What if you could earn 80% of the income you need without needing to have clients? Wouldn’t that make your life as an expert so much more fulfilling?
Well I can tell you it’s a wonderful way to be in business – because that’s how I earn my income. In this article, I offer tips you can use to do what I’m doing, and make being your own boss a more pleasurable experience!
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Viewing adversity in a positive light(be it in business or everyday life) can sometimes amount to asking too much of some of us. As soon as a problem/difficulty appears to go on for longer than we feel we can tolerate. Or if it happens once too often for us to rationalize, we begin looking for someone or something to blame. Then the “Devil”(poor guy) gets accused of trying to make us fail.
Or someone in the “village” is fingered for “using remote control” to make our fortunes go sour. It can get worse – sometimes friends/relatives tell the affected person s/he must have done something wrong and ask him to pray for God to stop demonic attacks etc. This article presents timeless wisdom (based on testimonies by entrepreneurs of repute), and a narrative of a personal experience, that completely invalidate these frequently perpetuated myths.
Certain people wrongly believe that difficulty should never come the way of a person who strives honestly to achieve success – especially if s/he proclaims faith in God. Yet the evidence all around us proves irrevocably that it is often those who have passed through difficulty successfully, that end up achieving the successes they desire.
To drive home the point I’m trying to make here, I will refer to the very illuminating insight offered by a veteran entrepreneur – James R. Cook – in his best selling book “The Start up Entrepreneur”. He said that based on elaborate studies he had done of the lives of hundreds of entrepreneurs, he had come to the conclusion that there is a correlation between the amount of suffering a person undergoes before succeeding, and the degree of success s/he eventually achieves.
Going further, he explained that persons who set big goals for themselves should look forward to enduring long drawn periods of worry and painful adversity, adding that as the amount of suffering endured increases, so is the success ultimately recorded likely to increase too.
Any aspiring entrepreneur with a sound understanding of the “purpose of adversity” at the back of his/her mind, will be able to face squarely the business of paying his/her dues, ultimately, earning the right to enviable heights of success aimed for.
Jim Rohn advises that we should learn to view life as requiring us to succeed in spite of adversity and not in its absence. This is because, if there is no adversity, there cannot be achievement! Sounds simple – yet it CAN be so difficult to remember when one is going through adversity(I KNOW this because I have been “there” many times!). Which is why reading – as a habit – is essential. Reading helps to maintain mental stamina through repeated contact with words that communicate truths like those Jim Rohn shares, to us, so we can stay strong in those times of true testing.
I think I should give a personal example here. Some years ago, I placed an advertisement in The Guardian newspaper for a seminar, only to have a ZERO turnout of attendees on the scheduled date! After discussing about it for a while with a friend, I was able to arrive at 4 major faults with my plans/preparations that could have led to the problem. But rather than leave it at that, I decided to document the experience for use in future seminars as an EXAMPLE of how things can go wrong.
So, while still at the venue, I got my video cameraman to do a 10 minute recording of me, speaking about what had happened and what we believed had led to it. We deliberately added humour to the video clip by showing all the EMPTY seats in the seminar hall, and finally focusing on the wall clock, which showed it was already 1.00pm(planned seminar start time was 11.00am!).
You see, I made up my mind to use the lessons learnt from that “failure” to make myself better in every way possible. The memory of that failure DROVE me to be extra prepared for every project I undertake. And this has helped me win more high profile clients in my work.
It’s a habit I developed years ago – and it made me quite successful when I was in paid employment. Read my article titled “How To Turn A Major Blunder At Work Into A Career Advancement Opportunity ” to learn more.
So, let me challenge you. From today, stop asking why your plans are not going as well as another person’s. Begin to understand and appreciate the fact that you will have to find YOUR own unique path to achieve YOUR own success, which will require you to periodically deal with the challenge of unpleasant situations, in form of diverse visitations of adversity.
Know today that suffering – or adversity – is not bad – except you see it as bad. The perspective you adopt is what determines whether a particular experience is bad or good for you. If you choose to actively search for, and utilise the (ever present – but often hidden – potential equivalent) benefits of every experience of suffering you undergo, you will be better off for it over time.
PS: This article is based on a piece that was first published online on Submitted On March 22, 2011
Maybe in the earlier days, it was okay to do that i.e. judge a website by its design.
But today, with the massive proliferation of websites and the need for discerning visitors to save time, effort and money in finding what they want, MORE people are realising this TRUTH: The design of a website does not necessarily guarantee it will have GOOD, USEFUL or RELIABLE content quality.
Appearances can be quite deceptive as we all know. And it is a known fact that it is unadvisable to judge a book by its cover – or indeed a car by its looks – you cannot be sure what’s under the hood!
