Creating a Brand for Consultants
Take great care in building your company’s brand. Protect it with your life, if you must, for a good brand gives customers a positive impression on the quality of a company's services and exudes professionalism, an important trait in the consulting business. Let’s take a look at where and how to start building your brand.
Your Elevator Pitch
An elevator pitch is essentially a sales pitch. You must be able to deliver a summary of your ideas or what your business can offer in a short span of time. Your elevator pitch must be able to grab the attention of the audience and have them yearning for more information. More tips for a fabulous Elevator Pitch are included in the HR Consulting Kit.
Your Business Name
Identify your niche, mission statement and business direction. Before you dive into naming your consulting business, make sure you have a solid sense of your business, your market, your pricing, your goals and your direction.
Using your own name
Using your name or a derivate #1. Using Your Name is Perfectly OK
It’s totally fine to go the easy route with something like Scheely Consulting, Crook & Co., etc. A lot of people get hung up on the fact that this approach doesn’t make it entirely clear what their focus is or, that it’s taking the easy way out.
There’s nothing lazy about using your name and, there’s an easy workaround for the clarity argument – use a tag line.
Tag lines are best used when they add absolute clarity to what you value you deliver. If you were a change management pro, just add it under your logo or wordmark like so:
SCHEELY CONSULTING
Changement Mangement Experts
If your last name is complicated to spell or pronounce, think carefully before using it. If your name is known in your industry, then it has a defined value and may be the best approach.
Remember: Nothing’s ever set in stone and you can always change it later. Better that you have to make a change to spice things up than to make it understandable.
Using your name is the easiest and clearest way to go, especially if you’ve already made a name for yourself in the field of HR and are well networked. For example, Salina Gomez Consulting, SG Consulting, Gomez Consulting, Gomez & Associates.
In this case, your business name may or may not be registered, but if it’s not registered, your contracts will have to include the name of the entity who will be paid – i.e. you! If you don’t have a bank account with the name you’ve chosen, you won’t be able to sign a contract using your company name as the party in the contract, since it’s not a legal entity.
Using an Original Name
You know who you are. The idea of having a boring name for your practice makes you itchy. You want something fresh and innovative. Something your clients (and your mother) will admire and recognize as being an extension of you.
Key attributes
For an example, we named one staffing company BrightHire.com based on their desire to attract the most intelligent candidates. You can see this employed with company names such as SirSpeedy, EconoLodge, Priceline and Smart Cuts. Is there an overarching benefit you provide that you can incorporate into your name?
Invented names
This is a favorite with consultants but proceed with caution. It's easy to get caught up in with the chase of a new name and gradual twist the spelling and message until it's unintelligible. It's okay to use Latin word parts and obscure references if the name can still be spoken and spelled easily. Small firms have the advantage of conveying part of the brand message in person, over the phone, or at a trade conference. But don't push it. . And keep in mind the name can be invented and still carry a sense of meaning. We named one company Claricent, because they were able to provide clear insight and direction to their client base. So you can still convey an attribute, even in an invented name. (i.e Verizon = Horizon, Agilent = Agile, etc.)
Descriptive Hybrid Names
These names combine an industry descriptor word and marry it with an evocative word. Examples include companies such as Emisstar, consultants in the emissions control industry. Big brand examples include JetBlue and CarMax. If you use this approach, just be sure that your industry descriptor is one that won't change over time
Metaphors
Since the proverbial "picture paints a thousand words", then metaphors are a great way to convey multiple company attributes with a single image. FourBridges Capital, for example, expresses this investment banking firm's ability to "bridge the gap" and "connect business with capital," etc. With four major partners and four major bridges in Chattanooga, TN, the story gains even more traction.
Things to consider
URL availability. Are you adamant that to have the exact matching .com domain name?
If you find yourself having to constantly spell or correct the spelling, then it's a miss
Incorporation vs sole practitioner
The clients you want to attract. larger clients may be dissuaded by the mom and pop impression of a smaller practice
Make sure that you don’t use a name that’s trademarked or registered. Get the advice of a trademark lawyer.
The strongest names are simple. Don’t choose some obscure, hard-to-pronounce word for your name in an effort to be unique. You’ll discourage word-of-mouth if your name is too complicated, plus it will be difficult for buyers to find you via the web. Whatever you choose, it should roll off the tongue. Otherwise, you’re going to spend precious moments in sales meetings awkwardly spelling out your practice’s name instead of talking about how you can help your clients.
Look for a name that is easily understood. Good, clear names work better than invented terms, unless you have the brand power to help people understand.
Avoid narrowing your business to a geography. If you need to move, expand or sell your business, a geographic name could become a liability. “Duluth Business Consulting” may be confusing if you move even a few cities away.
