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Discover the 'Golden Circle'
Have you ever wondered why some customers prefer your competitor's products or services to yours - even if yours are equally good or even better? Simon Sinek has developed a model that explains human motivation, and it might help you answer that question. He calls his model the 'Golden Circle'. It consists of the WHAT in the outer circle, the HOW in the middle circle, and the WHY in the innermost circle. To illustrate how 'why' determines which products people choose, Sinek offers a simple example:
Dell is a computer manufacturer, just like Apple. Both have access to the same pool of human resources, technology and capital. And yet, when it comes to mp3 players, Dell tried but totally failed in their attempt to break into that market. They simply could not expand beyond their image as an excellent computer manufacturer, but nothing more. The Apple iPod, on the other hand, quickly became a household name.
According to Sinek, that is because Dell was selling the WHAT - the product, the computer - and later the mp3, which never took off. By contrast, Apple always starts with the WHY, regardless of the product. Whether they are developing computers, or iPods or iPads - or even if they were to develop a refrigerator at some point in the future! - their reasons to do so remain constant, regardless of the product:
Apple has clearly defined their distinctive WHY. As a result, customers who appreciate one product naturally appreciate every other product. That would explain why Apple 'fans' will favour any Apple product, while other manufacturers with a different strategy might succeed with one product, but fail with another.
Wouldn't it be great if your clients were that loyal to your brand, rather than just choosing one of the many products or services you offer? Is it perhaps time to re-think and establish your own WHY?
Make sure to listen to Sinek's brief talk on this subject at: http://bit.ly/JRB1EZ
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