Some of the most useful websites I’ve visited actually struck a decent balance between the design and content quality – with some leaning more towards the latter.
That does not – of course – mean you should go looking for ugly sites, but it’s just to alert you to the fact – for instance – that the best “experts” in a specific field you are considering, may not come to you packaged, on their websites, as attractively as less competent ones!
If you fail to take a closer look – “under the hood” – for content quality, you could just end up shortchanging yourself.
To underscore the point I’ve made in this write-up, consider this:
Most fraudulent websites typically use exceptionally impressive or aesthetically appealing web designs to win the confidence of their target audience, who ultimately get scammed!
What I am saying is that you need to avoid concluding that a website with a design that does not “impress” YOU (or meet your design TASTES), will NOT offer value for money by way of products or services it offers.
Do yourself a favour and take a few extra steps to CHECK and confirm what it offers in terms of QUALITY – and THEN contact the owner/company.
You could start by exploring the site extensively for articles, newsletters and other information that could provide insight you need. Using what you find, send in questions via email or the website contact form (if any), watch the kinds of responses you get etc.
Sooner than later, you’ll be able to take an intelligent decision about what to do. And by that time, chances of your making a regrettable or costly mistake will have been considerably reduced.
NB: This article was first published online in January 2011.
Preamble: Don’t Waste Time Waiting To Find a Speaking School!
Many people I have spoken with out here about learning public speaking have demonstrated this bias. Whenever I explained to them that there are many self-study learning resources they can adopt to learn public speaking, they expressed reservations about adopting a similar method.
I am not saying it is wrong to attend public speaking classes or school, if you can find – and afford – them. However, my studies have revealed to me that some of the best speakers the world has known actually learnt via self-study.
Here’s how they achieved that feat:
They read extensively about master speakers still alive and those who had passed on. They studied their biographies to identify what made those speakers successful.
Then they used what they learnt as a guide in developing their own unique skills and styles as public speakers. You do NOT need to be in a formal learning environment or class, to read books and learn from them. It is usually done better when you are alone!
To succeed as a speaker, you must have a message you want to pass to anyone who will listen. To do really well, you have to be VERY passionate about your subject – feel deeply and strongly about it.
It is this passion for the subject that will make you think deeply about it, so that you generate powerful messages destined to impact your audience and make them appreciate you. Thinking deeply about issues does NOT require being in a formal learning environment. AGAIN, it is usually done better when you are alone!
And they did not wait until they had an audience to do it. Abraham Lincoln reportedly practiced as he walked to and from his home, office etc. He gathered people around him to listen to his talks. When possible, he took part in debates.
He sat alone in his room and read aloud speeches crafted in line with what he had read, and thought up, revising it till it sounded right. Sometimes he silently imagined himself delivering his talk – visualising the event the way he wanted it to take place.
Today, with availability of audio and video recorders built into various devices such as phones and computers, you have more options for practicing in the absence of an audience!
Dale Carnegie recommends recording your planned talk or speech and playing it back to hear yourself. It provides excellent avenue to improve your delivery. Practicing does NOT necessarily require being in a formal learning environment. You can use the above strategies, and also gather family members or close friends together to critique your talk.
In an article I read, Les Brown recommended that one Speak for FREE until you are sure you’ve got the hang of it. Burt Dubin agrees, having passed the same route to success himself. In the introduction video on his website, he says “If I, a high school drop out can do it, then so can YOU! ” I would add that IF Abraham Lincoln, with all the odds stacked against him could have done it, via self-study (and in spite of myriad failures), then so CAN YOU!
I followed Burt’s advice from his many articles and newsletters, back in 2002, and before the end of that same year, I successfully negotiated and got paid for my first speaking outing here in Lagos.
Not every one will have access to formal institutions providing public speaking training or coaching. If that applies to you, know that you will NOT be the first person with that seeming limitation. Abraham Lincoln’s example is especially compelling. He walked miles to borrow books and read under candle light late into the night, and as dawn broke, woke up to continue.
He had only a few months of schooling, and so lacked access to formal learning institutions to pursue his passion for speaking. But this did not deter him. He adopted self-study methods, and practiced endlessly. Today he is remembered as one of the greatest speakers the world has known. So, sometimes it could actually be a blessing in disguise that you have to self-study.
That outcome depends mainly on your INTEREST, DESIRE, and PASSION – demonstrated in the energy you will pour into doing all the studying, thinking and practicing that will make you develop into a good speaker. You alone ultimately determine how good you will become – and NOT necessarily your attendance of a public speaking school.
