Why do you do what you do? I mean really why. Not your canned response like, “Because I need the money”, “I need to provide for my family” or “It’s what I’ve always done.” or even “I have an extensive collection of sock puppets I need to maintain.”
What gets you up in the morning and motivates you to open your doors everyday to customers?
My little kitty passed away this week. Whenever I suffer a loss that big, I always tend to reflect on what my priorities are, both with myself and my business. Also during this week, I guided a Social Media coaching session with a dealer client who reminded me of a great TEDx talk from Simon Sinek, author of the book “Start with Why”, called, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”. All this got me thinking about why it is I do what I do.
The majority of businesses are run (and then perceived) from the outside in: The business says what they do. They say how what they do is better. Example: “Here’s our new car. It’s got all these great features and a low price.” It’s uninspiring and unremarkable.
Inspired organizations all think, act and communicate from the inside out. They start with the WHY. Simon Sinek uses this example: If Apple simply said, “We make great computers. They’re beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly.” Are you inspired to buy one? Meh.
Instead, Apple begins from their WHY: “In everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently.” Then they communicate the How and What: “The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly. We just happen to make great computers.” That’s a lot different, right? They reverse the order of the information and inspire the buyer.
When you communicate from the outside in, people can assimilate vast amounts of information but that doesn’t drive behavior. It’s how our brains are wired. When you communicate from the inside out, you talk to the part of the brain that controls behavior and then you allow people to rationalize it with the tangible things you say and do.
If you don’t know why you do what you do, how can you expect others to know…and then ultimately buy from you? This is the definition of loyalty. The goal is to not just sell to people who need what you offer but to get them to believe what you believe. If you don’t know your business’ WHY, how will you get people to want to be part of it?
People don’t buy what you do. They buy WHY you do it. What you do simply serves as the proof of what you believe.
As the business owner, the best way to identify your WHY is to get quiet and ask yourself, “What is my purpose?” Ponder it thoughtfully. What action in your daily routine brings you the most satisfaction? Connecting to the deeper reason you’re in business helps renew your sense of purpose. You can communicate it to employees and hire those who believe what you believe.
What gets me up in the morning is my desire to have an impact on the industry I’ve been part of for 30 years. Everything I do is about forging and mastering new ways for dealers to increase leads, sales and profits. I strive to bridge the gap between the dealer, the employees and the customer using Social Media.
What is your WHY? What is your purpose, your cause or your belief? Why does your business exist? And why should anyone care?
Check out Simon Senik’s TEDx talk. Great leaders DO inspire action:
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