Savor the Success - Business Network for women entrepreneurs

I went to a NYC Entrepreneurs event/conference last week mostly because I thought it might be a good place to find business.  That turned out not to be the case. 

Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

The event wasn't a total loss for me though.  I got to hear a very interesting speaker named Simon Sinek.  He has a book coming out in October called "Start with Why". 

He talked about why companies like Apple Computers, Harley Davidson and Southwest Airlines have such loyal customers.  They buy them even when their products are more expensive and not necessarily better than the competition. 

He said that there are three elements to a business (which he represented as concentric circles), what you do, how you do it and why you do it. 

Most companies start with the what.  What do you do?  You sell makeup or jewelry or widgets.  You offer legal or consulting or public relations services.

The how is easy.  It's how you deliver the product or service that you offer. 

Why is something that lots of companies either never think about or lose sight of along the way. 

What he explained is that if you want loyalty from your customer base, you have to start with why you do what you do and the how and what will follow from that. 

So, what is the why? 

It's your central belief system.  It's not just why you sell the product or service that you sell.  It is why you get out of bed in the morning.  It permeates everything that you do.

Once you know your why, it dictates how you go about doing what you do.  People are actually drawn to companies that share their beliefs more than anything else.  It's why they choose them above their competitors.

He gave the example of Harley Davidson.  Harley's why is that they're rebels.  So they create products that are loud, flashy and big.  And Harley owners will buy their products without even looking at any competitors. 

Heck, people who don't even own Harleys will buy innumerable products with the Harley logo on it.  They'll even have the logo tattooed on their body.

Why?

Because Harley owners consider themselves to be people who believe themselves to be rebels.  That logo stands for what they stand for.  And that is enough for them. 

Is Harley really better? 

Probably not. 

They cost much more than the competition.  They're technologically the same (if not inferior) to some of the competition. 

But Harley owners are fiercely loyal. 

Why?

Because they believe that the brand reflects what they believe about themselves. 

Harley Davidson is able to sell all kinds of products successfully because all of their products reflect their why.

It's an interesting way to think about your business.

Oddly, it had never occurred to me that people don't set up their businesses based on their belief system. 

I'm sure that anyone who's ever heard me speak or read any of my marketing materials has heard me say (in one manner or another) that "I help businesses to protect their family, themselves and their businesses."

I had thought that this was my central belief.  My why. 

I didn't realize that I could boil it down further until he was speaking about his theories at the event. 

He said that if you look at any business you've started, you'll find that they all have the same why.  Your why is why you get out of bed in the morning. 

My brain started going…

And I found my why.

I wrote it down on a notecard right away.  It says, "Family First".

And for me, that's it.

That's absolutely why I get out of bed in the morning. 

It's why I run the kind of law firm that I run.  It's why I'm a full time mom and a full time lawyer.  It's why I'm willing to work for less money than other lawyers to help other people to protect their families. 

So, what's your why?