Celebrating small time business women: 5 lessons for the #MotherlandMogul
“Buy tomatoes!” “Buy your frozen fish!” Where I come from, the voices of women calling out to customers can be heard as early as 7 am. I believe that the local, small scale business woman has a lot to teach young women in cities looking to startup their businesses. Growing up, I took note of how these local business women conduct their businesses, and noticed some habits. Forget stereotypes, they are not weak, they do not whimper and they do not wait for men to feed or clothe them. These women have pull and sway and most of all, they do it to provide education for their children. Here are some of them that have sustained local business women over the years and that you can learn from. 1. Consistency and persistence At many warehouses, vegetable markets or cold rooms, it is not unusual to see women exhibiting highly skilled bargaining powers over produce to purchase at 5 am. Growing up, I had a neighbor who cooked food daily to sell to the early morning crowd. She was always up before 3:30 am. I am amazed at the tenacity, determination and savvy displayed by these small time business women, many of whom are uneducated. The “local” business woman, over the years, builds her customer base by being consistent and persistent even in the face of bad sales and weather. She is there, in the rain and in the sun. Small time business women never take holidays or breaks, even at Christmas! For those who trade in seasonal goods like green vegetables, they go far and wide to source for their goods off season, albeit at a higher cost. I’m not saying you don’t deserve a vacation, but you can learn to be as focused on your trade as the fruit seller at your local market. 2. Trustworthiness My grandmother never heard of a business plan or proposal. Yet, till her death at the ripe age of 103, people gave her money for safekeeping. What’s more, she sent my mother and her sisters to school up to university from the money she made selling farm produce. People came from far to trade with my grandmother asserting her honest dealings as reason. My mom followed in her foot steps, selling garri at the next village and buying dried fish from that village to sell in hers. During her diploma days in school, my mom would fly to Lagos and buy clothes and sell them at the secondary school where she worked. She is still running her business. Now she distributes well refined palm oil. My mom practices the honest business ethic of her mother. Even after changing businesses, she still retained the patronage of her clients. The most popular words about her are “Miss no dey cheat person and she no dey sell fake things”. That’s Nigerian pidgin for, “Miss is honest and sells high quality products.” 3. Customer care With sweet words, smiles and cajoling, local business women can change the minds of their customers. Talk about the art of seduction! (In a non-sexual context of course). Ladies, I am describing a specific woman here, delete the idea of the “market woman” you have in your mind and instead picture this woman. These women start out with greetings, calling the customers either “auntie”, “uncle” or by their names or children’s names and asking them personal questions based on details garnered over time from previous discussions. They listen and file away information for future use. This gives the customer a sense of importance. Some go as far as having the customer’s personal number and calling to just say “hi”. Imagine the lady that sells roasted plantains calling to check in on her customer. It happens! Some women even go out of their way to serve as personal shoppers for the customer if the need arises. Talk about diversification. The local business woma may have never read a book on the art of marketing, but she could probably sell ice to an Eskimo. They probably never heard of customer care, but the have loyal customers spanning years. 4. Sound investments These small time business women may not know of investments but they have savings and assets. They invest their money wisely, from saving in various forms of local thrift savings scheme to buying real gold with resale values. They are also usually involved in property, building and leasing out houses. Better still, majority of them own several houses which they rent out. And all this to ensure that they are investing in something more precious, their children’s education. It is not strange to see a woman whose children are engineers now based abroad, thanks to the money she made from selling akara (Bean cakes) every morning. 5. Information Any local business woman has her ears always open for news concerning her business. Whether it is increase in wholesale prices, new products in the market, fall in prices, customer’s most popular demand, etc. They make sure they’re always in the know. They form tight bonds with their wholesale traders who in turn keep them in the loop. In summary, the small scale business women are the women we should not forget to celebrate today. They are the women on whose backbones some of us have grown and excelled, whose examples we have unconsciously followed. These Motherland Moguls didn’t care to sit down and twiddle their thumbs. They did not let their degrees —or lack thereof, or their social standings or background hinder them. These women who have defined “The African Woman”. I personally celebrate my mother, wife, friend, sister and multi-entrepreneur Patience Irene Omoruyi. Who do you celebrate?
