The First Step, sets the tone...

'Walking The Talk' (Minda Zetlin -Inc.April '17) captures the diverse value of a solid Mission Statement. Naturally, we tend to think of mission statements in terms of corporate guidance and underlying values. Big picture stuff in the direction of who we are as a company, but Minda sheds light on the value of the statement as a potentially powerful sales directive that can just as effectively drive focus towards sales efforts as it can company culture.

This of course should not imply that hard sales language need be incorporated into a strong statement in order to present itself as an effective sales tool. I think Minda's example of New York Computer Help (NYCH) is a perfect illustration of this point and one that cuts close to home for us here at Farbinder. NYCH leads with the mission "Treat every customer like your own mother". Not a particularly sales driven statement at first glance until you consider that the 'non-tech-adroit-senior' demographic is particularly adept to Word of Mouth marketing. According to NYCH founder Joe Silverman, the result has been customer referrals and a significant source of new business.

Personal or Business, we have all (or should have) wrestled with constructing a meaningful mission statement that can speak to Who we are, What we do as well as How and Why we do it. At Farbinder we have and continue to consider that direction (after all we are a StartUp) and at the same time, we can appreciate the approach taken by New York Computer Help. My interpretation of that approach is, focus on defining who you are, as a service/product, as it relates to those you intend to serve. For Farbinder, we have chosen 'be a local'. We want our users to feel the power of local businesses connections and local opportunity. We want users to contribute to local because to us, success is creating that feeling of belonging and when that emotion is experienced, the bond is powerful and trust begins to form. Both of which are serious contributors to viral growth and sales.

So maybe take out that old Mission Statement, blow off the dust and have a another look. It is so much more then a simple action to check off, on your business To Do List. Your Mission Statement is a tool that runs as deep as you will allow it and just might have the answer to achieving next quarter's sales targets.