How to Generate More Business by Telling People What You Do
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What do you tell people when asked what you do? Many small business owners and independent professionals repeatedly miss great opportunities to generate new business or develop leads by answering the “what do you do?” question with a poorly crafted or completely unplanned answer.If your answer does not regularly start a conversation about your business you need to change your answer.
What response do you get when you tell people what you do?
If your answer draws blank stares and looks of confusion or causes the topic of conversation to change you are likely making one of the common mistakes people make when telling others what they do. Here are some tips to help you transform a question into a an opportunity.
Do Not Describe What You Do with a Label
Describing yourself with a label makes you vulnerable to people’s preconceived notions of what your label means. By using a label to describe yourself you effectively set yourself up to be stereotyped. For instance, imagine a lawyer who tells people “I’m a lawyer” when asked what he does. By doing so he risks being associated with the less than glamorous “lawyers are sharks” stereotype. We’ve all heard comedians make fun of lawyers. But if a lawyer helps fledgling entrepreneurs set up their companies and remain in compliance with regulatory statutes he’s certainly no shark. By simply telling people he’s a lawyer he risks constructing a wall between himself and a potential lead or client.
Labels also often lack specificity. If I simply tell someone “I’m a consultant” I reveal no detail about who I help or the benefit I provide my customers. Instead, I tell people, “I help small business owners and professional services providers attract more clients and grow their business”. It amazing how often I am asked, “Really? How do you do that?” When I get such a response I know right away I’m one step closer to making a sale.
If you use a label to describe yourself you can improve your marketing right now by deciding to never use it or any other label again.
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