4 reasons you should start that business
[bctt tweet=”There is never a perfect time to start a business and you may never have enough capital” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Traditional career paths aren’t just for everyone, neither is entrepreneurship. And you know what? That’s totally okay. Some are destined to be entrepreneurs but for others, it’s scary, intimidating and too demanding. It can be a terrifying journey but can also be fulfilling and rewarding. All it takes is preparation and a significant amount of effort to start that business. Mind you, there is never a perfect time to start a business. You may never have enough capital, enough experience or zero risks. And there are no guarantees that your business will either fail or succeed. But hopefully, the reasons below are enough to make you want to start that business you have been meaning to. Here are 4 reasons why you should start that business. 1. Flexibility in hours You are able to do whatever you want, spend more time with family and friends. And even get involved in your community. You can work from anywhere too. How cool is that! However, running your own business requires some serious organizational skills or else you may end up with a lot of wasted, unaccounted hours. 2. Creating your own environment You get to set the formality and culture of your organization or business. Everyday, new challenges will bring you new experiences and perspectives. This is not as easy as it sounds but these three points can assist you in creating that environment: Develop an individual and business strategic plan: The process of developing a strategic plan is a reflective process. It is as energizing as it is interesting. Linking your individual goal with your business plans works extraordinarily well. The effect ensures a cohesion of values and aspirations. Have a business personality: Write a concept note that aptly highlights the personality of your business. This is important because it summarizes what your business is all about and what it does. It is also a great way of sharpening fundraising skills as well as communicating why your business exists. Enroll in a class or online course: This will help to facilitate your personal and professional growth while strengthening your analytical skills. This can amazingly help you in articulating your business’s strategies. [bctt tweet=”Start your business if you want to create your own working environment, and more” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 3. Pursuing your passion You can do what makes you happy by creating something from scratch while learning the ropes of your industry. First-hand experiences and exposure to new cultures are great for business growth. 4. Creating jobs Improve the economy with new job opportunities and use your products and services to improve people’s lives.
Victoria Mamza: The boss woman behind the indigenous brand, Wangarau Foods
Victoria Mamza is the young woman tearing up the Lagos hemisphere with her packaged African food brand, Wangarau Foods. The Lagos State University Marketing grad, who can be reached on Instagram and Twitter, loves to experiment with cooking. Having experimented with different business models, Wangarau Foods has evolved into offering to cook to the specification of customers, as well as branding and packaging food items for events. Mercedes Alfa caught up with Victoria, who reminds us aspiring Motherland Moguls how pertinent the ability to identify and exploit a business need is to launch oneself into the market space. What prompted the startup of Wangarau Foods? The inspiration to begin Wangarau Foods came from a neighbour who is a banker. As you know, Nigerian bankers often have crazy schedules and she could hardly find the time to go to the market to shop for food items. I overheard her conversation from my kitchen window about how stressful it was to go to the market after office hours. Right there, it dawned on me that there could be a market for many people like her who as a result of their busy schedules, do not have the time to purchase local items. I, therefore, saw a service I could render, one where hygienic, quality and affordable food items could be delivered to their doorsteps. What are some of the biggest challenges you face running a business in Nigeria? As an entrepreneur in the agro-allied sector, the major challenge is power. If the regularization of power supply can be effected, most of the problems faced by food manufacturers and packagers would be reduced to a minimum. Another challenge is the limitation of funds to set up Wangarau Foods to my ideal vision. Do you run your business using a business model that just works or adapt to different ones at different times? Initially when I started Wangarau Foods, I had just one business model in mind, which was to reduce the lead time in the preparation of food by saving customers the stress of going to the market. Over the last few months, I have had to adopt a few other business models to generate revenue for the company. Currently, I offer to cook to the specification of customers, and also to brand and package food items for events. For a lot of