Category Archives: Writing/Blogging

Career Development, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

To succeed As a Role Model Be True to Yourself (True Story)

February 15, 2015 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

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.

1. After our phone conversation, in response to my request, she sent in the formal email below, requesting my account details…

===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===

2. Then I replied as follows:

===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 Calendar

Hi 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====

3. She responded with the email below, seeking clarification on payment details…

===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

===Ends===

4. I replied her queries, and offered additional details about multiple FREE bonuses available to every buyer of the DVD…

===Starts===

From: Tayo K. Solagbade [tayo at tksola dot com]
Sent: 04 February 2015 15:50
To: <removed>, Taiye
Subject: Re: Thank you

Make 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

===Ends===

5. And that proved adequate to convince her to respond with confirmation that she would go ahead and do the e-transfer to my account…!

===Starts===

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.

===Ends===

6. As I always do with every buyer, once payment came through, I sent her direct download copies upfront, prior to delivery of the DVD…

===Starts===

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:

http://tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets/sneak-preview-how-we-cheaply-make-cup-cakes-without-an-oven-or-cooker-pdf-by-tayo-fela-emekaand-chika-solagbade/

Tomorrow morning, I will dispatch the autorun DVD to your VI address and let you know.

In your service.

Tayo

===Ends===

7. Due to unexpected developments, I ended up belatedly, having to decide to hand-deliver the DVD by myself…and luckily, I made it on time…below is the email I sent after returning to the mainland.

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.

===Starts===

—–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 Notes

Handed 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).

===Ends===

8. And this was her final response, upon receicing the DVD pack I dropped off for here…

===Starts===

—–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

===Ends===

By the way, here’s what she got…in case you’re wondering…

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…

1. A screen shot of the DVD’s branded navigation menu, which is always personalized for the owner will be embedded below tomorrow…

For now, click here to view a copy on Facebook…

2. A short Youtube clip showing the DVD in use will be embedded below tomorrow…

The DVD sells for N5k, and comes with PDF versions of some other books I’ve published as FREE bonuses. Buyer just pays courier fee.

[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!

LESSON to Take Away: The above highlight emphasis (circled in red in the screen shots) is deliberate.

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!

But here’s the more important lesson to be had from this exciting experience that happened in a window of 24 hours…

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.

You see, I believe her words – which basically amount to an “unsolicited testimonial” confirm that it pays to be true to yourself at all times.

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?

Entrepreneurship, General, My DN Travel News, Writing/Blogging

To Make More Profitable Sales, Educate Your Prospects and Clients!

February 13, 2015 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Educating your clients to make them willing to pay the price you put on your product/service, is one task that every business owner should take seriously – especially given the intensity of competition out there in today’s business marketplace.

Think about it for a moment. Toothpaste brands proliferate in the market, and even for those of us who are loyal to certain brands, one cannot deny feeling the “temptation” every now and then to try out some new brand that’s offering something extra or new – such as a special breath cleansing or tooth whitening formula.

Quite often we would have chosen to stick with our favorite brand because of what we know – or think we know – about it. The reality however is that most times what we “know” would be based on what the maker of our chosen brand has told us on the tube or the wrapping, as well as any adverts they may have placed in the media.

The problem however is that every product or service provider uses these kinds of marketing methods mentioned above, and so, there is the danger that it all begins to sound the same, or that we – the buyers – may get so overwhelmed with the mass of information being thrown at us, that we subconsciously stop listening, watching or reading.

That’s why the business owner who wishes to constantly get paid CONSCIOUS purchase making attention by his/her target audience will need to invest quality time and effort into making them PERCEIVE that s/he offers useful EDUCATION that can help them intelligently make choices that truly benefit THEM.

S/he will do this KNOWING that his/her product or service already has the features that will make it get considered by appropriately educated prospects as the RIGHT choice for the price it is offered at.

Three (3) Steps To Educating Prospects, and/or Customers

What follows below is an explanation of steps you can follow, in the process of educating people who fit your target audience profile, towards getting them to do business with you.

Note that the ideas described here can be applied during sales/marketing conversations with individual or group audiences. They can also be applied in developing your sales/advertising and marketing communication (flyers, posters, articles, website copy, ebooks, special reports, bulletins, press releases etc).

At the bottom of each step, I have provided personal examples of how I applied it(i.e. THAT step) in interacting with the owners of a popular radio and TV show, until they hired me to develop/implement a web marketing system for their company.

1. Offer Proof That You Understand Their Needs: You need to spend time THINKING about what makes people feel a need for your type of product or service.

Be sure to identify as many as possible variants of the needs that different people may experience, that will cause them to want your solution. This should not be difficult – since you are a provider of a possible solution!

If you do it right, it will show in your sales/marketing conversations (in physical meetings with them) as well as your written communication – e.g. website copy. This is because you will be able to TALK and WRITE about these identified needs from the perspective of the potential customer. It will boost your chances of convincing prospects and/or clients that you truly understand their needs.

My Example:

As an active listener on their show, I would send SMS messages suggesting that they boost their marketing reach and impact by adopting an Internet website presence.

I did this about 3 times over the course of three months – timing my messages to logically coincide with issues that came up during the live show. Note that I NEVER offered to do it for them – I only told them they needed to do it, so as to achieve MORE than they were doing at the time.

2. Suggest Practical Ways They Can Accurately Assess Similar Products/Services:

People often need to be sure they are getting the best bargain for the money they are spending. That’s why this second step is important. That’s also why it comes BEFORE you tell the prospect or client about YOUR proffered solution (in step 3)!

You see, any person you want to “sell” to is very likely to be more willing to give you a chance, if you do not come across as the typically “pushy” salesman. Do the opposite of what they are used to: tell them HOW to intelligently find the right product/service they need. Then leave them to use the information you have provided to find and CHOOSE you over others.

To do this in a way that adds value to the prospect or client, simply choose a number of key offerings in the market that fall into the same category as your product/service, and identify their strong/weak points with respect to their ability to deliver the solution sought by buyers.

Using your knowledge/insight as an “expert” in the field, explain to the prospective buyer what s/he should look for, in order to be sure of making the right purchase, for the invested money. What is likely to happen AFTER s/he has heard or read your useful guidelines – at the least – is that s/he will come to see you as a source of reliable expert information, that aids prudent decision making.

My Example: One day, they announced they had launched a website. I promptly visited it, and within 15 minutes of looking around, decided to write them an email outlining specific modifications or additions they could make to it, to get better results.

I did this because my examination revealed that too many features were missing from the site – things that could ensure they got optimal results that they needed: RESPONSES from visitors to the site!

Once again, I did NOT offer to do it for them. Instead, I told them to pass my ideas on to their webmaster so s/he could consider my proposals for possible “usefulness” and apply where appropriate.

3. Tell Them How Your Product/Service SOLVES Their Problem:

Your demonstrated insight into their needs (from 1. above), and your willingness to STEP ASIDE and let them consider possible alternatives to YOU(in 2. above), will be your most potent weapon for “selling” yourself successfully to your target audience.

In this step, you will again start by THINKING of what makes your product or service an effective and reliable solution to their need(s). As was the case in step 1, this should not be a problem for you, because you OWN the product – even if you are a reseller, you MUST KNOW enough about how it works to solve the problem your intending buyer wishes to be rid of.

Doing the above advised “thinking” will equip you to TELL your prospect and/or client how your product or service will help him/her. Remember at all times to focus on painting a picture of the desired end in the mind of your listener – or reader. What s/he wants to achieve is what you MUST demonstrate that your product or service can HELP with. Fail to do this, and you are very unlikely to get hired!

