Adventure, suspense, thrill of a lifetime and being at the edge of your seat all describe a lot of Hollywood movies. A new business on the other hand requires you to be remarkable and memorable, which will engage people in conversation about you and your services. Fortunately, you do not have to be scripted. Remarkable people and companies appear once in every million, then for everyone else there is developing your personal brand. You decide everyday whether the memories people leave with are worth sharing or earn you an undesirable reputation.
Most new companies start with loads of energy and ideals of taking over the world, if not then being the next big thing will do. However, the reality is that you cannot buy a brand from a shelf as most of us believed and some still do. The single greatest asset, among others, for SME’s is marketing the experience behind themselves. Branding has little to do with banners and glossy business cards, but more with how distinct you are.
The most notable and innovative companies make it big and sell businesses. Everyone else has to work daily to ensure new business comes through their doors. In a small business, though there is nothing small about being in business, we all have to be remembered as people of value thus develop a brand.
The starting point of building a brand or least what I define as the basic components are:
a. What do you stand for?
b. Why are you in business besides the money?
c. What are you marketing except the tangible product?
Are you prepared to offer your service without the monetary returns?
It has been proven time again that the most influential people in business and in other vocations don’t do it for the money, but the love and thrill of it. This might sound like another Hollywood line. However, Seth Godin’s Bootstrapper’s Bible, which was a free ebook downloadable online, was the most circulated book online. It is one of the many things that enable him to outsell many other authors in his genre. As a small business, there is very little business without “you” which makes you the business.
The giants have all the finances that the new kid on the block doesn’t, but they also have a legacy of what works, or proven to, which stunts creativity. You have the ability of throwing out what no longer serves you and improving on what does quicker than they can. If it is a matter of buying your way to prominence, then you are doomed, but it’s not. So be resourceful in where you position yourself and how you start conversations around your service. The Word of Mouth Manual says: 30% of our conversations include some product or service. People will always talk and spread the word, but are you part of the good news they spread? If not how do you make it there?
If it was within your reach to make potential customers talk about you, what would they say? Would they be ecstatic and want everyone to buy from you or even just meet you, or would they have almost nothing great to say? This is where Hollywood and business are similar. For instance, in movies a series of events happen to cause a certain reaction for the audience and many others thereafter. In your business it is also possible to receive a certain reaction all the time, but you need to be clear what that reaction should be. And you might just be in line for an Emmy.
Branding yourself should'nt be expensive and outside your immediate control, which is the reason for our forthcoming Netweb Event. We have selected a highly recommended and seasoned life/business coach, business mentor, entrepreneur and recruitment specialist whose experiences will prove very valuable.
An unlikely candidate
13 years ago
