BANZA May 2016 Issue | Page 62

between your personal brand and your business. If you own a pharmaceutical company, it’s probably not wise to brand yourself as a graphic design expert, just saying. Communicate or communicate You don’t have much of a choice here, either you communicate, or you communicate. Communication is the core of any personal branding. The moment you stop connecting with your customers, your network or your fans, if any, is the moment you lost your brand. We all know stars and idols who vanish for a long time then come back all happy, thinking people are waiting for them to find out that they were already forgotten and mostly replaced. Nowadays, with the influence of bestsellers book like “Start with Why”, consumers are interested not only in the business itself but why you started it, its missions and your vision for it. Be ready to communicate all these aspects and more. Tell your story Last year, in Fredonia, a young entrepreneur asked his mentor: How can I get investors’ full attention? The mentor smiled and replied: Tell your story. Then, the now confused mentee asked again: How can I get customers’ loyalty? The mentor promptly answered: Tell your story! Did you see what I did there?! Stories convey more meaningful messages. They are sturdy and easy to remember. In fact, story-telling existed since the ancient times that our minds became prepared to absorb them. Use them abundantly; you will thank me later. B *A swot analysis stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, is an analytical framework that allows you to see your focus points and your areas of improvements. Work on these and you will discover a better version of you. | BANZA 62