“What do you do?” It’s a simple question that drives business professionals to a complex series of responses that often include information like title, job-description, products, services, maybe even location (at the corner of So What Street and Who Cares Boulevard). Given the chance to introduce ourselves and our businesses, we slip into a sales-trance and begin reciting a pitch.
Problem: people don’t really care what we do. They ask to be polite, or proper, or because they figure listening to you drone on is less painful than awkward silence or mindless small-talk. But rest assured, when we start selling, they start wishing they’d asked about the weather. Why? Because while everybody likes buying stuff, nobody likes being sold. And in a world filled with sales pitches, people have become very skilled at recognizing them and ignoring them.
Thanks to modern technology, it’s never been easier to be heard, and never been harder to be listened to. Getting people to buy your product begins with getting people to buy into your purpose…spending less time trying to convince, and more time striving to connect…focusing less on features & benefits, and more on effect & impact. It’s time to worry less about impressing, and more about engaging. It’s time to answer the question, “What do you do?” in a way that makes people respond, “Tell me more!”
It’s time to ditch the pitch.
Want to learn more about reshaping your elevator pitch into an introduction that makes people want to know more? Contact the Wordsmith!