Does Your Message Answer the "What" or the "Why"?

Andy Lopata, host of The Global Networking Show, says the first step in building a profitable network is to understand what your message should be. What do you want people to say about you when you're not in the room? And with whom do you want them to share it?

When Andy asks business people what they'd like the people in their network to say about them, the most common responses he gets are:
''I’m professional."
"I’m reliable."
"I’m good at my job."

Sadly, these responses don’t address what you do. Yes, it is important that people perceive you have those qualities, but on their own they mean little. People first need to know why they should care and in what way you are relevant to them.

Get In the Mind of Your Prospect
Consider what resonates with a potential client or employer. Get inside their head. Answer 'Why?' rather than 'What?'

Last year Andy spoke at a conference for public sector accountants. At that same conference, Jon Harrison shared Simon Sinek's Golden Circle. Sinek explained, "Every single person on the planet knows what they do, some know how they do it.  But very few people or organisations know why they do what they do."

Sinek went on to say, "By 'why', I don't mean profit. By 'why' I mean what's your purpose, your cause, your belief? Why do you get out of bed in the morning...and why should anyone care?

The key point says Sinek, is that "People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it." People will buy from others who share their belief systems; they will employ people who think the same way as them. Shared values and beliefs are a key factor in creating the right opportunities for people to work together or for each other.

But it's not just shared values and beliefs that count. People don't just buy what you do or why you do it, people buy why it makes a difference to them.
 

Read the full story here. It’s worth it. And I invite you to add the "why" to your story. Why do you really do what you do?