I watched the guy with amusement. He carried a loudspeaker and was shouting at the top of his voice. It was annoying. Everyone at the bus stop was irritated.
But this guy kept preaching and preaching only to have everyone ignore him.
No, they didn't ignore him. they were irritated by his noise. Not his message. Just the noise that the rambling megaphone was making.
When you try to pass your message across, try to avoid getting your message lost in the medium conveying your message.
Jan 16, 2011
Jan 15, 2011
Three kinds of people
those who make things happen,
those who watch things happen
and those who ask what's happening?
marketing to Nigerians, that quote has changed-
three kinds of people
those who make products and services
those who try to sell them by trying to get our attention
and those who ignore them.
we live in an attention deficit age. You need to find creative ways to to cut through the noise.
those who watch things happen
and those who ask what's happening?
marketing to Nigerians, that quote has changed-
three kinds of people
those who make products and services
those who try to sell them by trying to get our attention
and those who ignore them.
we live in an attention deficit age. You need to find creative ways to to cut through the noise.
Jan 14, 2011
Thanks, I just needed your attention.
A guy stood up in my university class when I was in 200level.
He kept asking the entire class- 'can I have your attention'.
When the class quietened down and we all waited to hear what he would say. He just smiled and said-
'Thanks. I just needed your attention.'
Etisalat ran an ad that got my attention but it didn't sell me anything. Two guys with broken limbs riding together on a bike. I don't understand the message.
Just trying to get our attention without saying anything meaningful can be very annoying. And today, most of the ads we run do just that.
He kept asking the entire class- 'can I have your attention'.
When the class quietened down and we all waited to hear what he would say. He just smiled and said-
'Thanks. I just needed your attention.'
Etisalat ran an ad that got my attention but it didn't sell me anything. Two guys with broken limbs riding together on a bike. I don't understand the message.
Just trying to get our attention without saying anything meaningful can be very annoying. And today, most of the ads we run do just that.
Jan 12, 2011
From storyteller to story seller.
Here's what every smart Nigerian politician should know- all politicians are now marketers. If you are a politician, you are selling something. You are selling hope, you are selling a belief to your constituency. You are selling a promise of a certain kind of future.
And every candidate should have a story. A story he tells and makes us want to believe. Because if you don't tell your own story, we will create one for you
And every candidate should have a story. A story he tells and makes us want to believe. Because if you don't tell your own story, we will create one for you
Jan 11, 2011
Be a better liar
If you intend to tell lies to sway the next elections, just try to ensure that your lies can become true.
In the beginning, we told ourselves stories. Stories about how the earth was flat. Stories about how the world was created by a god who came down from heaven with a horn filled with sand in one hand and a chicken in the other that spread the sand to all corners of the earth. We heard stories about thunder being the wrath of a god called sango or amadioha. As little kids we heard stories about how masquerades were spirits from heaven and how the tortoise was the craftiest creature on earth. We were told that if you eat while standing at the doorway, you will never be satisfied. We were told these stories because they made life bearable and gave explanations for the aberrations of life. Our fathers and grandfathers told us this stories because they taught us morales in the absence of a written code and doctrine to guide our way of life.
These stories were effective in guiding and leading our community until a new breed of storytellers came along. These new storytellers didn't just tell us stories that made life bearable. They told us stories which gave us hope and which we desperately wanted to believe because we needed to believe. However, over time their stories constantly brought us to the brink of unbelief. Their stories never came through. Their stories became lies. You know these new breed of storytellers because you see them everyday. You know them because they live among us. You know them by another name. You call them politicians.
If the stories they tell can not possibly be true, then politicians are a special breed of liars.
And the sories they tell are the same age old stories. They promise electric power supply, water and jobs. They promise good roads and free education for all. They promise all this and then...
We ask the question- "how?"
How sir, will you do all these?
...and he stares with a blank face
please tell a better lie. The old ones insult our intelligence
In the beginning, we told ourselves stories. Stories about how the earth was flat. Stories about how the world was created by a god who came down from heaven with a horn filled with sand in one hand and a chicken in the other that spread the sand to all corners of the earth. We heard stories about thunder being the wrath of a god called sango or amadioha. As little kids we heard stories about how masquerades were spirits from heaven and how the tortoise was the craftiest creature on earth. We were told that if you eat while standing at the doorway, you will never be satisfied. We were told these stories because they made life bearable and gave explanations for the aberrations of life. Our fathers and grandfathers told us this stories because they taught us morales in the absence of a written code and doctrine to guide our way of life.