I honestly believe that if available, the quality of INSTRUCTION your receive in the art of public speaking can make a difference in how you turn out as a speaker. A competent mentor will know how to help you discover and develop your FULL potential. S/he will guide you, drawing from his/her past personal speaking experiences and also from studying other speakers.
But you know what? S/he, i.e. your mentor, does NOT need to meet with you physically, to play this important role. Indeed, today’s technology makes it much easier to receive instruction on almost any subject, regardless of distance or geographical location – public speaking being a good example.
In case you’re looking to get started with a mentor, one that I strongly recommend (and who I represent as Sole Agent) is Burt Dubin – who mentors experts who want to be speakers, and speakers who want to be masters. Click here to visit his Speaker Mentoring Products and Services website.
They LOVED it. However, I’ll write later on about the intriguing events preceding the talk I delivered yesterday, at Sherryville Arcade-Lagos, to a group of CEOs and Network Marketing Professionals. (Hint: I came in right from Cotonou border, but arrived over 1 hour late, despite hiring a taxi, due to crazy Lagos traffic)!
To make it up to attendees who waited (those who had to leave get the DVD), I gave an EXTRA hour of information, education, tips and insights based on multiple true stories!
The DVD’s contents include…
1. Two FULL Hours (4 MP3 Audio Recordings) of my Talk delivered yesterday – on the subject:
“Spend Less Money & Time to Make Customers Find & Contact You, Even While You Sleep.”
1. How much money do you spend using the web monthly?
2. How much money do you MAKE from using the web monthly?
None of them could say he was making MORE than he SPENT on the web!
[Note to reader: If YOU also spend MORE, this DVD recording of the talk can help you!]
Would you not challenge the CEO to do better, or possibly even demand that s/he be replaced for reckless spending?
That’s why YOU need to LEARN what to do to attract buyers at zero cost, by listening to these DVD audio recordings!
Key talking points I discussed using multiple true stories about myself/my clients were:
a. What to do to MAKE more money than you spend using the web for your business
b. What you should be selling that you are not (NO MATTER what business you do).
c. How to continue selling even during holidays, when offices and banks are closed.
d. How to make smart use of technology to cut your marketing costs by 25 to 50%.
e. How to find the right kinds of buyers for your products/services.
f. Why you need to educate your prospects and clients if you want to sell MORE profitably.
g. Why website traffic is NOT what you need to monitor, if you want web marketing success.
h. How a Web Marketing System can make ALL the above happen even while you sleep.
In addition, there is screen shot video presentation which explains the 9 key components of a Web Marketing System (WMS).
Plus, you also get my 3 part educational MP3 audio series:
“Why You Need a Web Marketing System”(see “Audio 1”, “Audio 2” & “Audio 3” on DVD menu.
All buyers of the DVD get FREE 30 minutes Consultation Session with me, on what to do & how to get started, to achieve zero cost marketing successes.
Price = N5,000 (Five Thousand Naira)
Email tayo at tksola dot com for details or fill/submit this contact form.
Yesterday (Tuesday 3rd March 2015) p.m, I arrived Cotonou-Benin Republic for a meeting with the CEO (Barr. Arnold NANA) of Global Konsult Group, a multidisciplinary client company. That meeting held today (Wednesday) for approx. 5 hours, on how to use potential promotional materials from their ground breaking events, (which already have corporate sponsors eagerly teaming up with them – see www.globalkonsultgroup.com/fbk) to take their Web Marketing to the next level, so they can better create client attracting awareness.
Tomorrow, Thursday 5th March 2015 by 4p.m, I will be back in Nigeria (at Sherryvile Arcade, Berger bus stop- Lagos (opposit First Bank Plc, speaking to Small Business CEOs and Network Marketing professionals on THIS same theme.
1. How much money do you spend using the web monthly?
2. How much money do you MAKE from using the web monthly?
NB: If – for you – 2 is LESS than 1, you REALLY NEED to attend my talk, or get the DVD recording.
a. What to do to MAKE more money than you spend using the web for your business
b. What you should be selling that you are not (NO MATTER what business you do).
c. How to continue selling even during holidays, when offices and banks are closed.
d. How to make smart use of technology to cut your marketing costs by 25 to 50%.
e. How to find the right kinds of buyers for your products/services.
f. Why you need to educate your prospects and clients if you want to sell MORE profitably.
g. Why website traffic is NOT what you need to monitor, if you want web marketing success.
h. How a Web Marketing System can make ALL the above happen even while you sleep.
Over 95% of my clients have NEVER met me in the flesh, and yet some have been buyers of my products/services for over 7 years from locations across the length and breadth of Nigeria (Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Niger, Oyo, Ekiti, Plateau, Delta, Enugu, Rivers etc)… as well as within and outside Africa (Canada, Abu Dhabi [UAE), Tanzania, Benin Republic, USA, Holland etc).
