If you ever have to look for me on a Saturday morning, I’ll be on a tennis court somewhere in Lagos. I play tennis with a fantastic group of men in one of the most prestigious estates in Lekki. While I don’t live in this estate, my relationship gives me access (access is another vital conversation I will cover in-depth in another post).
Every Saturday, I have to call my friend, and he obliges me every Saturday; this has been the case for over a year now. On one faithful Saturday, my friend and I sat on the benches on the court, waiting for our turn to play. It was a busy Saturday, unlike most other Saturdays. We noticed a gentleman on the court; we said our hellos before taking our seats.
A few minutes later, the gentleman walkway from the court (we didn’t look to see where he went). He came back and asked us an unusual question. He said, “Do you guys like tiger nut drink?” My friend was quick to respond, “yes” I, on the other hand, was a little suspicious about such a random question. Then he said, “I have some bottles to sell”, showing off a small bag in his hand – I guess he had gone to pick up from where they were kept. We bought a couple of bottles and sipped. It was delicious. I hesitated when he mentioned the drinks were laced with ginger because my former experience with ginger in tiger milk wasn’t pleasant, but this was definitely a good experience.
After a couple of sips, it was our turn to play, and we discovered that the gentleman who had sold us the tiger nuts drink was also waiting for a chance to play. We called the attention of the tennis coach so we could make it a doubles game. It was a hot piping Saturday morning, and I was profoundly grateful for the refreshing tiger nut milk sips. After about 45mins of play, we rounded up our game and said our goodbyes.
We were all walking out of the tennis court when the same gentleman who had sold us the tiger nut milk asked, “Do you live in the estate?”. He told my friend he did and went on to describe his home. At this point in the conversation, he stopped to open the door to his car – to my surprise, his car was a brand-new model Toyota Land cruiser.
I immediately thought, “he owns a car like this, lives in this estate, and sold us tiger nut milk?” We all drove away from the parking lot together, headed in different directions. I headed for the gate to leave, but as I went a few yards, I noticed the gentleman pull away into his house. This would be my second surprise of the day (the fact that he owned a brand-new land cruiser Prado was the first). He turned into a gorgeous house which I believe to be his because he had mentioned that he was heading home.
I always meet young people who hesitate to sell their goods or services. Their hesitation usually stems from a lack of pride in what they sell. They would have preferred a fancier product or at least something that projected a glamorous perception. A day before this incident occurred, I was in the company of a few young people, and the same thing happened.
I, too, had fallen “victim” to this mindset in the past when I was a shoe seller. I found myself saying I was a fashion retailer, which doesn’t tell much, but I preferred the fancy title. Looking back, I bet I missed a few sales, too; thankfully, I am set free from this mindset.
This gentleman’s behaviour taught me a few lessons:
- Dignity in labour. You should be proud if you earn an honest living doing whatever it is you do.
- Humility. You are not bigger than your trade. You must see yourself as a service provider and serve everyone that needs your service.
- Money follows value: I often say that money doesn’t discriminate. Tribe, skin colour, and age doesn’t hinder your earning capacity; if people pay for what you sell, you will make money.
I hope you take these lessons and shamelessly sell whatever you are selling. Thank you for reading.
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