Have a dream, not a plan! -Simon Sinek
Many people wonder how great leaders inspire action, change and movement. How do they achieve their incredible goals and persuade people to jump on board with them as they go along?
Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership that begins with a golden circle and the question “Why?”
Why do you do what you do?
As Simon explains in his TED Talk, most companies know very well what they do, only a few of them know how they do it, but the vast majority don’t quite understand why the do it. People relate much better to the passion behind your company than to product or service you are offering. Nowadays we live in a very competitive world, where the passion you invest in what you do, and what you believe while you do it, becomes more and more relevant to consumers. We don’t longer sell products nor services, we sell lifestyles, dreams and inspiration. Or in words of Simons, “people don’t buy what you do, they buy but why you do it.”
How do you what you do?
Once you have answered the question “Why?”. Then you can move to the “How?”. Let’s say you believe a healthy body provides you a better quality of life and increases your chances of success in other areas of your life. Then you can showcase how you will deliver that result, and it can go something like “we can help you achieve a healthier life by teaching you simple but effective routines that you can do anywhere in just 12 minutes per day and guide you to better eating patterns”.
What is it that you do?
Then you can finally move to the “What?”. What is it that you sell that can help people get the lifestyle you promise. It is at that moment that you talk about your “12 Minute Athlete” mobile app and extend on its features and benefits. By then, people have already engaged with your idea and are hungry, waiting for the product that will link to the rest of your concept.
So next time you need to pitch and idea to a customer o potential investor, remember to start with the Why.
Here at “Make it a Great Day“, we do what we do because we believe in finding a path to get a positive message out to the world that anyone could have a good day. Then we decided to make the extra effort to make it even better and found our how, but providing comfort for your special days with family and friends, with what we now know to be our backpacks. And that is our “golden circle”.