What you do in seven words

The Trustees of Reservations saved Crane Beach for me.

We spotted this message a half-mile ahead of the entrance to one of New England’s finest and least disturbed large coastal preserves in Ipswich, Massachusetts. I don’t think I could say more with fewer words. (I would have made the name much bigger, but modesty suits the Trustees’ reserved Yankee demeanor.)

My first thought: the perfect mission statement! Of course, the actual Mission for the Trustees of Reservations has to spell things out. Here it is: “The Trustees of Reservations preserve, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts.”

A true Mission needs that clarity, but I’ll take the tag line on this sign for brevity, completeness and memorability.

The Crane Beach and Crane Estate property is one of more than 100 places the Trustees have preserved and maintained for public use in Massachusetts. It happens to have special significance for me. I went to high school down the road in Hamilton and I spent a lot of sunny days on the dunes there with friends. My sister and my best friend’s sister both held wedding receptions at the Crane Estate overlooking the beach.

But I haven’t been there for decades and I haven’t given the place much thought in the meantime. Fortunately, the Trustees of Reservations have been on the job. So, when we needed a beautiful biking destination on a sunny summer Sunday, Crane Beach was waiting for us… and tens of thousand of others. Well done, Trustees!

9 responses to What you do in seven words

  1. Sherry Truhlar

    Great real world example, Jon. I see a connection with this 7 word strategy and Twitter. That is a well-written 48 characters that delivers a sound message.

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