Why do you do what you do as a business owner? That’s the first question I ask everyone I work with. There is nothing I hate more than working with someone who’s “just in it to become rich.”
Why?
People see right through that.
And yes, people have said that exact statement.
But why do you need a why statement?
Having this statement nailed down describes why you do the work you do and why you live the way you live.
Simon Sinek says, “The WHY is the purpose, cause, or belief that drives every one of us.
When people ask me, “Why are you a social media & marketing coach?” For the first 9 months of business, I didn’t market myself and my business didn’t grow. Once I started showing up on video with a solid marketing plan, people began to notice and take my business seriously and I didn’t want others to wait 9 long months like I did.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
What do you want to be known for?
Can you explain this in one simple sentence? Does it say exactly what you offer and how you help people?
Example: I help small business owners simplify their marketing so they can get back to doing what they love, running their business.
What do others say about your business or yourself? When I was trying to flush out being a coach and a social media consultant, I went on Facebook and asked, “What are 3 words that describe me?” I kept track of the answers and incorporated them into my messaging.
People said some awesome things about me. Over and over, my friend proclaimed I was a social media expert even though I was very new in my business. This gave me the confidence to move forward.
What do I like about my competitors and how do I want to be different from them?
Take some time to really think about what you love and hate about your competition. Make a list and then think about how your business will be different from what they do.
One of my competitors likes to over communicate and scare their clients into thinking they couldn’t live without them. I always approach client work as a partnership and lose the industry jargon. I felt that scaring them into working with me also wouldn't serve my business in the long run. I’m happy to say, my client retention average is 3 years or more. When a client does move on, it’s because they’ve grown because of my marketing support and could hire within.
What led you to why you do what you do?
This one is sometimes tough to answer because it may not be just one simple thing and it took sitting down with a friend to really draw everything together as well.
Here are some questions to get the ideas percolating on your develing deeper with your why…
How did you get to where you are today using the fact that happened?
What lessons did you learn from it?
How have you used the lessons you learned to create your business?
Who am I speaking to? Why should they care?
Action step time! Block an hour and work on the questions outlined. Still puzzled? Drop me an email to book a 15 min call to figure it out.