“Why Is It That Reasons Come First, Answers Come Second?”

The Pondering Hamster: Why oh why oh why?

“The truth is that there is no “happy ending” in life, because any type of “ending” implies stagnation. People never stop being called upon to evolve, never stop being called upon to weed out their lesser characteristics, never stop being forced to advance as individuals by the challenges they choose to undertake. It’s just whether they choose to step the fuck up, or sit the fuck down.”

Owen Cook-aka- “Tyler” of Real Social Dynamics

July 13, 2009

Hey you,

It’s #2.

After I read the quote above, it made me think about the service the Chief and I are providing for you with this site.

Yesterday, after we sold out the personal coaching program in minutes with one email (no fancy pants launch, no mega list, no super sales letter), the nerd came in said we had to talk.  Shit.

I knew what was coming.  It was the “Grown Up” talk.  The talk where he used the “O” word.  Organized.

We talked about how if we stopped dinking around, taking care of this site on a part-time basis and instead give it our full attention we could radically transform the quality of your life by giving you more.  And, how by not doing this, we were doing you a disservice.

We talked about how with only having spent at most, $500 bucks total, way back last year, on adwords to drive traffic, of which $479 of it was probably flushed down the toilet due to us jumping in half cocked seeing what’d fall out the other side, and how with using ZERO SEO strategy, no article marketing, no banner advertising, pretty much doing nothing but giving you content and a few reports to purchase, we’ve managed to build a list of dedicated buyers who wow us with their comments on the blog, emails and spending of their protected dollar/pound here.

For This, I Thank You

Thank you visiting, making us one of WordPress.com’s fastest growing blogs due to our Alexa ranking of 210,152 (this means that out of the billions & billions of web sites available on the internet, we’re 210,152^nd place).  Thank you so much for your comments, personal friendly conversations and feedback.  Thank you for buying like crazy and showing us we can do more for you by taking even more notes on programs than we do now.

Thank you for challenging us to “Step the Fuck Up”.

In lieu of the Chief’s post yesterday about parenting, I want to share with you another hunk of sweetness from the stern but loving advice of the Responsible Business Parent’s Parent, Rich Schefren and his Founders Club Program

This report by itself is dramatically changing the way this site is evolving.

And if you missed the whole launch for the product here’s the essence of it boiled down to a quote…

“You Read A Book From Beginning To End, But You Build A Business From The End To The Beginning.”

Just like the way a child is raised helps determine what direction they take as an adult, so it is with raising your business.

I talked about this during our last Ultra Product Launch Mastermind Meeting and promised them I was going to write this out and because I think this topic is so important I’ve decided to share it with everyone.

What Is The Ultimate Purpose Of Your Business?

The textbook definition of purpose is:  noun.  The object toward which one strives or for which something exists.

What’s the purpose of your business?

Without a purpose you can’t know and neither can anyone who works for you know what your business is striving to achieve, or more importantly why it even exists in the first place.

When your business is purposeless everything feels a bit chaotic, maybe even meaningless.

Your Business Tells You and The World What Business You’re Really In

Most entrepreneurs can’t clearly state, in one sentence, the business they’re really in.  When you know your business’s purpose you can do this.

The thing to remember is that you always define your business from the point of view of your customers… the end result your customers will enjoy from using your products or services.

Maybe you’ve heard this example, maybe you haven’t.

As we all know railroads dominated cross-country transportation once upon a time.  Because they defined themselves a being in the business of running railroads and didn’t have a big picture purpose they got their ass handed to them by bus companies, trucking companies, shipping companies and eventually airlines.

If they’d asked themselves the questions I’m about to reveal they might’ve come up with a purpose like this… “To move people and freight over long distances in the very best way possible at the very best prices.”

Because they didn’t, they missed out on the most profitable segments of the market like moving people and packages.

6 Reasons Why Purpose Gives You House Odds

In my last post I talked about how to get detailed research about your market and customers.  If your purpose is based on this knowledge you’ll be talking to the real needs of the market and it will drive everything you do.

Here’s a list of reasons this is true…

Purpose improves your performance – It gives you the criteria to judge the effectiveness of everything you undertake.

Purpose attracts A-Player employees and Outsourcers – People are passionate by nature and when not stimulated we revert to boredom or distraction towards something that does offer a hit of passion.    Especially in the work place.  When your purpose is compelling the best employees and outsourcers want to be in your world because you offer meaning to their life.