Download the Speaker One Sheet at: http://tinyurl.com/sherryvillePDF
Coming up…FREE One (1) Hour talk!
Topic: Spend Less Money & Time to Make Customers Find & Contact You, Even While You Sleep (True Stories About How)!
Speaker: Tayo K. Solagbade [Location Independent Performance Improvement Specialist & Multipreneur]
Date: Thursday 5th March 2015
Time: 4 to 5 p.m
Venue: Sherryville Arcade, Ojodu Berger Bus stop (opposite First Bank Plc), Lagos, Nigeria
Key Target Audience: Business owners, Sales/Marketing Professionals, Independent Self-Marketing Professionals
1. This event is FREE for 2 reasons…
a. It’s being held as a FREE educational service for self-marketing professionals and business owner members of my Inner Circle (e.g farm CEOs, Network Marketing Professionals and others)
b. The second reason is that I use Public Speaking for Business Marketing (PSBM) to boost my name recognition and credibility – hence this “public offer” to non-members of my Inner Circle.
2. Intended attendees have ALREADY been pre-notified and confirmed their interest. Some are members of my Inner Circle.
3. This online broadcast is for ANY other interested persons who can find their way to the venue on the stated date/time.
4. ALL attendees will be eligible to obtain duplicated copies of a FREE autorun DVD that will contain an MP3 recording of the talk, a 3 part audio presentation on the same theme, a zero cost marketing ebook and other useful information products.
For details or inquiries, email tayo at tksola dot com…or use the contact details below.
Tayo K. Solagbade*
Performance Improvement Specialist & Multipreneur
*Sole Agent For Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Service (www.speakingsuccess.com) In Africa
Mobile: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic)
“The average man does not use above ten percent of his actual inherited capacity for memory. He wastes the ninety per cent by violating the natural laws of remembering.” – Carl Seashore
Nothing can be more devastating than finding out in the middle of your delivery that you cannot recall one or more key points you wish to make to pass your message across successfully.
Now, there is probably no ability more crucial to your success as a speaker, than your capacity for remembering i.e. your memory. Among other things, your memory helps you to remember the order of the points in your talk or speech i.e. your speech outline.
It therefore goes without saying that in today’s world, with the seemingly increased pressures of modern day living, developing a RELIABLE system for improving and making optimal use of your memory, can greatly influence the outcome of every single speaking outing you have.
One area where this has become glaring is our ability to remember things. Because we have so much to do in the same 24 hours of each day, many people now struggle to remember stuff.
The result is that many people now depend on various tools and devices to enhance their ability to cope with the heightened demands of meeting the daily challenges of modern day living.
You know them… BlackBerries, iPads, computers of all kinds and the Internet itself (e.g. web based birthday/anniversary reminder services).
But if truth be told, human beings, MAN, still has in him the capacity to achieve much higher levels of productivity than he currently does. Unfortunately, most of us do not know. Indeed, some think it’s impossible to do more than they currently do, without getting help from others. They do not know what they are truly capable of.
The foregoing quote by Carl Seashore is very instructive – for many people in today’s world – especially if they aspire to become successful speakers. After thinking up and getting your thoughts down on paper, you will have blended them with ideas and insights from research reading you have done, to produce a speech outline that enables you do justice to the subject or topic.
But since it would be in bad taste to read out your speech from paper, the next task after completing your outline, will be for you to develop a formula or system for remembering your speech outline.
It has been established that IMPRESSION, REPETITION and ASSOCIATION are the THREE natural laws of remembering, upon which the “memory system” is founded. So, to understand how to improve one’s memory, it becomes imperative that one understand how to avoid violating each of these laws.
You need to form the habit of concentrating your attention intensely on what you wish to remember, so as to achieve a clear, and long lasting impression of it in your mind. Note the use of the word “habit” here. Historical accounts tell us that Theodore Roosevelt’s trained himself to be able to concentrate on the task at hand even when in adverse environments e.g. where noise/distractions existed.
Your ability to focus in this manner on what you want to remember will help you imprint it in your memory. One example drawn from Dale Carnegie’s writing: Test your mastery of this law by seeing how well you are able to recall the names of people you are introduced to, a while afterwards.
We use repetition a lot because most of what we have to learn is via rote – blind memorisation. We recite poems, until we know them by heart. It should be noted here that the repetition referred to is NOT that which turns the learner or user into what Robert Kiyosaki has called “mindless parrots.” It is advised that reasonable intervals are allowed between the repetitions.
