...and what do you do?

Have you ever been at a dinner party, reception, or other form of social gathering where someone asked “...and what do you do?”


How did you respond? Did you seize the opportunity to make a positive and lasting impression, or did you simply say something along the lines of “I work for...” (yawn)

If, like most people, you answered with something short of an upbeat and engaging response, I’m afraid you not only shortchanged yourself, but also the individual who asked the question, as well as your colleagues, and perhaps even the company you work for.

“How is that?” you ask. Let’s start with the person who posed the question in the first place. By asking what you do, he or she was expressing interest in you. Personally, I think that’s kind of nice. Did you respond in a way that thanked and rewarded them for their interest?

And what about your colleagues and the company you work for? How might a cursory response have let them down?

Well, like it or not, when you responded to that question, you were not only speaking for yourself, but also for your company, colleagues and others in your profession. It is human nature to associate people, places and things. Consciously or subconsciously, we all do it. If your response was, shall we say, somewhat uninspiring, there’s a very good chance, on hearing it, the listener’s perception of the company you work for, and of others in your line of work, dropped a notch or two. Fair or not, it’s just the way the human mind works.

I suspect you’ve already figured out how you may have shortchanged yourself, so let’s leave the past behind us and focus on what you can do to ensure that the next time you’re asked, you don’t shortchange anyone. Maybe the following will help:

In the early days of my career, after stumbling to respond to this very question, my somewhat harsh, but fair mentor of the day took me aside and told me “When someone takes the time to take an interest in you, you owe it to them, to yourself and to the company, to be at least a little bit interesting. It is high time my boy, you prepared your elevator pitch.”

So what is an ‘elevator pitch’? It is sort of like your personal brand, followed by a byline or two. Perhaps I can best explain by way of the following examples:

Remember the story of the janitor at NASA, who, when asked what he did, proudly replied “I help put people in space” or better yet, the financial advisor who responded to the same question with, “I help people realize their hopes and dreams.” Both of these individuals went on to enthusiastically explain how what they did made a real and meaningful contribution to the people they served and the companies they work for; and you can bet their listeners were impressed.

Like theirs, your elevator pitch should consist of a few up-beat sentences that describe your work in terms that both engage and inform the listener; not to mention make you feel good about yourself and what you do. It’s called an ‘elevator pitch’ because it needs to be short - something you could easily deliver in the 15 - 20 seconds it would take to travel a few floors, but expandable (just in case you find yourself in a really tall building). The main thing to work on is the first line or two. Get that right and the rest will come naturally. Think about how you contribute to your customer’s success, enrich their lives, or help them achieve their dreams.

Over the years, I’ve modified my elevator spiel several times. Here is how it currently starts:

I'm the founder and senior consultant of Wavemaker Consulting. At Wavemaker we are committed to raising the bar on service quality by helping the companies we serve provide a customer experience that is second to none! I contribute by....

Everyone should have a pre-prepared elevator pitch. If you don’t, why not take a couple of minutes right now and develop one.

You never know when someone might ask “…and what do you do?”

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A Greater Purpose

At this time of year many of us give thought to changes we might want to make in our lives. Often, we even go as far as to set New Year's resolutions, usually along the lines of losing weight, getting fit, being a better person or something like that. A few of us even manage to keep these resolutions, but I'm usually not one of them. This year, I'd like to suggest something a little different. I'd like to suggest that we start not by creating a laundry list of end goals, but rather with a far headier task, that being the definition of our personal/professional purpose.

So what is your purpose…beyond profit…or a pay check?

Interesting question, isn’t it?

Over the years, I’ve probably asked this question of several hundred people and what I’ve discovered is, the vast majority have difficulty clearly articulating how they contribute… either to the companies they work for… to the customers they serve… or, for the more esoteric amongst us…to the benefit of all mankind.

Equally interesting is that typically, these same people are not all that clear about what they want out of life; albeit, they’re pretty darn sure they’re not getting it! Very few among us have specific goals, let alone ones clearly aligned with our greater purpose. Even fewer have taken the time to write them down. Yet logic would certainly suggest that knowing where you want to go, and the route you’re going to take, greatly increases your chances of getting there.

On both of these fronts, most companies are not all that different. When the goals of an organization are unclear, or don’t align with their greater purpose, that’s when the main focus becomes just the money; and that’s when things often go off the rails. This, in part, might help explain the events that have plagued much of the economy over the last few months.

Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against profits, or pay checks, but much like the hockey player who keeps glancing up at the scoreboard, if you become overly obsessed with the score, or the money, eventually, you’re going to take a hit.

Conversely, if you’re clear about, and true to your purpose (we’ll assume it’s a worthy one) and you keep your eye on the goal, there is little doubt that the rewards will follow.

What do you think?

What is your purpose beyond profits…or a paycheck?

Do you have specific professional and/or life goals that align with that purpose?

Are they written down?

If you’re wondering what my personal purpose is, well, that’s personal, but I am certainly willing to share my professional purpose: As the President (and only employee) of the newly formed Wavemaker Consulting, my purpose beyond profit is to help enhance the human experience.

If you want to know more about that, you'll have to respond to this blog (click on comments below), visit our Website (click on the link above), or email me at wmconsulting@live.com.