The "Why Not Factor", Your Secret to Success

The Why Not Factor Your Secret to Successby				depict the plight of endangered speices but
				not demean them or make light of their
Chuck Groot				existence.

By Chuck Groot				3. A values-based/philosophical element

Let's go on a little flight of fancy. Let's				Here are some more questions to ask yourself.
go car shopping. Now usually when you go car				What do you stand for? What do you want to be
shopping you start with a budget in mind,				known for? What will be your legacy? And one
don't you? You go from dealer to dealer,				last question: If you don't stand for
trying to get the best deal that you can, but				something, what do you settle for?
what really sells you in the end? Is it the
value? Is it the price? Is it the features?				The principal features are usually a broad
				definition of the basic business code of
Try as you might, emotions always come into				conduct and the scope of the organization. It
play, you buy the car that looks the best,				is important to have a clear, concise overall
feels the best, and you look the best in it				goal for you and your company. This can be as
-don't you?				long as 10 pages or as short as one sentence.
				Generally it is better to keep it as simple
Put yourself in your clients' shoes. What are				as possible. Your Why-Not! is the road
they looking for, the cheapest price,				map which you and your employees can follow
unmatched packages, exceptional quality, or				anytime there is a question that surfaces out
the photographer showing incomparable				of the ordinary. Any answer which does not
quality? Naturally, they will tell you, all				fall in line with your Why-Not! shouldn't be
of the above!				used.

But in reality, can they really tell the				Another example would be if you own a
difference? We would like to think that we				portrait studio and Mrs. Jones comes in and
fit the bill in all of the above but do we?				complains that she doesn't like her
Can we?				photographs and you look at them and they are
				as good as they are going to get. Your
What happens, when in your clients' eyes				Why-Not! states that you guarantee 100%
there are too many similarities to really				satisfaction, but you are torn, as far as you
tell. Then it boils down to the best				are concerned, they are great shots. Without
salesperson, the best sales presentation, or				hesitation and with a smile - you give her
what I call the best Why-Not!				money back or offer to retake them. This
				course of action will always work to your
Your Why-Not! defines the nature and purpose				favour, maybe not immediately, but it is the
of your business. It is the one thing that				right course. If you have employees, they
compels people to buy from you instead of				would be empowered to do the same,
from your competitors. Often it is call a				immediately, without fear of repercussion.
"USP" (Unique Sales Point), or your Mission
Statement.				Basically your Why-Not! can stand alone as an
				advertisement that sells your company to you,
Your Why-Not! is much more than both of the				your employees and your clients. As a matter
others put together - yet simpler.				of fact, it can be used as an ad and it
				should be used in all your ads.
It stands for
				A few more points about Why-Not!s'
Why Hire You - No Other Temptations
				There are many different formats; there is no
You must answer the question for your clients				right or wrong type.
- Why Hire You?
				It remains fairly stable over time.
Then you must make it so that there can be -
No Other Temptations!				It may be expressed at different levels of
				abstraction; a balance must be struck between
The exciting part of it is that anyone				too wide and too narrow a definition.
reading it will get a clear picture of the
personality of the company and what you stand				Some Why-Not!s' include objective, strategic
for.				thrust, policies and guidelines.

