We had the privilege of an exclusive interview with Director of Sales, Opay Digital Services, Mr Chidi Okeke, he revealed so many secrets to being a successful Sales person, with over 18 years in sales and marketing, generating profit growth within B2B and B2C across several sectors .
He is definitely someone to pay attention to, enjoy the interview.
This interview is edited for brevity, listen to the full podcast on Spotify
David Oshin :What is the most challenging sales situation you have had?
Chidi Okeke : I’ve had the privilege of working in very difficult terrain, one that always requires someone brave to accept the offer and put in the work to turn around a business that seems to have no potential. Most of my experiences have been that type.
When I joined Dangote Cement in August 2014, I was posted to a territory with a competitor’s plant that had been there for 35 years, in the Remo, Ijebu axis in Ogun State. That’s where I had the most challenging experience. When you’re asked to turn around a business in a competitor’s stronghold, it’s not easy. When I joined in 2014, the business wasn’t doing well, only around 15 to 20 trucks per month.
But when I left, we were doing 200 to 250 trucks every month. It came with a lot of sacrifice, mingling with the market, understanding it, strength, foresight, and analyzing the market to the smallest piece. Convincing people with social and cultural affinity with the competition’s brand was challenging, but the market communicates with you, and you find solutions to the questions it asks.
David Oshin: What do you feel is the game changer in this instance?
Chidi Okeke: The game changer involves factors like pricing, turnaround time, quantity (bulk breaking), and reopening the depot that had been shut down in the area. We conducted a SWOT analysis, highlighting the critical factors to break into the market and wrote strong proposals to showcase the opportunities.
To overcome the competition, we attacked from the blind spots, areas they weren’t covering well. Opening the depot improved turnaround time, fulfilling orders in less than 24 hours. Negotiating informal pricing helped us gain market share.
David Oshin: What would you attribute the success of Opay to?
Chidi Okeke : Opay’s success is driven by factors like the quality of service they deliver, a work culture that allows people to be their best selves, and a diverse team from various backgrounds and experiences. The culture of excellence is what truly helps the business. Any issue is addressed promptly, and people work together to find solutions.
David Oshin : Opay just won the Fintech Award 2023 from NIDTA. Why is Opay number 1 in financial services?
Chidi Okeke : Opay became a leader because they solved significant challenges in the financial sector. Before Opay, there were excessive charges, tracking money was difficult, and larger banks couldn’t handle many issues. Opay came and resolved these problems, making financial services more accessible and efficient.
David Oshin : How does Opay handle media attacks and customer’s fears?
Chidi Okeke : Opay is a dynamic organization with various departments. My role is to help merchants and customers with their transactions. There are teams for public relations, marketing, legal, compliance, and others that handle these issues swiftly. Opay is highly regulated, and it’s supervised by the top regulatory body, CBN. Customers should also do their due diligence, as many of these issues come from bloggers and distractors looking to profit from them.
