| 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 | | | | |