Tag Archives: tayo solagbade

Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News, Self-Development

How to Correct Excess Energy Content in a Livestock Ration [Feed Formulation Home Study Video Series]

April 16, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Quick Take-Away : This is Video No. 21 (out of 33) in my New Practical Feed Formulation (& Compounding) Home Study Video Series.

I discuss the process of calculating a Substitution Value to correct excess energy in a derived ration – as described in pages 26 to 27 of my popular feed formulation handbook, which the video series is based on.

Watch the full video below. Email tayo at tksola dot com, for a download link to the MP3 audio version.

This exercise shown in the screenshot below can found in pages 26 and 27 of Tayo Solagbade’s Feed Formulation Handbook.

The video below this screenshot displays THIS view (shown in the screenshot below) of the 2 pages as the explanation is given.

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NEW: Practical Livestock Feed Formulation (& Compounding) Home Study Pack

Sit in the comfort of your home of office, and learn ALL The Secrets you need to become Proficient in Poultry (Even Livestock) Feed Formulation and Compounding.

30 video tutorial presentations that discuss the theory and practice of Feed Formulation, using the contents of my popular Handbook – on a page-by-page basis – over a cumulative 4 hour period.

Start when you want, break when you want, play back as often as you want!

My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better

Resisting Corruption as a Nigerian in Nigeria: Is it Impossible?

March 6, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Here’s what got my attention. He wrote: “…If you are an employee or even an entrepreneur in Nigeria, you are very probably as culpable and involved in corruption as a government official. The main difference would be a matter of scale and public limelight. There is very little space to hide, corruption here is almost a necessary tool for survival. Scarcely anyone will turn down an offer like that.”

This is Issue No.7 in the series. For past issue(s), Google this: My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, tayo solagbade.

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

Why I Relocated from Nigeria to Benin Republic (Hint: A “Poor” Country Where Even Poor People Live Well!)

November 13, 2013 Tayo Solagbade 6 Comments

If you’ve ever been second-guessed, doubted, and treated with suspicion, you’ll know it can be very unpleasant. As a Nigerian, I’ve had (and HAVE!) to endure the stigma of being from a country renowned for scams – in countries I’ve visited, and – ironically – even back at home :-)))

Like a well traveled Beninese professional once told me”.

“Look Tayo, I’ve traveled all over the world, and met with lots of Nigerians. Even Nigerians don’t trust themselves. So why should people here in Benin trust you?”

And he was right.

Indeed, in my first few months in Benin Republic, I encountered lots of raw distrust from locals, who had bad stories about “Nigerians” to tell me!

ONE EXAMPLE: Read the article below, that I wrote recently…

http://tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets/he-called-me-voleur-thief/

It tells the story of a how a young student in the university at Calavi (outside Cotonou) called me a thief.

And that was because he only ever saw me working on an Internet connected PC!
That happened back in June 2013.

Today, I enjoy great recognition and credibility in a growing number of formal business and social circles – including the NIGERIAN EMBASSY right here in Cotonou.

But it was not easy; I had to prove myself – by being creative and tenacious.

Two major achievements that have really opened doors of opportunities for me are:

1. My Quick and Dirty Guide to English for French Speakers (and French for English Speakers) – which I now sell.

Like I said, today, my perseverance is being rewarded. People now accept me here – even though I offer no solutions most of them can use or afford.

But they want to relate with me – and a few do purchase my products.

For instance the very first buyer of my “Quick and Dirty Guide to English for French speakers” CDROM was Cyriaq – a Beninese medical doctor, and now, friend.

He paid for it in advance, and picked it up 2 weeks later.

See what I mean by the level of trust I now enjoy? That would not have happened in May or June 2013!

Back then I was still working to win people’s trust – as I explained in this article titled “What Do You Do When People Are Scared To Trust You?” :-))

Gaining people’s trust is the key to success in ANY area of life.

I’ve learnt to do it quite well. That’s how I got this far. My ideas can help you do the same – or better!

Since then, I’ve written two other pieces on the subject of trust – all based on my personal experiences and observations.

a.Can You Be Trusted? (Real Life Farm Business Sales Conversations With People Just Like You)

b. Proven Strategy for Succeeding by Winning People’s Trust

Read them. They will help you keep going in times when no one seems to be ready to give you a chance.

2. My Pineapple PEEL based drink which I am working towards offering for sale from a “snacks bar” before the end of the year.

I was already a known face in the Nigerian embassy, here in Cotonou, with at least one senior official, before coming up with this drink.

However when I took a bottled/labeled sample of the drink to the embassy, things went to a whole new level!

Details will come in future articles I’ll be writing.

Now, Some Direct Answers to Specific Questions People Keep Asking Me

Plenty of skepticism is naturally directed at a person like me who claims to earn income selling “his knowledge and expertise online”.

Most Nigerians simply cannot believe that is possible. The socioeconomic environment in our country makes most people feel there are no viable alternatives.

And that’s why I do what I do via this blog, and my website.

I’m using myself to PROVE to people they can pursue and succeed with viable alternatives like those I’ve discovered or developed.

But anyone who wants to use my methods simply cannot be lazy. And you cannot be in a hurry either.

1. Why did you leave Nigeria to Live/Work in Benin Republic?

Answer:

I’ve just returned to my base in Cotonou, Benin Republic, from 2 weeks in Lagos-Nigeria. I went to administer a questionnaire survey to farm industry stakeholders (for the international research paper I’m writing on “Using ICT for Feed Formulation”).

It all began on 1st April 2013, when I implemented my plan to become a Location Independent Entrepreneur – with my base in Benin Republic.

That decision was greatly influenced by a need for steady, reliable power supply and generally conducive environment free from annoyances I totally hated.

I was spending over N800 daily on fuel to power my generator in order to do my work on the laptop. And that did not even let me do as much as I needed to each day. Yet, NEPA would send in crazy estimated bills and insist one pay – other wise you would be disconnected. And this, from people who rarely supplied more than 25% of power supply one paid for.

What really nailed my resolve was when I visited the neighborhood NEPA office, and told them I wanted to be removed from the National Grid.

My argument was that I never got enough electricity and still got issued bloated bills to pay!

The newly appointed power station looked me in the eye and said “Even if we disconnect you, we will still bring you bills every month, and you will have to pay!”

At that point I knew I needed to relocate, because I was sure I could literally kill someone, if I kept living and working in an environment like that.

I’ve always believed I should get value for the money I pay.

And that’s why as a service provider I ALWAYS go the extra mile to give buyers of my products and services more than they pay for.

The Nigerian environment had tested my patience to the limits. So I began investigating alternative locations to move to.

Read “You’re Not Crazy to Follow Your Inner Voice” in which I explained the “psychological dilemma I overcame to settle on Benin Republic.

Another article in which I explain is “No. 110: Why You Need to Think With Your Whole Body (and How)!

Yet another is: Change Your Environment to Succeed – If Necessary

Since arriving Benin Republic, it’s been like relocating to heaven from a version of hell.

No exaggeration.

My productivity has dramatically improved.And more online work has come my way as a result of the useful output I’ve been able to produce.

2. But how do you get enough business? There really is not much business in Benin Republic for someone like you who does freelance writing, software development, public speaking, web marketing coaching/support, information publishing etc

Answer:

My adopted approach remains strange to many Nigerians – indeed Africans. To learn a bit about what it means to be a Location Independent Entrepreneur (which is what I now am), read this article: A New Generation of Entrepreneurs PROVES That Our Schools Need To Offer a Different Kind of Education!

