Your Business's Emotional Signature (Why One Feeling Isn’t Enough)

Speaker A: Hi and welcome to Stories for Businesses, the show that proves your story isn't just something to tell. It's the strategy that builds a business that's uncopyable, unforgettable, and unmistakably you. I'm, um, your host, Megan Wright, story led strategy coach. And today we're talking about something that shapes whether people stay or whether they scroll past emotion. Not just creating one feeling, but creating a recognizable emotional experience that runs through all of your work and using it as a filter for everything you create. The thing is, most content isn't bad, it's just emotionally forgettable. We scroll past it, we skim it, we don't really take it in, not because it's wrong or poorly written, but because it doesn't make us feel anything specific. And when that happens, it just becomes background noise or wallpaper. Something that's there, but not something that we actively engage in. Because in an online space where we're seeing hundreds of pieces of content every single day, saying the right thing isn't what makes you stand out. It's about how your work feels. Because before someone ever decides whether they're interested in working with you, they've already had an emotional response. And our, uh, response shapes everything that comes next, whether they keep reading, whether they come back, and whether they choose to work with you. An example of when this happened to me was in an art gallery. I've always been someone who's drawn to artwork. It's one of those things I kind of collect instinctively and interestingly. It's never really about the price. One of my favorite paintings that I own was about £10 from a charity shop absolutely years ago. And I still adore it as much as the day I purchased it. But there was a time when I bought a far more expensive piece of art than I usually did. I'd walked into a gallery where every single painting had been created by the same artist. And it was all on the same theme. Oceans, beaches, the coastline. And as I walked in, I passed painting after painting. They were all beautiful, all well done, all technically incredible. But there was one piece right at the back of the room, and I just felt drawn towards it almost instantly. It was like a magnet. I walked past everything else in the shop without really registering them, because there was something in that painting at the back of the room that already caught me. And I remember standing in front of it and starting to well up. There was this emotional reaction that I had that I hadn't had at that scale towards a piece of artwork before. It felt Somehow nostalgic. It brought up memories. It felt familiar in a way that I couldn't explain and honestly still can't. But more than anything, it felt like it had been painted just for me. Not for everyone who visited the gallery, not for the entire general public, just for me, even though it hadn't been. But that feeling is the reason that I bought it. And it was probably the most I've ever spent on a piece of artwork. The decision to buy it wasn't based on whether it made sense. It was based on the fact that it made me feel something stronger than anything else in the room. There were so many other beautiful pieces, but I didn't feel that way about them, and so I didn't choose them. And I think that's what we're all looking for. Even online, even though we know content is shared widely and everyone can see it, the most powerful businesses don't feel like they're talking to a wide audience. They feel like they're speaking directly to you. That's what creates that connection, that sense of being pulled towards them, of recognizing something of yourself in it. Uh, but where you think this is for me, and that doesn't happen by accident, it happens through emotion. Because every single piece of content, um, every message, every interaction creates a feeling. The question is whether that feeling is intentional, because without that intention, your work might be good, but it could also become forgettable. It could become something that people scroll past on their way to the person who does make them feel something. And this is where your emotional signature comes in. It's the combination of feelings that people consistently experience when they interact with you and your work. Not just one emotion, but a small intentional range. Because one emotion on its own isn't enough to create something distinctive, but a combination that becomes unique to you. The way I always think of it is a bit like perfume. You could have a simple scent that smells nice, but is just one note. It's a bit flat, it's a bit predictable, and you never know which brand it came from because it just smells like vanilla or lily of the valley or roses. There's no depth to it, there's nothing distinctive. Whereas high end perfumes are designed very differently. They're multi layered. You have the base notes, the ones that ground the scent and last the longest, the middle notes that are the heart of the scent. And you have the top notes, the lighter, uh, more immediate impressions. And it's the combination of those notes that make the scent so distinctive, that make it memorable and recognisable. It's the reason why you can walk past someone on the street and know what perfume they're wearing, because it brings back memories. And that's how I think about emotion in business. Your emotional signature isn't one feeling. It's a composition. You have the feelings you want people to associate with you more than anything else, and then you layer in others the supporting emotions that add that depth. And, um, that combination is what makes your work feel different. And this is where it becomes really practical. Because once you know your emotional signature, it becomes a filter, a simple way to sense check everything that you create before you share something. You can ask, does this create one of the emotions that I want to be known for? If it doesn't, it might still be good, but it's not going to be building your business the way you want. And over time, that does matter. Because consistency isn't just about what you say. It's about how people feel when they experience you. And this is also where I'd encourage you to look really honestly at your marketing style. Because so often there's a mismatch. People say that they want their audience to feel calm or supported or confident, but their messaging creates pressure or urgency or self doubt. And those two things will fight against each other. So your emotional signature isn't just something that you decide behind the scenes. It's something that you end up contradicting or reinforcing each and every time that you show up. Because the truth is that there's a lot of ways to create emotion in marketing. Some rely on fear and urgency and making people feel like they're not enough. And while that can get attention, it can also feel manipulative. And it's not the kind of business that I personally want to build. I want people to feel drawn in rather than pushed. To feel seen rather than unsettled. To feel like they recognize themselves in what I'm saying, rather than that, um, I'm trying to convince them. Because when something feels right to your audience, you don't need to force the decision. It will happen naturally. So here's something that I'd love you to reflect on. When somebody enters your world, what do they feel? And are you creating that feeling intentionally? And if not, what is the emotional signature that you want your business to have? Because once you know that, once you create an emotional experience that people have when they interact with you, you won't just be remembered for what you do, but for how you make them feel. And when they feel that what you're creating is made for them, they won't scroll past it, they'll stop and pay attention. If this episode resonated, please do share it with someone else you think would find it valuable and come and tell me. Uh, over on Instagram at storiesbuildbusinesses. See you next time. Bye.