While we’re on the subject of purpose, when was the last time you communicated the “why” of your business — either internally to your employees or externally to your customers?

From our experience, companies do a relatively good job talking about the “what” of their business  (defining what they do) and the “how”  (the processes they use to achieve the what). But they often ignore the “why” (the purpose). This is the reason they got into the business in the first place — and why they get up and go to work every morning.

The “why” is becoming more important than ever. Employees and customers want to know all about it because the “why” makes them feel good about being associated with your company. The “why” is your context — the cornerstone and the common thread of your business. So don’t ignore it in your marketing communications. Your “why” can really help differentiate you from your competition.