| The Why Not Factor Your Secret to
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| | Here are some more questions to ask
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| Successby
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| | yourself. What do you stand for? What do
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| Chuck Groot
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| | you want to be known for? What will be
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| By Chuck Groot
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| | your legacy? And one last question: If
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| Let's go on a little flight of fancy.
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| | you don't stand for something, what do
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| Let's go car shopping. Now usually when
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| | you settle for?
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| you go car shopping you start with a
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| | The principal features are usually a
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| budget in mind, don't you? You go from
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| | broad definition of the basic business
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| dealer to dealer, trying to get the best
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| | code of conduct and the scope of the
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| deal that you can, but what really sells
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| | organization. It is important to have a
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| you in the end? Is it the value? Is it
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| | clear, concise overall goal for you and
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| the price? Is it the features?
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| | your company. This can be as long as 10
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| Try as you might, emotions always come
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| | pages or as short as one sentence.
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| into play, you buy the car that looks the
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| | Generally it is better to keep it as
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| best, feels the best, and you look the
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| | simple as possible. Your Why-Not! is
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| best in it -don't you?
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| | the road map which you and your employees
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| Put yourself in your clients' shoes. What
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| | can follow anytime there is a question
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| are they looking for, the cheapest price,
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| | that surfaces out of the ordinary. Any
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| unmatched packages, exceptional quality,
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| | answer which does not fall in line with
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| or the photographer showing incomparable
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| | your Why-Not! shouldn't be used.
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| quality? Naturally, they will tell you,
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| | Another example would be if you own a
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| all of the above!
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| | portrait studio and Mrs. Jones comes in
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| But in reality, can they really tell the
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| | and complains that she doesn't like her
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| difference? We would like to think that
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| | photographs and you look at them and they
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| we fit the bill in all of the above but
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| | are as good as they are going to get.
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| do we? Can we?
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| | Your Why-Not! states that you guarantee
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| What happens, when in your clients' eyes
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| | 100% satisfaction, but you are torn, as
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| there are too many similarities to really
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| | far as you are concerned, they are great
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| tell. Then it boils down to the best
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| | shots. Without hesitation and with a
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| salesperson, the best sales presentation,
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| | smile - you give her money back or offer
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| or what I call the best Why-Not!
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| | to retake them. This course of action
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| Your Why-Not! defines the nature and
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| | will always work to your favour, maybe
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| purpose of your business. It is the one
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| | not immediately, but it is the right
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| thing that compels people to buy from you
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| | course. If you have employees, they would
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| instead of from your competitors. Often
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| | be empowered to do the same, immediately,
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| it is call a "USP" (Unique Sales Point),
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| | without fear of repercussion.
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| or your Mission Statement.
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| | Basically your Why-Not! can stand alone
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| Your Why-Not! is much more than both of
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| | as an advertisement that sells your
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| the others put together - yet simpler.
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| | company to you, your employees and your
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| It stands for
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| | clients. As a matter of fact, it can be
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| Why Hire You - No Other Temptations
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| | used as an ad and it should be used in
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| You must answer the question for your
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| | all your ads.
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| clients - Why Hire You?
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| | A few more points about Why-Not!s'
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| Then you must make it so that there can
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| | There are many different formats; there
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| be - No Other Temptations!
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| | is no right or wrong type.
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| The exciting part of it is that anyone
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| | It remains fairly stable over time.
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| reading it will get a clear picture of
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| | It may be expressed at different levels
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| the personality of the company and what
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| | of abstraction; a balance must be struck
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| you stand for.
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| | between too wide and too narrow a
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| Personality shows emotion and a human
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| | definition.
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| side.
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| | Some Why-Not!s' include objective,
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| USP's and Mission Statements are
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| | strategic thrust, policies and
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| documents and documents are cold and
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| | guidelines.
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| impersonal.
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| | They describe your products in terms
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| More importantly, it will tell the client
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| | relevant to your customers.
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| what you will do for him or her.
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| | Differentiate - explain how your product
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| Too often a company fails because it
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| | is different than the competition's, with
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| doesn't know who it is trying to serve.
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| | different benefits. Whenever people buy,
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| Trying to be all things to all people is
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| | they are only concerned with "What's In
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| foolish. You have to come up with a
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| | It For Them."
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| specific Why-Not! - a unique and
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| | Effectively choose pricing and
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| compelling claim or offer - that's
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| | positioning strategies.
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| targeted like a laser to give you a
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| | These strategies may be based on the fact
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| direction.
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| | that:
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| It answers the question "What is our
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| | 1. You are an expert in your field.
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| reason for being?" Why would someone buy
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| | 2. You have degrees or education in your
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| from us? And when they hear the answers
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| | specialty.
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| that they are looking for they will
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| | 3. You may finish your products with
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| exclaim, "Why-Not!"
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| | better quality or more expensive
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| But this is not to say that you can't
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| | finishes.
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| have two or three different
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| | 4. You may frame each print.
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| Why-Not!s for different product lines or
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| | 5. You may have an escalating hourly fee
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| services that you offer.
