Thoughts:
“The scariest thing in business is not losing money. It’s thinking you’re making money when you’re not.”
“The rich business owners are not the loudest. They’re just the ones who get paid before they deliver the service.”
Let me tell you something painful that happened to me…
We were flying high with new creatives everyday.
Ads were converting.
Orders were rolling in like NEPA bills.
My staff were busy every day.
From the outside, it looked like we were killing it…
But my bank account? Always on red.
I was confused. Angry. Bitter.
“How can I be this busy and still this struggle to save millions?”
Until one small change flipped everything.
I stopped playing the ‘delivery first, payment later’ game.
Not completely but little by little.
See, payment on delivery feels safe for the customer… but it’s a trap for the seller.
You’re carrying all the risk.
You buy inventory, pay for ads, pay for staff…
And then pray the person who said “I want” actually wants.
Many don’t. Some ghost. Others lie.
It’s like selling gala on Third Mainland Bridge during traffic.
Some people will collect it from your hand… and zoom off.
When I started testing prepaid offers, everything changed.
I wasn’t waiting 1- 2 weeks to recover ad spend anymore.
I could reinvest fast. That speed of money? That’s the real game.
Then I realized something deeper…
It’s not just about making money. It’s about tracking it. Every Naira.
Most of us think we’re bad with money. We’re not. We’re just blind.
When you don’t track your income, refunds, ad spend, inventory cost, team wages
You’re playing blindfolded in a boxing ring.
Even the best boxer will lose if they can’t see the punches coming.
Cashflow is like oxygen.
If you don’t track how much you’re breathing in and out, you won’t realize you’re choking… until it’s too late.
Which can happen for payment on delivery because you get the money a long time after the service has been rendered.
Mostly when you deal with delivery agents that hold your money.
Here’s what helped me stop bleeding cash:
I started pushing Prepaid Offers
But not in the lazy way most people do it.
We didn’t just slap a “Pay Before Delivery” button and pray.
We earned the right to ask for money.
How?
We built desire first.
Then trust.
Then asked.
We structured our offer in a way that made people feel stupid for missing out.
We used urgency “Only 21 left.”
We used fear of missing out “This bonus disappears after today.”
We used logic “Payment now means faster delivery and guaranteed stock.”
We used emotion “This product has changed the lives of 7,491 customers just like you.”
We did everything humanly possible…
Guess what?
And it worked.
Our conversion rate didn’t drop.
It actually improved.
Because we made them want it badly +before we asked them to pay.
And we were still doing payment on delivery when the customer refuse because of bitter past experience from sellers.
Here’s the part most people skip: building trust.
You want someone to transfer money to you… for something they haven’t touched, held, or seen in person?
Then you need to earn that trust fast.
How do you do that?
Show a face – it doesn’t have to be yours.
Add video proof.
Use testimonials.
Social media presence.
Show up daily.
Mention specific numbers (“Over 7,000 sold this month”).
Show behind the scenes (packaging, delivery process, your team).
Make your response feel like a human who care about helping them, not a robot.
Talk like a real person, not a marketer.
People don’t pay strangers.
They pay brands they believe in even if that “brand” is just a guy on WhatsApp with proof, empathy, and vibes.
Now here’s the magic trick: ASK.
Even if you’re not sure they’ll pay. Just ask.
So many sellers never collect because they never tried.
They assume “Nigerians don’t do prepaid.” That’s bullshit.
Here’s the truth: If your offer is sweet enough and your trust is strong enough, people will pay.
But even if they don’t – what did you lose?
You only lose money when you send without payment and the product is not delivered.
But if it’s delivered, you still win.
If you ask and they say no? You move on to payment on delivery.
If you ask and they say yes? You win.
Simple math.
Start asking. Start collecting.
And if you don’t know how to build that kind of hot, high-trust offer?
That’s exactly what we teach inside Ecommerce Success Launchpad (ESL).
There’s an entire module on “Payment Before Delivery Strategy” that shows you:
How to structure your offer so people are excited to pay upfront
Psychological triggers and trust signals to include in your ad and sales funnel
How to transition from payment on delivery to payment before delivery.
If you’re tired of cash slipping through your fingers…
If you want to stop gambling on deliveries that never convert…
Join Ecommerce Success Launchpad now.
It’ll change the way you sell. Forever.
