Content Writing Tip: Display Your Core Values

I remember surfing the web for community-based websites back in 2003. One of them especially caught my eye. I had already heard of the community, so I knew a little bit about it already. But when I got to the site, something, in particular, sold me on how important that community was. On the menu, there was a tab that read “Values”.

Up to this point, I had never seen values listed on a website. What a novel idea for its time. I clicked, went to the page, and started reading.

Wow!

I was floored. I resonated deeply with what this community promoted through its very existence. I would have never expected to be this drawn in by a website. I found myself wanting to support them simply because I wanted to support what they stood for. So, I bought one of their music CDs.

If you want to connect with your audience, displaying your values works.

There’s a Bigger Danger than Bad Experiences

Have you ever had this happen to you?

A company has something you want. But, somewhere in the process of exploring the potential purchase, you have a terrible experience with the company itself. As a result, you decide to pass on their product.

A bad experience with a business can lead to a sense of “disconnect”. We’ve all been there. While we would love to have the product, we feel so hurt and/or betrayed that we refuse to support the business by giving them our hard-earned money. Once we’ve become that angry, we will probably never trust them again. Understanding this is key to where I’m going next.

Here’s my twist. Consider this…

How many times have you had a bad experience with a company, but then continued to use them? Maybe they reached out afterward and made it up to you. Maybe they didn’t do anything, but overall you have had good experiences, so you considered this recent occurrence a fluke.

What’s up with that?

I suspect we’ve all been there, too. It’s a great reminder that, ultimately, the problem is not a bad experience. The problem is the disconnect. And, the fastest way to drive away potential clients is to disconnect from them. Conversely, the fastest way to transform potential clients into actual clients is to connect with them through their identity.

Tribal Identity

When we think about what drives people to act, it’s important to think evolutionarily. Way back in the day, people lived in tribes. Tribes were essentially extended family units. While there may have been conflicts among a tribe, ultimately, everyone knew that they all shared an interest in the well being of the whole tribe. And every tribe shared the same danger: other tribes.

When it came to tribal conflict, there was safety in numbers. The larger tribes had less to worry about than the smaller tribes. In armed conflict, numbers matter. So, it was important to increase numbers either through conquest or alliances.

That might seem like ancient history, but the reality is that tribalism is alive and well in today’s world. We all have tribal identities, whether they be national, political, gender-oriented, team-oriented, or otherwise.

Tribal identities serve a function. They tell us who is on the inside (and thus safe) and who is on the outside (and thus a potential threat).

Let’s look at how this plays out by pretending that you are a hard-core Democrat. Now imagine yourself chatting with someone who seems nice, but then you suddenly discover that your conversation partner is…a Republican! How would you feel? How would this change how you perceive this person before you?

Odds are that you might feel your blood pressure rise as you saw the person in a whole new light. This is the effect of encountering someone who is outside your personal tribe, who has now been labeled “not safe”.

What if you had discovered that your conversation partner was a hard-core Democrat, like yourself? Would you feel closer to them and like them more? I suspect so.

Display Your Values on Your Website

If you are building a brand, you want to form a tribe of followers. These are your “raving fans”. These are the people who support your business repeatedly and give you great buzz on the streets of life.

As you build a tribe, it’s important to give them something to rally around. This is where values come in.

Core Values Create a Sense of Resonance

In many respects, shared values are the glue that holds a culture together. Think about who your friends are. When you have conversations, don’t you find that you are more in agreement than disagreement? Don’t you find that you enjoy doing the same activities together?

When people share the same values, they feel more connected and safer around each other. After all, “they” are a lot like “us”, and as such they are more predictable. We can expect that we are ultimately playing the same game and are probably even on the same team.

If you display your core values on your website, visitors will get a stronger sense of who your online persona really is. They feel like they are getting a privileged peek under the cover of your character. If they share those values, they will instantly feel a stronger connection and be more open to working with you.

Core Values Help Anticipate a Positive Outcome

None of us can truly predict the future. But, we have to project out what we think might happen so that we can make the best possible choices. Perhaps, the best way that people have of predicting the outcome of a relationship is what they see in the character of the other.

Think about your interpersonal encounters. Does the person lie, cheat, and steal? Then you may want to run away fast. What if the person is honest, fair, and generous? You might find this person attractive and be open to further interactions.

When you publicly display your core values, people can anticipate that any interactions they have with you will be guided by those values. And anticipating a positive interaction makes them much more likely to invite that interaction in the first place.

Core Values Show You Stand for Something More than Money

When people come to your website and check out your services and products, they are seeking something that will help them solve their problem. But in a world where scammers are a dime a dozen, they have to protect themselves from getting swindled. So, they arrive and cautiously watch out for the bait-and-switch designed to fleece them. For what it’s worth, I do it, and I bet you do it, too.

Your values represent what is ultimately important to you in your business. Sure, you got into business for yourself because you wanted to make money. But displayed values reveal that there is more to your business than just generating income. Indeed, they identify the things that you believe are more important than the bottom line.

Offering your potential clients this insight strongly personalizes your business. And we know that people are attracted to doing business with other people more than they are with abstract businesses.

Core Values Hold You Accountable

This is where displaying values starts to get uncomfortable. Running with the idea that certain things are more important to you than making money, values create boundaries for what you can and cannot do as a business.

If you are going to display your values, my hope is that you are doing so because they are actually your values. Don’t use them as a manipulative marketing ploy to get into potential clients’ wallets. I never advocate deception in marketing. If your values aren’t truly your values, don’t display them.

But, how might you know if those values are truly yours? The key question for me is this…

When the rubber hits the road and money is on the table, are you willing to sacrifice income to protect the integrity of the values?

That’s the big “ouch”. That’s how they hold you accountable. They are a measuring stick to determine how well your business is reflecting who you really want to be as a person.

Of course, you, and only you, can determine whether you are living up to your standards. If you have “Generosity” as a value, you will need to determine what “generosity” means for your business. It doesn’t mean you have to give all of your services away for free. After all, you are still a business. But it might mean that you need to be flexible with your rates, or maybe that you give select services away for free. Regardless, it’s up to you.

Core Values Help You Grow as a Person and as a Business

Always ask yourself, “What do these values mean for me and my business?” Because they establish boundaries on what you are and are not willing to do, they are a fantastic tool for self-reflection.

Running with “generosity” again, you could ask yourself, “What does it mean for me to be a generous person, and how do I give expression to that?”

Core values aren’t just things that reflect in our personalities. They are forces within us that we long to express more fully in our lives. When we identify our values and find ways of intentionally giving expression to them, we are unleashing more of who we are meant to be in this world. Living itself becomes more rewarding and more meaningful.

If we look at our businesses as extensions of ourselves, we see that they are potential vehicles for expressing those values. Those values can be used to springboard growth and development.

For example, if you want to uphold “generosity” with your business, how might you make that work for you? Perhaps you could create a PDF that offers a wealth of critical information regarding your niche. Since part of your goal is to be generous, think about going above and beyond here. I’m talking about something jam-packed with value. Now, consider how you could give this away freely to those who need it for their next step, while at the same time offering it as a lead magnet for those who may be interested in hiring you for services.

You grow. Your business grows. Your audience grows.

How’s that for a win-win-win? And all because you chose to let your values lead you.

Your Turn

I would love to hear what your values are. Please, share them in the comments below or the Facebook Group. Also, let everyone know how you use them in your business. Remember, as we work together, we grow together.