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| | depending on the degree of difficulty,
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| There are many different kinds of
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| | safety, distance, specialty, or uses of
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| Why-Not!s and you must define this
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| | the photograph or in the photographing,
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| yourself because your entire marketing
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| | Steps to develop your Why-Not:
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| and operational success is built upon the
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| | Keep in mind:
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| Why-Not!. All studios need a clear sense
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| | - There is no right or wrong statement
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| of where they are trying to go and what
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| | for your organization just as there is no
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| they want to be in order for the diverse
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| | best or most appropriate format.
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| elements to pull in a uniform direction.
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| | - Focus on the concept not on the words;
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| What you are doing is providing your
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| | the words can be fine-tuned later.
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| prospective clients is a clear cut
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| | - Most Why-Nots' suffer, at least to some
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| picture of who you are , what you are
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| | degree, from mother-hood-it is, it's
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| going to do, and what you stand for.
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| | important that you stay away from
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| Why do you want to do this?
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| | platitudes.
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| Why-Not! Just teasing with you.
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| | - The greatest flaw of most Why-Nots are
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| One reason is that our society makes
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| | that the implicit message is the "we" are
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| celebrities out of people who are unique
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| | smarter, will work harder, and will do a
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| or who have special abilities. Their
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| | better job. In the competitive
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| qualities and attributes are polished to
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| | marketplace of goods, services and ideas,
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| a bright shine and then professionally
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| | to assume that you are smarter, faster or
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| presented to the rest of us. We then
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| | meaner than the competition inevitably
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| strive to be like these individuals and
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| | leads to surprises and the realization
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| yet the very nature of success demands
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| | that you and your colleagues are just
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| authenticity.
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| | about on par with the quality of the
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| So what's the secret?
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| | people with whom you are competing.
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| It's simple really. We are ALL unique. We
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| | - Although it is difficult, try to build
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| ALL have something special to give. Being
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| | creativity into your work. This is a
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| authentic and true to ourselves is the
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| | first attempt at development of a Why-Not
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| only chance we have of being liked, being
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| | so it is important to build in new ways
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| successful, and being truly happy.
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| | of viewing things at the beginning. It
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| Improving yourself requires polishing
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| | will be refined and reworked later so try
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| what's great about you and proudly
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| | to open up and be creative now.
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| presenting it to the world.
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| | To give you an idea as to how a Why-Not
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| My first year Philosophy Prof loved to
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| | can look I'll show you one of mine.
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| ask, "Why should you be moral?" Then he
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| | Old Masters Portrait Studio Why-Not is:
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| would quickly follow up with "Why should
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| | Old Masters Portraits Studio desire is to
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| you be immoral?"
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| | create an exciting and memorable image
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| Then with a smile on his face and a glint
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| | for each and every one of our customers.
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| in his eye he would say, "The correct
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| | The image will be technically perfect and
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| answer is Why Not!"
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| | of excellent quality, using the finest
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| Some companies position themselves as
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| | materials that we can find. It is our
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| having the best selection or broadest
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| | goal to provide service to the customer
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| array of buying options. Their Why-Not!.
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| | that is unsurpassed in the industry so
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| is obviously "broad choice."
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| | that all of our customers will want to
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| Other companies may offer more limited
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| | come back year after year.
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| selection, but their Why-Not! is "low
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| | It is imperative that we charge a price
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| price" or "low markup."
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| | that provides value to the client and a
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| Another company may decide they don't
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| | good return on our efforts. We will be
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| want to be known for just price or
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| | happy if our clients are happy and our
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| selection, so instead they offer the
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| | clients will be happy if we are happy.
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| finest quality at a higher, but still
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| | Writing your Why-Not
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| reasonable price. "Quality" or
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| | Start by answering the following
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| "exclusivity" is its Why-Not!.
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| | questions.
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| Most Why-Not!s' encompass three elements:
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| | 1. What is the purpose of our
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| 1. A purpose/role element
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| | organization?
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| A. In a nutshell, what is the purpose of
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| | 2. What is our reason for being?
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| the company?i. I am going to take nature
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| | 3. What are we going to photograph and
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| photographs, specializing in species
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| | why?
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| which are on the endangered species list.
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| | After spending some time on the first
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| B. What role are you going to play?ii. My
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| | three questions, begin to filter in the
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| goal is to raise awareness of these
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| | following questions.a. Who do we serve?b.
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| precious animals by writing books and
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| | What do we do best?c. What are some of
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| articles about them, my experiences, and
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| | our weaknesses?d. What kinds of programs
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| how the effects of man are playing out in
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| | and services do we provide or should we
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| these animals lives.
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| | provide?e. What outcomes do we hope to
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| 2. A boundaries element
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| | achieve?f. What do we hope to
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| This element defines what you will and
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| | accomplish?g. What would happen if
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| will not do. In the example above you
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| | our organization did not exist?h. What is
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| might write something like.
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| | special about the way we operate?i. Where
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| I will write books and articles to
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| | do we or should we provide our product or
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| serious journals and magazines but I will
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| | service?What do I or our shareholders
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| not do greeting cards and postcards. My
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| | want?j. From the previous exercise you
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| goal is to depict the plight of
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| | can now put together a Unique Selling
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| endangered speices but not demean them or
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| | Proposition or Mission Statement that
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| make light of their existence.
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| | will give you a direction and major
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| 3. A values-based/philosophical element
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| | driving force for your company.
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