Businesses always need a well articulated direction to succeed. This direction more often than not, comes from the company’s mission statement.
Bought in by the entire company, a clear mission can set the business up for success. Potentially it can also overhaul public perceptions about the brand.
The flip side of the coin is also possible.
This statement can be a worthless piece in your organisational strategy, catalog, or website. And in the day to day firefighting, without the supporting work culture it gets ignored.
A compelling company mission is a medium to tell precisely why your brand exists. It is as crucial as your business plan. Besides, it explains in a straightforward and emotive manner the role of your brand.
Ask yourself, why do people choose and stick to a brand for many years? There is only one explanation. Such a brand delivers on its founding promise and remains faithful to its mission.
Articulating mission itself is a challenge, of course turning it into a precise statement a notch higher. Here are six steps to simplify your company mission statement writing process. Follow them to create an exceptional piece.
Step 1: Define Your Brand’s Purpose
This purpose is your blueprint. It defines why you are into business. That is, the impact you desire to create, and the feeling you intend to arouse. It is your company’s driving force. Moreover it prompts your team to pursue their objectives and roles passionately.
Identify & articulate your purpose. Then integrate it into your mission. Thus, a purposeful company mission statement should answer why you care and provide solutions.
For instance, Tesla Inc, the American automotive and energy company has a mission that reads, “To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
People are still lagging in transitioning to sustainable energy, but, Tesla wins their attention by committing to validate the “green planet” dreams into reality soon.
Tesla’s mission is clear, and its purpose is vivid. It captures human urgency and thirst for sustainable solutions.
To know your purpose, outline all reasons above financial gain, why your brand exists, and also spell out your organization’s beliefs.
Step 2: Consider What You Offer from Customers Viewpoint
Effective company mission statements are about the customer. Customers are your pillar, and your business wouldn’t exist without them.
Your mission must take into account their viewpoints and perceptions. After all, modern customers prefer brands that put them at the heart of everything.
Analyzing customer’s viewpoints furnishes you with a new perspective. It fosters a cordial bond with customers and ultimately wins their loyalty.
It portrays your brand as customer-centric. And it also lures everyone towards the fulfilment of consumer needs. Mission stated in this way sounds like a declaration of intent. Simply, it is an announcement of how you will respond to clients’ logical and emotional needs.
Let me ask. How touching is your mission? Does it stir the need to know more about your brand? Customers are hunting for emphatic brands, and a mission is the perfect tool to show you care.
If you want to understand your brand from customers’ shoes, consider the below points;
- What is at the centre of your customers’ needs
- How can you stay afloat and innovative after understanding your customers?
- How can you achieve long term relationships with your clients?
Step 3: Pinpoint Your Brand’s Ethos
Your mission, values, and vision are the backbone of your company’s culture. It should portray how you treat staff and customers. Plus, show how you relate to people interacting with your company.
The company mission statement screams out to the world what you stand for. It is a benchmark for customer service, communication, and PR.
Consistency is crucial if you want to stay true to your brands’ ethos. You can’t set a striking mission statement that no one in your team can match its standards.
Note, consumers demand a streamlined experience throughout when interacting with your brand. They can perceive the entire organization tainted if they encounter a bad experience.
E-commerce giant Amazon’s mission is clear. Moreover, it sets the highest standards for all stakeholders.
It reads
Our 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.
It pinpoints Amazon’s focus and goals. The mission calls for excellence from Amazon.
Step 4: Keep it Simple
In at least 30 seconds, a mission statement must convey the intended message. It should reveal what a business does for its shareholders, employees & customers.
Simplicity is vital when articulating a company’s mission. Hence, it must be as much accurate and concise paragraph with a rich context.
Avoid fluff, buzzwords, or general statements that might not convey your brand’s stance. Instead, go for specific and clear words that help manifest your unique ideals and goals.
Simple doesn’t mean brief. Instead, the mission statement should be direct and on point. Thus, no need for jargon or complicated phrases.
Here are some example statements of mission to guide you
- Life is Good: To spread the power of optimism
- IKEA: To create a better everyday life for the many people
- Nordstrom: To give customers the most compelling shopping experience possible
- JetBlue: To inspire humanity – both in the air and on the ground.
Step 5: Digest, Edit and Refine
As mentioned earlier, cliches, jargon, and fluff make your mission statement suck. Thus, after coming up with a draft, it is crucial to re-read and weed out all the unnecessary words.
Regardless your piece is short, polishing every single word is vital. Your mission is your brand’s mirror, and it can serve you for ages. Thus, the value of editing.
Refining a mission is an inclusive process. You must involve all stakeholders and ensure your team understands and roots for it.
Call for workshops and involve customers in analyzing the mission. Don’t try to convince anyone but welcome all suggestions. All pooled views will help you comprehend how the outer world will react to your piece.
Don’t forget that a mission statement is a dynamic creation. Make it as flexible as possible and adjust it when necessary. Remember, you must always remain current to succeed despite the evolving consumer behaviors.
Step 6: Put Your New Mission Statement to Work
Kudos! You now have a new mission statement. It’s time to ensure the message accesses all parties without distortion. Onward, all your staff and customers must stay on the same page.
You can break it down into straightforward points to ensure all aspects get conveyed. Use visual aids, PowerPoint presentations and slide shows to present the mission. Try to make all presentations as memorable as possible.
Set up a launching event in your company’s headquarters to win all the staff’s attention. Present all points positively. And remember to assure all employees the new piece will be beneficial.
Above all, you must win everyone’s backing. So, be enthusiastic and call upon all stakeholders to champion the new message.
Step 6: Bottom Line
Your company mission should capture the purpose, provide solutions, and remain authentic. Henceforth, it will serve as a pointer for your brand’s future.
People will judge your brand based on the mission statement. More importantly, it will be your guiding rail in making the progress in desired direction.
