Are You "On Purpose"?
Can everyone in your company answer this question: Why are we here?
From the founder and president to the sales associates, communicating purpose to customers and shareholders is paramount. A company that understands the purpose it serves to the community and brings that purpose to life in each step in the customer experience will most likely win business away from competitors and perhaps more importantly, will create a devoted customer base.
When discussing purpose, ask yourself “what am I passionate about?” and “what do I want to represent?”
True passions will be apparent to the customer and will increase your chances for success because the customer will see what drives you.
Ian Gordon, in an article for startupdaddy.com, explained where his passions lie.
“I love to teach. I get really jazzed when I can help someone do something they have been having trouble with. Whether it is something big like starting a business, or something small like helping my wife figure out how to sync her outlook with Gmail, I really enjoy sharing what I know. I get real, sincere joy and inspiration from watching and helping others succeed. I believe that is the most important factor in my success as a business start-up coach” (Gordan, Ian).
Gordon’s passion to teach and help people improve defines his purpose: to coach and train potential small business owners on how to start and maintain their businesses.
Another example of a business that understands its purpose is Carabello Coffee, a cafe and coffee roasting company based in Newport, Kentucky. This business has grown from humble beginnings of one small coffee roaster outside owners Justin and Emily Carabello’s home to a philanthropic coffee roasting company and cafe that puts profits back into coffee roasting communities in the third world.
Carabello has to have great coffee in order to succeed, and they do have great coffee — this is the value they bring to their customers. But most often, people want something more. A sense of purpose makes the client feel good about working with you.
In a recent interview, Justin Carabello says he wants the business to “fund initiatives that meet tangible needs that people have. That’s our passion, that’s our heart.”
What do these tangible needs look like? For one, Justin said he’s been able to see kids that live up the mountains of Nicaragua with a school uniform on their back and realize that it was made possible by a family from Cincinnati who decided to buy a bag a coffee.
For Carabello Coffee, philanthropic initiatives = purpose.
So, what do you want people to see when they view your website? Do you want them to see a company driven only by profit or a company driven by purpose?
Most companies must be driven by profit in order to sustain their business. However, people want to see that you have a greater purpose as well.
How about when customers see your company’s video? Do you want them to leave thinking about your cheapest deals or your greatest passions?
You must sit down with your entire team and hash out what you stand for, what you believe in and what you want to represent. And these passions will flesh out your purpose and your purpose is what you need to communicate to every single customer.
For us, that purpose is to help great companies accelerate themselves through video.
Citations:
Gordon, Ian. "Starting a Business: Define your Definite Major Purpose and Envision your Desired Outcome". 2009. http://www.startupdaddy.com/starting-a-business-defining-your-definite-major-purpose-envision-your-desired-outcome
// a Drive Media House post by Tyler Strittmatter