The way you communicate tells personal things about you that you, probably, didn't want people to know

Research shows that non-verbal communication and subtle cues can reveal much more about a person than they might consciously intend. It goes for both positive and negative communication, but the picture that negative communication paints about you is the most astonishing to watch. However, it’s not all pleasure. If you’re dumping your dirt on someone emotionally intelligent, that person might feel secondary shame – that’s the feeling of embarrassment or discomfort that arise when witnessing or learning about someone else’s shameful or humiliating experiences. It better not be you, because it’s painful to watch.

In short, all of you that are raining on someone’s parade, should presume that you have been exposed. It’s like in that tale by Hans Christian Andersen with a king parading through the city in his underwear.

How? What? HOW?!

Spending decades in analysing my own feelings and emotions in the context of in-person interaction, and continuing with analysing the cues by others, has resulted in so much accumulated knowledge that could fill an entire book. I’m not writing another book at this moment, just laying it all out there for grabbing.

You might have heard the phrase that only people that are hurting inside are capable of hurting others. That is true to some extent. However, if we consider all negative communication as hurting, then the truth is lying beneath the many onion peals.  Negative in-person communication is any interaction that makes either of the participants feel unpleasant. Sometimes it's just a basic power move. At times, also blunt objective truth and facts can be unpleasant to some people and make them upset, but here we’re covering real negativity; the sensitive souls that are taking themselves too seriously are topic for another time.

There are 2 reasons a person is upsetting someone in in-person interaction.
It’s either the lack of basic manners, politeness and respect.
Or it’s discomfort caused by pain (I'm beting on unresolved emotional pain).
Usually, it’s both.

The method of ruling with an iron fist and making others feel lower is in decline. As it should be, since it’s not making your team better and is not good for business results in a long run. It only puts YOU in a BAD LIGHT.

Being a negative cloud in the team, diminishing others and spreading negative and degrading gossip about someone are not a sign of a power position. Those are signs of insecurities and a pile of unresolved personal clutter.

Let’s uncover both of the above. 

Manners and respect

Being polite and kind always, and I mean ALWAYS, will take you further and higher in the long term. How about respect? Too often I get to hear the absurd phrase of “How could I possibly respect that person after doing the thing X!”

Oh, grow up!

And I don’t mean “Be a bigger person.” No, I’m all against shutting down feelings and emotions. It’s like trying to close a volcano – there’s no point in doing that. In turn, why not turning it into a wealthy life for yourself. That’s a metaphor for gaining more from forgiveness than from the damaging power of hatred.

To respect ANY person you must look beyond the unrespectable action that person might have taken. For your own sake, stop identifying people with the things they have done in their life. At least in terms of robbing yourself of the upgrade of your personal interface which you get upon the complete realization of that.

A person being the same species as we all are, is all you need to respect a human being. You might not like actions, inaction or decisions of that person or you might even not like that person per se, but you should still be able to respect that person for being one of your kind.

Let that sink in, and then let’s uncover the second reason on the list.

Settle your internal mess

There was a time when I wanted to hear the thoughts of other people. Thankfully, I’m still not able to do that. Now I see through people in the way they communicate, and this power ranks million times higher than hearing what people think (which, I presume, is mostly predictable and would decrease my sympathy for some of them). At least for me it does.

I have a sense which tells me the pain that the negative person is holding within – the reason behind a negative expression towards someone. It’s never pleasant. Seeing it, somewhat hurts me too. Worse than presuming that your garbage is invisible is actually being blind to your internal mental mess. That’s sad, if not tragic.

There are three ways forward.

1.      Ignore and proceed as you’ve done up to this point.

2.      Pay thousands of euros for psychotherapy (highly recommended and potentially the most effective method for some).

3.      Start communicating with yourself.

The third one is my favourite, since I always prefer the most efficient solution for everything. It doesn’t imply talking to yourself aloud when walking along the street. It means asking yourself the hard questions you’ve been avoiding for too long, then – listening to yourself for answers, and then – being honest to yourself and acting on the answers you get from yourself. This will upgrade your life on so many levels. In fact, probably, on ALL levels.

Action steps

So, how to do that? Firstly, you become aware. Notice how you’re coming about to other people – listen to how you sound. Imagine how could you possibly sound to other people. Observe the person you’re talking to – it will give you clues. Do this when talking to an actual person, not in solitude. Be present and observe yourself. See what’s happening, how your next sentence comes about and what are the instant implications of it.

Once you’re alone, reflect on that. Why did I did/said/sound like that? The instant answer might be “Because that other person is an idiot!” Well… dig deeper.

Firstly, check for being unsatisfied with something either at work or in life in general. It can be big or small. Or check for your insecurities. It can be related to the person or the topic or it can be something totally different.

Once you pinpoint the underlying reason, ask yourself why exactly does it make you feel that way? And then – what should I do to change it into my preferred circumstances? From where I am to where I want to be.

Follow the steps every time, and your personal interface will get upgraded to unprecedented levels.

For additional motivation, note that this magical power of seeing through you is more common than you think. I personally know several people living with this gift or curse – it depends on the way we see things. And the numbers are growing.

You were supposed to deal with the metaphorical emotional garbage you’ve been sweeping under the rug for years at some point. This is as good of a moment as any. I know I would prefer getting all that sorted before it rains down on everyone in my circle uncovering things about me I would never ever, ever, ever want to be uncovered. Once they’re sorted, you’re free!

What’s Trending in Branding?

In two-word short – it’s personalised communication.

In branding, personalised communication goes far beyond addressing customers by name – it’s all about crafting a distinct brand language that speaks directly to the emotional and intellectual nuances of your audience. It means creating messages that resonate on a deeper level, balancing authenticity with emotional intelligence to grow trust and loyalty. This strategy isn’t just a trend; it’s becoming a necessity, with 86% of consumers saying authenticity is a key factor when choosing which brands they support (Stackla, 2021). Even more so, since customers are getting tired of most brands sounding like one another.