entrepreneurs, certain people have helped groom their businesses in different capacities. Who has had the most significant impact on your business and why? My good friend who happens to be the angel investor in my business has played an invaluable role in the rise of Wangarau Foods. He is a mentor who has not only encouraged me but taught me to be confident in my abilities. Do you have a philosophy you live by and apply to your business? Yes, I do. My philosophy is; “Be passionate about everything you do. Passion gives you a reason to get up in the morning and the energy to burn all the way till midnight”. I know this may sound so cliché but I have found that if you follow your passion and dare to dream, work doesn’t really seem like work. It will not be your job but your happy place. I would also say find the courage to follow your heart and intuition. These have so far, not led me astray. What is the next move for Wangarau foods? Setting up the Wangarau factory is definitely the next major step for us. Which Wangarau food items would go into a yummy concoction rice recipe? My go-to ingredients for concoction rice are Wangarau Foods rice, Wangarau Foods palm oil, Wangarau Foods crayfish, Wangarau Foods dried prawns, Wangarau Foods dried fish and Wangarau Foods cameroon pepper. Tell us what amazing entrepreneurial things women are doing in your communities here
Starting a Business: The Very First Step
Ready to be an entrepreneur but confused about where to start? Do you want to wake up every day doing something you love? Are you ready to be your own boss? Call the shots? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you just might be ready to be an entrepreneur. But wait…do you know the first step in starting your own business? Before you run out and buy a $5,000 domain name, read this free guide to get you started down the path to financial freedom and personal fulfilment. This free guide walks you through the very first step in starting your own business: coming up with an awesome idea that sells. In this guide, you will find: Soul searching questions to help you pin down a business idea that is the right fit for you The main criteria used to judge a good business idea Stories and advice from women just like yourself Business ideas you can start today The secret ingredient that all great ideas have in common No one ever said starting a business was going to be easy, but it can be extremely rewarding. Make sure you start off on the right foot by downloading this free guide today. It walks you through the first step every entrepreneur needs to know before embarking on their exciting journey! Don’t delay! Get your copy today. So how do you download this free guide? Easy – just fill out the form below to join our community and get access to this guide and AWESOME weekly content. [ninja_form id=21]
5 unsexy business ideas to get you started
Quirky title, hey? You see, when many of us ladies venture into business, we often look for the cleanest, neatest and safest sort of ideas. However, on the flip side, the dirty, messy, riskier ventures have a tale of profit to tell. Consider some of the ones below. Farming Many young people are dropping suits and ties for muddy boots. Guess what, turns out farming is feeding the nation while raking in returns. You can consider mass farming of basic food like onions, tomatoes, fruits. You can also venture into unique vegetables especially with the current eating-healthy movement. If those options don’t rock your boat, consider growing fruit and flowers to export to Europe. A business that provides basic needs, that is food, shelter, clothing has a higher retention rate in the market. You can lease land next to a good source of water, hire a few hands to help and get a truck to take the produce to the market. Better still, you can make friends with a broker who would charge reasonable rates. Just as with all businesses, ensure the market is ready for you. Do your homework and talk to a few farmers to get a sense of the industry. Interesting enough, ventures such as pig farming, snail farming, and even maggot rearing have found their place. Definitely not an idea you probably had but for the record, it’s working. Here’s more proof that farming is the new cool. Running a school This is another brilliant idea that works due to the rising population. There’s already a gap, just bridge it. It could be in extra curriculum activities or mode of delivery. You could start off with a day care or kindergarten program and keep working on the next grades/classes as you go along. Most schools started off like this. Worth noting though, is that the running expenses of a school are high, especially once it grows full-blown. Whether with the little ones in nursery school, pre-teens or teens, some chaos is bound to happen. Also, be ready to deal with the parents. Still, the returns are good and with consistency, it’s worth a try. Recycling/waste management Most countries in Africa seem to have a garbage collection problem. Of course, except Rwanda (we’ve got a national cleaning day, so don’t crucify me yet!), Johannesburg and Mauritius. Generally, waste isn’t managed properly and the rising