My Example:

Some days later, they replied my mail commending me for the good ideas/suggestions, but expressing a desire to meet with me on the possibility of a collaboration to implement them. Now this was what I wanted, but I was keen to be sure they truly knew how I could make a difference for them.

So, when we met, I offered to prepare a detailed web marketing system development proposal they would read, and use, without needing my input. Indeed, after 2 meetings, I suggested they let their own webmaster try using additional ideas (including website resources) I found to do it for them, so they would not have to hire me. (YES, that’s what I did!)

Over two months later, they came back to hire me – with the marketing director stating that apart from the obvious “sense” I made in the web marketing proposal I prepared, what won him over was the selfless manner in which I readily gave up all my own ideas and information to their webmaster, even though I knew it could mean my NOT getting hired, if the latter succeeded!

Summary – Educating Them Influences Their PERCEPTION of YOU, Positively!

The above outlined steps, if carefully applied, will lead the prospective client to PERCEIVE you as the most logical choice over others s/he may be considering. There is nothing better than establishing TRUST and CREDIBILITY in the mind of your intending buyer. The minute people believe you are competent, reliable and honest, they are very likely to readily part with their hard earned money when they need products or services you offer.

And that’s what the ideas I have shared above will help you achieve. It would interest you to know that I have successfully gotten Nigerian clients to pay me handsomely to deliver my very unconventional products/services (e.g. custom spreadsheet software, article writing, website marketing systems development, print-on-demand publishing etc) to them using these same methods.

If I can do it here in Nigeria, then you can too – anywhere you may be, within or outside Nigeria!

PS: This article was first published online on 8th April 2010

Entrepreneurship, General, My DN Travel News, Writing/Blogging

When Publishing On 3rd Party Websites Can Hurt You (True Story)

February 7, 2015 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

If you do any marketing online, it’s likely you’ve heard or read that “Guest Posting” is a powerful (often) zero cost marketing strategy. I agree – but sometimes it can backfire, and make YOU look bad, as this true story illustrates.

Due to the fact that it’s so hard to find a good fit for my target audience (Farm CEOs), I’ve not done much guest posting. But my fears about even the little I did back in 2012, on a 3rd party website today materialized today, when I discovered one very popular article had been taken offline without my being notified.

Back in 2012, I wrote 6 guest posts that got accepted for publication by a certain popular website focusing on African businesses, with a section dedicated to agribusiness.

The website had announced invitations for submissions on the above theme from interested persons, and I’d written in to the editor at the time, with hints of article titles I proposed to write. She had enthusiastically replied that they would be willing to review what I had.

So began an interesting exchange in which I prepared each article and sent it in every other week or so, until I had 6 published and LIVE on their blogs.

As at today – 7th Feb 2015 – the guest post shown above is no longer at the same URL…

A lot more happened, in which I published a new ebook, that the editor provided a compelling review of.

I will however cut the long story short by jumping to when, a few months later, something strange happened: she stopped responding to ALL my emails.

Initially, I thought she had gone on leave or was busy. But additional months passed and no responses came to my emails – even when I sent a “hello”.

When, on 4th May 2014, I lost my spontaneousdevelopment.com domain, I again reached out, to let her know, so the links in the bylines for my guest posts on their website could be updated to tayosolagbade.com.

But again, NO RESPONSE – not a sound, from her.

At that point I decided to let go.

So, I moved on, but in order to respect the guest posting rule, I still linked directly from my blog to the articles. I felt it would be improper to republish them from my website.

I did the above despite the fact that several people contacted me saying they read the articles and tried to reach me without success via the old URLs, before deciding to “Google” my name – which brought them to my new website.

As I got this feedback, it occurred to me that I had not taken the pains to create records of the fact that the articles were published as guest posts.

So, I took screenshots of each one and stored on my laptop, making a mental note to use them in my planned Best Practice Farm Business ebook series (which is now live at www.lulu.com/sdaproducts).

And it was a good thing I did that, because today, when I sent the link to one of my guest posts, to a prospective buyer, the article was NOT there!!!

There’s no need for me to say more than I have said above. Below are verbatim excerpts from emails I sent to the gentleman, which say it all.

He had gotten in touch yesterday night regarding my Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager, Ration Formulator and Feed Formulation Handbook.

After my usual ritual of calling to find out more about his farm business, I sent him the details he requested this afternoon.

Some hours later, he replied with a request for payment details and more information as shown below:

And I responded with the details reproduced below…

Re: Re(Your Enquiry): Excel-VB Poultry Manager, Ration Formulator Software, and Feed Formulation Handbook

Thanks for your message…

1. Attached is a zipped folder containing the generic business plan preview documents – for the Micro Business Plan and the Full Business plan

Take a look through. I have taken out certain sections and left others in – but mostly blank tables and labels.

Note that the performance indicators featured in the tables are discussed in the articles I’ve linked to in response to below titled “5 Powerful Tools for Accurately Measuring Your (Farm) Business’ Health”

http://www.africabusinesscommunities.com/index.php/rss-abc-blogs/200894-5-po

2. Payment details:

<removed for privacy >

Note that you can convert the dollar fees to Naira, using the latest rates at www.xe.com

Whatever that comes to in naira, will be added to any other naira payments you wish to make and paid into the above account.

Let me know if you have any further queries or need clarification.

With kindest regards,

Tayo

After sending the above email, I decided to check that the article was there…a strange feeling pushed me to do it…and it turned out to be a wise move. What I saw made me quickly send a follow up email shown below!!!

=====

Re: Re(Your Enquiry): Excel-VB Poultry Manager, Ration Formulator Software, and Feed Formulation Handbook Quick update/follow up on the preceding email response…

I always had the feeling that one day my guest posts (published back in 2012) on some 3rd party websites would suddenly vanish and I would be left looking either

like a liar or a fool, with the links to them from my publications and my website.

But I refused to accept the negative thoughts.

Well, after I sent you the link to the article on Africanbusinesscommunities.com, I decided to check it was still there, only to find (as I’m sure you must have by now) that it no longer sits at that URL!

I checked another of my guest posts and that one is still there.

See http://www.africabusinesscommunities.com/features/5-proven-ways-to-boost-farm-profits-without-raising-prices.html

Thankfully, I already copied all 6 of them and published them in my new Best Practice Farm Business ebook series (see www.lulu.com/sdaproducts), and the introduction I used in the ebooks for each article indicates I was conscious something could go wrong in the future…lol!

Find attached a GIFT PDF version of my ebook series, and go to page 9 to see the full version of the article I referred you to in my preceding mail i.e.: “5 Powerful Tools for Accurately Measuring Your (Farm) Business’ Health”

I guess this is further proof that it pays to be prepared – a lesson I have learned the hard way over they years :-))

Accept the ebook as a gift from me …whether or not you go on to buy!

Tayo

Final Words

The way I see it, they could at least have warned me that the article had been removed, so I could update my links.

But then, it could also be said that they did NOT owe me even that. Either way, I do NOT ever want to find myself in that one sided situation ever again. So, it will be VEEERRRRYYY difficult for ANYONE, to get me to ever agree to submit a guest post again.

I think I’ll just avoid making myself look foolish by keeping my content on platforms I control!

Entrepreneurship, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Public Speaking, Writing/Blogging

No. 178: To Achieve Marketing Success at Low Cost, You Need a List of Potential Buyers

January 26, 2015 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

The more I “data-mine” my website mailing LIST of subscribers, and some actually go ahead and buy my products/services (sometimes years after signing up), the more I tell other business owners this:

“The money is IN the LIST”!

Curious to know what I mean? Keep reading then!!

