact that I offer freleance writing (and other) serveces.

At speaking event venues I offer information products on CD/DVDs, and in print form in “back rooms”.

See how this works?

You Can Use Writing and/or Speaking to Directly or Indirectly Earn Income

Do a search online and you’ll see that people with similar expertise to yours already write in your field. Some author books reports (e.g. PDF, Epub mobile format) for free or a fee.

Others get paid to write for print magazines or websites. Many of course write for themselves on their own websites.

They also get invited for paid speaking gigs. Many times meeting planning decision makers use their writing to assess the potential value such experts can deliver as speakers.

That’s why to boost your chances of making money from speaking, you really want to do lots of writing!

Avoid Fooling Yourself Into Thinking You Don’t Have Time to Write

The problem you’ll have will rarely be a lack of time.

Believe me. Every month, I publish a new article on my Self-Development (SD) Nuggest blog daily from Mondays to Saturday (sometimes Sundays).

During that same period I often write for clients on widely differing themes like education, legal consulting, poultry farming, hearing and speech improvement etc.

For myself, I also write and sell information products on different subjects/themes.

Yet, not once have I ever been found wanting by any client.

The key is proper self-management, planning and discipline – backed by passion for what you do.

The marketing exposure I get from doing all the above, increases the appeal of my range of products (custom spreadsheet software) and services (web marketing, farm business support, freelance writing etc).

That enhanced appeal got me chosen to be guest Speaker at the 2012 edition of the Annual Entrepreneurial Lecture, organised by Yaba College of Technology’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Development.

The above ideas can enable you make more money faster, with less effort/expense, doing what you love!

Final Words: To Get Started, Do What I Did

I made a habit of visiting this guru’s website, and reading ALL his articles on speaking, writing and marketing. He’s been around for over 3 decades, and is recognised worldwise as an authority on all those topics (read what accomplished experts say about him in this PDF).

By creatively adapting what I learnt from reading (and listening to) his – and some other people’s – stuff, I developed the ideas I’ve shared above. Do what I did, and you’re bound to come up with even better ideas to sell yourself successfully.

…plus, if you really want to fly high, invest in a few of his products and services, and the sky may not even be your limit!

NB: Today, I represent him as sole agent on the African continent.

Need More Details of How to Make The Above Ideas Work for YOU?

If you need more specific details of how to make use of the ideas I’ve shared in this newsletter, send me a message using this request form – with “Re: No. 106: Are You Ready to Be Helped?” in the subject line.

SD Nuggets Blog™	New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking[Monday]:	No. 106: Are You Ready to Be Helped?
Entrepreneurship [Tuesday]:	Your Business Should Free You, Not Restrict You
Self-Development [Wednesday]:	To Change Your Circumstances You Need To Change Your Mindset!
Career Development [Thursday]:	Use Your Job Loss Experience to Achieve Greater Success
Parenting [Friday]:	Trying to Use Others Can Cost YOU Success (Advice you need to give your child)
Writing/Blogging [Saturday]:	Your Writing Will Succeed, IF You Are Original…and NOT In a Hurry!
Want me to write for you? Click here…

Have a lovely week!

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

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

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

http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com

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

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

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

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Have you been undecided about whether or not to become a paid speaker? Or have you been trying to get your speaking career off the ground with little success?

Comments?

Share this issue!

What fears or doubts are keeping you from (a) taking up Burt Dubin’s monthly speaker mentoring, or (b) buying his products?

You can choose to purchase Burt’s mentoring at any of the three (3) levels listed below:

1. Top Shelf [Click here] | 2. Mid Range [Click here] | 3. Budget Delight [Click here]

Burt’s three mentoring packages can be likened to the seating options offered by airlines: Budget Delight (Economy); Mid Range (Business); and Top Shelf (First Class).

At least that’s how I like to think of them!

So, make your choice:1. Top Shelf [Click here] | 2. Mid Range [Click here] | 3. Budget Delight [Click here]

For over 25 years, Burt Dubin has provided a variety of speaker mentoring products and services to clients worldwide.

Download this flyer as PDF: http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/uploads/burt_new_flyer.pdf

My DN Travel News, Writing/Blogging

Your Writing Will Succeed, IF You Are Original…and NOT In a Hurry!

September 14, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Writing is not as easy as many people who do not do it for serious (especially formal business) purposes think it is. Such persons usually have not had to do it regularly and consistently, while maintaining quality, and volume.

On the other hand those who write for a living know that coming up with new, original write-ups that interest their target audiences can be quite hard.

Formal/professional writing, that is meant to get readers to do what the writer wants, is very far from being easy. It takes long hours of hard work/continual practice.

Business Related Writing is NOT for Persons Unwilling to Be Original

Being original takes effort…and time. And it makes readers appreciate written works more.

But not everyone is willing to make make such an investment in their writing.

For instance, content mills owners are unwilling to take time to write original peices. So they settle for mutiliated versions of other people’s writing.

