Are You Missing Your "Why" ?

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
Simon Sinek

by Skip Cohen

It's "Hump Day," and I brought this topic back from the archives because, at this time of year, even though business is ramping up and in full swing through seasonality, it's a time when everyone starts to get a little reflective. We're closing out one year and heading into a new one, and it's a time when so many of us ponder our "why?"

We're looking at everything we do and often wondering if it's time for a change. Is it time to change direction, expand into other areas of expertise, and the BIG question, are we happy in what we're doing? It's an endless process, but a necessity to help avoid complacency and stimulate creativity.

But finding our "why" isn't exclusive to our careers. There's the importance of sharing our "why" with the people we're trying to attract. As photographers, your target audience needs to understand your "why?".  They don't care what awards you've won, what gear you have, or how your grandfather gave you your first camera. They want to know "why?" you love being a photographer and if you can be trusted to capture the kinds of images they want. 

Too many of you write your bios without considering your audience. When it's time to open your heart, you submerge yourself in meaningless factoids about your skills. If they're reading your bio, they're already interested in getting to know you better - don't bury them in your list of print competition awards, gear details, and the history of your business. Tell them why you love imaging. Share why your clients trust you to capture what's in their hearts.

It's the "why" that makes us all more interesting. It's the "why" that makes my story different from yours. It's the "why" that takes millions of stories from people worldwide and gives them color, emotion, and commitment.  

In terms of my "why," I simply love imaging and the business of helping more people understand its importance. Even in my volunteer work in support of the fight against Alzheimer's, imaging plays a special role with the interaction between patients dealing with the disease and the memories old photographs bring back.

Stop worrying about "what" you do and start sharing with people "why" you do it. The "what" comes from your left brain and is a series of cut-and-dry statements; the "why" comes from your right brain and is all about your personality, passion, and emotion. Plus, your "why" is unique, while your "what" is often the same as everybody else's.

Happy Hump Day!