As you treating your business as an Artist would?

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LiveWireBusiness Blog - Are you treating your business as an Artist would?
Copyright Henry Winter and Livewirebusiness.com 2007
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Before I start let me ask you a question: Are you an art lover?

Even if not, I expect you would probably agree that we all love some form of art. The question is what form?

A single picture can divide opinion massively, even vehemently at times. Yet both parties can be right, but only from their perspective. And if you happen to like a particular artists style you can become an avid fan and supporter of their work. There will be something about it that specifically appeals to you.

Something unique. And something that will make you loyal to them too.

Picasso, Dahli, Emin, Hirst - to name just four - are four artists (amongst many others) who create polarising feelings, either "for" or "against". Yet they are successful, very successful. In fact they are global brands.

As a business owner you could be asking yourself why?

Did Tracy Emin set out from day one to become a world wide name? Or was it her singular focus to do what she wanted to do that created it? I think its the latter. Yes, she is controversial. But that IS Tracy Emin. And it has not stopped her, or Damian Hirst and others from becoming global.

And personality, not just of their art but also of self, is something great artists possess.

Like great artists, lots of business owners I meet have one thing that makes them stand out too - their individual personalities.

Yet, when I read what their business says about itself it's "neutral" drivel. The owners personailty has disappeared.

You could argue that the "sum of all is greater than the parts" and that individual personality, indeed any personality, has no place in your marketing, and I would disagree - totally.

If you run a local business your personality may be just the thing to put in your marketing to make you stand out.

If you run a national, or even multi national business, it may not be your own personality you want to use but at least make sure your company has some kind of personality.

And before you say personality in large business does not work let me say: Lee Iocca, Jack Welch, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, to name an illustrious few.

Get a group of managers and employees together, go through your brand, your business "essence" and re create your marketing around that personality. It does not have to be controversial to succeed either, but it needs a personality.

You would be surprised how effective just thinking about your company and its "personality" can be. You may find you are actually in a different market from where you ought to be, that your targets are a mismatch from what you truly do.

I will agree that some personalities can drive people away.

Yet, if you carefully think about the personality for your business, that exercise alone will save you wasting time and effort on customers you will eventually lose any way, giving you the time and money to cultivate those that willl truly stick with you.

And where your personality matches your market it will make you stand out from the blandness of all the rest of your competing crowd. You will attract like minded customers and as they like you, they will become loyal, become avid supporters and will spend more for the privilege.

So, go create and enjoy the missing fruits that actually having a "personality" will get your business.