It’s 5:00 AM and the alarm is buzzing. Just after you stretch before rolling out of bed, you open up your phone to peer at the day’s calendar through sleepy eyelids.
That presentation you were up late working on already has a few revisions you need to go over. You’ve got about 10 emails you still need to respond to. You have a morning meeting, so you’ll absolutely need some coffee before you get to the office.
There is only one force in the world that’s going to get you to greet this overly-full day with a smile, excited for where life is about to take you, and grateful for another opportunity to make a living running the business you love.
That force is your why.
What Does It Mean to Understand Your Why?
Sometimes why is basic. You eat because you’re hungry. You work because you need to eat. Other times the why is more complicated. You run a business because you enjoy being your own boss. You got married because you loved that person more than anything else in the world.
At the end of the day, there’s always a why. The purpose that drives us forward, makes us get up early, helps us find the willpower to take care of ourselves so that we can live a long life for those around us.
In business, why performs a similar function. It’s the catalyst that keeps us growing, delivering value to customers, greeting our employees with a smile and being genuinely grateful for their hard work.
In business and in life, the “why” is the simple statement which, if satisfied, pushes all other aspects of the operation into the background. It makes it possible to deal with dissatisfied customers, push yourself through a workout, or give 100% of your attention during an early meeting.
No matter the endeavor, knowing why you’re doing it is the most important aspect of success.
How Do You Discover Your Why?
To start the process of finding your why, begin by asking yourself a few questions.
- When you started your business, what did you hope to accomplish?
- What aspect of your business brings you the most satisfaction?
- What aspect of your business do customers love the most?
- What aspect of your business do your employees love the most?
- How satisfied are you that these aspects are aligned, and how often do you feel they are achieved?
There are no right answers here. Sometimes they may need some serious reflection. You could even have multiple answers for each question.
Ultimately, the goal is to be able to easily answer the question: “who are we as a business?”
Take some time and write down your answers. Speak with your colleagues to get their opinion on the matter. Perhaps even take a few days or weeks to ask for customer feedback to get a clear sense of how you’re performing in their eyes.
Regardless of how you define the answers, one thing is certain: the more discord among these factors, the more turbulence you’re likely to encounter on a daily basis.
What Is the Why in Marketing?
Marketing is the story that your business is telling your potential customers.
This story needs to have everything: a main character, a narrative, and a reason for that character to move through the narrative. In other words, it needs a why.
Since you’ve taken the time to understand your business why, you can now figure out how to communicate that to customers.
Think of it like this: the why in your advertising is the reason prospects will decide to research your product. It’s the reason they’ll decide to speak with a sales rep. And it’s the reason that sales rep will be able to convert them into a customer.
Without a strong why, there’s no motivation for the prospect to continue on any part of the journey.
Your why could be…
- That your product is the best there is. It’s the most effective, has the best ROI, and comes with the best team in the business to lend support.
- Your product is the least expensive, promising great results for a fraction of the competitor’s prices.
- That your product is cutting-edge, utilizing state-of-the-art technology that only a few other companies even know how to use.
- Your expertise and knowledge is widespread, ensuring there’s no situation the customer can encounter that you haven’t seen 100 times already.
Business Why Examples
Here are 5 examples of great company why statements that can help you figure out your own why:
1. Spotify
“To unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by these creators.”
This is a simple yet far-reaching idea, one filled with a haughty spirit of inspiration and creativity that has driven Spotify to incredible heights.
2. Ted
“Ideas worth spreading.”
With just three words, Ted’s mission statement provides a catalyst that begs the next question: how? Just like that, the ball is rolling.
3. Patagonia
“Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”
Patagonia’s statement is a reminder of its commitment to quality and environmental protection. These are two factors that must often come into conflict with each other, so a clear statement like this can be a grounding mechanism that keeps them on track.
4. Walmart
“Save people money so they can live better.”
A philosophy that is centered around helping others. Considering Walmart’s status as the nation’s largest retailer, these humble words are an idea that is easy to return to when conflicts arise.
5. Starbucks
“To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.”
Starbucks’ global reach is contrasted with its narrow focus on each customer, one cup at a time. Another simple guidance mechanism that will keep the company properly oriented and productive.
Why Discovering Your Why Is the No. 1 Business Move
Whether it’s for marketing or just so you can keep the ship moving in the right direction, knowing your why is the most important factor to the success of your business.
A great why statement will help you build an efficient growth model. It will also serve as a lighthouse for when challenges start to pile up and decisions arise that require you to pick a winner and a loser.
The only way to make it through choppy waters is to be prepared. Consider your why statement the armor on your hull that will bring you into port when the going is rough.
Hushly Can Help Communicate Your Why
To tell the story of your business, you need customers ready to pay attention.
Hushly’s platform is dedicated to helping you design content and websites that will allow you to communicate your why anywhere and anytime.
Through custom website experiences, customers can learn why your business exists and what problems you can solve for them. Our content analytics team will monitor how well your why is reaching customers and help you adjust on the fly.
Hushly was formed to create personalized experiences and convert buyers. Let us build a demo for you and see if we can help communicate your why to a wide audience.
