How should an Internet Marketer answer this wonderful question ??

[wcmylife]

So I am at my daughters school and this lady walks up to me, says I am Miss Mary and I am one of the teachers out here and then asks me...

WHAT DO YOU DO?

I hate to admit it but I get stuck on this one - more often than not. My replies either come out with a sales pitch or just goes over the head of the person asking the question...

I am an Internet Marketer
I run an Online Business
I help businesses digitize their marketing campaigns
I help small businesses with online consulting...

People outside the IM world really do not understand what IM is all about, especially with a one line answer...

Anyone else been in this situation before? Any cool ideas would be appreciated...

Gotta visit the school again on Monday...hahahaa


PS: My wife tells me she faces the same thing at work...what does your husband do for a living?

[Gary336]

I would just say that you run a small business online, selling guides and reports to people who want to learn more about X subject.

Most people should be able to grasp this concept and if not, then withdraw your child from that school before it is too late

[The Copy Nazi]

My French neighbors asked me what I did for a living. They didn't understand the answer "I'm an Internet Marketing copywriter" so my wife helpfully added "He has websites". They asked to look at some - to get the web addresses. I was a bit self-conscious - I don't like talking to civilians about my campaigns. I hesitated - I was wondering which ones to show them so answered "I'd prefer to show them to you myself".

Since then they've been a bit weird. Not as friendly as they once were.

Last week I find out from another neighbor that they describe me as "That guy with the porno sites".

I was going to set them straight...but what can you say? "Look I don't really have porn sites. I just have a bunch of sites on all sorts of stuff - like how to teach your dog to whistle".

Maybe I should get a sign made up for the front gate - PornSitesR.us ?

[John_S]

You should have a good answer (or at least one you're auditioning) as an internet marketer. Your Unique Selling Proposition should be an answer to "what do you do?"

Unfortunately, off the Warrior Forum, marketing is what you get into when you don't want to sell stuff. Marketing has gotten a high falutin' too-big-for-its-britches rep.

Okay, copywriting has been said to be salesmanship in print. So what's marketing? Worse yet, what's so special about internet marketing or even information marketing that is has to be different from plain, old, marketing?

Finally, as marketers, your answer to What Do You Do should provoke a very specific response. At least in your target prospect, your answer should cause people to then ask "Oh really ....how do you do that?"

It should not be a discussion ender, but a starter. And if you're squeemish of embarassed about the sites, your USP, or what you do ...you're probably identifying something you need to correct.

[Daniel Scott]

My answer:

"I"m in advertising."

If they ask me more, then I say "I'm freelance", and that the majority of what I do is internet-based.

I've never had anyone ask beyond that.

Of course, if I'm at a seminar or something the answer's different, because people know what "direct response copywriter" means.

But that's the answer I give "everyday people".

-Daniel

[John_S]

I've never had anyone ask beyond that.

And that is ... good?

[Renavon]

Most people dont really know what Internet Marketing is about, just say you own an online business, if they ask more state you help grow other companies

[Daniel Scott]

IMHO, not really good or bad... it just is.

I tend to keep my personal and business life reasonably separate. When I go out, I'm not looking to pitch people... I'm looking to have fun and hang with my friends.

I suppose a few people (business owners or whatever) have asked more, and a couple have hired me... but personally I can't be bothered trying to explain the ins and outs of what I do. And most people don't want to hear it anyway.

They'd rather have me ask about them... tell them the funny story from back when I was 17... or bond over our choice in recreational activities.

YMMV.

-Daniel

[max5ty]

Next time you pull into the school in your Lamborghini Aventador, and Timmy's mom asks what you do, have this plan in place:

First, you should always have a business name.

Something that sounds official -- not something like: "Bob's website for cheap ebooks on dieting, forex, SEO, Adsense and Politics".

Make it something like: "The Internet".

Then you can say, "I own The Internet".

When she asks what "The Internet" does, you can say, "We're a marketing firm".

If she wants to know more simply hand her a business card.

Funny how some seem to think nobody would understand their internet marketing jobs -- yet there's somebody out there buying your stuff.

Why do you always think they're people in other states or countries?

Lots of them could be your neighbors -- or even your nosey school parents

[RS3RS]

My response is "I work in Internet Marketing". Most people just give me a "What does that mean..?" look and stop asking.

Or, when it's phrased as "Where do you work?" I'll make the answer a little longer, such as: "I work freelance, in the Internet Marketing field".

The "where" always throws me off. I hate saying "home" for some reason, so I just stick with "freelance" and let them figure the rest out.

[Louise M]

@RS3RS,
I love saying I work from home. People always seem to find that so dreamy.

@ wcmylife,
I freelance write as well as do internet marketing. So, when I'm asked what do I do at home and I tell them, they tend to clamp onto the writing and don't ask much about the online stuff.

In your case, I would just say I have an online business where I help other businesses with their marketing or I help others with online marketing for their business.

Most people when they ask are just being polite and don't want to know all of the details. I know this, because my husband has an offline job that's tricky to explain. His title seems to baffle people. So when he tries to explain further, you eventually see the listener's eyes start to glaze over. At first I thought it was my husband just talking too much. But when I tried to explain a few times myself, I got the same results. (so it's not just IM!)

Another tactic (you have to switch it up sometimes) : you could do is say you're an online marketer or have an online business and then change the subject by asking them something about their job.

Good question, thanks for bringing it up!
Louise

[Ashley Gable]

Originally Posted by Daniel Scott

My answer:

"I"m in advertising."

If they ask me more, then I say "I'm freelance", and that the majority of what I do is internet-based.

I've never had anyone ask beyond that.

Of course, if I'm at a seminar or something the answer's different, because people know what "direct response copywriter" means.

But that's the answer I give "everyday people".

-Daniel

This is basically what I say as well. I just tell them I am in advertising - or that I am an online advertiser. Usually the second one makes 'em think I have something to do with facebook, I guess people must equate facebook with advertising.


Anyways I know when I ask people what they do I am not really that interested, just being polite. So I think as long as you give some general answer they are fine with it. As soon as a I add marketer or websites or online businesses they start to look confused.

[Zak Meftah]

Hey,

I would prefer to answer as follow :

I Run a small Internet-Based Company,

What it does ?

Well, we help small businesses to grow their online presence