Firdaus Obiremi
Business leaders, sales professionals and young entrepreneurs on Saturday thronged Covenant Cathedral, Obantoko, Abeokuta, for the Sales Conference 2025, a capacity-building gathering aimed at equipping participants with practical skills in sales, branding and customer engagement.
The conference, which commenced at 10 a.m., featured speakers from Nestlé Nigeria, Lafarge Africa, Soilless Farm Lab and Revived Citizens International Christian Centre.
Founder of the conference, Mr. Tade Ayodele, said the forum was born out of the urgent need for entrepreneurs to reconnect with timeless business principles anchored on trust, value and clarity.
Ayodele told the participants, “If I ask some business owners who their customers are, they say everybody. But not everyone is your customer.”
He urged entrepreneurs to define their audience clearly, noting that this remains one of the biggest struggles of small businesses.
He highlighted five fundamental questions every small business must answer:
“What products are you selling? Who exactly is your customer? What problem are you trying to solve? Why should they pick you instead of someone else? And where do your customers hang out?”
Ayodele stressed that customers “don’t just buy products; they buy solutions, convenience, and comfort.”
He urged business owners to improve their product presentation, saying: “Improve your product presentation, starting with the packaging and visual appeal. Let it look professional and attractive.
How you want your product to let people relate, you do that with your logo, colour scheme, strategy and consistency.”
Ayodele added:“Be polite, professional and prompt in all customer interactions. Focus not just on the product but the experience and the value customers receive.”
“Visibility equals profitability. To grow in sales, you must show up daily, online and offline.”
“You can have the best product in the world, but if you don’t advertise it, people can’t see it.”
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Oluwatosin Ijadulola, Sales Performance and Capacity Development Manager at Nestlé Nigeria, told young entrepreneurs that clarity of purpose and intentional communication are core to business success.
He warned that a lack of negotiation often leads to distorted pricing, saying:
“When you do not negotiate, you either get involved in over-pricing or under-pricing.”
He added:“Negotiation is important in today’s business economy in order to have price value for product.”
“You need to understand value building before pricing.”
“If you do not close deals and you are negotiating…”
He warned participants: “No to the assumptive close. Talk about your value. Know the options of sales.”
Explaining the urgency close technique, he said:
“Urgency Close: and you give them a lower alternative if they cannot afford the initial amount, this way, you don’t lose out on anything.”
On handling objections, Ijadulola said:
“As a salesperson, objections are given so that in the process you understand your value system and conquer objections.”
He listed common objections and outlined a five-step framework for managing them:
“Allow the person speak; Acknowledge (be empathetic); Ask clarifying questions (whether it is price, colour etc.); Respond with value; and speak on position of authority about your product.”
He urged youths to seek mentorship, build networks and embrace continuous self-development.
In another energising session, Mr. Samson Ogbole, CEO of Soilless Farm Lab, challenged entrepreneurs to see selling as the core of wealth creation.
Ogbole declared: “Who you sell to will determine your worth.”
“You need to sell — don’t just store loss. That is why you need to sell shamelessly.”
“Qualities do not mean you would have a better market.”
According to him, a business that cannot extend beyond the owner’s physical presence is not yet a viable business:
“If your product or services cannot go to a location you are not, you do not have a business yet.”
He added: “How rich you are is a reflection of how much you sell.”
“Your bank account only reflects your selling capacity.”
“Your customer base determines how much profit you are making.”
He urged entrepreneurs to ask themselves key questions: “What are you selling? Who am I selling to? What is the average worth of the customer? What is the value of what I give to the customer? How often are they buying the product?”
Ogbole stressed direction and clarity: “If you do not know where you are going, you don’t know how much effort you need to put in.”
He advised entrepreneurs to evaluate their industries: “Check if there is anybody who is rich from what you are doing.”
On pricing structure, he explained: “The smaller your margin, the bigger you need to cover. If it is a luxury, you need a lot to cover. Essential needs a large margin to cover.”
He listed categories for determining brand type and value perception, and added:
“Do you really need to sell shamelessly? You are not doing yourself a favour when the money is good for someone else.”
“Your product cannot be for everybody, but it shouldn’t be for anybody.”
“If you make them your market, you need to be qualified to make them your target audience.”
He outlined cardinal points for shameless selling as: “Cash flow, Revenue, Profit, Cash.”
The most energising session came from Mrs. Chidinma Iwueze, Head of Logistics (West) at Lafarge Africa Plc, who taught that sales is both strategic and scientific.
She said:“Sales is a systematic, intentional approach. It is logical, not about opinions or sentiment.”
She added:“The reality of selling is: if you are not customer-focused, you can’t survive.”
“Your sales experience shapes brand perception.”
“Attention is key for customers. Their options are as important as what you sell.”
“Customers do not just need people who only sell, but who advise them also.”
Iwueze urged participants to ask themselves:
“Why should a customer buy from me? What are you doing differently?”
She further explained that:“Your sales approach is the target that customers need.”
Outlining strategies for effective selling, she said:
“Listening before proposing a solution.”
“Stop preaching. Align process.”
“Build trust.”
“Create your customer personality.”
“Consistency.”
The event featured breakout sessions on leadership, sales strategies, personal development and business innovation, attracting a diverse audience of entrepreneurs, professionals and aspiring business leaders.
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