Note that my target audience has NEVER been people in Benin. Indeed the only clients I’ve so far had here are foreigners (Nigerians, and a Cameroonian)

My work has always been focused on selling my solutions online.

Since moving here, MORE buyers from in and out of Nigeria/Africa (as far as Canada) have purchased my feed formulation handbook, and software in particular.

For those unable/unwilling to buy my products, who still want to do feed formulation, I recently published a new PDF titled “Using MS Excel® Solver for Least Cost Feed Formulation Can Be Easy – But Also Dangerous (How to Protect Yourself)“.

(NB: Anyone who uses MS Excel for serious work should download that PDF report – or risk making avoidable errors. )

Payment is made to me via transfers to my GTB account or through an alternative arrangement I made to receive online payment.

My efforts to use foreign payment processing platforms have been frustrating. I do NOT use Nigerian payment processing platforms because – for now – I simply do NOT trust that they will remain reliable.

And since I deal a lot with foreign buyers of my offers, I am NOT prepare to risk damaging any hard won credibility by letting any system glitches scare people away!

3. Is your family still in Nigeria?

Answer:

Yes they are. I call them regularly, and visit once in a few weeks. But my plan is now to do the needed work to move them over.

I’ve done the math. And it makes sense to do that.

It costs me half to one third of my normal expenses, to live here (feeding, transportation etc). And that applies to catering to the needs of children.

On food, let me use this analogy:

A full plate of rice with one boiled egg on it, can be had for 300 FCFA. I know this because I eat it often just next to where I live. Details in another article to follow.

Note that that is NOT the exception. It’s actually the norm.

Food is dirt-cheap here compared to Nigeria.

Look, one boiled egg in Lagos costs N50. If raw, it costs N30.

Now, N30 is approximately, 100 FCFA. That means the full plate of rice, with a boiled egg placed on top (see real life photo of one below) sold in Cotonou for 300 FCFA actually costs N100 approximately.

Since a boiled egg in Lagos costs N50, that means the above plate of rice (sprinkled with beans, and spaghetti!) costs only N50!

But we all know it’s impossible to buy any decent plate of food for N100 in Nigeria.

That amount would only get you a small piece or fish or meat!

Then you would need anything from N200 upwards to get your plate full!

I shared one picture above for illustration. There will be more, in a special report I intend to do soon, comparing the cost of living in both societies.

Another thing: In Benin Republic, public tap water is drinkable. I’ve been drinking it – like everyone else – since 1st April 2013.

So there’s no need to buy water to eat a meal. Except you want cold water or prefer it bottled.

That’s so unlike Nigeria, where you dare NOT try drinking water that’s not packaged. And even those can sometimes be “unhealthy” for drinking – as cases of related disease outbreaks have periodically shown.

This is why drinking water adds an extra layer of expense to every meal in Nigeria. Imagine how much a family spends on bags of pure water daily in Nigeria! I say this from personal experience. A totally avoidable expense!

But Why the Focus on Food, Tayo?

Actually, it’s not only food. Transportation and other basic activities are mostly cheaper here.

I have a vision to help Nigerians achieve financial empowerment, to fight bad governance.

Once they can feed themselves, they will be less prone to manipulation by corrupt people – or politicians.

That’s the situation in Benin Republic.

Even “poor” people eat well in this “poor” country.

In contrast, many who do not consider themselves poor, in Nigeria, struggle to feed their families well!

That’s also why the crime rate is VERY low here.

It’s not a perfect place.They have their own problems – but nothing that makes life a literal living hell like in Nigeria.

That’s why they appear so laid back to the rest of us. You see, their society works for THEM…even when they put in what appears to be little effort!

I’ve always felt that life is not meant to be such a struggle…to be so hard…so brutish…like it is in Nigeria!

Believe me. I’ve visited different parts of Nigeria, and Ghana, Cameroon, and England, Scotland, and now Benin Republic. Nigeria is a tough place to live and work.

Henry David Thoreau reportedly said:

“Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them”

For Nigerians, I’d rephrase it this way:

“Most Nigerians lead lives of NOISY desperation, and inspite of it all, still go to the grave with the song still in them”.

I’ll be spelling out what I believe Nigeria (and Nigerians), need(s) to do to change things, in future write-ups.(Hint: What I do today is an example of what more people need to start doing in Nigeria).

Part 2 of this post – with more photos, and answers to questions sent me by enquirers, will be published in a day or two.

Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Writing/Blogging

10 Farm Business Best Practice Ideas Articles

November 9, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Some of the articles below touch on various aspects of what I call a Best Operating Process Management System (BOPMS)™ for Farm Business Management – or at least mentioned the need for it, towards achieving consistently profitable farm business performance.

If you’re interested, click the link below to request a copy of my questionnaire survey workbook (for the international research paper I’m writing on using ICT for Feed Formulation) that allows clicking of the article links right from inside the downloaded spreadsheet.

http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/ffsdanger.htm

[NB: By way of interest, the deadline for delivery of completed research papers, to the organising body was revised to Sunday 17th Nov. 2013. I forgot to reflect that in the last batch of questionnaires I sent out. So, if any of you still have yours, do send them in, as I still have a week to go. Thanks in advance!]

CLICK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLES THAT INTEREST YOU…

1. Your Business Should Free You, Not Restrict You

http://spontaneousdevelopment.com/sdnuggets/your-business-should-free-you-not-restrict-you/

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

http://spontaneousdevelopment.com/sdnuggets/adopt-standard-operating-procedures-to-succeed-more-with-less-effort-this-works-for-solopreneurs-and-large-organisations

Visit Tayo’s New Self-Development Nuggets Blog at:

http://spontaneousdevelopment.com/sdnuggets/

For FREE Updates from Tayo’s blog, Grab the RSS Feed at:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/spontaneousdevelopment/Alzk

Enjoy your weekend!

Tayo

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News

My Pineapple Peel-Based Drinks Production Project UPDATE: Pilot Scale Shelf-Life, and Variable Cost-Reduction “Trials”

October 22, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

This is an update on progress with my Pineapple Peels based drinks production project. I’ll also be posting an update on my Quick and Dirty Guide to English/French soon.

[NB: That next post will include details of how I’ve now partnered with a 2-man Beninois team of language experts to produce chapters 2 to 10 of my guide. These guys run an English language for French speakers “practice” club supported by the high commissioner for a small but respected African country. EXCITING stuff I tell you!]

As for my Pineapple peel based drinks, I’m now done with initial shelf-life trials.

Plus, in the process of exploring ways to cut down production costs, (to offer a range of “flavours” that appeal to different “pockets”), I’ve had a breakthrough of sorts.

You see, normally I have to “cook” (for 15 to 30 minutes) the pineapple peel mixture to get the finished drink I’ve been carrying around (i.e. non-fermented).

For the fermented version, I would post-boil have to wait 48 to 72 hours to let it ferment out, before that version would be ready.

In both cases, I then have to use “home-made drinks” production techniques to “pasteurize” it in “glass bottles”. All of these have cost implications – as plastic bottles simply lose shape when exposed to 60 degrees Celsius of heat.

By implication, what I’ve been carrying around have been partially pasteurized drinks in the real sense.

What I need to offer are versions that people can choose to take away and store for a month or more, without fear of spoilage.

