Money moves based on solutions. Money moves towards the direction of a person who solves a problem. There are two categories of people in the world: Fruit Eaters (Consumers) and Fruit Producers (Manufacturers).

Africans have been consumers for so long, but it is time to change this narrative. Africa is one of the fastest-growing consumer markets in the world. Household consumption has increased even faster than its gross domestic product (GDP) in recent years. According to Landry Signé: 2018: “Africa is home to roughly 1.2 billion consumers, today, projected to increase to 1.7 billion by 2030.” Have you observed that rich people do not have two heads? They are people like us whose minds have been trained to see wealth.

Is your mind a liability or asset? Creating value begins with generating an idea. Every money you are looking for is hidden in idea. To generate great business ideas, constantly engage your mind to do productive thinking. This is how great businesses are birthed. Everything we see today in our world was first, a product of a thought before it was processed into reality.

When people say there is no money in town, they might not be stating the truth. The truth is that there is money, but they have not been able to see it. Because you do not see money with your eyes, you see it with your mind. If you want to make money, you need to ask yourself these two questions:

• What is the population of the city or town where I reside?
• How much does an average person spend on food?
When you find out the number of people living in your environment and multiply it by the average amount that people spend on food, then you will have an idea of how much money that leaves the people’s pocket every day. The people living in your area has their basic needs. What you have to do is to solve a particular need for a fraction of the people in your city; then money will begin to flow in your direction. For example, if there are 1,000 people living in your area, it means, they will need food, clothing, housing, schools, transportation, foot wears, among others. These needs are business opportunities calling for people to meet them. We describe the money spent in a country as its currency. Currency describes a current or something that flows. Actually money flows.

Each time you spent money, someone makes money. Why not be the one making the money?
Why is money not flowing in your direction? It is now your turn to prosper. Ask God to show you the unique problems you are to solve for people in your city and in your country.

Selling products or services is a fundamental and common way for individuals and businesses to generate income and make money. To be a good sales person, you should be able to speak with confidence and authority about your product or service. This is necessary to build trust and establish yourself as a guiding force who knows what you are talking about. You should know your product or service inside out. Understand your competitors’ products or services, their strengths and weaknesses relative to yours, their pricing structures, and their reputations. Sell with empathy and a personal touch.

Your sales skills should never be stagnant. Never stop learning and evolving as a salesperson. Selling is not a science. There is no be-all-end-all formula that definitively leads to success without fail. It is an art — one that requires tact, grace, sensibility and persistence.
•Today’s nugget: Selling is an art. Phone contact: 07032361509. E-mail: [email protected]. Joel Ejiofor, business coach and strategist.