When I was a kid and got fired from a multinational company, which at first glance was a disaster but  ultimately turned out to be the greatest financial opportunity ever presented to me, I figured out very quickly how to be successful in business.

In fact by today’s standards in 13 months I started and sold a business and had enough money left over to pay off what is the equivalence today of a $500,000 house.

The two questions I asked are the same two questions I ask myself and my clients today. Asking these two questions is the first step, providing the answer to those questions is the second step. The second step is to sure fire financial success in business.

In fact I would argue not answering these questions is the reason why 96% of businesses fail in the first 10 years.

So the two questions you must ask and answer are…

1. Why should they buy?
2. Why should they buy from me?

As I mentioned earlier, when I started my first business it was these questions I unconsciously asked myself and provided answers for that led me to my success and my continued success. It is the reason why some companies make a fortune as others fail dismally, even when they sell the same product or service.  They simply fail to…

Articulate, clearly and concisely what sets them apart from all and every competitor in their category.

What you have to have is a compelling message that arrives in the form of marketing and that is the core of every great marketing message.  A great place to start when formulating your marketing message is to ask yourself…

How do you want them to THINK and FEEL when they think about you

You could view this as BRANDING for your small business.

You want two things to happen in the mind of your prospect or client when they think about you. You want them to get an emotional image. The emotional part of this comes from the inside (Their Emotion). The image comes from the outside (The Benefit).

There are two parts to the question, one is what emotion do you want them to feel when they think about you and what is the image you want them to have. For example, when you think about “Federal Express” the emotion and the image they want you to get is that they are a large, trusted organisation able to speedily deliver your package. The emotion and the image has to mesh into one and PROMOTE YOU AS A LEGEND.

Whether you like it or not we are all branded by our prospects and clients so you might as well influence that process and promote the image of you as a legend when they think of you.

The first place to start and look at is your business name, one to four words that describes your brand and emotional image. Now, if you were a security company you wouldn’t want to be known for ‘fun’ when dealing with them, it needs a different communication.

Business names like Smiths Bakery, SRG Insurance and JDL Strategies say nothing about the benefit of doing business with them. Your name should form part of or your entire message. A better example that describes the benefit and image is “Fitness World”, the emotion and the image is Healthy, Big and International.

Another example is the company who came to me before they started their business, today they are in other countries around the world and the name I gave them is a perfect example of emotional image. The company’s name is “Innovative Hair Loss Solutions”. The original tag line was “Regrow your own hair or double your money back”.

Your tag line enhances what the name of your business says, that is the summary of what you do.  Benefits such as the fastest, closest, lowest place, the healthiest, the largest selection, the strongest guarantee should form part of your tag line.

There is a principle which is called “The 24 Hour Principle” which means that your name and tag line are proactively marketing for you 24 hours a day. Other good examples that come to mind are Quick Copy, Instant Wind Screens.

Recently I stumbled across one of my clients, who has been in the Real Estate Industry for 20 years, in a coffee shop. He had named his real estate company after his own name, however having hung around me for a while, he knew it was time for a change and he mentioned this to me over an “accidental” cup of coffee.

I had previously suggested “Results Real Estate: which got his interest but was unfortunately not available. On the sly I suggested “Total Care Real Estate”, this I understand he obtained and is wisely running with. When you say “Total Care Real Estate” you immediately have an emotional image of what you get when you deal with them.

So whatever you do, don’t waste a marketing opportunity in the naming of your company or your products and services. In fact give a title to each and every product or service you can, which will evoke an emotional image in the mind of your prospect or client.

So I have an exercise for you, I want you to brainstorm with your colleagues or friends about your business name and your  tag line for your business, your product or services, programs, book titles etc. Remember…

Title must equal Content

This exercise could be worth a fortune to you in the business world, come from what business you are in, the name you want help with and the message you wish to convey to your prospects or clients.

There are 5 STEPS TO FOLLOW to creating a great name and tag line:

1)     Think about a target audience (PROSPECTS)

2)     What is the emotion you want to evoke in them (INSIDE)

3)     What image do you want them to have (OUTSIDE)

4)     Does the name and tag line represent what your trying to do and the value you deliver

5)     Does it in any way describe what you do

By doing this exercise you’ll discover why they buy and more importantly why they should buy from you.

Like I said this exercise could be worth a fortune to you, so don’t put it off.

All the best,

Mal Emery
Committed to Elevating the Financial Wealth and Wellbeing of Society
Through Entrepreneurial Excellence and Guilty of Conspiracy to Create Capitalism

P.S. If you’ve missed any of my previous Rants, I have them all available
for you to see on my website.

Simply go to www.rebelliousrant.com and enjoy!