Adenike Fagbemi, a brand strategist at NixxHash Communications, media consultant, content specialist and journalist in this online interview with Lekan Otufodunrin, shares her experience of organising very successful online training during the lockdown over the COVID-19.
What informed your decision to organise a series of online training during this lockdown?
The disruption happened and we needed to set out, keep giving value and also nurture new prospects that can pay for the services we render irrespective of their size.
As long as they are in business, how long they have been in business wasn’t the deal for us, how well they can function while doing their business was.
Nobody is happy about this pandemic. Everyone is affected. In this part of the world that we operate, it’s fair enough and awesome some people who had tested positive are recovering and getting discharged. But that doesn’t stop the care and panic, it only reduced it.
At the same time, business-minded people are still finding it hard to wrap their heads around what works and what doesn’t. What needs to be dropped and what needs to be improved. Then, I thought within myself, be an answer to some set of people’s prayer.
I am having at the back of my mind that not everybody is my customer. You win some, you lose some. But everybody loves VALUE. So I sold Value to them.
I spoke to my friends. Again, roll with people who believe in you. Not everybody would. But, those that do, hold on to them! I reached out to them, ‘guy, I want to do a Marathon Training for Business Owners, Small Medium Enterprise majorly… And I want it to be a Free own’.
At that time, I wasn’t thinking or hoping for an extension of the Stay At Home Policy. I wanted to just give value. Meet new people, see things through their eyes, have them on my contact list and then retain them.
My organisation, NixxHash Communications is a growing one, we offer SERVICES, not PRODUCT, but, I wanted to create a Product out of our Services so, I packaged a FREE training and called it BrandBoost Training For 10 days.
I didn’t have to read a book or anybody’s theory to know that it will fly! Everyone loves free things and now that we have on paper some worthy idea, who says engaging people productively is a crime?
Then, I got to it. My awesome and amazing friends were more than pleased to be part of it. I was extremely pleased too.
What they stand to gain?! Nothing… But giving value and positioning themselves in the heart of those to be trained.
What have been the focus of the various training and how easy was it getting the facilitators and participants?
They’ve been diverse. Now, for the first ten days, I took turns to sample business owners opinion on what kind of training they would love to have if given the chance to.
Before now, we have held two seasons of training on How Business Owners Can Boost Their Brands Using Social Media.
We already have a Community of Business Owners and their database we have worked with and have either patronized or consulted from us for free or even liked and commented on our activities on social media. So I threw it open there.
Some chose proposal writings, some How to source for loans, some How to even open and manage something as small as Facebook, some How to do basic highlight on Instagram and some How to get customers of course!
This got me thinking!
Immediately, I started thinking of topics, started brainstorming! It was hard seriously. I ran the topics by my friends who ended up as facilitators and we tweaked and tweaked till we eventually settled for the ones we explored.
I asked for their nice-looking photos, I sent all content to a part-time staff of mine to design and we had the final piece.
I had to rush all of that because if I didn’t, I won’t achieve one per cent of the things we did. If I waited one or two more seconds, everything will ‘enter voicemail’
I went to work immediately I heard the voice! That’s the gospel truth.
Okay, so a quick one, there is one thing about news, once it contains or carries value back up with FREE entry, it will travel!
I received messages from Far North to Far America, even Australia and the village in Osun. All wanted to join! Both well-structured and those not structured business owners.
I didn’t even promote the fliers as I should on social media but just within a network and I must say the free sessions were awesome. The testimonials are heartwarming and the prayers are beyond what I can explain.
The Coaches were simply selfless and there’s nothing more to say. I didn’t give them a dime for those free sessions, but I later realised that one can only get such favour from people who are truly like minds.
What community do you belong? Are you the brightest in the room? Then, relocate. You should be among people who know what you don’t know. This is not motivational talk. It’s the truth!
In the process, I also realise that our darkest nights births our brightest stars. I have read that somewhere sometimes ago, not sure where but. This disruption gave me a practical view of it.
Poor internet connection is usually an excuse for many who want to participate in online training. How did you and your participants cope with this challenge?
We had our training on WhatsApp. Not Telegram, not Zoom, not Facebook Live, not IG Live.
Just WhatsApp. We knew from the onset we don’t want a crowd. So we had a limit – 250/260. And that was fine for us. Remember not everyone would want to be in every class, so we created different class groups for each class and shared the link to the next class after the class before it finishes its session. Like a baton exchange sort of style. If participants want to be in that class they click a link and migrate. Simple.
In some cases, the classes are closed so there won’t be distractions until after the Coach is done with his or her session and wants to take questions, while in some classes, the coach leaves it open but send a warning signal to those that might want to distract during her session. So everyone is aware there are set rules.
Sure some participants and even coaches had internet issues, but once they are up, they are up! Once I notice a coach is silent for too long, I put a call through to know what the problem is. If it is network issues or something else, I convey it to the class. So everyone is on the same page.
These were in the free classes. I never imagined that the stay at home would be extended. But when it happened, we rolled out classes for another 10days. This time around paid for classes. Prices ranging from N1000 to N3000 per class.
We have had Designing using Canva, Creating Animation Classes, Accountability PARTNERS Class, Content Writing and Marketing Class, Sales Funnel Class, How to Set Facebook and IG ADs Masterclasses and so on.
A lot of those that were part of the Free classes saved my WhatsApp number and kept a tab on my status daily with over 400 views and they enrolled for class sessions. But we didn’t have as many in-class compared with the free classes. That didn’t change the fact that we have reached over 1500 business owners this period and we are collating their data and intend to sell more of our Services in the form of Products to them.
In general, what will you say have been the outcome of the training? What have been the major success stories and feedbacks?
Feedbacks have been mind-blowing. A lot of them have made me breakdown like I have not done in years. Beyond what money can buy, I particularly value relationships and friendships. Once I love, I love totally and this season, I just believe this service was the best gift we could give business owners.
Stories have been transforming people’s mindset towards using Social Media and Online Space to promote their business and make sales during this lockdown.
Lockdown doesn’t mean no sales, it only means you take your business where others focus on and reposition it in a way people will know they need it. Do slash price and giveaways too. Show you care while trying to sell your market.
Based on the remote working operations of many organisations during this lockdown, there it is believed that work will not be the same post-COVID-19. What do you think?
I am not a Dangote or a Tony Elumelu or a business tycoon yet. I’m not even a Tycoon in the sector I operate just yet. But, the little I know, things will change and at the same time, we should learn to change patterns and strategies once one doesn’t work.
What is your advice to media professionals on how to effectively utilize online tools?
Take up courses, learn and be open-minded. During this training we had and still have, I have media guys on my contact list that I know need it, but pride won’t allow them to enrol. Let’s drop the ego. Ask, mingle and explore. It won’t kill. Media people should also be business-minded.
How profitable are online training?
It’s been profitable, of course not the way it would have been if there wasn’t a slash in course prices. But not bad at all considering the lockdown.