BSI

Author: Liz Haywood

Humans thrive on stories. We find stories are a wonderful and interesting way to learn, gain a deeper insight and shift our perception.

We all have interesting stories to tell, journeys of success, adventures down the wrong path, perhaps mishaps that turned positive. These stories can be inspiring and powerful, more memorable ways to communicate your message.

Charles Fairlie, publisher of 50 Unsung Business Heroes, knows the power of these stories and how they can become a tool to create a moving message for others.

The idea for Unsung Business Heroes began when Charles’ father was featured in a book of boat builders, and thought this could be a powerful way for a business person to tell theirstory and build their brand.

Unsung Business Heroes is more than a book, it turns your story into a profitable conversation. Removing the overheadsof publishing, time constraints and distribution issues, the service provides a personal brand package to create and tell your story, to engage with your audience on multiple mediumsand devices.

Charles’ presentation to our Business Builders Group, Sydney CBD chapter event in July 2017, opened our eyes to how powerful other peoples’ stories are, and how they can be used to build your personal brand.

The presentation didn’t just focus on this amazing book, it was about the lessons he had learnt along the way in his business.

What Charles learnt to do

These were the aspects of his business that had the biggestimpact on building his personal brand in his business

1. Build a website

Charles needed to build a central point to house all his content, and from which his prospects could find him. After many tweaks, and a whole lot of time, he had a website which featured all the information his prospectsneeded to know. This became the anchor for his business.

2. Create and build your social media platforms

Charles started new accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to build an audience. These platforms became the brand’s voice. As content is fed through these mediums he is connecting in a positive way with businesses and the people who may influence them.

3. Build a team

Pulling together a team to make it all work, Charles formed a professional team to support his activities and sales. This added credibility to the business and assisted him in the skills he personally did not have.

4. Define the service proposition

Charles created a whole package of branding to go with each person’s chapter in the book. From web, videos, podcasts, blogs and events. This ensured value for the customer, ongoing brand support after the book has been published and a source of easy to use content for their personal branding activities.

5. Add impact statements

Charles sourced testimonials from his customers. Theseare a powerful ally for his business, as they restated the value others have received from his service, built trust and credibility. These customers became advocates for his business.

The lessons Charles learnt

We all have many lessons that we learn daily, here are Charles’ top lessons in building your business–

What to do

1. Know your market – do your homework on your target audience, there may be different types of buyers.

2. Build your plan – double your estimates as goals will take twice as long to achieve than you perceive.

3. Estimate your revenue each year – then half it!

4. Build a good team – a talented, hard-working team will help you attain success.

5. Work the dream – be clear about your vision, it makes decision-making easier.

6. Monitor your progress and adapt your offering – keep a check on how the business is really going (not how you think it is going). Use reports and numbers for real facts. Be flexible, as the business environment is always changing.

What not to do

1. Don’t listen to people who kill your dream – stay focussed on your goals, refer to the plan when you go off track.

2. Don’t ignore feedback from prospects – your prospects will give you valuable feedback about your offering or services, especially through their objections. Listen hard and validate them if appropriate.

3. Don’t avoid research – research the market, your competitors, your prospects, and any information that will make your business better.

4. Don’t quit too early – all successful businesses take timeto gain momentum.

At the conclusion of Charles’ presentation, most of us said we learnt a lot from his insights, whether it was something that resonated with us or information that we could use in our own business.

As part of the Business Builders Group (BBG) foundation to know, like and trust each other, Charles’ business story allowed us to know, like and trust (KLT) him and his business to refer suitable business contacts to him.

And as Charles said ‘There is an unsung hero in all of us!’.

Posted on July 29, 2017

Lessons in building your personal brand in business

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