The RIGHT way to answer “What do you do?”
September 16, 2011
Whether meeting someone new at a business networking event, a wedding, or standing in a line, we’ve all asked and have been asked the question “What do you do?” Most of us answer that question by naming our profession. Example:
New Person: ”What do you do?”
Me: ”I do graphic design and web design”
New Person: ”I see…”That is how I used to answer this question. It has gotten me some business in the past, but I have learned a MUCH more effective way to answer. Now the conversation goes like this:
New Person: ”What do you do?”
Me: ”I boost other business professionals’ credibility by making them look awesome!” (With some enthusiasm)
New Person: ”Cool. How do you do that?”
See the difference? Instead of naming my profession (boring and common), I tell them who I help and the main benefits they get from working with me. That’s what people really care about anyway; how something can benefit them or someone they know. And now they’re not just making conversation, they are actually curious about how I make it happen.
Grab a piece of paper right now and craft ONE sentence that answers these three questions for yourself:
Who do I help?
What problem do I solve for them?
What’s the main benefit they get from working with me?
Tape the paper to your wall and get used to saying this new phrase with enthusiasm instead of naming your profession.
Join the conversation
What do you do? Post your NEW answer below.
If you found this idea helpful, please go to my facebook page and comment on the link to this post. Thanks!!
- Tim the Design Guy
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