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What to Do Before They Ask What Do You Do?

July 18, 2006 by Liz 19 Comments

What’s Your Name

Personal Branding logo

When is a rose not a rose? When it is Compassion. When a car not a car? When its a Model J DUESENBERG. Why did I quit teaching? Because I couldn’t find another word.

It’s true that’s the reason.

I left college being called a master teacher, with student teachers following me into the classroom. It had something to do with my philosophy that if I couldn’t sit in a desk all day, I’d be damned if I would ask a 6-year-old to try to do so. I loved the kids and the teaching, but when new friends asked What do you do? I heard myself saying, I’m a teacher, but not like any you ever knew. That wasn’t good. That’s when I realized that I needed a new word or I wouldn’t be teaching.

You’ve probably not left a career over a word, and probably suspect there was more to it. There was, and there wasn’t. The way folks viewed me was the problem. I wasn’t what they imagined. I didn’t like being put in their box.

But we rely on words figure out our world view.

There is no getting away from that.The next best thing is picking our words.

What Are You? a Blogger? a Writer? a Publisher? a Sales Rep? a Marketer? a Citizen Journalist? a Critic? a Martyr?

What do you do? they say. What do I answer?

Naming Yourself So Others Know

Names are the the most important words. They’re the first words that we learn and often the first words we tell each other. Then we move on to What do you do? We find out about moms and dads and sisters and brothers, and about the jobs of others.

If we have a regular job in a regular office, and someone asks What do you do? we often throw out our job title and leave it at that. No rule says we have to. Think about it, You’ll see it’s often misleading to do that. Unfortunately what I find is that I don’t think about it often enough.

So I’m writing this article to remind me — and you — of what we might do before the next person asks What do you do?

1. Spend some time. Consider your audience.

      We spend time naming our businesses and our blogs. We worry over the perfect tagline. Then someone asks

What do you do?

      and the response is something like,

I’m a blogger,

      without a thought to whether that’s the best name for our endeavors.

Sometimes we answer without considering our audience — Does what we said mean anything to them? Do they have notions about those words? Will your answer get you stuck at the border, explaining yourself to customs. Don’t think that it can’t happen. Ask Jeremy Wright. He’s been there.

2. Say something accurate and descriptive. Some folks answer What do you do with I work at home. Don’t tell me where tell me what you do there. I’m interested. Here’s your chance to sell me on your brand and your business. Don’t make the mistake of leaving me thinking that you spend your time cleaning refrigerators, making beds, and washing windows all day long.

3. Be specific.Specificity inspires curiosity. It may sound counterintuitive, but specificity encourages a need for information. Had I only known to change I’m a teacher to I teach children how to read. I could have opened the door to a conversation in which we shared a meaningful dialogue. Instead I passed on a defensive remark that said I don’t like being classed with other teachers.

4. If the title on your card doesn’t work, give yourself a new one. When my business card said, Publisher, most folks were confused enough to ask if I was the one who printed the books. I learned to tell them that I was a Bookbuilder — I was the who got to pick which books we made and who would make them.

Humans are by nature curious. We like to know things about each other. If we don’t find out. We tend to make up stuff to fill in gaps. It’s far better for our brands and businesses to be clear in what we name things — ourselves and our job roles. The more our readers know about what we do, the more they can rely on us to serve them. Because we shared our information, they’re not jolted by unnecessary surprises Instead we’re predictable, and they’re relaxed and delighted.

Delighted customers say good things about us to each other, and they come back to visit us. That’s what we’re going for isn’t it?

Brand you and me blog promotion.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
If you think Liz can help with a problem you’re having with your business, your brand or your blog, check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

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Filed Under: Customer Think, Marketing /Sales / Social Media, Personal Branding, SS - Brand YOU, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, blog-promotion, brand-niche-marketing, business-blogging, Customer Think, customer-relationships, personal-branding, strategic-naming

Comments

  1. John says

    July 18, 2006 at 1:31 PM

    Most teachers hated me. Can you guess why? 😀

    I like the idea of being engaging in every aspect of our communication; great thoughts.

    Reply
  2. ME Strauss says

    July 18, 2006 at 3:32 PM

    John,
    I don’t think I like your teachers much then. Great and challenging thinkers belong in a classroom to keep ideas flowing and students interested. I think your thoughts raise the bar on the dialogue. They’re welcome here. I don’t fear or hate your questions even one tiny bit.

    I might have been you in my own classroom 🙂

    Reply
  3. John says

    July 18, 2006 at 4:39 PM

    My secret mission to lower the bar on all dialogue is taking a turn for the ironical. 🙁

    Thanks.:)

    This article compliments Brian’s latest post in an interesting sort of way. I have an idea I must pursue…

    Reply
  4. ME Strauss says

    July 18, 2006 at 5:40 PM

    Hi John,
    You need a good mind to even see the ironical. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Advice Librarian says

    July 18, 2006 at 5:51 PM

    You know, I think you should try teaching at a Montessori school. They don’t follow the standard 45-minute lecture model we inherited from the Jesuits’ medieval scools.