In relation to your speech outline, you can use repetition to improve your ability to remember it. Reading it out loud – the way Abraham Lincoln did, and the way students of Islam studying the Koran did – is a good way to achieve this. After you have done it a while, you’ll notice a marked improvement in your ability to recall the relevant points in your outline, making it easier to strong together the various parts of your speech in the right order, so that your outing goes as planned.
The famed psychologist, Prof. William James, described this third law as “the indispensable element in remembering”. Our minds work better when given “cues”. Pictures are perfect vehicles for communicating such cues, and that’s why they can be successfully used to improve our ability to recall anything from memory.
Mark Twain, reportedly revealed – in a magazine interview – that he used pictures – which he formed by himself – to remember the order of occurrence of items he wished to remember. The pictures you use, for this concept to work, must have some association with the thing you wish to recall. One example: To remember a person’s name e.g. Mr. Tangahar who sells fruits, you could think up the picture of “Tangerine”.
There’s one that was widely used when I was in school many years ago, to remember the letters of the alphabet: “The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog”. It’s not totally nonsensical, but it is a bit trivial. For those who used it however, it offered a quick way to quickly recall all the 24 letters of the alphabet – especially under tense situations.
Here’s a humorous twist to this concept:
In Nigeria, when our power company was still called National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), people chose to call it “Never Expect Power Always” to reflect our perception of its ability to deliver reliable power supply. When it changed name to “Power Holding Company of Nigeria”(PHCN), people responded by breaking down the NEW acronym to mean “Please Hold Candle in Nigeria”!
To use this technique, a speaker would put words in a nonsense sentence, in the order in which the idea or point each word represents, occurs in the speech itself.
To paraphrase Dale Carnegie, any group of ideas can be linked together using words in a nonsense sentence that may tend to be even easier to recall, because it sounds ridiculous. So, please use it.
Here it is – in form of advice given by a competent authority on the subject:
“We are visual minded. Eye impressions stick. We can often remember a man’s face, even though we cannot recall his name. The nerves that lead from the eye to the brain are twenty-five (25) times as large ad those leading from the ear to the brain. The Chinese have a proverb that says “one time seeing is worth a thousand times hearing”. Write down the name, the telephone number, the speech outline you want to remember. Look at it. Close your eyes. Visualise it in flaming letters of fire.” – Dale Carnegie
And that’s the secret. You will notice that it effectively captures the requirements of the three natural laws of remembering, which is why it provides a fool proof formula that you can readily put to use for yourself – with some study and effort of course.
The ideas provided here are based on a review of Dale Carnegie’s notes on “The Improvement of Memory” in his book titled “How To Wind Friends & Influence People By Public Speaking”.
Get yourself a copy of the book and study these concepts in more detail, then put them to use, to improve your memory and become a more effective speaker today!
NB: This article was first published online on 7th December 2011 via www.spontaneousdevelopment.com and Ezinearticles.com
One of my strategic objectives as a Performance Improvement Specialist is helping business owners develop and implement low cost web marketing systems and strategies that will increase their marketing mileage, while lowering their expenses.
But in doing this, I have noticed the following trend amongst many Nigerian business owners and decision makers. Please note that those I refer to here are people whose businesses lend themselves naturally to marketing via the web right here in Nigeria.
Many are rather defensive when approached about using a website or adopting web marketing adapted for the Nigerian environment. They often say they don’t need either, or that “Nigerians’ don’t use the Internet” to the extent that makes it worth investing in marketing to them through that medium.
I say, even if that were true (which it is NOT), you would be better off being one of the first to use web marketing to promote your products/services to Nigerians, since that would make you stand out, and get you noticed. Isn’t marketing ultimately about “creating awareness” about what you offer, at least in the initial stages?
It’s a pity some Nigerians feel they must be able to physically “touch” what they invest in for business!
Some do not understand, and refuse to be bothered. They can afford to be like this, because their competitors are either the same or like those in 1. above.
But here’s the danger: One day, one or more of those not bothered today, will suddenly “discover” the power of marketing intelligently to Nigerians via the web, right here in Nigeria, and begin to use it – gaining a competitive edge, and possibly driving the rest under.
What I find most amusing is that many of these decision makers usually readily say they have websites, and that it is working for them.
But you never see their web addresses displayed anywhere on their company premises, or even signs. In many cases, they even place adverts on radio/TV and even newspapers without including the URL of the website they spend money to keep online annually!
In essence, I am saying “Your Website Needs To JUSTIFY The Money You Spend” on it.
Basically there are two ways to confirm if it does.
You will check to see if it either
(a). Saves you money/time or
(b). Helps you make more sales or – even better – if it does both.
Now, to get your site to do the above, you need to adopt an intelligent Web Marketing System like the one I use, and which I customize for clients.