Does your brand also sound (written and spoken) like every other brand? If you’re serious about this all business game you’re in, you should find a way to SOUND just and only LIKE YOUR BRAND.

A well-developed brand language is foundational for effective personalised communication. It’s not about what a brand says, but HOW it says it. Words must be chosen not only for their literal meaning but for the emotional resonance they carry. For instance, how a luxury brand like Chanel uses restrained, elegant language to evoke exclusivity is vastly different from how a brand like Airbnb employs a friendly, approachable tone to foster community. Crafting this verbal identity requires sensitivity to cultural context, emotional tone and customer sentiment – a skill set rooted in emotional intelligence (EI).

EI plays a critical role in shaping a brand’s verbal communication. It’s about the ability to “read the room” and adapt the tone and style of messaging in real-time. Brands that communicate with high EI show empathy, understanding and the ability to sense unspoken emotions. According to a study by TalentSmart, 90% of top performers in business demonstrate high emotional intelligence, and this principle applies to branding too. A brand that can capture customer’s sentiment and respond with emotional acuity – be it through customer service interactions, social media responses or marketing campaigns – creates a stronger emotional bond with its audience.

The science of neuromarketing further illustrates the power of verbal cues in branding. Research shows that the right words can trigger emotional responses in the brain, influencing decision-making. For example, using words associated with warmth, trust and comfort can activate the brain’s reward centres, fostering a positive association with the brand. A study by Harvard Business Review found that emotionally connected customers have a 52% higher lifetime value than those who are merely satisfied, underscoring the financial impact of emotionally intelligent verbal communication.

Verbal expression also extends to sensing the subtle nuances of timing, tone and cultural sensitivity in brand messaging. A misstep in brand language, even if minor, can cause significant reputational damage in today’s hyper-connected world. In 2020, 83% of millennials reported that they want brands to align with their values, including how they speak on social issues (5WPR 2020 Consumer Culture Report). This requires an acute understanding of not just what to say, but how to say it in a way that resonates authentically with specific audiences.

Personalising verbal communication can take many forms. From micro-segmentation of audiences, where different tones and linguistic styles are used for various subgroups, to conversational marketing strategies that rely on natural language processing tools. Such tools are technologies that enable computers to understand, interpret and generate human language in a way that is both meaningful and useful. They allow brands to automate real-time, human-like conversations through chatbots while still maintaining the nuance of tone, context and empathy. Data shows that 80% of companies already use or plan to adopt some form of chatbot by 2025 (Salesforce), making this a crucial frontier for personalising verbal brand language.

Brands that excel in personalised verbal communication use a combination of data analytics and emotional insight to refine their messaging continually. Through real-time feedback loops, sentiment analysis and social listening tools, brands can adjust their language to better connect with their audience. For example, Nike’s “Dream Crazier” campaign used inclusive, empowering language that resonated deeply with female athletes, further cementing its emotional connection with a core demographic.

Lastly, measuring the impact of personalised verbal communication goes beyond click-through rates or sales metrics. It involves analysing customer sentiment, brand perception and emotional engagement. The most effective brands continually refine their verbal identity to ensure it remains aligned.

How would get personalised verbal communication for your brand?
STEP ONE – auditing your brand’s communication to know where it stands.
STEP TWO – knowing what kind of people you want for your audience.
STEP THREE – creating a proper brand personality for that.
STEP FOUR – detailing out the principles of verbal communication for your brand to put that personality into action – making it alive.

You can do all of that yourself HERE or get help with it HERE.

#communication #business #brandlanguage #branding

How Being Kind Can Sky-rocket Your Career

If you prefer video content over reading, click here for a YouTube video.

Today's topic of kindness might seem strange at first in terms of your career, but you’ll see that it totally makes sense.

Being kind basically means being respectful. Kindness is respect in action, which is tested in any interaction and communication when we’re in stress, hurry, pain or other uncomfortable state. Being kind is not just good for others but also for your own success. So, find a way to be kind even if you think you’re selfish. But I’m sure you’re not. At least not too much…

Anyway, have you ever wondered why some of the most successful people are known for their kindness? It's not a coincidence! Kindness has the power to transform not only your relationships but also your personal and professional life. So, let's see why does your success depend on it. I have five reasons here.

#1 Building strong connections
Kindness is good in general, but one of the main benefits of kindness is its ability to build strong connections. When you genuinely care about others and show kindness, you create a network of support and collaboration. People are naturally drawn to those who are kind and empathetic.
Making it easier to establish meaningful relationships.

These connections can open doors to opportunities, mentorships, collaborations, job opportunities, investments… you name it! And, obviously, that leads to your success.

I know that for some people it’s not that easy being kind to others. Especially, to annoying and bad people. But there is a shortcut for that too and I have a separate video on that.
For now, let’s stick to the idea that kindness is respect in action. And every single person deserves to be treated with respect. We’re quick to judge and condemn, but switching to the perspective of love and respect takes YOU much higher. So, think again.

# 2 Improving reputation
Kindness can improve your reputation and your personal brand. When you’re consistently kind, people see you as trustworthy, reliable, and approachable. And I don’t mean that slimy yes man. No. I mean the one who sees everyone as deserving respect.
This positive reputation attracts opportunities. Because – at work environment and in business – what people are getting a raise? That’s right. Those with a positive image.

Authenticity trumps everything, sure. But if your being authentic goes together with being kind, then you have a winning ticket. Faking it will not take you too far. Smart and sensitive people can see through fake kindness easily. So don’t risk it.
Besides, you’re building that image not just for now – it’s for the rest of your life. People from our past tend to come up from time to time. If your name stirs up pleasant emotions, you’re most likely to get more attractive offers coming in from different sides.