population in major cities can attest to this. This thought lends itself as a business opportunity for an entrepreneur thinking of a practical and profitable solution. When it comes to business, other than maximizing profit, solving a need creates further sustainability and passion for the business. If you are sick of all the littering and dirty neighbourhoods, then piece that plan together. Plus, you don’t need to roll out in the city only. Consider smaller towns with bustling activity. You may need to talk to local authorities such as city or town councils, negotiate landfill rates and invest in trucks, rolling carts, incinerators and casual labour. One word of caution though, a research on existing cartels involved in this job is advisable. This will give you an edge and help you avoid being maliciously ousted from the business. Manufacturing or importing human hair wigs and extensions Everyone I know who ventured into this business with a passion is smiling at the profits. You just need to identify the source of the hair, which could be India or China. For the record, Brazilian or Peruvian hair is just branded as such but most of it is from China. Read more about this here. There are several varieties but once you find a reliable source, especially a manufacturer with ready-made hair, all you’ll need is some branding. You can actually do this locally and place your product in the market. Engage in some rigorous advertising online, in beauty shops or salons and there goes another (hairy) business idea! Running a funeral home I’m not going to risk sounding morbid, so this point is going to be brief. This may not need much explanation. With life, comes the inevitable end. You’ll definitely need to be tough to do this as you’ll have to deal with emotional families and friends still coming to terms with the death of a loved one. Undoubtedly, you’ll need ample space to accommodate an embalming room disconnected from the main home. You’ll also need a storage room for client files, a meeting room and possibly a room displaying options of caskets. You’ll need qualified professionals, dressing tables and materials and recommended chemicals, powders, and creams to preserve the body. It is estimated that one can break even in two years in this kind of business.
5 business lessons we can learn from Gabrielle Godwin
Gabrielle Godwin is the 9 year old CEO and president of Gabby Bows. She also hosts “Gabby Play Dates” for young girls in shelters where she teaches them about entrepreneurship. Imagine that! I know most of us weren’t thinking about entrepreneurship when we were in primary school. Gabrielle is in the fourth grade and recently raised $28,000 to fund her accessories business. I say she has quite a few things to teach us, like… 1. Age is only a number Gabrielle started the hair accessories business at the tender age of 7 with her mother. Having always had trouble finding hair accessories that would work for natural hair, she came up with the idea of “Gabby’s double-face double-snap barrette”. Most entrepreneurs use age as an excuse, claiming that it hinders them from making the necessary moves. Think of Gabrielle next time you think you’re too old or too young to get started in business. You’re not. 2. Crowd funding The need for better designed barrettes with wide colour ranges, as well as more products to meet rising demands, prompted Gabrielle to use crowd funding. The young business woman received support from numerous backers and raised $28,000 using Kickstarter. Her business idea raised a lot of interested backers who were ready to fund the project, not just based on her age but also on the viability of the business. 3. Identify a need Gabrielle’s own personal experience with the inadequacy of the available accessories for natural hair led her to think up a design the will solve the problem. Statistics show the the feedback on the product —which provides services in over 48 states in the U.S. and 8 countries worldwide— are encouraging. Gabrielle tapped into this gap and made some serious business out of it. With the rising awareness of natural hair, more families are on the look out for products designed specifically to suit our hair. 4. The importance of support Gabrielle constantly gushes over the support she receives from her family and others. This has enabled her to grow her business. She has indicated that the fact that her family believe in her business going to the next level has been very encouraging. The need for a strong support team cannot be overemphasised in business. Family members, friends and peers make for a good support. 5. Giving back Heard of writing personal thank you notes to clients? This helps to keep the clients happy and make them feel special. It’s also one way of giving back to the people who have helped your business. Gabby gives back to the community by teaching young girls in shelters about entrepreneurship. She encourages them on starting easy by using herself as an example. Since launching her business, Gabrielle has had the opportunity to speak at business events and was awarded the South Carolina Young Entrepreneur award in 2015. It is really never too early to start!
