Why You Need to Define Your Purpose and Your Promise

Business Concept Wall
March 7, 2017
61 / 100

~ by Charlene Norman ~

Most of us enter self-employment or entrepreneur-land with an idea for a product or service. And whatever it is we decide to deliver has a 98% chance of being a variation of something already in existence. Someone else near us is selling pretty much the same thing. (If you do not believe me, just Google your product or check the phone book.) Competition is all around, and one of the biggest things we need to understand is the concept of differentiation.

The only thing that stands out, that sets you apart, that makes your product or service different, is your personality, your amazing ability to save your customer time or money, and/or your unique spin on the products and services. You see, you are not selling just your products and services. You are selling you. That means your trustworthiness, your personality, your credibility, your morals, your character, your view of the world, and your ethics. Your good and bad days, your good moods and cranky ones, your dreams to make the world a better place, your grooming, your hobbies and in fact, pretty much everything about you. Once you completely understand that, everything falls into place. Differentiating yourself from everyone else becomes real easy.

There are two colossal reasons for dealing with differentiation early in your entrepreneur journey. Differentiation helps you ensure you continually focus on standing out (You will call that your Purpose). And differentiation helps you set the direction of what you ultimately deliver (You will call that your Promise).

Let’s take a simple example. These days, there seems to be a Dental office on nearly every corner. Everyone has a sign. All the signs say pretty much the same thing: “Miss Evelyn Entrepreneur, Family Dentist”. If you were a Family Dentist wanting to establish your own practice, what is so different about you? Now, take a look at this sign: “Family Dental Group. We make smiles every day”. Notice the different promise that is made? The tone is different; the promise is different and accordingly, so is the purpose.

If you are truly in the business of making smiles every day, your whole focus, the way you practice your craft, the way your employees work and interact should be different from other family dentists. Think about your potential customers. Everyone likes a smile. How much easier would it be to entice future customers with the promise of making smiles every day? How much easier would it be to attract, inspire, and manage employees who want to make smiles every day? How much easier would it be to keep your customers and expand your business when you know that what you are passionate about is making smiles daily?

Please do not restrict yourself to thinking exclusively about the service or the product you deliver. Reflect on the concept you are providing to your customers. Think about your Purpose. I like Kellogg’s purpose: “Nourishing families so they can flourish and thrive”. No mention of breakfast cereal! Instead, there is a promise to make a difference. This is your opportunity to do the same thing. Be funny or be serious, be profound, be creative. Just do not limit yourself to only describing the service or product you deliver. You are delivering much more than your service or product. You are promising to make a difference.

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Begin thinking about an easy-to-say, 30-second commercial. Some people refer to this as your Elevator Speech, others your Unique Selling Proposition. I call it a commercial because it is your personal advertisement. It is your response to “What do you do?” If you cannot say it in 30 seconds or less, your potential customers will walk away. If you fall into the category of “well, what I do is complicated to explain, let me show you a video.” Shame on you. You will never get a good level of business. If you cannot explain your reason for being in business in 30 seconds, why on earth would anyone want to watch your 15 minute video?

Your 30-second commercial is not about you, it’s about what you do for your customer. So, use equal parts of emotion, visualization, and fact. You want to grab the emotions, paint a picture, and roll in some facts. And no, this is not an easy exercise. It will very likely take you a while to develop. Don’t worry, it’s an iterative process, and you’ll have many opportunities to rethink and refine.

Here’s an excellent exercise to get you started. Write out your business idea in terms of your Purpose and Promise. Now try to distill it into 50 words or less. Then take those 50 words and distill them to 25. Then into ten words or less.

Those final few words are what you are all about. Are what you are offering. Those final few words are either your Purpose driving you forward, your Promise to your customers, or both.

Your Purpose is a Sacred Promise. It guides all of your decisions.


Meet the Author: Charlene Norman

Charlene is a CPA turned marketer turned business cheerleader and coach. Currently completing two of three books about buying 60, selling 10, and saving 30 companies, she now helps business owners who want to go to the next level.

Categories

More Posts:

Ways for Increasing Property Management Lead Generation

Property management is not a simple job, there are multiple tasks that a property manager should complete for various property investors. Marketing is one of the difficult parts, but it’s crucial. You can only attract tenants to your property and gain income after you have generated leads. Therefore, you should try your best to come up with smart and effective strategies to get your company known.

5 Unexpected Industries That Need Social Media Marketing

In today’s digital age, social media has become an essential tool for businesses to connect with their target audience and promote their products or services. While it’s common to see industries like retail, hospitality, and entertainment using social media for marketing, there are several unexpected industries that can also benefit from social media marketing.

#InvestingInYOU: Consider Coaching

#Investing in YOU: Consider Coaching Mindy Jo, M.B.A. & M.Ed. Certified life coach & founder of worryaboutYOUtoday.com Life coaching. What is it? What is it NOT? Life coaching can have many meanings based on the type of coaching that is being offered, such as:...