# 3 Creating efficient work environment
Number three. Kindness has a ripple effect that goes beyond just personal interactions. In the workplace, being kind can change the entire environment and help smooth out most of misunderstandings which can be costly at work. By creating a culture of kindness, you’re building to a positive and supportive atmosphere in your team. This boosts morale, increases productivity, and improves teamwork. What’s in it for you? Besides pleasant working conditions, by creating such environment you’re showing that you know how to make your team more satisfied, more efficient and how to get them reach better results. Which ranks high in the eyes of your superiors.

# 4 Validating your emotional intelligence
If you are kind and respectful to others in ANY interaction whatever the circumstances, you’re showing that you have an unshakeable, positive and intelligent personality. This way your daily actions are the best proof that you are ready for more responsibilities, higher job positions, and better business deals.

Basically, if you’re stable with this, it sends a signal that you’re emotionally intelligent which beats IQ nowadays. Emotionally intelligent people make way better leaders and are more likely to steer the company towards smart decision. Such leaders will rule the world in the coming decades. The good news is that you can develop that skill and be one of them. Being kind and respectful to everyone – literally everyone – is the very basics for that.

So, let's recap. By being genuinely kind, you build strong connections, improve your reputation, create a positive work environment, and validate your emotional intelligence. Remember – kindness is not a weakness; it's a strength that has way more benefits than being that angry villain. If still in doubt – read this article again until it’s under your skin.

#communication #business #humanskills #emotionalintelligence

How Much Misunderstandings Cost in Business Communication?

By Anita Eglīte, Brand Communication Strategist

Effective communication is the backbone of any successful businesses. Also, misunderstandings in communication have significant financial implications on any company. This blog post contains some alarming statistics surrounding communication breakdowns and explore the detrimental impacts of misunderstandings in a business setting. Additionally, we provide actionable strategies for business leaders to mitigate misunderstandings and enhance communication effectiveness.

Financial Toll of Misunderstandings
Last year’s report by Grammarly and The Harris Poll shed light on the staggering financial losses incurred by organisations due to inadequate communication offering an estimate of an issue we are not used to viewing from the perspective of lost money. That report shook the community, with business leaders estimating their teams lose an average of 7.47 hours per week to poor communication. This lost time comes for US businesses up to $1.2 trillion a year, or $12,506 annually per employee in lost productivity.

Another report by Axios HQ indicates that leaders and employees are way too often on a different page. It seems like everyone is eager to make his or her view on things, but not to listen. Really listen… Naturally, they’re looking from different perspectives. But that’s not enough of a reason not to move past that.

Axios HQ is looking at rather more sophisticated questions such as “What is the most crucial update a team needs to be in alignment?” Most leaders think it’s culture, values and announcement of new hires, while employees think it’s operational changes such as process and task updates and organisational goals, meaning, company’s plans and initiatives. Yet, to diagnose a communication problem one doesn’t need to look that far. Daily communication with ambiguous comments, unclear tasks, hints or even an  equivocal look, grin or a smile is an everyday occurrence in too many teams.

On most occasions, personal misunderstandings don’t cause immediate loss to business, but should always be noted and solved when reoccurring – because in the long-term interpersonal misunderstandings can pose a more serious danger than a misunderstood deadline. Either way, one thing is clear – with internal and inter-personal communication going poorly, nearly all performance metrics drop.

The above figures mean that businesses have a tendency to spend more time and effort on a core function while not closing the hole that is draining their finances.

Face of the Misunderstanding
Despite the universally acknowledged importance of effective communication, surveys consistently indicate that employees exhibit deficient communication skills. That is a sad news since effective communication remains one of the most essential skills in business but also since poor – or insufficiently thought-through – communication can cause a lot of unnecessary and, on most part, easily avoidable misunderstandings.

Miscommunication can arise by falling out of the daily peer-to-peer interaction or by sending an e-mail with no question that would call for a reply. Yet, the above estimates refer, on most part, to those of a much greater scale such as only at the end phase of a several-months-long project a co-worker realising that the overall objectives of the project are slightly different and have been misunderstood. Or even worse, if an entire team turns out to be misguided.

However, there is no one guilty party. Managers of all levels also have their share of accountability. The most typical negative consequences for any type of business are seven, however, the below list is not exhaustive and relate to both – co-workers and managers.

Damaging Effects of Misunderstandings

1. Missed deadlines: Misunderstandings can lead to project delays (and potential financial losses).
   
   
2. Lack of clarity: Ambiguous instructions and the lack of context or purpose can cause confusion among team members, resulting in errors and the need for rework.
   
   
3. Increased costs: Costs increase due to wasted resources, inefficient processes and the required corrective measures.
   
   
4. Decreased productivity: Communication breakdowns challenge collaboration, decision-making and overall productivity, hindering the organisation’s ability to achieve its goals.
   
   
5. Damaged brand credibility: Negative impact on customer satisfaction, loyalty and brand reputation, potentially resulting in customer discontent and financial losses.
   
   
6. Workplace stress: Often and reoccurring misunderstandings in communication create a stressful work environment affecting well-being and motivation of employees.
   
   
7. Decreased job satisfaction: Poor communication leads to decreased job satisfaction, as employees feel disconnected, undervalued and unable to perform at their full potential.

Strategies for Mitigation

1. Enhance communication skills: Invest in regular training sessions and workshops to improve communication skills among employees and managers at all levels. Make sure active listening, effective feedback and clarity in both written and oral communication is a live reality throughout the organisation on all levels and in all directions of flow of information.
   
   
2. Foster a culture of open communication: Encourage open dialogue, transparency and respect within the organisation. Establish platforms and channels for team members to express their ideas, concerns and feedback freely. Provide them a safe space in terms of internal communication. Encourage people on your team to speak up and clarify uncertainties as many times as necessary without intimidation and judgement.
   TIP! Incorporate this in in your internal communication guidelines. This will make it super clear for your entire team what are you looking to attain and how they can make it happen. 
   
   
3. Leverage technology: Embrace communication tools and platforms that facilitate efficient and transparent information exchange, particularly in remote work scenarios.
   