Below I provide two examples of businesses that would benefit greatly from active use of intelligent website marketing systems:
————————————–
These are perfect candidates not just for website ownership, but more importantly for intelligent web marketing.
If you own or run one and do not use web marketing to complement your offline marketing, here in Nigeria, YOU ARE LOSING GREAT potential customers, and SPENDING MORE THAT you need to.
Think about it for a minute: All those books, videos, tapes by great authors, with wonderful messages on various powerful subjects of interest.
If you were to do a publication that reviewed different book titles periodically to a list of opt-in subscribers, you would over time build interest in some of them, to call in and place orders.
Call me and I will tell you how you can go about it
Any decision maker in a company engaged in sale and management of properties, especially where so many companies compete, NEEDS to look for NEW, and unique ways to separate hers from the crowd.
Think about it. These days, most of these companies use similar looking flyers, banners, bill boards, cars, and even (for those who bother) websites!
Yet EACH one wants busy potential customers (with little time to “explore” every “good” offer in making up their minds) to see it as offering better value than the others.
However, if they had the opportunity to get MORE detail about what each company is about, what it offers etc, over a period of time, they could end up choosing a different company!
Such details could be obtained via subscription for instance, to a website newsletter; and/or a PDF report on “Choosing the Right Home or Property”; and/or an electronic course on “How To Value Property” etc.
Any company that offers the above, and actively uses intelligent web marketing to promote them to win new customers, greatly increases its chances of getting found by new customers who will ultimately take action to do business with it.
There is a WAY to make this happen. It’s not just about writing something and sending it out. And it’s not about getting a super graphic web designer to put all the flash designs and animations in the world on your website!
You NEED the know-how to do it right, and make it work.
Like I tell a lot of people, Google.com, in my opinion is the ugliest (or “blandest”) site on the net. Yet, it makes billions of dollars through people who keep going back to it – and it’s not because they get to see fancy graphics on the site! Get it?
Last week, I had an interesting telephone/email based exchange with a lady banker who called about purchasing my “Ten Storyfied Yoruba Proverbs for Children” audio book DVD. It turned out she knew me from way back in 2002, my startup year, when we both served with an NGO as volunteer tutors. In addition to buying my DVD, she had some VERY nice things to say to me, about me, with regard to how I’d influenced her without knowing it.
===Starts===
From: “<removed>, Taiye” <Taiye.<removed>@<removed>>
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2015 13:38:54 +0100
To: <tayo a tayosolagbade dot com>
Subject: Account Details & Training Calendar
Dear Sir,
Thank you for the detailed update on Yoruba Proverbs. Kindly send your account details to enable me make payment for the book: Ten Storified Yoruba Proverbs for Children.
I plan to attend some personal development courses this year (Excel Sheet, Personal Efficiency et al), kindly forward your Lagos Training Calendar for the year.
Please find below my details for Book Delivery:
Taiye <surname removed>
<company name removed> Bank
<removed>Operational Risk Manager <removed>
<removed> Victoria Island
Landmark: My office is opposite <removed> Victoria Island.
I look forward to your response.
Thank you.
Regards,
Taiye
===Ends===
===Starts====
From: Tayo K. Solagbade [tayo at tksola dot com]
Sent: 04 February 2015 14:48
To: <removed>, Taiye
Cc: M; Tayo Solagbade
Subject: Re: Account Details & Training CalendarHi Taiye,
Thanks for your phonecall. It was great speaking with you.
Find payment details below:
<removed>
It appears I mis-heard you, when we spoke earlier, as I’d assumed you wanted to pick up the DVD from the <removed> address I mentioned.
But from your Victoria Island delivery address, and your descriptive notes, it’s obvious you want it dropped off for you on the Island.
2 options:
A. Let me know if it’s possible to have it dropped off for you at your Ikeja office – I imagine you have an internal mail system that can get it to you.
B. Include extra payment to cover hand delivery to you in VI by a young man I can send over…or for dispatch via Fedex from here in Ikeja to you.
Note that I’m not sure how much either will be. For Fedex, I’ve only done inter state dispatches to buyers of my ExcelVB apps across the country.
Lastly, I’ll get back to you regarding my On-Demand learning events tomorrow.
Thanks for your interest in my work. It is gratifying to know that you find what I’m doing of useful relevance.
With kindest regards,
Tayo K. Solagbade
Location Independent Performance Improvement Specialist & Multipreneur
<deleted signature>Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
===Ends====
===Starts===
From: “<removed>, Taiye” <Taiye.<removed>@<removed>>
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2015 15:02:44 +0100
To: <tayo at tksola dot com>
Subject: Thank you
Thank you for the kind gesture.
For ease, I will prefer delivery at the Victoria Island Head Office. I plan to include NGN2,000 (if this covers his cost) for the delivery by the gentleman you would send.
