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Communicating why your business exists (its purpose) can be a very effective way to engage with potential customers.
This article discusses why you should consider changing your marketing message and communications to work in a way that is probably the exact opposite to the way that you do it at the moment.
Our sister company 2112 Consulting, helps companies and individuals to find, understand and communicate their Purpose (why the exist). They use the concept of the Golden Circle which was developed by Simon Sinek and is represented by the diagram below. Each of the Elements are as follows:
What Every organisation and individual knows What they do. For an organisation, these are the products or services they sell. For an individual, it is their role and job they do in the organisation.
How Some organisations and individuals know How they do what they do. These are the strengths of the organisation or individual – the things that set them apart from their competition.
Why The Why is the purpose, cause or belief that answers the questions, “Why does your organisation exist?” and “Why should that matter to anyone else?”. Very few people and organisations can clearly articulate their Why.
The Traditional Marketing Message
People naturally communicate from the outside-in. They tell people What they do. They sometimes tell them How they are different or better. They rarely explain Why they do what they do what they do. They then expect a the from the prospective customer to act by buying a product or service or making decision or an enquiry, etc.
Example
To help explain this we will use an example of how an Estate Agent may traditionally communicate their marketing message: “We are estate agents and can help you to sell, buy or let your house. Do you want to use our services?”.
Some will take this a step further and will add the How they do What they do: “Our experienced staff know the markets and will help you get the best deal… Do you want to use our services?”.
The Problem with this Traditional way of Communicating your Marketing Message
The problem is that What and How do not inspire action. While facts and figures make rational sense, people do not make decisions purely based on facts and figures – they make decisions based on what ‘feels right’ for them. This basically means that the prospective customer is more likely to buy from you when their beliefs are aligned with the your beliefs (the organisation’s purpose).
Reversing Your Marketing Message
Communicating in the opposite way – starting with your Why means that you communicate in a way that drives decision-making and behavior.
Returning to our Estate Agent example discussed above, we will look at how the message changes when we start with Why instead of What:
Why: “We believe that everyone deserves to live in their ideal home and should reap the benefits from the love and energy they have put into it when they decide to move on.”
How: “We achieve this by employing the most experienced estate agents who believe in our purpose and will work tirelessly to help our clients achieve the outcome they want.”
What: “We are a Estate Agency who are defined by two words – We Care. Come see for yourself.”
Conclusion
Hopefully you can see from the above examples how communicating from the Why instead of the What is much more effective.
It is important to note that this applies to all forms of marketing communication. This includes marketing materials and should be incorporated into leaflet design whenever possible.
Remember, in the words of Simon Sinek: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. If you talk about what you believe you will attract people who believe what you believe.”.
Further Reading
If you want to find out more about the Golden Circle, read the article by 2112 Consulting entitled “What is the Golden Circle and Why is it Important to Business and Personal Success?“.