   
4. Promote constructive feedback: Create an environment where feedback is welcomed and valued. Encourage employees to provide it on communication processes and identify areas for improvement. Evaluate if your company needs a system for feedback since the effect of passer’s-by feedback might last longer and sink deeper in some settings. Make sure the necessity for feedback is explained on all levels of and directions within an organisation. 
   
   
5. Lead by example: Business leaders must exemplify strong communication skills, serving as role models for effective communication practices. By consistently displaying clarity, active listening and empathy, leaders can set the tone for improved communication across the organisation. For that leaders need to have a clear idea on the image of the company that they want to portray. You can extend your read on that here.

Misunderstandings in business communication come at a significant cost, both financially and operationally. By acknowledging the impacts of those, organisations can take proactive steps to mitigate them.

Investing in effective communication not only helps businesses overcome challenges but also drives growth, enhances customer satisfaction, boosts employee morale, fortifies the organisation’s reputation and ensures long-term success. By prioritizing clear and effective communication, businesses can position themselves as leaders in their industries, unlock new opportunities and achieve their goals faster.

What’s your account balance for misunderstandings in your team?

I hope this helps! ❤

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Come back here for more, follow @Anita_Brand_Communication on Instagram or follow BLUE CAT EDIT in the top social media platforms.

How to Know if Your Company’s Communication is Good or Bad

By Anita Eglīte, Brand Communication Strategist

Excluding the cases of obviously bad and improper ways of expression, in the business environment communication itself mostly is neither good, nor bad. It is the matter of whether it is good or bad for your company. If it is effective. If it does its job for you. Meaning – is it working for you or against you. Another question to ask yourself – is the way your company communicates good enough.

Here are 4 questions for self-diagnosing your company’s communication.

Question #1
Does your company have a set of verbal communication principles, guidelines, do’s and don’ts, or “red lines” for your team to follow?

Good for you if you have those – you have a smoothly paved road ahead of you. If you don’t have those just yet, then your communication probably is not as good as it could be for the sake of your: employees, partners, customers, profit.

Having a set of principles on what kind of interaction is and is not acceptable specifically for your company will structure this aspect of your business once and for all. For the sake of illustrating the significance of this, I like to draw a simple example on the way ordinary person’s brain functions.

Do you know that feeling when you catch yourself overwhelmed and your head is spinning because of all the tasks, meetings, enquiries, family issues etc. that you have to deal with today, this week, or this month? Those seem excessive, overbearing and cause additional stress when you’re trying not to forget any of those. Thankfully, there is this simple method of writing all these points down, and it works like magic. You can write those on a post-it note, in a digital or paper notebook, or add to the calendar on your phone. Choose your preference – just get those things on there and out or your mind.

After writing these things down some may realize that, in fact, it’s not that many, and it puts you at ease. This relief reduces your stress level, frees up space in your mind, makes you more focused. As a result of all that you can function more efficiently and get more things done.

Writing down and structuring ground principles for company’s communication works pretty much the same. The main difference is that it affects the motivation, wellbeing, and output of every single member of your team. To realize the magnitude of this – recall that feeling of relief we just discussed… Now multiply that feeling by the number of your company’s employees and you should get the idea of the importance of this matter.

Question #2
Does the superior management have a clear vision on the image of the company that they want to portray?

Presumably, there is one or two people that are guiding your company and that have a clear idea of its desirable image in the world. Having such clear image makes it easy to answer such questions as

What is its purpose?
Why does the world need it?
If it was a person – what kind of person would it be?

Fixing, organizing, and perfecting any company’s communication is only possible if the superior management has such image in their head and is able to express it in actual words. Few CEOs have it on the spot, as far as I’ve seen. Yet, it’s quite simple to get it out of them – it is a matter of asking them the right questions. They might have it as a feeling, not an image or exact words. Yet, it’s the very foundation of building company’s public image.

But how to transfer this feeling to your employees so that all of you would be on the same page? You need the right – precise and unambiguous – words for that. And explanation, for those words to mean the same thing to everyone.

A four-fold question #3

Does every single person in your team know:
– the purpose of this company that they can relate to,
– the impact their work has on the world/people/global or local processes,
– if their personal values agree with the values of the company,
– what image precisely do they have to make of your company and how to do it?

This deals entirely with the internal communication. But the thing is – through your team all this translates into the impression of your company.

Moreover, don’t underestimate the motivation of your team and the reason they wake up and go to work even on the days they wish they wouldn’t have to. Sure, you give them a chance to lead a decent life for the remainder of their time, or the feeling of being cared for, or even some bonusses.

But other companies can give that too, in one form or another.
Give them PURPOSE. Not instead, but on top of it.

What does it have to do with the communication you may ask? Everything! Giving team a clear focus of what your company is, where is it going and what’s their part in that – is the foundation of company’s proper internal communication. So to say – before giving your employees a uniform and tools, get their mindset right, first.

Question #4
Does everyone representing your company leave THE SAME image of your company to the outside world – partners, customers, and prospects?

Whatever the method of interaction – a one-to-one meeting, an exchange of e-mails (the initial e-mail AND the following correspondence) or a post on your company’s social media platform – the overall impression should always be the same.

Don’t fall into the trap of being super kind, friendly and open on your website and turning into something completely different when actually facing your customers. That can have disastrous effect on your company’s image and future sales.

How to get it right every time and for each member of your team? Well… I imagine you know the answer by now – by having verbal communication guidelines or a set of communication principles detailed specifically for your company. It’s like your company’s bible – the foundation of your company’s culture, values, and direction guiding all members of your team.

There are layers of this, and I always recommend going all the way. Yet reaching the final destination starts with the first steps. Even you thinking about this aspect of your business, analysing and looking for ways to improve is a huge step.

Catch up on my other articles, since I have a basket full of ideas on how to move forward and make great turns for your company that you can start doing by yourself.

I hope this helps! ❤

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Are you managing a company; are you the owner, strategic manager, HR manager, or a communication specialist?
Then you are my audience. I need your hand for raising the level of quality of communication in companies. Together we can accomplish so much more.

