How to find the six attributes that best describe your business (and how to use them)

Picture this: you’re showing up on social, your website is up, you’re sending out weekly emails. But you feel like there’s a disconnect. Your tone feels off, everything’s a little scattered, and you’re worried you’re not painting the right picture. 

Can you relate? 

If so, maybe it’s time to take a step back. 

When you meet a person for the first time, you’ll usually be able to come up with a few words to describe them. Were they funny? Sweet? Bold? 

The same is true when you meet a brand or discover a business for the first time. Did it seem cheerful? Thoughtful? Quirky? 

Most of the time, that’s not by accident. When a business has a clear idea of how they want to be perceived, they can make sure that anything they put out into the world stays consistent with that vision. 

Nailing down how you want your business to be perceived doesn’t have to be intimidating or complicated. In fact, I actually think it can be pretty fun. 

A great place to start is by finding the six attributes that best describe your business. An attribute, and when it comes to your business we like to call them “brand attributes”, is a descriptive adjective or phrase that relates to a business’s culture, community, voice, impact, or uniqueness.

Want to find yours? Here’s a fun exercise I like to go through with my clients. You’ll need about 30 minutes, so if you don’t have the time right now, be sure to download the PDF worksheet and come back to it when you do!

Step 1: Gather your supplies 

You’ll need: 

• The PDF worksheet! Click here to download. 
• A timer (your phone timer will work just fine!) 

Step 2: Read the rules 

There are only 3 rules for this exercise: 

• Try to write down one-word adjectives only 
• All adjectives must be positive (we want to describe the ideal outcome, even if that’s not the way things are right now. For instance, if you currently feel like you’d describe your business as “scattered”, list instead the way you want to describe it in the future.) 
• Other than that, there are no wrong answers! List anything that comes to your mind. 

Step 3: Grab your timer and get started! 

Your PDF worksheet is broken up into 6 attribute categories. You’ll spend 3 minutes brainstorming words for each category (6 categories, 3 minutes each = ~18 minutes total) and then we’ll work on narrowing them down. 

Here’s a breakdown of each category and a few examples of words you might use in each:

Aaaaaad, go! Write down everything that comes to mind in each category. Make sure you allow yourself the whole 3 minutes to think. Here’s what your worksheet might start to look like:

Step 4: Narrow it down

You’ve compiled a list of words for each category. Now let’s go back. Set your timer for 2 minutes. Spend up to 2 minutes in each section (~12 minutes total) picking out your 5 favorite words in each category. 

 

Step 5: Pick the winners 

Now set your timer for 1 minute. Spend up to 1 minute narrowing your 5 favorite words in each category down to 1 in each category. 

Picking just 1 word in each category can be tough, but go with your gut on this one. Which word best describes how you want your business to be perceived in each scenario? Pick the one that best describes your ideal outcome. 

 

Now list out the winners! You should end this exercise with 6 words that will become your 6 brand attributes. 

Now what? 

Now comes the hard part: creating a brand that lives and breathes by its core attributes. Your attributes should become the essence of your brand, infused into anything and everything you release into the world. Write them on a post-it, keep it somewhere close by. Use them consistently to help you decide how to show up, when, where, and why. And with time, it’ll become second nature. 

Next on the blog, I’m going to be talking about how to use your new brand attributes to craft an impactful vision and mission statement. Wanna know when the article drops? Sign up for our email list if you haven’t already and we’ll shoot you an email as soon as it’s live.