August 14, 2007

3.3: Three Steps to an Intriguing Answer to “What Do You Do?”

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 11:30 am

Still The Decision Model

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You’re at a party, a social. Someone walks up. You introduce yourselves. She offers her card and asks, “What do you do?”

The rest of the conversation and possible future business hinges on how you answer that question. Before you start consider the outcome you’re going for.

Many folks would tell you this is the time for your “elevator pitch.” I suggest that term might not be the best way to look at a relationship. Why don’t we say that an authentic conversation is our goal? After all, if you’re looking for potential clients, we want to know them well and for them to know us too.

Let’s look at how we might talk about ourselves without getting caught in that self-promotional loop.

Three Steps to an Intriguing Answer to “What Do You Do?”

Marketing and self-promotion are only difficult when we’re not inside what we’re talking about. When we’re fully-expressed in what we’re saying, the words come out as if we’re talking over a kitchen table to a close friend. So how do we get to the answer that is ourselves fully expressed, that says what we do?

It takes these three steps.

  • First Define It. Pull all of the ideas your message needs to communicate into a one sentence. Your ideas should include: your customer, the problem you solve, your unique approach or service, and should reflect your most powerful skill. Let that sentence sit for a few days.

    My first try was something like this: I spark discussions that get thinking businesses to engage their customers in beneficial conversation. (I know. I know.)

  • Then Refine It. Return to the sentence edit it down to shortest most conversational form. Consider the sound and meaning of each individual word. Use the simpler words when you can. Avoid buzz words and don’t try to say everything that you do — leave a little room for your listener’s imagination. When you’re happy with it, let the sentence rest again. If you get frustrated, leave the task and go back later. Take your time.

    I refined it to: I teach businesses how to turn strangers into fiercely loyal customer-friends.

    Hint: You’ll know that you’re at a good one when you can hear someone replying, “How do you do that?” After all the goal we established was to get a conversation started.

  • Then Make It Part of You. When you’re sure it’s done, practice saying the sentence until it rolls off your tongue. Keep practicing your answer until it becomes as easy as saying your name.

Everytime you say the sentence in answer to the question “What do you do?” listen and watch the response. Use that feedback to adapt it even more.

The idea is to have the answer inside and thought through before the question comes up. Then the self-conscious blues won’t get in the way of you being able to show your best thinking and skills to someone new.

Try on a few answers, if you’re not sure. Having a handful is better than being caught out without one.

What do you say when someone asks you, “What do you do?”

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Is your business stuck? Check out the Start-up Strategy Package. Work with Liz!!

Related
To follow the entire series: Liz Strauss’ Inside-Out Thinking to Building a Solid Business, see the Successful Series Page.


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11 Comments to “3.3: Three Steps to an Intriguing Answer to “What Do You Do?””

  1. August 14th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
    Susan Payton said

    In networking, we’re taught to get our 30 second elevator speech together. I notice that everyone does the same one over and over when we have to introduce ourselves to a crowd. It’s always good to vary it up and really think about what you’re saying about your business.

    Great post Liz!

  2. August 14th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
    William Tully said

    “I am involved in information architect which means I help businesses build new structures to manage their information, so that they can have greater accessibility, more efficiency, and reduce costs.” - v5.9 so far.. Recently changed paths on my business so this is a timely post Liz!

    I remember Blair Singer’s “Elevator Pitch” formula as: “I _do_this_, so that others can have _that_.”

  3. August 14th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
    William Tully said

    *sigh*… Let’s replace ‘architect’ with ‘architecture’ and see how that works.

  4. August 14th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Susan,
    The idea of knowing what we do and how we want to talk about it is a sound one. When we really have internalized it, we don’t keep saying it the same way. I agree with you . . . we start to change it up in ways that say the same things, but possibly reflect different facet of our approach to meet the audience that we’re addressing. :)

  5. August 14th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi William,
    I like the bit of intrigue and simplication. “I am an ifnormation artchitect. I help business strcuture their information so that they can access it efficiently and easily.” What I’m looking for is a statement that makes me want to answer, “Really? How do you do that?”

  6. August 14th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
    Rishil said

    Nice article, you have made this very crisp and to the point. keep this up. Really enjoyed.

  7. August 15th, 2007 at 7:03 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Rishil!
    Welcome!
    Thank you for noticing. It is an idea close to my heart. :)

  8. August 15th, 2007 at 7:50 am
    Karin H. said

    Hi Liz

    When I’m selling floors I’d like to think I (we) do at least five things - depending who’s looking for what:
    We solve health problems - our natural wooden flooring is the best anti-allergic floorcovering.
    We add value to your home - our floors keep their value - where carpets don’t - when you’re thinking of selling-up and it can even speed up the selling process of your home.
    We sell time - one of the easiest to maintain floorcovering. A clean wooden floor is really clean, no hidden dust or dirt.
    We design within your interior design - there’s a wooden floor for every design style.
    We are in the eco-friendly trade - all our products come from sustainable sources.

    Have we diversified? Not really, we just diversified our ‘pitch’ (and that you can also learn at networking organisations - the good ones that is ;-))

    Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)

  9. August 15th, 2007 at 8:17 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Karin,
    I’m right with you. We first have to know what we do. Then it only amkes sense that you would talk about the things you do that would meet the needs of the person to whom you are talking. One “do” at a time. When we get over enthusiastic and say everything that we do is then when lose the person who might have been listening.

  10. August 22nd, 2007 at 7:37 am
    Ev Nucci said

    Liz, I love this article. I’ve included in my carnival of business and entrepreneurs! Excellent!

  11. August 22nd, 2007 at 7:43 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Ev!
    That”s super! Thank you!

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