Come back here for more, follow @Anita_Brand_Communication on Instagram or follow BLUE CAT EDIT in the top social media platforms.

New Trend: Make Your Business Personal (in the Sense of Communication)

By Anita Eglīte @BlueCatEdit
 
 

There was a time when designing a company logo seemed useless, when websites seemed a short-term trend that will blow over, and a company’s colour palette – a minor detail. We are now witnessing another shift for representation of a business – it is given a personality.

The audience is changing. Always and endlessly. So are the habits, social norms, and the way we perceive things. The new generation of currently active consumers is used to a saturated market, overwhelming offerings, and abundance of everything. Against a previous belief that this will be the most impersonal and anti-social generation of consumers, we see that they might be, in fact, the ones making this world more humane and personal.

Besides high tolerance towards the different and a deep-rooted care for the nature, they also have a distinct way of choosing companies they buy from.

This is the most educated audience there has ever been. They know so much! Moreover, they can sense things that are not obvious, read between the lines, guess the implied attitude, and feel the honesty and depth behind a brand. If put in front of a similar choice, the new generation consumers will often opt for the brand with shared values, high standards on sustainability and a personality that resonates with their own.

This is not a beast your company should fear and avoid. This is the one you adapt to. From the angle of communication this means the end of an era of brands who are soulless legal entities. Companies already have a face (logo and colours) and brains (employees). Now they will have a personality, too.

It is great news for us all, although it is hard to predict, where this will take us. I can only imagine that this will open a door to an amazing, colourful, diverse corporate world. Just like the social transformation we have already gone through in the global history. If the best option is to BE YOURSELF, and preferably – stand out from the crowd, we might see a lot more of authenticity and daring to be different also in the corporate world.

What Does It Mean to Give Your Business a Personality?

It means making an image or portrait of your company (like that of a person) that your team and your audience can associate, resonate and build relationship with.

The right place to start is for the owner or CEO to decide what vibe do they what this company to have, what image should it create and what kind of relationship should it build with its audience. If you have a brand book and you had an attentive expert making it for you, you should have at least a general idea of who your company is or who you want it to be.

For smaller companies it is common that the personality of the company is the same as the owner’s, founder’s personality. Or even this person’s wannabe personality. That is a good place to start. You should take your time to outline the desirable personality as precisely as possible. And write it down using actual words – the image you have in your head or the feeling you have in your gut is not enough.

Just imagine – if your company was a person, what kind of person would it be? How would this person look? Talk? Dress? Behave? What songs would be on this person’s playlist? And so on, and so forth.

Why Should You Put It on Paper?

Detailing this part of your business means being strategical. It ensures a continuance. New employees will join your team, many will leave. Telling your story in such a detail takes a lot of time; it is inefficient and there is a good chance that important facts might be left out.

Having it written down in clear, easily understandable words and making your people read it will ensure that every person representing your company is on the same page as you – exactly where you want them to be. An actual document (or even a video) containing words is the best way to transfer a message with the least room for interpretation. This is one of the basic onboarding materials and one of the first filters for potential team members.

Having a detail outline of your company’s personality together with other communication principles and guidelines, is a framework for a high-quality communication for your company. Moreover, those give your team and your external agents a focus and – in its turn – a shortcut to a desired result for you.

How Does It Happen?

There is hardly anything you cannot do yourself nowadays if you have an internet connection and the right way of thinking. Yet, to do this properly and comprehensively, you need an analytically and strategically thinking copywriter and an expert in brand representation.  

The process might differ depending on an agency. Some of our clients describe it as a psychotherapy session for their company since it involves a lot of thinking, talking, listening, and contemplation.

The first step is knowing where you stand. For that you ask your team, partners, or even your audience to describe your company if it was a person. Analyse the answers and draw conclusions. This should give you an idea of the size of your battlefield.

Besides the outline of your company’s personality, you should describe also your company values, culture and specific brand’s language and tone of voice. Basically, everything related to internal as well as external communication.

The secret ingredient for this all to work, bring your communication to the next level of quality and bring monetary value to your business is devotion in ALL levels of the company. From owners and superior management to freelancers and external partners. This can only work if implemented strategically and holistically. And if induced in the everyday life of your people.

Although, the idea of a personality for a company might seem some kind of voodoo nonsense for the more conservative and traditional type of entrepreneurs, numbers speak for themselves – brands with a defined personality (or even a soul, if you can handle such a powerful word) own the key to a chest of hidden treasure. It is waiting for you. It’s all yours. Tell me when you’re ready for it, and I will lead the way.

I hope this helps! ❤

– – – – – – –

Are you managing a company; are you the owner, strategic manager, HR manager, or a communication specialist?
Then you are my audience. I need your hand for raising the level of quality of communication in companies. Together we can accomplish so much more.

Come back here for more, follow @Anita_Brand_Communication on Instagram (sorry, Latvian only) or follow BLUE CAT EDIT in the top social media platforms..

NB! This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Contact me directly for the details.

5 Tips for Improving Your Company’s Language and Image as a Brand

By Anita Eglīte @BlueCatEdit

Companies spend millions of dollars every year on advertising campaigns, logos, and branding for creation of a recognizable image or identity. However, in the digital age with so much information available at everyone’s fingertips, companies need to be constantly aware of their public image as a brand and check if they’re on top of things.

This is particularly important for smaller businesses that cannot compete quite so easily on price or product range. After all, potential customers will be researching your company before they choose to spend their money with you. It’s not just about the logo and the advertising – how you communicate, the words and tone you use as a brand can make all the difference in attracting your best customers and for keeping them, too.

In this blog post I will share five tips for improving your company’s language and image as a brand.

1. Know exactly what image you want to build – brand personality

2. Be authentic

3. Dare to experiment

4. Be useful and worth their time

5. Be consistent in all touch points

1. Know exactly what image you want to build

Being mindful of the language your company uses online and in the direct, present-moment communication is more than just a good idea – the pace at which the circle of your loyal customers and consequently – your company – grows depends on it. You should always be mindful of the following:
✔ tone,
✔ voice,
✔ implied attitude, and
✔ impression your team is making on your customers.