Thankfully, Google’s new algorithm ensures they waste fewer people’s time – via search results pages – with each passing day

Business is generally a serious affair. People engaged in most aspects of it are looking to reap beneficial returns – often money. That makes them unwilling to waste their time reading material that’s basically duplicated content of poor value.

In the entertainment industry, gossip news websites probably constitute an exception to the above rule.

But that would be mainly due to the nature of the subject they treat.

Celebrities have a way of making people act irrational many times.

For instance, normally intelligent people can get quite irrational when it concerns a famous person they adore. That’s why some invest endless hours of their time, and considerable amounts of money, to buy and read anything written about celebrities.

Like I said, that is the possible exception.

Most other businesses and vocations seek attention from results focused individuals and groups. And they know it’s crucial that they successfully present themselves as being worthy of their target audience’s serious attention.So they are always on the lookout for cost-effective ways to do that.

More and more of them are now discovering that writing can be effectively used to achieve that marketing purpose.

But more importantly, they realise that coming across as unique and original in the writing content they offer, is crucially important!

This is why writers who work for them will always be challenged to deliver pieces free from plagiarism, and potential copyright issues of any kind.

It goes without saying, that damaged credibility can be very hard to repair – be it for a client who is a solopreneur, or one that is a corporate entity.

The “Fast-Food” Mentality Does Not Work in Business Related Writing

Here’s a truth that may be bitter to swallow: Someone in a hurry for results can try writing for business marketing. But the results will be mediocre.

This is one area of life that the “fast food” mentality that dominates society today simply will not work!

You see, there is a method to business of “Response Generating Writing”.

Take my case for example…

Maybe in future, when I can find the time, I’ll explore creative fiction writing. For now however, I’m more focussed on using creative (non-fiction) writing to generate sales leads.

That involves working to a well though out plan called a Web Marketing Strategy – based on which a Web Marketing System is developed and implemented.

Specifically, I write daily pieces on specific subject areas, providing useful information, and education aimed at attracting potential buyers of my products and services.

In other words, the writing I do is designed to build trust and credibility for me, in the minds of my readers, over time.

Some go on to make contact with me, and eventually engage my services.

Ghost-writing on their behalf, so they can generate sales leads (the way I do) is one of a number of services I provide to them.

What is however important to note, is that the process takes time, diligent effort, and persistence…not forgetting creative thinking.

I’ve Done What I’m Asking You to Do, With Increasing Success, For Over a Decade

It all began in 2002, when I started out as a self-employed multipreneural service provider.

The going was not easy. Challenges – very painful visits of adversity – have come my way over and over again since then.

Sometimes I would get good results, and then a period of “famine” would follow.

But I persisted despite all of that.

Until I began to gain better insight, into how to use my writing more effectively for low to zero cost business promotion.

That (i.e. low to zero cost marketing of my solutions) was the motivation for me.

You see, I lacked the funds to utilize traditional business marketing to create awareness about what I offered.

So, writing became my first choice – by necessity, not by preference.

But over time, with better results, and improved proficiency, I realised it was a smarter and more effective – and complementary – alternative to the more conventional methods!

Final Words: If You Stop Hurrying, and Strive to Be Authentic, Your Writing Will Succeed!

Today, the continually improving results I’m getting, clearly tell me I’m on the right path.

If you really think about it, this is not surprising, since what attracts people most times is honesty, originality and authenticity.

I have all three!

Regular readers of this blog will have come across pieces in which I did as Burt Dubin advised, and basically “appear psychological naked” to my readers.

It’s what he advises experts-who-speak, that he mentors, to do in their speaking (and by implication, their writing).

Anyone who is in a hurry to get results is unlikely to be willing to do what I recommend above, with the required commitment.

And that, is probably the ONLY reason they will be unable to get useful results – like I do – from writing!

No one – regardless of age – can escape having this kind of experience.

If You’ve Never Experienced This Problem, KNOW That It’s Real – and Prepare Yourself

What You Can Do

RELATED ARTICLES

1. Develop a Practical Marketing Strategy Suited to Your Target Market

What I have said above is what I did years ago. And I still periodically do it today, to improve the results I get.

2. Regularly Create NEW Products Addressing Your Target Audience’s Needs:

3. Implement An Aggressive Zero Receivables Policy:

Final Words

An outage of cash will bring even the biggest giant of a business to its knees.

No. 108: How to Sell More Successfully

Since Prospects Can Be So Fickle Minded, Your Best Bet Is Attract Them in Large Numbers

The irony is that despite saying so many “yes-es” to a prospect’s demands, s/he may still not buy. And that can be quite painful.

When I Used to Go to Prospects, I Discovered It Was Too Much Hard Work, for Too Little Gain

It’s Smarter to Create a System That Generates Regular Enquiries, from Serious Prospects.

Some Real-Life Examples of Results I Get, From Using The Strategy I Propose

It’s Much Easier to Sell When Prospects Come to You…and Not the Other Way Round!

Need More Details of How to Make The Above Ideas Work for YOU?

Have you been undecided about whether or not to become a paid speaker? Or have you been trying to get your speaking career off the ground with little success?

