“People donʼt buy what you do. They buy WHY you do it.” —Simon Sinek
Why do you do what you do? Most of us will answer that with something having to do with money. “To make money.” “To put groceries on the table.” “So my children can have shoes.” Hereʼs the thing: Those answers are not a “why.” They are the result of what you do.
Iʼm going to ask you to go deep within yourself and find out your why. Just keep asking yourself why and then ask, “Why is that the why?” I will argue that if your “why” never goes beyond some variation of “to make money,” you will never achieve high levels of success, greatness or customer loyalty.
If your “why” is because you care deeply about people, because you sincerely want to solve problems, because you want to deliver innovation, because you feel your best when you are creative, because you feel your best when you know that you helped someone or something outside of yourself—if that is your why—your customers will know it.
Your “why” is more important than any elevator speech. It is deeper and will earn you more loyal customers than the most carefully crafted mission statement. It will turn strangers into customers and customers into raving fans.
You have frequently read my articles and heard my presentations on being different and being relevant as the two most effective ways to grow a successful business. Well here is the how: How do you differentiate and become more relevant?
Do the opposite of what everyone else is doing. Most of your competitors start with the “What?” What is it you do? Instead you start with the “Why?” and you live it.
Start living out your deepest “why” in your work and watch the results happen.
“People donʼt care how much you know until they know how much you care.” —John C. Maxwell
