I Buy the Why
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Think about that statement. Have you ever purchased a bag of popcorn or a candy bar from the local sports team even though you don’t like the stuff? I certainly have. Because… I buy the why.
When I first learned about Simon Sinek, I was working for a Grand Canyon rafting company. It had been requested of me to start taking on social media marketing. Prior to the office job, I was a river guide. I knew nothing about marketing and felt like I knew even less about Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. My knowledge of social media consisted of posting pretty pictures, because that is what people in their 20’s did; but I most certainty had never tried to sell a brand online. I was out of place and trying to figure out how to succeed. I walked into a marketing conference eager to figure out where to start, and I saw this video. Simon Sinek repeats the statement that “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it,” multiple times.
I took that statement and started assessing a ridiculous number of purchases I had made. I thought about the brands I was loyal to; why was I loyal to them? Two companies instantly came to mind, Bought Beautifully and Hope Outfitters. Both of these companies have similar missions- to stop human trafficking. With that, every time I visited one of their websites- I purchased more than I intended to (and still do!). I may be browsing to buy one gift for a friend, but inevitably I believe so much in their “whys”, that I buy extra every single time- after all, it supports a good cause. I easily justify my purchases. There are also companies that I will not support because of their why. The craziest part about all of this…until I broke it down- I didn’t even realize I was doing this; I didn’t realize that I buy, or don’t buy, because of the why.
As Simon Sinek explains in this video, the biology of our brain impacts our decisions. Have you determined the why for your brand? Your clients and consumers are making choices based on a why that you may not have even defined yet. Let’s define your why. Remember, your why doesn’t need to be as extreme as saving victims of human trafficking. It simply has to be the reason you, and your employees show up for work. It should go beyond a paycheck. It should be something that you, as a business owner will stand behind even when people are challenging your why. Just like Simon Sinek explains in the below video, the why of Apple products was something that they stood by with every product they created, even the unsuccessful ones.
At 16:3 marketing our why is to succeed together. There is enough opportunity for all of us to support one another and be successful, both financially and emotionally. We believe that to our core.