We were out in Montana last week (Glacier National Park area) for a family vacation. Our three kids live far away in different states, so these annual get-togethers are a nice opportunity for them to remember why they moved.
Montana, of course, is known for many things: breathtaking mountain vistas, pristine lakes, and, of course, bears. Lots of bears.
You know you are in a bear-heavy place when the signs along the hiking trails explain how to differentiate between the different types of bears you may encounter.
This can be very helpful should you need to dash off a final text to your loved ones clarifying the specifics of your untimely demise.
Here in eastern Massachusetts, on the other hand, bears are far less common.
Yes, we have some (or so I’ve been told), but the truth is, you have a much better chance of being run over by someone’s Cybertruck than of being eaten by an animal of any sort (mosquitoes being the notable exception).
In Montana, though, you must remain vigilant. So much so that when hiking, everyone carries “bear spray.”
(Note to my fellow New Englanders: You don’t spray this on your children as you do “bug spray.” Rather, you spray it at the bear itself, should an angry one charge in your direction.)
So, how do I know that all the hikers have bear spray? Because it’s nearly always visible. Hanging on belts, attached to jackets, held in hands.
After all, if a bear decides to come at you, you barely have enough time to wet your pants, let alone go searching through your backpack. You need a can readily available at all times.
When it comes to professional services marketing (finally), the same rules apply. More specifically, I am speaking of being ready with your answer to the, “What kind of work do you do?” question.
Here, too, when that question comes up – at a networking meeting, sitting next to another parent at a kid’s soccer game, consulting with your defense attorney – there’s no time to fumble about.
It’s a marketing opportunity that appears without warning and vanishes in an instant. So you need to know your answer. Cold.
Yesterday, for example, I was visiting a doctor for the first time. I wasn’t expecting it, but about two minutes in, he asked “the question.”
I gave him my practiced, memorized response:I’m a marketing consultant. I specialize in email newsletters for professional service firms.
A few things worth noting in addition to having your response at your fingertips…
#1. You need to be brief.
Generally speaking, these people are just making pleasant conversation. If you try to tell them what, why, and how you do what you do, it’s going to go right by them and you’ll have wasted the opportunity.
One sentence, two at the most:
I facilitate offsite meetings for small businesses.
I’m a recruiter for biopharma companies.
I help nonprofits with fundraising.
#2. You need to be simple.
Your goal here is not to impress; it’s to be understood.
If you say something like, “I’m a strategic management consultant; I improve employee retention across distributed business units by optimizing communications and eliminating silos,” you’re going to get a lot of blank stares.
It’s too much for the vaguely interested person to digest. And sorry, but nearly everyone is vaguely interested.
But if, instead, you say, “I help mid-sized law firms reduce turnover,” that’s something people can easily understand and associate with a real-world problem.
The fact is, if your response doesn’t feel to you like a painful oversimplification of what you do and are capable of, you’re not doing it right.
#3. You need to be memorable.
This is marketing – it’s not a sales opportunity.
The person asking the question isn’t actively shopping; they are just chatting.
But … these people know other people. So while my doctor is exceedingly unlikely to hire me today or ever, maybe one day his wife, or brother, or college roommate will.
My objective is to simply plant the idea – “email newsletters for professionals” – inside his latex-glove-wearing brain.
So that one day, when one of the people in his orbit mentions an overlapping need, he remembers me and says, “I had a bald, yet disarmingly attractive patient in my office a while back who does exactly that.”
Share your sentence with enough people, and over time, you’ve got a little army of word-of-mouthers out there sending others your way.
Here’s the bottom line.
Carrying bear spray that you can’t get your hands on in a second or two is no better than having none at all.
Likewise, if you don’t have a brief, simple, memorable description of the work you do at the ready, 24 hours a day, you are going to see lots and lots of marketing opportunities walk right on by.
Discussion Questions:
- Have you ever been chased by a bear?
- How about by a doctor?
- What’s your “one sentence” description of your work?
Share your answers below…
I’ve never been chased by a bear, but my best friend & her husband spent 3 weeks camping in Glacier National Park last month! She said they never saw any bears, tho. She didn’t mention bear spray.
Never been chased by a doctor, luckily.
My short self-description is “I help business owners manage their written content.” (I think I need to work on that a little, but I’m glad you emphasized keeping it super short!)
By the way … thanks for the birthday card you sent me 4 months ago! I always enjoy those.
I think your one-sentence is good. “Business owners” is a bit vague, though. Any particular type of business or owner?
How about “I help small businesses improve their marketing thru written content.”
I think that’s better, yes.
Thanks for prompting me to come up with something more specific. I’ll remember to use this the next time someone asks me about my biz (or I’m networking).
I’ve never been able to use “Exit, pursued by a bear” in ANY travel journal.
Nor “doctor,” for that matter.
I teach fiction writing classes for people with other jobs.
Exit, pursued by bear would be a good book title, though!
Have you ever been chased by a bear? No, but one passed through my yard on it’s migratory path in 2013.
How about by a doctor? No. Health insurance salespeople, yes.
What’s your “one sentence” description of your work? I help small business owners with the things they don’t have time to do.
A nice one sentence!
Yup, been chased by a bear more often than I’d like, in my nightmares.
Doctors don’t chase me – I’m THEIR nightmare.
I support small businesses with their email marketing.
Very sharp one sentence, Vickie!
I help website owners/admins understand wth is going on in their Google Analytics 4 accounts.
Been chased (figuratively speaking) by my dentist once as I dodged a planned oral surgery. Had to change dentist.
Only bear that chased me was a giant gummy on a kid b-day party (not scary as it sounds:)
Beware the gummys!
One summer while camping in Washington state, I took a jog that ended sooner than I had planned. Unexpectedly, a bear burst out of the underbrush just as I was passing by. For a few seconds we stared at each other, stupefied… until he hastily retreated as I took off at top speed in the opposite direction. No bear spray present or needed! My surprised yelp probably helped.
Can’t say I’ve ever been chased by a doctor, but if I were my reaction would probably be the same as with the bear.
Still working on nailing a one-sentence description that resonates with me. Here’s my latest:
I help women small business owners keep their websites running smoothly and their marketing copy error-free.
Hi Rhonda. I think your one-sentence is pretty clean. What if you dropped this part, though to make it tighter?: and their marketing copy error-free.
I’ve never been chased by a bear, but by more than a few dogs, one of whom might have been named “Bear.” And the recently acquired Rottweiler (don’t ask) is now being called “Boo-Boo Bear.” We hate the original name of “Zeke,” and it doesn’t suit him anyway–he’s a big house bear.
No doctor has ever chased me. I avoid doctors now like I avoid bears.
I help attorneys, law firms and other legal service providers with their marketing copy. No lawyer has ever chased me, either, not even when I was younger and could run fast. 🙂
He sounds like a fun doggie!