Nse Ikpe-Etime: 5 things to learn from the actress’ beauty startup
Last month, award-winning Nollywood actress, Nse Ikpe-Etim started her own beauty line, Eden’s Theory. She liaised with a UK-based company to launch a homemade beauty product line and founded it with Victoria Thomas, an award-winning filmmaker. Nse is following the footsteps of several other famous actresses and singers who’ve made the move into the beauty industry, including Queen Bey herself. Now, you may be asking, why is Nse or all other enterprising celebrities taking this leap? Here are a few things to learn from her wise business venture. Play on your strengths Being an actress, Nse is automatically in the beauty industry. Her celebrity status thrusts her with responsibility and women on the continent look up to her. Photo shoots, films, award ceremonies, you name it, she’s probably been to dozens of these and for each event, she has to step out looking her best. The beauty industry was a shoo-in for her in this sense. She’s already probably used several products to maintain her glamorous appearance and therefore understands what works and what doesn’t. In an interview, she said: “People always ask about my skin and hair. Many of them assume that I use very expensive products, but I have actually always used natural oils and butters. With Eden’s Theory, you get to retain the best bits of African butters while oozing some of your personality into a product of your choice.” She already knew she had a ready market waiting and so she took the bull by the horn. It’s best to venture into areas where we have some experience. Sure, challenging yourself is fine, but, especially in business, it’s best to get into an area where you have experience and passion. Don’t be a one-trick pony By venturing into this business, Nse is distinguishing herself as a #MotherlandMogul who can do more than just act. This is a bonus as it sets her a bar above her current occupation. In this century, career and occupation are not set in stone. What Nse is showing us is that you can follow several passions —all at once. She also has a family, so #MotherlandMoguls that’s clearly not a reason for us not to pursue our dreams anymore. Business is for everyone I think most of us grew up with the notion that certain people were made for certain things. Not being ‘good in math’ is hogwash. Business is something that everyone can succeed in, as long as you venture into an area you have a passion for. As an actress, Nse did not limit herself to the entertainment world. In fact, she leveraged her popularity to get press coverage for the launch and to advertise her products. Beauty and brains are virtues we can all have. They are not mutually exclusive concepts. And in the business world, what will ensure your success is not whether or not you remember what logarithm is. It’s whether you are willing to put in the effort, blood and sweat to see your venture grow. Your past builds you Before becoming an actress, Nse was in the broadcasting, banking and retailing industries. She took some time to find her niche as an actress. Evidently, this has proven to be an advantage for her. Her experience in broadcasting has given her some needed PR knowledge to showcase her product to her audience in the best way possible. Her stint in retailing gave her some business know-how on business. I guess that’s not something she learnt as a Theatre Arts student at the University of Calabar. Whatever your side hustle or full-time job, as you climb the ladder to self-discovery, never dismiss the process. It may very well be what defines you in the future. Your friends are your greatest strength Nse co-founded her beauty line with a friend, Victoria Thomas, a successful filmmaker in her own right. These ties were probably made in their mutual stake holdings in the film industry. This goes to show that as #MotherlandMoguls, we really ought to pull each other up. Partnering in business is a very good way of doing. Different personalities tend to bring in different strengths into the overall success of a business. As you contemplate that business idea and start work on your business plan, keep these lessons from Nse in mind. They might give you more ideas on how to become that big shot CEO of a business empire.
