SmallFuel Marketing: I was recently at a rather large expo, and I decided to keep track of the many different mission statements I came across. I also kept track of the responses we got at our booth with our mission statement. Out of all the data, there was one glaring trend.

Mission statements are so common place and so exaggerated that no one even listens to them. What went wrong? How do we fix it?

1. Mission statements are too long

If you want anyone to listen until the end of your statement, it needs to be short and sweet.

2. Mission statements are too complicated

With everyone telling small businesses how to write a mission statement (me too, evidently), they have become filled with gibberish as each writer tries to satisfy every condition of a successful mission statement. Your mission statement should be focused to the point, which brings us to the next bullet.

3. Mission statements are too much about companies and not enough about customers

Many companies have mission statements that get into company heritage and history—can you think of anything more boring? The entire point of your mission statement needs to be about your customer. What are they going to get from you. Repeat after me: “My mission is about my customer.”

4. Less mission, more mantra

Company mission statements are generally just a paragraph of exaggeration that is brought out in front of customers, only to disappear before getting back to the office. Your small business needs to live and breath your mission. Everything you do and say should reinforce your mission.

If you don’t live by your mission, people will know immediately that you’re not being sincere. In a world of sensationalism, you need your mission to be as sincere and trustworthy as possible.

Mission Statements Don’t Work, Get Something That Does [SmallFuel Marketing]

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