When you’re asked about your business, a common, knee-jerk response is to describe what it is that your business does.
However, explaining ‘what’ you do doesn’t tell your audience about your motivations, why your business exists and what it is you’re striving to achieve. It doesn’t share your ‘why’.
That ‘why’ is an immensely powerful tool for ensuring your team are motivated, keeping your customers engaged and producing successful communications.
Every business has a ‘why’
Every business has a ‘why’ – a driving force. The thing which truly motivates everyone within the business – including all team members and the business owner themselves. Your business’ ‘why’ goes beyond financial gain – that’s simply a result.
This can be said for every business owner – from the Bill Gates’ of the world to the small or start up business owners.
Using Microsoft as an example, its ‘why’ is to “help people and businesses throughout the world realise their full potential[i]”. This statement underpins all of Microsoft’s actions and communications. Here are some examples of other, well-known companies’ ‘why’:
- Apple: “making personal computing accessible to each and every individual so as to help change the way we think, work, learn, and communicate[ii]”
- Amazon: “to continually raise the bar of the customer experience by using the internet and technology to help consumers find, discover and buy anything, and empower businesses and content creators to maximise their success[iii]”
- McDonald’s: “to provide a fun and safe environment where our customers can enjoy good food made with quality ingredients at affordable prices[iv]”
How your ‘why’ drives your ‘what’
Understanding why you are in business and what exactly it is you want to achieve will sculpt your services and the way in which you do business.
Defining your ‘why’ can help to motivate your team, as they will all be working towards achieving a unanimous, collective goal. This will ensure your team remain engaged and continue to provide your customers with a great service and/or product.
If it is evident that you and your team are motivated, passionate about what your business provides and want to offer the best service possible, your customers are more likely to remain engaged with your business.
Using your ‘why’ to create stand-out, thought-provoking content
Once you have defined your ‘why’, you can use it as a means of creating messages. Messages refer to unique statements which define your business, its operations and the way it is run. These messages can then be embedded subtly within all communications, to ensure a consistent, unique business personality.
Distinguishing your ‘why’ can also help to streamline your communications. Having a clearly defined ‘why’ will ensure your business communications – including social media posts, blog posts and direct communications with customers – all have the intention of achieving your goals. This will help to ensure consistency throughout all communications.
Creating unique, stand-out, thought-provoking content is key to business growth as it allows you to attract leads, turn those leads into customers and finally allow those customers to become advocates.
Do you need assistance with defining your ‘why’? Get in touch.
[i] https://mission-statement.com/microsoft/
[ii] https://www.thebalanceeveryday.com/apple-mission-statement-4068547
[iii] https://www.aboutamazon.co.uk/uk-investment/our-mission
[iv] https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/help/faq/18517-whats-mcdonalds-mission-statement.html
