What Do You Do For A Living?
How do you answer the question, "What do you do for a living?"
This question and optimal response frustrates a lot of people. How you handle it reveals a great deal about whether you are inwardly focused on your work process or outwardly focused on what your customer truly needs and want.
So, what's the best way to handle this question?
It depends on the situation.
If you are at a social gathering or party, then you must recognize that people are just trying to get a basic idea of where to put you in their brain. They don't need a long or complicated answer. Something simple and recognized like "I'm a dentist" or "I'm a engineer." But if you need a little more context, keep it to 1-5 words that they will understand. For example, "I own a company (or work for) that makes blue widgets." If they want to know more, they will ask.
On the other hand, if you are at a business or professional gathering, you need to take a slightly different approach. Begin by stepping into your customer's shoes and consider the desires the have and the problems they face.
Then think through a list of tangible results or outcomes (not your service deliverables) you believe they want once they have used your product or service. Then narrow your list down to the SINGLE most exciting and motivating outcome you can help them achieve.
Have 1-2 more tangible results in your mind if they continue that line of inquiry, but don't overwhelm them in the first instance.
Here's how I like to do it:
1) You know how (mention the problem your customers face).
2) Well, my company provides a way to fix that.
3) We have (or developed) a product (or service) that quickly/easily/affordably accomplish (desired end result).
After this very brief message one of two things will happen. They will nod that they understand but have no further interest, or they may ask to learn more.
If they want to know more, be prepared with 2-3 questions that you can ask to stimulate the dialog. For example:
1) Have you ever bumped into someone with that kind of problem?
2) Might there be some synergy between what you do and what I do?
3) Should we have a chat outside today's event to discuss this further?
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