| Let's go on a little flight of fancy. Let's go car shopping. | | | | do you stand for? What do you want to be known |
| Now usually when you go car shopping you start with | | | | for? What will be your legacy? And one last question: |
| a budget in mind, don't you? You go from dealer to | | | | If you don't stand for something, what do you settle |
| dealer, trying to get the best deal that you can, but | | | | for? |
| what really sells you in the end? Is it the value? Is it the | | | | The principal features are usually a broad definition of |
| price? Is it the features? | | | | the basic business code of conduct and the scope of |
| Try as you might, emotions always come into play, | | | | the organization. It is important to have a clear, concise |
| you buy the car that looks the best, feels the best, and | | | | overall goal for you and your company. This can be as |
| you look the best in it -don't you? | | | | long as 10 pages or as short as one sentence. |
| Put yourself in your clients' shoes. What are they | | | | Generally it is better to keep it as simple as |
| looking for, the cheapest price, unmatched packages, | | | | possi¬ble. Your Why-Not! is the road map which |
| exceptional quality, or the photographer showing | | | | you and your employees can follow anytime there is a |
| incomparable quality? Naturally, they will tell you, all of | | | | question that surfaces out of the ordinary. Any |
| the above! | | | | answer which does not fall in line with your Why-Not! |
| But in reality, can they really tell the difference? We | | | | shouldn't be used. |
| would like to think that we fit the bill in all of the above | | | | Another example would be if you own a portrait studio |
| but do we? Can we? | | | | and Mrs. Jones comes in and complains that she |
| What happens, when in your clients' eyes there are | | | | doesn't like her photographs and you look at them and |
| too many similarities to really tell. Then it boils down to | | | | they are as good as they are going to get. Your |
| the best salesperson, the best sales presentation, or | | | | Why-Not! states that you guarantee 100% satisfaction, |
| what I call the best Why-Not! | | | | but you are torn, as far as you are concerned, they |
| Your Why-Not! defines the nature and purpose of | | | | are great shots. Without hesitation and with a smile - |
| your business. It is the one thing that compels people to | | | | you give her money back or offer to retake them. |
| buy from you instead of from your competitors. Often | | | | This course of action will always work to your favour, |
| it is call a "USP" (Unique Sales Point), or your Mission | | | | maybe not immediately, but it is the right course. If you |
| Statement. | | | | have employees, they would be empowered to do the |
| Your Why-Not! is much more than both of the others | | | | same, immediately, without fear of repercussion. |
| put together - yet simpler. | | | | Basically your Why-Not! can stand alone as an |
| It stands for | | | | advertisement that sells your company to you, your |
| Why Hire You - No Other Temptations | | | | employees and your clients. As a matter of fact, it can |
| You must answer the question for your clients - Why | | | | be used as an ad and it should be used in all your ads. |
| Hire You? | | | | A few more points about Why-Not!s' |
| Then you must make it so that there can be - No | | | | There are many different formats; there is no right or |
| Other Temptations! | | | | wrong type. |
| The exciting part of it is that anyone reading it will get | | | | It remains fairly stable over time. |
| a clear picture of the personality of the company and | | | | It may be expressed at different levels of abstraction; |
| what you stand for. | | | | a balance must be struck between too wide and too |
| Personality shows emotion and a human side. | | | | narrow a definition. |
| USP's and Mission Statements are documents and | | | | Some Why-Not!s' include objective, strategic thrust, |
| documents are cold and impersonal. | | | | policies and guidelines. |
| More importantly, it will tell the client what you will do | | | | They describe your products in terms relevant to your |
| for him or her. | | | | customers. |
| Too often a company fails because it doesn't know | | | | Differentiate - explain how your product is different |
| who it is trying to serve. Trying to be all things to all | | | | than the competition's, with different benefits. |
| people is fool¬ish. You have to come up with a | | | | Whenever people buy, they are only concerned with |
| specific Why-Not! - a unique and compelling claim or | | | | "What's In It For Them." |
| offer - that's targeted like a laser to give you a | | | | Effectively choose pricing and positioning strategies. |
| direction. | | | | These strategies may be based on the fact that: |
| It answers the question "What is our reason for | | | | 1. You are an expert in your field. |
| being?" Why would someone buy from us? And when | | | | 2. You have degrees or education in your specialty. |
| they hear the answers that they are looking for they | | | | 3. You may finish your products with better quality or |
| will exclaim, "Why-Not!" | | | | more expensive finishes. |
| But this is not to say that you can't have two or three | | | | 4. You may frame each print. |
| differ¬ent Why-Not!s for different product lines or | | | | 5. You may have an escalating hourly fee depending |
| services that you offer. | | | | on the degree of difficulty, safety, distance, specialty, |
| There are many different kinds of Why-Not!s and you | | | | or uses of the photograph or in the photographing, |
| must define this yourself because your entire | | | | Steps to develop your Why-Not: |
| marketing and operational success is built upon the | | | | Keep in mind: |