Of course the version to be offered in my brew-pub will be drunk right away on the serving tables.

But people are bound to want to take some away. And I don’t want to be guilty of giving people bottled products that explode in their hands or homes – due to gas from “hidden fermentation”…LOL.

That’s why I’ve been careful to explore ways to kill off residual microbial activity.

The thing is standard procedures are expensive. I’m therefore looking to leverage more nature friendly methods.

You don’t hurry when it comes to food and drinks production i.e. things people will consume.

One mistake with your product, and your reputation may never be reparable. I know this from my training – and experience – in Guinness. And from courses I took for the UK’s Institute and Guild of Brewing (IGB) exams.

Well, in the course of “experimenting”, I actually found a way to get the fermented version ready-to-drink WITHOUT needing to “cook” the starting mixture.

That means I effectively get to cut out the costs of “heating” – which can add up over time, as you know.

To be fair, this option was always there, but I just never felt it was safe enough.

The new technique also allows fermentation to end naturally – killing the yeasts. Again, this implies major savings.

But I’m STILL keen to add an extra layer of “safety”, by adding an antibacterial agent, preferably a natural one, as against chemical kinds which are more common.

Currently reviewing options there…

As for sales, I’ve settled on starting with a home-based brew-pub (brewery-pub).

I actually intended to have a turn-key micro-brewery with 5hl capacity setup. My checks online with guys who install such “mobile” breweries show (not surprisingly), that it’s not cheap to do.

But I’m going to do it.

I have a strategy to start small, and then use my success to “sell” the idea to “partners” to finance the scale up.

That’s why I’ve been shopping for a bigger place to move into, where I can get a local artisan to construct the vessels and other materials I need.

I already have my process flow diagram, and I know exactly how to make the place run with minimal manpower. Since it will basically be in my backyard, and linked to a “pub” type of bar in front (where people will eat snacks with the drink), I’m sure it will work.

I’ve also found a way to link all of that with my work on developing solutions for farmers.

There’ll be more on that soon.

One thing is certain. Before the end of this year, I WILL have six pack versions of my fermented pineapple peel based drinks available for on-demand purchase.

For starters, here in Benin Republic. And there WILL be a “pub” where people can come to eat snacks with the non-fermented, and fermented versions.

And get this: My Quick and Dirty Guide autorun CD/DVD based learning events will hold at the pub – on set dates.

People will be able to participate in “practical speaking” sessions, and also compete to win copies of the complete 10 chapter audio-visual and Excel-VB based version.

So, watch this space for pictures and full details.

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General, My DN Travel News, Public Speaking, Writing/Blogging

Strategies to Start Writing On Your Blog – Fast!

October 5, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

About one hour ago, I sent out an email to a client, offering ideas to help him generate article topics for his new blog.

On re-reading the message, I realised others struggling to get started with their writing, may also find its contents useful.

What follows below are 3 tips you can use, based on excerpts from that message to my client.

1. Draw Inspiration from What Others Write

I told him how, I came across some articles I believed could give him at least 2 article topics to write about on his blog.

In the email, I linked to the specific articles.

In this article, I ask you to imagine coming across an article(s) in your field of interest, that make(s) you feel like doing a rejoinder.

Believe me, if you do a few searches using your topic or subject, you’ll find some.

Try to focus on those with controversial/unusual themes, and especially those covered by news bodies.

That’s a sure way to arrive at a topic to write on that will interest many people potentially interested in that subject.

You can write an analytical article/rejoinder/educational piece in your capacity as an expert in that field.

Your purpose will be to better inform people about the subject – providing insights most outsiders are unlikely to have.

If you do this right, it will boost your credibility.

You should aim to constantly author articles that you can instantly offer to any person considering your products or services…or those expressing doubts.

You would typically publish your write-up as a blog post, and sometimes as a PDF download.

You would also send emails with URLs linking the blog post or PDF to others, or even have them ready in print (as photocopies) to give out to those you meet in person (It would be a mistake to keep it all online, and expect all who need it will find it!).

I do ALL of the above – “as the spirit leads me”…and it works wonders for my marketing and sales

If you do it like I do, you’ll find yourself doing MUCH LESS talking to convince anyone to buy from you!

2. Use 2 to 3 Minute Video Marketing Series to Promote Your Writing

This is simpler, and yet more powerful.

I recommend you speak (in a video recording) on the any theme you write about above for 2 to 3 minutes.

Then publish the video clips on your own You tube channel. Note that I mean YOUR VERY OWN You tube channel.

In case you’re wondering, it’s FREE. Once you have a gmail account, your You tube account comes bundled with it.

Video is one of the most powerful marketing media ever created.

I estimate that over 75% of the sales I make of my Excel-VB driven Livestock Feed Formulation Software happen AFTER the prospect has viewed the You tube demonstration video I created to promote it. And that’s just one of many available on my Youtube channel.

No exaggeration here. And you know the best part?

Virtually all the buyers start by stumbling on one of my cost-saving farm business ideas articles during an online seach.

They then click on a link in it to watch the video. And it’s from there that they either post a comment on You tube asking for payment details, or they send me an email…and in some cases, they simply call me on my mobile.

You may not see the possibility now. But I can tell you that this approach can win you buyers for ANYTHING you sell, with far less effort than you currently expend!

That’s why I’m using these new videos, to promote my Poultry Farm Management software and the Best Operating Process Management System (BOPMS) I recommend farmers adopt.

3. Use Unpublished Stuff You’ve Written In The Past to Author New Blog Articles

In case it has not occurred to you, one good way to generate new article ideas and content is to review stuff you write to others.

That includes business proposals, feasibility studies, special reports, emails or letters to friends, family or work associates.

Anything you write – formally or informally – to another person, which you never formally published. Anything you take out time from your busy schedule to focus and write with serious intent to another person.

As long as it is ORIGINAL to you (i.e. you are the sole author), all such material can be creatively converted into an article YOU can publish on your blog – or elsewhere.

I estimate that 25 to 40% of the articles I’ve published on my blog in the past 6 months were written like that.

You see, very often I have to respond to email enquires from visitors to my website, and/or my blog.

Or sometimes those who read my articles at places like www.ezinerticles.com.

Also I periodically have to send email explanations, or even write step by step descriptions of a process or procedure for a client.

As I have said in past articles, rarely do I let such writing go to waste.

With a little creative thinking, virtually anything worth sending out to another person can be successfully converted to a useful article.

Indeed, such articles tend to come across as more real. And they may become more useful than those you author from a relatively more abstract perspective.

I know this to be true, because article marketing is an integral part of my Web Marketing System. And it remains a crucial contributor to my sales leads generation stream.

So take a closer look at converting your past, unpublished writing into articles to publish on your blog.

If you need help, let me know!

Final Words: Save Time, Effort and MONEY By Doing As Much As Possible Offline, Before Coming Online

A word of advice with respect to publishing on your blog.

If you’re like me and keen to save money on your Internet connectivity, do as much as possible of your writing and editing OFF-line.

Once you’re sure all’s set for publishing online, logon to the web, and open your word press blog post editing interface.

Then copy the article from MS Word, and paste it into the blog window.

Add a title, category etc, and finally click on the PUBLISH button.

You’ll find that working this way can help you cut back on time you spend online.

And it will help you avoid wasting time in your Word press window, doing stuff that could have been done offline in MS Word – at ZERO COST!

