The room is filled.  You can see everyone’s eyes glaze over as they pretend to listen to the eighteen or so people before you who have stood up, said what they do, and sit down.  All the while, you know that each person is really thinking about what they are going to say when it is their turn.

The person beside you sits down and you realize that you have just a few seconds to get their attention, keep it while you are talking, and make them remember you and how to find your business website.  What are you going to do?

One of my mentors tells this story about listening to a radio station while driving down the freeway.  The music played and the ads droned on.  But, then, one ad got his attention.  He wanted to remember the company but couldn’t stop and write it down.

And yet when he got home, he remembered the company and the website.  It was
insurancecompaniesarestupid.com  That’s what the ad said.  Not the name of some insurance company or agent but a phrase that was not easily forgotten.

The ad described the reasons why he considered insurance companies to be stupid.  How insurance companies punish you even when you don’t have an accident. How they raise your premiums based on your credit ratings.  And more about the problems you could have with insurance companies.

Then he gave the name of the website.  “So go to insurancecompaniesarestupid.com and let us help you find an insurance company that will work with you and not against you.”  In those few seconds, he had painted such a great picture that a pen to write down the address wasn’t necessary.

This is an idea that you should consider.  When talking about your business in the few minutes that you have at your next networking meeting, paint a picture with words that will make you what writer Seth Godin describes as a “purple cow in a field of brown cows.”

Make it something that people will remember.

Tell a story.  It can be humorous.  It can be serious.  It can even be far out.  But make it memorable.

And you can even take it a step further.  Have a website url that people can’t forget.  That they associate with you.  With your story.  And will remember without writing it down.

Okay, I know that you probably already have a website with a name that you’ve chosen.  Something like bountifulbaskets, marysbaskets, or route93giftbaskets.  The name is probably the name of your company.  Or your brand.  Or your location. And that name doesn’t paint a picture.  Not a memorable one.  Not one that they can’t get out of their mind.

But what if you had a domain name that painted a picture that will play over and over in someone’s mind?  Like a familiar song that they can’t forget.

No, I’m not telling you to change the name of your website.  That would probably not be very wise if you have any kind of search engine ranking at all.

But what I am suggesting is to have a second domain name.  A name that paints a memorable picture when you mention it at your next networking meeting or include it in a radio or TV ad.

And what do you do with this second domain name?  Why re-direct it to your website, of course.

Then, when someone can’t remember your company name, or misplaced your business card, they will remember that descriptive domain name and be able to find your website out of the millions on the web.

The brain is a funny thing.  It may not remember names or numbers but it remembers pictures. And if you paint one that is vivid enough, they will remember you.

Redirecting a domain name isn’t hard.  The company that registered the name should have instructions and it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes of your time.  It’s really pretty easy.

And, no, I’m not going to suggest some memorable domain names.  You will have to paint your own pictures.  I’m going to be busy painting mine.