“Most times, the best selling books are not the best written books.”
The moment you understand that statement, the ball game changes for you. You’d have more advantage in whatever you do.
What makes a book a best selling book is sometimes because it was sold best or it was selling best irrespective of the content it has.
While I’d strictly recommend that it’s good for a best selling book to be the best written book, I’d also be very plain that having a book with the best content doesn’t automatically mean it would be a best seller.
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Now, let’s take this and relate with humans and my observation over the past few months. I have noticed that there’s a new religion flying around and I’m glad I play a huge role in the spread of the religion.
The religion is that “Africa is about to experience a new shift in few years to come, 2023 to be precise.” There will be a good change in the economy of Africa and entrepreneurship will enter a new phase.
This is not just entrepreneurship but there will be exciting opportunities for Africans but only those who embrace this religion will thrive. I have spent about a year preaching this religion.
The religion is all about changing the narrative of education in Africa to a simple definition;
“Education means having access to information that makes you relevant for the world of work in a society at a given time”
Whatever information you receive that makes you relevant in a society to be part of the labour force is a form of education either formal or informal.
Now, before I digress too much, I think I should leave those new religion discussion for another day and how it would change the narrative of Africa. Let me focus on the real issue which is about skills.
The impact of this new religion is that a lot of people are now learning different skills in several fields, several sectors and for several reasons. This is quite interesting to know that Africans are waking up!
We are in the skill economy!!
Let’s not be too fast right here. Do not run before the gun is shot is a warning I’m giving to you reading this. I have a lot of students on this space and months back, about a year plus to be precise, I have also recommended that you learn at least a skill.
A skill doesn’t necessarily mean that you should learn software development, it could be writing, speaking, even singing. Matter of fact, it could be some basic tools in your profession.
I have several skills that I have learnt over the past one year ranging from marketing to business strategy to storytelling, to business writing, to consumer psychology, to product development and a host of others.
I learnt all my skills on my mobile device and I never attended a physical event to learn anyone and I am an expert in them.
Now that everyone is rushing to learn a skill, so many persons have turned themselves to skills coach to make money from this gold rush.
Once you know a little stuff, the next thing is to hold master-classes and monetize it. I don’t have an issue with that anyway even though I don’t do that, I only have an issue with the new narrative flying around which is;
“Once you learn a skill, you’d get a high paying job”
This is the biggest lie of this present age. To every religion comes a fake one. I have seen a couple of people invest hundreds of thousands to learn a skill because they have been told that this is one of the most relevant skills in this age.
Starting from digital marketing to software development to copywriting to a host of others. While it’s true that these skills should give you good jobs, the reality remains that the opportunity for these jobs is still limited and only a very few out of the many will benefit from this.
In case you’re out there and you’ve learnt so many skills yet don’t have a job yet you feel you’d get a job sooner or later, I’m here to tell you that you may not.
You may still remain broke for the rest of your life because jobs firstly are scarce then seeing we’re in Africa, the opportunities for these jobs are limited.
If you’re earning less than one hundred thousand naira from these skills yet it has been two years of practicing full time, then you’re missing a piece of information that will change the whole game for you.
Perhaps, you have learnt the skill and you’re having an issue monetizing it, it is simply because having a skill is not what brings the money, the selling of the skill is what does.
Having a skill is important but selling the skill is just as important. Now, this is where the issue lies because most of these coaches do not really know the application of such skills so they do not know how to teach you to sell it.
I made a post earlier this year when I emphasized on why you should learn a skill to solve a problem. When I mean learn a skill to solve a problem, I don’t mean learning a skill to solve a community problem, neither do I mean learning a skill to go look for a problem to solve.
What I mean is that the approach you follow in learning a skill should be in such a way that you hope or plan to solve a problem with the skill. This helps you understand the fundamentals of such skill, it helps you know what exactly such skill does and gives you a background understanding of what to do with the skill.
To learn more on how to learn a skill to solve a problem, follow here.
Now, that’s by the way. I want to teach you in simple words how to sell your skills. I want to remind you again that; A best selling book doesn’t necessarily have to be the best written book.
I feel you should understand this already. There are few facts I will be sharing with you and you may seem sad after reading it but it’s for the better in order to give you the desired result.
The honest truth is that once you have a skill, it is left for you to create a channel from where such skill is to where it will bring you money. Most people do not know this so they keep fighting or hoping.
The worst thing you can ever do as an African is to hope without taking action. This however is the posture of many youths who have good skills. Hope is not enough.
Yet, I also understand that many people are also trying hard to get their skill out there but they’re not are not also getting results. You are very consistent but consistency is not enough.
Consistency without fully understanding what you’re doing might end up futile for you which is why I decided to write this post.
Firstly, you must know that your friends are not your customers. I wish I can repeat it again but I just hope this sinks into you. When people have skills, the first place they’re quick to show it is on Whatsapp.
If your Whatsapp list consists of your friends alone, then you just wasted your time pushing whatever information you have on the space.
I’d only recommend that you use your Whatsapp for showoff to show friends how you’re making progress with such skill or how very good you are, else you’re just wasting your time.
The only way Whatsapp can benefit you is if you understand Whatsapp marketing or you have strangers on your list. Strangers are your customers and not friends in most cases except your friends fall into the category of those who need your service.
Friends can only be your fans and support but they hardly fit in for customers. So take away the mentality that; “I have posted my content on Whatsapp, at least I’m sharing what I do, I’m loud about it”
You’re not loud about it in the presence of your friends, you’re only trying to make ends meet.
Next, you must be ready to dish out contents. Now, there’s a posture i see people take when dishing out contents. Well, let me first say when I mean dish out contents, I’m not talking about writing them out. No, that’s far from it.
I mean pushing out whatever you do to the best platform that suits what you do. If you’re the shy type, I’d strictly recommend that you get over your shyness as soon as possible. You cannot sell yourself if you keep hiding.
I must quickly add that whatever you do that is legal and has integrity, you shouldn’t be shy about it.
Well, this is a bit of digression but I really need to hammer on this because so many people care about what others say about them. They are scared of criticism, they are scared of mockery and all.
If I was scared, I wouldn’t be writing this remember but I don’t care. Just a few months ago, I had a little business knowledge, wrote for cheaper rates and now I don’t write in Naira anymore. I charge higher.
I wouldn’t get here if I kept my writing to myself. Pushing them out without the fear of criticism got me some spotlight and I’m enjoying them.
Now back to the posture people often take when dishing out contents. People take the posture of; “I’m trying to get better, please understand” or “I just love what I do, that’s all that matters”.
I really wish you all reading this could organize a small event where I could teach on skills physically. Typing is wearing me out because I want to throw my hands in the hair to emphasize a point but you cannot see me.
Stop pushing out your contents without a “chat me up to get my service” posture. The goal of pushing your content is to get people to patronize your service right?
Then I want you to close your eyes and imagine once again. Ask yourself this; “By the time my readers, viewers, followers follow my content up to this point, what should they be thinking? What would they be thinking about me?
Would they be thinking about following me or chatting me up to thank me?
Would they see me as someone who is just enjoying their passion and say “great job” in their mind?
You need to be able to program how to structure your content.
This requires a lot of mental effort but if you understand the problem your skill solves, it makes it a little easier for you.