Wisesam

Go and check that CV again. It is incomplete without liners about your use of AI to deliver transformation.

@MrOlibaba I have 1 year 4 month experience in Sale, but what I am seeing is 2 years or I do not have sales experience. Which one should I choose?

AltBank is hiring for multiple sales roles across the country. Openings are available in: • Retail Banking • Business Banking • Commercial Banking My MFB guys please apply. Application link is in the comments.

Once you learn how to shop directly from China, E.g Temù or shien your wardrobe changes completely. Call me cheap I don't care I ain't rich, I don't do fraud.😭 It's knowing what to search for. Here's my style after making plenty of mistakes. 1. T-shirts: Skip 100% polyester unless you're buying gym wear. Instead, search: • 100% Cotton • Combed Cotton • Heavyweight Cotton • 240-300 GSM Cotton • Premium Cotton • Mercerized Cotton The heavier the GSM, the thicker and more premium the shirt usually feels. 2. Jeans: Denim Jeans Temu is surprisingly good for denim if you know what to search. Search: • Denim Jeans • Cotton Denim • Raw Denim • Selvedge Denim (if available) • 98% Cotton + 2% Elastane • 99% Cotton Avoid jeans with high polyester content. The more cotton, the better they'll age and feel. 3. Body-hug clothing: Search: • Ribbed Knit • Modal • Viscose Blend • Cotton-Spandex Blend They hold their shape much better than cheap polyester. 4. Hoodies Search: • 400 GSM • French Terry • Cotton Fleece • Heavyweight Hoodie 5. Chains Search: • 316L Stainless Steel • Titanium Steel • PVD Gold Plated • Vacuum Plated These are far more resistant to fading than ordinary fashion jewelry. 6. Earrings Search: • 925 Sterling Silver • 316L Stainless Steel • Hypoallergenic • Moissanite (if you're buying stones) 7. Scarves Search: • Mulberry Silk • Silk Blend • Cashmere Blend • Wool Blend • Viscose Avoid the shiny, thin polyester scarves if you're after a premium look. 8. Loafers Search: • Genuine Leather • Cow Leather • Full Grain Leather (rare but worth looking for) • Rubber Outsole 9. Sneakers Search: • Rubber Outsole • EVA Midsole • Breathable Mesh • Leather Upper • Stitched Sole Pictures lie a lot The description usually tells the truth. Here's how I shop: 1. Read the material composition before anything else. 2. Sort by Most Orders or Best Selling, not cheapest. 3. Only buy products with lots of reviews or pictures or even better when a Nigerian has purchased it before they always tell the truth. 4. Read the 1-star reviews first. They'll tell you what the seller won't. 5. Look at customer photos, not the product photos. 6. Check the weight of the product. Better quality clothing is often heavier. 7. Read the size chart. Don't assume your Nigerian size matches. 8. If the title has words like "luxury," "premium," or "designer" but the material is 100% polyester, not everything but still move on. Your best friend isn't the product picture. It's the material, the reviews, and the customer photos. That's how you separate the gems from the junk. I hope this help. Things are to expensive for a country this poor.

Let me say this. I don't write CVs, but one thing I have come to know is that, as a sales person, your CV should highlight your achievements with numbers, not just your job responsibilities. Whether you're a Sales Officer, Sales Manager, Relationship Manager, Wealth Manager, or Portfolio Manager, your CV should show the value you created, backed by numbers. Don't just write: "I managed customer relationships." Write: "Managed a portfolio worth ₦850 million with a 96% retention rate." Don't just write: "Generated new business." Write: "Acquired 150 new customers in 12 months, generating over ₦500 million in deposits." Don't just write: "I reduced loan NPL" Write: "I reduced loan NPL from 10% to 2% in 5 months through strategic recovery model. What recruiters want to see is what you accomplished in that role. How much revenue did you generate? How many customers did you acquire? How much was your loan book or portfolio? What was your recovery rate? Did you exceed your sales target? By how much? Did you improve customer retention or cross-sell more products? Numbers give your experience credibility. They help employers understand the impact you made. If you're in sales, your CV should sell one product before anything else. That product is you. I have known this for long and this is why anytime I apply for a role, I always get called for interviews. This is a practical experience.

At a point, I was placed on PIP. It was not like I was doing nothing. Every month, I made sure I booked at least two risk assets, but my numbers were still below target. For three straight months, I was stuck at 30% of my budget. Even before the PIP came, my Head of Sales had already changed towards me. She stopped responding to my greetings, constantly called me out during stand-up meetings, and every time she saw me in the office, it was questions about what value I was adding and why my numbers were poor. Going to work became draining. Then the HR mail finally came. I accepted it and kept showing up. The first two months on PIP were still rough. I was barely hitting 40% against the 150% target I was given because of previous shortfalls. Then came the final month. One day, I went prospecting in Surulere and met a man. We got talking and he mentioned he needed about 100M to finance his vessel spare parts export business. While processing the disbursement, he introduced me to two of his friends in the same line of business who also needed funding. I closed both deals too. By the end of the PIP cycle, I had delivered over 200% of my target and got off PIP. The funny part was what happened next. The same Head of Sales who ignored me while I was struggling suddenly became proud of me. She told me she always knew I would deliver. Madam, abeg. One thing sales taught me is this. Sometimes the gap between failure and outstanding performance is just one conversation, one referral, or one client meeting. Sales is unpredictable like that.

