Why bother with a tagline?

Most consultants think it is better for clients to remember their company name rather than some logo or tagline. Although this is ideal, they may not be able to figure out what you do just by the name of your company. My company BizMechanix does give a hint of what we do but it is not specific enough for someone to get it when they see the name for the first time. Most consultants use their own name in the title of their company. I like this idea as it gives a professional feel but it absolutely does not let anyone know what you do. If you add a tagline to your name, then the chances of being better recognized are greater.

In industry there are several taglines that you can instantly recognize and attach to a company name. "Just do it”, "innovation defined”, etc.

When you are defining your tagline think about the services you offer and brainstorm some taglines that will work for you. Elizabeth Kearney and Associates has the tagline "The Experts Alliance” which shows that she has people she works with that are experts in their fields. It takes her organization from one level of expertise to a level that offers expertise that messes with the company core competency.

Producing a tagline is not a one hour process. It takes time to define and come up with the right combination of words. However, it is well worth the effort. The tagline can be used to enhance all of your marketing materials, your branding, and your value proposition.

Here are four steps on how you can create a tagline for your consulting practice.

Step one: Make a list of one word descriptors for the benefits or solutions you provide. Use the list you created earlier to help you create the list.

Step two: Create another list of words based on your value proposition.

Step three: Brainstorm phrases using the word lists.

Step four: Test each phrase with colleagues, friends, and clients before you settle on the ideal tagline. This phase is probably one of the most important.

Once you have a tagline, start using it everywhere, not just your marketing materials. Use it when the phone is answered, on stationery, business cards, website, and anything that potential clients might see. What do we use at BizMechanix? Content and Knowledge Management Experts