Got a company mission statement? “Yes, Jeffrey. We do.”

Really? Can you recite two words of it?

“Uh, no.”

How come? It’s your mission. It’s what’s supposed to drive you into the sale and create an atmosphere of success. It’s your mission.

The reason you’re not following your company’s mission statement is that you had nothing to do with its preparation. It’s some bull about being the No. 1 company, global positioning to be the best, exceeding customers’ expectations and building shareholder value. Barf.

It’s a mission statement you’ve seen 500 times — but you can’t recite one line of it. Pretty pathetic, huh? The reason you can’t relate to it is that you don’t relate to it. And it has jack to do with making a sale.

So here’s my challenge — my sales challenge — to you, my sales friend: MAKE YOUR OWN MISSION STATEMENT. A Sales Mission Statement.

A Sales Mission Statement is your affirmation, philosophy, goal, purpose and personal marching orders combined. It’s your personal challenge to yourself, and what you seek to do each time you try for a sale. It’s an opportunity to bring your goals into focus and transfer your ideals into the real world. It is your success plan.

Here are the ground rules and the format to write your sales mission:

• State to whom and what you’re dedicated. Are you dedicated to your profession, your customers, your success, your business?

• Define yourself. What kind of a person are you, what do you do, what is your character?

• Define your service to others. Where do you specialize, where is your expertise, whom do you serve, how do you help them?

• Affirm that you will strive to get better, do new things and help others. What do you want your customers to achieve? What do you want to achieve?

• Tell how it will get done. How will you employ your enthusiasm, your attitude, your best efforts?

• State the outcome as though it has already taken place. Affirm what will happen and how it will lead to other positive actions.

Use your goals and visions to define your mission:

• The examples you seek to set.

• The ideals you live by or seek to live by.

• The goals you set out to accomplish at each sales opportunity.

• The affirmations you can use every day to make you a better person.

Here are some words that will help you define your mission: will, dedication, persist, honest, ethical, positive, enthusiastic, fun, learn, listen, help, provide, encourage, memorable, value, loyal.

It’s your mission. It’s your purpose for walking in the prospective customer’s door. It’s your purpose while you’re making the sales presentation. And it’s your purpose when you’re walking out the door with the order. It should be your objective and your philosophy, all rolled into one.

As salespeople and business leaders, we each have a responsibility to do our best. I know I do. By writing a mission statement you affirm that responsibility. Carry it with you mentally wherever you go.

The process takes time. Write a first draft. Let it sit for a few days. Re-read it slowly and make changes that you feel better express your true feelings. Describe the things you think you are and the things you seek to accomplish or become.

Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to flatter yourself. You’re writing this for yourself, not others. Affirm everything you think you are or think you want to become. Do it with a sense of pride and a spirit of adventure.

Ask your mentor(s) and associates for help. If they offer constructive criticism, thank them. If they tell you you’re crazy, you’re on the right path. Stay on it.

Here’s the mission statement I use: Make an ethical sale, so value-packed and memorable that the customer is compelled to buy again, give a testimonial and tell everyone else how great I am.

I urge you to write yours. It builds your character at the same time as it lays it bare. It serves as a beacon of light in the fog of life. It is a path to take that you build on every day. It is your mission.

If your sales mission statement is deep and honest, then your sales results will be incredible — based on your integrity, not based on your sales skills.

Not to say that sales skills aren’t a necessary part of the equation, but I would rather have a sales mission statement than a closing technique when I am battling a competitor or trying to capture an order.

Post yours on the wall where you can see it every day. Sign it in big bold Sharpie marker.

The successful completion of your mission depends on your positive attitude. If you want to make sure you’re on the right attitude path, go to www.gitomer.com, register if you’re a first-time user, and enter ATTITUDE FOREVER in the GitBit box.

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com.