People Don’t Buy What You Sell. They Buy Why You Sell It!

I recently was referenced to a book by Simon Sinek, called Start With Why. In this book the concept statement is profound. It can be applied to all aspects of your life. But for me, applying it to my position as an automotive sales manager was something that I immediately identified with. More importantly than that, it was a concept that I didn’t know I had been seeking out prior to finding and reading the book. Inside the pages of Simon’s book, Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action,he reiterates over and over that “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”. Throughout the book Simon provides examples of individuals and businesses alike that built their business, life, and/or company structure around why they do what they do while; at the same time, providing similar examples of individuals and businesses that are in business chasing their what’s and how’s. In a nutshell, Simon shows us in this book that true success is generated and measured through a theory called the Golden Circle, finding order and predictability in human behavior. More simply put, it helps us understand why we do what we do.

I could write an entire thesis about the importance of this book and it’s immediate impact on my personal development, but I digress at this time to really hone in on what I believe Simon Sinek was challenging me to get from reading and that is leaders inspire those that believe the same things that they believe. Whether you are prospecting for sales, starting a business, or building an organization, the most effective way to grow is to attract like-minded individuals to your organization. Your belief system or,Why, is a non-negotiable part of who you are and what you do is the tangible proof to everyone around you confirming your Why. “When you fill an organization with good fits, those who believe what you believe, success just happens.” (Page 92 Start With Why)

For some time, I struggled with why I couldn’t break through to our staff of sales people. I lead not by pointing, yelling or cursing at people; which is exactly how I was brought up in the automotive business, but rather by doing first those tasks that I would ask of the staff. Still I couldn’t get them to buy into why making your calls, sending those text messages, and following up relentlessly matters to the business; and, most importantly, to their pipeline. It wasn’t until I began diving into Simon’s book that I began to understand two very important things about myself and the success that I was seeking to achieve. First, I had to define my why and Second, I had to understand the why of those who work with and around me. By clearly defining my why, I knew that the example I was wanting to set and the principles in which I do everything could easily be understood by everyone who works with me and those customers that I was seeking to work with as well.

For me, the biggest takeaway of defining my why and starting with my why every single day, is that I have become not only more self-aware, but also much more efficient at coaching and helping others within our organization. The most difficult conclusion that I was able to arrive at during this process, was also the most necessary one. That was knowing there were people currently working with me in our organization that simply were not good fits and had to go. At the same time, I had to re-evaluate if the organization was a good fit for me and I to it. Chasing fame, wanting more money, longing for the security of financial freedom, and desiring a big job title were things that I wanted more than anything for as long as I could remember. I was willing to try any job, take on exuberant amount of tasks, and over-extend myself in attempts to do so. I found myself bouncing around from job to job, never feeling satisfied, and burning bridges with people that could have been great resources for me in my career and great friends as well.

I had lost their trust and internally I was struggling with everything I was doing. Depression had taken over, feeling sorry myself was at an all-time high, and I had completely lost sight of who I was, what I wanted to do with my life, and why I was pursuing the fame, riches, freedom and job title in first place. I had become, what Simon describes as the “majority” in his book, someone who could tell you what I wanted out of life and how I planned on getting there but I couldn’t give a defined “why” for I do what I do. Defining my why has been extremely valuable, not only for my career but for my life as well. It is helping build better relationships with clients, staff, members of my community and also strengthening the relationship I have with wife and my children.

Defining your why is of the utmost important, whether you are a business owner, manager, or employee. It is also necessary when identifying your friends and/or circle of trust. I can’t begin to explain the value that I have received from reading Simon Sinek’s book, and highly suggest that you all take the time to read it as well. Clearly defining your why will give you a sense of focus and direction that you will need and rely on when chasing down what you want to achieve in life and how you are going to achieve it.