Doug Robinson – Robinson Training Solutions, LLC

whatdoyoudo1As you make the daily rounds in your profession I’m sure you are used to hearing this question regularly.

You really ought to think about how you should respond, knowing that you will only have a very narrow time window to highlight your business. To prepare for these encounters you need to develop a one sentence answer that is atypical of the way most folks in your business would respond. This way you are more likely to capture the attention of the inquirer.

If you asked somebody in my line of work, a typical reply would be, “I do training.”

That response is not unique or different. One really ought to say something that emphasizes their competitive edge and incorporate it into this one-sentence advertisement.

To help you formulate your own version, consider this template:

“I help (name a group of people) do (some amazing thing) without (the negative drawback they normally experience).”

As a sales trainer I might respond like this: “I help salespeople communicate with their prospects more effectively, which helps them avoid the negative stigma most salespeople get branded with.”

Once you’ve got it, not only should you respond with it, but it would also be smart to teach it to your customers who are willing to refer and introduce you to others. Simply tell them, “When I talk about my business I say this…” and then share it with them.

whatdoyoudo2Just make sure to keep it simple and pithy, unlike the guy who was asked what time it was, and responded by telling the fellow how to build a watch.

Just for grins and giggles, here’s another tip with business cards to piggy back on top of the job description response. I call it the 3-card technique, meaning that you always give each inquirer 3 cards, not just one.

Tell them to keep one and give the other two to different friends, and make them promise not to throw them away. Cards are inexpensive, so let it rain business cards around your marketplace. Eventually you will get called from a recipient. They are cheap advertising.

Take a look at some additional communication tips from my book, Sell is NOT a Four Letter Word by going here.

Doug

©2013 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC