Why? The one question that will change how you run your business
I’ve long been a fan of the Simon Sinek TED Talk Start with Why, and the principle has been central to my work for many years.
If you’ve never seen this TED Talk, or read the book, watch this summary (less than 5 minutes).
What do you mean, ‘start with why’?
The idea is that your business operates on three levels: what you do, how you do it and why you do it.
What - the products or services you offer
How - what makes you special or sets you apart from others
Why - your core beliefs and purpose
When it comes to marketing, most people lead with the “what” (I sell coaching/candles). Many weave in the “how” (ethical coaching, handmade candles). But what about the core of the golden circle - the “why”?
The “why” needs to be the clearest of all, because this is the part that will fuel sustainability in your marketing efforts.
Your purpose is always - or should always be - in the mix when you think about your marketing planning. Doing this will make it easier for you to make decisions about marketing and your business as a whole - and not just easier, but also better and in a way that feels more like you.
What I find is that lots of business owners struggle to articulate their “why”.
Why changes everything
“Why?”
This is a critical question for you to answer. While people care about the what and the how of your business, it’s the why that is the thing that will keep them engaged in your world.
When your ideal audience buys into your why - when they fall in love with you, your drive and your story - that’s when everything changes.
In his book Start with Why, Simon Sinek writes:
“We want to be around people and organizations who are like us and share our beliefs. When companies talk about WHAT they do and how advanced their products are, they may have appeal, but they do not necessarily represent something to which we want to belong. But when a company clearly communicates their WHY, what they believe, and we believe what they believe, then we will sometimes go to extraordinary lengths to include those products or brands in our lives.”
Isn’t that exactly what you want for your business?
Look at it this way: if you and a competitor offer the same product, but you charge a bit more for it, who are the people that will choose you regardless? Who will come back again and again, and recommend you to others? It is the ones who feel invested in your business. Who feel they get more than just a product or service from you. The ones who want to be a part of your story because they like being aligned with you, whether that is because they share your values or enjoy your content or simply like you and want to see you succeed.
An example: Patagonia
I really admire Patagonia as a business, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that they are driven by their purpose, which is: We’re in business to save our home planet.
Who doesn’t want to be part of that mission?
What makes Patagonia particularly strong is that this purpose (their why) is more than just nice words. It shines through everything they do - from how they hire and manufacture to how they sell.
By having a clearly articulated purpose that guides all their business decisions, how Patagonia does marketing and business is a relatively straightforward decision.
How I start with why
“Why do you do what you do?” is a question I ask marketing coaching clients. If they don’t know, we work on that together. Because when you’re clear about why you’re in business, then the “how” of marketing is so much easier.
Showing off the coveted Do Crew t-shirt!
Here’s a personal example. I started working for myself because I want my career to have a positive impact on the world.
Annoyingly, when I first started out, while I had an idea what my why was, I never articulated or wrote it down.
But a few months down the line I did, and that’s when things fell into place. I rebranded the company name to Goodness Marketing, so it would reflect my why - with “Goodness” referring both to the good work we do and that we do good in the world.
My why also decided my strapline: “Marketing for goodness’ sake” and even influences decisions such as what paper I use for printing and who I picked as my accountant.
I’ve changed and tweaked the wording of my why over the past 7 years, but at the heart it has remained constant: to be a force for good in the world.
This impacted my what. I am a force for good in the world through offering marketing services, training, consultancy and coaching (the things I’m good at and what my career is made up of).
It’s impacted my how. Goodness Marketing is values-driven and focused on marketing that feels good, does good, and gets good results.
Together, these things serve my why.
Many of the people who came into my word because they felt aligned with my “why” have stayed around and are my biggest cheerleaders!
When I introduced new services and courses - like when I launched the Do Crew in 2023 - they were first in line to buy. In fact, when I printed a Do Crew t-shirt for myself, some of them asked if they could buy one!
This for me is proof that when people buy into your why, and your why feeds into your how and what, this can only be a good thing for your business.
Articulate your why
I didn’t articulate my why when I started my business, but I wish I had! Because by taking the time to clearly articulate your why, you will find it quicker and easier to make decisions about your marketing in the future.
I recommend journalling or some form of mind-mapping when you want to uncover your purpose. Write down ideas around what you feel your why is, and see if a common theme emerges. If you get stuck, keep asking yourself “why?”. A good technique to get to the core answer is the 5 Whys - where you keep digging deeper and deeper until you uncover the truth.
Discovering your why isn’t an easy process for most people. You are shifting your thinking from your what and how - the daily running of your business and the decisions you make about products, profit and suchlike - to something deeper, more profound and harder to pin down.
Don’t worry if you can’t nail your why in one day, but keep working on it, tweaking and perfecting, until you are happy with it. I promise it will be worth it.
Once you feel happy with your articulated purpose, own it. Write it on a piece of paper on your office wall. Put it on your website. Design a nice graphic with it on and make it your screensaver.
Own it, but don’t be married to it. You get to tweak it and tinker with it. Revisit your why from time to time, so you can update it as your business grows or as your motivations change. Do not stagnate!
Help with your why
I know it’s hard to figure these things out - especially when you’re so close to it. Over the years I’ve helped countless clients figure out what their deep why is - and the process usually involves some form of journalling.
By answering questions about your passions, values, connections, legacy and unique experiences you can start to form a picture of what really matters most to you.
Want to give it a go? Well you’re in luck, as I’ve listed 34 journalling prompts for people who want to uncover their purpose. Download it here.
