Do You Have 2020 Vision for 2020?

We have a unique opportunity this week, one that comes around every, well, ten years, exactly. On Wednesday, January 1, we embark on not only a new year but a brand new decade. The roaring 2020’s are in front of us and I am excited to see how far we have come since the last Roaring Twenties.I have spent the past few weeks clarifying my mission for the new decade; to have a clear vision for 2020. Now that is a cute pun using 2020 vision, but I would argue that it is absolutely critical for your organization and not just a catchy phrase or slogan. Can your staff relate a clear and compelling response when asked what is your mission or business? More importantly, can your congregation, donors, or customers give the same answer?It’s obvious why your team should be on the same page, but why is it important for people outside your staff be as fluent about your mission? The main reason is that if people outside your organization can state your mission, then they are highly more likely to engage with your mission, whether it’s as a customer, volunteer, or donor. And the more simple, clear, and memorable the statement is, the less calories the brain has to use to understand how you can help them solve their problem.How then do you go about writing a “one-liner” or “elevator pitch” that is memorable for your staff and constituents? First, you have to think about it in terms of clear and concise. You must clearly and simply state what problem you can solve using as few words as possible. Now let me be clear, you are not “dumbing down” what you do but instead using simple language that your audience can understand clearly and most importantly, remember. I would suggest you try to keep it to less than 55 words. One tip is to write it out and then take out 10% of the words that aren’t necessary.The formula for writing your one-line, mission statement has three distinct parts.

1. State the pain point or problem that most of your clients face.
2. Talk about your solution to the problem you just stated.
3. Then talk about the result someone will experience if they engage with your organization.

Here is an example of one of ChurchCMO’s one-liners:

"Churches see new visitors every week, but pastors are frustrated because many don’t come back. One reason is that churches don’t know how to connect with visitors or engage them in conversation. We create custom attract and connect plans for churches to help them engage with more visitors so they will want to come back."

In addition to clarifying your one-liner mission statement that clearly communicates to people how you can help solve their problem, I would recommend you write a mission statement with your team that clarifies what you do and why you do it. We will talk about writing your mission statement in the next blog post. You can also go through the training module for creating a mission statement on StoryBrand’s Business Made Simple University program. For only $275 (I do not earn a commission for recommending this course)  you can go through this and several modules that can help you clarify your marketing message. Let me know if you have any questions about writing your one-liner of full mission statement, I am a Certified StoryBrand Guide which means I can help you clarify your message and make your marketing more effective and successful.