Likewise, opt for a name that gives you some wiggle room. Some names can date your business – remember all the dotcoms? Others may limit future offerings. I used to hire a company named “Copytime” to do all my photocopies. I was shocked later when I discovered they could also do offset and digital printing, stationery, packaging and custom mailouts. It’s no surprise that they rebranded and grew the business when they came up with a name that showed they did more than print copies.
Consider whether the name can deliver unexpected benefits. Early on with my business, I chose the name Abakai Management Company as an umbrella name for my other businesses. At the time, Yellowpages directories and online directories usually listed companies in alphabetical order. Since only AAA could come before “Abakai” and most professional consulting firms shied away from putting AAA in their names, I got tons of leads because I was first in directories under Marketing. “Abakai Management Company” sounded like it had been around for a while, compared to a lot of the dotcom names of the time. I eventually rebranded years later, but that name worked for a long time.
Likewise, you often see other companies listed in directories using similar tactics, such as A1 or AAA. This tactic is increasingly less important, but worth thinking about if you do work in a relevant field.
Think about whether other people will join your firm or whether you’ll sell it. “Robin Smith Consulting” might work now, but what if you add a business partner or a few employees? Will you still be comfortable having your name on everything? If you go to sell your company, what brand equity will be lost when you leave, especially considering so much brand equity in smaller consultancies is tied up with the owner in the first place.
Take a look at the international portability of your name. If you’re planning to do business with people from other countries or cultures, find out how the name translates. The Chevy Nova worked in the US, but it meant “no go” to Spanish-speaking customers.
Stay away from puns, unless you’re a coffee shop. Witty names like Hazbeans and Higher Grounds might work for some, but a professional consulting firm needs a professional name. Find another way to stand out.
Figure out whether you want to stand out or blend in. This will help you figure out if you want to go with something more memorable and out there – such as Menopause Chicks – or something more familiar – such as Acubalance Wellness Centre.
Make it memorable. Choose something easy to remember, but stay away of anything so quirky that people remember it by “that place with the weird name”.
Check to see if you can get social media handles. While marketing trends come and go, you don’t really want to find out that all variations on your name have already been taken on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other channels, if you really hoped to use them.
Make sure the domain name is available – and make it a good one. If you can only get chosennamewithlongwordsstuffedbehindit.com or chosennamefromunexpecteddomain.ly, you may want to keep looking.
Check to see whether the name has already been trademarked. Take a look at the US Patent and Trademark Office and the trademark office in the countries where you will do business. While a trademark need not be registered to be enforceable – prior use goes a long way – a quick review of what’s already trademarked can save you from future hassle.
Find out if anyone else already uses the name. Avoid choosing a name that is already in use. It can lead to mix-ups and brand confusion. And another company’s prior use of the name may be enough to establish a trademark, so you’d just be shaping up to get into legal trouble later. Choose something that stands out.
Ensure the name is available where you plan to do business. In most places, you need to register a business name, although there are some allowances for using your own name. Find out whether you can register the name with your state, province or country.
Choose something easy to spell. You and your employees will soon tire of spelling your name over and over. And you want people to be able to get your name right in emails and social media. So choose something easy to spell.
Find a name with a positive connotation. Give clients a shot of optimism with your business name. There’s a reason “Mr. Clean” shows up on shelves, not “Mr. Messy Kitchen and Bathroom”. Include information about what your business does. Marketing, business strategy, accounting, sales – those are all broad terms that avoid the limits of things such as “social media” or “Year 2000 Planning”.
Choose something short. You’re going to have to fit your business name on business cards, emails, ads, stationery and more. Find a short name.
Take a look at the portfolios of naming companies. These will give you some tips for what’s trending and perhaps what works.
Consider the future of your business. If you want to eventually sell your business or have employees, you may not want to name the business after yourself. Do you want your name on things other people will be doing? Do you feel comfortable marketing under your own name now?
Check the initials, domain name and anything else that makes sense. Property Management Systems sounds good till you have to start abbreviating it. “Rogers Exchange and Hedge Management” might sound good till you write it as “rogersexchange.com”. I know a very successful independent publishing company that recently rebranded when the owner found that it contained an anatomical description.
Test the business name. Consider running some cost per click ads to test market ads using your chosen name or domain name. (Be sure to offer legitimate ads, given advertising laws.) Look at click-through rates. What works? What doesn’t?
Run your business name (and the domain name) through trusted people and even prospective customers. Do you have to explain the meaning? Can they understand it without having you spell it out? Do they like it? Can they see recommending your business to others?
Consider talking to an intellectual property lawyer about ways to protect your business name and other intellectual property.
Set up a Google alert to monitor the web for references to your business name. You’ll know if anyone starts using it.
Above all else, choose a name you like. You’re going to be spending a lot of time with your business name.
