Always ask first: Why?
I came across Simon Sinek’s talk and book on this topic, which stuck with me. So, I would like to share and summarize the topic with you. I can recommend the book for more details!
A small example as an introduction:
The first portable MP3 player was developed and marketed by Creative Technology Ltd. The advertisement went something like this Portable MP3 player with ample 5GB memory. The success of the device was modest.
Twenty-two months later, Apple launched the iPod, offering “1,000 songs in your pocket” and revolutionizing the music market. The difference: Creative told us what their product was, and Apple told us why we needed it.
I find the video of Simon Sinek’s talk very interesting, and I highly recommend that everyone take the time to watch it. It is worth it:
Start with Why – Simon Sinek at USI (Link to Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nokBj14p4Mc)
Summary of: “Always start with WHY?”
Some projects that seem promising turn out to be disappointments or even disasters. Others, however, that seem doomed from the start, turn out to be brilliant successes. These results may seem puzzling to us. They are not, however, when viewed from a perspective that begins with WHY.
In his book “Always Ask First: WHY?” Simon Sinek uses the Golden Circle model to explain why famous leaders like Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Wright Brothers could accomplish what others could not. Even though they were just as smart, just as hard-working, and often better funded.
In any organization, we operate on three levels, as shown in the diagram below:
- What we do
- How we do it
- and why we do it
We all know what we do: The products we sell, the services we provide, or the jobs we do. Some of us know how to do it: These are the skills that we believe make the difference, that set us apart from the crowd. But few of us can clearly articulate why we do what we do.
“Wait a minute,” you might say. “Hand on your heart – don’t most people work for money? It’s obvious that’s their ‘why.'” But money is only a consequence. It’s part of the whole, but it’s not what inspires us to get up every morning and go to work. And to the cynics who insist that they and others only go to work for money, I ask them why they earn money? To be free? To travel? To give their children a comfortable life they didn’t have? The point is that it is not the money that drives us. The WHY leads to a deeper understanding of what motivates and inspires us. It is the goal, purpose, or beliefs that drive all organizations and all personal careers.
Why does your company exist? Why did you get up this morning? Why should anyone care? When we talk to consumers or new customers, we usually tell them what we do. We tell them how we do it or how we are different. We think that is enough to win the race.
The following product promotion follows this pattern:
We sell paper. We offer the best quality at the lowest possible price; lower than anyone else. Want to buy from us?
This is a very rational argument. It makes clear what the company does and tries to convince potential buyers to buy based on product features and financial benefits.
This argument will sometimes work, but at best it will lead to some bookings. As soon as the buyer finds a better offer, he will turn his back on the company because the product advertising does not differentiate the specific provider from other companies in any significant way. Loyalty is not built by product features and benefits.
Features and financial benefits do not inspire. Loyalty and long-term commitment are built on something more profound. Let’s try again with our product advertising. Let’s start with the WHY:
What good is an idea that can’t be shared? Our company was founded to share ideas. The more ideas that are shared, the greater the likelihood that those ideas will impact the course of the world. There are many ways to share ideas; one of them is the written word. That’s our specialty. We make paper for those words. We make paper for great ideas. Want to buy it?
That’s a whole other thing, isn’t it? If we start with the WHY, it makes the paper immediately attractive. And if it works for mass-produced paper, it will work even better for a product. These ads are not based on facts and figures, not on features and financial benefits. These products have value, but that’s not the main thing. It is the WHY that gives the argument a deeper, more emotional, and therefore ultimately greater value. Emotions play a huge role in sales!
When we use the second ad, it’s no longer about paper. It’s about what the company is and what it stands for. Of course, there will always be people who just want to buy paper. But if your personal beliefs and values align with those expressed in the product ad, you are more likely to want to buy that product. Not just once, but again and again. You are likely to remain loyal, even if someone else offers a better price.
It says something about the buyer’s personality when they buy from a company that reflects their beliefs. It’s the companies that inspire, that have earned long-term trust and loyalty, that make us feel like we’ve acquired something. Something so important that we will sacrifice a few extra dollars for it.
That connection to something bigger is why we wear the jersey of our local sports team, even if it hasn’t been successful for more than a decade. It is why many people choose Apple products over other products, even if Apple is not always the cheapest choice.
Clearly, humans are not exclusively rational beings. If they were, no one would fall in love, no one would start a business. Given the minimal chances of success, no rational person would take such a big risk in either case. But we do it anyway. We do it because our feelings for an object or a person are stronger than our rational thinking.
But our feelings cause us problems. It can be unspeakably difficult to express them. That’s why we so often resort to metaphors or analogies like “Our relationship is like a train hurtling at breakneck speed toward a rickety bridge” or “When I go to the office, I feel like a little kid going back to the playground. As difficult as it is to express feelings, it is worth it. When we are on the same emotional wavelength as consumers and customers, the connection is stronger and deeper than any connection based on product features and benefits.
The whole principle of asking why is rooted in the biology of decision making. The way the Golden Circle works is exactly the way the human brain works.
The outer ring of the Golden Circle – the WHAT – corresponds to the outer part of the brain, the neocortex. This is the part of the brain responsible for rational and analytical thinking. It helps us understand data and facts, features and benefits. Among other things, the neocortex is responsible for language.
The two inner rings of the Golden Circle – the WHY and the HOW – correspond to the inner part of the brain, the limbic system. This is the part of the brain that is responsible for our behavior and decisions. It is responsible for all our emotions, such as trust and loyalty. Unlike the neocortex, the limbic system does not have a language function. This is the part where the “gut feeling” comes from. It doesn’t come from our stomach. It’s what we feel when we make a decision and have difficulty explaining it.
This division of responsibility is the biological explanation for why we often find it difficult to put our feelings into words (“I love you more than words can say”), to explain our actions (“I don’t know what the hell got into me!”), or to justify our decisions (“I just felt it was the right thing to do”).
But we can learn to put those feelings into words. Those who do are better able to motivate themselves, as well as colleagues and clients. Once you understand your WHY, you will be able to clearly articulate what gives you a sense of fulfillment. And you will better understand what drives your behavior when you are being your best self.
Practical Implementation in Sales
How can you implement the principle just described in your daily business? I analyzed this based on the company I work for:
First, I looked at our websites. These are now the central point of contact for almost all of our prospects. I think you can find our “why” there!
For example: Our mission statement
Making the world safer and healthier
Evident’s mission is to make people’s lives healthier and safer by providing leading-edge technologies and workflow solutions that support scientific research and ensure public safety.
In the industrial business, we use leading-edge technologies to develop products for quality control, testing, measurement, environmental engineering, and natural resource utilization applications – all to make society safer.
Source: https://www.evidentscientific.com/de/careers/
The mission statement is suitable for use in sales. The protection and safety of people has always been a buying motive, and certainly even more so in the age of Corona.
If a customer asks a salesperson: “What do you do at Evident?” The answer might go something like this
Our products help make people safer in a variety of ways. For example, our videoscopes are used to inspect aircraft turbines for damage. X-ray fluorescence equipment is used to test everyday products for toxic substances such as lead, and our ultrasonic equipment is used to ensure the quality of welds on safety-relevant components. With these and many other solutions, we make a global contribution to society and are one of the leading suppliers in the fields of non-destructive testing, microscopy, and metrology.
I believe this example stands out from standard marketing and gives a deeper meaning to what we do.
Your vision can only be realized if you say it out loud. If you keep it to yourself, it will remain a figment of your imagination.