WHAT’S YOUR WHY?

I know it’s been a very long time since I have posted on this site. I got busy with our main site at YourMarketingUniversity.com and put this one on hold for quite a while.

For quite a while my entire focus had been about marketing stuff and so everything I posted was over there.

I was sitting here at a coffee shop and just relaxing a bit while I’m working on catching up on a few things when I actually got the urge to write here again. It came form a great conversation I had last night.

So here we are. I’m back and I do feel that it’s time to spend more time here again so I can share thoughts, ideas and other ramblings that I think can help you out as well.

Here’s what started this thought process…

In a conversation with my Mom the other day, she told me about a video from Simon Sinek about “Why” and told me that I should check it out.

I did a search on YouTube and found the video from one of his Ted Talks. Check out the video here.

I have to say that I really love Simon’s message. It’s a lot of the same stuff that I talk about and even teach in one of my training courses so it wasn’t anything that I didn’t already know from a core value but I loved the way he put it all together.

Some times even though we know this stuff, it’s when we hear someone else’s way of explaining it that it all clicks and makes sense. Some times, it’s even about being reminded of a brilliant idea or concept like “Why”.

Why do you do what you do? I ask that question all the time and it still amazes me when I hear responses to that one simple question.

“It’s to make a lot of money”
“It’s because it’s a great product”
“It’s because I can get paid to do it”

You see, those reasons won’t really stick for the long haul. You’ve got to have a passion for what you do in order to make it really stand out.

Last night I was having dinner with my parents and we got in a pretty good conversation with what I do and what my Mom does for the university that she works for.

I loved her way of looking at her job. She loves working with the kids. Her “Why” is because she can be part of their lives and help them grow to better people (cliffnotes version). That’s why a lot of people go into teaching as well.

I’m not a traditional teacher but that’s why I love teaching as well. I just like to teach entrepreneurs. It’s what I love to do and the results I can help give them.

As we talked about it, I got pretty excited about it and started talking about what I call “The Ripple Effect”. I could tell that she really got why I do what I do.

One thing that makes a difference for all of us is to really show why we do what we do. That’s where the fire comes from. That’s what makes people pay attention. It grabs their attention and holds them.

No one cares about the product really. We all live in a commodity world. There are 100 people selling the same types of products and services that we sell. They get bombarded by over 3000 messages a day.

Sidebar: This doesn’t mean that you can sell a crappy product or service. You should walk into this conversation knowing that you have an amazing product!

So if the product isn’t what matters, what is it?

It’s the energy and passion that makes the difference. People want to be part of the community.

They fall in love with the “idea” more than the product.

THAT’S what you want.

THAT’S what will make you stand out.

Simon did a great job of explaining it has a scientific studies and such as well. It’s a great video to watch because it really validated my own thoughts, ideas and messages.

Stop and think about why you do what you do?

If you can’t put it into words or your answer is to get a paycheck, then people will see right through you. In today’s world, people are more skeptical to begin with. If they think that you’re there just to make a buck, they will run. They won’t trust you.

You’ve got to have a mission and purpose behind what you do.

Think of the payment (paycheck, sale, etc) as the side effect or result. Not the main goal.

It’s a lot easier to work with when you look at things this way.

We are brought up to think of sales and marketing with a negative view, but if you think if things like this you don’t have to worry about it any more. It’s not about making the sale. It’s about adding value and serving a purpose.

Just so you know, my next step today is to write out my why and really drive it into my head again. I know it, but I think we all need to review our why every once in a while to make sure we don’t lose our way.

Try it yourself and write your why on a card somewhere. Read it every once in a while. Even post it on a whiteboard or something just to keep it in front of you.

I know that for me, my why is what gets me up in the morning, keeps me going when things aren’t going as well as I’d like and keeps me in touch with what I really need to be working on.

P.S. Thank Mom for the advice as always!

😉