Hey Fam!, How is the grind going?
I was brain-storming on something earlier this morning and I thought to share some of the insights with the world.
I woke up this morning with two questions in my head;
- “What do I bring to the table?” and
- “What is my offer?”
Trust Me, those are some of the most important questions You should ask yourself this year.
Some Super Story if You dont mind…
In 2014, I took Jack Ma’s advice, amidst offers from the Kongas and Sterling Banks of this world, I chose to apprentice with a smart Business Man whilst learning the ways of the Igbo men in South East Nigeria.
Trust Me, that has been one of the greatest decisions of my Life.
So how does that apply to the questions at hand You may ask?
Here!!!
My (Yoruba) Boss with whom I apprenticed and the Igbo “importers and exporters” of South East Nigeria had something in common. They always had offers!; Something to Sell, something to Trade, something to Import and/or Export. Even when they do not have it, they will tell You they want to go get it from the “Warehouse” AKA someone else’s shop (all that matters is that your Money must not follow You home)
I have also come to notice this trait with all the Rich people I know personally.
They always had something to bring to the table…. Sometimes, they are even the ones that brought the goddamn table!
It’s been 5 years since I signed up for that apprenticeship, now I have done “freedoom” lol, I am also an “Odogwu” when it comes to these things.
These days, when I meet with people, the question that keeps ringing in my head is “What can I offer this person?”, “What am I bringing to the table?”, (Now You understand where the questions in my head this morning were coming from).
How does my Super Story apply to You?
You see, we all want to be Rich, we all want to “hammer!!!” (maybe not all of us sha, some already have mansions in heaven) but let me put it to You that we cannot be Rich until we master the art and act of bringing juicy offers to the table.
By now You should know that You cannot earn your way to the kind of Money You want!
Like You get paid once in 30 days and that happens 12 times in a year.. wawu!!!… How do You plan to get very rich with that model?… well except they are paying You Millions every 30 days sha o! ( I am not one of those that say Salary is the bribe they pay You to forget your dream yen yen yen yen….. Your salary can be the seed to your monetary Money Tree …lol)
What are the key things I want You to take away from this article?
- Always ask your self “What am I bringing to the table?”.. this will help You to decipher so many things including;
- Your worth : it will help You discover whether You are valuable or yet another liability.
- Negotiation : Knowing You are bringing something substantial to the table will help You negotiate rewards from a vantage position.
- Move on: if the folks on your current table do not see the value in what You are bringing, knowing the worth of what You are bring can help You switch tables quickly
- Always ask yourself “What is my offer?”: You see, it is one thing to bring something substantial to the table, it is another thing to craft a juicy offer around it. That is why it is not uncommon to see people work hard and still have no rewards for it. I mean who works harder than the guy digging your well and the bricklayers? but are they the ones driving the Lambos?
When You have successfully answered the first question and You are sure You are bring something valuable to the table, next thing to do is to sit down and place a value (monetary or otherwise) on that thing You are bringing to the table. Now present your offer to the stakeholders on that table.. That is your offer.
I love giving examples to drive home the point.
Take for example You happen to have acquired some digital marketing skills and then You meet someone who manufactures Consumer goods and wants to expand their market, now imagine You guys are sitting at an imaginary table, ask yourself what do I bring to the table? Digital Marketing of course.
You can now choose to offer to market their products pro bono (Free of Charge) as a good child of God lol… or You can choose to give them an offer.. say I will help You market your Products and drive sales online but You pay Me X Thousands of Naira or for every product I sell successfully pay Me Y Naira in commissions or I am willing to head your Digital Marketing department at Z Naira or Dollos per Month.
You grab?
Remember the motto for the year,
“You must give shii to get shii this year”
Dont forget the 2 critical questions;
- What am I bringing to the table?
- What is my offer?
Do have a great day fam!
You will hear from Me soon!
I am Seun Ogunmola I help People and Organizations to leverage on Technology to achieve their goals Faster, Easier and Cheaper.
I also write on diverse subject areas including Finance, Business, Productivity and Governance.