§ Please should I credit your account with NGN7,000 being NGN5,000 for the pack and NGN2,000 for delivery? Or credit your account with NGN5,000 and pay the gentleman cash (NGN2,000) on delivery?
§ Kindly confirm, does the package include a book & DVD? Or I need to make payment for the book separately?
I look forward to reading your content, I wish I could get it today. I must confess that you inspired me while volunteering at years back at . I was also a volunteer but your sense of responsibility, discipline and passion for what you did made a lasting impression on me, Thank you so much for ‘silently’ teaching me some of those values which has helped me to be a better me.
Regards,
Taiye
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From: Tayo K. Solagbade [tayo at tksola dot com]
Sent: 04 February 2015 15:50
To: <removed>, Taiye
Subject: Re: Thank youMake the entire payment into the account.
The book comes on the DVD as a PowerPoint Slideshow with clickable links to the audio files.
You will be able to copy the audio MP3 files from the DVD to your phone or MP3 player. That’s how my kids use them(I bought each child an MP3 headset with rechargeable battery. Then they also have a box like player which uses a card reader with rechargeable battery).
Now, if you want the book in printed and spiral bound form, you will have to include an extra N3k, so I can prepare that and send it in a larger envelope along with the DVD containing the Slideshow and audio versions.
Regarding getting it today, if it was not for the erratic Lagos traffic, one could be sure of getting the hand delivery done today. Indeed, back in Cotonou, I readily commit to tight meeting and delivery deadlines. My Lagos experiences have however taught me to temper my enthusiasm with realism.
It’s 3.30p.m now.
Let’s see what can be done. If it does not reach you today, you’ll definitely have it tomorrow a.m.
Tayo
PS:A. I send every buyer of this Proverbs book a FREE PDF copy of my new Best Practice Parenting paperback book titled “Kukuru Danger”. See it on sale in my online store at www.lulu.com/sdaproducts
Buyer name is printed on the PDF book cover, with a message from me, thanking him/her for buying my Storyfied Proverbs book.
B. I must thank you for your kind compliments. I never realized I was being so closely observed! Glad to know you found my conduct worthy of emulation. May we continue to add useful value to one another.
Cheers,
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
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From: “<removed>, Taiye” <Taiye.<removed>@<removed>>
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2015 16:03:54 +0100
To: <tayo at tksola dot com>
Subject: RE: Thank you
Thank you very much for the detailed update.
The DVD format would suffice as I can copy it on my device to listen and read at ease.
I will credit your account with NGN7,000 shortly and anxiously wait for delivery tomorrow. In the mean time, I look forward to reading the personalized PDF copy of your new book Best Practice Parenting titled “Kukuru Danger”.
Thank you for the opportunity to learn from your wealth of knowledge.
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From: Tayo Solagbade [mailto:tayo at tksola dot.com]
Sent: 04 February 2015 19:02
To: <removed>, Taiye Subject: Re: Your Storyfied Proverbs book etc…
Hi Taiye,
Find below, download links to the following:
1. A password protected PDF version of the 10 Storyfied Proverbs book
http://tayosolagbade.com/<path removed>.pdf
Note that it is locked for viewing. Password to open is: tks2019 (type exactly as it appears) 2. A complimentary copy of my new Best Practice Parenting book titled “Kukuru Danger” – personalised for you, with a thank you message…
http://tayosolagbade.com/<path removed>.pdf
3. You may also enjoy reading the sneak preview of a new book I’m writing with my sons as co-authors, on how we bake cup cakes for sale using charcoal stoves and NO oven.
It’s available for download from an article I published on my blog last year:
Tomorrow morning, I will dispatch the autorun DVD to your VI address and let you know.
In your service.
Tayo
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As I noted in the message, it was actually the first time I was visitng the Island since 1st April 2013, when I left Lagos for Cotonou.
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—–Original Message—–
From: Tayo K. Solagbade [mailto:tayo at tksola dot com]
Sent: 05 February 2015 15:33
To: Taiye
Cc: email removed; M; Tayo Solagbade
Subject: Delivered: Your 10 Storyfied Proverbs DVD – Guiding NotesHanded over to Aina at reception, as you requested.
A few notes…
The DVD is setup to autorun. Just insert and let it load the custom navigation menu.
The menu buttons open the documents or links indicate.
When the PowerPoint book show opens, each slide will autoplay the relevant audio narrative.
Speaker icons provided are clickable and enable you replay each audio narrative, as well as the clips of my kids reading out the proverbs.
A menu button provided opens the folder on the DVD, in which all the audio files are stored. From there you can copy them to your memory card, PC/laptop, phone or other device.