Comments?

Share this issue!

What fears or doubts are keeping you from (a) taking up Burt Dubin’s monthly speaker mentoring, or (b) buying his products?

You can choose to purchase Burt’s mentoring at any of the three (3) levels listed below:

1. Top Shelf [Click here] | 2. Mid Range [Click here] | 3. Budget Delight [Click here]

They Say One Thing & Do Another

A Real Life TV Report That Confirms What I’m Saying

For me, what’s important here is that we will probably NEVER know those who have used the services of the crooked guy in the video. Even worse, many of us may have taken serious business decisions based on the results people like that have shown us!

You’re asked to jump on to his/her list to learn the new XYZ formula. Eventually, you may have to pay a little cash to LEARN…and LEARN…and LEARN….!!!

Google’s Algorithm Updates Confirmed My Suspicions

So What (and/Or Who) Do YOU Believe Now?

If one man with 1,000 facebook IDs can work overnight to add LIKES to a client’s page, imagine how many people MUST be using his services!!

But that’s not the only thing I NOW question: Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m just too daft to get it right…or some “dark forces” are against me

So, What About Me. How Can You Be Sure I’ve Not Been Lying (or I’m Not Doing So Now)?

I’ve kept my website – www.spontaneousdevelopment.com – constantly updated, via relentless web marketing, since July 2005. Over 8 years!

My clients would NOT pay MORE money for me to write (or re-write) their website content. Or to ghost-write articles/special PDF reports on their behalf, for web marketing systems I setup for them.

Final Words: In the End Though, You’ll Have to Take My Word for It…Or Move On

Most of the names I mention in my articles are for real people – subscribers, some clients or both (e.g Oladipo Mann stayed a subscriber to my newsletter for over 3 years, before finally buying my Feed Formulation Handbook, and software).

A Shocking Demonstration of Non-Critical Thinking by Two Professors!

Sadly, these “professors” failed to see what I saw.

The second professor was the one who actually resisted the entire idea and my proposal.

His colleague (the one who’d actually invited me) had seemed more willing to discuss with me initially.

Professors Lacking Critical Thinking Skills Have Little to Offer Anyone!

Our “Professors” Must Not Be Too Busy to Think!

Einstein Was Once Asked How Schools Could Improve…

Final Words: What I Am NOT Saying/Have NOT Said…and Do NOT Mean

In my personal experience, if you channel your personal interests and hobbies properly, they can become invaluable to you in delivering exceptional performances on the job.

Knowing that I possessed the skills to do develop a viable solution, I decided to produce a custom database package as a temporary alternative.

It is worth noting that I “taught” myself to write Excel-VB code. My invaluable companion at the time, was a Microsoft Developer’s Self-Study Guide written by Reed Jacobson. I attended no formal classes or training.

By the time the auditors arrived, every departmental head could competently use the app.

Final Words: The Rewards Seldom Come Immediately…But They Eventually Do, If You Don’t Stop!

Oh…by the way…I should also add that in my case, I never stopped: I just kept doing more…and eventually, many useful career advancement opportunities subsequently came my way.

Myth: To Make Good Profits, Your Product Or Service Price/Fee Must Be High.

Fact: The above statement is NOT true.

1. Aim to maintain low operational overheads:

2. Work hard to build high volume, sustainable, long term patronage:

3. Constantly employ creativity to re-invent your offering:

Think about it. What are the factors that determine your price?

Final Words: To Make Profits As Explained Above, You Are to Be Affordable – NOT CHEAP!

I have had such prospects/clients say all sorts of (honestly silly) things to me, just to have their way:

Resist the Temptation to Give In – You’ll Only Hurt Your Brand!

People who do not have this knowledge often operate their businesses in a more or less disorganised manner. Rarely are decisions proactively reached. Seldom does accurate forecasting happen.

Adopt a Best Operating Process Management System (BOPMS)™

One example: For best results, commercial poultry layers should be fed about 110g of feed per day.

Establishing SOPs Requires Providing Job Descriptions & Also Work Instructions for Employees

Training of old and newly recruited operatives will often be based on the Work Instructions’ contents (with reference to the Job Descriptions where relevant).

Final Words

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No. 107: Two Ways to Make Extra Money at Zero Cost

This Applies to Solo entrepreneurs As Well As CEOs of Large Multinationals

The Same Philosophy Can Be Applied to Other Areas of Endeavour

1. Writing for Money (and Marketing Exposure)

2. Speaking for Money (and Marketing Exposure)

You can also use Public Speaking for Business Marketing.

You Can Use Writing and/or Speaking to Directly or Indirectly Earn Income

Avoid Fooling Yourself Into Thinking You Don’t Have Time to Write

The key is proper self-management, planning and discipline – backed by passion for what you do.

Final Words: To Get Started, Do What I Did

Need More Details of How to Make The Above Ideas Work for YOU?

Have you been undecided about whether or not to become a paid speaker? Or have you been trying to get your speaking career off the ground with little success?

Comments?

**So What (and/Or Who) Do YOU Believe Now?**