Being solely profit driven is a strategy that isn’t likely to earn your company any brownie points these days as customers are increasingly investing in companies whose social values reflect their own. But having strong social values isn’t just about participating in good community works, although that’s certainly a component. Rather, what you say about your values is almost as important as what you do. Here’s how to articulate a mission your customers can believe in.
Choose A Project
If you’re not quite sure how to talk about your social values yet, start by discussing a specific project that matters to you. This is how CEO David Klein of CommonBond discusses his company’s commitment to education. Education, after all, is a broad concept, but when Klein talks about the hundreds of schools his company has partnered with, he offers clients something valuable: demonstrated investment in something beyond the business.
Your business can do this on a small scale with any community project, from a food drive to a day spent with Habitat For Humanity. Start by showing up.
Build Your Mission Into Your Strategy
Every successful company has a business strategy, but not every one of those companies also has a social mission statement. If you’re unsure about how to talk about your social commitments, see if you can fit parts of it into your broader strategy. Not only will this keep you within the language of the corporate world, but it will also show your client base that you’re concerned enough about this issue to include it in your overall company vision. This isn’t just something you added on to look good on paper.
Focus On Change
At their core, a social mission is about creating sustainable change, though the form of that change can vary. Try using contrasting language – the transition from darkness to light or despair to hope. When using this kind of language, make sure to focus on the final form, the new world you want to invent alongside your customers. This leaves everyone feeling hopeful and as though meaningful change is around the corner.
Think Generationally
It’s not just young, new companies that are concerned with social welfare and improvement. No, having a strong social commitment, even if it wasn’t always phrased that way, is what creates loyalty across years and decades. Families continue to do business with the same people because they share common values. Look at what your company used to do and see if you can carry that thread of commitment forward into the current moment.
Ultimately, when working to develop a social mission, it’s important to choose something that seems compatible with your business. When oil companies commit to sustainable packaging, no one is impressed – in fact, they may chuckle at the irony. But a social mission that is well matched to the overall concerns of your business can give you a valuable edge and may just help your company weather any storms across the years.
Originally posted on January 25, 2016 @ 6:22 am