What you stand for is what you offer
What do you offer that is of utmost value to those you hope to engage? Here's a hint. It's not what you do (your product, program, etc.). And it's not how you do it (your service, delivery, etc.) Rather, it is why you do what you do.
The problem is that too many organizations begin to design or redesign their offerings before having clarity on why they do what they do – or what they stand for. As a result, a couple of things tend to happen.
Organizations design offerings that feel generic or 'me too'.
They design offerings that reflect what they believe are their leading attributes as opposed to designing them to address what is truly valuable to their prospects.
Your differentiator is the difference you make
Clarifying why you do what you do reveals the difference you hope to make in a life, a community, or even the world. This is your Big Audacious Meaning or purpose.
As you can imagine, your Big Audacious Meaning is highly desirable to those you hope to serve. After all, you are describing a compelling difference you can make for them. Or a difference in our broader society that they can get behind and participate in. Sometimes it's even both.
This is that x-factor that has the power to create evangelists among those you hope to serve.
Letting it guide your offerings
Everything you do should serve your purpose. So it's a no-brainer that you should design your offerings to support and further your Big Audacious Meaning. Here are some of the outcomes you can expect:
Your operation will be more cohesive as you align all your team members and your offerings to serve your purpose.
Your offerings will be more compelling - even if your features and function don't give you a distinct competitive advantage.
Your offerings will create more loyal customers
The first step is to clarify that Big Audacious Meaning. This creates the core tenet that will unite all your efforts. Get this right. Because when it comes down to it, it's what those you hope to serve are really looking for.