We have an interesting thread going, where enlightDan wondered about "what is it you do?"
He used the phrase "value statement," but as the thread developed, it
turned out he meant more a 10-word pitch or slogan. The amount of
confusion got me thinking.
Suppose I say, "Put your own message in navy signal flags." That`s a short sales pitch, presented as a sort of motto, slogan, or 10-word elevator pitch. We`ve discussed that on a different topic. Such a phrase is intended for public consumption, and explains quickly what you offer the customer.
Now think about Microsoft`s "Windows everywhere!" That`s a mission
statement, similar to the Star Trek mission "to boldly go where no man
has gone before." A mission statement, as I understand it, is partly
internal (to the company) and partly external (to the public). It
explains the purpose of the company, why it`s in business.
But now take a statement like, "We treat our customers like royalty," or "The customer is always right."
Is that a mission statement? No, more like a declaration of a core
philosophy of values within the company. It`s more of a value
statement, but not in the same sense as what value (benefit) does the
actual product offer to the customer.
Say you`re starting a small company, and you come to the issue of
shipping---mail costs, container, travel, and handling. It`s the
"S&H" charge. An increasing number of eBay sellers are trying to
make a profit in their S&H charges, pretending their actual item
cost is very low. EBay is putting a stop to it, as "excessive shipping
charges." Fine, but that`s a decision about values---moral values.
I`ll propose that fear (terror), anxiety, stress, and discouragement
are common to small business startups. Things reach a point of the
darkest night, usually right before the light of success begins to show
over the horizon of the future. As such, I`ll also propose that a
mission statement is a way to hold the course---to stay focused on the
remembered joy of starting a business. It`s the adventure of it.
When things get blackest, that`s where a mission statement can help to
remind us of why we`re in business. But not on a personal level.
And so I`ll also propose that a Value Statement is the deep philosophy
of the person or people starting the business. Whatever moral values
are declared, theoretically those would continue for the life of a
company. If Sam Walton decides that no-questions-refunds are going to
be the way he does business, that`s not a mission statement, nor is it
an "offering" like a slogan. It`s a statement of the company`s values.
However, if Sam Walton says "we offer the lowest prices, guaranteed,"
that`s a sales pitch. It`s also a "value," in that it`s a benefit-value
to the potential customer.
What do you think about value statements? Do they provide anything
useful to the startup process? Are they "worth" anything---valuable?
Are they different from a mission statement? Do you have such a set of
business values?
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Slogans, Mission Statements, & Value Statements?
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A mission statement is defined as "a long, awkward sentence
that demonstrates management`s inability to think clearly."
All good companies have one.
that demonstrates management`s inability to think clearly."
All good companies have one.
A mission statement is defined as "a long, awkward sentence
that demonstrates management`s inability to think clearly."
All good companies have one.
that demonstrates management`s inability to think clearly."
All good companies have one.
In this day and time, many corporations make them, but do not follow them. I believe each year, leader heads should reflect new mission statements.
Well, I do agree
with EliDS that whatever is in a mission statement is usually the
thing(s) a company positively does not want to do, in any way, shape or
form. That`s why they stick it in the mission statement, so they tell
folks they actually do it.
But then, what`s a value statement?
But then, what`s a value statement?
Craig L,
Please do not mix up your slogans with your company`s mission statement.
A slogan is a phrase, sord of like your "Jingle" for example Nike, Just do it!
This is a simple phrase that when you hear it, you think of NIKE.
A mission statement is a concise and in a paragraph or two explains to your customers one thing and that is your " Ethics"
This is my Mission Statement you can see it on my web site:
Customer: We are committed to provide our customers with the highest level of customer service, creativity, and innovation they deserve.
Company: We are committed to provide our employees with a friendly, caring, and professional work environment. That will give each individual an opportunity for personal growth.
Individual: I will provide my customers with a high level of respect, concern, and friendliness to maintain my individual pride, the company`s integrity, and to preserve a good company spirit
------------------------------------------------------------ -----------
This is a mission statement...
-------------------------
Edgar Monroy
Web Developer / Owner / Consultant
When starting your own business the need to "know-how" is greater than money!
http://www.nuevolution.net
"What do you think about value statements? Do they provide anything useful to the startup process? Are they "worth" anything---valuable? Are they different from a mission statement? Do you have such a set of business values?
Value statements, Mission statements, Core Value statements, Goals, Objectives, etc.; they are all good tools for a company to use. Is one better than the other? Not necessarily. Should every company have all of these? Depends if the owners want them and know how to use them properly. A USP, now that`s a different story. A USP can help the entire company stayed focused and the target market to remember what the company does.
