Strategy As AdvocacyRe-position Your Firm By Focusing On Your Mission StatementWhat is it that makes companies stand out? Why is it that there are fanatics about companies, who promote the company because of their love and passion for the products, while other companies struggle to find an audience? The answer lies in the mission statement and in the heart of the entrepreneur. Read this lens to discover your passion and what your company should stand up and fight for. Without a cause, you are just another competitor among all the competitors. It is time for a change. Don't Be Like Everyone ElseToo many companies are average or below average trying to be a house-hold nameIt may not be enough in todays global business world to just be in business. It may not be enough to provide similar products and/or services at similar prices and expect great things to come. It may just not be worth your time, energy, and money. Why be so closely related to your competition? What good will it do you? If you think you can be successful by just implementing similar products and services at a lower price, then what really separates you from your competition? Price? That is not the best defining value proposition out there. In fact, too many companies rely on price.
In both good and bad economic times, one thing should be consistent- your company's mission statement. The power of the mission statement is to guide you as you grow and strengthen your organization. It is there to ground you when you get over your head and it is there to put you back on track, to help you regain focus. Too many service industry companies don't rely enough on their mission statements. Many have one, but they can't repeat it like they can recite the pledge of allegiance. The mission statement is one part of finding success. What is Your Company Fighting For?Do you truly have a cause worth fighting for?If you cannot honestly and passionately answer the question above, it may be time to rethink your business strategy. Strong arguments are those that take a stance and stick with it, consistently proving their point in as many different ways as they can. This in turn, can create a sense of continuity and a sense that the company, your company, is out to prove that argument, that cause, whatever it may be.Companies need to rethink their mission statement, focusing on what they are trying to achieve through the organization. The real secret is then to combine that sense of mission with a cause that directly relates so that people interested in your product or service can have an emotional tie to you and your company. Creating an emotional feeling with clients and customers will then, if they agree, or even if they don't agree, start a frenzy of dialog to tell anyone and everyone about this company and what it intends to do. A company should be more than just about being in business to make money. Yes, everyone needs to make money, but the point of a company is to solve problems and get people excited about how they solve those problems. And when that company reaches a point where they are in good financial shape, they can really start to make a difference by contributing and putting on events that further promote their cause, above the products and services that they sell. Why? Because they have a mission so powerful and is tied to a greater thing than just their business, they are working to help solve a bigger problem.  |