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Harold Mansfield
07-15-2010, 12:53 AM
I'm always curious what people say to describe themselves or their business, when it needs to be said quickly. I still struggle at times but I'm getting better.

On the spot and you have no time, how do you tell people what you do quickly and yet descriptive enough so that they walk away knowing exactly what it is?

Now this only works if everyone just lays it out straight without any lead in, or follow up explanation, or else there is no way to know if you are really getting the point across.

After you post yours, all by itself, then communicate normally in the thread and comment on others.
No cheating. You have to post it clean.

Harold Mansfield
07-15-2010, 12:55 AM
I'm a Freelance Web Consultant, specializing in Wordpress CMS.

billbenson
07-15-2010, 01:51 AM
I'm a Freelance Web Consultant, specializing in Wordpress CMS.

I say "I sell construction stuff on the web" I get the same blank look I bet you get eborg.

Harold Mansfield
07-15-2010, 01:57 AM
I say "I sell construction stuff on the web" I get the same blank look I bet you get eborg.

Pretty much. I then have to explain what Wordpress is..still blank..and then I say something like "it's pretty much an industry standard in web publishing used by companies like CNN, The New York Times, Harvard, NASA.."" and then I get , "OOHhhhh!. O.K."

Harold Mansfield
07-15-2010, 01:58 AM
I say "I sell construction stuff on the web" I get the same blank look I bet you get eborg.

Pretty much. I then have to explain what Wordpress is..still blank..and then I say something like "it's pretty much an industry standard in web publishing used by companies like CNN, The New York Times, Harvard, NASA.."" and then I get , "OOHhhhh!. O.K."

Patrysha
07-15-2010, 11:07 AM
My line is usually something along the lines of "I'm kind of like a whole marketing agency in one person...I work with small business owners to create marketing campaigns on tiny budgets"

Dan Furman
07-15-2010, 11:23 AM
I say I'm a writer and business consultant. Then I give them my biz card (which is hopefully interesting enough to keep - I tell a nice little story about plain-english writing on the back of it.)

huggytree
07-15-2010, 04:15 PM
im a one man plumbing shop which uses higher grade parts and better service than anyone else. I believe in doing it right the first time!

lav
07-15-2010, 08:21 PM
"I help businesses look more professional..... have a look at my website www.pick#*etc "

I think its trying to get something that people understand but also adds a little curiousity. I have had a lot of people tell me their occupation only for me to walk away thinking "I have no idea what that is"


"it's pretty much an industry standard in web publishing used by companies like CNN, The New York Times, Harvard, NASA..Be careful If you are dealing with small to medium business mostly and say this I think their first thoughts would be "Well Thats too big for me, I just need something for my little business".

Spider
07-15-2010, 09:56 PM
If you are in this proverbial elevator and you ask the other person what they do, you will likely get, "I'm a doctor," I'm a mechanic," "I'm a [whatever]." Or, "I'm the CEO of this company!" People tend to answer with their job title. I think every time someone tries to reply saying what they do (even though that was the actual question,) it is unexpected and therefore not understood. Baffled look, silence, and you have missed the chance of making contact.

Therefore, I respond, "I'm a business coach." And leave it at that. Everyone knows what business is. Everyone knows what a coach does. If they don't usually put the two together, it often sparks a follow-up question, and a conversation is started. I know I style myself as a "Business Mentor" but that's what gets the blank looks and no conversation. I can differentiate later in the converation, if it gets that far.

Patrysha
07-15-2010, 09:59 PM
In a real elevator...not a network event...it's I'm a publicist and I leave it at that. But for a networking event I can't cuz nobody thinks they need a publicist...even if it costs less than newspaper or yellow pages advertising for the average small business.

Harold Mansfield
07-16-2010, 04:22 PM
Yeah, I guess there are 2 types of "What do you do?" questions and your answer would be catered to the context in which it is asked. The one liner to people who ask simply because they want to know what business you are in is "I'm a web consultant".

