I am such a geek that my Weber Grill has Bluetooth. I have an app that connects to it and monitors the temperature, showing you the cooking time. There is also a wired probe that you insert into a steak or chicken to monitor the internal temperature and determine when to turn the food. I had to buy a wi-fi repeater just to get it to connect to my phone.

That was so 2023. Now I go to Perplexity and ask it how to do it, and frankly, it's better than the Weber app for cooking food correctly. Steaks and hamburgers are actually juicier and better tasting with this method.

That's how fast technology and Artificial Intelligence are changing what we do and how we do it.

What's Your Why?

There's a great book by Simon Sinek called Start With Why. Additionally, he has some great YouTube videos. If you haven't seen him, just Google search “Start With Why” and you'll find his TED Talks and a whole bunch of other stuff. I've listened to the audiobook, and I really love his premise: to start with why.

He discusses Apple and a handful of other companies, providing a clear idea of why you should start with ‘WHY,' then move on to ‘HOW,' and finally to ‘WHAT.' Why do you do what you do? I ask myself that question all the time, and I review this regularly.

I believe that your communications are a bit like a steak dinner: WHAT is the “Steak”, HOW is the “Sizzle”, and WHY is the “Sustenance”.

Selling the Steak

As you are aware, there are various cuts of meat, each with its own distinct quality. There is a big difference between a chuck steak and a sirloin. How it looks and how it tastes all depend on what you buy, where you buy it, and how it's prepared.

Consider a steak as the fundamental product or service that delivers on the promise. When you promote your business, are you focusing on the services, the people, and the process?

Many websites will dull your senses with pages of content, trying to convince people that you have the skills and experience to know what you are talking about. In this short attention span theater of a world, take your page, and ask Perplexity (or your AI of choice) to summarize that page and see what it presents you.

I went to my “WHAT” (or services) page and tried that. I asked Perplexity via my Comet browser (which provides insight into any page you navigate to): “Can you write a short summary paragraph of what this page is trying to tell readers?” Here is what it showed:

B2b Interactive Marketing Inc. specializes in B2B marketing by blending traditional methods and technology to enhance customer communications, target audiences, and digital campaigns, all continuously refined for stronger sales results.

I believe that people are not interested in the techniques that we use, but in what those techniques can do for their business.

That gave me an excellent talking point about what my product (or steak) is. If you look at that page, you can see that I added the text to the top of the page to entice people to click through for more information.

Selling the Sizzle

When I cook steaks, I like to see the juices bubble to the top before I flip them. There is also a knob on my grill that says “Sear” that brings out the juices and creates well-defined grill marks. This is what makes those steaks SIZZLE.

That sear knob is what adds sizzle, initial excitement, emotional connection, or flashy features to cooking a steak. Your sizzle is your HOW.

Again, I went to Perplexity and asked it to summarize the page, and it said:

B2B Interactive Marketing Inc. uses relationship-focused marketing to help businesses connect with potential clients. It promotes genuine interactions and trust-building, highlighting targeted strategies and client testimonials to show HOW their approach drives measurable sales results and long-term partnerships.

I believe that people are not interested in the technology that we use, but in what those technologies can do for their business.

Again, I copied that and posted it to the top of the page. That gives readers a sense of HOW we execute the techniques, and why they would want to scroll down and read more about our HOW.

Selling the Sustenance

The main purpose (or WHY) you cook a steak is to eat it. Eating steak has health benefits, including: high-quality protein, rich in vitamins, packed with minerals, can aid in cholesterol and heart health, supports bone and dental health, and more.

Health benefits are like the benefits of doing business with you. The lasting benefits, ongoing relationship, and reliable support that keep customers returning and relying on your business.

Simply put: WHY uses the “WHAT & HOW” to create results for customers who trust your business. If you look at the menu on my website, you can see I start with the WHY.

Once again, I asked Perplexity to summarize that page, and this is what it came up with:

B2B Interactive Marketing’s system works by strengthening business relationships and boosting sales with proven, data-backed strategies.
B2b's approach focuses on your client's needs, increases sales team effectiveness, delivers measurable results, and reduces marketing costs.

Another way of saying that is “What's the WIIFM” (or “What's In It For Me”). By starting with that, it makes your HOW and WHAT more personal and attractive. If you can make the case for the way your products or services can benefit their company's financial health, you have a better chance of starting a conversation around the WHY.

Closing Thought

In no way, shape, or form do I wish to offend vegans with this post, but if you want to substitute Tofu for Steak, you can plug this blog into AI and have it change it to the food choice that best suits your lifestyle.

I hope what you get from this post is that nobody really cares about which cool new AI tools you use (Perplexity and Comet are my weapons of choice), but it's the results that matter.

I used AI to improve my website while writing this blog. That is a result of the work I did, demonstrating how AI can summarize and improve your messages without requiring it to write the entire website.

Remember that the quality of the steak is directly correlated to the final result. My website was written by a copywriter and has received some very good feedback; however, analytics indicate that people are not reading whole pages or more than two or three. That is why the short summary at the top may reap benefits for my business.

OK great. Now I am just hungry for some prime cut sirloin!

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Comment below and share your thoughts, ideas, or questions about business-to-business sales and marketing today! Do you have a sales or marketing communications strategy that works for you? What tips or techniques can you share that work for you and your business?

To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at The Bacon Podcast.