Resources
Take a look at the names of companies providing HR services
http://www.dmoz.org/Business/Human_Resources/
Choose a colour palette
Again, an entire book could be written on this subject, but if your goal is to simply determine your style so you can create a logo and marketing collateral, let’s start with the basics:
1. Choose a color and palette
- Check out this infographic which gives you a good quick overview about colours for your brand. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/247783
- Or, simply choose a colour and palette you like. You’re not marketing softdrinks to the world. Your goal at this point is to create a professional colour palette and font that you’ll use consistently. If you don’t like blue, don’t go with blue! Check out some colour palettes here. https://designschool.canva.com/blog/website-color-schemes/
- A colour palette provides you with accent colours to compliment your primary colour. For example, here’s ConnectsUs colour palette.
- Make note of the RGB or HEX colours. You’ll need them to get the exact consistent colours whenever you’re using them.
Choose a Font
Font is different from typeface but they are commonly used interchangeably. Example of typeface is San Serif Bold and font is San Serif Bold 12 point.
Like colours, font represents your brand. Choosing the “right” font will evoke emotions in our customers that will accurately reflect the branding you want to project for your business. Once you’ve settled on a font or set of fonts, these will be used for creating your logo and marketing collateral.
Still not convinced on the importance of fonts? Check out this article. As your eyes feast on the logos, be aware of the emotions stirring up within you and the perception you’re forming in a split second on the company. E.g. this logo looks like a brand I can trust or this looks like a fun company? Amazed now how powerful fonts can be?
Your Logo & Tagline
Logo
Do you really need a logo? The short answer is no. The longer answer is yes.
A logo is optional, However, consider this:
When you create a document or proposal for client, what will show in the header?
Tagline
A tagline is optional, but it’s a good way to augment your logo to clearly state what you do.
Here are some amazing free resources to help you avoid blank page syndrome and get your creative juices going
https://www.shopify.com/tools/slogan-maker
http://www.procato.com/slogan+generator/
http://slogangenerator.co/make-a-slogan
https://www.thepcmanwebsite.com/media/free_slogan_generator/
https://bizcardcreator.com/slogan_generator.htm
Creating your Logo & Tagline file
You’ll have a lot of graphic designers tell you that you must have a professional designer or brand strategist create your logo. That’s simply not true for anyone starting out in HR consulting. A brand agency may charge you anywhere from $4k to $15k to create your brand and logo, which is not money well spent for a sole HR practitioner. Unless your logo is offensive or is so bad that people are going to make fun of, it isn’t going to affect your ability to get business. Once you start making a lot of money become a brand or a force to be reckoned with, you can easily rebrand and take a holistic view to marketing and creating your logo and tagline.
We’ll probably get a lot of comments and pushback on this, but we recommend you create your own logo. Or get a friend who has a good eye for esthetics or design to help you. For approx. $50 or less, you can create your own wordmark logo and a tagline that can include a . A wordmark is a freestanding word comprising a logo. For example eBay, IBM, CNN, Google, and yes, this site, ConnectsUs
It won’t be perfect, but you don’t need perfection. You need something that will be professional and reflect your style – usually accomplished with colors and font.
Resources
https://www.freelogoservices.com/
There are dozens of these types of self-made logo services available. We’ve used Free Logo Services and have had good results for very little cost. You insert your industry, company name and tagline, and you’ll be provided with hundreds of ready-to-go options that you can begin using immediately in various sizes of JPG files.
They’ll also show you immediately what other collateral could look like once you’ve finalized your logo. For example, you can order business cards right away.
Tips
Before you pull the trigger on your final logo, take a print screen of it, and insert it into one of ConnectsUs HR consulting templates. How does it look? You may be surprised to find out what looks good in concept, doesn’t work in the real world.
Email signature
Email signature appears at the end of an email and usually displays information such as your name, company contact number and corporate website address. You can set your signature on your email application.
Having a signature lends your business credibility and gives it a professional image. Also, if your telephone number is listed, this will make it easier for the recipient to call you instead of searching for it on your corporate website or looking around for your business card. Anything that lessens the effort for your potential customers to reach you is worth doing! Afterall, setting up an email signature takes less than 5 minutes!
Business Cards
Your business card should be a reflection of you and your consulting business. Generally speaking, business cards for those in traditional industries such as business consulting should be simple in design. A safe bet is to avoid bright colors and use a standard black or dark type on a white background of good-quality paper.
Services Brochure
Depending on the industry you’ll be specializing in, and particularly if you don’t have a website, you’ll need a brochure of flyer. A tool that tells a prospect or meeting participants a high level summary of what you do.
ConnectsUs has 2 different types of services flyers to get you started.
Resources
Branding: http://howtheworldseesyou.com/ultimate-personal-brand-playbook/