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

No. 105: Chasing Clients Will Cost You Profits (A True Story)

September 2, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

I returned from Nigeria, where the events described in this write-up took place, 14 hours ago. Sales leads “follow up” – when “over done” – can sometimes erode one’s “credibility”.

Potential buyers start thinking you need them more than they need you. Then insisting on your best fees/prices becomes difficult!

That’s why it’s wiser to make THEM chase YOU instead. This issue of my newsletter describes a subtle strategy you can adopt.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE

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

Date: Monday 2nd August 2013

No:105

Title: Chasing Clients Will Cost You Profits (A True Story)

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

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

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

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

Hi,

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

No. 105: Chasing Clients Will Cost You Profits (A True Story)

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NB: If you ever find yourself wondering what else I’ve written, some days after you’ve read THIS Speaking Ideas newsletter I send out on a Monday, here’s what you can do to find out: Point your browser to www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/sdnuggets to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays) in line with this publishing schedule

**********

I returned from Nigeria (where events described in this write-up took place) 14 hours ago. Sales leads “follow up” – when “over done” – can sometimes erode one’s “credibility”. Potential buyers start thinking you need them more than they need you. Then insisting on your best fees/prices becomes difficult! That’s why it’s wiser to make THEM chase YOU instead. This issue of my newsletter describes a subtle strategy you can adopt.

Use “Power Positioning” to Make Prospective Buyers Chase YOU

Business owners who achieve more marketing success rarely chase prospects or clients around. Usually, they get called by prospective and existing clients. Their established reputations and brands makes those who want the solutions they offer, seek them out.

Anyone can achieve this level of marketing competence, but s/he must be ready to develop and nurture it over time. It does NOT happen overnight.

What you need is to carefully articulate the products and services you offer, and actively promote it to the right target audience. You will do this persistently, being sure to constantly specify what sets you apart (makes your solutions superior) to any others your audience may encounter.

You will use an intelligent mix of promotional strategies to achieve this outcome over time.

As Michel Fortin (whose Ten Commandments of Power Positioning FREE ebook I read, and incorporated into my Web Marketing System) says, Power Positioning enables you achieve Top of Mind Awareness.

In other words, people who need what you offer, will believe only you can help them. And will often be very unwilling to look elsewhere!

The obvious benefit to you is that selling to them then simply becomes a simple, stress-free process.

You’re UN-likely to find yourself debating your fees or prices with such persons. More often than not, their conviction is so great they’ll pay whatever you ask them to pay. In fact, they’ll simply say “send me the payment details, and I’ll send the money now.”

I’ve Had This Experience More Times Than I Can Count

And today, the frequency of occurrence increases. Before the one below, just last Friday, I got a web form request titled “Poultry layers feed formulation” from a Ugandan working in Tunisia as a Caterer, regarding my Feed Formulation Handbook. It read as follows:

“Dear Sir/madam,

I’m a Ugandan working in Tunisia and running a poultry farm in Uganda, and I wish to get your feed formulation to improve my poultry.”

While I was still reading the message this person sent from my website, I got a Facebook friend request from him on my Blackberry!

See how this works?

REMEMBER: Selling is a process – and a key part of it is “pre-qualified leads generation”.

Not every enquirer will buy at first contact. So make them “connect” with you (e.g. via giving you their email addresses, names, phone number and making friends with you on social media) for starters.

Then over time, continuously expose them to your marketing information, until they move to “buy-mode”.

In a past article I explained how a prospect (named Dipo) stayed on my mailing list for over 3 years, before eventually buying my handbook and software that he’d originally telephone me about.

Today, we communicate like friends via email and phone, but have still NEVER met face to face, in the flesh!

A Recent True Story That Illustrates The Benefits of Using Power Positioning

One morning, about a year ago, when I was still based in Lagos, Nigeria, a gentleman – Uche – called my mobile line to enquire about my Livestock Feed Formulation Handbook. I’d noticed two missed calls from him very late the night before (around 11.30p.m).

We spoke for about 15 minutes. He had seen the video demonstration of (what is now the old version of) my Ration Formulation Software, and also read the article about the handbook I sold with it.

Among other things’ he wanted to know what animals he could compound rations for using the handbook’s illustrated Pearson Square Computation method.

As I gave answers to his questions, he would “grunt” at intervals and say “Hmm…okay…” – then ask another.

Eventually, he told me he would get back to me. I encouraged him to take his time. And he did (or so I thought) – because I never heard from him again.

I relocated to Benin Republic on April 1st 2013. Since then I’ve only visited Nigeria once i.e. between 3rd and 10th of August. While there, I was unable to use my Nigeria mobile line which Uche had called. My provider had disabled the line based on “inactivity”.

So I used my wife’s phone line, till I managed to reactivate mine. But that did not happen until the Monday morning I was to return to Benin Republic

Unknown to Me, Uche Had Been Trying to Reach Me for Months!

I just returned from my second trip to Nigeria yester night (Sunday 1st September 2013) night, around 10pm, from a visit to a client’s farm in Ekiti state.

He had his driver transport me down there on Friday night, and his farm manager put me up in the farm house. We spent the major part of Saturday going around the farm, as I asked questions to get details I needed to build a custom Excel-VB driven Farm Management application for him.

That first night we arrived, I’d discussed with the farm manager until about 1.00a.m in the morning. Just as I was about to go to sleep, I noticed 4 missed calls – and one SMS – on my (now functional) mobile phone line.

They were all from Uche! His text message simply read:

“Good morning Mr. Tayo, please send me your email address.”

There was no name, but I knew it was him, because I ALWAYS “tag” my prospective buyers (by saving their phone numbers/other contact details with special acronyms).

I’ve profited greatly doing this with every prospective buyer who actually gets to the point of discussing PRICE with me. It enables me recall what stage we’ve reached in our sales discussions when next we have to speak.

Each specific acronyms indicates what “sales” stage each person is at.

In Uche’s case, the acronym I saw his number saved under instantly reminded me of our long question and answer session.

So, when I saw his message, I was almost 95% sure I knew why he’d made contact. I was also not surprised that his call/message came around the time of my return to the country.

NB: You may wonder how he knew to call just as I arrived in the country. I’ve written about “strange coincidences” that happen, when people practice the science of getting rich diligently. Read my most recent article on that amazing principle here.

“I’ve been calling your number for so long!” He Exclaimed

I was too busy to get back to Uche due to the tasks I had to do for my visit. So it was only on Sunday morning, that I called him on phone.

He immediately exclaimed “I’ve been calling your number for so long and never got through!”

TIP: Think about the fixed determination he must have had, to keep trying – over months – to reach me. That’s the impact of Power Positioning. It makes them sure YOU have the solution they need.

In Uche’s case, by the time we spoke, he simply said “I need your feed formulation software and handbook urgently. Send me your account number and email address. I want to make the payment first thing tomorrow morning.”

I told him I would, and then went out to the farm to take photos and other notes on the farm prior to our departure. Due to some delays, it was only about 2p.m that we eventually began our return journey to Benin Republic.

Uche called me at 3p.m to say he was still waiting for my text message. I explained that the needed information was on my blackberry line which would not be active until I returned to Cotonou.

I eventually sent him the details just after midnight. And just this morning, I replied to the Ugandan as well.

Now, I’ve left it to them to make the next move.