Personality shows emotion and a human side.				They describe your products in terms relevant
				to your customers.
USP's and Mission Statements are documents
and documents are cold and impersonal.				Differentiate - explain how your product is
				different than the competition's, with
More importantly, it will tell the client				different benefits. Whenever people buy, they
what you will do for him or her.				are only concerned with "What's In It For
				Them."
Too often a company fails because it doesn't
know who it is trying to serve. Trying to be				Effectively choose pricing and positioning
all things to all people is foolish. You				strategies.
have to come up with a specific Why-Not! - a
unique and compelling claim or offer - that's				These strategies may be based on the fact
targeted like a laser to give you a				that:
direction.
				1. You are an expert in your field.
It answers the question "What is our reason
for being?" Why would someone buy from us?				2. You have degrees or education in your
And when they hear the answers that they are				specialty.
looking for they will exclaim, "Why-Not!"
				3. You may finish your products with better
But this is not to say that you can't have				quality or more expensive finishes.
two or three different Why-Not!s for
different product lines or services that you				4. You may frame each print.
offer.
				5. You may have an escalating hourly fee
There are many different kinds of Why-Not!s				depending on the degree of difficulty,
and you must define this yourself because				safety, distance, specialty, or uses of the
your entire marketing and operational success				photograph or in the photographing,
is built upon the Why-Not!. All studios need
a clear sense of where they are trying to go				Steps to develop your Why-Not:
and what they want to be in order for the
diverse elements to pull in a uniform				Keep in mind:
direction.
				- There is no right or wrong statement for
What you are doing is providing your				your organization just as there is no best or
prospective clients is a clear cut picture of				most appropriate format.
who you are , what you are going to do, and
what you stand for.				- Focus on the concept not on the words; the
				words can be fine-tuned later.
Why do you want to do this?
				- Most Why-Nots' suffer, at least to some
Why-Not! Just teasing with you.				degree, from mother-hood-it is, it's
				important that you stay away from platitudes.
One reason is that our society makes
celebrities out of people who are unique or				- The greatest flaw of most Why-Nots are that
who have special abilities. Their qualities				the implicit message is the "we" are smarter,
and attributes are polished to a bright shine				will work harder, and will do a better job.
and then professionally presented to the rest				In the competitive marketplace of goods,
of us. We then strive to be like these				services and ideas, to assume that you are
individuals and yet the very nature of				smarter, faster or meaner than the
success demands authenticity.				competition inevitably leads to surprises and
				the realization that you and your colleagues
So what's the secret?				are just about on par with the quality of the
				people with whom you are competing.
It's simple really. We are ALL unique. We ALL
have something special to give. Being				- Although it is difficult, try to build
authentic and true to ourselves is the only				creativity into your work. This is a first
chance we have of being liked, being				attempt at development of a Why-Not so it is
successful, and being truly happy. Improving				important to build in new ways of viewing
yourself requires polishing what's great				things at the beginning. It will be refined
about you and proudly presenting it to the				and reworked later so try to open up and be
world.				creative now.

My first year Philosophy Prof loved to ask,				To give you an idea as to how a Why-Not can
"Why should you be moral?" Then he would				look I'll show you one of mine.
quickly follow up with "Why should you be
immoral?"				Old Masters Portrait Studio Why-Not is:

Then with a smile on his face and a glint in				Old Masters Portraits Studio desire is to
his eye he would say, "The correct answer is				create an exciting and memorable image for
Why Not!"				each and every one of our customers. The
				image will be technically perfect and of
Some companies position themselves as having				excellent quality, using the finest materials
the best selection or broadest array of				that we can find. It is our goal to provide
buying options. Their Why-Not!. is obviously				service to the customer that is unsurpassed
"broad choice."				in the industry so that all of our customers
				will want to come back year after year.
Other companies may offer more limited
selection, but their Why-Not! is "low price"				It is imperative that we charge a price that
or "low markup."				provides value to the client and a good
				return on our efforts. We will be happy if
Another company may decide they don't want to				our clients are happy and our clients will be
be known for just price or selection, so				happy if we are happy.
instead they offer the finest quality at a
higher, but still reasonable price. "Quality"				Writing your Why-Not
or "exclusivity" is its Why-Not!.
				Start by answering the following questions.
Most Why-Not!s' encompass three elements:
				1. What is the purpose of our organization?
1. A purpose/role element
				2. What is our reason for being?
A. In a nutshell, what is the purpose of the
company?i. I am going to take nature				3. What are we going to photograph and why?
photographs, specializing in species which
are on the endangered species list.				After spending some time on the first three
				questions, begin to filter in the following
B. What role are you going to play?ii. My				questions.a. Who do we serve?b. What do we do
goal is to raise awareness of these precious				best?c. What are some of our weaknesses?d.
animals by writing books and articles about				What kinds of programs and services do we
them, my experiences, and how the effects of				provide or should we provide?e. What outcomes
man are playing out in these animals lives.				do we hope to achieve?f. What do we hope to
				accomplish?g. What would happen if our
2. A boundaries element				organization did not exist?h. What is special
				about the way we operate?i. Where do we or
This element defines what you will and will				should we provide our product or service?What
not do. In the example above you might write				do I or our shareholders want?j. From the
something like.				previous exercise you can now put together a
				Unique Selling Proposition or Mission
I will write books and articles to serious				Statement that will give you a direction and
journals and magazines but I will not do				major driving force for your company.
greeting cards and postcards. My goal is to

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The "Why Not Factor", Your Secret to Success