Have you ever been to a networking event and asked somebody what they do and they go off on a long winded explanation of everything they do including products and services as well as the terms and conditions? Or they then say why they are great and better than their competitors because they go the extra mile and have so many years experience, are fully customer focused, and my own particularly favourite statement we are “bespoke” as opposed to giving me a standard product or any other rubbish of the shelf and I should be grateful for that!

All of the above make it difficult to engage in a proper conversation with someone as it feels like you’re on the receiving end of commercial, so how can we make the opening conversation go more smoothly?

A much better way is to explain to people why you do what you do, what truly separates you from others in your field and how their business will be better after they have engaged with you. We all have a reason as to why things are important to us, whether it’s about quality, our clients enjoying more free time, delivering fantastic customer service, or why we are passionate about our product and service. We have an inherent feeling as to why we operate in the World the way we do and why the difference we make to our clients is important to us and that’s what truly separates us from our competitors.

A great way to start is to use the phrase “do you know how?”

This engages the person you’re speaking to and lets them see you know how important what you’re about to say is. Below is an example of conversation starter I’ve heard and the profession of the person who said it.

“Do you know how in business the most important thing to a lot of business owners after their family is their business, and if the smallest detail is missed it can cause them a nasty surprise? Well we hate nasty surprises so we look after the tiny details to make sure our clients don’t get any from HMRC.” – Accountant

This is a great way to start a conversation rather than just talk at people about what you do.

So the next time you are asked what you do tell people what’s important to you in the way you operate in business and why because of this they will be better off.

Remember people will care more about what you when they know why you do it.

Until next time.

Dave