Decoding the Language of Business: From Purpose to Marketing

The complexity of human communications has created some beautiful words.

Koi No Yokan - a phrase in Japanese that describes the feeling you have when you meet someone, and you know you’ll fall in love eventually. I’m not sure if it applies to cheese fondue, but I have experienced Koi No Yokan in that case.

“Tartle” - I’ve had it; that is a Scottish phrase for the pause you take when you’re going to introduce someone and forget their name.

This is my favourite, Mencolek, an Indonesian word that means to tap someone on the opposite shoulder to get them to turn round the wrong way. You have to love a country that has a word for that.

As an Englishman living abroad, I have great fun explaining the English vernacular's complexity to non-English speakers. ‘Interesting’ means very not interesting. ‘We should go for a drink sometime’ means you’re the sort of person I would like to go for a drink but never will.

As obvious as it sounds, a word only makes sense if the person you’re communicating with shares your exact definition. So. here are some definitions around purpose, vision, mission, etc., that we use with clients. You don’t have to use these; you can talk about dolphins, sea horses, and turtlea if you like - if you agree on what they all mean.

Purpose: The unique reason you are on the planet. An unattainable focus that sits at the very heart of the business and shales everything you do. (Other phrases include brand purpose, dot on the horizon)

Vision: An articulated version of your Purpose. ‘We believe in a world where…’ (Other phrases include your Why and Ambition)

Mission: The actions you take to reach your Purpose. Your mission focuses on the now and includes attainable goals (or objectives) and measurable KPIs (or key results). Mission is mean

Strategy: Part of the Mission that identifies obstacles and how they will be overcome. Strategy is specific, time-critical and measurable.

Product & Services: what you do for clients based on the above. (Other phrases include What or What you do.)

People: the colleagues you hire to deliver the above

Organisational Structure: how you arrange yourself to deliver the above

Leading Principles: the implicit and explicit behaviours that colleagues and clients expect and that you hold yourself and each other accountable. (Other phrases include Guiding Principles and Values, but the latter differs.)

Culture: how you get things done, a combination of all the above and history, leadership, language, location and the stories people tell about you. (Other phrases include How)

Brand: “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another.” (Seth Godin). Including elements such as Employer Brand, Brand Essence, and Internal Branding

Brand Essence: The experience clients have when they ‘touch’ you brand summed up in two or three words.

Story: the narrative that holds it all together and makes sense for all stakeholders. (Other phrases include Meta Narrative and overarching Narrative).

Marketing: The process of finding the people you can help the most and letting them know how you do that. It is the process of finding the right clients and flittering out the wrong ones..