Earlier in the week Business Wizard published an article on whether business owners should be the face of their business or not. The author interviewed me weeks ago, and I am even quoted at the end of the article. You can read a short segment of the story below, or go to BuWiz.com for the full version.
Further, having the company so open at so many points gives the company an edge in the competitive field of enterprise software. “The bigger you get, the more faceless you become,” Simpson says. “If you had a problem at IBM, who would you call? There are too many gates at a big company. We have all these little pieces of evidence that we are incredibly available to you.”
Many entrepreneurs choose not to self-brand out of fear that doing so could hinder or prevent selling the company. Vietia says that a self-branded firm can be sold with careful planning. For 18 years, Roni Deutch has been the face and voice of her tax law firm, making regular appearances on network news, TV commercials, blogs and online videos. While she has no plans to sell, she imagines her persona would be an asset to potential buyers. “Colonel Sanders later sold his business, and they continued to use his face to promote it,” she said. When reminded that Sanders was a caricature to begin with–one that was further simplified post mortem, Deutch says: “If I had to change to become a caricature I absolutely would.”
