stringy little ponytail. I asked for her card and Gloria became my
hairdresser.
Then, several months later, I happened to see Gloria at another event. I
overheard her chatting with a stylish grey-haired woman at the buffet table.
Gloria was saying... and we specialize in a wonderful array of blue rinses.
Now that was news to me! I didnt remember seeing one grey head in her
salon.
As I was leaving the party, Gloria was out on the lawn talking
animatedly with the hosts teenage daughters. Oh yeah, she was saying, like
we specialize in these really cool up-to-the-minute styles. Good for you,
Gloria!
Like Gloria the hairdresser, give your response a once-over before
answering the inevitable What do you do? When somone asks, never give
just a one-word answer. Thats for forms. If business networking is on your
mind, ask yourself, How could my professional experience benefit this
persons life? For example, here are some descriptions various people might
put on their tax return:
Real estate agent Financial planner Martial arts instructor Cosmetic
surgeon Hairdresser
How to Know What to Say When They Ask, What Do You Do? 101
Any practitioner of the above professions should reflect on the benefit
his or her job has to humankind. (Every job has some beefit or you wouldnt
get paid to do it.) The advice to the folks above is
Dont say real estate agent. Say I help people moving into our area find
the right home.
Dont say financial planner. Say I help people plan their financial future.
Dont say martial arts instructor. Say I help people defend themselves by
teaching martial arts.
Dont say cosmetic surgeon. Say I reconstruct peoples faces after
disfiguring accidents. (Or, if youre talking with a woman of a certain age, as
the French so gracefully say, tell her, I help people to look as young as they
feel through cometic surgery.)
Dont say hairdresser. Say I help a woman find the right hairstyle for her
particular face. (Go, Gloria!)
Putting the benefit statement in your verbal Nutshell RŽsumŽ brings
your job to life and makes it memorable. Even if your new acquaintance
cant use your services, the next time he or she meets someone moving into
ooja
(Ooja)
#1