The Art of Attracting Customers
Aminu’s Big Reveal
Aminu placed the spice jar on the table. The deep red color of the blend shimmered under the light, the scent filling the room.
Kunle picked it up, turning it in his hands. “This is it?” he asked, his voice filled with excitement.
Aminu grinned. “That’s your product. But if things go as you project, I see a time coming when it will be more beneficial for you to start repackaging in the UK.”
For years, Kunle had been using Aminu’s spices in his suya business, but now, he would finally have his own branded product. Holding the jar, he felt a shift—he was no longer just a seller of food. He was stepping into something bigger.
Sule leaned back in his chair, watching the exchange with an amused smile. “Now that you have the product, the real work begins.”
Kunle chuckled. “Selling, right?”
Aminu nodded. “And not just selling—getting people to want it. That’s the difference between struggling and success.”
How Sule Built His Distribution Network in Lagos
Sule placed his glass of kunu on the table and cleared his throat. “Let me tell you how I built my network.”
Kunle leaned in, ready to take notes.
“When I started, I knew one thing—if I waited for people to come to me, I’d never grow. So, I went where the buyers were.”
Aminu smiled knowingly. “The suya sellers.”
Sule nodded. “Exactly. But I couldn’t just show up and expect them to buy. I needed people who already had influence in their communities—trusted names. So, I found the well-respected community leaders in different areas of Lagos and made them my first customers. They didn’t just buy from me—they became my promoters.”
Kunle raised an eyebrow. “How did you get them to trust you?”
“Reliability,” Sule said simply. “They knew they would never run out of stock because I understood their weekly needs before they even asked. I made sure my product was always available. Over time, they saw me as part of their business.”
Kunle nodded. It made sense. If you were the supplier that people depended on, they would stick with you.
Aminu leaned forward. “It worked well, but you know what changed the game? Mobile phones.”
Sule laughed. “That’s true! Before, I had to physically visit every vendor, take stock, and deliver. It worked, but it was slow. Then WhatsApp came, and everything changed. I created WhatsApp groups for my vendors by location, sent updates on prices, took pre-orders, and even shared pictures of new stock before I left my warehouse. It cut my delivery time in half and made things more efficient.”
Kunle was taking rapid notes. “So, technology didn’t replace the system—it made it better.”
“Exactly,” Sule said. “It amplified what was already working.”
Kunle tapped his fingers on the table. “WhatsApp made it easier for you, but you already had a network. What if you’re starting fresh? What if you don’t have vendors waiting for your stock?”
Mariam, who had been listening quietly, leaned forward with a smile.
“You do exactly what Sule did—just in a different way.”
Kunle turned to her. “How?”
The Online Equivalent – Digital Sales & Marketing
Mariam placed her tablet on the table and pulled up a chart.
“Sule built trust with key community figures—your ‘influencers’ in the offline world. Online, you do the same by targeting niche audiences. Instead of suya vendors, you look for food bloggers, restaurant owners, and social media personalities who already have the trust of your ideal customers.”
She tapped the screen, revealing a list of strategies.
“Here’s how you can replicate Sule’s approach online:
Find your ‘community leaders’ – These could be influencers, food enthusiasts, or people running popular Facebook groups.
Create content that attracts your buyers – Share recipes, behind-the-scenes footage of your suya process, and customer testimonials.
Use targeted ads – Platforms like Instagram and Facebook let you advertise directly to people who love Nigerian food.
Engage, don’t just sell – Join conversations, answer questions, and become a trusted voice in your niche.
Marketing isn’t about shouting the loudest—it’s about making the right people listen.”
Kunle nodded slowly. “So, instead of going door-to-door, I’m using content and targeted marketing to bring customers to me.”
“Exactly,” Mariam said. “Sales and marketing are the same in principle. The only thing that changes is the tools.”
Real-Life Success Story
Mariam continued, “Consider the journey of a Nigerian food entrepreneur who started small and expanded significantly by leveraging social media. Initially selling products from the back of her car, she recognized the high costs of traditional marketing and turned to platforms like Instagram and Facebook. By sharing engaging content and building an online community, her business grew by over 3,000% in seven years, leading to partnerships with major supermarkets across Nigeria.”
Kunle’s eyes widened. “From car boot sales to major supermarkets? That’s incredible.”
“It is,” Mariam agreed. “And it shows the power of understanding your market and using the right tools to reach them.”
Sales & Marketing – The Fundamentals Never Change
Aminu sat back, smiling. “You know, I started selling spices the hard way—foot to door. That’s how I built trust.”
Sule nodded. “And I scaled by making sure my customers always had what they needed.”
Mariam chimed in. “And now, we can reach thousands with the right online strategy.”
Kunle exhaled. “So, sales and marketing are like two sides of the same coin.”
Mariam nodded. “Marketing attracts, sales converts. If you get the marketing right, the selling becomes easy.”
Author’s Reflection: Why Good Products Don’t Sell Themselves
A good product sells itself is one of the biggest lies in business. The truth is a good product placed in front of the right customers sells itself.
Sales and marketing follow the same core principles across any medium:
✅ Find your ideal customer – Offline, that means locating the right communities. Online, that means targeting the right audiences.
✅ Build relationships first – Whether it’s suya vendors in Lagos or influencers on Instagram, trust is everything.
✅ Make buying easy – If your customers have to search for you, they’ll move on. Be available. Be present.
✅ Stay consistent – Sule’s vendors knew they could always get stock. Online, your audience should always see fresh content and engagement.
✅ Use the right tools – The strategies never change, but the tools do. Learn how to adapt.
Aminu, Sule, and Kunle built their sales strategies differently, but the underlying principles were the same.
So, the question is—how are you applying these principles to grow your business?
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