These stories were effective in guiding and leading our community until a new breed of storytellers came along. These new storytellers didn't just tell us stories that made life bearable. They told us stories which gave us hope and which we desperately wanted to believe because we needed to believe. However, over time their stories constantly brought us to the brink of unbelief. Their stories never came through. Their stories became lies. You know these new breed of storytellers because you see them everyday. You know them because they live among us. You know them by another name. You call them politicians.
If the stories they tell can not possibly be true, then politicians are a special breed of liars.
And the sories they tell are the same age old stories. They promise electric power supply, water and jobs. They promise good roads and free education for all. They promise all this and then...
We ask the question- "how?"
How sir, will you do all these?
...and he stares with a blank face
please tell a better lie. The old ones insult our intelligence
Jan 9, 2011
My mother hated me in the past. She just didn't know it.
In my early years, a recurring theme in my home was how much my mother hated selling. She and my father were the professional service people and they both detested anything that involved selling- especially commodities. I'm not sure which one my mother hated more- the selling or the salesman. Which is a pity because that was what I ended up becoming. I became a salesman.And my mother hated salesmen.
When I first founded my company in 2004- Darkpore Media Company- I was responsible for 100% of new clients and I had to overcome my deep fear of selling Interestingly, 7 years after as I now sit on board 3 different organisations- something amazing has happened. everywhere, I go, I meet salesmen.
Everyone is selling me something.
Ideas, products, services, faith in God, proposals. I don't understand but all of a sudden, We're all salesmen- although most don't realise. The earlier you polish your sales skills, the better off you'll be.
We're in the salesmen economy
When I first founded my company in 2004- Darkpore Media Company- I was responsible for 100% of new clients and I had to overcome my deep fear of selling Interestingly, 7 years after as I now sit on board 3 different organisations- something amazing has happened. everywhere, I go, I meet salesmen.
Everyone is selling me something.
Ideas, products, services, faith in God, proposals. I don't understand but all of a sudden, We're all salesmen- although most don't realise. The earlier you polish your sales skills, the better off you'll be.
We're in the salesmen economy
Jan 8, 2011
Lovely t-shirt i came across today.
I am Nobody.
Nobody is perfect.
Therefore, I must be perfect
Unfortunately for us, Thanks to facebook and the web, nobody is nobody. We can research your history. Look at the kind of friends and associates you roll with. We can even crosscheck you references without picking up the phone.
You're somebody now. And now thanks to the internet, we also know what you did last christmas. We even have the pictures you uploaded.
Nobody is perfect.
Therefore, I must be perfect
Unfortunately for us, Thanks to facebook and the web, nobody is nobody. We can research your history. Look at the kind of friends and associates you roll with. We can even crosscheck you references without picking up the phone.
You're somebody now. And now thanks to the internet, we also know what you did last christmas. We even have the pictures you uploaded.
Jan 7, 2011
Your reputation precedes you.
We live in a world that remembers. Today's world is alive. It doesn't forget. People might, but with the recent explosion of technology, people don't forget. The Internet has made it impossible for people to forget. One wrong act of indiscretion, one wrong video uploaded to YouTube, one wrong picture posted to facebook and the world around you still remembers years after you've forgotten.
If you don't tell your story in the right way, others will. If you don't decide what others will say about you and feed them with that information, they will invent a story for you. They don't hate you. They just need to gossip and when people are gossiping, speculations become rumors. And rumors become unconfirmed stories and eventually, unconfirmed stories when repeated long enough assume some form of truth. Unconfirmed stories assume a life of their own and finally are accepted by everyone as true.
Jack welch says,' if you don't take charge of your destiny, someone else will'.
Well, I say," If you don't take charge of your story, someone will. Someone will tell your story for you. And that person may not be that objective or that kind". You are an expert on your life. You've been around to witness most of the events that happened in your life.
Your personal story matters. Tell it in a way that brings you honour, influence and respect.
