Lots of businesses have catchy slogans and hooks used in their marketing, but I’d argue that the most powerful ones in your business are the ones you and your teams use on a daily basis.
Here are the ones I’ve caught myself saying around the office (on more than a few occasions) and what they’ve come to mean for both me and my team. These will never end up in our marketing, but I firmly believe they drive our bottom line better than any memorable tagline.
“Eat what you cook.”
“Eat what you cook” has its roots in our core value of Integrity, and it essentially means two things: Get some skin in the game and don’t ask others to do what you won’t.
“Eat what you cook” has less to do with ability—there are several people on my team that can do things I can’t (after all, that’s why I hired them). It has more to do with having a personal interest and investment in the end result—and this goes for what you serve for supper just as much as portfolio performance. It may not always go as planned, but ownership in the outcome always adds an advantage. Sideline investing isn’t our thing—we can stand the heat, and we’d much rather be in the kitchen.
In other words, there’s value in putting some stake in your steak.
“Grab your coveralls.”
Akin to “suit up” in other industries and offices, this catch-all coverall phrase is more literal than metaphorical. It simply means “get to work” while also implying the simple joy in that we “get to work.” Outside. In boots. Alongside our investment partners.
As a company that got its start in agricultural investments, our “A-game” look aligns with Carhartt more than Armani, and we’re perfectly okay with that—in fact, we prefer it.
We’ve always taken the approach at Percipio that investments are worth more when we work alongside our capital. It’s honestly what gets us out of bed in the morning—this opportunity to create more value within an existing asset by bringing our experience, talent, and time to the table.
After all, hard work, when it’s the right work, isn’t hard work, right?
“It’s Go Time.”
Similar to “grab your overalls,” this is an all-hands call to action—and one I’m sure you’re familiar with. I find myself saying I every time the stakes get raised, the timeline gets shortened, or it’s time to make an important decision.
That said, if I’m being completely honest, our favorite way to work is hard and fast. “Go time” is more of an internal mindset than an occasional outward rallying cry. But saying it out loud helps.
“Are you being precise or accurate?”
They say close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades—meaning a loss is a loss, no matter how close you come.
With investments, perspective and proximity bring another layer of complexity. There’s a tendency to focus on the details that don’t actually drive the deal or the forecast—especially when those details are shiny, new, or easy to come by.
It’s easier than you think to be precise…ly wrong—and to spend way too much time to come to that conclusion.
It’s better to be reasonably accurate—that is, in line with the accepted value of success—than to overcomplicate the process. The more precise your efforts, the more complex things inevitably become, and the harder it is to maintain, use, or explain.
Short version: Go for accuracy, every time.
“Mistakes are tuition payments.”
One of our core values at Percipio is tenacity, so this expression comes to mind whenever a deal goes sideways or inside out, especially if we could have prevented it (or made it a heckuva lot easier on ourselves).
Yes, some of those tuition payments get expensive. However, they only ever wasted if you never actually get the degree. By viewing mistakes as an inevitable—and essential—part of the process, we tenaciously commit to continuous improvement, both on behalf of our company and ourselves.
Just like muscle soreness after a workout, mistakes are proof we’re growing.
If you think about it, I’m sure there are plenty of in-house expressions you and your teams use to motivate, rally, and tee up performance. Every catchphrase gives you an indication of your true core values and insight into your culture.
What do your common expressions say about you and your business?