The first step is to know WHO YOU ARE.
The best route here is to give your company a personality. Namely, turn a legal entity into a relatable person that your audience, and even more importantly – your team, can relate to. The best reasoning behind it that I have come across until now is the story about a dinner party:

This “all-way-round” option might seem tempting for those wanting to make friends with everyone. Yet endless amount of research show that going down this path will not take you where I think you want to go with your business.

Similarly to the human life, the company without a clear and focused personality is like a person who doesn’t know who he or she is. It is someone without a clear focus or goals in life, and who goes wherever the wind blows. Thankfully, people are different, and we need all sorts around us, yet for a business this would be like walking on thin ice.

If your followers are certain of who you really are, they know what to expect from you and, most importantly, they know if you are the right match for them. And once you have that connection, you have an amazing foundation for close, loyal long-term relationship with your audience. This way, instead of talking to everyone, you are talking to your people. They feel it and love you even more for it. This makes your communication more focused. In fact, the list of benefits of turning your company into a personality goes so much further than building a loyal audience – although, that alone is such a great deal.
The top four benefits of knowing who your company is:

2. Be Authentic

What makes your company special and different to others? What can you do that other companies cannot? I assume you know the answers to those when it comes to your professional field of operation. Yet, authenticity sticks out also in your communication and is the most obvious to your current and potential customers.

You should always be authentic to your brand, and I would strongly advice against trying to resemble or copy other successful companies out there. Getting inspired by them? Sure. But that’s it! Because your uniqueness will be the one flooding money in, not the resemblance of someone else.

Trying to be something you aren’t, consumes more of your resources – including time. Authenticity requires you having a very, VERY clear image of what you (your company) actually are. You should have that clear after processing the Item One above. The next step is staying true to that personality of yours.

Firstly, you do that by defining every aspect of that personality:

• What does this person look like?

• What does he sound like?

• What is his temper like?

• What are the main characteristic features?

• What is his style?

• What is his sense of humour?

• What are his interests?
  And so on, and so on…

Secondly, you should stick to it in every interaction: be it eye-to-eye conversation among co-workers, with a client, an e-mail, a greeting card or a Facebook post.

It’s so much easier for each of those to seem authentic if the person delivering the message has impersonated your company. It is like a secret key to the hearts of the audience, in fact available to every company, yet at this time so few use it to their advantage.

The key ingredient here is getting every single person in your company (as well as external agents, sub-contractors and freelancers) on board. Make sure they truly know and feel the personality of the company; they know what to do with it; and they do it all the time, always and every single time.

3. Don’t be afraid to experiment

Once you have the first two items covered, and when you [your team talking and writing on your company’s behalf] feel confident and natural in all that, you can start playing around with it.

It doesn’t necessarily mean joking around and sharing funny cat videos. Depending on your industry it might include those also, but I’m thinking more along the lines of playing with words and tone. Certainly, experimenting with logo or your brand colours is hardy ever a good idea. But when it comes to communication and brand language, those might seem like a breeze of fresh air for your audience.

At times, giving your audience something new is a good idea. It is another way of showing respect for them and proving that you’re not taking their time for granted – all that by giving them a fresh and well thought-through content or message. One way of doing it is changing some of your keywords. I’ve seen things really turning around for many of my clients after this slight shift. For those using Writesonic for their external content this is as easy as one-two-three, if they work with keywords in this or similar AI assistant, which comes up with new topics, titles and even articles.

Another method is using behind-the-scenes videos or images. This might mean opening up more to your audience and showing more of your human side, and who doesn’t like that! You can also try mixing your current external content with delivering your message through infographics, instead of a text. If you’re not doing that already.

I encourage you to test the waters and play around in your communication and the channels you use. That might come naturally as the next step if you have been working on your communication for a long time and you have reached a point where every way of expression seems boring to you. It is natural – the need for constant growth and change is human, it is encoded in our DNA. This slight change and experiments with your business communication might open some unexpected doors for you.

There are two nuances to this, though.

1. The natural moment for change and experiment can be easily missed in an organization with a high rate of employees’ rotation. For a newcomer everything is new, and it will seem new for some time.

2. Experimenting is good, overstepping the limit – dangerous. It is important to know the red lines for your brand language, checking the immediate response and adjusting.

Human instinct is to avoid change, yet for the sake of your business maybe it is worth allowing yourself to loosen up, be reasonably brave and experiment with your brand’s communication.

4. Be useful and worth their time

Your company’s communication is like a magic wand for all sorts of magic and using it for obvious salesy messaging is boring if not irritating. A better way for getting under the skin of your potential customer is making them smarter and their lives better even before they have bought anything from you.

When dealing with brand language for companies, I say this a lot – it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. It is always true; yet at this point I want to make sure we’re on the same page on the content – what you say plays a really big role here, too.

Let your Sales team do the selling, rather than your social media profiles. People will buy from you anyway, if they’re convinced that you are the real expert in this field. Therefore, consider changing the mission of your external corporate communication from raising sales numbers or views to making the world a better place, or making people happier, smarter, safer, more peaceful, or whatever noble appeal which falls under your field of work.

You don’t have to take all your pans off the stove if you have been cooking at full speed until now. Changing the narrative in one of your channels is a good place to start. Try it and see where it takes you.

5. Be consistent in all touch points

Just like with being a consistent person, consistency is crucial throughout your brand’s language and communication strategy. You want to be consistent in your marketing, and you want to be consistent in all your touch points.

This means your website, your social media, your email, the way you present yourself and the way your team converses with clients should always have the same feel, sound, and look.