Update (12.07p.m): Uche just called me from Nigeria, as I was proof-reading this article, to say he’s about to make payment. He made a special support request, which I’ve agreed to provide. Isn’t this a wonderful way to sell? I think it is!

Final Words: Power Positioning Will Make More Buyers Choose You Over Competitors – Like THIS EXPERT!

About 10 days ago, a Saudi Arabia based Nigerian (while visiting Nigeria) requested payment details, after watching the video of my upgraded Ration Formulator software.

He then made the N20, 500 (about $136 US dollars) payment via bank transfer within 24 hours.

48 hours later, I’d sent him the “Feed Formulation Handbook PDF, along with the Ration Formulator Software Excel-VB workbook. This was in addition to the promised “FREE” copy of my 30 page PDF annotated pictorial introduction to livestock feed formulation ingredients.

We’ve only spoken once since then, and he’s promised to let me know if he has any issue making use of it for his feed mill based in his home state.

In all our interactions, I never had to chase any of them with emails or phone calls to take the next step (At the most, I could get in touch to ask “Did you get the xyz detail I sent at your request?”…but no more than that).

They all simply acted based on their own convictions – derived from exposure to my Power Positioning.

You, as an expert who also speaks to earn income, can attract more profitable clients by reading (and adhering to) the Ten Commandments of Power Positioning.

THIS EXPERT has used Power Positioning to make himself a foremost provider of Speaker Mentoring products and services, over 3 decades (Learn more)!

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

If you need more specific details of how to make use of the ideas I’ve shared in this newsletter, send me a message using this request form – with “Re: Chasing Clients Will Cost You Profits” in the subject line.

SD Nuggets Blog™	New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking

[Monday]:

No. 104: Your Audience Needs Truth – Not Flattery

Entrepreneurship [Tuesday]:

Many Great People Were Laughed At Before Succeeding

Self-Development [Wednesday]:

SMutual Benefit Proposition for Sponsorship (Low Cost Microbrewery Drinks Production from Peels of Pineapple & Other Fruits)

Career Development [Thursday]:

When Off Duty, Stay Off Duty?

Writing/Blogging [Friday]: – normally published Saturdays, but I put it online a day earlier, before leaving for Nigeria.

Writing In Different Genres Succeeds (If You’re Made for It)

Parenting [Friday]:

Creative Writing Boosts Kids’ Learning

Want me to write for you? Click here…

Have a lovely week!

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

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

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

http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Comments?

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

Share this issue!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get mentored by Burt Dubin - coach of some of the world's highest paid public speakers

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Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News

I Have NO FARM (Yet), BUT Farm Biz Owners BADLY NEED My Help – Here’s Why!

August 13, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Preview: This write-up was first published – on April 21, 2012 – as a NOTE on my Facebook profile at https://www.facebook.com/notes/tayo-solagbade/i-have-no-farm-yet-but-farm-biz-owners-badly-need-my-help-heres-why/369364946438303. I’ve now moved it here, on my SD Nuggets blog, but it also auto-publishes via RSS Feed to my Cost-Saving Best Practice Farm Business Ideas website.

Any smart Farm Biz owner who does NOT allow misguided zealots to lead him/her ASTRAY, WILL discover from studying my offerings, that I can actually help Farm Business become more efficient and ultimately MORE productive.

I have remained VERY amused by the attempts being made by certain individuals to INTERPRETE the fact that I do not own a Farm Business of my own, to mean that I cannot possibly offer useful value to those who do.

I believe the RIGHT question to ask is this: What exactly am I offering Farm Biz owners?

My Answer: Today, virtually anyone can be taught to inject, spawn, and rear fish for instance. I DO NOT offer to teach anyone to do that. Neither do I offer pond construction services. Instead I offer SOLUTIONS that farm business owners NEED to setup their farm businesses for long term success.

These solutions ultimately determine how long the business lasts, and how profitable it will be. In effect I offer a unique kind of Extension Service. Get details of my approach on the website.

Going by the above, it is my opinion, that a MORE relevant question would be: Do I have verifiable competence in the provision of Agricultural Extension Services?

I ask you to consider: Have I not demonstrated through my insightful analysis of what MANY farm business owners are doing, that I have a BETTER grasp of the practical requirements for making a success of the farm business?

As I explained on my Farm Business Support Service website, I have apprenticed on farms here in Lagos, and also deliberately purchased manuals, videos, and also attended training events organised by certain well known practitioners here in Lagos. That is in addition to visiting farm businesses to see how they operate Details abound on my farm business ideas website.

SIMPLY PUT: I am a trained and experienced manager of production processes, with graduate level professional training in Agricultural Extension Services provision.

I DO NOT need to own a farm, to help ANY FARM BUSINESS OWNER. There are things I know, that most farm business owners do NOT. When I get to their farms, I SEE things they see, and gain insights they NEVER do, except I tell them. This is FACT.

Now, isn’t it odd that when I engage MANY farm business owners on the practical aspects of running their operations in line with best practice principles, they often fail to meet up?

Does the fact that I have been able to come up with workable ideas, concepts, strategies and TOOLS (e.g. my popular Feed Formulation Handbook, and Software), to achieve BETTER farm business performance NOT indicate that I know something that MANY farm business owners do NOT?

Answers can be found by visiting my cost-saving farm ideas website – I’ve said enough there to address the above concerns and more.

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THANK GOD: At least ONE person who has contacted me AFTER visiting my website seems to have been patient enough to do the thinking needed to appreciate what I offer: See the reproduced comments sent to me by Chairman/Multi-Tech Ventures Nig Ltd – Olumuyiwa, F.A. – at the bottom of this page.

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Today, In Nigeria/Africa, Almost ANYONE Can Own A Farm Business

Let’s stop and think about this for a moment.

Is it not a well known fact TODAY, that ANYONE, regardless of academic or professional background, can easily learn the basics of injecting, hatching, and rearing catfish or raising poultry?

Countless learning resources abound e.g. VCDs, seminars and workshops of all kinds.

Virtually anyone can learn most of the hands on technical stuff today. It’s been simplified. Just like learning to use most aspects of mobile and PC technology today is no longer a big deal.

The REAL CHALLENGE is knowing how to achieve the required level of productivity and efficiency that will enable you make a long term profitable success of your farm business venture.

It is this challenge that continues to make so many farm businesses either struggle or collapse! They do NOT have the required grasp of how to manage the batch production processes which their farm businesses are based on.

The so called experts simply teach them the technical stuff. But the more subtle skills of process and production management are neglected. Most farm business owners lack the know-how to organise their production operations. They do not know the most efficient manner to ensure optimal use of manpower and raw materials as well as physical resources like vats, ponds, water and feed.

The crash courses they attend (not surprisingly) do not show them how to use worksheets to plan for stocking and emptying of multiple ponds. As a result they fail to appreciate the need to MEASURE turn around times, so as to achieve maximum possible cycles of fish production. They also are not aware of the need to compute Key Performance Indices to enable them turn out CONSISTENT volume and quality of fish flesh. Same logic applies to poultry farming.

I don’t care where you learn from. Or how much money you throw at your farm business. If you do not have a well thought out system for managing your farm business, you are very likely to struggle.

Look around here in Lagos, and you will see so many farm businesses operating with manpower that do not have a standard operating procedure. Today, they take fish from this pond and sell. Tomorrow they take from the same pond for breeding. When they breed the fish, the process is often trial and error. Caring for fingerlings is a process fraught with avoidable setbacks e.g. infection, and mortalities.

