The biggest question of all: what do you do?
Unless I know what you do, I don’t know whether to be interested in you or not, whether to buy from you, whether to send you my CV.
This is why, on most occasions when you meet someone, they say ‘So, what do you do?’
It’s fundamental. First base. Step One.
So, why is it so difficult to answer? I have my theories.
Here’s one: sometimes, people think they are being asked to make a competitive statement. There is a fear that if you say you are, for example, a polythene bag manufacturer, that there are other polythene bag manufacturers.
Yes there are. And now that I understand that you make polythene bags, I can decide whether to find out why yours are different or better. That’s another discussion.
But if you say you produce supply chain packaging solutions, I’m lost.
Next, you think that a straight answer won’t sound very impressive. So you say something that raises eyebrows or deliberately makes you sound in a different class.
You may think this and I can see why. But, again, I asked what you did. Not why I should be impressed by what you do. This comes later.
Here’s another common one: it’s good to be mysterious sometimes.
I agree but this is not the time. Advertising campaigns create mystery and deliberately draw you in. On this occasion I just want to know something very basic. I’m not looking to be drawn in by a campaign.
And perhaps the most common of all, even if not expressed: it’s hard to explain. Or, it can’t be explained in a simple way.
Good luck with that when you want an investor or a bank loan.
Of course it’s difficult but it needs to be done.
What I do is help people explain complicated things clearly, so here are my suggestions about answering the big question:
Your answer should be one, short sentence, not a series of statements or an elevator pitch. If you are clear about what you do, you will be asked more questions, allowing you to dive deeper.
Don’t use jargon or industry language. Assume your questioner knows nothing.