🗣️ You are a solo founder company. How do you talk about yourself?
Business Marketing with Nika
13 replies
When I was a student of marketing, we talked about Tone of Voice and how to talk about "ourselves".
– It sounds serious.
– And it seems like your company is a big complex entity.
These points are valid, but when I know that behind the company is only one player (yes, other people cannot know about that), it sounds like a sc4m to me.
How do you approach this?
Replies
Dina Mostafa@dina_mostafa
Although I run a solo business, I often rely on others for tasks I can't handle myself, and I appreciate the knowledge they share that enhances my work. This makes it a 'we' effort. 'We' includes not just me as the owner or sole creator, but also everyone whose advice I value and the developers of the apps that support my products. Therefore, I believe 'we' is the right term to use in this question
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That's a good question. I tend to say "we" since I have a few employees, but I’m still the one driving the vision and making most decisions. It feels like a team effort even though I’m the solo founder!
Launching soon!
I use We Everywhere :)) It Feels Like I am Founder of an UNICORN (SOON)...
Launching soon!
@busmark_w_nika yepp, 😁
The most important thing is how you perceive yourself.
If you see yourself as a company, act like a big company. If you consider yourself a solo player, then be solo. But above all, don’t hesitate, because that hesitation is noticeable.
Sometimes, when people ask you if you’re a company, and you start explaining that you’re actually one person handling the work of five, it leads to confusion. Instead, just say: “Yes, we are a company, and we have a team of 10 people doing this and that.” No one will know that you aren’t actually 10 people. It’s more about self-perception.
Of course, I’m not suggesting you lie. The most important thing is not to lie. But if you can really handle five different tasks in an excellent way and have the capacity to manage them, I don’t see a problem in presenting yourself as a company.
@busmark_w_nika
I think what you're describing, Nika, is more of a cultural issue because in Europe (especially Eastern Europe), the idea is to be more multifunctional and able to do multiple tasks. Whereas in the U.S., everyone tends to specialize in something very, very narrowly focused, and that's why everything is more broken down into services there.
In Europe, on the other hand, general specialists tend to have more skills, and others don't. But yes, I completely agree with what you're saying.
Interesting point, never thought of solo founder companies to be a potential scam)) Did you have any bad experience previously? Just curious.
I think using 'we' makes sense for a solo founder since it acknowledges all the external support and resources that contribute to the success of the business. No one truly goes it completely alone. 'We' encompasses the founder, contractors, advisors, app developers, etc. It's a collaborative ecosystem, even if there's just one owner at the helm.
I would say it depends on the form of incorporation. If you are registered as a sole proprietorship, then singular 'I' feels more natural, but if it is a company, as a separte legal entity (LLC, Corp. or other), then there is no longer just 'you', but also this legally distinct structure, so I think you can refer to both as 'we'. Bonus points, if you get some help from others, for example accountant, lawyer or other contractors, even if you don't hire anyone full time, but use their support ocasionally.
I use 'we' whenever it's the contribution of the entire team or when it aligns with the company's stance on any given situation.
I use 'I' when I'm giving my own opinion on anything and it's independent of the company.
@busmark_w_nika Hmm had another think and I think it boils down to whether my branding is more personal or company focused.
etc if I had a company called James' Mowing, unless it became a household name or a big company, I would use 'I' since it's leveraging my personal brand and I am perceived as directly associated with it.
If I had a company called Everclean Mowing, I would use 'We' since the branding is focused around a separate company/entity. So it becomes 'Everclean Mowing and I' which is a collective 'We' even if I'm the only one working at Everclean Mowing, as the company has received it's own distinct branding/personality and is no longer directly associated with me anymore.
Autonomous
Honestly, as a solo founder, I just talk about myself in a normal, casual way. I don't try to sound like a big company. I'm just me, and I'm okay with that. I think being authentic and transparent is key. I don't want to come across as fake or trying to be something I'm not. So, I just keep it real and relatable.
The most powerful way to talk about yourself is to first be Relatable. That means to be authentic, genuine, and transparent. The second is to know, write out, and share your unique point of view (POV) story. Share what you stand for and what you stand against. Then share your change of perspectives that gets them thinking about you as a solution. Those that resonate, you'll attract into your tribe. I share my perspective on this in the video. Tap on the link:
https://app.relatable.pro/view?a...