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE

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Publication: Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Newsletter

Date: Monday 26th January 2015

No:178

Title: To Achieve Marketing Success at Low Cost, You Need a List of Potential Buyers

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

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

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

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

No. 178: To Achieve Marketing Success at Low Cost, You Need a List of Potential Buyers

“The money is IN the LIST”!

Curious to know what I mean? Keep reading then!!

Incidentally, I first read that phrase (“The money is in the list”) above 10 years ago, in an article written by an American Internet Marketing expert (his name misses me now), who pointed out the importance of channelling ALL of one’s marketing efforts towards BUILDING a list of potential buyers.

Even with established brands, sales rarely happen instantaneously!

It’s funny how some business owners, when they have to buy from others, act the exact same way their own target audience do, and yet, they forget to THINK the same way when they want to sell.

Let me explain.

I suffered the same affliction for years as a start-up. To find a way out, I read widely, and paid attention to what I was doing, based on what I read, until I identified where I was going wrong.

In trying to sell a service or product, the typical business owner, confident that s/he offers “good quality” simply announces to a potential buyer, that it’s available, (wrongly) expecting the other part to readily believe him/her!

Imagine a public speaking training service provider, who starts posting Facebok page status updates of his products descriptions and prices, with little or no other details to help prospects make up their mind(like the example below):

E.g. “Attend my 2 day workshop of Public Speaking –and become a Star Speaker earning 6 figure speaking fees in no time. Pay <amount> to <bank account number>. Then Send SMS to <phone number> with your bank teller details.”

The question is why should anyone believe s/he can do this for them?

Except a prior relationship exists, most people would have difficulty BELIEVING such a promise, especially when there are others who offer something similar (and there are countless others who offer public speaking training with promises of all sorts)!

Unless his name is Burt Dubin (renowned mentor of some of the world’s highest paid speakers), the above expert needs to give aspiring speakers a GOOD reason(s) to BELIEVE that he can deliver what he promises.

Even if he publishes a list of events at which he has spoken, along with raving reviews/testimonials from attendees at his speaking events, it may not be enough to win majority of the target audience over.

In fact, he could publish a lot of testimonials with photos, to support his claims that may still NOT convince majority to take him up on your offer.

Why?

Well, it’s because many others who offer similar solutions do the same thing…and the prospect has limited means to verify their claims!

Don’t get me wrong though. The above listed steps could make some people come forward to contact you and even enrol for his program.

However, they may do so with a tentative disposition – to give him a try and see how it goes…

In other words, they may not come in with a readiness to confidently invest in what he offers, based on a firm conviction that he can solve their problem (which could mean fewer sales for him).

To make potential buyers take a full leap of faith to trust you, and make big purchases, FIRST “build a relationship” with them!

That’s the key to selling profitably in any field.

Trust is crucial for making sales, as well as for earning repeat business, and word of mouth recommendations.

The process of building relationships helps to EARN trust in the minds of potential buyers.

That’s why my experience based recommendation is that you minimize giving “come and buy” invitations, and instead focus on putting out information and education, likely to be considered VALUABLE by your target audience via as many channels as possible!

The best way to do the above at low cost, quickly and with little effort, is by implementing an intelligent Web Marketing System (WMS), as I conceive it – click to view mind map.

Your WMS will make those who encounter your work, over time, “feel” pulled to reach out to you. If properly setup, the WMS will ensure such people rarely leave without dropping their contact details with you, with permission for you to reach out to them in the future.

Every time that happens, you add to your list of potential buyers, and will then be able to take the relationship to the next level, by following up with more useful information, laced with attractive sales offers.

Over time, if you deliver good quality in the content you send out to those on the list, they will come to see you as a valued/trust advisor, indeed an authority, at what you do. For each person, the process will happen at different rates – they will NOT all arrive at that reckoning at the same time. This is not batch production of beer or poultry!

What is however certain is that once they arrive at that stage of conviction, about you, they will be more willing to BELIEVE you can deliver on ANY promise you make to them.

This is why, for those of us who have mailing lists of prequalified prospects (or potential buyers) selling tends to be a most fulfilling experience for both parties

Today, I’m growing membership of my Inner Circle by making special offers to subscribers on my mailing list (within and outside Nigeria/Africa) and it’s been exciting to have them say YES.

Many of those subscribers will get THIS issue of my newsletter, and read what I’ve said above.

Some of them run their own businesses part time, while still in paid employment. Others are still in full time employment. A few a 100% self-employed.

Final Words: If you run a business, you CAN get the same benefits of selling more via YOUR own mailing list!

We all know it’s EASIER to sell to people who already know you.

But that does not mean you should go chasing down you friends and relatives…

Indeed, many times, you’ll find that few of them fit your target audience profile, and most would NOT make good clients!

That’s why I recommend, in this article, that you cost-effectively make potential buyers who often start as strangers, get to KNOW you well, till they can confidently buy from you.

If you need help putting the ideas shared above to use, let me know HERE.

Click here to tell me which of Burt’s speaker mentoring products or services you are interested in.

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Learn about Burt Dubin’s speaker mentoring products (books, audios etc) below…

If you need help purchasing ANY of Burt’s products (like “Presentation Magic”), call me on +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic, my base) or +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or email tayo@tksola.com

Have a great week :-))

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

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

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

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


SD Nuggets Blog™	New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking[Monday]:	No. 177: To Be Unstoppable, You Must Be Incomparable!
Entrepreneurship[Tuesday]:	Do You Need A Business Plan If Your Idea Is New, Untested, or Unproven?
Self-Development/Parenting [Wednesday]:	Should You Give Up On Someone Who Is Chasing An “Impossible Dream”?
Career Development [Thursday]:	Money Is Just ONE Measure Of Success – It Is Not The Basis Of Business
Parenting [Friday]:	Boost Your Ability to Achieve Success Using THIS Strategy!
Writing/Blogging/[Saturday]:	[Recommended Website] Farming Advice Digest – www.farmingadvice.org: An Online Magazine for Farmers (Published by a Nigerian) [Recommended Article] Poultry: Good Start for Better Future Performance – by DR. ADEBAYO KOLADE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (OPERATIONS) ZYGOSIS NIGERIA LTD
Want me to write for you? Click here to send me a message

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

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

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

http://www.tayosolagbade.com

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

Farm Businesses and others.

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

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

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

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

and others.

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

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

His key purpose is to deliver talks, seminars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

he’s published.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Useful Resources for Speakers

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

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

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

1. Top Shelf [Click here]

2. Mid Range [Click here]

3. Budget Delight [Click here]

Publications

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

Download Chapter 1 Preview as PDF

Visit the “On Being a Master” website

177 Wow! Wow!

Showmanship Stratagems

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

more information

Burt’s Flagship Album

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

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

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

Find out why

Presentation Magic

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

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

more information

How To Create a Great Program Manual

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

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

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

more information

Smart Exercising Will Keep You Fit, Healthy and Alive - Click to read

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NEW: Speaking Ideas: 25 Articles and True Stories for Experts Who Speak and Those Aspiring (Volume 1)

Download above PDF

******

NEW: Get 2 Real Life Poultry Layer Farm Start-up Business Plans (PLUS Customization)!

