How Hard Can it Be to Describe What you Do?

​Last week, we packed up our sweet cape cod house, cleaned it from top to bottom and recycled a ton of stuff. 

But we were still left with a mountain of garbage, including three old, crappy garbage cans. 

What was the hardest part of leaving the house we've been in for 17 years? Was it leaving all the memories behind? Deep cleaning it from top to bottom? Packing a kazillion boxes?

​Nope. 

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The biggest challenge was trying to get the garbage guys to take three old, broken garbage cans. 

Think about it.

If you want the garbage guys to put garbage cans in their truck, you need to ask them, face-to-face. You need to time it perfectly to meet the truck. 

They are trained to take the trash and leave the can.

The tricky part is getting out there when the truck arrives. You need split second timing! Miss that moment and you are left with all those broken cans until the next pick-up day when you get the chance to try again. 

But you know what's even harder than getting your busted garbage cans in the garbage truck? 

Figuring out how to talk about what you do in a way that people will not only understand but will remember!

As small business people, it's important that everyone around you understands clearly what you do - EVERYONE - not because everyone is a potential client but because everyone can refer you to someone who IS a potential client! 

If you own a bookstore, describing what you do in a way that people understand is pretty easy. If you are an OT (a what?) (see!) or an efficiency consultant or a therapist, it may be a little harder to explain what you do in a way that the average person can understand.

Keep it simple when you describe what you do - not too many details! 

Practice talking to people about what you do and adjust your description until people "get it". Narrow your focus - make it easy to understand. And be consistent in what you say...from your website to your LinkedIn profile and every time someone asks, "hey, what do you do?"

When you see the light bulb go on when you describe what you do, bingo, you've got it! And if it's interesting and unique, you'll be remembered. Next thing you know, they'll tell two people, and then they'll tell two people and...you know the rest.

And how would a garbage truck driver describe what he does? That's easy. He puts everything - except garbage cans - in his truck. Right?

Discussion Questions:

1. What have you left for the garbage guys that they wouldn't touch?
2. How do you describe what you do in 2 sentences?
3. Bonus points if you can tell me what an OT does.