| Why-Not!. All studios need a clear sense of where | | | | - There is no right or wrong statement for your |
| they are trying to go and what they want to be in | | | | organization just as there is no best or most |
| order for the diverse elements to pull in a uniform | | | | appropriate format. |
| direction. | | | | - Focus on the concept not on the words; the words |
| What you are doing is providing your prospective | | | | can be fine-tuned later. |
| clients is a clear cut picture of who you are , what you | | | | - Most Why-Nots' suffer, at least to some degree, |
| are going to do, and what you stand for. | | | | from mother-hood-it is, it's important that you stay |
| Why do you want to do this? | | | | away from platitudes. |
| Why-Not! Just teasing with you. | | | | - The greatest flaw of most Why-Nots are that the |
| One reason is that our society makes celebrities out | | | | implicit message is the "we" are smarter, will work |
| of people who are unique or who have special abilities. | | | | harder, and will do a better job. In the competitive |
| Their qualities and attributes are polished to a bright | | | | marketplace of goods, services and ideas, to assume |
| shine and then professionally presented to the rest of | | | | that you are smarter, faster or meaner than the |
| us. We then strive to be like these individuals and yet | | | | competition inevitably leads to surprises and the |
| the very nature of success demands authenticity. | | | | realization that you and your colleagues are just about |
| So what's the secret? | | | | on par with the quality of the people with whom you |
| It's simple really. We are ALL unique. We ALL have | | | | are competing. |
| something special to give. Being authentic and true to | | | | - Although it is difficult, try to build creativity into your |
| ourselves is the only chance we have of being liked, | | | | work. This is a first attempt at development of a |
| being successful, and being truly happy. Improving | | | | Why-Not so it is important to build in new ways of |
| yourself requires polishing what's great about you and | | | | viewing things at the beginning. It will be refined and |
| proudly presenting it to the world. | | | | reworked later so try to open up and be creative now. |
| My first year Philosophy Prof loved to ask, "Why | | | | To give you an idea as to how a Why-Not can look I'll |
| should you be moral?" Then he would quickly follow up | | | | show you one of mine. |
| with "Why should you be immoral?" | | | | Old Masters Portrait Studio Why-Not is: |
| Then with a smile on his face and a glint in his eye he | | | | Old Masters Portraits Studio desire is to create an |
| would say, "The correct answer is Why Not!" | | | | exciting and memorable image for each and every |
| Some companies position themselves as having the | | | | one of our customers. The image will be technically |
| best selection or broadest array of buying options. | | | | perfect and of excellent quality, using the finest |
| Their Why-Not!. is obviously "broad choice." | | | | materials that we can find. It is our goal to provide |
| Other companies may offer more limited selection, but | | | | service to the customer that is unsurpassed in the |
| their Why-Not! is "low price" or "low markup." | | | | industry so that all of our customers will want to come |
| Another company may decide they don't want to be | | | | back year after year. |
| known for just price or selection, so instead they offer | | | | It is imperative that we charge a price that provides |
| the finest quality at a higher, but still reasonable price. | | | | value to the client and a good return on our efforts. |
| "Quality" or "exclusivity" is its Why-Not!. | | | | We will be happy if our clients are happy and our |
| Most Why-Not!s' encompass three elements: | | | | clients will be happy if we are happy. |
| 1. A purpose/role element | | | | Writing your Why-Not |
| A. In a nutshell, what is the purpose of the company?i. I | | | | Start by answering the following questions. |
| am going to take nature photographs, specializing in | | | | 1. What is the purpose of our organization? |
| species which are on the endangered species list. | | | | 2. What is our reason for being? |
| B. What role are you going to play?ii. My goal is to | | | | 3. What are we going to photograph and why? |
| raise awareness of these precious animals by writing | | | | After spending some time on the first three questions, |
| books and articles about them, my experiences, and | | | | begin to filter in the following questions.a. Who do we |
| how the effects of man are playing out in these | | | | serve?b. What do we do best?c. What are some of |
| animals lives. | | | | our weaknesses?d. What kinds of programs and |
| 2. A boundaries element | | | | services do we provide or should we provide?e. What |
| This element defines what you will and will not do. In | | | | outcomes do we hope to achieve?f. What do we |
| the example above you might write something like. | | | | hope to accom¬plish?g. What would happen if our |
| I will write books and articles to serious journals and | | | | organization did not exist?h. What is special about the |
| magazines but I will not do greeting cards and | | | | way we operate?i. Where do we or should we |
| postcards. My goal is to depict the plight of | | | | provide our product or service?What do I or our |
| endangered speices but not demean them or make | | | | shareholders want?j. From the previous exercise you |
| light of their existence. | | | | can now put together a Unique Selling Proposition or |
| 3. A values-based/philosophical element | | | | Mission Statement that will give you a direction and |
| Here are some more questions to ask yourself. What | | | | major driving force for your company. |