5 Elements of a Winning Mission Statement
By John Patrick
 What are THE key elements to a winning Mission Statement?
1. EMPLOYEE/STAFF INVOLVEMENT. I've asked the question to prospective clients more times than I can count. It is rare that this piece gets mentioned, but in my opinion this is the most important element of all. Employees must be given a voice when articulating the voice of the company. They are going to be the ones that communicate the mission statement and company values - in actions and in words. Be open to having your employees very involved in the entire process as you put your Mission Statement together.
2. DEFINE YOUR CUSTOMER. Be sure you define that as narrowly as possible. If you serve a certain demographic, say so. If you serve a broad spectrum, be sure to word that in such a way it does not appear to be boring or too general. Think of defining your customer as the first step in your marketing plan. Your ideal client should read it and say "That speaks to me!"
3. DESCRIBE THE SCOPE OF WHAT YOU DO. Do you focus on small business? Large business? From soup to nuts, or just the soup? Just the nuts? Let them know what you stress ... local, regional, national, global.
4. W.I.I.F.M. (What's In It For Me)? It is critical you answer that question, as that's what the prospective client is waiting to hear. Focus on the two driving forces ... pain and pleasure. Efficiency, cost savings, revenue production/enhancement, profitability are great benefits to stress in your Mission Statement.
5. NAME YOUR VALUABLE FINAL PRODUCT. Be sure your Mission Statement includes the desired outcome for your clients ... the impact you will make in their business, their community and the world in general.
Figuratively, write it in pencil. That's to say, be ready to make changes on a regular basis. Look at it routinely to be sure it grows as your business grows.
Have fun with it. Be creative. Here are some examples of how simplistic yet powerful a mission statement can be, which will hopefully get your creative juices flowing:
Amazon: Amazon’s vision is to be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.
Apple: Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.
Dell: Dell’s mission is to be the most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve.
Facebook: Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.
Google: Google’s mission is to organize the world‘s information and make it universally accessible and useful.
Microsoft: Microsoft’s mission is to enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential.
Skype: Skype’s mission is to be the fabric of real-time communication on the web.
Twitter: Twitter lists its mission as “a work in progress” as it has yet to be fully developed.
Yahoo!: Yahoo!’s mission is to be the most essential global Internet service for consumers and businesses
YouTube: YouTube’s mission is to provide fast and easy video access and the ability to share videos frequently
About the Author
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| John Patrick, The M David Katz Company
2401 W. Morrison Ave., #122
Tampa, FL 33629
727-543-2505
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