Why Confusion Between Vision and Mission Statements Hurts Sales Growth and Sales Managers
Why Confusion Between Vision and Mission Statements Hurts Sales Growth and Sales Managers
A vision in its earliest definition means to see and has been translated into the act or power of seeing. This is the big picture of where the executive team, business owner or even sales management, sees the company going. I like to call it the vanishing point on the horizon.
Visions change as do vanishing points on the horizon. What the big picture was 5 years ago may have been dramatically altered due to new product or service innovations or changes in the local to global marketplace. Wells Fargo is a great illustration of how they have altered their vision to keep the power of seeing going forward. Their vision has not blinded them as the case for many others organizations.
Now mission is entirely different. From its Latin origins it means to send, not see. Mission therefore implies action. For action to have value it must be measurable and directly connected to the power of seeing. Without the measurement, the old expression rings true, If you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it.
What would happen if the mission statement for a business or even a division within an organization had only 3 major and measurable goals?
Would there be greater focus on achieving these goals?
Would the consistent problem of failed execution be greatly reduced?
Would communication improve?
Would overall behaviors be better?
Would people be able to remember what the mission is and their specific roles in achieving the mission?
Could course correction be far easier to implement?
Could a new goal be quickly exchanged for a complete goal?
Would you as the sales manager have a lot less stress and a lot more positive sales results?
The mission statement should not be a vague, intangible statement indicating being the best, improving the quality of life, etc. It needs to be direct and specific. What may happen is that there may need to be a public statement where percentages are used and a private statement for the executive team because proprietary information needs to be kept proprietary.
For example, the vision statement may read to be the regional provider for a specific product or service.
To send the team closer to this vision, the mission statement might read: To increase new regional customers by 25% annually while maintaining all existing customers.
Then the executive team shares this with all employees and provides specific examples of the behaviors necessary to more closer to the vision. Monthly communication then shares with the employees the progress of the current mission. Again, percentages can be used within these communication efforts.
Remember, your sales team cannot hit a moving target. Vague mission statements are moving targets in disguise and set everyone up to fail including you as the sales manager.
Why Confusion Between Vision and Mission Statements Hurts Sales Growth and Sales Managers - To learn more about this author, visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website.
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Mission statements and vision statements abound in many business websites be the organizations micro small to the Fortune 100 size. Yet, very few truly understand the difference between vision and mission. This confusion to even lack of knowledge can partially explain why many sales managers are hurting when it comes to the goals to increase sales, build customer loyalty or improve profitability.
A vision in its earliest definition means to see and has been translated into the act or power of seeing. This is the big picture of where the executive team, business owner or even sales management, sees the company going. I like to call it the vanishing point on the horizon.
Visions change as do vanishing points on the horizon. What the big picture was 5 years ago may have been dramatically altered due to new product or service innovations or changes in the local to global marketplace. Wells Fargo is a great illustration of how they have altered their vision to keep the power of seeing going forward. Their vision has not blinded them as the case for many others organizations.
Now mission is entirely different. From its Latin origins it means to send, not see. Mission therefore implies action. For action to have value it must be measurable and directly connected to the power of seeing. Without the measurement, the old expression rings true, If you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it.
What would happen if the mission statement for a business or even a division within an organization had only 3 major and measurable goals?
Would there be greater focus on achieving these goals?
Would the consistent problem of failed execution be greatly reduced?
Would communication improve?
Would overall behaviors be better?
Would people be able to remember what the mission is and their specific roles in achieving the mission?
Could course correction be far easier to implement?
Could a new goal be quickly exchanged for a complete goal?
Would you as the sales manager have a lot less stress and a lot more positive sales results?
The mission statement should not be a vague, intangible statement indicating being the best, improving the quality of life, etc. It needs to be direct and specific. What may happen is that there may need to be a public statement where percentages are used and a private statement for the executive team because proprietary information needs to be kept proprietary.
For example, the vision statement may read to be the regional provider for a specific product or service.
To send the team closer to this vision, the mission statement might read: To increase new regional customers by 25% annually while maintaining all existing customers.
Then the executive team shares this with all employees and provides specific examples of the behaviors necessary to more closer to the vision. Monthly communication then shares with the employees the progress of the current mission. Again, percentages can be used within these communication efforts.
Remember, your sales team cannot hit a moving target. Vague mission statements are moving targets in disguise and set everyone up to fail including you as the sales manager.
Why Confusion Between Vision and Mission Statements Hurts Sales Growth and Sales Managers - To learn more about this author, visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website.
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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