Cynthia Alabi is a Tech Business Leader and a Customer Experience and Retention Specialist who has spent the past 10 years navigating key sectors, aviation, mobility, and Fintech.
As a revenue growth expert with dynamic expertise in driving the profitability of SaaS businesses, she has enhanced customer experience and retention. She has a track record of building businesses and generating over a million dollars in revenue.
Hello Cynthia, it’s good to have you here. Most people have a unique tech transition story. How has yours been?
So, I first transitioned into sales before transitioning fully into tech, which has influenced my career choice as a Tech and SaaS sales professional. My transition story stemmed from my deep passion for helping people.
I started in the sciences and earned my first degree in Biochemistry from Uniben. I was even going for a Master’s degree in the same course before I happened to have a turning point with a coursemate who had recently transitioned into tech. Talking with him opened my eyes to the opportunities available in tech and other areas. I didn’t immediately pursue a tech career, but I realised I wanted something different from the opportunities I was afforded by my course of choice in school.
That was how I began exploring other options that appealed to me and landed my first role in an Airline as a call centre representative. Working as a call centre rep brought me face to face with people’s challenges in the travel industry.
I have always had this great need to help people and would work overtime to ensure the obstacles clients faced were resolved. Imagine someone booking a flight for a critical engagement only to find out their bookings didn’t reflect, and hence, they would not be able to meet up with their crucial engagements. This fueled my desire to help, leading to so many satisfied clients.
My management noted my outstanding contributions, and within 6 months, I was transferred to the corporate sales department to serve corporate bodies.
That was how I got into sales and, over time, found it to be my pulse! Not to forget the attractive commissions and compensations that came with sales(laughs).
So…yeah! I rose to the rank of Corporate Sales Manager for West and Central Africa before transitioning into Tech Sales at Uber for Business. The idea of companies using ride-hailing services for ground transport was fascinating and innovative, and I jumped on board. I rose to the rank of Territory Manager before pivoting from Logistics Tech to FinTech in TransactWorld as the Head of Customer Experience.
That is a unique and encouraging story right there. You were a salesperson from the start, before fully getting into Tech and SaaS sales. Did you experience any challenges doing that? Was there a contrast between the two variations of sales?
Yes, there was. In fact, my major challenges stemmed from the contrast. We may have a different story now, but back then, traditional salespeople were not exposed to the utility of technology, and we did the bare minimum with software.
Transitioning into Uber for Business, I realised that the tech ecosystem thrived on and was maintained on Tech fuel!…that is the only way I can put it. In SaaS sales, we used many other software, such as CRM and collaboration tools; there were also plenty of meetings and a need for back-to-back status updates.
This was a big cultural difference to which I had to adapt. So I was grappling with learning the ropes in my new job, an untapped niche, and knowing the tools I needed to work effectively.
I always ran into trouble with documentation and status updates until I got better(laughs). This repeated scenario was where I chased down deals and successfully closed them without effectively documenting them on the CRM. On record, I was lagging in my tasks, which made my bosses unhappy. I would have to explain to them what exactly I was doing, and I just had to shape up after some time.
The other contrast is the difference in products. For traditional sales, service was the deliverable. Once the client has travelled, that’s it; mission accomplished.
However, in SaaS sales, products are subscription-based, so you need to work on customer experience due to its recurring nature of sales.
So, I hear you on your transition into tech. Let’s just imagine you were to repeat the journey. What do you think you would do differently?
I am grateful for my journey, but if I’m to try doing this again, firstly, I would seek out mentorship. When I got into Tech sales, it was a relatively novel niche, and this meant there were not many people within your immediate circle who could mentor you or even a community to join and maybe gain peer-to-peer mentorship.
This is why I’m very passionate about mentorship in communities and contribution through thought leadership.
Additionally, I would have upskilled, both in knowledge and skills acquisition. This is also tied to the first point because if I had a mentor, I believe this is part of what I would have learnt.
In retrospect, I don’t think I was well prepared for the transition. I believe if I had taken a course on Tech sales, I would have been exposed to those tools earlier, practised their use, and hence made my transition easier.