If you need any help, let me know, and it would be my pleasure to provide it.
In your service,
Tayo
PS: It was Interesting that you called me just as I arrived the “mail room”, where Aina had directed me from the reception…When eventually I got back to him, I asked him to let you know the branded label for the proverbs package DVD could not be printed to the finish quality, in colour, that I wanted. The late opening of business centres today made trying to find a better service elsewhere impractical.
I’m a stickler for adhering to challenging standards, and also for keeping promises I make.
So, I chose to NOT use a shabby label, plus when a 2nd chap (who I’m coaching on Web Marketing) that I’d hoped to have drop off you pack told me he would not be available till 3p.m, I knew I had to drop it off myself and return without getting stuck in the famous Island traffic…
It may interest you to know that this is the first time I’ve visited the Island, since relocating to Benin Republic on 1st April 201(3).
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—–Original Message—–
From: “, Taiye” <Taiye removed>;
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2015 17:27:30
To: <tayo at tksola dot com>
Subject: Thank you so much.Good Afternoon sir.
I have been in a meeting. I must confess that I truly appreciate your kind gesture in going an extra mile to keep to your word.
To be honest, after speaking with you (before rushing into the meeting) and you said you were downstairs, I told myself that you are still the same Mr. Solagbade that keeps to his word. I said that because of a few encounter I have had with you in the past. Interestingly, you ‘indirectly’ taught me one core value I have upheld… Discipline.
I still teach at . Over the years, I have taught my young friends/students the importance of that Life Lesson your taught me (it is easy for me live by this because you taught me by your ACTION unknowingly) and this forms one of my 3 Core Values. Thank you.
Once again, thank you so much for your kind gesture.
Regards,
Taiwo
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The auto run DVD she got contains a slide show version of the proverbs book, with auto playing audio narratives in my voice, and click able audio clips icons that playback the voices of some of my kids reciting the proverbs.
My kids enjoy listening to it.
The MP3 files can be copied from the DVD to phones and other media.
In fact my mother (grandma to the kids) made me copy them to her phone so she could listen, especially to the kids reciting the proverbs.
I’m having connectivity issues uploading, so the following 2 items will come LIVE in this article tomorrow morning…
For now, click here to view a copy on Facebook…
[NB: Read this article (click) in which I first announced this proverbs learning product for sale. It’s available in my online store as a PDF. Those who want the Slideshow audio book version with clickable links to MP3 files, that’s delivered on DVD have to send me a message for details of how to get it using THIS form (click)]
I had to take a last minute decision to deliver it myself, to avoid disappointing her, when the young chaps I’d planned to send down could not make it.
I visited Fedex, at 11a.m in their Allen office, but they told me next day delivery in Lagos costs N500, but same day delivery would cost N8k. I’d not known that in 2 years of using their service, since I’d never had a same day delivery client order!
At this point, only ONE other option was left.
So, after sorting out work I had to finish, I took a BRT bus at close to 3p.m down to CMS. Soon as I alighted, by some wonderful “coincidence” a commercial power bike rider called out to me (there were 2 of them, so I got to choose). I promptly agreed to his N300 fee when he said he could get me through bad traffic to the lady’s her VI office on time for me to RETURN to mainland without getting stuck in the crazy traffic jams for which that area of Lagos are famous. True to his word, he did – see email below!
There are 2 key lessons I believe one can draw from this story….
First, it’s the fact that the web marketing strategies I advocate can enable anyone with diligent perseverance, successfully monetize any useful information or knowledge s/he has.
Think about it. I now sell my DVD Yoruba Proverbs book and audio files…!
I know many who thumbed their noses at the idea when I first muted it…they are not laughing now I tell you…lol!
Taiye, the buyer, had told me during her first phone call that she knew me from back when I (like her) was a volunteer maths tutor for a project sponsored by a very well organized Nigerian NGO. The NGO’s project mainly helped secondary school students with FREE maths and english tutorials in their final year.
The problem was that I struggled to recall her face, even though the name rang a faint bell…but I did not tell her that 
When she went on to say the above (and more in her final thank you email post-receipt of the package), I realized how important her feedback was, and why it was important for me to WRITE about it, for others to read.
Seek to add value with honesty and integrity at all times.
You never know who will be watching and drawing inspiration from your selfless efforts.
Like the popular saying goes: “Be The Change You Want to See In The World!“
That was what I did back then, that she saw and chose to emulate. That’s why I continue to do today, that has NOW made her buy my latest information product…and that NOW makes her even more inspired than ever, to go and do MORE of what she learned.
If more of us did this, our societies would become much better places than they are today. It only takes EACH person making up his/her mind to begin…
Will you?
