Build your brand

Before u enjoy the secrets I'm about to share I want u to go over to www.google.comand search for the words "Tolulope Akanni"

I want u to do same on www.facebook.com

U will discover there are 2 'Tolulope Akanni's on Facebook and 2 'Akanni Tolulope' none of which includes me

For the 1st 3 pages of ur google search, u will realise that all the 'Tolulope Akanni's point to me!

It didn't happen by chance. It was a calculated arrival birth forth by simple, plain strategies. With little or nothing, u too can be all over and everywhere. 

In this age where employers google names of prospective employees it is essential that u build a very strong online presence. From time to time google ur name on Facebook, it will help u realise how the world sees you. 

Start a blog

U don't need the oratory prowess of Aniekan not the inquisitive mind of Damilare, not the bare mind of Chino nor the poetical tint of Harry to blog. Just say something, u can't tell me ure a thinker if u don't own a blog! 

There's a clear difference btw those who read and those who do not 

It's nt by carrying books of 600pages all around, it's not by having a degree in literature all those things are not enough. Read and read relevant current materials; current materials keeps u on ur feet. Read biographies..nothing inspires better than biographies. "The secrets of men lie in their stories" 

Be ever ready for that golden 30secs

 Very few times in ur sojourn in life u will get a golden 30secs to sell urself to that one person uve always wanted to meet. Get prepared for that moment, have a rehearsed package for that moment. It might just be that 20secs u spend in the lift from the ground floor to the 6th floor with Bishop Oyedepo or Richard Branson or Fela Durotoye or Oprah Winfrey. What is it that u will say to them that will lead to exchange of business cards?

Know how to write letters/emails

 If u can't compose a letter/mail u r finished! Bye bye, stop reading and come over to my house for personal coaching...lol

But it is a terrible thing to not know how to compose powerful emails! In my short sojourn I've been privileged to communicate with great men in this country via emails. After I'm done typing, I kabash over those mails and it's not possible for them not to reply.

Never stand alone. Promote mother brands

 The worst mistake I can make is to introduce myself as Tolulope Akanni and just leave it at that. There's no platform I speak that I don't introduce myself as a Covenant University graduate, and the reason is logical while the effect is magical. 

 Why should u stand alone?

  There are 7,000 covenant university students and about 7,000 graduates as well. Bishop David Oyedepo has millions of followers all around the country and is even a force to reckon with outside the shores of this country. So why should I stand alone when I can present myself as Oyedepo's son? But because some people want to shine alone they end up not shining at all. 

Let your friends meet your friends

 This is one of the cheapest things I've done. Link friends with similar interests up with each other, create platforms for ur friends to meet ur friends; if it yields they will be forever grateful to u

I go "A meet B, he's also into xyz" and what do I get in return?

"I met him thru Tolu" "I met her thru Tolu"

And on the long run people go "that Tolu boy is connected"

Meet parents

 Don't be limited to the experience ur own parents share with u, meet other parents it will help u a lot.

Conferences seminars

There's no way u can cope without them, go all out to hear ur mentors speak at conferences and seminars, network with new folks.The right seminars set u in that sober, reflective/thirsty mood for success....they spark up that insatiable thirst for 'what next?'

Ppl love statistics

(figures, dates, time)Especially in a society like ours in which people don't attach much relevance to making discoveries, when u come across to people as someone who is filled with facts, they go WOW!This is what motivational speakers use as openers "Do u knw that 3million ppl do bla bla every bla bla bla" and because it's absolutely new to us. We are dazed and amazed!

In this world, packaging is everything,

Build ur brand!

Packaging: Just be somebody

This one is an overflow of the discussion I had with Funeh yesterday, and some of these things I shared with Harry today.

I was in Abuja for 5days for a book tour and even though that was my first time in the FCT, Abuja felt like home, beyond the warm reception at the media outing and beyond the 'author' status, everyone I came across were very well receptive.

I try to compare what I experienced in Abuja with what obtains in my everyday Lagos life and well, no doubts there's a very big difference; let me just skip the details of this juxtapose.

One striking thing about the Abuja enviroment in the warmth and the only thing close to that is the village life; it is only in the village that you see people showing so much love and interest and I used to leave it as lack of exposure: the 'city people' mentality.

But how come Abuja being a city still enjoys this?

I've realised the one thing responsible for that

IN ABUJA, EVERYBODY IS SOMEBODY

The best way to get people to respect you is by being a somebody. People don't respect nobodies. Being a somebody gives u access to a great deal of respect.

How does it work in Abuja?

Everyone thinks 

"Oh, I think that boy is a senator's son"

"That girl's father is an ambassador"

"Is that not the Senator"

"Is that not the CBN guy"

So u discover that in a way, everyone is beclouded with that 'u never can tell' mentality and this in return affects how u relate with people, u treat them with respect just because u don't want to step on toes.

How does it kill Lagos?

Lagos is a no-man's life

"Who born u?"

"Who u be? Who be ur father?"

Except they see u coming down from those tinted SUVs, u don't earn the respect; and atimes even ur affluence is no security, they look at u straight in the eyes and call u a thief.

They ask "is it your money?"

And so because we go about feeling there are no special heads, that all men are equal and that everybody is a nobody, there's no room for respect to find expression!

How does it work in the village?

Same old, same old

"The city people are here"

"They have come from obodo with plenty money"

"He owns a fleet of cars in the city"

"He works in one of those sky scrapers in the city"

So the respect and warm reception is automatic even if he borrowed his friend's car plus fuel money to pay them a visit in the village, he still gets that respect.

So why am I telling you?

I'm telling u this so u can wake up to the realisation of the fact that the 'somebody' mentality is a winner any day, any time!

It is ever a killer move. If I should go into the details of the things I've done in the name of packaging, the post will be unnecessarily long and u'll laff to much to get the point.

But taking advantage of this principle will help ur life big time, it will grant u access to unimaginable realms, and it will push u to want achievement

In conclusion, let me leave u with a practical example

In Abuja,

I go "This is my first time in this city, I have no business coming to Abuja...my book was doing soooo well in Lagos, flooding the internet, TV, the media world talking about it and the Abuja Literary Society couldn't help inviting me down to Abuja"

And what do I get in return

"Are u serious? Do u have the book here with u? How much does it cost?"

I just sold myself and I sold my book....Why? Because they know I am somebody

In Lagos,

I go "Sorry I couldn't come over the weekend..I was out of town, I was in Abuja and I had a fantastic time out there, I mean God was faithful opening doors here and there...I was hosted by Silverbird, I was on radio, I even met....bla bla bla"

And I return

"Wow, that's big! Do u have the book here with u? How much does it cost?"

If I want to go futher in proving a point, I could tell the person I dont have the book with me

"But check it up in Terra Kulture, Silverbird galleria or at the Palms...."

These are killer moves anyday, anytime....the things I just revealed are exclusive background stuffs oh....I dunno why I got this generous today, U just keep reading, God is pushing me to share more background gist in the coming days.

I just shared a life lesson on Packaging!

Tell me what u think...