Don't be too mysterious

 

Have you ever asked someone what it is that they do for a living, and had them say something along the lines of a "blanket statement" such as, "I enrich the lives of others!"?  While that can be an intriguing statement, in can often times be very bewildering.  

 

I've seen it taught in sales training classes that you should state things like this to initiate a conversation, and while I agree that it is a way to answer the question differently, it can often times end up confusing and discouraging the listener for a myriad of reasons.

 

People don't want to dig for your occupation:  Something important to keep in mind when you're out and about networking is that often times people are asking you what you do out of courtesy.  When you meet someone for the first time, it's common practice to ask someone what they do for a living because it's a quick and easy way to get to know someone.  If a person asks you what you do and you give them a confusing statement like "enriching the lives of others", they may feel put off because they now feel like they have to ask more questions to get to what it is that you really do.  With time and attention spans being shorter and shorter these days, people don't want to take the time to "dig".

 

People sometimes don't....care:   Especially in social situations, and they're really hoping that you're not going to go on and on about your career.  They want a simple answer like...you're a nurse, or an accountant.  If you say something vague, it will almost always put them off.  I don't mean that to sound harsh, I'm only sharing from experience - people want an easy answer so they don't have to "work" at the conversation.

 

People want to have an understanding of what you do:  As I said in a previous tip about making sure people understand what it is that you do, it can be tempting to try to "dazzle" people with intricate details about what you do, but honestly, people want to feel smart enough to understand what you do.  It certainly helps especially when starting a conversation with someone if they easily understand what you do and feel like they can contribute to the conversation. 

 

People don't want to feel "tricked" or "sold to":  I'm NOT saying that you are trying to do these things when using a blanket statement, but sometimes it's just the way it comes across.  If people don't feel like you're being upfront about what it is that you do, it could be perceived as evasive.

 

So, how do you turn a blanket statement into a better response to the question, "What do you do?"  Let's look at an example.

 

Instead of saying something like, "I enrich the lives of others", you could supplement it by saying, "I enrich the lives of others by helping people take care of their health needs through a variety of products".  This makes it easier to understand that you are in the field of health products.

 

It is so easy to say things like "I save people time", or "I save people money", but the true key is to explain specifically how you do that. Saving time and money are things that people NEED, but they also need to know how you're going to do that.  

 

If this is an area that you struggle with, do the following:  think about a problem that you solve in your business every day.  If you identify that you are saving people time and/or money, answer the following question for yourself:  How do you save people time and money? 

 

Examples:

 

"I save people money by offering the lowest insurance rates possible."  (Insurance agent)

 

"I save people time by being a one-stop-shop for all of their beauty and gift giving needs."  (Beauty consultant)

 

The ultimate point here is to not confuse people by answering their question to "What do you do" with a blanket statement that can fit way too many business categories.  The goal is to be clear and concise, and to make it easy for the other person to understand what it is that you do.  Don't be too mysterious, and you'll find it easier to connect with people in your networking efforts.

 

Let's take a lesson from Journalism 101.  Make your introduction a "FACT":  Fast, Accurate, Concise and True. 

 

 

© 2009 Brightfarm Introductions

 

Would you like to use this fresh tip for your newsletter or website?  You absolutely can, as long as you use this complete blurb along with it:  Barbara Lopez, "The Elevator Pitch Coach" with Brightfarm Introductions, helps business professionals introduce themselves with high impact.   Everything in business starts with an introduction.  If you're ready to learn how to introduce yourself and your business professionally and comfortably, visit Barbara at www.brightfarm.com.

Comments

[Patricia Weber]

This is one reason Barbara I don't even start with, "My name is ... and I'm a ..." I lead my elevator pitch with my customer's usual problems that I solve for them. I have a series of questions ready to ASK the person I'm meeting and I aim to get a "Oh how interesting how do you do that?" Or, "I know exactly what you mean," so that THEN I can say what I do!

Thanks for your great insight.

[The Elevator Pitch Coach]

Thanks Pat, and thanks for recommending this post.

You hit the nail on the head! One of the most common mistakes professionals make in their elevator pitch/introduction/networking commercial (introducing themselves to an entire group at a networking function), is starting with "Hi, my name is..."

There are two reasons:

1) They aren't going to remember your name if you start at the top.

2) If you simply start with, "Hi my name is Susie and I'm a realtor", the person(s) is going to make an automatic SNAP decision as to whether or not they want to hear more.

The audience is going to hear "realtor" and make a decision along the lines of "Oh, realtor - I don't need one" and tune the person out.

But if Susie started like you do, with a leading question identifying a common problem she solves for people, she's asking the person(s) to think about whether or not they have that problem or know someone else who does.

It also sets you MILES apart from your competition.

You're spot on, Pat! Thanks again!