I once shared the story of how I came out of a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). When HR sent me the PIP email, I was delivering only about 30% of my target. At the time, my major responsibility was Risk Asset creation. The HR team assured me that my Head of Sales would provide all the support I needed to improve and successfully complete the PIP. Unfortunately, that was not my experience. In fact, my team lead's attitude changed almost immediately. She stopped responding to my greetings and constantly reminded me how many months I had left before I would be exited if I failed to meet my target. Those three months were the most difficult period of my career. It felt as though the decision had already been made and the process was simply leading me to the exit. Every day I went to work under intense pressure, knowing I had to endure the comments, the scrutiny, and the constant reminder that my job was on the line. Thankfully, I made it out after I created over 200M Risk Asset in a month. My advice to anyone placed on a PIP is this. Put in twice the effort to improve your performance, but at the same time, begin searching for another opportunity. Give your current role your very best, but prepare for every possible outcome. From what I have seen, once you're placed on a PIP, the odds are rarely in your favour. It is better to fight to keep your job while also creating another option for yourself.

Take your mind off the fact that you've been posted to a loss-making branch. Your focus should be on the responsibility that brought you there. A branch does not become profitable because of one person. It happens through the combined efforts of everyone, from the Branch Manager to the Relationship Managers and Operations team. The first step is to understand why the branch is not making money. The Branch Manager should carry out a thorough review of the branch's Monthly Performance Report (MPR). Identify liabilities with a high cost of funds, review operating expenses, and look for areas where costs can be reduced. Expenses such as excessive generator running hours, unnecessary stationery consumption, and other avoidable overheads should be closely managed. If most of the branch's income is being consumed by salaries and operating expenses, profitability will remain a challenge. Relationship Managers should concentrate on generating quality risk assets, mobilising low-cost deposits, and acquiring customers that will actively use the bank's products and services. Every new customer should be enrolled on digital channels and issued an ATM card because these drive transaction volumes and fee income. The Operations team also has a direct impact on branch profitability. Increasing daily ATM card issuance, promoting mobile and internet banking, and encouraging customers to transact through digital channels all contribute to higher transaction income while reducing pressure on the branch. If everyone in the branch focuses on the activities that create sustainable revenue while keeping costs under control, a loss-making branch can gradually return to profitability. There's a reason you were posted there, which is to help the branch.

Take your job seriously. Don’t lose it before you realise how much of a blessing it is.

@XekiHlongwane @grok title of song in background

Content will be the end of us 🤞🏾She’s not bathing 🧼 with the little boy now 😭

The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, states that roughly 80% of outcomes (or effects) come from 20% of causes (or inputs). In other words, a small portion of your efforts tends to produce the majority of your results. Within the 20% is your leverage. Identify what makes it up and do more of those.

If your customer has over ₦200 million and is considering to invest in Treasury Bill, don't be too quick to direct the funds there. Present a Fixed Deposit as a better alternative. If the customer raises concerns about the rate, engage your Branch Manager or Zonal Head and seek approval for a competitive offer. Don't allow the funds to leave your portfolio. Get the right rate for the customer and fix the funds, a well prized Fixed Deposit is as good as Tbills. Be street smart.

If you want to grow your deposit portfolio as a Relationship Manager, this strategy will help. Target these businesses: Car dealers, Real Estate companies, big Furniture brands, Travel and tour companies, Importers, Etc. These businesses don't generate consistent cash flow but a single inflow come in millions. They also do not have much interest in taking loans, these businesses already have good working capital. They don't need your loan. The basic things they want in a bank is a working technology and a good account management. A car dealer grew my deposit portfolio from ₦100 million to ₦1 billion within three months. The interesting part was that he doesn't move his money immediately. Whenever he eventually transferred funds out, he would tell me, "Don't worry, more money is coming in." That always gives me confidence because I understood his business cycle. I also managed the account of a hotel owner. One of his accounts had over ₦2 billion, while several others ran into hundreds of millions. This baba is into property business (Real Estate), a proper old money man. Every Sallah, we bought him a ram. On his birthdays, we visit with a hamper, a cake, and even a framed portrait. Those gestures were just to maintain the relationship. Once you have customers like these and manage the relationship well, nobody will chase you for deposits every month. Your focus will shift from looking for money to maintaining the relationships that bring it. Dear Relationship Managers, the easiest way to enjoy this job is to work smart and be strategic. Stop chasing every account. Identify businesses with strong cash flow, understand how they operate, and become someone they can trust. The things I share here, nobody in your branch will say it to you, not even your branch manager. I want you to look at this page every day and see it as a source for guidance and motivation to succeed at what you do.