On the sales front, as I have said elsewhere in a seperate article, little thought goes into preparing for removal of market ready stocks so as to create space for new fingerlings.

Are we to believe that a haphazard approach is inevitable in farm business management? How many farm business owners can provide easily retrievable and RELIABLE/ACCURATE data of production, waste, expenses and sales for daily, weekly or monthly intervals?

I can supply those kinds of details, and analysis done based on them, for ALL the business and personal activities I have been engaged in since 2002. I document them and regularly analyze them. That’s why I am able to decide when what a client wishes to pay to have me provide a service is too low. While apprenticing on a catfish and ornamental fish farm at Abesan Estate in Ipaja, I did the same thing.

Running a batch production process (which all farm businesses entail) is routine and repititive.

Once you know what needs to be done, and the right way to do it, it stops being a BIG deal. Nigerian Farm Business Owners need to stop wasting time focussing on who can inject a fish. Even illiterates are being taught to do that at today’s workshops!

Instead, LOOK for experts who can help you develop sustainable systems for operating your farms PRODUCTIVELY for REAL profit.

The bank official who makes recommendations about whether his/her bank should give you a loan, or EXTEND you existing credit line, quite often will NOT have any farm business of his/her own. But if the bank is a good one, the individual they assign go do that job is likely to have a background on Agricultural Economics/Extension Services.

Just as it with other professional fields, the training provided that individual is what s/he will draw upon, combined with any experience gained post-graduation, to assess your business – or make recommendations on areas you need to improve upon.

My training as an Agricultural Extension Services professional, and my exposure to world class process management systems in a large multinational corporation (See my PDF resume), have enabled me add value to Farm Businesses I have come in contact with.

My advice to ANYONE who owns a farm business, is to NEVER fall prey to the delusion that OWNING a farm business makes you SMARTER about running it, than someone like me. The FACT is there are likely to be MANY things I know, that YOU will need to LEARN.

I’m not saying I know more than everyone else.

But going by what I have seen many business owners do out here (both farm and non-farm related), I am 95% certain that MANY of them need help with the stuff I have written about in this piece.

The smart ones will know better than to climb on their high horses, when it comes to exploring the offers I’m making. Waiting till when my Integrated Fish Farm starts up will be VERY unwise – because by then, I am likely to be VERY unaffordable for most farm business owners.

This article has been written as a wake up call to any farm business owners trying to make up their minds about where to go for help.

Once again, I challenge you to THINK: With all the stuff the so called experts have taught you, do you honestly believe your farm business is running as efficiently, productively and profitably as it should/can?

You may be making money. But how much are you making compared to how much you are spending in terms of effort, time, labour/manpower, feed, maintenance of farm structures, sales, marketing, power supply, diesel, petrol etc? Can you spend LESS? Can you get MORE done in less time and at less cost?

I say YOU CAN. I challenge you to invite me to your farm for 30 minutes, and I will ask you questions that PROVE that this is so. The choice is yours.

I Am NOT Interested In Competing With Anyone – But I Want To Help Farm Biz Owners Operate More Productively!

It’s time to stop fooling ourselves. Physical movement does not equate to progress. A lot of people spend years spinning their wheels – remaining in the same place. Your farm business CAN become a MODEL for others to learn from.

All I see around are people preoccupied with doing the same things that others are doing, even when they are not getting IMPROVED results.

Read the articles on my farm business ideas website (and my Farm Business Ideas Guest Posts published on other website) to appreciate the point I’m making.

Like I said, INVITE me to your farm, for 30 minutes and I’ll prove that I’m right.

PLEASE NOTE: I will come with a video camera man to record the event. I’m sure every sincere person will be OK with that. After all, I’m the one who’s going to have to PROVE that I’m not a QUACK!

Now, let me acknowledge at least ONE individual who, it appears, took enough time to evaluate all that I said on my Farm Biz IDEAS mini-site, to arrive at a reasonably accurate understanding of what I offer.

Read the message he sent to me via my website contact form – below. What he said, is in effect, what I offer to do for interested persons. It of course goes without saying, that I DO GENUINELY DO all that is stated on my Best Operating Farm Process Management website !

May 2009:

“I need a program for a new investor interested in small scale catfish farming for a start, expandable in future however. Or alternatively a link to who can assist in construction of a good catfish pond along the interest indicated above. I can’t see you rendering this service in your website that I went through, as it look like you provide other vital support services which we will need on take off. Am I right? Give me a feedback soonest. I wish to end this note by honestly commending your effort if you genuinely do all you have highlighted on your website. Thanks” – Chairman/Multi-Tech Ventures Nig Ltd – olumuyiwa, F.A.” (Ifo, Ogun State)****

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NB: It is instructive to note that anyone who submits the contact from on the farm business support service website gets an autoresponder with instructions on the next steps to take if s/he wishes to have me send a response. I took this measure after discovering many mischievious persons sending in phony request, and wasting my time (Some wanted items I offered for a fee, for FREE etc).

Why I STOPPED Updating www.iff.spontaneousdevelopment.com

There’s ONE MORE THING I need to mention: Some people may have noticed that I stopped publishing most of the new content I have planned for my Cost-Saving Farm Business Ideas mini site.

This was because I could NOT find a way to automate requests for paid access to the new stuff, without giving out my bank account details.

Another reason, was that I also discovered that some people had been visiting my site with a view to taking my stuff (including getting my publications at special offers) and plagiarising it. These are the same kind of people who run seminars on funny zero managed farms, selling printed versions of PDF materials downloaded from websites run by Agriculutural Extension Services departments of Universities based in the USA.

I do NOT exaggerate. Let me tell you a true story, to illustrate:

On one occasion few years ago, I visited the farm office of a well known Catfish Farm Workshop specialist. During our conversation, his assistant presented me with spiral bound copies of certain reports, on Super Intensive Catfish Farming operations – and told me they were for sale.

Unfortunately for him, I recognised the documents as being printouts of PDFs from a USA university (North Carolina, I think) website I had also visited (even though the cover suggested that his boss had published them!).

So I told him I could give him ALL the PDF versions of the reports if he wanted. You can imagine how the rest of that conversation went! There IS a lot of that going on out here, I must say. People LOVE shortcuts – and that applies to both the SELLER, and those who choose to be their students.

A lot of the new stuff I intend to publish on my website is relatively new. ButI have tested them out here, and know they work.

Here are some examples.

a. Low cost Earthworm farming as a means of feeding fish and other livestock higher protein levels to achieve better growth rates, at LOWER costs.

b. Daphia rearing for fingerling feeding at MUCH LOWER costs.

c. Rabbit rearing integrated with poultry and fish farming – I have reared and bred rabbits for sale, and KNOW they are perfect for this. My extensive research has also led me to discover a community in Africa that received international funding to DO exactly this kind of self-sustaining Integrated Livestock farming.

When I finish setting up automated monetization systems on my website, I WILL resume putting up the new stuff. But this time, some of it will be premium content that needs to be paid for.

Click http://spontaneousdevelopment.com/premium/special_report.htm to see an example of my NEW paid subscription system that will be in use across my website

FINAL WORDS: As a Farm Business Owner, you MUST think like an entrepreneur.

Doing things DIFFERENTLY if it will help you make MORE profits, is something you should NEVER be afraid of. Don’t waste time seeking approval from arm chair theorists, who ONLY know how to criticise those who are DOING something with themselves.

