Have you ever wondered what it takes to climb the ladder in the dynamic sales world? Today, CareerBuddy is diving into the career journey of the Sales Manager at Prime Media Outdoor, Nigeria’s trailblazing outdoor agency.
What don’t we know about you?
My name is Olamide Ojewumi. I am the Sales Manager at Prime Media Outdoor, one of the leading outdoor agencies in Nigeria.
How did you get so successful in Sales?
I would not even lie. It’s been God and to be honest-I’m not there yet.
It’s great you acknowledged him.
When I started my career as a sales executive, interestingly, my persuasion skill has always been inherent. However, I needed to improve on the product knowledge, communication and negotiation skills. Before now, it was difficult getting back to clients when I made errors in negotiation, overtime I learnt to go back to say confidently- oh, I apologise deeply on my costly mistake. When we spoke, I underbilled, let’s kindly go over this again at your earliest convenience. This wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t grow into the habit of selling.
And what would they say when you went back?
They accept easily due to prior conversation that met their expectation.
You mentioned setting goals, tell us about them.
I map out my goals by identifying KPIs. When I’m reaching out to a business, I look at its structure and goals. Then align it with my goals. That is how I reached out to the company I worked with last.
How else do you reach out?
Networking with relevant connections is key for me, I attend business conferences to meet key stakeholders and read industry publications to stay updated with the latest trends, I also send bulk proposals via email, make a lot of cold calls and crazy follow ups.
True, sometimes people think sales is simply selling
There’s more to it than selling.
It’s also about understanding people’s psychology
Thank you. There is more to selling . It’s about understanding your client’s psychology. You must be able to manage their expectations, know what they require & provide solution to their concerns. This would make them returned customers.
What do you enjoy most about the sales and marketing industry?
Money.
LOL
It’s a strong motivation for me. The more you sell, the more you earn using Pareto’s 80/20 rule helps in this regard. For every sales personnel, you must have something that pushes you, and drives you to do more. There is a business goal and the goal is to make profits, to bring in sales to the company.
You’ve been in this industry for 8 years. How has the sales industry changed during that period?
Eight years ago, Everything was done manually. You have to go to the client office, even drop hard-copy invoices , or if it’s a prospective client, cold visit and all. Right now, technology has adversely taken over. A yesterday’s sales person has to have a sense of digital skill, A.I, use of sales software and many more – you get to close deals without even inter-facing with the client.
Tell me about B2B Sales
Although B2B sales can be a tough nut to crack because of the number of stakeholders involved, complex decision making processes and hence longer sales closure. It’s worth it in the end. The approval process; you’re sure that once it’s sealed , it’s sealed and then it becomes a major achievement for your company and the entire team.
Were there challenges in your career journey?
When you don’t hit your target, it can be challenging, although when you hit just one target, it covers up for the rest. I met a particular client in the course of attending conferences, he gave me his card and I followed through with him on LinkedIn. For two years, there was no response but I didn’t give up , my strength grew in his silent rejection. When he finally responded, it bagged a major sale of more than 50m.
Wow, I’m glad you didn’t give up
Yes, it can be pretty challenging when you are not hitting your target but just 1 major sale writes off the many months of rejections.
What achievements are you most proud of in your sales career?
I celebrate every of my forward movements both little or big. I’m bold to say that I have added significant value and tangible results to show for it in the organizations I have worked with.
Nice. Who’s your role model when it comes to sales and why?
Yetunde Adegbite: An outstanding sales guru before growing into the management level, getting close to her earned me several sessions of sales training in the early years of my career. Mallam Ibrahim Lawal: He would say ‘ be responsible and stop giving excuses’ those were his words. He taught me resilience , doggedness and brilliance. Kelechi Eke: He is interested in capacity development, encourages reading of books and also helps me with professional advices. Marian Ogaziechi: A mentor that has welcomed me back into the industry with additional recommendations, extending support even within her own circles. Even in silos, seizes every slightest opportunity to ensure my goals are achieved.
If you weren’t into sales, what would your dream career be?
Acting, I would have been a stargirl. I’ve always loved to talk. But on a professional level, maybe I would have done medicine.
Did you major in a health career?
I started my career in biochemistry and I was hoping to move into the medical field before I knew that this thing was not for me. This chemical they are handling here is not my thing. My brain was not processing it, you understand? So I eventually finished as a statistician in the university and I started sales in school, sold clothes and made good money.
Oh great. And lastly, If you could give a piece of advice to someone starting in sales, what would it be?
Know what you sell and don’t be afraid of rejection, see ehn, rejection is an integral part of selling. Spend less time and resources with client that are not willing to buy. Also remember that the same effort you have used to sell to 1 can be better used to sell to 10. Learn to be a problem solver and stop giving excuses. Up your digital skills & leverage on new technologies to sell- Use AI. Finally, get yourself a mentor
Olamide, this interview was very enlightening, are you also a mentor?
Yes. I’m very open to mentorship because I know that it’s not easy, really, for salespeople.
When I interviewed Olamide, I could tell she had the “I want it, I get it” type of mentality. It’s part of the reason she has gone ahead in her career. Olamide is not only a successful leader, but also a generous mentor and role model.
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