What is your verb?

You know all that stuff about "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it"? It's not true. You need to be able to describe precisely what you do for people; otherwise, why should they buy from you?

This is the crux of an exercise I often work through with my clients. What is their verb? The exploration that follows always takes them into the core of not only their offer, but also of their relationships - and, therefore, of their (prospective) clients and customers. It sets up much of the brand proposition, its positioning, its tone of voice, its raison d'etre.

A law firm defined their verb as 'strengthen'. It recognised the positive motivation they carried for every client's interests. It spoke of the commitment to their people's careers and capabilities. And it expressed the contribution the firm made to its local and national community and economy.

An accountancy firm's verb was 'build business'. It matched its clients' ambitions, and put every engagement, every conversation, every challenge into that positive context.

An insurance company's idea was framed by 'creating certainty'. It gave them a unique position in the market, and a completely new, ownable language. It came from a truth across the business, proven in the most difficult of circumstances, and endured as the brand's differentiator and reason for customer preference.

For each of these clients, the clarity of their verb led to unprecedented growth and success.

What would your verb be?