In mid-November, the news of Nigerian eCommerce giant, Konga laying off over 60% of its workforcej8 sent shock waves across the eCommerce industry in Africa.

The eCommerce industry in Africa is still developing; in fact, it is becoming the fastest growing industry on the continent. Similar to implementing social system change, there will be resistance at first but there is still hope. One cannot expect consumers to adapt to a new way of shopping without scepticism.

In the late 1990s, eCommerce was like the Wild West in Europe and America. A decade later, however, only few companies survived. While it may seem surprising now, the eCommerce industry did not embrace customer empowerment in its early days, and that is what is currently happening in the eCommerce industry in Africa/Nigeria.

 

 “A wise person knows there is something to be learned from everyone” – Unknown

I’m a firm believer that success leaves clues, and failure also leaves clues. When someone is successful at something that I want, I sit down and try to analyze and pick out what is useful for me.
During the US Elections I sat and watched and learned. The more I learned, the more I realized that I needed to share these insights with you.
So here we go! 7 amazing lessons from President Trump that could help you be more successful today.

Attention is the new currency
Trump didn’t have to spend as much money on advertising…because he knew how to generate attention and use it to push his own agenda. In this new economy you also need to figure out how to use attention to your advantage.

Hollywood is not reality
When we watch movies we get this idea of America. Similar to what Chimamanda said about the danger of a single story, we think that all Americans think a certain way, and that what we watch on TV is all of reality. Donald Trump showed that he was anti many of the things that we thought Americans loved, and yet he won. In your business you can’t make decisions based on what you see on TV. You need to do your research and really hear what people want, and then attract those people to you.

There are people out there who are looking for you
We get so caught up trying to be like other people. We hear that this person is successful, so we try to be like them – hoping that we will be successful as well. Trump stayed true to himself. He held to his opinions no matter how offensive others may have thought they were. He dressed the way he wanted to dress. He styled his hair the way he wanted to style it. We too must learn that we don’t have to be like anyone else. There are people that will be attracted to us, and to our businesses just as we are; but it’s important that we find that unique aspect of ourselves.

The most vocal people are not always the majority
This is similar to point two about Hollywood; but I also want to point out this distinction. Many of the people on social media, on TV, on whatever medium, said they would not vote for Trump. They did not expect him to win, yet he won. Sometimes in your business the people that complain the most or scream the most,  or ask for the most may seem to be the voice of the people, but if you take the time to actually connect with the people – your ideal audience – you will see that your power often lies in the quiet majority.

Your past is important, but not as important as your present
People talked about Trumps past failures, or about his wife’s past indiscretions, but it didn’t matter. The masses were drawn to his present. Sometimes we get so caught up in our past failures and our past decisions thinking that people will never trust us or work with us, or do anything we want them to do. In the end you will find that you can recover from any past decision,  if you are able to connect with us in a way that makes sense for us, and you can show us how what you are doing will benefit us.

What is, is not always what must be
When Trump announced he was running for president, many people didn’t take him seriously, because he wasn’t like the others that came before him, so they were sure that he didn’t stand a chance. While I believe in investing in coaches and learning your trade, we also need to give ourselves the freedom to be creative. The ways that people ran their business in the 80’s or 90’s or even the early 2000’s will not be as successful today. So your job is to find the most creative ways to be successful today. Learn the principles, but create new strategies.
Everything is possible
 
Whatever that dream or that goal, it is possible because today all we need is a dream and a plan of execution. You can connect with people all over the world via the internet, you can take your office with you wherever you go just as long as you have a laptop and internet access. Everything is possible, you are no longer restricted to just one country. Everything is possible – all you need is the right strategy.
So now that you have learned these things, what are you going to do with your power?

Photo Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Pool via Bloomberg