    Yeah, I’m back. Had a family Event of the sad kind…

    Reply
  6. ME Strauss says

    July 18, 2006 at 5:58 PM

    AdLIb!!!
    How I’ve missed you! What’s this about a Montessori School. I’m not sure Maria would have approved of me as more than a student.

    Reply
  7. Advice Librarian says

    July 18, 2006 at 6:05 PM

    Well, I’ve never attended one myself, but if I had kids, that’s the kind of school I’d put them in. No class/grade/subject structure, no pressure on active kids to sit down and shut up for 45 minutes at a stretch when their attention span is a max of 20 minutes, and the kids coming out of a Montessori school tend to know how to really go after the details of a subject that interests them. It’s more about motivating kids through their natural curiosity than force-feeding them – I have the feeling from your admission up there î that you’d really like the structure of a Montessori school since they’re not teachers like “you” know them either. Worth looking into just for the fun of it, I’d say 🙂

    Reply
  8. ME Strauss says

    July 18, 2006 at 6:12 PM

    My neice and four nephews went to a Montessori school in Wyoming. For some reason that always seemed to me like an oxymoron.

    Yeah, I was very much into Montessori when I was in college. I liked the exploring. I like how kids were challenged and engaged.

    The trouble with teaching in the grand USofA is that we don’t value our teachers and so we don’t pay them.

    Reply
  9. Advice Librarian says

    July 18, 2006 at 6:37 PM

    Yeah, it’s somewhat analoguous over here as well, though at least you can actually afford a home on a teacher’s salary here. Montessori teachers’ salaries vary wildly though, since they’re all private – all the public schools follow the old Jesuit model.

    I wonder if you saw that report your education department tried to bury in the weekend news cycle by releasing it late on friday? There was a comparison study done by them that said that there was basically no difference between public and private “voucher” schools when it comes to kids’ learning. So much for the purported superiority of charter schools – so the political appointees at the top took great care to bury it…

    Reply
  10. ME Strauss says

    July 18, 2006 at 6:40 PM

    Private school salaries vary greatly here too. Public school salaries vary based on how rich the school district is.

    No, I didn’t see the story you’re talking about.

    I’m just laughing, It’s such fun to have you back!

    Reply
  11. John says

    July 18, 2006 at 6:43 PM

    I’d love to send my kids to a Montessori school. These LA schools are the worst I’ve ever seen; I’d bet that with most of the public schools here, anything a kid learns is purely incidental. :

    Reply
  12. Advice Librarian says

    July 18, 2006 at 6:44 PM

    😉

    Missed you too, honey – but after my uncle died, there was quite a lot to sort out. Family always messes with my head…

    Reply
  13. ME Strauss says

    July 18, 2006 at 6:56 PM

    Hi John,
    The problem is that we’ve learned to live with free school and we can’t afford to pay for them.

    Reply
  14. ME Strauss says

    July 18, 2006 at 6:57 PM

    Oh AL,
    I didn’t know someone died. That’s not nice. I’m sorry you had to sort out that kind of stuff.

    Reply
  15. Advice Librarian says

    July 18, 2006 at 7:04 PM

    Well, most of it didn’t land on me, but my uncle was only 64 when the cancer he’d been battling for the last ten years finally caught up with him – and, well, that sort of thing is rather depressing at the best of times. Mostly, it was my head needed sorting out – my own father is closing in on 60 too, and I suddenly felt horribly vulnerable.

    Plus, I needed to set some things about uncle Hermann down on paper while I still remembered them – I might blog them too, if I can whip the disjointed thoughts into some kind of shape.

    It was always fun when he came around to help dad fix up something on the grounds – it usually meant something was about to get blown up…

    Reply
  16. Carol says

    August 28, 2006 at 7:47 AM

    I’ve been employed with several large companies, including the world’s biggest petrochemical giant. I’ve done contract work, and I’ve even gone into business. I’ve held well-paid executive positions. Today, I own several web businesses. I’ve learnt that there’s NO job security, no matter how hard-working and dedicated you are.

    You only have security, and immense satisfaction, when you know how to fish for yourself. The internet is HUGE and filled with amazing opportunities. I decide my own income and my time is my own. I only wish I had started earlier.

    I had to change my mindset, leave my comfort zone, and learn new things. I’m so glad I did. Now when people ask what I do, I tell them : “Whatever I want!”.

    Reply
  17. ME Strauss says

    August 28, 2006 at 7:51 AM

    Hi Carol.
    Welcome!
    I say those same words There is no such thing as job security. It’s an illusion, especially in work at will states, where I can be gone if you don’t like my shirt.

    I often think on the folks who survived the Great American Depression. It amazes me. I think you’ve it right by doing whatever you want. At least then the control of your destiny in in your own hands and you can’t be lulled into thinking it’s going to always be secure.

    Reply

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