EnTrends

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/mp/power
words.shtml 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.GreatDesignz.com