"so, what do you do?" ... [🐝U]

(prefer to listen to the audio version in 7 minutes, 5 seconds?)

A long time ago,
in what feels like a galaxy far far away,
I decided I was going to “work for myself”

& I had no idea how badly I’d butcher 1 simple question.

This was pre-Zoom.
Before Google Meet.
& no “drop your LinkedIn in the chat.”

Real-life networking & awkwardness.

“So… what do you do?”

I launched into my perfectly rehearsed explanation.

I watched their face change.
You can literally see their eyes glaze over
Polite smile.
Slight nod.
Eyes start scanning the room for an escape.

But instead of stopping…
I doubled down.

More explaining rambling
Faster talking.

Conversation dead.

Did I learn my lesson?
NOPE!

That’s when I realized…
I wasn’t answering their question.
I was pitching.

Most of us completely butcher this question.

Why most of us get this wrong

When you have a job, your instinct is to share your job title or where you work
or both!
→ “I work at the post office”
→ “I’m a middle-school teacher”
→ “I’m a barista at Starbucks”

As a freelancer, you shift into feature-mode
& probably start rambling about what & how … jargon included.

Ever been on a Zoom call where everyone introduces themselves?

There’s always that 1 person who says something like:
“I help impact-driven founders unlock scalable growth ecosystems”

& everyone’s thinking..
“what?!”

Then, for good measure, throw in
“who do you know that needs my help?”

Chances are, you get a “that’s nice”
& “I don’t know anyone”

I did this so much with my first business.
Too much.

I thought if I explained myself clearly enough, they’d “get it.”
Instead, I got polite smiles.
Zero follow-up questions
& zero clients.

That first business was an epic fail.
Not because I couldn’t help.
Not because they didn’t need the help.

But because I was taking the question too literally.
& making it about me

It wasn’t until I stopped explaining myself…
that people started leaning in.

Here’s why …

They don’t care what you do.
They care what changes for them.

Relevance beats resume
Every. Single. Time.

& until they see themselves in your answer,
they’re just waiting for the conversation to end.

& in order to share What’s in it for Them,
you need to know who you’re talking to.

It needs to be relevant to them.

So how do you know if they haven’t told you?
What if they just asked you what you do?

This is going to feel counter-intuitive
But you don’t answer them.
Not right away.

Ask me how I know…
Because I spent far too long flubbing this up when I 1st started working for myself.

Looking back, I’m convinced this is why my first attempt at business flopped.
Not a lack of skill.
Not because I didn’t make the effort.

Positioning.

It wrecked my confidence.
I questioned my competence.
I genuinely wondered if I just wasn’t cut out for this.

The good news is I didn’t give up.

& if I’m being honest, I STILL catch myself doing it
It’s an incredibly hard habit to break

The shift that changed everything

instead of something like:
“I’m a marketing strategist”

It’s now some variation of:
“I help early-stage entrepreneurs grow their business without wasting cash, burning out, or pretending to be someone they’re not”

I remember the first time it happened.
On business attempt #2

We were in the same coffee line.
I used the new version.

He stopped mid-step.
“Wait… say that again.”

That conversation turned into a “real” client.
& they referred several people.

Same skills.
Different framing.

If you want to get this right, start here …

Once I finally understood this,
I started studying people who were doing it “right”.

Here are 3 that can change how you answer that question forever:

→ Rebecca Okamoto’s TEDx Talk on How to introduce yourself & get hired explains what to say when someone says, “tell me about yourself”.
She drops 2 tricks to get those magic words … “tell me more” instead of “oh, that’s nice”
& shares 5 ways to introduce yourself … in 20 words or less.

No. More. Rambling.

HINT: it’s got nothing to you with your qualifications

Your intro doesn’t need to be “impressive”.
It needs to be relevant.

→ Your elevator speech is out of order according to Michelle Golden
she shares how to flip the script so you get the information & make a stronger connection
with 5 open-ended questions you ask them
& 2 ways to lock in a solid 1st impression by helping them

HINT: there’s no pitching or selling

→ The best way to answer “so what do you do?” from Clay Hebert

Clay breaks down the 3 myths of the “elevator pitch” & what makes for the “perfect” intro.

He does it without limiting himself to 20 words.
& without dodging the question.

It’s about designing better conversations … not clever soundbites.

The “elevator pitch” & the power of 1st impressions

But if you’re not 100% clear on who your ideal audience is yet,
start with the results.

& those results don’t have to be jaw-dropping…
they just have to be relevant.

That’s the takeaway from all of these TEDx Talks ...
relevant to them … it’s NOT about you
& it’s about making a connection, NOT a sale.

Because there’s no 1 thing you can say to everyone that’s going to work.

Since you’re subscribed to my newsletter,
you have some idea about who I am & what I do

Now it’s your turn …

Hit reply & answer the question…
What do you do?

No elevator pitch.
No jargon.
No resume.

Just tell me…

& if you’re brave
let me know how you usually answer it.

Here’s to fewer polite smiles & more real conversations.
EG

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