Naming your new company or product is a huge opportunity. Get it right, and you could put your brand on the map, generate buzz, and spark interest among customers. Get it wrong, and you might render your brand invisible—or call attention to it for all the wrong reasons.

Yet, because name creation is more art than science, and a highly personal process to boot, it's very, very easy to get it wrong. (Just look around at the marketplace.)

So what are some of the pitfalls to watch out for when naming your brand? As naming consultants, we've noticed that most of the self-sabotaging behaviors boil down to six all-too-human tendencies.

1. Wanting to be like everyone else

It's human nature. You see a something that's working, and you want to copy it. A well-known brand name sounds solid and credible. But remember, that's often because the brand has become solid and credible over time and with a lot of marketing dollars behind it. (Do you think the name Google sounded solid and credible in the beginning? Or Yahoo?)

Besides, it doesn't matter how much your competitor's name has helped them to rise to the top, because one of your brand name's primary jobs is to convey that your brand is different from the competition. So resist the urge to copy your competitors in style, tone, or construction during name creation.

2. Forgetting what's important to your customers

Before you start naming, make sure you've honed your brand positioning so you're crystal clear about what your audience is looking for (even if they might not know it yet), and also about the most important and distinctive way your brand meets that need or desire.

You might be absolutely thrilled by how reliable your new airplane fleet is, but if your customers are craving a fresh, stylish experience, don't use your brand name to convey something that's irrelevant to them (even if it's personally important to you).

If Virgin America had been named "Fidelia," for instance, it might never have gotten off the ground.

3. Trying to say everything

A good brand name is an entry point, not a prospectus. Like clever flirting, you create interest by beckoning your audience into your world, not by telling them everything. So focus on the message that's most likely to capture their attention. Once you have their ear, you can fill them in on the rest, through packaging, advertising, your Web copy, and so on.

Can you feel the difference in impact between a name like Cheapbooksonline.com and Amazon? One name evokes vastness and power—and curiosity. The other name gives you all the details, but it sounds completely generic and forgettable.