Someone once said: “Some of the hardest people to sell to are Nigerians. If you can sell to a Nigerian, you can sell to just about anyone!”
It made me wonder how our marketers and salespeople in Nigeria cope. And since curiosity killed the cat, I refused to die young, that's why I went ahead to ask 5 digital marketers in Nigeria about their experiences and tips that could help others.
I'll share with you…
Deborah
I started talking to a potential client about offering social media management services. This person wanted me to be the Graphics Designer, Copywriter and Social Media Manager of the company all at once. I wasn’t complaining sha cos the pay seemed okay at the time.
So we started the interview phase and one of the requirements was that I create a test design so I did. I put my all into this design to make sure I impressed my soon-to-be boss. Then I submitted and after acknowledging it, I never heard from them again.
As someone who sells services rather than products, it’s harder to convince Nigerians that I’m not trying to scam them. So, I’ve developed the strategy of not persuading. If I send my portfolio and you don’t like what you see enough to move forward, there’s nothing else I can say. This works because if the potential client does like what they see, we’d be moving on without any unnecessary complications.
I’m very big on who go help you, no go stress you!
Sylvia
There was a time when a prospective client called me unprofessional. Simply because I refused to share a confidential document that can only be accessed after the client has been onboarded. One thing I detest so much is someone downplaying my expertise. I always have it at the back of my mind that customers are king, and I had to be as calm as I could throughout the conversation.
Whenever I am prospecting for Nigerian clients, I try to focus more on asking questions than shoving my product features down their throats. I've come to realize that once you understand your prospect's pain point, it will be easy to sell the product feature that best solves their problem.
Anthony
It's been a good one for me, not great but really good. I work full-time remotely as a FB ads Specialist for brands in the tech sector. Work No dey ever finish, money no dey finish also lol. Maybe it's because companies in tech are rapidly evolving so it's not difficult getting jobs as long as you're great at what you do.
I have never even related to the stress that comes with job hunting. My portfolio has enough evidence, so before working full-time, I used to make short videos of my work and run ads with it on Facebook, I would always get a lot of offers.
About the pay, I know I could be earning more with bigger tech companies as an ads specialist, and that's my long-term plan. Not going to lie, I am very satisfied with my current pay which is 600k monthly, I have zero responsibilities except myself. That's why the urge isn't there yet.
Just be superb at whatever you do, those jobs will find you before you even reach out.
PS: Top organizations reach out to CareerBuddy to recommend candidates for their companies. So, if you’re looking to land a job, we’re your best shot. Send us your resume and we’ll message you as soon as we find a match!
Shade
I learnt SEO and sometimes when I pitch my services to Nigerian clients, they think it's not necessary to have one. If you notice, digital marketing hasn't dug its roots in Nigeria. What do you mean Google rankings don't matter? God will help us.
Or was it when someone reached out to me and he went “I want all my website pages to rank high in 2 weeks and I'll pay you after it starts ranking because that's how I'll make money”. As in, magic or?
Well, I'm still getting my hands around knowing the best way to approach Nigerian clients proper since my niche is undervalued here. Now I'm even considering forgetting it as a whole and just looking at foreign gigs. For 4 months now nothing solid has come up, again, God will help us.
Prince
I've sold products to Nigerians using memes. I believe that's my USP (Unique Selling Point). Yes, Nigerians are tough to sell to. But once you can make them laugh or remember you for good and link whatever you post on your status to a product, you'll make good money.
I had to change my marketing strategy. Before now, I used motivation. But after realizing the whole place is saturated with motivation, and also recognizing that most people are tired of motivational speeches, I began using meme marketing.
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