Also, I would be easy on myself. Looking back, I put myself under a lot of pressure, which led to certain decisions I believe I could have made differently.
You have mentioned it, and I think we should explore it. How are you working to close these gaps of lack of mentorship in the Tech Sales industry, as you have rightly observed in the tech Business development sector?
As I mentioned earlier, I am very passionate about helping people, starting from my family and then on a professional basis.
Over the years, I have provided my knowledge and industry expertise through mentorship and advice. I mentor at ReWork, ADPList, RevWit, amongst many others, providing guidance to people who are exploring career opportunities in Business development and sales.
In 2024, I was listed as one of the top 1% mentors in Sales/BD at ADPList. For the past 2 years, I have also provided my expertise as a trainer at ReWORK.
These experiences have been rewarding, as I have seen my mentees progress to secure attractive roles in SaaS sales and other tech sales.
Also, aside from mentoring individuals, I mentor startup founders. I was one of the mentors for the startup circle at the just-concluded Africa Startup Festival. This area of mentorship is dear to my heart because I help founders ensure their ideas are valuable even before launch. I have observed that one of the challenges experienced by sales professionals is being employed by startups with products that do not meet a genuine need in the target market.
You are an acclaimed AI preacher. Why are you on this chosen mission?
Seeing how AI could relieve me of some repetitive tasks and focus on the complexities of innovative thinking and strategy is one of my fascinations.
It is currently the game changer in almost every facet of life, from health to agriculture, down to our niche of Fintech. With its unprecedented ability to analyse vast data and track customer habits, we are in a place where we can maximise our customer experience strategies and enhance customer loyalty and retention.
AI can also be integrated with various software to improve revenue generation through maximising pricing and sales strategy.
With the AI market in the Middle East and Africa projected to reach a revenue of USD 166,328 million in the next 5 years, as well as expected to contribute around USD 1.5 trillion to Africa’s GDP, it is undeniable that AI has come to stay. Furthermore, with Machine learning projected to account for 71% of AI by 2030 in Africa, it is a niche I would recommend any fintech enthusiast explore. It is already making rounds with various Fintechs leveraging it to ensure financial inclusion for the unbanked on the continent.
I have heard some people worry about AI taking over human jobs, but I am not scared. I think AI would free human beings to do the harder tasks involved in business growth.
What’s your perspective towards industry and community collaborations in the digitech ecosystem?
I am pro-collaboration. No man is an Island; as the saying goes, you go further when you go with people. That is why I get involved as much as the demands of my day job allow. For example, I was part of the extraordinary work that Heels and Tech just initiated through their FemNest Incubator programme, through which they are raising the next generation of innovators in FemTech and FamilyTech by sitting as one of their pitch judges. They are doing revolutionary work, and I am delighted to have been part of it.
How have you optimised these collaborations and opportunities for thought leadership over the years?
Over the years, I have been invited and engaged in peer-to-peer speaking opportunities in some of the foremost tech events such as Africa Start-up Festival, Women Entrepreneurs and Executives in Tech Summit (WEETS), Techeconomy Business series debuts and many others.
I also own a visionary project, Your Business Development Girl, where I drive thought leadership, sharing my insights and experiences on tech sales and customer service topics.
I also engage in YourBDGirl Comeback outreach to my Alma Mater(UniBen). I am starting from the grassroots to raise the next generation of professionals in Tech Sales and the No-Code Tech Sector. This work led to my recognition with the ‘TECHLIFE Excellence for No-code Roles’ award at the WEETS Summit, 2024.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
In the next five years, I see myself leveraging innovation more effectively to provide unique solutions in Business development and Sales; owning a consulting company and advising scale-ups and start-ups on becoming more service-conscious, and not just focusing on product sales.
I also see myself getting more involved in training career professionals in customer success and customer experience. This vision is not just to create career opportunities for people but also to ensure that businesses give their customers a unique experience.
Overall, I plan to advocate more for a quality customer experience from the point of improved consciousness in service professionals and organisations.
