At a recent networking event, I gave a talk about discovering ‘why’ people do what they do with regards to business. This is something I’ve been thinking a lot about over the last year or so, and it was emphasised even more to me when I attended a ‘Public Speaking’ day last month.
Why we do what we do isn’t something everyone thinks about, and it’s not always easy to discover. Anyone who runs a business, or is successful in their own business, often doesn’t have the time to stop and think about why they’re doing it or, worse, they think they know why but they’ve not really got to the core of the driving force.
First of all, why is it important to know your ‘why’?
In my industry there are a lot of people offering online marketing. Some are very good, some are average, some are poor and some have no idea what they’re doing at all. When I speak with a prospective client, referral partner or with someone at a networking event, what is there to differentiate me from anyone else? I know Engage Web is very good at what we do, but then everyone else would also say the same thing. One of the main things that makes you stand out, makes people remember you, and helps keep you focused on what you’re doing is your ‘why’. Why do you get out of bed in the morning? What is it that motivates you?
By knowing that, and sharing that with other people, you make yourself different. You make yourself relatable. In turn, you get more business and become more successful.
Now, what is your ‘why’?
Many people might think their ‘why’ is they want more money. I can almost certainly guarantee that isn’t your ‘why’. If you are thinking it’s money-related, ask yourself why you want more money. It could be you want to have more holidays, or have more freedom, or have better security for your family. If that is the case, ask yourself why.
You may want more holidays because you didn’t have many holidays as a child. If that is the case, why is that important to you? Keeping digging on your own answers by asking yourself ‘why’ each time.
You should be asking yourself ‘why’ six or seven times before you eventually reach your real why, the real reason you do what you do. You may also completely surprise yourself.
Once you have established your ‘why’, you should work on it, develop it and become happy with a version of it that you’re prepared to share with others. You may have different versions you share with different people, depending on how well you know them or how well you’d like to know them.
You can then use your ‘why’ in business situations, such as in public speaking, presentations, pitches, discussions with managers, staff, suppliers, clients and potential clients. The better your relationship builds with a particular person, the more of your ‘why’ you might want to reveal. This ensures they get to know the real you, and what makes you tick.
Remember that a ‘why’ doesn’t have to be a sob story. It doesn’t have to stem from a bad experience, or from a period of emotional distress. It could be something happy, something great, or even something completely innocuous. Be assured, though, that your ‘why’ is in there somewhere. It’s up to you to find it and use it to drive yourself forward.
The full video of the talk, in glorious 360 VR, can be seen below. I even give an example of a ‘why’ to get you started.
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