Download above PDF

*******

New Ebook (55 pages): Best Practice Farm Management (& Performance Measurement) for Profits – No. 1 of 4

Download above PDF

*******

New Ebook (57 pages): Farm Business Start-up (Information, Education & Inspiration) – No. 2 of 4

Download above PDF

*******

New Ebook (55 pages): Best Practice Livestock Farm Business Feed Formulation – No. 3 of 4

Download above PDF

*******

New Ebook (58 pages): Best Practice Farm Business Marketing – No. 3 of 4

Download above PDF

*******

NEW: KUKURU DANGER™: 5 True Stories About the Adventures – & Misadventures! – of a School Age Child Trying to Find Purpose in Life

Download above PDF

Download above PDF

*******

NEW: EXCEL-VB DRIVEN POULTRY LAYER FARM MANAGER SOFTWARE

Learn more here

*******

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

Click here to learn more

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

Download above PDF

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

Download above PDF

NEW: Coaching Program for Farm Products Marketing Success

THEY WROTE…

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

—————————–

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

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

———————–

Click here to contact Tayo…

Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring

for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

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

Boost Your Ability to Achieve Success Using THIS Strategy!

January 23, 2015 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

My DIY (Do-It-Yourself ) mental attitude is the reason I have relentlessly succeeded, in spite of myriad challenges, over the past decade as an entrepreneur. Many of the obstacles I encountered were intimidating, and would have stopped me permanently, if I had NOT possessed this DIY reflex.

For instance, this website (www.tayosolagbade.com), my newsletter, indeed my entire business life would have “died” years ago, if I had not formed the “habit”.

Example: Click here read how despite losing my 9 year old spontaneousdevelopment.com domain in May 2014, I built a superior reincarnation of my website on www.tayosolagbade.com all by myself, in a matter of weeks!

I refer to my passion for learning to do things myself i.e. being a Do-It-Yourself enthusiast or what some call a “DIYer”.

(NB: In a related article written about 7 years back, I described myself as a Jack of Many Trades. Click to read it).

TIP: Consistent with the theme of this article, was the over 3 hour battle it took me to send it out as an email broadcast to my newsletter subscribers. From 10pm Nigerian time on Monday 17 Dec 2012, till well after 1a.m the next day(I was still based in Nigeria then), my Etisalat internet connection simple went to sleep for some strange reason at the time I need it to be awake the most.

And that was happening NOT for the first time!

Luckily for me, I’d already published the newsletter as scheduled on this blog which auto-published to my Facebook business fan page and personal profile, as well as my Twitter page via RSS Graffiti.

As you can imagine, it turned out to be a good thing that I knew enough to set it up this way. Otherwise, I’d have been unable to publish the online version when due!

How Much You Need To DIY, Depends On Your Part of the World

If you live and work in a developed society, the need to do things yourself sometimes, may not readily appeal to you.

However, for people, like me, in less developed social environments, like mine, one often has to develop multiple interests and competencies to make up for the shortage of RELIABLE solutions.

The following true story illustrates the above scenario perfectly.

A few years ago, I met a Nigerian gentleman who had just returned from the USA where he’d been away for about 5 years. During that time he had made a bit of name for himself as an author and speaker. His published book had sold quite well in the small town he was based.

And the local media had given him enough coverage to make him close to being a celebrity of sorts. From what he and his pretty Austrian wife told me, it was at one of his book signings that they met – and fell for each other.

My friend wanted to republish one of his popular books from the USA with a local printer. He also wanted to produce an audio version of the book. This was part of the plan he had to launch himself into the Nigerian market.

According to him however, the problem was that there seemed to be no standard service providers like those in the USA that could do what he wanted. He said back in the states he would simply hand over his manuscript to his agent, and virtually everything needed to get the book published would be handled by the latter.

Out here, he complained about having to run around looking for business centers to type and typeset his manuscript. And then there were countless errors that he had to sit with a computer operator to work through and correct.

To make matters worse, by the time I got involved I discovered they were typing his manuscript in Corel Draw!

My friend had no idea the business centre operator was using an inappropriate software application for his work.

He said “I just want it done! Back in the states I never had to get involved like this. I know nothing about all of this stuff”.

To cut the long story short, I had to really get involved in helping him find the right places to get the help he needed.

And that included going out of my way to locate a studio where he and his wife could produce the quality of recording they wanted for the book’s audio version.

Here’s what he asked me at a point: “So how come you know about all these things?

You’re not even a book publisher or anything!”

My answer was that I’d learnt the hard way that it was better to know a little about most things I planned to engage others to do for me. That equips me to assess what they do for me – and also contribute intelligently to the process – even do a few things on it by myself, should they be unavailable.

That Doesn’t Happen In Your Country? Great! But What If One Day, It Does?

Now, what my friend went through can happen to anyone in one form or the other.

Maybe you won’t be coming to speak or provide your expert service here in Nigeria. But right there in your base
things can still go wrong.

How ready will you be when that happens?

(NB: I recall reading New York Times stories that described the experiences of people who’d failed to heed warnings
issued about Hurricane Sandy. Some of them got trapped – a few even lost their lives, because they failed to prepare for the unlikely but possible!)

So I ask you: What are the things you currently depend on others to do for you? It
could be a service provider or even a friend you have great confidence in.

Maybe she’s a tech savvy person who prepares all your Power Point presentations, or does your graphic designs for your client projects for instance.

I hate to think negative too…:-)

But what if for some reason, she becomes temporarily unavailable?

Do you have ready access to someone else you can reliably reach out to? And if not, do you have any idea of how to prepare a Power point presentation as impressive as those she does for you by yourself?

What about preparing your speaker one-sheets? Or creating passable designs that can meet the client’s expectations?

God forbid you discover a wrong phone number or mistyped email address on the newly prepared speaker one sheet you want to give a meeting planner. Or maybe there’s a wrong phone number on the website header image/banner to be used for a client’s website.

If you had requested a copy of the raw Corel Draw or Photoshop file used to prepare
the speaker sheet or website graphic, maybe you’d be able to quickly edit it, and produce a corrected version.

But if you had NOT requested a copy of the raw document, or you did NOT know how to carry out simple editing edits of that kind using the relevant application…you’d risk making a poor impression on the client. Indeed, it could cause the client to lower his/her rating of you!

Anything can happen. Don’t Be A Fish Out Of Water When It Does!

The truth is that even the most reliable of people – your trusted assistant or highly reputable provider inclusive – can sometimes make mistakes or fail to come through for you when it matters.

We are all human after all – which is why one must always have a fall back plan in place.

Will you be prepared with an alternative plan if/when that happens? Or will you just try to wing it?

People often value a professional who can improvise and adapt effectively. If you come across as being that way, meeting planners may conclude you are a more “reliable” performer who can deliver no matter what goes wrong.

That implies repeat business, even referrals, are likely to come from them for you.

Ironically, you may only need to know a little about most things, to achieve this significant impact.

Interestingly, learning those little things may just require PROACTIVELY spending a little time with those who do those things for you normally.

Or it could mean making out time to read – and practice what you learn from – a self-help (or DIY) tutorial!

In the end, quite often, you’ll find you have a LOT to gain, and nothing to lose by adopting this attitude, and acting diligently on it all the time.

Final Words: I also recommend, strongly too, that you TEACH your kids to be that way as well, from as early as possible in life.

They will enjoy a lot of positive attention and recognition from their peers and adults alike, for being that way. Attention that will over time earn them financially rewarding personal and career advancement opportunities.

Good luck!

PS: I practice what I preach…

Read this article (click here) in which I explain how “In a Bid to Save Money, My Kids Have Learnt to Service the Generator Themselves”!

And that’s just one of so many things they have learnt how to do. You can do the same for your kids. They will be forever grateful to you :-))

RELATED…

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

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

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

he’s published.

