I used to hate selling! It's noot like I completely love it now, there are still times when I shrink into my shell and don’t want to talk about my business even when I see a lead; God help me help myself.
Right before I started Molonga Naturals, I used to be a content creator, Chief writer and Editor for Afrohustler. I wrote and edited articles for the site, and was responsible for most of the articles published on the entrepreneurial column of Vodafone’s jump.cm (in memory of them 😔 I actually wish I could go back and read those articles but the site too was pulled down).
I remember Otto Akama telling me to talk about a product we just created, (The Hustler’s Version) during a seminar and I refused. I didn’t even want to make an attempt. I just kept telling him “I hate selling, I don’t like to sell, and I can’t sell😏”.
Several months later, I started Molonga Naturals, and guess who had to sell. I started off with one product- the Virgin coconut oil. That’s a product which everyone can use except you’re maybe allergic to coconuts. So I tried selling to everyone (mistake #1) because, in my mind, no one should be missing out on my liquid gold. I needed everyone’s cash, but was that helping?
I learned about Garyvee through a friend. I don’t mean to be cliche, but listening to Garyvee changed the game for me. I also learned a lot from online sales coaches like Naija Brand Chick, Triciabiz and Padebi Ojomo; I’m that kind, sharing all the tips.
I learned that the worst way to sell was trying to sell. The drift- Most times, people don’t like it when you try to sell to them. Instead of saying I have the best coconut oil, we’re the largest producer bla bla bla, use that coconut oil and show your target market how it can solve a problem they face.
I struggled with low self-esteem all my life until I started looking after my natural hair. Funny how a part of me which was neglected for so long, ended up having so much impact on my life; but that’s a story for some other day- let me know if you want to read about it. So I started Molonga Naturals to help women build self esteem (most of us lack it; forget that #selflove), through their natural hair.
Instead of stretching the benefits of my products ( at the time, there were 2- Virgin coconut oil and my ride or dies Shea soufflé) from health to beautiful skin and healthy hair, I decided to stick to my niche- natural hair.
Lesson #1, Stop trying to sell to everyone.
I listened to Garyvee day in day out until I finally beat fear, and started making better use of my S6 edge camera. Gary emphasized on videos and I listened. Just so you know, I’m an introvert with an extroverted calling🙄 I’m 10x more shy than you, so don’t tell me you’re scared of the camera. Most of us are scared of being judged, and of little people’s opinions.
So I rolled out my first video, how to make your natural hair curly, which was a twistout. Most people asked how I got my hair curly so instead of saying twistout, I said curly and later on told them it is called twistout.
Lesson #2 understand your audience and stop using words they don’t understand. Speak their language before you throw in your jargon. Don’t confuse/scare them with “big grammar”.
So I did videos like how to style your natural hair, how to make it soft, how to prevent breakage, how to make it grow; those are questions often asked by a majority of naturals. That’s also me selling the benefits of my products to you, without selling. For this to work, think about solving their problem more than trying to get someone to pass an order. Lesson #3 Help your target audience solve their problems and while doing this think more about them.
It’ll also interest you to know that most of the videos I did at the start were not product related. I spent much time educating people about natural hair, the structure of our hair and why it behaves the way it does. That was me showing my audience that I know what I’m talking about; that I’m an expert not just any DIY girl 😏.
Lesson #4 become an expert in your field without trying to sell most of the time. that’s how you gain trust.
I asked people (I still do it) to reach out if they have issues with their hair, since most people might feel embarrassed in the comment section. When they reach out, I give them a detailed but not boring explanation of what their problem is (your expert knowledge will help you sell). Most end up asking for a product and I recommend mine or some other product if mine can’t help- honesty.
Lesson #5 Be honest! Don’t sell a product which you know will not help, just because you want people’s money.
All that I’ve been saying can be summarized as giving your audience value instead of singing your buy this, buy that song. If you own a clothing store, show us 5 ways to rock a blazer, or dress. If you’re a makeup artist or vlogger, create videos like: 5 Amazing eye pencils below 500frs, Tell us more about common foundations in the market, the good ones, why we should or not buy etc. Your content (videos, pictures, written words) should be relatable.
I had very close people tell me to stop doing videos when I started, they’ll complain about my outfit, say how I’ll run out of clothes blablabla but I made up my mind not to listen to dumb people and their opinions. I started creating videos in June 2018. It’s amazing how much Molonga Naturals has grown since then.
There’s a lot I have left out cuz your girl is tired but I hope you learned something. I’m not doing a master class just yet 😁 or maybe I should collect your coins hehe. I just wanted to share a few tips I’ve learned over the years hope this was helpful.
Borno Sandra Awase. . Borno Sandra is a beauty entrepreneur with her own line of natural hair and skin products. Follow her business page @MolongaNaturals on IG and Fcbk to learn more