From ₦200k to ₦16M Profit: How Execution and Visibility Broke Sales Limbo
Why this case matters: Profit stalls don’t break with effort alone. When I joined, the region was stuck at ₦200k/month. The team worked hard, but results were invisible. 👉 We didn’t add noise — we created clarity, made wins visible, and scaled to ₦16M/month.
1) The Stall: Why ₦200k Felt “Stuck”
Numbers don’t stall by accident. We found three blind spots: (1) activity wasn’t mapped to outcomes, so reps were “busy” without moving the metric; (2) managers only saw top-line weekly totals, never the pathway—no before/after, no evidence of specific wins; (3) effort wasn’t celebrated publicly, so the right behaviours didn’t spread. The team had skill; what they lacked was a system that showed what good looked like—daily.
Hard work alone doesn’t break sales limbo.
2) The Shift: 5 Levers We Ran (and Made Visible)
1) Relationship Management
Trust before transactions. We prioritised key accounts/outlet owners with predictable support, 48-hour service recovery, and on-shelf checks. Visibility layer: weekly photo evidence (facing, freshness, price compliance) with a one-line summary: “What changed since last week?”
2) Sales Process Optimisation
Simplified funnel: prospect → activate → order → repeat. We cut idle routes, removed duplicate touches, and set non-negotiables for the close. Visibility layer: one-page pipeline snapshot—new adds, activations, repeats—with arrows showing movement, not just totals.
3) Market Gap Analysis
We analysed micro-territories by SKU, price, and outlet type to expose pockets where small pushes returned outsized gains. Visibility layer: top-10 street/outlet lists so reps knew exactly where today’s visits paid off.
4) Client Segmentation
No more one-size-fits-all. Tier A weekly structured visits; Tier B bi-weekly; Tier C digital nudges. Visibility layer: tier tags on reports and a “next touch” date so cadence couldn’t slip.
5) Tracking Wins
Wins Log for micro-victories: extra facings, comeback accounts, price fixes. Visibility layer: Monday huddles opened with 2–3 screenshot wins; Friday wrap-ups closed with before/after comparisons.
3) The Outcome: ₦200k → ₦16M Monthly Profit
As the five levers compounded, profit climbed. Managers could finally see which actions moved the metric, so resources and recognition aligned. Reps saw proof their effort mattered, so belief—and follow-through—rose. The jump wasn’t luck; it was strategy, execution, and visibility working together. If your results are quiet, don’t shout louder—make the proof louder.
Copy This: 8-Week Field Playbook
- Pick one North Star (profit, repeat orders, active outlets).
- Choose 2 levers to run hard for 4 weeks (depth over breadth).
- Install visibility layers: one-page pipeline, Wins Log, before/after photos.
- Set cadence: Monday focus; Friday proof-of-movement.
- Standardise recognition: name the behaviour + show the evidence.
- Review weekly: keep, start, stop—based on visible results.
- Refresh levers for weeks 5–8 where proof is strongest.
- Publish one visible story (internal note or LinkedIn) to lock learning.
Two Moments That Changed Momentum
Price Compliance Fix: A high-traffic outlet under-priced a key SKU. A rep documented the mismatch with a shelf photo and competitor comparison. With a quick owner conversation and a new price tag, weekly profit doubled. The photo made the case, not the argument.
Comeback Account: An “inactive” store re-ordered after seeing a before/after display shot from a nearby outlet. The store wanted the same result. We repeated the display—sales returned within a week. Visibility borrowed belief.
📌 Related Reading
- The Power of Visibility — Are You the Go-To?
- Leadership Clarity Sprint — Make Results Easier to See
- Algorithm — A Simple Guide for Non-Techies
Next: I’m unpacking the frameworks behind this in The Visibility Blueprint™ on Tuesday.
📥 Download your free Visibility tools now — includes the one-page Visibility Checklist & Wins Log template.
– What’s one visible win you made this week?
– Which lever (trust, process, gaps, segmentation, wins) will you run first?
– What would a simple “before → after” look like in your team?
They don’t promote what they don’t see. Make your results visible — Yusuf Datti Yusuf · Freebies Hub
👤 About the Author
Yusuf Datti Yusuf is a strategy-driven leader passionate about turning insights into impact. With deep experience across telecoms and fintech, he bridges field realities and strategic execution.
From Field to Insights — Making Strategy Work Where It Matters Most.
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