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

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

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

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

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

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

NB: This article was first published online via spontaneousdevelopment.com in 2012

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

Do You Need To Be Error-Free? (Hint: Why It’s NOT a Good Idea, If You Want Authentic Success)

January 14, 2015 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

“Success tends not to go to the person who is error-free, because he also tends to be risk averse. Rather, it goes to the person who recognizes that life is pretty much a percentage business. It isn’t making mistakes that’s critical; it’s correcting them and getting on with the principal tasks.” – Donald Rumsfeld, U.S Public Official and Business Executive

Anyone who has followed my writing, will know I started paying my dues in mistake-making from the age of ten, getting into all sorts of serious trouble that caused my parents embarrassment and pain. My Best Practice Parenting book titled “Kukuru Dangers” (sold in my store at www.lulu.com/sdaproducts) narrates full details of those years of truancy.

At a point, my trouble making got so frequent, that family friends/relatives began asking my siblings: “What Tayo had done again?”

Probably sounds funny now, but it was not, for me at least, back then.

You see, due to the fact that I was often getting into trouble around others who were not, I experienced quite early in life what it meant to be different.

However, because I was different in a negative sense (i.e. for doing wrong), I also learnt what if felt like to be an “out cast”.

Most of my peers who did not want to be viewed as wayward, like I was, generally stayed away from me…and spoke about me.

So in 1986, while serving my 2 week suspension for abusing my privileges as Health Prefect, in my final secondary (i.e. high) school year, I did some hard thinking and gained powerful insights that changed my life forever (my book titled “Kukuru Danger” tells the full story – click here to request a free PDF preview download).

I know it may be hard to believe, that so early in life I could achieve this level of clarity.

But that’s what happened.

Maybe it was because I had always been a bit introverted, and only got into trouble because I wanted to be like others I looked up to.

Anyway, after getting into trouble for trying to be that way, I adopted the following 3 guiding thoughts:

1. Always Be Your Original Self:

You will never succeed in being like others.

I think and feel different from other – even my family members. It’s no surprise therefore that most times when I try to share my “crazy” and “childish” perspectives with them, most simply get turned off.

It’s better to be myself, and be comfortable with not being popular with some people as a result. With time, those who deserve to, will discover how my uniqueness can help them, and appreciate me for it.

2. Intelligent Mistake-Making Is Good

When one makes mistakes, it can be painful. People get to see you at less than your best. Some will make fun of you and criticize you.

However, my period of lonely reflection helped me discover that the “many mistakes” I made so early in life had taught me more than I had learnt from being around those who judged me.

Later in life, my expertise at intelligent mistake making would consistently give me an edge over others in every endeavor I embarked upon.

3. Independent Thinking Is Imperative

I will never let anyone, no matter who s/he tell me what to think or do.

That decision will always be mine, even doing so makes me fall out of favor with others.

Why? Because if/when I get into trouble for my actions, I alone will have to answer for it – as has happened in the past.

So, what’s the answer I found to that question: “Do you need to be error-free?”

The answer I found for it, and which I adhere to is: No you don’t.

And never let anyone tell you otherwise!

It will not matter how old, experienced or wise they are. Do not ever let anyone tell you that making mistakes is wrong or bad.

In fact, the only way you can ever avoid making mistakes is if you stop trying to be better than you already are, or to do NEW or different things.

As an expert in your field, your audience (rightly) expects you to give them nothing less than the best of yourself at all times.

If you continue to do what you do, in the exact same way all the time, you do yourself more harm than good.

I recommend you make every single opportunity you have to practice your profession or vocation, to create a truly unique experience, in every sense possible, for those you serve – be they your client or employer..

Your continued relevance as an expert in your field of interest, and focus, is dependent on your willingness to constantly renew and reinvent yourself.

You cannot re-invent yourself, to stay relevant, if you do not have new experiences

That’s why you must be willing to do new things – even though a risk of making mistakes exists!

Otherwise, where would you get new insights from, with which excite those you serve with new ways of adding value to them?

When you avoid leaving your comfort zone, or shy away from taking risks by trying new experiences, you gain fewer – or even NO – new insights.

Why? That’s because you will make mistakes (or be wrong) less often.

When you’re NOT wrong, or NEVER wrong, you’re unlikely to feel a compelling need to check for new or better ways to do what you do. Being free from error is a state of perfection one can aspire to attain, but rarely actualize while one remains human.

Those who claims to be perpetually error free often hide away evidence of the mistakes they make.

But that does neither them, nor those around them any good in the long run!

Final Words: As any accomplished person in any field will tell you, mistakes/failures that befall us have a positive role to play in our growth and development.

Without them our progress towards achieving the full potential put in us by the creator would be greatly limited.

This is why, if you really want to achieve authentic success in life, and have not been doing it before now, you need to go out from today and start making mistakes intelligently.

It’s time to stop trying to be error-free: embrace your imperfections, and learn to use your failures are stepping stones to achieve on new and better levels in your life!

Get a FREE 20 page PDF preview of my new book (available digitally, and in paperback physical book form): “KUKURU DANGER™ – 5 True Stories About the Adventures – & Misadventures! – of a School Age Child Trying to Find Purpose in Life“

Click here, to request the FREE PDF preview of the new paperback book now.

You will be taken to a request form. Within seconds of filling and submitting it, the download link will be sent to the email address you supply.

I urge you to share it as far and wide as you possibly can!

If you are a parent, teacher or school owner interested in getting my help with regard to Best Practice Parenting, click here to contact me!

“There’s a world outside school that your child must be ready for, if she is to succeed.

Because you arrived in it, before her, YOU are an expert in it, compared to her. If you truly love your child therefore, you can – and should – share YOUR EXPERTISE about succeeding in the world, to help her learn how to EXCEL in it.

This book [Kukuru Danger™] uses narratives of true life childhood experiences of a brilliant but wayward child, who later reformed himself, as a basis for offering practical tips and insights you can use.” – Tayo K. Solagbade. Best Practice Parenting Advocate™ & Location Independent Multipreneur.

Entrepreneurship, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Writing/Blogging

Glaring Contrast Between Cyber Cafes in Lagos and Cotonou (The Need to Create Enabling Environments) – True Story

January 11, 2015 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Traveling helps one gain useful perspectives and insights, making one broad minded. My travels have taught me that one does need to be rich, or make big money to enjoy great QUALITY of life.

In well managed societies, even the poor can afford a decent existence devoid of avoidable annoyances.

The story I share below illustrates a glaring contrast in the conditions under which people running the same type of business have to operate in their respective countries – which share a common border.

In Cotonou, most Cafe’s I use open as early as 8a.m, and I sometimes work in Cafe’s well past midnight.

I once arrived from Lagos about 15 minutes to Midnight and got a bike rider to take me around till I found a Cafe still open (and many users in it), where I was able to quickly publish my blog post for the day.

But no matter how late it was, I never had problems getting home. Within minutes of stepping out on the sidewalk, I would flag down a commercial bike rider, who I would confidently allow to take me home.

Whenever I’m in Lagos however, things get very complicated.

Cafes here open as late as 9.30 to 10a.m. The owner of the one close to my home told me his staff lives 2 hours away in another state (Ogun) and the traffic makes it hard to get in earlier.

So I’m usually waiting till 10a.m before I can start work. My attempts to use other cafes had taught me few promised good value for money and time. This one does. But unlike the Cotonou cafes, it closes, almost unfailingly at 9p.m(sometimes 8p.m, if the boss is away as the staff needs to leave for home early)..

I asked why, and the guy explained that staying open longer would expose them to thugs or robbers coming in to hold up the place, which had happened before, and the loss was painful.

Compare the guy in Cotonou with my man in Lagos, and it becomes obvious the latter has to battle daily to be profitable.

