Finding your why
The most important question we can ask ourselves is: why?
Why do we wake up in the morning? Why are we doing what we’re doing? Why do we want to do what we are working for? In essence, what do you believe and why?
This question, however, is also the hardest. We have no problem telling people what we do: I’m a realtor, I’m a landscaper, I’m a web developer. But we rarely share WHY we do what we do.
Attracting your circle
By starting with your why, you can recruit die-hard fans who read your content, buy your products and promote your company – not because they’re being paid or even because your products are great – but because they believe what you believe. Chris Guillebeau calls this the Small Army of Remarkable People – the people who go out into the world and can’t help but telling everyone they talk to about what you’re doing. Think of Gary Vaynerchuk’s Vayniacs, almost everyone who wears a pair of TOMs shoes or donors to Charity:Water.
To attract these fans you need a clear vision and translation of why you do what you do. This helps you identify probable fans and customers while allowing you to gently redirect those visitors or customers who are not interested in your mission to the side.
This process of finding the WHY is succinctly presented by Simon Sinek in his excellent TED talk on the golden circle.
The Golden Circle
The golden circle is simple at first glance. What, how, why. What you do (products/services), how you do it (value proposition) and why you do it (mission or cause).
According to Sinek, every business in the world knows their what. They have no problem telling others what their products and services are. In his example, Apple creates computers with a certain amount of RAM, hard drive space and all the other specs. In our case, 9 Clouds provides 1-on-1 training and workshops to help businesses learn to effectively use technology.
A few businesses know how they do what they do. In Apple’s case, they build beautiful computers that are easy to use. In 9 Clouds’ case, we provide personalized learning focused on digital literacy, meaning understanding which tools are most important to use and knowing how to use them.
Only a select few businesses can tell you why they do what they do. Apple’s mission is to challenge the status quo in everything they do, summarized in their old ad: think differently. 9 Clouds’ mission is to empower and inspire learning, especially in regards to technology.
Inside Out
Most businesses will market and describe themselves from the outside in. First telling you what they do and trying to appeal to your reason. A few companies very successfully start from the inside out, first telling you what they believe and then saying, “By the way, we also make computers.” According to Sinek, appealing to this why is the most effective way to gain followers and customers. It taps into how we feel and how we want to identify ourselves. We might have all the facts and even know that one computer is cheaper and faster, and yet, we still choose to purchase an Apple because we want to identify and be identified with their WHY.
With access to products and services around the world, most businesses cannot compete on price. The small town, local business will never be cheaper than Wal-Mart, Amazon or Best Buy. However, they can appeal to our why. Although logic would tell us to buy the cheapest product, we might feel loyal to local business because we share the same goals for the community or because we want to be identified as a member of their circle. Food co-ops are perfect examples of appealing to the WHY. Sure, I can buy organic and even locally produced food at the large grocery store, but I still want to shop at the co-op with its vision for sustainability, community development and support for local growers. I want to be a MEMBER, not just a customer, and I want others to know that I’m a part of the co-op. The conscience consumer (both of food and products).
Is it logical? Maybe not. But it doesn’t matter. I buy in to the why and make my decisions accordingly.
Find your WHY
As you start or pursue your mission, you need to share your WHY with others. Worry less about the specs, products or services and more about why you’re doing what you’re doing. If you search for your WHY and don’t find an answer, it’s time to take a step back. Think about what excites you, what you want to see in the world and how you can feel fulfilled. Make sure that your day-to-day work and actions fit and are taking you towards this overall vision. Then try to articulate that vision into your WHY.
When you find your why, others will soon find you and join in your mission.
