Empowering African Startups to Build a High-Performing Sales Engine

About the B4B Revenue Labs with AWS

The inaugural Revenue Labs, hosted by B4B Partners and sponsored by Amazon Web Services (AWS), brought together startup founders, business leaders, and sales professionals for a one-day intensive learning program on sales strategy and revenue growth. The event provided actionable insights through expert-led workshops, fireside chats, and networking opportunities, equipping participants with practical tools to scale their businesses.

The Problem

Many Nigerian startups and businesses face significant challenges in achieving sustainable revenue growth due to:

Limited funding and increasing demands from investors.
Shifting consumer behavior in response to economic fluctuations.
Gaps in structured sales processes, leading to inefficiencies in lead generation, conversion, and customer retention.

B4B Partners identified the need for a practical, high-impact training initiative to address these sales and revenue challenges.

The Solution

With the support of AWS as our lead sponsor and partners like Cloudplexo and the American Business Council (ABC), B4B Partners curated a learning experience with the goal of spotlighting common issues preventing startups from accelerating their revenue. Through B4B Revenue Labs, we provided strategies and actionable knowledge on ‘How to Build a Scalable Sales Engine.’ The event featured:

Expert-Led Sessions

Top business leaders from global companies delivered workshops and panels on key sales topics, including:

Sales Process & Strategy – Mapping out a structured, scalable approach.
Lead Generation & Qualification – Identifying and attracting high-potential customers.
Sales Tools & Technology – Leveraging CRM tools, automation and analytics.
Sales Team & Enablement – Equipping teams with the right skills and resources.
Sales Messaging & Communication – Crafting compelling narratives.
Pipeline Management – Keeping deals moving efficiently.
Metrics, KPIs & Revenue Tracking – Measuring and optimizing performance.
Customer Retention & Relationship Management – Fostering long-term loyalty.

Hands-On Learning

Attendees engaged in interactive exercises, real-world case studies, and practical assignments using our custom playbooks provided to all participants. This ensured the immediate application of insights gathered.

Networking & Collaboration

The event provided a structured networking mixer, fostering connections among founders, investors, and sales leaders, strengthening the African business ecosystem.

Outcome & Impact

B4B Revenue Labs with AWS successfully:

Equipped 61+ in-person attendees with actionable sales strategies.
Enhanced AWS and Cloudplexo’s thought leadership, positioning them as key supporters of startup growth.
Provided direct engagement opportunities between AWS, Cloudplexo and 400+ registered startups.
Generated media coverage on platforms like TechCabal, Condia (Formerly Bendada.com), and the B4B Newsletter.
Delivered a high-value experience, with 95% of attendees rating the sessions as “extremely valuable.” Participants were also issued certificate of participation.

Participants Feedback

I’d appreciate it if the different components of the sales engine could be broken into mini-series and given more time/attention so participants can gain a deeper understanding and apply it to their different industries. – Edidiong Ekong***It was a really great session. Super packed. Given some of the speakers had to rush their slides looks like a 2-day event, but that a different logistics set up needed indeed, so I get it.It was PHENOMENAL! I have a lot to think about and work on. Will be amazing to get templates as talked, particularly those talked in Chinedu’s session – he had quite a lot – as well as Napa’s.Really appreciate the kind invitation, and all I have learnt will be extremely useful as my company navigates the next phase. – Toyin SANWO***Well curated experiences for sales leaders and founders. Loved it! – Gertrude Umeh***I enjoyed every session. The event was very insightful and informative. – Alabi Aishat Temitope***Excellent workshop… great content, great engagement. – Hannatu Adegboyega

Client Feedback

According to John Adelana, Senior Solutions Architect, Startups, AWS: “AWS is commited to enabling African businesses with tech and cloud solutions and partnering with B4B for Revenue Labs was a great way to support the ecosystem. Excellent program planning and execution.”David Ekefre, Director of Business, Cloudplexo, added, “This event provided a great opportunity to engage directly with key decision-makers and position CloudPlexo as a trusted partner for cloud solutions. Thank you B4B and the team for facilitating these engagements”

Conclusion

B4B Revenue Labs demonstrated the power of structured sales training in helping startups navigate market challenges and scale their businesses. The overwhelming success of this edition has paved the way for future sessions, expanding across different industries and regions to further empower Africa’s business ecosystem.Attachments

Written by: Stacy Ketiku (Programs Manager, B4B)