By Dr Wilfred Isak April
WELCOME to another fascinating year of learning, growth, tears and smiles. Now I want to introduce you to a sentence I learned through my working holiday with a small business owner in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in December. The sentence is, “Even if I have to …” and implies that each day you wake up in this new year you are challenged to give the best of yourself in the workplace.
It really does not matter how we feel on a particular day, but try to give the best of yourself to the world. I know this might be daunting, but it can be done.
In fact, it is so worthwhile to go to your bed in the evening and know that you have done the best you could to make Namibia a better country.
This will ensure that you have a better story to tell the next day.
As an entrepreneur you are required to tell a story and you must be able to do it very well. Some of you may ask but why is he telling a story so important? Ladies and gentlemen, people do business with people they know, like and trust.
So when you tell your story people get a chance to know you. Imagine yourself walking down Independence Avenue in Windhoek and a renowned businessperson asks you to tell your story. What are you going to say?
I will give you time to think about the answer to that question over the next few days.
I specifically want to remind you today that as an entrepreneur you will be speaking to attract customers or investors. What is it that you need to do to attract more customers to do business with you?
First of all, it is important to tell them who you are and why you do what you do and why is it important.
When people generally hear you speak as an entrepreneur, there are usually three questions they ask.
Who are you? What do you have? And why should I care? I know many of you have set goals you would like to achieve in 2014.
I want you to take a minute or two to think about your goals. In addition, what are the things you think excites you. The lesson here is for you to start to see the world on your own terms or perspective that add more zest to your life.
Helen Keller once said: “Life is either a daring adventure or it is boring.” It is my sincere wish that in 2014 Namibians would strive to live a more daring life and look for some adventure. Customers are looking for some adventure.
As an owner of a business you must try to be very strategic with your story, but remember to be experiential at the same time. By strategic I mean – what you are trying to do with your customers is to distract, dispute and inspire.
Customers already have a mindset about what it is that they want, but when you tell your story as an entrepreneur, about your product, your skills or business you are disrupting the story that is in the head of the customers.
Perhaps they may be thinking about somebody else they are dealing with. As an entrepreneur, you want to interrupt that story so that they don’t look at any other place if not you.
They must realize that you are the one and you have to ensure that you dismantle the belief system of your potential clients.
As you make your presentation you have to create a thirst for your product or service. By telling your story strategically and experientially you are opening their minds about the possibilities you provide and also the thirst for what you provide. I wish you immense luck as you tell your story to potential clients and investors over the next few weeks.
• Dr Wilfred Isak April is a Unam graduate and holds a PhD (Entrepreneurship) from New Zealand. He currently lectures in Leadership, Organizational Behaviour and Entrepreneurship at the University of Namibia.