WHY: What is your purpose, cause, belief? Why does it exist? Why should anyone care?
What -> How -> Why (Outside In) (90% of marketing/sales)
“We make great computers” (What is it?)
“They are beautifully designed, easy to use” (How is it different?)
… “Wanna buy one?”
Why -> How -> What (Inside out) (10% of marketing sales)
“Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo, we believe in thinking differently” (Why?)
“The way we challenge status quo is to make our products beatifully designed, easy to use” (How?)
“We just happened to make great computers” (What?)
… “Wanna buy one?”
Buyers: 2.5% innovators + 13.5% early adopters (=Tipping Point 15-16%) + 34% early majority + 34% late majority + 16% laggards
The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have… the goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe… people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Feelings (Trust and Loyalty) are responsible for all human behavior and decision making. “what you do” is only used to rationalize “why you do it” and “what people buy” is only the proof “why you do it”.
Leaders hold a position of power or authority. Those who lead inspire us – we follow them not for them, for ourselves – they start with why? King said “I have a dream” not “I have a plan”.
- Simon Sinek, TED Talks