Acing your side hustle: the DJ Khaled example
Say what you want about DJ Khaled, but you can’t knock the major key to his success— his hustle. While the Miami mogul has been behind some of hip-hop’s hottest hits over the last decade, he’s also dabbled in various other ventures as a producer, executive, entrepreneur. And most recently, he’s the hottest social media phenomenon on the block. Even though being your own boss is appealing, don’t play yourself. Definitely, it’s no walk in the park. Setting your own hours and building your own product or service can help fulfill your passion and purpose. Yet, the grass isn’t always greener in the startup life. With growth comes staff management, customer acquisition and retention, and the dreaded mountain of paperwork. Start a side hustle. It’s a great way to earn some extra money or slowly grow your business. If you’re an aspiring #MotherlandMogul, establishing your side hustle is one of the first steps to building your empire. Evidently, pursuing a passion project while working a 9-to-5 is no easy task. It takes creativity, discipline, and a whole lot of grit. So here are a few keys to help you follow DJ Khaled’s lead and stay winning. Figure out what you’re good at In an ideal world, the thing we’re most interested in is the thing we do best. More often than not, that’s not the case. That doesn’t mean that you have to abandon things you’re passionate about. It just means you have to evaluate where your skillset overlaps with your interests. Okay, think back to your childhood years. Did you show an aptitude for something? Do you often receive compliments from others for something that comes innately? Do friends and colleagues repeatedly ask for your help with certain tasks? By honing in on what you’re good at, you can figure out if it can be translated into cash. Once you’ve established your talent, consider whether people need your services and, more importantly, how much they’re willing to pay for it. Use your network As the saying goes, “your network is your net worth.” If you’re launching a new service or product, do a test run or distribute samples to family and friends to get their feedback. Those who are closest to you are often the most likely to keep it real. Now, if you’re looking for financing, your network becomes particularly crucial. Family, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues—these are the low-hanging fruit that can get the ball rolling. People who are invested in you as a person will be more invested in your success. These are the folks who can speak passionately about your work and spread the word to help you secure more clients. The first step is asking. Be direct and personal whenever you can. Send individualized emails and notes, post on social media, and set up coffee dates where you discuss your side hustle clearly and succinctly, and outline concrete areas where you need to fill gaps. Manage your time well You have the same amount of hours in a day as everyone else. Admittedly, you might not have the staff or millions… but you do have the same power to decide how you spend your time. Time management is essential if you’re investing time in a side hustle in addition to full-time employment. We each have 1,440 minutes every single day. To make the most of them, fully commit to your goals by blocking time off each day to work on your project and making the most of that time. Set deadlines to hold yourself accountable. Believe in yourself Most importantly, if you want someone to buy into your idea or project, you have to first buy it into it yourself. It’s easy to get discouraged when trying something new, but remember that each failure is a lesson that prepares you for your next success. Entrepreneurship is a creative process. We learn what works by learning what doesn’t.
5 lessons I learnt about navigating the entrepreneurial roadmap with Nieros Oyegun
At SheHive London, Nieros Oyegun, principal and head of Corporate and Financial Advisory at W8 ADVISORY gave an insightful talk about navigating the entrepreneurial roadmap. Here are five things I learned that I’m sure will be useful to you too. 1. It starts with an idea For any entrepreneur out there, the first step they took towards starting their business is coming up with an idea. This may seem like the most basic step but thinking about a product that is marketable is key to overcoming the hurdles that will come in the future when it comes to financing and growth. So to start off, you need to figure out what you are going to be selling, how you will be selling it and who your target market will constitute of. 2. Understand the environment It is important to understand the environment you will be doing business in. Ask yourself, whose market share are you taking up with your startup and what are the opportunity costs. You need to pick out your competitors and understand their habits, they are factors that could contribute to determining your growth rate and customer base. 3. Approach investors Cold-calling investors is not the way to go. Try and build your contacts and get someone to introduce you to potential investors. When pitching to investors, keep your pitch skeletal and to the point. Try and demonstrate why you think your product is marketable and how it can make your way to profitability. In essence try and think like an investor and understand the risk-investor matrix of your business. Also, make sure that when you leave investor meetings, you clearly understand expectations from both sides and where you stand. This is because there is always the risk of buyer’s remorse with the investor, they may decide not to go ahead with funding the business. So do not relax until the money is in your account! 4. Find a partner A one person startup usually hinders investment opportunities. This is because it is difficult for one person to take on all the roles in a company. Therefore investors are more skeptical of putting resources into such a business. Finding the right partner and their potential long term contribution to your business can aid you in getting investors. 5. Consider self-funding When it comes to funding your business, look into self-funding through your savings, applying for grants and accelerator programs first. If you bring in a partner, you should be cautious of how much equity in your business they control. It is sometimes the case with start-up businesses that at the early stages, the partner is active in helping set up but once the business is up and running, their role is limited so having a huge percentage of equity is disadvantageous to you. Institutional investors are the later options to look into for funding.
