Isaac Adewumi

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 12:11:34 GMT

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Every Nigerian Sales Manager Needs GNLD Training

It was too funny.

When Ladi said, “Every Nigerian Sales Manager needs to attend GNLD training,” the whole room burst into laughter.

During the LinkedIn Live webinar we held two weeks ago on “Driving Growth with Field Sales Agents in Nigeria”, Ladi dropped that line and instantly, the chat went wild.

Given the mostly negative reputation of network marketing in Nigeria and the long-standing influence of GNLD (Golden Neo-Life Diamite), it’s only natural to want to steer clear. For many, GNLD and similar programs have become synonymous with unrealistic promises, aggressive recruitment tactics, and a touch of cringe.

These are the same systems that often feel like 419 wrapped in a motivational speech, complete with chants, ranks, and weekly “seminars” that blur the line between sales strategy and spiritual revival.

So why would any serious sales manager want to go near that?

But when you look a little deeper, there’s actually something worth paying attention to.

The fact that people still believe, trust, and are willing to invest their time, money, and energy into these programs despite all the skepticism says a lot. It speaks volumes about the psychology of persuasion, storytelling, emotional triggers, and how to sell a dream.

There’s a reason someone you went to university with is still trying to get you into one of these schemes today: “the pitch works”. And if sales managers can set aside their bias for a second, there’s a lot to learn here about what makes people say “yes.”

How to drive revenue growth with direct sales agents in Nigeria

Beyond going to observe GNLD training, Ladi and Damola gave deep insights on how Nigerian sales managers can drive real growth through smarter, more structured field sales strategies.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the key gems they shared and how you can apply them today:

1. Segment your sales

Too many businesses treat Nigeria like one giant, undifferentiated market. It’s not.

Your first step should be to segment and assign. Divide your sales territories based on strategic location clusters (Lagos Mainland vs Island, urban vs rural, dense markets vs developing zones) and assign specific field sales agents to each one.

This ensures:

• Better accountability
• Less overlap and confusion
• More targeted strategies per location
• Cleaner, more actionable data for decision-making

Field sales thrive on clarity. When everyone knows their turf, it’s easier to spot gaps and double down on what’s working.

2. Hire more than you need, set goals higher than you want

Here’s the cold reality: many field agents will do the bare minimum required to get paid. It’s not personal, it’s just the nature of high-churn, commission-based roles.

To hedge against this:

• Overhire: Build some slack into your system so underperformers don’t drag the whole team down.
• Set aggressive but achievable targets: This stretches the team and surfaces your true performers.

In essence, plan your staffing strategy with real-world behavior in mind. Not everyone will deliver but your systems can make sure that doesn’t derail your sales goals.

3. Retention is a strategy

Retaining your best salespeople isn’t about offering more money, it's about building “meaning”.

Here’s what works:

• Training: Field agents want to feel equipped. Regular workshops, coaching, and on-the-job feedback go a long way in improving sales performance and morale.
• Fair rewards: Structure commissions and bonuses clearly and transparently.
• Career growth: Show them how they can rise, whether it’s to intern, team lead, regional rep, or even operations roles.
• Mentorship: Identify the ones with “inner energy” (the self-starters and fast learners) and invest in them through direct coaching.
• The 80/20 Rule: Know that 20% of your agents will likely deliver 80% of your sales. Find them, elevate them, and multiply them.
• On-ground presence: Go into the field yourself. Watch how your product is pitched. Talk to customers. Show up and show care.
• Tap into internal influence: Within your team, there are natural “opinion leaders”. Empower them. These folks drive peer motivation more than any sales manager can.

And yes, even consider attending a GNLD-style seminar. See how they recruit, train, and motivate. It may be unconventional, but you’ll walk away with fresh insights on energy, belief, and persuasive momentum.

4. Tech is your superpower

Sales isn’t what it used to be. If you’re still managing your field team with paper reports and WhatsApp screenshots, you’re doing yourself a disservice.

Modern field sales management should include:

• Handheld terminals or mobile apps to log visits and sales on the spot.
• CRM software that syncs sales activity in real-time.
• Geo-tracking and timestamps so you know where agents are, and what they’re doing.
• Dashboards with KPIs you can use to make decisions.

Beyond efficiency, tech also improves transparency. It reduces fraud, improves customer satisfaction, and lets you coach with data instead of guesswork.

5. Track the right sales metrics

Don’t just ask, “Did we make money this month?”

Ask:

• Are sales reps hitting their individual quotas?
• What’s our conversion rate from leads to closed deals?
• How long are customers sticking with us?
• What’s the average deal size and is it growing?
• Are churn rates up or down?
• What’s our customer lifetime value?

Metrics like these turn sales from chaos into science. They help you distinguish between busy agents and productive ones and between temporary wins and sustainable growth.

6. Feedback is a culture, not a correction

Too often, feedback only happens when something goes wrong. But if you want a high-performance team especially when you're working with limited marketing resources, feedback has to be part of the culture.

• Be emotionally intelligent: Know when to push and when to pause.
• Be kind but direct. Sugarcoating doesn’t help but neither does cruelty.
• Stay consistent and fair. Bias kills morale fast.
• Prioritize improvement over blame.

And above all, be empathetic. Your agents are not machines. They’re people trying to hit tough targets in often tough environments.

Done right, feedback isn’t just a tool for correction, it’s a bridge for connection.

Bottom line

There’s no single hack to building a high-performing sales team in Nigeria. It takes a mix of structure, ambition, empathy, and tech.

It takes knowing your team, understanding your market, and constantly iterating based on feedback and results.

But if there’s one thing to learn from GNLD and similar network marketing giants, it’s this: belief sells. When people believe in what they’re selling and feel supported, trained, and seen, they push harder, last longer, and deliver more.

So maybe, just maybe, there’s something all of us can learn from a system that’s still converting people, 40 years on.

Thinking about your next field sales push?

We’d love to help you plan smarter, hire better, and stay on budget.

Book a free call with Hustlebean now to get started