I teach entrepreneurs and small business owners how to define their niche, find simple words to describe what they do, and feel confident when they express their brilliance. As a former TV and radio reporter for CBS News, my job was to walk into chaos, uncover the story, then tell it in 30 seconds. I was really good at it. I do that now with my clients so that they can find words that attract their ideal clients and earn da monies. My mission is that all people own and express their brilliance. The world is listening for you.
❓ "What do you do?" isn't the real question
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Hi Reader! "What do you do?" has become the go-to question for networking, at cocktail parties, what we write in our professional bios, social media profiles, or About pages, or say in line at the supermarket. Hate it or love it, that's how it is. True Story: Why you NEED a quick way to say, "Here's what I do" You need it because you never know when you'll need it and when your answer can change your life. Back in the day, before I learned I hated working for others, I got a new, well-paying job because I knew how to say what I did in a short, clear way. I was in the parking lot of a restaurant at 7 a.m., dropping my daughter off for her school bus pickup. I looked like ass on a cracker, rocking my bedhead, wearing a banged-up Bruce Springsteen teeshirt, braless, un-coffee-ed, not job hunting. Another parent noticed my tee shirt and we got talking (swooning) about Bruce. I asked him, "What do you do?" He mentioned the company he worked for. He asked me what I did. I said, "I manage editorial and tech stuff for multilingual websites." < NOTICE: Short, clear, no long-winded story, specific. > His company had a job opening for precisely that position. I told him, "Oh, yeah, I nearly applied for that job, but whoever wrote the job description doesn't have a clue about what that job really is, so I didn't apply." He got all excited: "We know! We rewrote it! Send me your resume when you get home!!" I got hired. Why you need a short answer to the REAL question There's only ONE question people want the answer to: Honestly, no one cares what your job title is, how many academic degress you have, whether you're a best-selling author, or if you have all the certifications. That company had a problem: It needed someone who could manage editorial and tech stuff for a multilingual website. I was the solution, the Philipps-head screwdriver for their Philipps-head screw. A real question for you If you want to be hired by the right people - your ideal clients - what's your one-sentence answer that tells those people how you can help them solve their problem? Anything else you feel compelled to say is irrelevant. Reply and lemme know: What's your one sentence? |
Maggy Sterner Brand & Business Coach
I teach entrepreneurs and small business owners how to define their niche, find simple words to describe what they do, and feel confident when they express their brilliance. As a former TV and radio reporter for CBS News, my job was to walk into chaos, uncover the story, then tell it in 30 seconds. I was really good at it. I do that now with my clients so that they can find words that attract their ideal clients and earn da monies. My mission is that all people own and express their brilliance. The world is listening for you.
Hi Reader! I'm always thinking about how we present ourselves with words, what works, what doesn't, and how to communicate clearly so we can make an impact. I've noticed one of the top reasons people hold back on marketing ("I hate it!" "I don't know how to do it!") and struggle to attract clients may come down to a basic misbelief: We misunderstand the nature of marketing. Marketing isn't out to get you or make you feel bad. Marketing exists to let a specific audience know how we can help...
Hi Reader! You know what I love? Attending webinars and trainings where people talk about the problems they have in the area where I can help them. I attended a couple of webinars today about marketing and sales and realized - again - how hard it is for business owners to focus their niche. Both presenters talked about the importance of having a clear, specific niche and target audience. Here's one attendee's comment that I'll use as an avatar for anyone who's afraid to "niche down": It's...
Hi Reader!"How do I explain what I do quickly without over-explaining or confusing people?”. I hear this question constantly from my audience. Here's how Bad Bunny did it in his 13-minute Super Bowl halftime show. His performance was a masterclass in how to answer that question. In a tiny window of time, with millions of people watching on one of the biggest stages in the world, he communicated something simple using his native language, culture, identity, power: The power of love over hate....