17 Apr The why came first!

Think of a commercial you’ve seen recently. It could be for anything – a car, computer, fast food, toys. What are the sellers appealing to while trying to get you to buy these products? You may be surprised to know that most sellers use fear-based tactics to get consumers to buy their products. It could be fear that the smoking hot deal will run out before they get a chance to buy or that they’ll be judged for not having the latest technology or their kid will be teased if they don’t show up to school with what’s “in”.
You may think you know a little something about selling, but the vast majority don’t. Most companies use manipulation and fear to sell. However, successful entrepreneurs like Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why, have learned that there’s only one way to truly create customer loyalty. Inspiration.

Inspiration is how you sell. It’s how you do everything in business.

See, most of us come up with a great what – a product or service. We base all of our decisions on getting that product or service to really mean something to the consumer. How we do business is then directed by the what. By doing business this way, you’re just like everybody else. The only way to differentiate your what from someone else’s is to compete based on price, features, service, etc. To be successful, you now have to manipulate people to want your what more than someone else’s.

But, who wants to be like everybody else? Instead, start with why.

Companies like Apple and Virgin Group nail the why. It’s the guiding principle, the vision, the purpose behind what they do. Once they understood their big vision and the impact they wanted to have on the marketplace, they developed a what and a how that brought it all together.

The why came first.
They don’t need to manipulate consumers because they choose to inspire them instead.

Inspiration leads to customer loyalty. This is very different than vying for a “repeat customer”. Again, manipulation can offer short term sales and even repeat business until someone else comes along and out-manipulates you.

The real money is in helping people understand your why and what you stand for. That’s what gets them to buy the first time and continue to buy. They don’t care as much about prices or even features because they’ll see the other guys for what lack – vision. And for what they are – manipulators.

Real visionaries, running companies big and small, also hire people based on their vision. If your why inspires your staff, they’ll be with you through thick and thin. They’ll want to come work for you every day knowing there is something bigger happening than just sales. They’re part of a movement and a commitment to being better, authentic and unique.

Do you inspire?