Why being a “natural” is so important for entrepreneurs

We often hear the argument that hard work surpasses natural talent. Indeed, countless entrepreneurs have worked their way toward mastering their trade, often learning everything one graft at a time. However, businesspeople may find it more prudent to be seen as naturally talented entrepreneurs instead of self-made…

Talent can bring entrepreneurs a long way

Business acumen is key to entrepreneurial success. It is often a sum of learned skills, but rarely is it a natural, innate ability. Some people can simply intuit entrepreneurial decision-making, giving them an edge over those who need to dig into years of experience and ponder upon various factors to come up with their next move.

Additionally, counting entrepreneurship as an innate talent gives one the advantage of being able to start early on in their career. However, whether or not these talented businesspeople achieve success ultimately depends on their work ethic. After all, talent can amount to nothing if no effort is put into backing it up.

Why it is important for entrepreneurs to create an impression of natural talent

There is such a thing as “naturalness” bias in psychology, which means the preference for all things natural over everything made artificially – meaning that the closer something is to its original state, the better. David Robson writing on a BBC site notes that the same is true when it comes to stakeholders’ choice between natural entrepreneurs and self-made businesspeople. 

For this reason, entrepreneurs of all stripes prefer to give out an air of being a born businessperson. By playing to people’s naturalness bias, they gain the following advantages:

• Establishment of credibility. Being seen as a natural entrepreneur greatly boosts one’s credibility. This makes it easier for clients, investors and other stakeholders to trust them.
  
• Competitive advantage. Trust and confidence in an entrepreneur, owing to the perception of talent, can go a long way. It makes them stick out in a crowded marketplace, helping them attract talent, investments and profits.
  
• Better marketing. Attracting investors, in particular, can be very difficult without actually marketing yourself on top of promoting your business. Playing to the naturalness bias can improve your chances of securing more investment.
  
• Ability to draw top talent. The appearance of talent in business makes people, including the most talented workers, more confident in you. This should help you grow a competent team faster.
  
• Larger network. Having the ability to attract people with the appearance of being a natural entrepreneur can help one build meaningful business connections fast. One can leverage these connections to further grow their business, find opportunities to increase their revenue or expand their team.