"YOU'RE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR WORD."
have you ever heard this phrase? ⬆
It comes from an older generation when personal integrity - your word - was everything. Giving someone your word was as good as making a contract.
In that era, people were known for their word.
The obvious connection to branding is being known as someone who does what they say they'll do - someone who has integrity.
This builds trust and deep emotional connection with you and your business.
While I think that's extremely important - and undervalued in our current cultural climate - it's not the “word” I'm talking about here.
A Different Kind of Word
Ever been to one of those events where they ask you to wear a name tag?
It always feels a little chatchi (be honest).
What if, instead of your name, you were instructed to write down the one thing you wanted to be known for? The thing other people can come to you for? Just ONE WORD…
That changes the game a bit, doesn't it?
It's no longer enough to bring personal, biographical data, now it's about attraction - one word that communicates your connection to someone else challenge.
What would you write?
A Brand in a Nutshell
This is a great way to get down to brass tacks with your brand:
"WHAT WORD
WILL YOU BE KNOWN FOR?"
Because a word changes everything.
Think about these brands and their “word.”
Google - Search
Nike - Performance
Amazon - Convenience
Brene Brown - Vulnerability
Tony Robbins - Transformation
Shane Parrish - Decision-making
Steve Jobs - Innovation
When you own a word you own a market. When people need that word, they need you.
How do you discover your word?
I put some guiding questions in this Instagram post, but I will also say it should be:
Authentic
Unique
Relevant
Attainable
Step 1: Know your word
Step 2: Create a strategy to be known for it.
(maybe we'll look into that next week…)
Need help finding your word? You can always send me a DM