Simon Sinek, in his book Start with Why, argues that people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. He uses the example of Southwest Airlines to illustrate this point.
- Southwest Airlines was founded by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher with the vision of making air travel accessible to the common man.
- Their WHY, their purpose, was to champion the cause of the common man by providing a cheap, fun, and simple alternative to the big airlines.
- This clear sense of WHY was reflected in everything they did, from their pricing to their marketing to their company culture.
As a result of their focus on WHY, Southwest was able to achieve a level of customer loyalty that had nothing to do with price. Customers felt that Southwest was a company that understood them and their needs.
They were willing to pay a premium or endure inconvenience to fly Southwest because they believed in what the company stood for.
Sinek contrasts Southwest’s success with the failure of other low-cost airlines that focused solely on price. He argues that differentiation happens in WHY and HOW you do it, not just in WHAT you do.
Southwest wasn’t necessarily the best or the cheapest airline, but their WHY was crystal clear and resonated with their target audience.
This story demonstrates the power of starting with WHY. By focusing on their purpose, Southwest was able to create a loyal following and build a successful business.
To read the full book summary of Simon Sinek’s book Start with Why, click here
Want to buy the book on Amazon? Click here
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