A. Starts 2 hours later

B. Stops 3 hours earlier

C. Incurs high generator fueling and repair costs due to poor public power supply

D. Yet he charges approximately the same rate per hour, as the Cotonou guy.

This means the Lagos cafe retains considerably less profits compared to the one in Cotonou, despite doing more work.

The above makes me empathize greatly with cafe owners here in Lagos, indeed Nigeria in general.

And that’s why I did not get upset when I had to miss achieving a goal I set to publish my new book on Yoruba proverbs on Thurs 8th Jan 2015, due to the unavoidable closure of the cafe at 9p.m as usual.

[NB: It’s now live: See Ten Storyfied Yoruba Proverbs for Children]

I had so much client work to do, and had been there from 10.30a.m till 6.50p.m, then went out to get a bite to eat and buy some groceries for the kids.

By the time I returned, it was 8.40p.m and I knew there would not be enough time to setup the book in the online store.

Pity.

That’s why my operational base for building my brand via passive income generating products creation is Cotonou.

Over there, I would have easily returned to the cafe and finished publishing the new book.

Generally, when I come to Nigeria I get much less creating done and focus more on promoting what is already created for sale.

But you probably wonder why I don’t use my own private Internet USB stick?

The answer is that I used to, both in Lagos and Cotonou.

However, being the heavy duty user that I am, I discovered that option rarely gave me value for money. The bandwith assigned either ran out too fast or poor connectivity forced me to keep shuttling to the cafes to get important client work done.

That made no sense, especially since one made a hefty payment for it.

In contrast, the bulk time purchase I make in Cotonou cafes especially, can be paused when the connection is slow. And the best part is that it never expires!

Hopefully this disparity will be rectified when a government that can deliver steady power and security of lives and properties comes into power in Nigeria this year.

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

Everything You Want for Your Business Success…and MUCH MORE!

January 8, 2015 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

UPDATE: Good news. Apart from 65%discount on ALL my products/services, every member of my InnerCircle now gets ONE of my products of his/her choice FREE(e.g my Poultry Farm Manages, Ration Formulator, Payslip Generator etc). Read the updated offer pdf click here and let me know which product you want. Tayo K. Solagbade

Watch a Clinical Audiologist client I have served since 2007, speak about me in an impromptu video below, or on Youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mA_reF_WIY&feature=youtu.be

“Join MY Inner Circle at www.tayosolagbade.com for $160 USD per year and Get custom Farm Business Software, Business Plans, Information Products, Freelance Writing, plus Web Marketing, & Software Development Services – ALL at 65% off for LIFE! ” – Tayo K. Solagbade

NB: Those who pay $200 will get lifetime membership. Such persons won’t need to renew their membership annually and they still get 65% Discount Off EVERYTHING I offer for Life!

Every Inner Circle member gets a PERSONAL login username and password access to benefits.

I recorded this video in his office (on 8th Dec. 2014) and DELIBERATELY left it unedited, as you’ll hear us…

Below: Verbatim text transcript of video testimonial by Mr. Simeon Afolabi, Clinical Audiologist, BSA Hearing & Speech Centre, Lagos/Abuja – Nigeria

===Starts===

(Tayo Solagbade’s voice in Yoruba) “E duro, e duro. Oya” (i.e Yoruba for “Wait, wait. Okay”)

“Mr. (Tayo) Solagbade is a very industrious person. Very very committed to his work. He’s always full of ideas and solutions to problems, and for me, he is somebody that can give some great ideas to a business person that is facing some difficulties in any field you may think you are.

I’m in a clinical setting and he has been offering some great solutions to problems we face everyday. I listen to his relations with many of his clients. Some are into Agricultural sector, some are into legal sector, and he has been helping them to improve their practice, and to do better business.

He has a very good customer relationship. He knows how to relate with people, how to talk with people, how to flow with people.

And he’s somebody that when you enter into conversation with him, you ke(ep) on talking without having to end it. (Tayo’s slight laughter in background). He’s good. Good (laughs).”

===Ends===

Click here to give me a date/time you want to call me about joining my Inner Circle.

PDF membership certificates will be issued to members.

Quarterly ($40 USD) & 6 Monthly ($80 USD) memberships available, but 50% off, not 65%.

You can pay:

a. in cash or b. by purchasing paperback books from my online store equivalent to $160 USD.

Examples of What You Get at 65% Off…

Click here to continue reading

Alternatively…

Click here to give me a date/time you want to call me about joining my Inner Circle.

Career Development, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

[NEW BOOK with Optional MP3 Audio files] Ten (10) ‘Storyfied’ Yoruba Proverbs for Children – Goes Live from 8th January 2015 at www.lulu.com/sdaproducts

January 7, 2015 Tayo Solagbade 1 Comment

[UPDATE: It’s now LIVE in my online store here – click – Watch the preview video at [Audio Book] Tayo Solagbade’s “Ten Storyfied Yoruba Proverbs for Children” Audio Book DVD – YouTube] or below:

After working on it all through December 2014, I’m excited to announce this new learning tool, originally created for my kids, will go LIVE at www.lulu.com/sdaproducts tomorrow night!

Title: Ten (10) ‘Storyfied’ Yoruba Proverbs for Children

Sub title: Ten popular Yoruba proverbs with contextual translations and story-based examples of their use, in daily life, for young children & and learners in general

For those who wonder, this is the first in what will be a series.

I did a preview of it in an issue of my weekly newsletter, few weeks back.

My motivation to do this is MAINLY to empower my kids to communicate proficiently using Yoruba.

It is also to enable them appreciate the beauty of the language – which can best be enjoyed when knows how to use and interpret proverbs and wise sayings appropriately.

I did not have the benefit, during my youth, of deliberate effort being made by adults to FORMALLY expose me to Yoruba

But I was lucky that my Dad firmly insisted, during our teenage years, that we read OUT the Yoruba bible during the daily bible study sessions we had.

That left me with the ability to actually READ the language despite being raised in Lagos city, and speaking English most of the time.

On my own, I went further as I grew older, to learn the phonetic aspects of speaking and writing Yoruba. But not in any structured way. It was all haphazard.

For instance, during my 5 year stay in Ibadan’s University of Ibadan, I was blessed to share a room with 2 guys from my home town Abeokuta, who grew up there and obviously spent most of their years with adults who had superb grasp of the language.

Almost every day my room mates mocked me about my lack of dexterity in the use of Yoruba. I was teased for speaking “Lagos Yoruba”. And they were right!

Rather than resent them, my habit of relentlessly pursuing self-improvement, made me ask them to share their knowledge with me, and by the time I left campus, even though I was nowhere near them, I had picked up enough to build on.

Over time I have consolidated that foundation, and today I have a growing library of learning resources, that I am now using to prepare coaching content for my own kids.

It goes without saying that despite the above, I am NOT in any way, an authority on reading, writing or speaking the Yoruba lanuage today.

However, what I have, I KNOW, can benefit MY kids and lots of others who lack it.

As such, I choose to focus on sharing THAT with them – and where I find others with superior proficiency, I will expose my kids to them as well!

Experience has taught me that one can teach successfully, by INVOLVING the intended learners in the process of creating the learning resources.

That way, the get exposed to it earlier, and come away with deeper understanding in the process.

That’s why the proverbs featured in my book are those that I have already discussed with my kids, and I even got them to create the MP3 audio clips with me – helping to say the proverbs in Yoruba and/or in English.

I initially planned to make it 25 proverbs per issue (click here to read details I gave in a preview)…

Below is a screenshot from the first proverb’s slide.

My “Storyfied” model is designed to facilitate contextual comprehension of proverbs by persons with limited proficiency.