Photography Niches That Do the Best Business

Do you love the creativity and flexibility of photography but can’t figure out how to start a successful photography business? Not all photography niches are created equally, and your success in a niche might depend on where you live.  Here are a few types of...

The Power of Women-Owned Small Businesses

     Women-owned small businesses are on the rise, and their impact is undeniable. In fact, in 2019 alone, women-owned nearly 12 million businesses that employed nearly 9 million people and generated over $1.9 trillion in revenue. From retail to technology to finance,...

Nyago Michael Emmanuel

We invite many people who can invest in our Akiba Ya umoja community benefit savings and investment group of Uganda to enable us expand our operations in Uganda

How to Make Your Social Media Campaigns More Relevant

Social media is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. It allows you to connect with customers and followers in a way that was never possible before. However, it's important to make sure your social media campaigns are relevant to your target audience. Here are...

SEO Basics for Small Business Owners

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is essential for small businesses looking to grow their online presence. SEO is the process of optimizing your website so that it will appear higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). It can help you increase site visibility...

How Entrepreneurs Can Stave Off Burnout

Have you been feeling more stressed and exhausted than normal lately? Everyone experiences burnout at some point in their career, and this is even more common with entrepreneurs due to the many responsibilities that they have. Here are a few ways to stave off burnout...

Marketing Moves to Make in 2023

As 2022 comes to a close it is time to begin setting goals and making plans for the new year. One area of particular import is your marketing strategy. It is vital to follow the current trends in marketing to keep ahead and stay competitive. Here are three marketing...
Ways for Increasing Property Management Lead Generation

Ways for Increasing Property Management Lead Generation

Property management is not a simple job, there are multiple tasks that a property manager should complete for various property investors. Marketing is one of the difficult parts, but it’s crucial. You can only attract tenants to your property and gain income after you have generated leads. Therefore, you should try your best to come up with smart and effective strategies to get your company known.

5 Unexpected Industries That Need Social Media Marketing

5 Unexpected Industries That Need Social Media Marketing

In today’s digital age, social media has become an essential tool for businesses to connect with their target audience and promote their products or services. While it’s common to see industries like retail, hospitality, and entertainment using social media for marketing, there are several unexpected industries that can also benefit from social media marketing.

#InvestingInYOU: Consider Coaching

#InvestingInYOU: Consider Coaching

#Investing in YOU: Consider Coaching Mindy Jo, M.B.A. & M.Ed. Certified life coach & founder of worryaboutYOUtoday.com Life coaching. What is it? What is it NOT? Life coaching can have many meanings based on the type of coaching that is being offered, such as:...

Nyago Michael Emmanuel

Nyago Michael Emmanuel

We invite many people who can invest in our Akiba Ya umoja community benefit savings and investment group of Uganda to enable us expand our operations in Uganda

All Categories

Business Operations

Entrepreneur Interviews

Marketing, Networking, & Social Media

Self Care & Personal Development

Working Moms

Business Software and Technology

Entrepreneurship & Small Business

Organizing Tips

Sales

Career Building

Family Businesses

Inspiration

Starting Your Own Business

Work-Life Balance

Communication

Hiring Help

Management & Leadership

Time Management & Priorities

Women in Leadership

Recent Posts

Elements That Should Be Part of Your Company Retreat

Elements That Should Be Part of Your Company Retreat

A company retreat is an excellent opportunity for team-building, learning new skills, and fostering relationships between colleagues. Whether your team is large or small, a well-planned retreat can be an invaluable investment in your company's success. We will explore...

How to Make Employee Health a Priority

How to Make Employee Health a Priority

Prioritizing employee health is crucial for creating a healthy and productive work environment. By investing in the health and wellbeing of your employees, you can improve morale, reduce absenteeism, and build a positive company culture. Here are some tips on how to...

Why You Should Run Your Business on the Latest Technology

Why You Should Run Your Business on the Latest Technology

In today's fast-paced business environment, keeping up with technological advancements is essential for success. Implementing the latest technology can offer numerous benefits, such as improved productivity, enhanced data security, and reduced costs.  Improve...

What are local links and how to earn them

What are local links and how to earn them

What local links are and how they might assist local businesses develop an efficient SEO strategy are covered in this article. Local links allow visitors to learn more about a region and its businesses by connecting websites from the same area that are relevant to one another. They must be pertinent to the neighbourhood and offer valuable resources or information. Content marketing, reviews, sponsored content, social media, and directories are all ways to generate local links.

Ways for Increasing Property Management Lead Generation

Ways for Increasing Property Management Lead Generation

Property management is not a simple job, there are multiple tasks that a property manager should complete for various property investors. Marketing is one of the difficult parts, but it’s crucial. You can only attract tenants to your property and gain income after you have generated leads. Therefore, you should try your best to come up with smart and effective strategies to get your company known.