If You Aren’t Selling the Why, You Might as Well Not Even Try

You’ve options in today’s world – it doesn’t matter if you are in the market for an oil change, high-end database, or a new piano for your living room, you are overwhelmed with choice.

If you are one of these oil change, database, or piano providers, how do you stand out from everyone else?

It all starts with why.

Kudos to Simon Sinek for igniting this movement with his famous Ted Talk, books and thought leadership series: START WITH WHY.

Sinek hit the mark by stating that people really don’t care that your feature list is longer than your competitor, or that your price is significantly lower. What people deeply care about is the passion behind why you do what you do.

Everyone in an organization (product, marketing, development, sales, operations, HR) should recite the following legendary quote before they start each workday:

“People don’t buy what you do; people buy why you do it.”

Don’t just sell a piano; sell that you’ve been delivering the beauty, warmth, and power of a well-played song for over 50 years.

Or sell the joy that you feel when another young girl or boy gets the confidence to master the notes, melodies and harmonies of a truly beautiful instrument that you’ve sold.

A feature list or price list is boring, factual, emotionless – there’s no story.

Behind the why, however, is a colorful, dynamic tale of adventure, triumph, persistence, dedication and enthusiasm?

The hardware store owner doesn’t sell hammers, nails, saws, ladders. The hardware store owner sells consistency, trust, loyalty, personalized service to the local community for nearly 25 years.

Make it easy on yourself, your business, your customers by getting out of the feature game and tell a story that will inspire people to act.

Do share—what’s your organization doing to sell the WHY?

Until next time,

Dan Naden