BUILD BUZZ: 8 Keys
to Entrepreneurial Succes
Innovative Progress (May 2004)
By Martin
Perelmuter, LL B.
Whether you are launching a new business or inventing a new
product, your success will ultimately depend on your ability
to build buzz within your industry. Buzz is not hype. It is
genuine sustainable excitement about your business, product
or service. Buzz is contagious, infectious, and can transform
your idea into a phenomenal success.
One of the most interesting aspects about our business Speakers’
Spotlight is the opportunity to work with and learn from the
highest achievers from the worlds of business, politics, sports,
media, academia and culture. The following are eight core
values and key characteristics that I’ve observed in
the people I’ve worked with, all of whom have built great
buzz around themselves and their endeavours:
1. Passion & Enthusiasm
The road to entrepreneurial success is never an easy one –
if it was, more people would travel it. Your passion for what
you are doing will sustain you through the most difficult
parts of the journey, and fuel your desire to keep on going
when the obstacles you face seem insurmountable. Passion and
enthusiasm are crucial to building buzz, because buzz is about
generating energy and excitement; if you are not excited about
what you’re doing, it’s impossible to get others
excited.
2. Uniqueness
It is critical that you find a compelling point of difference
that separates you from everyone else in your industry. In
a world when so many companies look and sound the same, you
must find a way to distinguish yourself from the pack, find
your unique position, and exploit these differences to your
advantage. You can’t build buzz unless people remember
you, and if you are not unique, you are not memorable.
3. The Paradigm of Abundance
There are two ways to look at the world. The first is
to see it as if you are operating within a fixed pie in which
everything you do is a zero-sum game. If you win, someone
else loses. The second way is to look at the world as containing
infinite possibilities: the more you help others, the more
opportunities will come your way. Buzz is spread by the kindness
of strangers, who feel compelled to share your vision and
passion with other people. If you don’t believe that
the more you give, the more you get, don’t expect anyone
else to. Be generous and you will build buzz.
4. The Contagion of Emotions
Much has been written about Emotional Intelligence or EQ over
the past several years. Studies have repeatedly shown that
EQ is a far better predictor of future success than IQ. What
we are talking about here is your ability to manage change
and manage relationships. The better you learn to do this,
the higher your EQ; and the higher your EQ, the more buzz
you will build. Like buzz, emotions are contagious, and for
this reason, emotions are crucial to building buzz.
5. Humility & Ego
Ego is not necessarily a good or bad thing – it’s
neutral. It takes a healthy dose of self-confidence to aspire
to greatness in any field, so a large ego can be an important
asset in pursuing your goals, however, it can also be a great
impediment if it crosses over into arrogance. My mantra is
to take my business seriously, but not take myself too seriously.
Remaining humble and looking for ways to learn from others
is critical to building buzz.
6. Simplicity & Respecting Ignorance
We are taught in our society to respect intelligence, but
respecting ignorance is actually far more important to building
buzz and entrepreneurial success. Assuming ignorance forces
you to acknowledge that your customers are unfamiliar with
your product, which in turn encourages you to craft a message
that can be easily understood by your potential customers.
The simpler you can make your value proposition, the more
widely accessible it will become, and in a world of too many
choices and too much information, this is a critical concept.
Remember, buzz can only be spread if it can be easily explained,
so the simpler you can make your message, the more powerful
it will become.
7. Creativity & Innovation
Buzz is about newness. Buzz needs ammunition to continue to
spread. Once an idea becomes stale, buzz dries up, and it’s
as good as dead. As a result, you need to constantly look
for creative, innovative ways to renew your vision, passion
and purpose. In short, "if what you did yesterday, still
sounds good today, you haven’t done enough today".
8. Authenticity & Trust
Buzz travels best through channels built on trust. In a world
where the public has lost confidence in many of our major
institutions (big-business, political, and religious), entrepreneurs
have a tremendous opportunity to earn the public’s trust.
So walk your talk, keep your promises, and always exceed expectations.
Martin Perelmuter, LLB., is the President and Co-founder
of *Speakers' Spotlight (www.speakers.ca)
- Canada’s most innovative speakers bureau, representing
the most extraordinary speakers, leading thinkers, and inspiring
individuals. Speakers' Spotlight was selected by Profit Magazine
as one of the 100 fastest growing companies in Canada, and
is listed in the PROFIT 100 (Canada's authoritative ranking
of high-growth companies).
Martin can be reached at 1-800-333-4453 or
by e-mail at martin@speakers.ca
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