UPDATED APRIL 7, 2025
What on earth is a ‘why’?!
Your why is your brand’s purpose, its reason for being, and the reason why you do what you do.
It’s what you excel at. It’s what you’re passionate about. It’s what drives and motivates you. It’s what you care about, what you stand for, and what you believe in.
Your why should shine through everything you do
If your organisation were a stick of seaside rock, your why would be the letters that run through it. And wherever you broke that stick, you would see the same message.
The quote that started the trend
Simon Sinek talked about ‘why’ in a TED talk back in 2014. And the quote everyone remembers was, “Customers don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”
Sinek claimed all the great leaders and organisations are communicating in the same way: They start by communicating why they do what they do.
Why should you be thinking about your why?
Your why is partly linked to emotion, which is pivotal in 95% of our buying decisions.
Emotion inspires prospects to buy from you, it motivates your staff, and it inspires support and loyalty from both — making your organisation stronger and more profitable.
Your why can also be a powerful differentiator, setting your business apart from your competitors.
Not too shabby for a three-letter word, eh?
But how do you work out what your why actually is?
To do this, you need to look at three core areas:
- Your strengths and talents
- Your passions and motivations
- Your beliefs and values.
How to work out your why
Below, you’ll find a series of questions on each of these core areas. Your answers should help you work out your purpose and determine your why.
1. Strengths and talents
Your strengths and talents show you’re good at what you do.
- What are you naturally good at?
- What are your areas of knowledge?
- What are your areas of expertise?
- What are your main skills?
2. Passions and motivations
Your passions and motivations show you care about what you do.
- What do you feel passionate about?
- Why did you decide to start your business?
- What do you most enjoy?
- What drives you to be the best?
- What are your main ambitions for your business?
- What do you believe will bring you success?
3. Beliefs and values
Your beliefs and values show what your business represents and how you want it to be perceived.
- How does what you do make a difference?
- What are your core beliefs and values?
- What does your business stand for?
- What do you want your reputation to be?
- How do you invest in yourself, your employees and your business?
Remember:
Your what is still the first thing your customers need to know.
If people don’t understand what you do, they won’t care why you do it!
Do you need some help to communicate your why?
Your why can be a powerful differentiator for your business and help you connect with likeminded ideal customers — if you communicate it well.
Do you need some help with that?
I’m Jenny Lucas, a freelance copywriter and content writer based in Leicester, UK.
I specialise in helping businesses communicate their brand message online — in their website copy and blog content.
If that sounds like what you need, you can:
Get in touch to discuss a project >>
Find out more about my services on my main website >>
Learn more about me on my About page >>
See examples of my work on my Portfolio page >>
Read more of my content on my Copywriting blog >>
You might also like…
