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NB: This newsletter is published every Monday. Point your browser to www.tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays) in line with this publishing schedule 
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IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS newsletter is published online on the “reincarnated” version of my Self-Development (SD) Nuggets blog. I continue to put finishing touches to the content. If you encounter ANY bad/dead links, and you can spare the time, email it to me via tayo at tksola dot com. Thanks in advance
No. 146: Secret to Finding Bulk Buyers Online for Your Farm Products (PDF Report)
When poultry Farmers in Jos, reportedly asked the MD of Grand Cereals and Oils in Plateau state to buy up their excess eggs arising from a market glut, he challenged them to find outlets for their products, but offered to buy some, and donate to schools.
He’s since swung into action to fulfill his promise as reported on his company’s blog, and on the Vanguard news site.
I However Believe Farm CEOs Must LEARN to Do Their Own Marketing!
They need to take ownership of finding buyers, and stop “pleading” for help to make sales and keep profits.
In my opinion, that makes a mockery of the whole idea of being a “business owner”.
And there’s no need for that!
Burt Dubin (speakingsuccess.com), once wrote in a business marketing article for experts he coaches to speak as follows:
“Be a markerter first, an expert next, a speaker last”…read more
In several other articles accessble here(click), he hammered on the same theme…see excerpt below:
“You must make yourself a competent marketer of your speaking services. Only then do you go to deliver your speaking services. So you get to figure out who to call”...read more.
My comment: ALL CEOs, in ANY line of business, who want profitable results, MUST accept the above stated truth!
Your Success In Marketing, Will Determine How Well Your Business Does…
That is, assuming, of course, that your competence in delivering to satisfy the buyers’ needs is not in question.
Since 2004, I’ve related with Farm CEOs buyers from across Nigeria (and also parts of Africa/beyond).
With Nigerian Farm CEOs in particular, I’ve identified ONE weakness common to 80% of them.
And it’s shared by CEO clients I’ve worked with in other industries (real estate, interior design, consulting, IT etc).
What is this weakness I’ve noticed in 80% of Nigerian Farm (and other) CEOs?
Well, it’s a seeming severe aversion for developing and implementing an intelligent, reliable, and REPEATEABLE system for finding PROFITABLE potential buyers for their products and services.
They say they want more buyers, and more sales. And they want as much profit as possible per sale.
But their daily actions suggest otherwise.
They focus too much on routine daily operations, and spare little thought for planning their marketing.
Instead they wait till their products are ready, and then depend on “existing” buyers, for sales. As a result, insightful buyers (who know they lack alternatives) sometimes make them “unfair” offers.
And they may be forced to accept, to avoid losses or costs of keeping market ready stocks on the farm!
“Many Roads Leading to the Marketplace!” (A Proverb)
The above phrase is based on a well known proverb in my country. Yorubas and Igbos use it quite a bit.
And it brings me to what is really the point of this week’s issue of my newsletter.
I argue that we do not – and need not (probably cannot!) – all use the same marketing channels, methods or strategies, in the same way, to find buyers.
1. For one thing, we run different kinds of business or offer varying genres of products and services.
2. In addition, we operate in different socio-economic environments.
3. And not just that, we also have different personalities, educational backgrounds, preferences and of course different target audiences we’re aiming at.
Simply put therefore, what works well for me, may not work so well, or at all for you. So, even when you learn from others, never be afraid to put your own twist on it!
That’s Why I Favour a Cost-effective Marketing Approach That Is Adaptable to Unique Needs
Indeed, using such an approach, we can both be involved in the same business (e.g. fashion design) and I could employ a completely different strategy from yours, to win new, or generate repeat, sales.
The difference would be mainly be in the time, effort, and resources that go into doing it our different ways – and of course the QUALITY of results we get.
And if we’re each smart, we’ll constantly test and explore new ways to get better results. Every smart business owner – be you a solo act or a multinational – needs to think this way.
NB: What I just said IS the Continuous Improvement aspect of using Best Practices in your operations!
If You Knew a Strategy That Could Win New Buyer At Lesser Cost, Would You Adopt It?
Incidentally, this is not the first time I have asked that question in my writing.
If your answer is YES, then I have a new report prepared that describes 2 such strategies you can use.
The first one has actually been used – online of course – by a smart thinking Nigerian farm CEO, since 2012.
He did it and got impressive results using an online discussion forum to recruit bulk buyers – from other states! – to buy his Eggs, in bulk, from his farm in Oyo State, South West Nigeria.
One month in 2012, he began using it. And a few later, the first prospects, on their own, began finding him!
He began by offering to deliver to EACH buyer with his new farm.
But at a point he got so many buyers coming to “Pick Up” that he actually announced he could no longer deliver to any buyers.
Think about it. He came online to post invitations to potential buyers because he needed buyers.
He was so in need that he offered to deliver to them, if they so wished.
Then this system – which he was paying NO MONEY to use – worked so well, that he got more demand from buyers than he could cope with!
Wouldn’t you just LOVE to learn what that system is, and how your farm can make similar use of it?
If YES, get in touch here for details…click now.
Final Words: Stop Limiting Your Thinking About Where You Can Find Buyers!
I spoke with a Farm CEO client in Jos, about a week ago. He told me one out of every 3 homes in Jos rears egg laying birds. Some do not produce to sell – only for consumption.
According to him, that was why egg selling farms sometimes struggled to make good sales.
I replied that each CEO simply needed to change his/her mindset, and think more creatively.
For heaven’s sake, must your buyers be from your neighbourhood, state…or even country???
Of course not :-))
Human beings with the same number of other body parts like you get buyers from across the world!
Some are actually home based businesses in Nigeria/Ghana etc who export farm based products of all kinds (e.g. Shea Butter, Pepper etc) as far as the USA!
If Jos is so full of eggs, why not look for buyers outside of Jos???
If you asked “HOW”, I’d reply “Now you’re talking!”
First, it need not involve spending money you do not have.
The Farm CEO in Oyo state likely knew that taking out a newspaper ad (which has a mere 24 hour shelf-life!) was NOT the answer.
That would simply eat up any margins to be had from the eggs sales. And there was no assurance that any sale would be made that way.
So he wisely adopted the use of the web – which offers TIMELESS MARKETING benefits.
Doing so involved doing more WORK. But he could afford that!
What he did was so simple, even a 10 year old could have done it. I exaggerate NOT.
No special IT or web skills needed.
Just smart thinking…of which we are all capable, if we put in the effort!
I describe everything he did in my special “blueprint” report.
But I also describe a second approach, much more advanced compared to that used by the Oyo state CEO, that yields even better results – for the LONG TERM – with even less effort.
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Have a great week :-))
