When it comes to sales, oftentimes the hardest part is facing rejection. But, when you’re down on your luck and feel like you have nowhere to go, where should you turn? To your mission and vision statement. Both are the guiding light in your business.

In this episode of Stay Paid, Luke and Josh take a deep dive into the difference behind a mission and statement, how to create one, and the importance in doing such.

Key Points

• It’s easier to give up without a mission and vision statement.
• Start by asking yourself the hard questions.
• Begin to live and breathe both statements.

Why are we tackling the topic of creating a mission and value statement?

Like mentioned above, the most challenging part of sales is facing the constant rejection. But, the key to conquering rejection is by having a mission and vision statement. You have to go back to your reason of why you exist—your mission and vision. Without both, it’s easier to give up when you face adversity.

But, before we get started, it’s important to understand the difference between a mission and vision statement. A mission is what you proclaim to be, whereas a vision is where you aim to be.

What is a mission statement? 

According to BusinessDictionary.com, a mission statement is defined as a written declaration of an organization’s core purpose and focus, that normally remains unchanged over time. Properly crafted mission statements serve as filters to separate what is important from what is not, clearly state what markets will be served and how, and communicate a sense of intended direction to the entire organization.

How do you create a mission statement?

When you sit down to think about your mission statement, you must be willing and able to answer the hard questions.

1. Why do you exist as a business?
2. How do you behave on a daily basis?
3. What do you do?
4. How will you succeed?

Once you’ve answered these questions and have established the foundation of your mission statement, put it in writing.

Lastly, you’ll want to integrate it into your daily life. Be consistent with it, and make sure that every member of your team has it memorized.

What is a vision statement?

According to BusinessDictionary.com, a vision statement is defined as an aspirational description of what an organization would like to achieve or accomplish in the short-term or long-term future. It is intended to serve as a clear guide for choosing current and future courses of action.

How do you create a vision statement?

For starters, your vision cannot be vague. In order for it to be beneficial, it has to be precise.

Step One: Take yourself and your business out of the equation.

To start, push every aspect of your business—including your products—aside. This allows you to start with a clean slate, so to speak. Then, begin to envision a world that you think would be beneficial to live in. Your ideal world can be any scope that you desire. It could literally be the world, or your country, or your state, or just your local community.

Step Two: Insert yourself into that world.

This is when you bring yourself back into the ideal world that you’ve imagined. Not only should you imagine yourself, but also your business and services. How can your current services and employees make this world possible for your clients? Maybe you don’t offer all of the tools that are needed at this time, and that’s okay. This step is useful because it can help spark the inspiration that’s needed to develop a toolkit, and build the type of team to make your ideal world happen.

Step Three: Set it in stone.    

We all know that nothing is ever serious until it’s in writing. Whether you use a whiteboard or scraps of paper, jot down all of the phrases that came to you in steps one and two—your ideal world. Circle the words that matter most, and start to formulate a concise statement. Revise, revise, and revise some more until it’s exactly what you want.

Action Items

Following this podcast, our goal is to provide you with as many actionable tips as possible. This episode includes…

• Ask those closest to you—employees, friends, and family members—what they believe your mission statement and core values are.
• Apply their thoughts, and create your wining mission and value statement.

As always, take action on these tips!