Simon Sinek’s book “Start with why – “How great leaders inspire people to take action” is a must read for all business owners and marketers alike. Be prepared to be inspired and start asking yourself what is your WHY?
His seemingly simple concept of engaging people with your purpose or “cause” (the “Why”), before bombarding them with the how & what (the typical features benefit sale pitch) is so simple, yet powerful. It is easy to see how this can transform your customer engagement, beyond a simple transactional relationship into that Nevada of life time loyal customer.
By purpose he is not talking about making money, which is the result that comes from achieving your purpose. He is talking about the inner connecting thought that gets people engage in what you do. This core motivating purpose, is the same concept that Daniel Pink’s book Drive is all about. You can read more on Daniel Pink’s take on purpose in my blog post – “Forget about incentives for your staff”
Simon’s approach is a great tool for building that instant bond with your target customers , using the common ground of “a matter of principle”, before attempting to bait them into your product value proposition. Simon’s approach is well illustrated by using Apple as an example. Compare the two sales messages below:
The What / How Sell: (how most companies sell)
- We make great computers.
- They’re beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly.
- Wanna buy one?
The Why / How / What Sell : (how apple sell)
- Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo.
- We believe in thinking differently.
- The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly.
- And we happen to make great computers.
- Wanna buy one?
Watch at least the first 8 mins of Simon Sinek’s 18 min TED Video (below)
Take the time to uncover your “Why” and get your customers appreciating the true value of your offering.
The “Start With Why” methodology is a quick way to qualify potential customers in or out. People who get your purpose, will quickly build powerful relationships with you.
If you do not connect on the “Why” with your customers, be prepared for the typical transactional relationship that can quickly fall into the death spiral of price haggling.
Simon Sinek’s book is available on kindle and paper, well worth the investment. You can read more about his methodology on his web site
Mark Robotham's Blog 