BACK TO ARTICLES 
If you haven’t listened to any TEDTalks, you’re missing out on some really valuable and inspiring content. Specifically, if you haven’t heard Simon Sinek’s TEDTalk… well that’s just crazy.
In his 18 minute talk, Simon Sinek, an author and motivational speaker, manages to do the impossible for his target audience of business owners... make them feel like they can accomplish absolutely anything. TedTalk describes Sinek’s speech as “a simple but powerful business leadership model all starting with a golden circle and the question, why?” Sinek manages to break down the natural human decision making model and explain why it is easier for some consumers to choose certain brands over others. The sole driver behind our decisions? Inspiration.
How do you inspire people? Why does your organization exist? What does your organization believe in?
Sinek draws out the “golden circles” as an outline of every marketing and personal behavior plan. He explains that most decisions are made from the outside in and ask “what, how, and why.” Sinek asserts that making decisions based on this model is a mistake, decisions should be made in reverse and starting with “why” is essential. Too many marketing strategies highlight the product offering and not the reason why they matter to the consumer in the first place. We explain things from the clearest points to the fuzziest points, when in reality, it makes more sense to do the opposite. The Human Brain is perfectly correlated to Sinek’s golden circle model. When we communicate from the outside in, correlating complicated behavior, some of the information is stored but it doesn’t drive behavior. Communicating from the inside out directly speaks to the part of the brain that controls behavior. Consumers can then rationalize it with the products and services you provide.
People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. People want to shop somewhere where they feel the business believes in the same values they do.
The goal is not to do business with every person who believes they need what you have, but to do business with everyone who believes in what you believe. Those are the customers that will keep coming, the ones that will provide you with true customer lifetime value. The same can be said when hiring a workforce. Don’t just look for people who need a job, look for those who believe in your company’s beliefs. Those employees will offer hard work and value.
Throughout his talk, Sinek points out an array of inspiring examples to help us see his ideology in action. Among the examples are Apple, Martin Luther King Jr and the Wright Brothers. He points out that Apple has been able to cultivate a die-hard following due to their ability to inspire others based on their passion for innovation. He explains that even though Samuel Langley had money and fame, the Wright Brothers had a driving passion to eventually take flight. Even though Dr. King used zero publicity, 25,000 people showed up to listen to his “I have a dream speech” not his “I have a plan” speech.
When you share what you believe in, people will take that shared belief and turn it into their own call of action.
So I challenge you! What does your business believe in and how can you use that to inspire your prospective customers and empower your employees? Start with why.
Download the ebook below to learn more!