Those who belong to the “critics” group, and who ALWAYS exist in LARGER numbers, do NOT like me for being able to offer what works.

They KNOW I will open the eyes of MANY people, and make them smarter and MORE independent.

Should you let them deny YOU of the benefits I can bring to your farm business operations?

The choice is yours!

Entrepreneurship, My DN Travel News, Public Speaking, Recommended Websites & Articles, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

Breakthrough to Purpose – Andy Brine Interviews Efe Ohwofasa (Verbatim Text Transcript Created by Tayo K. Solagbade)

August 7, 2013 Tayo Solagbade 2 Comments

Preamble: Why I Manually Transcribe Video and Audio Presentations (Especially Interviews) – By Tayo K. Solagbade

The thumbnail image below links to a verbatim PDF text transcript of a 23 minute long video interview conducted by Andy Brine (of Become Authentic on Video) with Efe Ohwofasa (Nigerian born, UK based business coach)

This is not the first time I’ll be doing a verbatim audio to text transcription of this kind. In the past, I’ve created similar resources from interviews and presentations with other experts and professionals.

Two examples are Burt Dubin (who I represent as Sole Agent on the African continent, for his speaker mentoring products and services), and Patrick Meninga (the gentleman who achieved fame as a blogger by building a $2,000 a month adsense website while working full time, and then selling it for $200,000).

“But why do I do it?” many people are likely to wonder?

Is it to get publicity, or to get those I feature to notice me and give me jobs? What is my real motive?

1. My main reason is that I want to help people discover proven techniques and strategies they can use to IMPROVE themselves in whatever area of endeavour they are engaged.

That’s why I call myself a Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist & Multipreneur.

I have a passion that has endured for over 20 years (right from my days as a student in the University, through my time as a high flying employee in Guinness Nigeria), to help serious minded and results focused individuals develop and implement practical strategies to do what they do better.

Due to my versatility, and quick learning ability, I have over the years proven myself to be a valuable addition to the arsenal of any group or organisation.

So many people find me to be a useful resource because my active search for practical information about what works enables me add value to them. Anywhere I go, whatever I see or read, my natural instinct is always to find ways to share it with others to help them improve their performance.

I’m the kind of person who cannot help HELPING others. I am naturally driven to be a catalyst. No matter who I interact with, I create the impression of increase. People generally find that they are better off when they leave, than they were when they met me.

Most of my clients often get much more measurable value from interacting with me, than they pay for.

I work this way not because I want to be Pope, or because I’m a priest, but because I LOVE to see people make the best use of their God-given abilities to achieve their fullest potential – NO MATTER what challenges they have to confront and overcome in life.

And that is why I pick on videos and presentations of authentic achievers, whose messages convince me they are who they say they are.

Due to the challenges of poor connectivity in my part of the world, I realise many who desire to benefit from the wonderful video and audio presentations available online may not get ready access to them – except via text transcripts like those I create.

This is why I create my verbatim transcripts and offer them free.

2. Another reason I make these transcripts is to contribute to the work done by those who create these FREE presentations.

Their willingness to share their knowledge and insights at no charge to the target audience, as a way of gaining name recognition and credibility deserves to be encouraged.

Doing so gives people who seek help, an opportunity to make more intelligent hiring or buying decisions. Their competitors or rivals, who do not offer such presentations naturally get challenged. They must show what they are made of in a similar way, if they wish to be taken seriously by the target audience.

Ultimately, a healthy atmosphere is created for “buyers” of their products and services to make safer and more rewarding purchases. By creating these verbatim transcripts I believe I contribute my own quota to the above, and I like that.

Of course, it goes without saying that all the parties involved also get to know me. And that will certainly help ME as well. But even if it did not, I would still do it.

3. A third reason is to demonstrate to the featured (and other) experts, an EXAMPLE of practical ways they can re-package and re-present the same material to achieve wider reach and impact.

In providing Web Marketing/Performance Enhancement services to clients, this is a habit I encourage them to develop. That is, to explore as many intelligent and cost-effective ways as possible, to present themselves to the target audience.

4. Lastly, I do it to distil useful learning summaries &/or develop Actions Plans for target audiences to adopt.

I am not unaware of the availability of software used for transcriptions. However, you see I also LOVE to learn – and to help others learn better. That’s why I extract or “distilled” lessons from each interview.

Forcing myself to do the manual transcriptions enables me listen REPEATEDLY to the material, until I internalise most of it. Then over a few days I let it “cook” within me, and soon enough, the “lessons” to be had from it become apparent.

I then write and publish it as a blog post – linking to the verbatim transcript. That’s what I have done with other transcriptions. And that’s what I will do with THIS one.

I have found that this method dramatically boosts comprehension rates of people. Not everyone can readily extract a useful summary of learnings, and develop action points by watching a video, or listening to an audio recording.

Final Words

It is my hope that you will find this PDF transcript useful, in reaping more wisdom from the powerful message shared by Efe.

If it helps you, I urge you to please SHARE it with others you know can benefit as well. I thank you in advance!

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

FYI: Orchestrated Sabotage Campaign Against This Website

May 17, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

The email (in the screenshot below) is a 419 – that is scam – message being circulated disguised as if it’s from my website email (tayo at spontaneousdevelopment.com).

Believe it or not, this one came right into my inbox yesternight – got me wondering why I would send myself an email, till I read the contents…

Click the screenshot below to view my detailed illustration

This is the 1st bit of proof I’m getting to confirm the suspicions I’ve had that my work online is being sabotaged.

2 days ago, I discovered one of the websites I’ve earned income from had deleted my account without notice*

*******!

NB: Just this evening, I got a response from the above mentioned website to my enquiry saying my account had been reactivated. (See screenshot below). So that’s ONE less to worry about. But the big matter of the scam emails above remains…

*******

Earlier LinkedIn.com locked my account accusing me of “suspicious activity”.

This has been a serious running battle for me for a while.

A group of people are orchestrating these attacks to stop the obvious growth of my website traffic, and my profile.

These are mostly sponsored attacks. And it’s difficult to trace them

See (below) the links to articles I’ve had to publish on my website each time I’ve been punished for what I did not do as above.

Below the links is a message I included in an application I just submitted to a network. It gives details.

1. http://spontaneousdevelopment.com/sdnuggets/if-you-cant-find-me-on-linkedin-com-heres-why/

2. http://spontaneousdevelopment.com/sdnuggets/how-to-unmask-defeat-blood-sucking-vampires/

One thing is certain. They can never stop me.

==BELOW: The message I submitted to an online forum in which I had to warn the owners about the above situation==

I need to say this.

I’m having a running battle getting some bad guys off my back with regard to my website and blog. It’s costing me access to income earning and reputation building networks.

If you accept me into this forum PLEASE know that I do NOT do any kind of spamming, scamming or illegal stuff online.

LinkedIn.com and now constant-content.com (where I used to earn income as a writer) have recently locked me out of their websites.

I still do not know why – but LinkedIn replied to say they noticed “suspicious activity” in my account.

Just this evening I got a fake lottery email I apparently sent to myself from my domain based email (tayo at spontaneousdevelopment.com)!

Then it began to make sense!!

Basically they use my emaill address in place of the name for the sender.

Except for Internet savvy recipients, who think to check the email BEHIND the sender name (which they used my email to replace) most people will conclude the scam message came from my email, click to label it spam – and my website gets whacked by Google and co.

