How to Write a Business Mission Statement?
What is a Business Mission Statement?
A business mission statement is defined as,
“An assertion or declaration which explains what an organization is all about and what its purpose of existence is. Every organization has a mission statement which communicates with its employees, customers, suppliers and competitors in few words, its key aim and objective”.
You must have seen short sentences pasted in office lobbies, front desk, brochures and websites-these are actually the mission statements which have been carefully formulated by the management to give you an overall idea about the organization.
A mission statement makes the first component of a business plan and can also be described as the front-face of a company. No organization can exist without a mission statement as it is the basic introduction of your business.
Tips for Writing Mission Statements for Corporations, Commercial Houses and Private Companies
Business mission statement writing falls under the category of advertising and marketing copywriting so first of all you need to attend to the development of these basic skills.
Following are some key points you, as an entrepreneur must keep in mind while crafting a mission statement:
Communicating Your Look
The mission statement of your business must communicate in a single look what your business is about. Let’s see, if you are familiar with these statements:
- To make the world’s information universally accessible and useful
- To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time
- Be our customers’ favorite place and way to eat
You guessed it just right. The first mission statement belongs to Google, second to Starbucks and third to McDonald. Notice how simple and to the point these statements are and give you a clear idea what the organization does.
Do Preliminary Homework
Before writing a mission statement; you need to do some homework. On a page, write down, what you think your organization is about; who do you serve; what do you offer (products or services); your competitive advantage; and your market.
Keep it Short and Sweet
The mission statements are kept as short as possible. The purpose of a mission statement is to convey a lot about the organization in fewer words. Ideally, the length of a mission statement must not exceed three to four lines.
Keep a Catchy Tone
Make use of impressive and catchy language to create a good image of your organization. You can use thesaurus to find better and meaningful words and phrases.
Understand the Marketing Techniques
As a writer of a business mission statement, you must be keenly aware of the nature and trends of your target market. This would lead you in shaping words that carry the appeal for the masses. Work on developing your marketing prudence and insight.
Communicate Passion
Your mission statement must be written in an inspiring tone so that it communicates passion and focus to your customers, suppliers and competitors.
Get Inspirational Ideas
Read mission statement of famous organizations and note how compactly they have expressed their focus, purpose and values.
Stay Up to Date
Your mission statement must be in line with the current business trends and technology. It is recommended that you modify your mission statements after every five years.
Writing professional business mission statements is an essential part of business writing and cannot be mastered overnight and above all, the job isn’t of a single individual. Development of mission statement requires team work and input from the customers, employees and suppliers of the organization.