For example, let’s say you’re a real estate agency and you want to use storytelling as an effective marketing tool. You should make sure your entire website is written in story format, and you should also use stories in your email marketing. You should use stories in your social media posts and even on your voicemail message. This helps to make your brand recognizable, and it also helps to build trust with customers. They know what to expect when they’re dealing with your company. They know what to expect when they click on your website, or when they click on a link from your email marketing.

Consistency also helps raising the top-of-mind awareness (TOMA) among your audience, because if used intentionally and strategically, not only logo and colours, but also words, style, tone, and the way of expression my become associated with your brand. The more separate items your audience have to associate with you, the more you are present in their mind and sub-consciousness.

In conclusion I couldn’t stress enough how beneficial a strategic brand language can be for your business. Although to a great extent these tips are related to external communication and directed outwards, as we know – everything starts at home. So, keep your home “clean”, and internal communication is the best place to start for a superb overall result.

I hope this helps! ❤

– – – – – – –

Are you managing a company; are you the owner, strategic manager, HR manager, or a communication specialist?
Then you are my audience. I need your hand for raising the level of quality of communication in companies. Together we can accomplish so much more.

Come back here for more, follow @Anita_Brand_Communication on Instagram (sorry, Latvian only) or follow BLUE CAT EDIT in the top social media platforms.

NB! This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Contact me directly for the details.

Would Your Company Pass the Brand Communication Test?

By Anita Eglīte @BlueCatEdit

My standard working process with companies starts with their communication diagnostics. I have my own process of testing a company’s communication, which goes beyond posts on social media platforms. However, when it comes to a basic health-check – you can do this yourself.

I mostly work with companies with a strongly established position in the market, so most of them agree to this test being sure they will pass it in flying colours. It is rarely the case.

Keep reading for guidance and a checklist if you are serious about your company’s communication and if you are ready to face the truth.

Why should you test your communication?
I always assume people are doing the best they can. So, if something is not as exceptionally good as it could be, I’m assuming it is due to lack in perspective, insight, or knowledge; never – an intentional wrongdoing. In most cases, people are just not aware there is something wrong and they should change a course.

If company’s money is on it, it is always a good idea to follow up, look back and adjust. Besides, I always encourage changing for better, especially if every day of staying put costs your company dearly.

For whom is it relevant?
✔ For a good communication specialist who is sincerely devoted to brining excellence in communication for the company.

✔ For owner and CEO of the company who is close enough to the everyday dealings of the company and who knows the power of words and its effect on their paycheck.

✔ For customers, yet they don’t need to take this test to have a clear picture. They are far enough from your company, so they have their intuition and sub-consciousness doing the work for them. For your current or potential customers this analysis is automatic, which may be risky for your company, because the report their sub-consciousness is submitting to their brain about your brand responsible for making the purchasing decisions is out of your control.

You are here, so I assume you’re on the right path and have every intention of making this right.

What do you need for this test?
Here is the list of items I most commonly use for diagnostics.

✔ 5 random examples Facebook posts published by your company within the past year.

✔ The main block of the company’s websites text.

✔ 3 lastnewsletters sent out within the past year.

✔ The last edition of the brochure outlining the essence of your company or your products/services.

✔ The last 2 internal company’s newsletters, if you have any.

✔ 10 random e-mails sent out by the Sales co-workers within the past year.

✔ Internal rules of procedure of your company.

✔ The last 4 [greeting or thank you] cards (printed or digital) your company sent as an official greeting to clients, partners and/or employees.

Get to work
Now you read all of those.
Preferably, without interruptions, to get the whole picture. Or even better, if you have that opportunity, ask someone neutral outside your company to read it for you. Or even several people to get a more comprehensive insight.

When the reading is done, here is the checklist for the person who was actually reading all that. Note down the number of “yeses” you get from these
6 questions.

What does it all mean?
Plain and clear – this test reveals:

✔ Whether your company’s communication has a focus.

✔ Whether your company has a specific brand’s tone of voice.

✔ Whether your company’s communication is working towards building the image you were supposed to build for your company.

✔ Whether your company’s communication isn’t sending mixed signals to the audience.

✔ Whether your company’s communication is consistent.

✔ Whether you are using the full potential of your company’s communication.

This is a good time to pause and reflect on the foundations of your corporate communication.

How to use the results?
If you got the maximum number of “yeses”, which is 6 – good for you! You are a rare animal in this prairie. If you got 3 or more – the above (and even
more – the below) questions could be useful to guide you back on track.

If you got one “yes” or none – pick up the phone and call me for an immediate assistance because it means your communication budget is draining.

Either way, you got it right – now it’s time to go from words to action.
The next step is to go deeper by asking yourself additional questions to get to the bottom of the issue. Focus specifically on the pain points.

Where all texts written by your own people or were any of those outsourced? Could the issues be avoided if all the texts had been written by a single person? Which one is the faulty one – internal communication, external, or both? Is there a quick remedy on top of your mind to improve your communication? Can this be solved on a department level or does it require an overall strategic approach?

Leaving all writing to a single person seems an exaggeration if not even an inefficient solution in these modern times. The new technologies can come in handy for a big chunk of this. For example, my favourite latest discovery – Writesonic. I’ve seen so many companies saving their time with this AI tool! The future of copywriting is now! In the latest version it even offers choosing the tone of voice for your texts. The results are quite impressive. Yet it can do just as much as it can if the one giving the task does not have a framework and a clear focus.

We have all the remedy for that at BLUE CAT EDIT. Besides a priceless consultation, my team gives companies an extensive brand language guidebook. Basically, we give your brand a personality. And we give it an individual, authentic voice and a set of everyday tools for building a consistent image (essential for your in-house team and for outsourced agents) and for speaking in one voice, whatever the size of the company. Yes, it really works. And it may even be easier than you imagine.

My ultimate goal is to ensure the highest quality of communication for companies, and I hope this article along with my future posts on this subject will help us all get there.

– – – – – – –

Are you managing a company; are you the owner, strategic manager, HR manager, or a communication specialist?
Then you are my audience. I need your hand for raising the overall level of quality of communication in companies. Together we can accomplish so much more.