The problem is I don’t know how to stop them from sending those messages out to others – who will naturally think it’s me.

I’m saying all this here UPFRONT to help you decide if you’re comfortable having me on. There are orchestrated attempts being made to destroy my work online.

This is not the first time. I remain focussed on my goals.

And it’s even one of the reasons I relocated from Nigeria to Benin Republic.

Each time this problem has cost me tangibly (E.g. linkedIn and constant-content) I’ve written a blog post about it.

It’s the only form of defense I can think of. If after reading ALL this you’re OK with having me around, I’ll be glad to be a useful contributor to your forum – as (name of ebook) is one reason why I’m still alive and kicking despite the concerted efforts of people who want to pull me down.

Sorry about the epistle.

==End of message I submitted to online forum==

If You Can’t Find Me On LinkedIn.com Here’s Why

and

How to Unmask & Defeat Blood-Sucking Vampires!

This exercise shown in the screenshot below can found in pages 26 and 27 of Tayo Solagbade’s Feed Formulation Handbook.

NEW: Practical Livestock Feed Formulation (& Compounding) Home Study Pack

Sit in the comfort of your home of office, and learn ALL The Secrets you need to become Proficient in Poultry (Even Livestock) Feed Formulation and Compounding.

Like a well traveled Beninese professional once told me”.

ONE EXAMPLE: Read the article below, that I wrote recently…

Today, I enjoy great recognition and credibility in a growing number of formal business and social circles – including the NIGERIAN EMBASSY right here in Cotonou.

He paid for it in advance, and picked it up 2 weeks later.

Gaining people’s trust is the key to success in ANY area of life.

However when I took a bottled/labeled sample of the drink to the embassy, things went to a whole new level!

Now, Some Direct Answers to Specific Questions People Keep Asking Me

1. Why did you leave Nigeria to Live/Work in Benin Republic?

Since arriving Benin Republic, it’s been like relocating to heaven from a version of hell.

2. But how do you get enough business? There really is not much business in Benin Republic for someone like you who does freelance writing, software development, public speaking, web marketing coaching/support, information publishing etc

For those unable/unwilling to buy my products, who still want to do feed formulation, I recently published a new PDF titled “Using MS Excel® Solver for Least Cost Feed Formulation Can Be Easy – But Also Dangerous (How to Protect Yourself)“.

3. Is your family still in Nigeria?

It costs me half to one third of my normal expenses, to live here (feeding, transportation etc). And that applies to catering to the needs of children.

Food is dirt-cheap here compared to Nigeria.

Since a boiled egg in Lagos costs N50, that means the above plate of rice (sprinkled with beans, and spaghetti!) costs only N50!

Another thing: In Benin Republic, public tap water is drinkable. I’ve been drinking it – like everyone else – since 1st April 2013.

But Why the Focus on Food, Tayo?

Even “poor” people eat well in this “poor” country.

I’ve always felt that life is not meant to be such a struggle…to be so hard…so brutish…like it is in Nigeria!

Henry David Thoreau reportedly said:

For Nigerians, I’d rephrase it this way:

Part 2 of this post – with more photos, and answers to questions sent me by enquirers, will be published in a day or two.

CLICK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLES THAT INTEREST YOU…

1. Your Business Should Free You, Not Restrict You

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

3. Five Essential Poultry Layer Farm Production Records

4. Practical Poultry Farm Business Performance Calculations

5. Five Powerful Tools for Accurately Measuring Your (Farm) Business’ Health

6. Five Proven Ways to Boost Farm Profits without Raising Prices

7. Producing Good Catfish is Important, But Finding Good Buyers is Imperative!

8. Reducing Catfish Feeding Costs (A Secret Weapon) – Part 1 of 2

9. Reducing Catfish Feeding Costs (A Secret Weapon) – Part 2 of 2

10. Top 10 Ingredients Used in Livestock Feed

Visit Tayo’s New Self-Development Nuggets Blog at:

For FREE Updates from Tayo’s blog, Grab the RSS Feed at:

Plus, in the process of exploring ways to cut down production costs, (to offer a range of “flavours” that appeal to different “pockets”), I’ve had a breakthrough of sorts.

What I need to offer are versions that people can choose to take away and store for a month or more, without fear of spoilage.

You don’t hurry when it comes to food and drinks production i.e. things people will consume.

As for sales, I’ve settled on starting with a home-based brew-pub (brewery-pub).

I have a strategy to start small, and then use my success to “sell” the idea to “partners” to finance the scale up.

One thing is certain. Before the end of this year, I WILL have six pack versions of my fermented pineapple peel based drinks available for on-demand purchase.

1. Draw Inspiration from What Others Write

You can write an analytical article/rejoinder/educational piece in your capacity as an expert in that field.

2. Use 2 to 3 Minute Video Marketing Series to Promote Your Writing

Then publish the video clips on your own You tube channel. Note that I mean YOUR VERY OWN You tube channel.

3. Use Unpublished Stuff You’ve Written In The Past to Author New Blog Articles

I estimate that 25 to 40% of the articles I’ve published on my blog in the past 6 months were written like that.

Final Words: Save Time, Effort and MONEY By Doing As Much As Possible Offline, Before Coming Online

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE

No. 105: Chasing Clients Will Cost You Profits (A True Story)

Use “Power Positioning” to Make Prospective Buyers Chase YOU

I’ve Had This Experience More Times Than I Can Count

REMEMBER: Selling is a process – and a key part of it is “pre-qualified leads generation”.

A Recent True Story That Illustrates The Benefits of Using Power Positioning

Unknown to Me, Uche Had Been Trying to Reach Me for Months!

“I’ve been calling your number for so long!” He Exclaimed

TIP: Think about the fixed determination he must have had, to keep trying – over months – to reach me. That’s the impact of Power Positioning. It makes them sure YOU have the solution they need.

Final Words: Power Positioning Will Make More Buyers Choose You Over Competitors – Like THIS EXPERT!

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

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

Comments?

Share this issue!

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

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

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

I believe the RIGHT question to ask is this: What exactly am I offering Farm Biz owners?

SIMPLY PUT: I am a trained and experienced manager of production processes, with graduate level professional training in Agricultural Extension Services provision.

Today, In Nigeria/Africa, Almost ANYONE Can Own A Farm Business

The REAL CHALLENGE is knowing how to achieve the required level of productivity and efficiency that will enable you make a long term profitable success of your farm business venture.

I don’t care where you learn from. Or how much money you throw at your farm business. If you do not have a well thought out system for managing your farm business, you are very likely to struggle.

Running a batch production process (which all farm businesses entail) is routine and repititive.

My training as an Agricultural Extension Services professional, and my exposure to world class process management systems in a large multinational corporation (See my PDF resume), have enabled me add value to Farm Businesses I have come in contact with.

This article has been written as a wake up call to any farm business owners trying to make up their minds about where to go for help.

I Am NOT Interested In Competing With Anyone – But I Want To Help Farm Biz Owners Operate More Productively!

Now, let me acknowledge at least ONE individual who, it appears, took enough time to evaluate all that I said on my Farm Biz IDEAS mini-site, to arrive at a reasonably accurate understanding of what I offer.

Why I STOPPED Updating www.iff.spontaneousdevelopment.com

I do NOT exaggerate. Let me tell you a true story, to illustrate: