Every entrepreneur is a marketer: Top five traits

Overview

Entrepreneurship is the big thing, not the next big thing as it has always been the sustainable and profitable way of adding market and economic value to the society and country.

Have no attitude or a dream of becoming another Mark Zuckerberg, Donald Trump, Steve Jobs, Otto Beisheim or a Richard Branson in that case, try to be yourself and make way to get your name among those names I just listed now. Entrepreneurs should constantly seek knowledge and get skilled with the latest evolving landscape if they are to survive in the marketplace and compete.

Think of those much famous ones in Sri Lanka who once lived and made their name – Nawaloka Mudalali, Upali Wijewardene, Dasa Mudalali, Charles De Soysa and so much more. All of these entrepreneurs were ‘world-class’ marketers in my opinion. They weren’t so-called ‘MBA’ holders at all, unlike today where you have so many designations running after a name on business cards. Here are some of the characteristics why every entrepreneur is a world-class marketer.

Marketing sense

All entrepreneurs have a sense and feel of marketing. When it comes to the term ‘marketing,’ it means ‘business’ and not just the famous conventional ‘sales’ aspect. Entrepreneurs think like marketers – but in this case, they think far more innovatively and uniquely than a usual corporate marketer. They blend their entrepreneurial spirit together with it, and from it comes the true beauty of marketing.

A big thank you to the new business schools that are coming into play and of course also the ones that have been here with a presence of 100 years as they are now upgrading their old school qualifications into the more relevant ones that are in line with today’s environments.

A constant attitude of grasping the latest knowledge is something that any entrepreneur out there cannot afford to lose. One critical reason why many entrepreneurs fail in their ventures is purely due to the ‘touch-lose’ of the current context and scenarios. This happens mainly when they consider the internal perspectives deep within their business decisions rather than considering the external and meso forces in the economy.

Charismatically driven

You’ve got to be Prince Charming. Entrepreneurs who succeed in life and get through to be on top of people’s minds are those who have the charismatic personality towards all stakeholders. Just like you might show that big time charm to your girlfriend or wife, you got to apply this to your business life to make relationships very healthy and active.

Learning to always love and walk the talk with people and socialise with them in a charming manner, whether you might be at a supplier’s place or even at a conference or a workshop that you just checked in to, is something that you should always be great at. This is something that money cannot buy at all, it’s your strength and guts that make you to become this way; strength to give up that fear of being nervous and frustrated all the time.

Many tell that you need to go to some public speaking classes or training sessions, but it’s just a waste of time and money. It’s no magical formulae or a step by step process to achieve this; it all lies on your ability of breaking out that fear.

Big time sweater

You know what they say right? You should be basically married to business and all your entrepreneurial endeavours. Your progress depends on the amount of sweat that you put out; the hard work that you are ready to put into that little thing.

You got to be a sweater every time of your life when you are in business or even if you are spending your personal life cause for an entrepreneur, there are no two circles. It is only for those working crowd that has two circles; the workplace and personal. For entrepreneurs, it is a rotation of a 360 degree circle.

All those entrepreneurs who are known to the world famously and of course ones who are much unknown (those who have a ‘ninja-styled’ personality), it is the hard work and sweat that has been paying off. You have to have a proportionate or even more the amount of sweat and commitment to achieve the proportionate goals; I guess this mathematically sums it up.

Daring adventurer

If you must know, none of the entrepreneurs have made it where they have been without taking any daring risk and challenges in their business life and decision making processes.

Like they say, with big risks comes big rewards and returns. Taking every risk just for the reason of succeeding should not be it. The more the failures or what we call as ‘trials and errors,’ the more you learn things and get through the maturing process.

Learn from each and every mistake you made, pick up those broken pieces from the ground and constantly keep on pushing yourself to do bigger and better things and you will see for yourself that you have come to a stage where you wanted to be; where you envisioned that you will get at with your goals and objectives.

Be an adventurer in simple terms; as you know adventurers are daring, they aren’t the lazy type. It’s like you took a trip to a wild forest with a couple of your friends, and your mind gets lost into that world with motives to explore every part of the forest; have the guts to take risks and go through what you are doing right now. It’s like a needle being sharp on both edges – don’t run when you see a wild animal and, on the other hand, don’t get eaten too.

Ultimate inspirer

You have to constantly keep on being an inspirer for yourself and of course not to forget others around you. If you got an idea, try doing something very niche because you know for yourself that ideas cannot be patented; I have come across many entrepreneurs with ideas bursting out like the lava on the volcanoes but they tend to just skip it by concluding ‘I know it’s not going to work, it’s just a waste of time’. If ideas cannot be patented, efforts and initiatives actually can.

Conclusion

You have to start off something, somewhere, somehow by some means. This is my advice to all those entrepreneurs who have those big ideas. Passion is the most important ingredient in this inspiration process; having a passion of succession towards your ideas is the answer.

Nothing comes easy – it takes time and requires the highest level of patience. Learn from these world-class entrepreneurs and never give up as quitting is never an option.

(The writer is a consultant marketer and visionary strategist and is also acclaimed as the world’s youngest member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK. Tweet him on @thanzyl or email [email protected].)