You can tell when a coworker doesn’t have a life outside of work. Here's how :

Before you resign, download these documents. You'll thank yourself later. A lot of people lose access to their company portal after their Last Working Day. Here's your checklist: ✅ Last 6–12 months' Salary Slips ✅ Form 16 (all years) ✅ Offer Letter ✅ Appointment Letter ✅ Promotion/Appraisal Letters (if any) ✅ Experience Letter (after LWD) ✅ Relieving Letter (after LWD) ✅ PF Passbook & UAN details ✅ Gratuity details (if eligible) ✅ Payslip of Full & Final Settlement ✅ Employment Verification/Service Certificate ✅ Health Insurance details (if applicable) ✅ Tax deduction records & investment proofs ✅ Performance ratings/awards (if available) ✅ Important emails or appreciation mails (only those you're allowed to keep) Most people remember these only after their company account is deactivated. Save this post before your next job switch. You need this all to submit to your next company.

Graduate Trainee is not the only way to get employed in a company 😉 If you have a 2:2, a third class, or you're past the age limit, stop knocking on a locked front door. Use the side windows. Here are 3 practical, high-value entry routes most applicants completely ignore: 👇

If you're a Business Banker and you're under pressure to deliver your targets but you don't know where to start, let me share with you a strategy. This was one of the things that helped me when I moved from Retail Banking to Business Banking. At my branch, we had over 200 dormant corporate accounts. Every week, the Head Office account management team would send dormant account report for follow-up and reactivation. I noticed that many of the older staff hardly paid attention to the report. They probably had bigger priorities they were chasing. I saw this as an opportunity. I took ownership of the report, filtered it by industry and location, and started reaching out to the customers. One thing I quickly discovered was that these customers were not out of business. Most of them had simply moved their transactions to other banks because nobody was managing the relationship anymore. Customers love to be heard. They like knowing they have a banker they can call. In fact, many of them take pride in saying, "My banker called me" or "wait let me call my banker". I stayed consistent with reaching out to these customers, I visited their business locations at different times till I was able to get them back. I adopted this strategy for one month, and the results exceeded my expectations. I remember one particular customer at Ajao Estate, a large FMCG importer. They had accounts with almost every major bank. The day I visited to collect the account reactivation documents, I watched this man sign transfer instructions worth millions of naira to five different banks. What I have learned in banking is that when the relationship with customers goes cold, they naturally move to where they feel heard. Thankfully, I successfully reactivated the account, enrolled them on channels, increased their transfer limit and the rest was history. One lesson this job has taught me is that strategy and smart work will always outshine busy activities. Another interesting part was that whenever I updated my Branch Manager that I was working on dormant account reactivations, she was always pleased. I wasn't just helping myself achieve my targets. I was also helping the branch reduce the volume of dormant accounts Head Office was monitoring. Everyday when you go to the office think of something different you would do to get something done. Every time I come here to share these things, I do them because I want you to see beyond the target and pressure. Don't allow the outside noise of "pressure" to distract you. This job is not bad.

PIP is the first sign you're going to be fired. Here's why :

Stop using "please find attached" in your emails. Here's what to say instead:

If you're a sales person in the financial space, especially banking I will encourage you to learn how to write credit. Some RMs only scan customers' loan documents and forward them to Head Office for review and approval without understanding the credit writing process. Your credit writing skill In many cases, determines whether a loan application is approved or declined. Writing credit, you will need a better understanding of customers business, you'll write everything you know about the customer business profile, their financials, stock report hypothesis, credit report, justification for approval, business viability and credit utilization plan. This is a special skill that can boost your CV. In other sectors it could be referred to as Cost Benefit Analysis or Business Case. The principle is the same. You are providing a well-reasoned justification for management to make an informed decision. There was a time I wrote a credit for 100M loan, the credit underwriter approved 120M instead. That's the experience in presenting a strong and convincing credit case. In my current role, I write Cost Benefit Analyses for procurement requests. We handle a significant amount of procurement, and if I fail to provide a solid business justification, management can decline the request. This was one of skills I highlighted in my CV that got me my current job. Today, I am just one promotion away from becoming a Senior Manager. I did not get here by chance. I got here by continuously building skills that make me valuable wherever I work. I'm saying all these things because I want you to understand that your greatest asset as an individual is your skill and the value you carry within.

If growing your business has felt harder than it should be, there’s a good chance the problem isn’t your hustle. Most SMEs don’t fail because the owners are lazy. They struggle because they’re making critical decisions without the right strategy, systems, network, and guidance. You can work 14-hour daily and still remain stuck. That’s why the Caladium Lagos SME Bootcamp is back with the 9th Edition! This 1-Day event presents an opportunity to hear from thought leaders in the industry. Registration has commenced also for the biggest Sme event in Nigeria - forms.gle/DFwmyEhVkUzrjs…