Why do you do it?

Mission. Passion. Purpose. USP. All synonyms used by marketeers and advertisers in an attempt to instil in their audience a feeling that they’re not buying a product or service – they’re joining a cause.

So how do you identify and articulate exactly what that is?

Start with WHY

Simon Sinek fans will be familiar with this concept of starting with why you do what you do, on the understanding that this appeals far more than what you actually do / deliver / create. He explains that this establishes shared values and beliefs, leading to your being trusted more quickly and potentially considered for additional services, products and purchases – as well as encouraging loyalty and long-term custom.

Where do we start?

At the very beginning. Think back to those early days in your business – what exactly was it that you set out to do? What was your Eureka moment, if you will?

For me, it was the moment I realised my love of technology did NOT mean selling website bells and whistles to people who just didn’t need them.

It was the very start of 2001 and design agencies all over the world were stampeding to ride the wave of this new marketing phenomenon “the internet”, and to someone like me – creative thinker who can’t draw for toffee – this blend of art and technology was a godsend. I was drafted into several organisations to setup their first foray into the world of websites, including agencies keen to cash in on the trend – and that is where it started to feel, well, a bit icky.

One day I find myself in front of a very nice man (let’s call him Jerry), who has shared with me his hopes and plans for his business. He says to me “I have this quote from your boss. I’ve never met him, but feel you get what I’m trying to do in my business, so if you tell me that spending…” “… is going to help me do that, I’ll do it.”

I know what my boss would have wanted me to say. But I just couldn’t do it.

Jerry’s business was in very early stages and so spending the equivalent of a new truck on a website filled with bells and whistles he didn’t need was NOT the best investment for his business at that time – and I had to be honest and tell him so. I went back to the office and quit – vowing to only ever propose website solutions that really deliver results and meet the real needs and objectives of the client.

The moral of the story?

There was a reason you started your business, charity or project – and it wasn’t about the money. It was something deeper, it was your calling. Share it with the world and your Company will attract exactly the sort of clients you want to work with AND stand head and shoulders above the rest.