If you don't tell your story in the right way, others will. If you don't decide what others will say about you and feed them with that information, they will invent a story for you. They don't hate you. They just need to gossip and when people are gossiping, speculations become rumors. And rumors become unconfirmed stories and eventually, unconfirmed stories when repeated long enough assume some form of truth. Unconfirmed stories assume a life of their own and finally are accepted by everyone as true.
Jack welch says,' if you don't take charge of your destiny, someone else will'.
Well, I say," If you don't take charge of your story, someone will. Someone will tell your story for you. And that person may not be that objective or that kind". You are an expert on your life. You've been around to witness most of the events that happened in your life.
Your personal story matters. Tell it in a way that brings you honour, influence and respect.
Jan 6, 2011
Student Entreprise
How to build a relevant brand in the undergraduate community.
This will be longer than my usual posts. I started my firm while as an undergraduate and lessons learned, I want to share with the students out there.
1. Start small.
You don't need millions to launch your ideas. You need a community that trusts you enough and in undergraduate life, you'll see a lot of that. For example, If you intend starting your own clothing label, you might want to start with boxers. They're cheap, easy to make and every guy needs one. From boxers, you can then move on to the much bigger clothing line.
2. Gain momentum.
Whatever you do, strive to improve. When you leave school, the skills you've acquired will give you an edge. You might want to acquire more than one skill to enter your core field. Let me illustrate with a personal example. In building a media service firm, the first skill I acquired was aesthetic PowerPoint design. Then I learnt the use of corel draw and Photoshop in creating and designing print layouts, killer posters and beautiful magazines. Next came the skill of web design with HTML and then Dreamweaver. I also had to undergo short courses in advertising, Brand development, copywriting, presentation skills and public speaking. Then followed by two years training in leadership and team building.
All these skills have increased my effectiveness and make it possible for me to execute certain key projects faster and better than a lot of my colleagues. And for me, the skill acquisition doesn't end. This year, I'll be working on learning php and my SQL (web programming and database languages) and also on learning mandarin (Chinese language spoken by over a billion Chinese people). If you start with your first skill, just remember, you'll need to keep going. But it gets easier. Trust me. It does.
3. Make friends.
Undergraduate life is short. Don't alienate people. The folks you have as friends will become your clients and sources of referral after you graduate- and trust me, they'll remember how friendly or unfriendly you were.
4. Join a community. Or even better, start one.
Have you heard of theatre 15? Chances are you haven't. But you might have heard of gbenga adeyinka the first, eldee the don, teju baby face, denrele edun, koffi the comedian, yaw, basket mouth. All these folks were all members of a self started community called theatre 15 when they were students in Unilag. It's no surprise that they're all dominating the entertainment scene together now. That's what a community can do for you. Another member's success can rub off on you. If there isn't a community near you, you might want to start one. It'll be one of the biggest moves of your life.
5. Embrace failure.
You will fail initially. Everyone does. When you first start out to launch your ideas, you will face setbacks and experience difficulties. The setbacks might even affect your academic work. However, the true test is this- can you get back up easily?
The truth is - business, entrepreneurship and brand building is hard work. You learn by experience and you can't get experience if you're not ready to fail. In my early years while running a student enterprise, I made losses to the tune of one million naira. I had to learn how to wear faded clothes, tattered shoes and drink loads and loads of garri while working my arse off just to pay up some of the debts. But those debts taught me key principles you'll never read in the pages of a book. I recognized certain mistakes which can push any business into debt and now several years later, I know how to effectively avoid those mistakes even on a larger scale. The experience was priceless and truly educational.
6. Don't wear yourself out.
Your goal isn't to become a billionaire while in school. Fine, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg got lucky, but even they had to drop out to focus on their growing business. Trying to take on too much can cause you to breakdown and even fail exams, repeat classes and have extra years. The key thing is harmony. I'll say it again, your goal isn't to become a billionaire while in school. It is to build relationships that will endure when school days are over. Don't wear yourself out. Remember to have fun.You'll never be this free again. Most likely after you graduate, responsibility will beckon to you. There'll be marriage, children and you'll have to pay the bills. Have fun while you can. Trust me, all the money in the world isn't worth killing yourself over.
