People Don’t Buy WHAT You Do, But WHY You Do It

Simon Sinek spoke at the TED Conference about the “Why” in What and How we do. If you’re interested in Word of Mouth Marketing & PR, you have probably thought many times about how ideas stick and turn a “target audience” fervent and loyal fans. He has a compelling suggestion - START with WHY. I’ve included the video above which I highly recommend viewing, but here’s a quick rundown of the main points:

• Most entrepreneurs start with WHAT they are offering and then state HOW they will perform it differently from their competition, and rarely even speak about WHY in their marketing or messaging. Instead do what Apple did successfully: START with WHY – or in other words – WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IN? Apple sells a belief system of challenging the status quo, they “Think Different” and so their products are aesthetically appealing and extremely user-friendly. They just happen to make computers & consumer electronics.
• People Don’t Buy WHAT You Do, But WHY You Do It (I know it’s the title of this post, but he says it hypnotically throughout so I thought it apt to repeat) People don’t buy your products because they believe in YOU, but rather because they believe in what you BELIEVE. Their buying your product is PROOF of what they believe.
• There is a difference between a “Leader” and “Those Who Lead”. People follow Those Who Lead because they WANT to, not because they HAVE to. He gives the example of MLK, Jr. who delivered I HAVE a DREAM speech, and NOT an I HAVE a PLAN speech.

Although I love this lecture, I do think the “Start with WHY” part is something I’ve heard it before, in just different forms. Starting with the WHY is essentially about starting with VALUE. Potential clients do not want to know the technicalities (the HOW), at least not in-depth. They also don’t usually have to be reminded WHAT you do (and I use reminded because if they’re talking with you about what you offer, be it services or a product, chances are they know more or less what you are selling).  However, to close the deal, you must CONVINCE that your WHY is their WHY.

Another reason why you put Inspiration behind that Hustle.

With that said, however, what I find unique about this talk is his point about why people Buy products and why they’ve become loyal to particular Brands. According to Simon, the act of Purchasing a product is a form of PROOF — a type of subscription very visible to the society of the consumer. This is why there are “Blackberry” folk and “iPhone” folk, with both sides usually claiming they just “can’t get” the other, when honestly they are both smartphones. However, the point is the purchase of a brand is a vote, it is a quick personal statement, an identity.

As marketers and social media enthusiasts, we have to think even more persistently of not what our “buyers” are voting on, what will inspire them, how they form their identity from external ques. Instead, we have to start with what genuinely inspires us, what we do, what we love and supposedly, according to Sinek, if you build it, they will come. Through your Inspired Hustle, you will ATTRACT (not Spam, not Direct Mail, not Stalk) those whom you Inspire and may just return the favor and Inspire you.