Questions? Just Ask!

Your First Mission Statement Create your first mission statement with these tips. Identify your target group's needs and get clear how you will fulfill those needs. by "Wild Bill" Montgomery

To start building your very first Mission Statement, you will need to answer three questions: 1) Who is your target market? This identifies your ideal customer group or "Niche". 2) What does your target market want and need? Here is the "meat" of your mission statement. This what they want and/or need that you are (hopefully) going to help them get. 3) How can you fulfill these wants and needs?

This specifies the actual product you are providing or services that you perform, and how you will create a benefit fulfilling the answers to the first two questions.

This is most important to remember; when you tell them what you do, say it (or write it) in words they will understand fully. If you have to re-explain to them any part to make them understand what you have already conveyed, you have lost sight of your primary objective.

Remember whom it is you are attempting to serve and explain accordingly. Tell them what they need and how you can supply them with this need. Tell them what you do, not how you do it!

Ask yourself; What adversity do all of your clients face that your service will help them with the most. This is your mission!

If you have a pen and paper write these down. Later you can redo this, scrutinizing each word. You must write, rewrite and rewrite again. Sound familiar?

When you're ready, plug the answer to these questions into this statement.

I/We provide .....(1)..... in the necessity to fulfill ......(2)...... by
offering ......(3)......

This will be the first draft of your Mission Statement.

Don't worry if your first couple of drafts seems a bit weak, they "always" are.

Part 1:

Number 1 above should be easily answered by you. If not then you need to re-think your whole marketing strategy. You must know whom you are serving, before you can serve them.

Another quick note here is the too well known word "Niche". Don't try to serve everybody. You need to focus your marketing strategy to one unique target. If others come along that you can serve that are outside of your target group, great! Serve them. But never lose focus of the target market.

Think of your market as a beam of light. The wider the beam, the weaker it becomes. Tighten that beam it becomes a laser.

Part 2:

Do not assume that your target market values the same things you do. More than likely in this stage, they do not. You must know what your target customer wants and needs, not what you think they want, need or should have. If this is your approach, you will lose.

You can fight to your last breath, trying to sell or market what you think they should have, but in the end they will always beat you.

Part 3:

This is where I often see what I call "The Ego Statement". Business owners insist on using terms and technical talk that the normal client will never understand. If you think that you're impressing them.....wrong. You are confusing them and insulting them by making them feel inadequate. Make it clear to the reader/listener what they will get from your service or product.

What benefits will they gain from your product or service? Hype only will only carry you so far.


Last Minute Tip:

Do not confuse mission statements with direct advertising. I myself have used and still use "Power Words" for direct advertising, but when writing your mission statement, don't bother. This is not the place for split-second decision-making direct advertising. However, for those of you that may be interested in writing direct advertising, you can find a list of some of the best power words at http://www.MakingProfit.com/
but please, don't use them here.

So, where were we... Keep working on your mission statement until it clicks. Then re-read it once in awhile, keep it updated to make sure it still clicks. If it doesn't sound perfect, update and rewrite it until it does.


Good Luck in all of your Marketing Ad-Ventures!
"Wild Bill" Montgomery
http://www.MakingProfit.com

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