Finally, here's my personal favorite-
7. Connect the dots. Whatever you do now, please make sure you choose a business name and treat people in such a way that even after school, they'll remember you and trust you. There are no strangers anymore. Today, we are all well connected. All your deeds today will grow into your reward tomorrow. Keep in mind that these same fellow students will be the business leaders, executives and political leaders of tomorrow. If they trust you today, they'll be your clients tomorrow. There's more to be said but we'll continue in another edition.
This will be longer than my usual posts. I started my firm while as an undergraduate and lessons learned, I want to share with the students out there.
1. Start small.
You don't need millions to launch your ideas. You need a community that trusts you enough and in undergraduate life, you'll see a lot of that. For example, If you intend starting your own clothing label, you might want to start with boxers. They're cheap, easy to make and every guy needs one. From boxers, you can then move on to the much bigger clothing line.
2. Gain momentum.
Whatever you do, strive to improve. When you leave school, the skills you've acquired will give you an edge. You might want to acquire more than one skill to enter your core field. Let me illustrate with a personal example. In building a media service firm, the first skill I acquired was aesthetic PowerPoint design. Then I learnt the use of corel draw and Photoshop in creating and designing print layouts, killer posters and beautiful magazines. Next came the skill of web design with HTML and then Dreamweaver. I also had to undergo short courses in advertising, Brand development, copywriting, presentation skills and public speaking. Then followed by two years training in leadership and team building.
All these skills have increased my effectiveness and make it possible for me to execute certain key projects faster and better than a lot of my colleagues. And for me, the skill acquisition doesn't end. This year, I'll be working on learning php and my SQL (web programming and database languages) and also on learning mandarin (Chinese language spoken by over a billion Chinese people). If you start with your first skill, just remember, you'll need to keep going. But it gets easier. Trust me. It does.
3. Make friends.
Undergraduate life is short. Don't alienate people. The folks you have as friends will become your clients and sources of referral after you graduate- and trust me, they'll remember how friendly or unfriendly you were.
4. Join a community. Or even better, start one.
Have you heard of theatre 15? Chances are you haven't. But you might have heard of gbenga adeyinka the first, eldee the don, teju baby face, denrele edun, koffi the comedian, yaw, basket mouth. All these folks were all members of a self started community called theatre 15 when they were students in Unilag. It's no surprise that they're all dominating the entertainment scene together now. That's what a community can do for you. Another member's success can rub off on you. If there isn't a community near you, you might want to start one. It'll be one of the biggest moves of your life.
5. Embrace failure.
You will fail initially. Everyone does. When you first start out to launch your ideas, you will face setbacks and experience difficulties. The setbacks might even affect your academic work. However, the true test is this- can you get back up easily?
The truth is - business, entrepreneurship and brand building is hard work. You learn by experience and you can't get experience if you're not ready to fail. In my early years while running a student enterprise, I made losses to the tune of one million naira. I had to learn how to wear faded clothes, tattered shoes and drink loads and loads of garri while working my arse off just to pay up some of the debts. But those debts taught me key principles you'll never read in the pages of a book. I recognized certain mistakes which can push any business into debt and now several years later, I know how to effectively avoid those mistakes even on a larger scale. The experience was priceless and truly educational.
6. Don't wear yourself out.
Your goal isn't to become a billionaire while in school. Fine, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg got lucky, but even they had to drop out to focus on their growing business. Trying to take on too much can cause you to breakdown and even fail exams, repeat classes and have extra years. The key thing is harmony. I'll say it again, your goal isn't to become a billionaire while in school. It is to build relationships that will endure when school days are over. Don't wear yourself out. Remember to have fun.You'll never be this free again. Most likely after you graduate, responsibility will beckon to you. There'll be marriage, children and you'll have to pay the bills. Have fun while you can. Trust me, all the money in the world isn't worth killing yourself over.
Finally, here's my personal favorite-
7. Connect the dots. Whatever you do now, please make sure you choose a business name and treat people in such a way that even after school, they'll remember you and trust you. There are no strangers anymore. Today, we are all well connected. All your deeds today will grow into your reward tomorrow. Keep in mind that these same fellow students will be the business leaders, executives and political leaders of tomorrow. If they trust you today, they'll be your clients tomorrow. There's more to be said but we'll continue in another edition.
