Being a nice human!
It’s something I will never understand… people being unkind at work and in business. If people ask me how I’ve grown my business, I say a lot of it has to do with my marketing and design qualifications and experience, but I truly believe the other very important reason is that people buy from people they know, like and trust.
The ability to be kind costs nothing
Being nice in business could be taking a bit more time than usual to explain something to a technophobe, replying to all enquiries in a professional and friendly manner (even if you aren’t the right person to help them), heck it even includes recommending one of your competitors to them when you are too busy to take on their project at that time.
My aim is to help other small businesses achieve and grow.
Sadly, like everyone else, I’ve worked with people who bully their way through the business world and disrespect their colleagues, peers, contractors, and even their own clients. However, in the words of Maya Angelou:
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
That’s why as I approach my fourth year running Barker Brooks Creative in 2024, I’m proud that almost all my clients come from personal recommendations or are people I already know in my network…
“You are so personable and approachable.”
“You explain everything so clearly and are so patient.”
“Nothing is ever too much trouble.”
“You spent the time needed to find out exactly what I wanted.”
There seems to be a lack of ‘being a nice human’ in the business world, but I wanted to share with you that it really does work!
You are your brand!
So, remember small business owners, you are your brand. Be a nice human, help others and share your story. A personal brand exists whether you create it for yourself or not. It’s not about presenting a fake identity or creating a character for yourself. Successful personal branding is about curating certain parts of your personality to present yourself to your network in the best possible light.
