Why do some companies achieve things that completely exceed our expectations and defy all our assumptions for what’s possible?
This is a question that best selling author, Simon Sinek, asks the audience as he begins his famous Ted Talk. Sinek, sets out to discover why companies like Apple have been able to achieve such extraordinary success, while others with the same resources, have failed.
He explains it through this idea he coined, “Start With Why”. As it turns out, his findings have important implications for motor dealerships too.
This post summarizes the philosophy behind “Start With Why” and then dives into how it relates to both the inbound marketing methodology and team leadership.
According to Sinek, the fundamental difference between the successful brands of the world and everyone else is that they start with “why.”
To explain this concept, Sinek has developed what he calls the “Golden Circle.”
Why – This is the core belief of the business. It’s why the business exists.
How – This is how the business fulfils that core belief.
What – This is what the company does to fulfil that core belief.
Sounds simple, right? But what Sinek found is that most companies do their marketing backwards. They start with their “what” and then move to the “how.” Most of these companies neglect to even mention “why.” More alarmingly, many of them don’t even know why they do what they do!
But Apple starts with “why.” It is the core of their marketing and the driving force behind their business operations. To help illustrate this point, imagine if Apple also started backwards by creating a marketing message that started with “what.”
“We make great computers. They’re user-friendly, beautifully designed, and easy to use. Want to buy one?”
While these facts are true, I’m not sold. We want to know why they are great and user-friendly. Turns out Apple has figured this out over the years and knows better. Here’s what a real marketing message from Apple might actually look like.
“With everything we do, we aim to challenge the status quo. We aim to think differently. Our products are user-friendly, beautifully designed, and easy to use. We just happen to make great computers. Want to buy one?”
See how different that feels? Because Apple starts with “why” when defining its company, it’s able to attract customers who share its fundamental beliefs. As Sinek puts it, “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.” Starting with “why” makes Apple more than just a computer company selling features and that’s why their products have flourished while their competitors’ products, with similar technology and capabilities, have often flopped.
Apple did not invent the mp3 or invent the technology that became the iPod. The multi-gigabyte portable hard drive was in fact invented by Creative Technology Ltd. They were more qualified than Apple to introduce a digital music product, the difference between the two lies in their message.
Creative Technology – advertised their product as a “5GB mp3 player”. Apple advertised their product as “1000 songs in your pocket”. The difference is Creative told us WHAT their product was, and Apple told us WHY we needed it. Do your customers know why they need you?
Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why” philosophy isn’t just about billion-dollar businesses. Motor dealerships can also gain some takeaways from applying this concept.
3 Key Takeaways for Motor Dealerships
- Take a step back and use “why” to think about your own business.
Think about the core purpose of your business and then think about how you market your products or services. Are they aligned? As Sinek has found, having loyal customers is all about attracting the people who share your fundamental beliefs. Remember: People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.
Yes, this might seem obvious but it’s a critical step that is often overlooked. As the founder of your business, or heading of a large motor dealers group, wouldn’t you want the people marketing it to know why the business was started in the first place? Understanding “why” is essential to knowing how to communicate the “how” and “what.”
- Incorporate “why” into your marketing copy.
The idea of starting with “why” is also a copywriting best practice. The next time you’re writing an email, blog post or a landing page, start with “why.”
You see, “why” explains the underlying value of what you’re promoting. Consider these two opening sentences to a hypothetical email:
“Get yourself a brand new LXM125, 2020 model. It’s a brand new design that offers luxury and comfort with less carbon emissions.”
Or…
“In the past decade there has been a growing social consciousness around the environmental impact of personal vehicles. Through this time we have been committed to leading the charge in designing and building environmentally-friendly cars. Without compromising on luxury, performance and the ultimate driving experience, our new LXM125 makes you an advocate for eco-friendliness while enjoying the comfort and safety you’ve come to expect in our vehicles.”
What we’ve found is that the second type of email copy leads to a significantly higher click-through rate. Communicating the value (i.e why) right off the bat sparks the reader’s intrigue, at which point all you need to do is close the deal with the details (how and what).
- Redefine your buyer personas.
Again: People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.
Think about your buyer personas for a moment. Are they based purely on target demographics and assumed characteristics? Do they share your core values? What is it that drives them to buy your products and remain loyal over a long period of time?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, it’s okay. You don’t necessarily have to scrap your buyer personas and start over. Just add more context to who they are and how they identify with your “why.” Doing so will get you to start thinking about the internal motivation that goes behind their purchase decisions.
Perhaps you are a small dealership with large competitors and your customers are loyal to you because they like to support the little guy. Maybe you’re making the world a better place and your customers love you because they believe in your cause. Whatever the reason, redefining your buyer personas to match your “why” is critical in creating marketing that inspires them to continue advocating for you.
Bringing it home
Simon Sinek also expands on the benefits of starting with “why” in the hiring and team leadership process.
He says that most companies write their job description all about the WHAT and not the WHY. When you start with WHY instead you exponentially increase your ability to attract and engage with people who are passionate for what you stand for.
Sinek mentions Shackleton and his search for crewmen in a dangerous expedition.
His job description ran:
“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.”
You can rest assured that people applying for such a job description would be ready for anything.
Steve Jobs didn’t come up with any revolutionary idea, but Apple has a strong “why” to attract passionate people. Apple gives them a purpose around which to develop great ideas. Simon Sinek says Apple employees, similarly to Apple customers, all love a good revolution.
Great companies don’t hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire motivated people and inspire action.
So if you are looking for motivated people who you can inspire to achieve your “Why”, then give Transformd a call and let us partner with you in finding the right people for your business.