What are Core Values?

As with most terms in marketing, the definition of Core Values is subjective. To us, Core Values define the way you work and give your team a level to strive for. They are your pillars of truth, the principles you've learned over time that guide the way you do business.

Maybe you don't think you have Core Values, but if you've been in business, even for a short time, you do! But no one can benefit from them if they stay in your head. Get them on paper, and align your team.

Why are Core Values Important?

Two main reasons. First, Core Values help you stay focused and consistent. Every job you do is different, and every client is different. You have learned over the years from the good experiences and learned even more from the bad ones. If your core values are written down, you can refer back to them when a project challenges you — you can remind yourself, "Wait, I've been down this path before, and it did not turn out good. I need to stick to my guns and remember that I work this way for a reason. Let’s stick to our Core Values!"

Second, and more importantly, they help align your team. Do you ever find yourself frustrated by the way an employee handled a situation? Or do you find employees coming up with their own set of rules that you don’t agree with? Having a list of Core Values keeps your team accountable and aware of your expectations for them. Because Core Values are like principles, team members can use them to look at a situation and have the autonomy to think for themselves, as opposed to a long list of dos and don'ts. To illustrate, a rule would be - Every project must be approved by a manager upon completion. That rule only applies to that circumstance. Whereas, a Core Value could be - Take ownership of your work and see it through to completion. That principle could apply to 1000s of situations.

How to write your Core Values?

Having trouble writing your Core Values? Here are some questions to help inspire your list. How do you treat your clients? How do you treat each other? What hard lessons have you learned from past clients? How do you carry out your work? Why would you tell a client to work with you? How would you explain you are different than other competitors? What do you find your clients love about you? Some other helpful tips are…

1. Keep your Core Values short and powerful. The shorter they are, the easier they are to remember.

2. Keep your list short. If you have more than 10, your list will lose it's punch and feel more like a laundry list of rules.

3. Use powerful quotes or bible verses. For example, the first core value at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, a company that is known for their exceptional customer service, is the Golden Rule; do to others as you would like them to do to you.

4. Don't use anything you would be embarrassed for your clients to see, even if they are intended to stay internal.

Now what?

Once you've come up with a list, share it with your team. Do your employees agree? Do they have ideas to add to the list? Is anyone challenging some of the core values? Take those off the list because they don't ring true. Or, level up to and do a better job of living and working by that value. Some of our clients then take these Core Values and hang them up in the office for employees to reflect on, like this design we did for QwikResponse. Others have added them to their website.

What do Core Values have to do with Marketing?

It's a great idea to work a few company core values into your website to set you apart from your competitor and give your business a level of professionalism. Your Core Values could show up in the "ABOUT" page, "HOW WE WORK" or some companies will even feel comfortable enough to use the title "Core Values" or "Work Culture."

Here are the Core Values we’ve come up with at Clever Punch…

1. Give the client what they want.

2. We only recommend services we believe in.

3. There are no new ideas - We dovetail on ideas that have already been proven successful.

4. Don't be a snob - Don't use fancy jargon, and don't talk over people. We are here to serve. Remember, our clients know their business better than anyone else.

5. It’s ok to be a little rebellious - We are not afraid to break the rules if it means doing something better/faster/smarter/cheaper.

6. Respect the platforms - Whether it’s Google, Facebook, LinkedIn or any future platform, use them the right way, and we will always come out on top. No spam, no paid likes.

7. Design always trumps copy - It doesn't matter what it says, if it doesn't look good, they won’t bother reading it.

8. Find the balance between quantity and quality - Don't put out trash just because you need to post content, but don't get so caught up in being perfect that nothing is going out. Done is better than perfect, get it done!

9. Our approach is holistic - refer back to budgets, goals, and results as our sounding board.

10. We, along with our clients, are a team - Say thank you. Give credit where credit is due because no one succeeds alone.

We hope this exercise is helpful to you. Why not make it a goal to write a Core Values list to kick off the 2020 year!