Back to statements (Vision, Core, Value, etc.) ... think about the Constitution of the United States of America. It has all the "statements." I know each of you have read it ... word for word ... maybe even have it memorized. Go read it again ... and again. You`ll see what I mean. It is the guiding principle and document and "statement" of the most free nation on earth and the leading country of the world. That document of "laws" and "principles" has help to create the opportunity that is afforded to anyone and everyone who agrees to abide by its "statement." There is nothing else like in the world. We are truly lucky people ... we Americans. We ARE the Startup Nation!
This stuff ain`t complicated. Keep it simple. Our forefathers did and look what happened.
R@
-------------------------
Richard Arnold · Key Concept Writers · Business Communication: The "Key" To Success· Law of Attraction Blog · Life Ain`t Brain Surgery Blog
A USP, eh? What`s that? :-)
I don`t think anyone`s saying that a value statement or mission statement or other statement is the end-all, be-all. None of them are more or less valuable, and a company doesn`t have to have all of them. Nor do they have to have any of them.
But we do see these catchprases flying around all over the place. What I`m trying to do in some of these threads, is to highlight a particular jargon-phrase, find its category, then explore what it would mean in plain English. In the course of that analysis, the outcome might be to educate folks about acronyms like SOP (standard operating procedures), and/or to determine whether the phrases have any real and useful purpose in life.
So for example, there was the "In v. On the Business" thread, and now this Value Statement thread.
The point is to bring to the small business arena, the kind of language corporate workers toss around as if they knew what it meant. We don`t need to throw out the baby with the bathwater, and so we don`t necessarily need to throw out the underlying truth with the jargon.
There are some valid reasons to have mission statements, value statements, core principles and so forth. I think we can extract those helpful concepts from the enterprise environment, so maybe they can help folks putting together a micro business. It`s similar to discussing the meaning of a "business plan," another structural concept maybe not everyone has heard of before.
Read any preparation manual for something like the A+ Certification exam, and you`ll see it peppered with terms like OS (operating system). Reader feedback in my case, demonstrates that a huge number of people really don`t understand why a computer needs an operating system.
They know that OS stands for "operating system," and can use the term to answer questions on an exam. But people found it helpful when I took a moment to write out a basic definition for terms like these in "sidebars." I think there`s a similar value in these forum threads. Not everyone has a business education, background experience in business, and so forth.
Many times a micro-business owner is someone who`s decided they`d like to take a product or service out into the marketplace. They can either try to reinvent the wheel, or they can borrow from centuries of past business experience. A problem I see is that many times, those with experience tend to forget that not everyone "automatically" knows the meaning of common phrases---again, like core principles, mission statement, best practices, SOP, FYI, agenda, objective, and so forth.
I don`t think anyone`s saying that a value statement or mission statement or other statement is the end-all, be-all. None of them are more or less valuable, and a company doesn`t have to have all of them. Nor do they have to have any of them.
But we do see these catchprases flying around all over the place. What I`m trying to do in some of these threads, is to highlight a particular jargon-phrase, find its category, then explore what it would mean in plain English. In the course of that analysis, the outcome might be to educate folks about acronyms like SOP (standard operating procedures), and/or to determine whether the phrases have any real and useful purpose in life.
So for example, there was the "In v. On the Business" thread, and now this Value Statement thread.
The point is to bring to the small business arena, the kind of language corporate workers toss around as if they knew what it meant. We don`t need to throw out the baby with the bathwater, and so we don`t necessarily need to throw out the underlying truth with the jargon.
There are some valid reasons to have mission statements, value statements, core principles and so forth. I think we can extract those helpful concepts from the enterprise environment, so maybe they can help folks putting together a micro business. It`s similar to discussing the meaning of a "business plan," another structural concept maybe not everyone has heard of before.
Read any preparation manual for something like the A+ Certification exam, and you`ll see it peppered with terms like OS (operating system). Reader feedback in my case, demonstrates that a huge number of people really don`t understand why a computer needs an operating system.
They know that OS stands for "operating system," and can use the term to answer questions on an exam. But people found it helpful when I took a moment to write out a basic definition for terms like these in "sidebars." I think there`s a similar value in these forum threads. Not everyone has a business education, background experience in business, and so forth.
Many times a micro-business owner is someone who`s decided they`d like to take a product or service out into the marketplace. They can either try to reinvent the wheel, or they can borrow from centuries of past business experience. A problem I see is that many times, those with experience tend to forget that not everyone "automatically" knows the meaning of common phrases---again, like core principles, mission statement, best practices, SOP, FYI, agenda, objective, and so forth.
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