When you ask leaders where they want their business to be, invariably you will get some version of the same answer: successful. Success could mean many different things, depending on your strategy and your goals. A successful business could man having more clients than they can handle, making stellar profits or being recognized as an industry leader online. Achieving results that coincide with your expectations are what determine a company’s success.
If you really want to be successful, you have to do away with the purely profit motivation that has fueled so many failed businesses over the years. Instead you need to refine your view of your company’s position and align it with your purpose. And in order to do that, you should start with the question, “Why?”
The Golden Circle
Let’s back up a little bit and look at what Simon Sinek refers to as “The Golden Circle”. Think of three concentric circles that look like a bulls eye target. At the center is the word “Why.” The next ring has the word “How” and the outer ring has the word “What.” As Simon explains it, every person in a business knows what they do. An employee at Apple, for instance, knows that the company makes computers and they know their specific role in the company. A smaller number of people know how they do it. They may not necessarily understand the intricate ins-and-outs of the business, but they still know what it is they do. But very few (or in some cases none) of the people working for a company know why they do what they do. Ignoring profit and sales, why does the company exist? What is their mission?
Do You Know Your Purpose?
If you want your company to be a success, you have to start with the inside of the circles and work your way out. You must define why you do what you do and then let the rest fall into place from that. Ask yourself “Why do you get up in the morning and do your job?” In effect, what is your purpose as a company? For some, it might be to challenge the way that everyone else has done things in the past. That’s what Apple does: If you look at their marketing and their brand, they are telling people that they innovate because they believe in thinking differently and in challenging the status quo. It just so happens that they also make computers.
Reaching Your Audience
If you are ready to get your business where you want it to be, start with the why. People do not buy your product because of what you do, they buy it because of why you do it or because they are interested / inspired by your direction. Decision making comes from the part of the brain ruled by gut instinct. Logic comes into play but so does emotion, and many companies don’t realize the impact of an emotional response when making a purchase. When you hear people say that they are following a gut reaction or they are doing “what feels right,” they are saying this because the brain can’t adequately define the thought process at that exact moment. You can give these people all the facts and figures you want about why they should buy your product. But you won’t get their buy-in unless you can connect with them at that gut level. To do that, you have to decide why you are doing what you do. If you can explain that to them, it humanizes you to your customer base and help them connect on a larger, emotional scale.
If you are seeking brand loyalty from your audience, you need to convince them that your offer is worth their attention. There are plenty of ways to do that, starting with a branded website. Take charge of where your business is going and give us a call.