4 tips for selling yourself on the spot, effortlessly!
I once had a position that involved cold calling people —without a script or template— and selling a product. I had no previous sales experience, and as you can imagine it was a complete disaster. The experience helped me realize that selling was a powerful art-form that I had seriously underestimated. It also gave me some good insight for when it came to finding ways to ‘sell’ myself to people I want to connect with. Whether you are an entrepreneur making connections, job hunting, or trying to win over co-workers, you need to know how to sell yourself. Many of us have no problem delivering a killer elevator pitch, or eloquently presenting our ideas. The problem comes when we have to convince everyone; why us? While being prepared is crucial, you may not always have the luxury of preparing. When put on the spot it’s easy to revert to a one size fits all prepared speech. To help with this I’ve come up with an acronym to ensure you can adapt on the spot. You need to think FAST. It’s not a template for a monologue but rather a few things to bear in mind in your conversation. Fit Getting the right ‘fit’ is about reading your audience, and deciding what skills or achievements would be relevant in that context. Yes, you are a #MotherlandMogul and you have LOTS of accomplishments, but is it necessary to list them all? Think from their perspective, and only include things that will help your pitch. Also mention things that you are working on doing, and not only past accomplishments. The Harvard Business Review points to a study which found that your potential could be as persuasive as your accomplishments. They note, “people are much more impressed, whether they realize it or not, by your potential than by your track record.” The study asserts that “when people seek to impress others, they often do so by highlighting individual achievements. Despite the intuitive appeal of this strategy, we demonstrate that people often prefer potential rather than achievement when evaluating others.” Keep it truthful and do not sell dreams, but don’t be afraid to use your on-going/future projects as well. Add value Essentially, you want them to realize they need you or at the very least your relationship can be valuable. Are there areas that you can collaborate with them in? Problems that you can solve? Demonstrate that you have grasped their needs, and paint a picture of just how you are positioned to solve them. If on the spot you have no prior knowledge, just ask what the needs are. What you want to avoid is going on about things that may not be relevant to them. Separate Unless you have a totally original idea or skill set, you must give compelling reasons as to why yours is different. Separate yourself from competition by mentioning the unique qualities/experiences that enhance your value. Salespeople would refer to this as a Unique Selling Proposition. Entrepreneur.com’s Small Business Encyclopedia illustrates this with some examples, “Charles Revson, founder of Revlon, always used to say he sold hope, not makeup. Some airlines sell friendly service, while others sell on-time service.” Whatever your personal USP is, make sure it actually adds value. Real estate coach Kevin Ward reminds us, “The goal is not just to be different. The goal is to add value to people in a different way.” (*For a humorous visual reminder of why different isn’t always useful, take a look at the Twitter account @WeWantPlates.) Tie it up So now you have won them over and you have buy-in. Remember, the goal of ‘selling’ is to make a sale.Wrap up your conversation by setting clear ways to follow through. Ending a conversation with:“We’ll chat more later” won’t cut it. Make sure you collect! Set dates, get signatures, do what you came to do. Don’t let a good sales pitch go to waste!