If someone told you that that thing you so easily do sometimes even with your eyes closed and without charging a coin can earn you a million dollars, what would your reaction be?
It’s certain that you might have heard or seen this question asked in a motivation talk or email that tell you, “click here to know how”, and as soon as you click, you regret because it is someone asking you to pay them $ 2,000 for something. Well, I don’t want you to click anywhere. Just read on and if you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with my team and I and we can explore with you how you can change your social and financial status by seeing your gifts and talents differently.
The symbiotic relationship between natural/ inborn gifts, talents and business is very real. We see it come to life primarily by the products, services and actions of people in the public. Athletes earn millions just from running in international games, actors do their thing in block busters, hair stylists have our heads as walking billboards, musicians grace our radios and iPod’s. Those are the obvious channels, but we choose to explore the not so obvious ones.
Product Endorsements
If you were a top-notch Olympian who is a darling do the press, how much would you charge if Fubu or Adidas or Reebok or Nike approached you to dress head toe in their brand – on and off the track? How about a local brand in your county or country? Product endorsement means you taking your influence and authority to say a certain product is good and you use it and you strongly recommend it to your fans and followers. With a good manager, your revenues from product endorsements can support a good lifestyle until your old age.
Talent Academy
An area which is not fully explored by the gifted and talented is one of establishing talent academies. Endeavor to pass on your skill set to young ones who are where you were so many years ago. The same way someone took a chance on you, take a chance on someone who can be but has no hope of ever being great. Revenues from talent academies come from trainings, and talent nurturing programs etc. and once again, with the right systems, management, marketing and promotion practices in place, this can be an avenue for perpetual financial gain.
Coaching Services
As a professional in your area of gifting, what do you engage in when you are not working at your professional gig? Can you make extra by having an apprentice or by coaching someone? Don’t be afraid to charge a fee for the skill that you have developed through blood, sweat and tears.
Education
While coaching might be limited to the few people that you can get to physically, building educational materials that can be sold or can be riders for other teachings, will open doors internationally. For example, if you are good with knitting, you can produce YouTube videos, e-books and how to guides that people can access online. It is interesting that for such, corporates who would be your supplier begin to look for you for the product endorsement so that you say something as simple as, “It matters which type of wool you use. For cardigans and ponchos, I prefer brand DXV because it has a soft feeling both in the outside and on the inside. That saves you the use of a liner if your customers don’t want the lining.”
Merchandising
If you are an established or growing brand, merchandising is not only a good idea, but also a lucrative idea. Make merchandise and where possible, apps (phone-based applications) that will have your customers interacting with your brand at any time at any place. The more common ones are outfits, hats, caps, bags, calendars, diaries, journals, bracelets, phones, perfumes. To understand the power of merchandise, visit any casual sports shop and find out the range and prices for the quality football shirts of prominent football teams in the European Leagues.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is the style of promoting a brand where a company tells a story and weaves their brand into the lives of people. It doesn’t have a direct call of action, but it leaves the audience with the feeling that if they are not using the company brands or the one brand itself, then they are missing out. Many companies in Africa are beginning to wake up to the reality and strength of content marketing. It takes discipline and trust for a corporate to entrust you with their name.
In the book recommendation here, John Maxwell says two things that are of paramount importance; that talent gives you opportunity, but wrong choices shut the door and second, talent is a given, but you must earn success.
For more insights on your talents/ gifts/ abilities and money, we recommend the book “Talent is Never Enough: Discover the choices that will take you beyond your talent” by John C. Maxwell
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