My tight work schedule all through Christmas right into the New Year, has however made me settle for a 10 proverb per issue volume.

This way I can get them out with some regularity. Even if I have to churn out smaller volumes.

This is a project VERY close to my heart.

One that I am simply too passionate about and too determined to ever stop doing UNTIL I complete it (that’s talking thousands of proverbs – so maybe with time I’ll step back up to 25 or more per issue).

In case you’re wondering, my kids understand Yoruba, but they do not speak it so well.

That’s why I want to use my “Storyfied” Proverbs to break them in faster.

The stories will boost their comprehension of the proverbs, and since opportunities to use them will occur in life, they will over time learn to express themselves using proverbs.

The prestige that will result from demonstrating that ability will cause them to pay greater attention to learning MORE proverbs, and in the process they will learn MORE of the Yoruba language and culture itself. ( The language and the culture cannot be separated you see!)

The more contact you have with, and conscious attention you pay to a language, the more you internalize it.

Eventually at a point, you will achieve critical point where you become proficient.

Having said that, I realize there will be others who desire the same for their own kids, but who may not have the time and training to create a resource lik this for them.

This is why I continue to publish various resources I create in a manner that enables interested others purchase, and adapt them for their own use.

Click here to see my online store, where this new book will go on sale from tomorrow p.m.

Final Words: This Storyfied language book project won’t end with Yoruba however…

Each day I see my kids, taking instructions from and communicating in Igbo language with their mother(who is from Obosi inNigeria’s Anambra state), I tell myself I need to do the same thing (i.e create a Storyfied proverbs book) for them with the IGBO language, which also has a rich store of proverbs.

And I already have material I can start with – from a 2002 paid 3 month IGBO language course that I attended in a coaching school at Allen Avenue. But it goes without saying that – as I am doing with the Yoruba version – I will also visit persons proficient in use of the language to LEARN and get guidance to ensure I do a good job of it.

All contributors names will be acknowledged in the publication – as has been done with this Yoruba book.

PS: By way of interest, those who have followed my work since I relocated to Benin Republic in April 2013, will know that I have a Quick and Dirty Guide to French Language for English Speakers/English Language for French Speakers that I created and have been selling.

Before creating the above guide, I’d published my ebook titled “Proven 5 Step Formula for Learning ANY Language in 3 Months or LESS“.

It was based on my experiences learning to read, write and speak the French Language, within 3 months in 1999 (traveling to stay in Cameroon to improve my fluency).

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

Sell What You KNOW for Profit – by Presenting it Professionally (True Story)

January 6, 2015 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

“Thanks Mr. Tayo for the visit, timely n wonderful. Thankx. Mr. K (name removed for privacy).”

[Lagos, 6p.m] I just returned from a 5 hour long visit to Lagos’ Oko Oba-Agege’s equipment suppliers, vet shops and feed mills. The above message was sent to me by a poultry farming expert I consulted there. So why was he thanking ME, when I was the one who went to consult HIM?

Well, like I tell people all the time, I adhere to a success philosophy that requires one to CREATE AN IMPRESSION OF INCREASE to everyone s/he comes in contact with.

Read on to find out how I did that, to the extent that this gentleman felt obliged to send me a thank you message after I’d left (NB: I strongly recommend YOU form the habit of doing same)!

Mr. K is a poultry farm business consultant who specializes in helping people start-up/manage broiler and poultry enterprises.

I found him when I did a Google search for farm businesses located in Oko Oba. I do this all the time when I wish to save time in visiting an area. Most people simply get dressed and go around asking for directions.

I happen to know that more and more farm business owners are taking the pains to put their business online via one or more platforms – often free ones. Most are not very web savvy, but they know the web offers potential benefits that can help them make more money or reduce operational (e.g. sales and marketing) expenses.

My search threw up about 2 pages of useful addresses, one of which was an abandoned facebook page setup in about 2 years ago, by Mr. K for his business.

He had posted a few updates and then stopped. But his mobile phone number was still visible.

I was browsing on my Blackberry, so I clicked on the phone number, and after 2 rings he picked up.

I explained to Mr. K, that I wanted to visit Oko Oba to consult with him and a few others, towards getting information to prepare an elaborate Broiler and Poultry Farm Business Plan for an old client, who wishes to venture into both areas.

This is an independent consultant client I’ve known since 2007, and who has hired me to develop several Excel-VB software for him over the years.

Now, he’s planning to retire from consulting to a property in his home town, which he wants to run the poultry business on.

Mr, K agreed to meet with me, and promptly gave me directions to find my way to his office. Around 12 noon, I arrive there, and he readily gave answers to all my questions relating to the data I needed for the plan I need to prepare.

In my usual manner, I went out of my way to find out how I could also add value to him – as a way of giving back…

I asked why he’d not continued using his Facebook page. He explained that he’d launched it to promote a broiler production project for a client, and once that ended, he’d stopped.

When he said this, I pointed out the fact to him that our meeting would never have happened if he had not left his mobile phone number on that page. I then added that many Nigerians today, readily use the web to search for information on how to start-up poultry and other farm businesses and that most were looking to hire a competent expert to help them begin.

I went on to tell him that if they encounter even a simple Facebook page regularly updated with useful information along the lines of their interest, they are likely to connect with owner of that page – if not immediately, then over time.

Quite often they would start by LIKING the page and monitoring the updates from it.

What I was saying was not theory: I promptly showed him a real life example of a Facebook page doing just that from Ibadan, in South West Nigeria.

This chap basically has built a captive audience of fans for his business on his page, and regular conversations are visible, in which they ask for his products and services, in response to offers he makes. And sometimes they simply thank and commend him for the useful information he shared (e.g. a Facebook note on a topic of interest) on the page.

Like I told the owner of that page, when I called him late last year to make my usual no-strings-attached suggestions, he can do SO MUCH more and reap even better monetary rewards, if he were to setup a system to automatically capture and use the contact information of his fans to reach them OUTSIDE facebook. So far, it does not appear that he has acted on my suggestion.

But even without doing what I proposed, it’s obvious the Ibadan based CEO is getting useful results from his Facebook page based marketing (click here to request the link to view his page)

I just do not like the rather manual, and non-viral/non-syndicated, Facebook limited nature of his model.

Having said that, I knew Mr. K would benefit greatly from adopting a similar model, which is basically zero cost. So, I showed him the Facebook page on my phone, and emailed him a link to it at the same time.

Then I forwarded 2 other emails containing links to other resources I send out to interested persons, which explain more about how to use what I call a Web Marketing System to boost marketing of your products, and also to sell your knowledge.

I told him that rather than simply let people make him prepare broiler production plans and have it free, promising to get back to him (which they rarely did), he could prepare a special handbook or guidebook on Starting a Broiler Production Business, and offer it for sale to those who contact him.

That way, when they call, he can simply offer a brief cost-free consultation and they say “If you want more detailed information, buy my information pack or e-book etc”.

No serious minded enquirer will say no to this!

But even if s/he does say NO, you can still say “Okay, I offer a one hour consultation session for say N5,000 or N10,000”. In certain cases you may choose to apply your discretion, and waive this condition, if you perceive the person is not likely to pull a fast one on you. I do this all the time.

What is important is to have a formal procedure in place for dealing with people who come to you for INFORMATION and/or EDUCATION which your unique experience and expertise makes you qualified to give.

Do NOT give everything away: You have the right to sell what you KNOW for profit. It is the key to lasting success and profits.

What I’m saying here applies to ANYONE in ANY line of business.

The key is to know how to go about it.

