BUSINESS EDU continued
Be brief. And inspirational. The best mission state- ▪ ments are often a single sentence that includes words like “empower” or “transform” or “inspire.” Be authentic. Use your own voice, but make it your ▪ upbeat, “I’ve had my coffee and I’m ready to rock the world today” voice. Don’t go overboard with the in- spirational language just because I suggested it. Be you. You are your brand. You are why people will do business with you. Be impactful. If you’re a regular reader of my ▪ columns, you know your mission statement had damn well better include the value proposition of your prod- uct or services – it must answer the question, “How will you (your business) make my life better?” Want to go on a mission with me? I’m currently creating a “How To Write A Mission Statement” mini-course and I
Sinek explains that most businesses work from the outside of the circle inward, first explaining what they do and how they do it before explaining why. (Some even leave out their why. Ouch.) But in his research, Sinek discovered that great leaders – and successful businesses – work from the inside out. They start with why. What’s your why? Don’t let the why question confuse you. We all are in business to make money. But making money is (hopefully) the result of our being in business. It’s not the reason why. Your why is the purpose, cause, or belief of our business. Some call it the driving force. If we’re in the busi- ness of scuba diving because we believe it’s the fastest and easiest get-rich-quick scheme out there, we’re mental. But if we’re in the business of scuba diving because we’re passion- ate about helping people explore the underwater world by teaching them to scuba dive and leading them on trips, we’re onto something. Sinek suggests using a simple fill-in-the blank statement to help you solve for why; “We exist to [fill in blank] so that [fill in blank].” A Stealth Mission: I love author and artist Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist book trilogy, in which he encourages artists to “steal” ideas from other artists. For inspiration. Kleon isn’t suggesting you steal actual works of art. That would be wrong. But idea stealing is perfectly legal. Study successful businesses you admire and emulate them. Jeffrey Abrahams stole/wrote an entire book about it, titled, 101 Mission Statements From Top Companies: Plus Guidelines for Writing Your Own Mission Statement. Here’s what I gleaned from Abra- hams’ book: Learn from companies that utilize effective mission ▪ statements. Understand the practical function. View mission state- ▪ ments as working documents, not motivational posters. Review and update as needed. Tailor them to fit. Adapt principles to fit your needs ▪ rather than following a rigid formula. Focus on clarity and purpose. Create statements that ▪ guide decision-making and inspire action. “Should You Choose to Accept It” Here are your in- structions for crafting a compelling mission statement for your business: Start with vision and values statements, then weave ▪ them into your mission statement.
need testers to try it out. If you want to work one-on-one with me – for free – as I test my ma- terial, hit me up at my QR code. Or if you just want to say hi or suggest a future column topic, I always love hearing from readers.
email Cathryn
If your marketing message isn’t CLEAR, all you’re making
is NOISE. I can help. Hi, I’m Cathryn. I specialize in branding and marketing strategies for the scuba industry. Visit my website for a FREE Brand Messaging Guide. Email me at hello@clearstorycoach.com to schedule a call.
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