If they care, they'll ask for more and then I can get specific...most times with the one liner, they walk away thinking that I do ":something" on the internet which in their minds means:

I work with every programming language (because they only know of one anyway) , know every piece of software ever invented, can fix their computer and can do, fix build or design anything that they have ever seen online for pennies. Am an SEO expert, Search Engine Marketing guru and can show them how to get a lot of traffic to their websites in an email or short phone conversation.

nealrm
07-16-2010, 05:32 PM
Real Estate photography and advertising.

billbenson
07-16-2010, 06:35 PM
I liked Spiders approach above. Say something that gets the prospect asking you questions. If you don't get questions, your saying the wrong thing.

lav
07-17-2010, 10:33 PM
I work with every programming language , know every piece of software ever invented, can fix their computer and can do, fix build or design anything that they have ever seen online for pennies. Am an SEO expert, Search Engine Marketing guru and can show them how to get a lot of traffic to their websites in an email or short phone conversation.Now THAT would be a good elevator speech haha

Harold Mansfield
07-18-2010, 12:16 PM
If you don't get questions, your saying the wrong thing.
Or they don't care. Every profession is not of interest to everyone. Outside of business networking events...I suspect that people ask your profession to determine some kind of perceived Social hierarchy, How much money you make and how important you are, and less about what you actually do.


Now THAT would be a good elevator speech haha
That would be good.

Brian
07-18-2010, 06:14 PM
My company applies architectural coatings that protect and enhance the beauty of residential buildings.

Blessed
07-22-2010, 09:59 AM
I say I'm a Graphic Designer, and I always have a business card handy. If they ask what a "graphic designer" is I say "Oh I design junk mail, stationary, billboards, fliers, posters, magazines, catalogs, corporate reports and basically anything you can print." Or a shorter version of that. No matter where I put "junk mail" in the list it's what people grab on to and 90% of the time it leads to a further discussion of what I can do. The "junk mail" line makes people laugh, and honestly I do a lot of direct mail pieces. My next line is that my specialty is helping small businesses create affordable marketing materials. I've rarely gotten a job from that short conversation, but I've gotten phone calls a week later from a friend of the person I was talking to who told their friend they needed something designed and their friend remembered me.

Rzacny
07-30-2010, 12:54 PM
"What's In It For Me" if I listen to any thing you have to say? This concept of the 'elevator speech' is important to get right. People don't necessarily care what you do, or how many degrees you have, when it comes to having to listen to you yak at a business meeting. But, they are interested in what you have 'accomplished' that might be of benefit to them. What have you done for somebody? Considering "WIIFM" is important in all we do, and very especially in the 30 to 60 secondes you get to get someone's attention at a networking function or some such business meeting. In a networking meeting 'they,' quite often, are wanting you to hurry up and shut up so they can tell you what they do. The best grabber up front is to let them know what you've accomplished for someone else, and that the same might be in the wings for the person you're saying hello to. If you grab their ears with something you've done for someone else, then they'll usually be attentive to your 'short' talk. This WIIFM approach needs to be scripted to some degree so you know you what you are going to say. We all know that you only get 20 seconds to make the right impression. Make your appearance, your smile, and your 'accomplishment grabber comment' as perfect as you can.

miscellanydee
10-05-2010, 04:20 PM
I always say the same thing, "I make businesses better by giving visual edge." Then they ask, what does that mean? I say, "i'm a graphic designer." and then starts the conversation on HOW I help give businesses a visual edge. It always leads to an interesting conversation and at least a phone number FROM THEM.

AmyAllen
10-06-2010, 03:49 PM
Yeah, I guess there are 2 types of "What do you do?" questions and your answer would be catered to the context in which it is asked. The one liner to people who ask simply because they want to know what business you are in is "I'm a web consultant".

If they care, they'll ask for more and then I can get specific...most times with the one liner, they walk away thinking that I do ":something" on the internet which in their minds means:

I work with every programming language (because they only know of one anyway) , know every piece of software ever invented, can fix their computer and can do, fix build or design anything that they have ever seen online for pennies. Am an SEO expert, Search Engine Marketing guru and can show them how to get a lot of traffic to their websites in an email or short phone conversation.

Hah! I'm glad I'm not the only one with that problem. You tell someone your a web designer, and all they hear is "computer stuff" and suddenly they're calling you to network their printers for them.

ParaTed2k
10-10-2010, 11:57 AM
I usually say something like, "I'm retired Army, for fun I run an online business". Like Spider said, your answer needs to leave the other person somewhere to go other than "ohhh, ok". This line gives them the opportunity to either talk about the military, or ask me about my fun business. Sometimes I even leave out the Army part, and just say "I'm retired, but for fun I run an online business"... it's fun to see how people react to a 47 year old whose retired.

It's kind of like people asking "how are you?", the last response they expect is you going into detail how you feel. My line separates the "how are you" askers from those who could become great customers.