Jan 5, 2011
Influence rules
Two people- same ideas, same age. one suceeds in getting others to adopt his ideas, the second doesn't, the crucial difference?
Influence.
Do you have the influence to get your ideas adopted? If you don't, I think this is the best place to start. Focus n building influence. Meet with people who have done what you've done before. Meet people who have bought what you intend creating.
Forget about your ideas for a little while and focus on the people who you want to influence.
If you can't get people to adopt your ideas, then they are worth less- I mean worth much less than you think. Your next move is to develop influence. In this new decade we just entered, influence rules.
In the next few weeks, I'll be showing you why.
Influence.
Do you have the influence to get your ideas adopted? If you don't, I think this is the best place to start. Focus n building influence. Meet with people who have done what you've done before. Meet people who have bought what you intend creating.
Forget about your ideas for a little while and focus on the people who you want to influence.
If you can't get people to adopt your ideas, then they are worth less- I mean worth much less than you think. Your next move is to develop influence. In this new decade we just entered, influence rules.
In the next few weeks, I'll be showing you why.
Jan 4, 2011
Ideas are overrated
“An idea without action is like an army without weapons.”
I can't say more than that. You need to take action
I can't say more than that. You need to take action
Jan 3, 2011
One move
What move can you make to push your next project forward?
Every project has a critical step that can move it forward. The next step might be getting the phone number of an expert in the field and fixing an appointment to have lunch or dinner ( at your own expense) It might be going online to research the project steps you need to take.
In the words of David Allen, you don't do a project, you only take next action steps. This year, there are countless people who intend to start something new but who don't realise that all they need to do per time is to make just one move- One little move to get things going.
If you wait a million years,you'll never be ready. Ask yourself, what is the next possible step you can take to move your idea forward.
Then take that step.
You'll be surprised what will happen.
Every project has a critical step that can move it forward. The next step might be getting the phone number of an expert in the field and fixing an appointment to have lunch or dinner ( at your own expense) It might be going online to research the project steps you need to take.
In the words of David Allen, you don't do a project, you only take next action steps. This year, there are countless people who intend to start something new but who don't realise that all they need to do per time is to make just one move- One little move to get things going.
If you wait a million years,you'll never be ready. Ask yourself, what is the next possible step you can take to move your idea forward.
Then take that step.
You'll be surprised what will happen.
Jan 2, 2011
What do you really need to start your next big idea?
I'm amazed at the number of people who feel they need loads of money to start their next business. I remember an old frend that was looking for N20million naira to create a directory about businesses in Lagos and Abuja.
Most times what you think you need and what you really need are two different things. In today's world the barriers to start up have fallen and most people need less money and not more. Simple example, if you had to write a book several years ago, you needed to have a deal with a publishing firm. Today, all you need a graphics designer in Somolu and you're done. Even if you haven't got funds to publish, you can make the pdf copy available for download from your website.
You have all you need to start you next idea. Start now.
Most times what you think you need and what you really need are two different things. In today's world the barriers to start up have fallen and most people need less money and not more. Simple example, if you had to write a book several years ago, you needed to have a deal with a publishing firm. Today, all you need a graphics designer in Somolu and you're done. Even if you haven't got funds to publish, you can make the pdf copy available for download from your website.
You have all you need to start you next idea. Start now.
Jan 1, 2011
What will you start today?
The new year has started. you have a chance to start things from the scratch. So that leads me to my question:
What will you launch this year?
What project are you working on thatt can change our lives? Are you going to write that book? Release that album? start that magazine? Join that NGO? Take up a new language? ( by the way, I'm learning chinese this year. I've made enquiries at the confucius centre)
The year has started and time has started ticking. Will you launch something this yearor will you continueto give wierd excuses?
It's a bit too early to start making excuses.
Start something. Today.
What will you launch this year?
What project are you working on thatt can change our lives? Are you going to write that book? Release that album? start that magazine? Join that NGO? Take up a new language? ( by the way, I'm learning chinese this year. I've made enquiries at the confucius centre)
The year has started and time has started ticking. Will you launch something this yearor will you continueto give wierd excuses?
It's a bit too early to start making excuses.
Start something. Today.
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