The above quote is attributed to Dries Buytaert, whose inspiring insights are central to the first blog text on this website and were at the basis of the creation of Wodan & Co. His message can be summarised in one core idea: entrepreneurship and the ability to persuade are inextricably linked.

While many people still consider entrepreneurship to be a matter of wild ideas, contained in numbers and administration, the essence of entrepreneurship lies in the interpersonal connections. As an entrepreneur, you can develop the most diverse, groundbreaking products, but you must be able to convince the market of your value. You can offer unique, high-impact services, but you need people who believe in your idea enough to do business with you. Entrepreneurship is about convincing.

It is easy to think only of the customer, who must be persuaded to buy your product or sign up for your latest course or lecture. But convincing is more than that. Your business relies on the banker with whom you want to take out a loan, the software developer whose latest program you need to innovate your operation or the young talent who will write the story of your business with you. All these cogs in your machine will have to be convinced of your idea, your story and your competence.

An entrepreneur who cannot sell himself will get nowhere. Your credibility, authenticity and attitude throughout your entrepreneurship form the basis on which others will judge you. Working on your power of persuasion is therefore no superfluous luxury, but an essential task in order to lift yourself and your enterprise to a higher level.