Have you recently attended an event, meeting or even a Grand Final BBQ and found yourself muttering a one word response when asked, “What do you do?”
It can be really hard to answer this question when your networking skills are a little rusty or you just don’t know what to say. That is, until you leave, then you have all the answers! Right?!
Wouldn’t it be nice to have something a little more eloquent up your sleeve, so you keep the conversation going, rather than shut it down?
We’re all bombarded with information and it’s difficult to stand out and get the ear of just about anyone, let alone your stakeholders, so remember this:
🔸 State the key points upfront and more detail as needed. Give a 10-30 second answer. No more.
Try this formula – state your job and one problem you solve.
Here are some examples that might help you on your way:
💰 If you’re an accountant: “I’m an accountant that specialises in intergenerational wealth creation.”
📡 If you’re in tech: “I work in technology and help businesses secure their data.” (That should lead to a nice little Optus conversation and beyond… sorry, Optus.)
💥 If you’re in banking, I’ll use ANZ as an example: “I work on financial innovation projects for ANZ and help businesses grow into new markets.”
Here’s what I say: “I run a communications advisory business that specialises in helping people raise their profile and build strategic relationships.”
It’s ok to be a bit creative. Your goal is to prompt a conversation and find common ground where you can move the conversation onto something other than work – which is where the magic is.
If you still need help, jump over to www.profilebuilder.com.au and have a go at PitchKit. It’s a free, instant elevator pitch and it only takes 3 minutes.
*A little bonus is you can use it as a base for your LinkedIn profile and get that sorted out too.
Reach out if you’d like some help.
Nina