How to Name Your Offer So It Actually Sells
If you keep calling your work “consulting” or “just working with me,” you are shrinking the perceived value of your expertise. The right name turns a loose idea into a structured offer that clients understand, remember, and trust. This post shows you how to name your offers and processes so they feel valuable, future ready, and easier to sell. Keep reading if you want clients to say yes faster.
What’s Really in a Name, JulietWhy Your Offer Name Matters More Than You ThinkWhat Happens When You Don't Name Your Offer How To Name Your Offer Strategically Imagine Your Business With Clear Name Offers Incorporate Your Named Offer Into Your Content StrategyWhat's Really in a Name, Juliet?
Juliet insists that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;”
Your clients might disagree.
When I’m working with thought leaders on their offers, processes, or content initiatives, I tell them the same thing every time. You need to give it a snappy name. A clear name. A name that feels like a thing people can buy, remember, and talk about. Clients hear me say this so often that “snappy name” has practically become a catchphrase around here.
And when I talk about naming, I often point to the name expert: Lynn Tickner, founder of Ink & Key. Lynn specializes in naming systems. So I brought Lynn on for a conversation about why naming matters so much and how to do it with intention.
Want to watch the full conversation with naming expert Lynn Tickner from Ink & Key? Press play below.
Why Your Offer Name Matters More Than You Think
When you call your work something vague like “consulting,” “coaching,” or “working together,” you unintentionally make your offer feel like a vague black box theater. People do not know what to expect when they walk in. They cannot picture the transformation. They cannot describe it to someone else.
And that hurts sales.
In our conversation, Lynn said something striking. She told me, “When you name something, it becomes something.”
A name gives your offer weight. Structure. Shape. Seriousness. It transforms you from a generalist to a guide with a process.
Donald Miller writes in Building a StoryBrand 2.0: “Titling your plan will frame it in the customer’s mind and will increase the perceived seriousness of your offer.”
Your clients feel safer saying yes when they understand what the offer is. A good name helps them do exactly that.
What Happens When You Don’t Name Your Offer
If you do nothing, the consequences are well, ho hum:
You keep spending sales calls explaining what your prospect can expect and the outcomes.
You give off a less-professional air.
Your offers remain forgettable.
Meanwhile, your competitors with clearly named offers look more structured, more professional, and more confident in their process. That edge matters.
How To Name Your Offer Strategically
“Your name should be able to grow with your brand.”
Here are the five steps Lynn Tickner recommends to name your offer so it feels valuable, scalable, and clear.
1. Treat Your Offer Name Like a Container
Lynn explained that a name is “the container that holds everything your brand is going to become.”
It should not describe every detail.
It should not paint you into a narrow corner.
It should give you room to grow.
Annie Figenshu and Lynn Tickner at the Coach Builder Summit in Nashville, where they learned from Donald Miller and other top messaging and marketing thinkers.
She shared a story about naming a women’s health brand originally called LilyV Postpartum. As the practice expanded, the name easily became LilyV Menopause, then LilyV Health, and eventually a full brick and mortar location. The name had the flexibility to grow with the founder’s vision.
If you want your offer to grow with you, choose a name that leaves space for the future.
2. Decide What Job You Want the Name To Do
Most founders want their offer name to “wear too many hats.” Lynn said your name can really only do one job, maybe two.
A strategic name should do one job clearly. This framework helps you choose the right direction for your product or offer name.
Ask yourself:
Should the name emphasize the outcome
Should it highlight the format
Should it speak directly to the audience
Should it signal the tone
Should it fit into a larger system
Pick one job. Then let your process and messaging do the rest.
This is why I push clients to give every process, product, service, or content initiative a snappy and strategic name. Not for cuteness, but for clarity and perceived value.
3. Remember: Your Name Is Not For You
Lynn said, “Your name is not for you. It is for your customer.”
You may love a clever inside joke. Your audience may not.
You may have an emotional association with a word. Your audience will not.
Here is what to do instead:
Know your audience
Know your competitive landscape
Decide whether you want to stand out or blend in
Test names with the right questions
Lynn warned strongly against asking friends and family whether they “like” a name.
“A domain name does not mean you can legally use the name”
Instead, ask your future buyers questions like:
What does this make you think of
What problem do you assume this solves
If you saw this on a website, what would you expect to receive
That is where the useful information comes from.
4. Set Objective Criteria Before You Fall In Love
“Love at first sight is a myth in naming,” Lynn said, “because people fall in love before checking whether they can use the name. (Probably would have been good for Juliet to heed that warning too. Just sayin’)
Before brainstorming, decide:
Lynn Tickner, founder of Ink and Key, specializes in helping brands develop clear and strategic names that stand the test of time.
It must be easy to say and spell
It must be short enough for your navigation bar
It must work inside a future naming system
It must have domain options you like
It must clear your trademark class
Objective criteria save you from emotional decisions that cannot scale.
5. Know When To Bring In a Professional
AI tools can spit out names, but as Lynn put it, “AI will tell you what you want to hear. Humans push back.”
If you are naming your flagship offer, signature process, or your entire brand, this is where a professional saves you from expensive mistakes. Lynn’s team at Ink & Key has completed more than 500 naming projects, and their collaborative naming system inside Slack is both strategic and remarkably creative.
You can explore her resources and process at inkandkey.com.
Imagine Your Business With Clear, Named Offers
Annie Figenshu and Lynn Tickner are both StoryBrand Certified Guides.
Picture your website with a polished, skimmable Services page.
Picture an offer suite that fits as part of an overall system.
Picture clients saying your offer names out loud in mastermind rooms, introductions, and podcast episodes.
Naming your offers turns vague promises into defined products.
Defined products become easier to market.
Easier marketing becomes easier sales.
Incorporate Your Named Offer Into Your Content Strategy That Works
Giving your offer a strategic name is the first step. The next step is building the messaging, structure, and content system that helps that offer sell consistently.
That’s what we do inside the Spotlight Strategy 1-Day.
In one focused day, we map out your content strategy, clarify your offers, and build the messaging rhythm that keeps you visible between gigs.
Schedule a Call to see if a Spotlight Strategy 1-Day is the right next step for your business.
Annie Figenshu
Annie Figenshu is keenly aware that many companies are pressed for time, and every minute counts. She helps brands make the most of their content marketing so that their hard work is shared with the world. Annie is certified in both StoryBrand and Mailchimp, has two kids with Beatles-themed names, and is afraid to think what a day without coffee would look like.