Humanity has followed different leaders throughout history, whether for good or bad causes, but they have achieved the support of multitudes. And it is that some people have the ability to make others believe in their causes and follow them; and it is due to the golden circle.
The same goes for companies and products. We instinctively want to buy items from a certain brand. But most people do not have compelling reasons to justify the reason for their purchases. They just “want to have them”.
For what is this?
It turns out that the leaders we follow and the companies we want to buy from; have something in common: they communicate through the golden circle As stated by Simon Sinek, author of the book Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.
What is the golden circle?
Sinek explains it as follows: The “what” are the details that describe something, whether it is a product or an intention, the “how” is the way in which they are carried out and the “why” is the true essence or the reason why they are made.
As an example, he shows how the Apple brand communicates with its customers:
- (Because) In everything we do we believe in changing the status quo, we believe in thinking differently.
- (How) We challenge the status quo by creating beautifully designed, simple and easy to use products.
- (What) We just make great computers.
Great leaders and brands communicate from the inside out of the circle (they start with the “why” and end with the “what”) and Sinek assures that this is the determining factor.
People do not buy the “what”, because it is the same as what the other brands offer. And neither do you buy for the “how”, because surely the other brands do it in a similar way.
People buy for the “because” and in the same way the leaders who get followers, manage to make people feel identified not with themselves, but with their causes.
Why is the golden circle so effective?
Simon says that the idea for the golden circle was not born of his ingenuity. It is a concept based on Biology, more exactly, on how 3 main parts of the brain differ if a cross section is made.
The outer part, called the neocortex, would be the “what”. Which is in charge of our thoughts rational and of language.
While the “how” and “why” would be represented by the limbic system. Its function is to manage physiological responses to emotional stimuli. And it is also related to memory, personality and conduct (decision making).
For this reason, Sinek says that by communicating from the outside to the inside of the golden circle (explaining the “what” first and the “why” last), people can identify a large amount of information. Like benefits, figures and features.
Neverthelessnone of that is going to affect his behavior. In other words, no matter how much you talk about your product, that won’t make them buy it from you.
On the other hand, if we communicate from the inside out, we are directly contacting the part of the brain in charge of behavior. Once they understand the “why”, they can rationalize it and that is when the instinctive decisions originate.
Those decisions we make without really knowing why, simply because they feel good.
Do you already have a product or service to apply the golden circle and boost your sales?
And remember, if you are really interested in creating your own business, you can read our book “How to create a company while working: Discover how to manage your time, manage your money and motivate yourself while creating a company and working for another” , where you will find all the information you need to found your own company, without having to leave your job.
