This is a guest post by Marcie Thomas, President of CoachingShift.com

Company names and taglines are a part of the branding process for your company. Branding is all about resonating with your client in a way that helps them remember you. You want your ideal client to call you instead of your competitor, right!

Use this procedure to help you emerge with a name or tagline that resonates with your client and helps them remember you.

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1. Identify your ideal clients.
2. Identify their needs. Look at the company name/tagline through the eyes of your ideal client. What’s the primary need? They need _____.
3. Identify the solutions/products/services you will provide. What will they get (solution/value/benefit) if they choose your company? They want to know “what’s in it for me.” They will receive ______.
4. List how you are different than current and future competition. What unique quality does your company possess that others don’t? What advantage will your client have by choosing your service?
5. List your company values or mission statement. Be sure your final decision is in alignment with your values or mission statement. Bottom line: Your company name/tagline should convey to your reader-at a glance-they are in the right place. If all they had was your business card with your company name and tagline what message would be conveyed that would make them want to contact you?
6. Brainstorm possible company names/tag lines. Narrow down to the top 5.
7. Ensure name availability by contacting the United States Trade and Patent Office (USTPO) at http://www.uspto.gov.Click on trademarks and follow the instructions to perform the search. It’s also helpful to perform a Google search.
8. Check to see if the domain name is available by visiting www.iwhois.com.
9. Use the questions below to analyze each name from your narrowed list.
   • What it means? What does it convey?
   • How does its sound when I introduce myself?
   • Emotions it elicits? Action it describes?
   • Can clients spell and prounounce it easily?
   • Is it in line with my company values?
   • What message does it convey to my clients of the value/service they will receive? (WIIFM)
   • If this was on my business card would it convey the right message?
   • If this is a global company, is the name/tagline acceptable cross-culturally?
   • Is it available at www.iwhois.com?
   • Is it registered to someone else through the USTPO?

This article is an excerpt from The New Coaches’ Guide to Marketing a Coaching Business. For information on how to order your copy please visit my website.

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Marcie L Thomas is the owner of COACHINGshift: the life coach’s marketing resource.

Marcie is also the Marketing Director at the Professional Christian Coach Training Program, a contributing writer at the Christian Coaching Center, is the author of upcoming The New Coaches’ Successful Guide to Marketing ebook , and is a guest speaker on the topics of marketing mindset, developing a marketing plan, e-marketing success, and developing a unique, content-rich marketing message. Marcie draws on over 20 years combined experience in training, human resource development, marketing, coaching, and business startup. Having launched marketing projects for coaches and solopreneurs for several years, Marcie is keenly aware of what it takes to succeed in launching and growing a new coaching business. She has taken that experience and combined it with her training and coaching skills to develop her own unique approach to helping coaches overcome the challenges and maximize the rewards of becoming a solopreneur.

She is a member of the International Coach Federation, the Christian Coaches Network and is current taking advanced coaching classes with the Professional Christian Coaching Program.