Note however, that no textbook explains how, and no limits exist to what you can do and how. If you need help thinking up ways to apply what I’ve said here, click here to tell me your unique needs.

Final Words: If you are good at what you do, there is absolutely NO REASON why you should not monetize what you know, to earn useful passive income – for LIFE!

No matter your field of specialization or vocation, even if it’s painting or broiler farming, if you’ve been at it a while, there will be knowledge and insights you have, that others lacking your experience and exposure will want.

In other words, apart from the physical products you offer, you should be able to earn useful income, for the long term, selling your “knowledge” (NB: I have been doing this for years selling my Feed Formulation Handbook and other information products listed in my online store).

However, your target audience will NOT know you have what they want, or need, IF you do NOT let them know.

Which brings us to the logical question: How do you let those who need what you know, discover that you have it?

That is what I have tried to explained to you in this article. Hopefully you can take what I’ve told you and run with it by yourself.

If not however, I can help you develop and implement a Web Marketing System to make it happen for YOU – like it does for me, and for my clients.

Call me on +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) for more.

1. Barter Your Digital Products to Make More Money (True Story)

2. No. 175: Why Speakers Who Barter Products and Services Will Make More Money

1. After our phone conversation, in response to my request, she sent in the formal email below, requesting my account details…

2. Then I replied as follows:

3. She responded with the email below, seeking clarification on payment details…

4. I replied her queries, and offered additional details about multiple FREE bonuses available to every buyer of the DVD…

5. And that proved adequate to convince her to respond with confirmation that she would go ahead and do the e-transfer to my account…!

6. As I always do with every buyer, once payment came through, I sent her direct download copies upfront, prior to delivery of the DVD…

7. Due to unexpected developments, I ended up belatedly, having to decide to hand-deliver the DVD by myself…and luckily, I made it on time…below is the email I sent after returning to the mainland.

8. And this was her final response, upon receicing the DVD pack I dropped off for here…

By the way, here’s what she got…in case you’re wondering…

1. A screen shot of the DVD’s branded navigation menu, which is always personalized for the owner will be embedded below tomorrow…

2. A short Youtube clip showing the DVD in use will be embedded below tomorrow…

The DVD sells for N5k, and comes with PDF versions of some other books I’ve published as FREE bonuses. Buyer just pays courier fee.

LESSON to Take Away: The above highlight emphasis (circled in red in the screen shots) is deliberate.

But here’s the more important lesson to be had from this exciting experience that happened in a window of 24 hours…

You see, I believe her words – which basically amount to an “unsolicited testimonial” confirm that it pays to be true to yourself at all times.

Three (3) Steps To Educating Prospects, and/or Customers

1. Offer Proof That You Understand Their Needs: You need to spend time THINKING about what makes people feel a need for your type of product or service.

My Example:

2. Suggest Practical Ways They Can Accurately Assess Similar Products/Services:

3. Tell Them How Your Product/Service SOLVES Their Problem:

My Example:

Summary – Educating Them Influences Their PERCEPTION of YOU, Positively!

Back in 2012, I wrote 6 guest posts that got accepted for publication by a certain popular website focusing on African businesses, with a section dedicated to agribusiness.

When, on 4th May 2014, I lost my spontaneousdevelopment.com domain, I again reached out, to let her know, so the links in the bylines for my guest posts on their website could be updated to tayosolagbade.com.

And it was a good thing I did that, because today, when I sent the link to one of my guest posts, to a prospective buyer, the article was NOT there!!!

Re: Re(Your Enquiry): Excel-VB Poultry Manager, Ration Formulator Software, and Feed Formulation Handbook

Re: Re(Your Enquiry): Excel-VB Poultry Manager, Ration Formulator Software, and Feed Formulation Handbook Quick update/follow up on the preceding email response…

Final Words

No. 178: To Achieve Marketing Success at Low Cost, You Need a List of Potential Buyers

Even with established brands, sales rarely happen instantaneously!

In trying to sell a service or product, the typical business owner, confident that s/he offers “good quality” simply announces to a potential buyer, that it’s available, (wrongly) expecting the other part to readily believe him/her!

Unless his name is Burt Dubin (renowned mentor of some of the world’s highest paid speakers), the above expert needs to give aspiring speakers a GOOD reason(s) to BELIEVE that he can deliver what he promises.

To make potential buyers take a full leap of faith to trust you, and make big purchases, FIRST “build a relationship” with them!

The best way to do the above at low cost, quickly and with little effort, is by implementing an intelligent Web Marketing System (WMS), as I conceive it – click to view mind map.

This is why, for those of us who have mailing lists of prequalified prospects (or potential buyers) selling tends to be a most fulfilling experience for both parties

Final Words: If you run a business, you CAN get the same benefits of selling more via YOUR own mailing list!

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Learn about Burt Dubin’s speaker mentoring products (books, audios etc) below…

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SPECIAL PRODUCT FEATURE

“Inside Speaking Business Success Secrets”

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

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

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

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

Useful Resources for Speakers

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

Publications

THEY WROTE…

I refer to my passion for learning to do things myself i.e. being a Do-It-Yourself enthusiast or what some call a “DIYer”.

How Much You Need To DIY, Depends On Your Part of the World

The following true story illustrates the above scenario perfectly.

That Doesn’t Happen In Your Country? Great! But What If One Day, It Does?

So I ask you: What are the things you currently depend on others to do for you? It could be a service provider or even a friend you have great confidence in.

Anything can happen. Don’t Be A Fish Out Of Water When It Does!

People often value a professional who can improvise and adapt effectively. If you come across as being that way, meeting planners may conclude you are a more “reliable” performer who can deliver no matter what goes wrong.

Final Words: I also recommend, strongly too, that you TEACH your kids to be that way as well, from as early as possible in life.

RELATED…

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

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

At a point, my trouble making got so frequent, that family friends/relatives began asking my siblings: “What Tayo had done again?”

Anyway, after getting into trouble for trying to be that way, I adopted the following 3 guiding thoughts:

So, what’s the answer I found to that question: “Do you need to be error-free?”

As an expert in your field, your audience (rightly) expects you to give them nothing less than the best of yourself at all times.

You cannot re-invent yourself, to stay relevant, if you do not have new experiences

Why? That’s because you will make mistakes (or be wrong) less often.

Final Words: As any accomplished person in any field will tell you, mistakes/failures that befall us have a positive role to play in our growth and development.

Get a FREE 20 page PDF preview of my new book (available digitally, and in paperback physical book form): “KUKURU DANGER™ – 5 True Stories About the Adventures – & Misadventures! – of a School Age Child Trying to Find Purpose in Life“

Click here, to request the FREE PDF preview of the new paperback book now.

I urge you to share it as far and wide as you possibly can!

The story I share below illustrates a glaring contrast in the conditions under which people running the same type of business have to operate in their respective countries – which share a common border.

Whenever I’m in Lagos however, things get very complicated.

Compare the guy in Cotonou with my man in Lagos, and it becomes obvious the latter has to battle daily to be profitable.

This means the Lagos cafe retains considerably less profits compared to the one in Cotonou, despite doing more work.

That’s why my operational base for building my brand via passive income generating products creation is Cotonou.

Below: Verbatim text transcript of video testimonial by Mr. Simeon Afolabi, Clinical Audiologist, BSA Hearing & Speech Centre, Lagos/Abuja – Nigeria

Click here to give me a date/time you want to call me about joining my Inner Circle.

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Title: Ten (10) ‘Storyfied’ Yoruba Proverbs for Children

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So I ask you: What are the things you currently depend on others to do for you? It
could be a service provider or even a friend you have great confidence in.