BUSINESSES in Harpenden have been told to get real if they want to win more business in a recession by internationally acclaimed author and thought-leadership strategist Mindy Gibbins-Klein. Speaking for the The Business Club at The Harpenden House Hote

BUSINESSES in Harpenden have been told to 'get real' if they want to win more business in a recession by internationally acclaimed author and thought-leadership strategist Mindy Gibbins-Klein.

Speaking for the The Business Club at The Harpenden House Hotel, Ms. Gibbins-Klein, author of 24 Carat BOLD: the REAL standard for Thought Leaders told the region's business owners that they must learn to shine and raise their profile if they want to succeed in the current climate.

Ms. Gibbins-Klein presented businesses with the four attributes of REAL thought leaders who always manage to win business, even in tough economic climates and she urged local business owners to become more bold and opinionated if they wanted gain trust and respect.

"The recession has provided smaller businesses with the opportunity to really excel and stand out from the crowd if they are bold enough to stand forward. It is no longer just a market for the larger players and everyone is now on an equal grounding. As such, there has never been a better time for business owners to take the spotlight and show their customers that they are not just an expert, but THE EXPERT," says Ms. Gibbins-Klein.

Amongst her top tips for building credibility fast, Ms. Gibbins-Klein urged local businesses to become more vocal through writing and publishing their own material and taking advantage of the instant opportunities to raise profile presented online.

"Blogging is one of the simplest ways to start demonstrating your expertise and costs nothing to set up. Sharing your thoughts, expertise and opinions allows your customers to get to know you as a person as ultimately, people still buy from people.

"Just look at President Obama, he is a classic example how being open, honest and vulnerable enables people to engage with you and become your advocates. This is the ethos that I want to instill in local businesses as for many this kind of openness is unchartered waters and is seriously preventing them from making headway," says Ms. Gibbins-Klein.