Come back here for more, follow @Anita_Brand_Communication on Instagram (sorry, Latvian only) or follow BLUE CAT EDIT in the top social media platforms.

NB! This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Contact me directly for the details.

What is brand language? (Yes, you have it also in your company)

By Anita Eglīte @BlueCatEdit

⇉ If you prefer video to reading – check out my YouTube video on this topic.

Do you own a company or work for one? Do you have employees? Colleagues? Do you have a website? A shop? An office? Some customers? If you have at least one of these, then brand language is relevant in your company.

The profit of your company depends on it. Also, the image of your company; but those are intertwined.

Brand language = verbal communication. Its is a message delivered orally or in writing by company representatives. It refers to anything involving words: from a conversation among co-workers or a discussion with a client to a daily post on Facebook. Globally strategic approach towards company’s communication and conscious content is way ahead; yet many European companies are just stepping on this adventurous path.

Intentional and coordinated communication is the first sign of quality for your customers. Firstly, it shows that you have a systematic approach towards your business and leaves an impression of healthy order of internal processes. Secondly, it affects psycholoy of consumers. Consciously and sub-consciously a well-thought through and accurate language and rightly targeted expressions make an impression of the quality of goods or services your company is selling. So does a poor message and faulty communication.

The explanation is self-evident: “If you are careless in our interaction, what reason do I have to assume that you haven’t been careless in making your product or providing your service.”

To make it right and get the most potential out of your company’s communication, you need a strategic approach to every aspect of communication in your company. Both – external and internal.

What do we mean by “strategic approach”
Any active company is unimaginable without a language. Language is always present. For internal as well as for external communication. Both are equally essential for atmosphere within a company and for raising income. Basically, strategic approach in terms of language means conscious and intentional communication. It means setting out exact and clear communication principles, outlining company’s standards and establishing its tone of voice and “red lines” in terms of communication.

It’s not all about punctuation marks and spelling errors. Brand language is much more nuanced. It includes the use of the company’s signature words and phrases, consistency, unified manner of expression, language style, attitude expressed via words, the length of sentences and even a use of emojis.

Pick a random company (or your own), check out even its outgoing content, analyse it from the perspective of consistency and the image it portrays, and it becomes obvious if proper brand language tools have not, in fact, been used. Mostly, due to lack of knowledge, rather than an intentional sabotage.

How to do it right?
Getting this fixed depends on the vision of the owner or the CEO of a company. Of this person’s idea of WHAT is this company LIKE or what it SHOULD LOOK (and feel) like for outsiders.

If a company was a person – what kind of person would it be? What would be his or her most characteristic personality traits? What would his or her public image be? For basic start on this you can check it out in Google or on Youtube. That should give you a basic idea of what you’re actually aiming for.

As we see it – what you really need is a proper set of professionally structured guidelines covering these aspects:

Next step is to get EVERYONE in your company on board with this. Otherwise, don’t event spend your time and money on this. Understandably, co-workers tend to be reluctant to novelties at work. Moreover, for companies dating back many years such fundamental transformation might be a matter of months, not days or even weeks. It is like rebranding when you ask everyone to forget the previous name, colours or logo and set one’s mind on a totally new image. It is like that, but to some extent it is much bigger and deeper.
No pressure.

Shift in the communication means changing one’s mindset and perspective.

Therefore, drawing up such standards for any company is the easy part (well, at least for me it is – not to brag…), getting it to work is the main part and it requires a strong will of the top management.

For companies such communication mindset shift is like an exam in change management. From what I have seen, the best course of action is involving company employees in this process in a way that they feel crucial for the success of this venture. They are steering that train of transformation. An emotionally intelligent management practice requires explaining why it is important for them (I’m puting finishing touches upon an article on that subject just as you’re reading this. So stay tuned.), instead of blindsiding and choking them with the new order of things.

Help me! I need it!
You have the intention – that is a good start. Let’s assume you have superior management of your company on board as well. Now it is time to get you the right pro to get this all done.

The stakes are high; therefore, you should choose your brand language strategist wisely. The number of people who can do it well is scarce as it requires a rare combination of skills. You might recognize those people by the topics they cover: brand language, company’s tone of voice and similar topics.

On a global scale the hunt for such experts is in fact not that hard; there are great options. Make sure to check reviews, through. Ask for recommendations and of all the many options feel your right mach. The use of the word “feel” and involvement of feelings here was intentional, because strategizing on your brand language usually requires turning your company into a personality. To do it properly and to get the best result out of it, it may, at times, resemble a psychotherapy course for your business.

Brand language strategist is someone who meets this description:

This specific combination of skills is a rare thing. Especially the nuanced feeling of language and the implied attitude.

There is a bunch of exceptional professionals: branding specialists, communication specialists, content specialists, PR experts. If you’re lucky, you might even find someone who has such an exquisite sense and knowledge of language that would fit the above description, but make sure not to attribute them such skills by default.

Weigh out this decision well, consider the best timing for implementing it and do your due diligence. I hope you got the idea of how essential your specific brand language and brand personality guidelines are for your business. How it gives a clear focus for the company, for the co-workers and even makes the daily work of the above specialists so much easier, if you have those in your team or outsourced. I love questions, so if you have any, let’s connect on some social network and sort it out.

Our customers are already aware that we know how all this brand language strategizing thing is done. If you know someone else, who does it well, don’t waste your compliments on them – they deserve it. And tell us who they are so that we could also forward our gratitude to them for working towards a shared goal – to improve the quality of communication in companies of any type, shape and size.

For a brighter future! ❤

–    –    –    –    –    –

Are you managing a company; are you the owner, strategic manager, HR manager, or a communication specialist?
Then you are our audience. We need your hand for raising the level of quality of communication. Together we can accomplish so much more.

Come back here for more, follow @Anita_Brand_Communication on Instagram (sorry, Latvian only) or follow BLUE CAT EDIT in the top social media platforms.