Create a NAME or TITLE That STICKS

Quick. When people read or hear your business or product name, do they GET it the first time they hear it? Can they repeat it after hearing it once?

If so, good for you. If not, it means your business or product will soon be out-of-sight, out-of-mind because if they can't repeat it, they didn't get it. And if they didn't get it, you won't get it.

Here's one way to create a name or title that sticks and that gives you a competitive edge.

Years ago, insurance giant AFLAC had a problem. Their company name didn't make sense. What the heck is an AFLAC anyway? Why would people entrust their money to a company when they didn't understand what their name meant? 

AFLAC executives didn't want to change their name, they just wanted people to recognize it, relate to it, and hopefully choose to do business with it.

One way to do that is to link a name that doesn't make sense to something that does. Here's how to do that. Say your name or title out loud and ask, "What sounds similar? What does this remind people of? What do they think of - or picture - when they hear it?"

When you say the word "AFLAC," what comes to mind? Well, it kind of sounds like QUACK. Hmmm. Maybe they could create a mascot logo - a lovable duck - that says AFLAC. It's quirky but people would be more likely to warm to it and like it - and them.

Voila. A clunky name that was losing them money was turned into an advertising icon that has made them millions.

Please note: This isn't "silly wordplay." Turning an abstract idea into an relatable image expedites comprehension. Why? When people see what you're saying, they're more likely to understand and want what you're saying.

Think about it, when people "get" something, they often say, "Oh, I see now."

Another insurance company had a similar challenge. Government Employees Insurance Company was going public. Instead of offering policies solely to federal employees, they wer now going to offer policies to anyone and everyone who could afford to buy one.

The problem? They too had a confusing name. They were using their initials as their name but what the heck is a G.E.I.C.O.? How did they turn that awkward acronym into an icon?

Well, let's use the same process of linking the unfamiliar with the familiar - the unknown with the known - the abstract with the empirical - as explained in my book POP!

What do you SEE in your mind's eye or think of when you hear the word GEICO? 

Well, it kind of sounds like GECKO. Bingo. Their little green gecko has not only starred in countless commercials and become an instantly recognizable corporate logo, it popped GEICO out of its industry pack and gave them a highly-profitable competitive edge.

What’s this mean for you? Your profits and success can depend on your name's clarity.  If people can't pronounce it, they won't purchase it. If they don't get it, you won't get it.

If at the end of a conversation, commercial, or marketing campaign, people can't REPEAT your name, they won't REMEMBER your name. All those thousands (millions?) of dollars spent on sales, marketing, promotion and advertising will be down the drain.

Your goal is to create a relatable name people can repeat after hearing it once. That will keep you top-of-mind and help your bottom-line. And isn't that what every business wants?

Want more communication tips on how to stand out?

Check out Sam's LinkedIn Learning videos.

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Sam Horn, CEO of the Intrigue Agency and TEDx speaker, is on a mission to help people create the life, work and relationships of their dreams. Her books have been endorsed by Tony Robbins, Dan Pink, Stephen Covey and Seth Godin, featured in New York Times and onn NPR, and presented to Boeing, Intel, Capital One, Cisco, National Geographic, YPO.