Connection is Why

In the words of Bréne Brown?

‘…connection is why we're here. It's what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.’?

Please hold that thought for a minute and bear with me here...

At the Sandyford Business District breakfast last week, (#WomenWhoLead) I was talking with Peter Turley , an expert in sales, who had some good insights about the difference between need and want. His take was I want a Mercedes car but I don’t need one. Peter got me thinking…

…when it comes to business and brand, let me translate the words need and want into the word value. The difference being that wanting that Mercedes but not needing it, is that you value what that Mercedes brings to your life. In your business it is the same for your customers, they have needs and wants, aka their values which are based on their needs and wants, but what is the value of your business to them?

Let me start by asking you;

? Why are you in business beyond making money?

? Who are you here to serve, and why does it matter to them??

If you can know the answers to these two (and a half) questions then you probably understand value and brand, and have probably gone some way to figure out your Why, maybe with a little nudge from Simon Sinek. But that is only the beginning of brand building.

The thing about developing a strong brand (for example Patagonia, RedBull, Apple) what they all have in common apart from a very strong sense of purpose, is they know what their business values are, and they know what their customers values are. They are able to marry their values with those of their audiences, and speak to them in a language they understand.?

Now I know these are bigger businesses than the average, but the same questions are still very valid for smaller businesses – what is your business value? What is your purpose? And what does your audience value??

To go back to the words of Bréne Brown

‘connection is why we're here. It's what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.’?

In my opinion this is also true of business and brand, brand gives meaning to the work we do, meaning and value to our customers and a purpose for doing business with our customers.

Brand building is about connecting to your audience in a meaningful way. Brand building is about making business human for humans. It is not a financial lens, although a strong brand means you matter, so your bottom line will improve if you stick to the plan, (Notice the word plan, not goals or KPIs).?

Let’s suggest that your customer has values, which stem from their needs and wants, and you know the value your business offers to make that meaningful connection to your customer. Then business should be good, right? So why wouldn’t business be good with this understanding in place? What if it is not and you are telling yourself another story because you feel you would prefer to put a brave face on? What even is bravery? Maybe it is something else.?

?? Maybe you are a business with no real differentiation and you are not standing out enough for your audience to notice and realise what they value is what you can give them??

?? Maybe you don’t know your own Value?

?? Or are you making the huge mistake of just fitting in to your business category??

At the Sandyford Business District business breakfast there was a question about what clothes you wear. For me this was interesting because people were talking about fitting in, wearing clothes that were not true to themselves, and then feeling uncomfortable. In my opinion, fitting in does not work for your business because not only are you NOT standing out from your competitors, but you are NOT being authentic and true to yourself. You cannot carry on being inauthentic for a time without slipping up because it is not truly you. At that point you risk the potential of your business being called a fake by your audience. No business wants to be called a fake.?

So here’s the thing, if you don’t want your business to be labeled as a fake, why would you not put your effort into building a strong brand? To build an authentic brand means you will never be fake.

What is stopping you from building a strong brand?

?? Maybe it is the fear of what others might really think of you??

?? Maybe it is the fear of uncertainty and the potential risk?

?? Maybe it is being afraid to stand out for fear of being exposed and criticised for it?

??Maybe some think they are being brave by fitting in and carrying on the courageous fight??

Well, if that’s you, I’m about to burst your bubble –?

Again looking to the words of Bréne Brown

‘We live in a vulnerable world, and one of the ways we deal with [vunerability] is, we numb vulnerability.’

Maybe in business you do feel vulnerability or fearful, and you are ‘numbing’ those feelings.?

Can I ask you some questions;

? If this is you, how are you going to move the business forward to allow space for growth??

? By ’numbing’ are you stopping the joy that will come to you through the growth of your business and that connection with your customers ??

Can I ask you some more questions?

? What if you embraced vulnerability and showed true courage by embarking on something where there are no guarantees, but you trust in the process and in your own leadership to deliver results??

? How could that feel??

? Could it feel empowering??

? Is that something you have already done – on the first day you opened the doors of your business?

? Did you feel that fear then?

But you did it. What have you built since then?

I’m certain it is something you are immensely proud of.?

So what makes a business stop growing??

? What has changed since that opening day??

? Have you allowed vulnerability to sneak into your thoughts again??

? Have you been busy fitting in?

? Have you lost sight of your own values??

? Have you lost sight of your purpose?

It happens to the best of us, we lose our way, and we get busy in business. We forget to take that helicopter view, and we don’t see things breaking. Things that show that breakage are things like;

??A bad customer review

??The person on the reception desk not giving a warm welcome to customers

??Our audience is not growing with us any longer

??We look and sound like our opposition in the category

??Maybe there are new competitors in the market to challenge us

??Maybe we are not leading with purpose and trust

These are tell tale signs, and signs of a broken brand that could lead to your business being perceived as fake or untrustworthy.

Let’s think about the words that have came up in this article…

?? Meaning

?? Human

?? Connection

?? Differentiation

?? Authenticity

?? Belonging

?? Purpose

?? Leadership

?? Empowering

?? Trust

Why should we look at these words? What have these words got in common? The answer is that they all have a part to play in delivering your brand. When we talk about brand, we are not just talking logos and colours, we are talking about meaning, value, trust, human connection and purpose, all of the above.?

We are also talking about the FUTURE of your business.?

One or two last questions for you…

?Is it time to show your leadership and grow your purpose led business to create meaning and value for your customers, and let them know how you can deliver their desired value to them.?

? Has your market changed or have your opposition caught up and is it time to refocus?

So what was this article about?

It was about your business values, your customers value, the perception of your business by your customers, and building growth into your future of the business.?

?? Let me know if you have any thoughts or answers to some of these questions in the comments. I would love to know your opinions.?And I'm sure you can guess who was on my podcast list this week ??

If you want to learn more about brand from my articles please hit subscribe ??? on my profile.?

??? If this article has given you something to think about, I help forward thinking entrepreneurs wade through that vulnerability and overwhelm to get to the clarity and direction they need, to find the space to play, win and grow purposefully. If you would like my help please book a free with no obligation discovery call with me here. https://calendly.com/cubedesign/30min-cube-design-discovery-call

Framing ideas that Matter for Forward Thinking Entrepreneurs