Purpose deepens employee engagement and increases their commitment – Employees who work in the service of something they feel true devotion to bring the most energy and vitality to what they do.  Work stops being a 9 to 5 chore to be endured so they can have money to do what really juices them.  And it becomes a source of fulfillment and satisfaction.  Your purpose can tap into the hearts and minds of your team and make the impossible, possible.

Purpose drives successful innovation – Without a purpose, a business invents more than they innovate because there’s nothing driving meaningful innovation.  Innovation is something new that succeeds while invention is merely something that’s new.  Innovation for innovations sake often results in wasted time.  Innovation designed to meet business’ purpose is where meaningful progress is made.

Purpose gives your business flexibility – Products, services and practically everything else in your business eventually changes.  If your purpose is clear you’ll know when it’s time to shift direction, change what you offer or your strategy.  The only thing that won’t change is your purpose which keeps you flexible enough be ready for what the market tells you they want.

Purpose builds your brand – Your clearly defined purpose let’s people pigeon hole you into a position in their mind.  It tells them how they should see and feel about you.  If you leave this definition up to them, you might not like the results.

Focus On Coming To The Rescue

If you want your purpose to be etched into the mind of your customers make sure it’s stated in a way to relieves them of pain, frustration or challenges they face.

Why?

Because people spend enormous amounts of money, time and energy avoiding pain.  They avoid confronting their neighbors, bosses or spouse to avoid emotional pain and they gulp down pills to suppress their physical pain.

Make it Short, Sweet, & Memorable

You should be able to tell someone your business purpose in one or two sentences.  It should be broad, fundamental, inspirational and enduring.

Don’t confuse purpose, which should last at least 100 years, with specific goals or business strategies, which should change many times in 100 years.

You can achieve a goal or complete a strategy but you can never fulfill your purpose… it’s like a perfection… forever pursued, but never reached.

What’s cool is that it doesn’t have to be unique.  The primary role is to guide and inspire, not differentiate.  It can set you apart but two companies can have the same purpose.

Examples Of Compelling Business Purposes

Google – To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.

Facebook – Giving people the power to share and make the world more open and connected

Walmart – Saving people money so they can live better.

Disney – Keeping alive the magic of childhood.

Strategic Profits – To guide, advise, and nurture entrepreneurs to work less, make more, while building the business of their dreams.

Finding Your Business’s Purpose

This is the step where you can create a company capable of making a difference, making money and maybe, just maybe making history.

Now you should find it obvious how useful finding all the dope on your customers was using what we talked about in our last conversation.  Now we’re plunder that data for the deep seeded, un-met need that you can find a way to be passionate about fulfilling.

And it all begins with asking “What do people need or want that we have (or could create) that no one else is offering?”

Reasons Come First, Answers Come Second

Here are the eight powerful questions that lead you right into a legendary purpose… and here’s what I came up for My Note Taking Nerd off the top of my head.

What does your business provide?

We provide the pure, refined essence of the world’s most expensive business building programs.

Why is that important?

Because it’s possible to get results from these programs without having to sit through the entire thing for 20 plus hours or more.

Why is that important?

Because once you have fast & easy access to answers your mind thinks of the task as easier to accomplish and doesn’t sabotage your efforts.

Why is that important?

Most people have spent thousands and thousands of dollars and not seen results of buying them.

Why is that important?

Because if they don’t get results they slowly erode their self esteem which is the beginning of a slew of bad decision making that ultimately ruins their business.

Why is that important?

If they don’t make wise decisions then the quality of not only their life but of their families is drastically affected (anyone who’s been laid of or gone bankrupt knows this all too well)

What would the world lose if you we ceased to exist?

They’d lose out on a source on a friend who wanted to see them get everything they were meant to get out of their investments in these seminars and programs.

So, our purpose is:

We chomp away at the elephant of information overload one program at a time so that you can spend more time making money and less time ‘learning’ about making money.

There You Have It

Doesn’t that seem simple?  It is.  Answer these questions and you’ll immediately put yourself in the top 20% of leaders of who actually know why they’re doing what they’re doing and are in love with it.

I’m leaving with that.  Time for me go shoot some hoop.  Thank you once again for inspiring me to step the fuck up.

Talk to you again soon,

Note Taking Nerd 2

P.S. What I shared today was just a teeny piece of what was discussed in our Ultra Product Launch Mastermind Meeting.  Our last call I believe was over two hours long and while interacting one on one with the participants it pulled the marketing wizard out of the nerd and I and led to the people on the call coming away with solid, actionable solutions to their problems.  CLICK HERE to find out how to join in the fun…