'It's Not What You Sell' explores how to find your passion
— -- There's much to be said about a book that makes you pull out a pen and paper to start jotting notes and jump-starts your mind to examine the work you do, why you do it and how it makes a difference in the lives of others.
That's exactly what It's Not What You Sell, It's What You Stand For by Roy Spence Jr. does. It aims to motivate people to create or find work with a purpose that allows them to make money whether they're an independent contractor, a small-business owner, a CEO of a billion-dollar enterprise or head of a non-profit organization. It's about having a purpose in what you do. That, Spence argues, is the secret of extraordinary companies.
In these times, when much is written of financial implosions, layoffs, foreclosures and more, there's something energizing about reading a book on how to succeed. It's plain: Find your purpose and stick to it.
Spence has been a marketing guy for more than 35 years. He knows how to sell an idea. And sell he does. He makes you yearn for a purpose. As CEO of GSD&M Idea City, a national marketing and communications firm, Spence's clients include Southwest Airlines, BMW, John Deere, Wal-Mart, the Clinton Global Initiative and AARP — all purpose-driven enterprises. "We help organizations identify and articulate the core purpose that's right under their nose," Spence writes.
The heart of the book revolves around ways to develop a purpose statement. And that comes down to lots of soul-searching mixed with sleuthing. He asks, "Why do you do what you do? Why is that important to the people you serve? Why does the existence of your organization matter?"
If you ask these questions, "Your purpose may very well jump out and start dancing around in front of you," Spence writes.
Once you know your purpose and can articulate it with passion, then everything makes sense and everything flows, he eagerly promises. "You can feel good about what you are doing and clear about how to get there. You're excited to get up in the morning, and you sleep easier at night."
