"What do you do?" I never know the RIGHT answer...

by FredericoVilaVerde

Posted: 15 years ago 37 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

Hi Warriors,

I have a simple question...

Many time my friends and family have asked me this question:
"What do you do Frederico?" Since I am an IMer I can not tell
them that...

a) I am a PPC marketer and run ads in Google!
b) I do affiliate marketing!
c) I do email marketing!
d) Etc...

I mean... I can not give them a DEFINITE reply in a way
they can understand using 1 or 2 words . So, while
other "regular people" outside IM can say...

a) I am a lawyer!
b) I am product manager!
c) I am a company director!
d) I am a sales manager!
e) I am the CEO
f) etc...

... what can we say that can position correctly the TRUE
meaning of being an IMer? In other words... when someone
asks you this question "What do you do?" what is your reply?

Regards,

Frederico Vila Verde

#answer #what do you do

Gary McCaffrey 15 years ago

Sometimes I say I run an internet publishing company.

Although I'm with you it can be a difficult enough question to answer.
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- FredericoVilaVerde 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Gary McCaffrey
  
  Sometimes I say I run an internet publishing company.
  
  Although I'm with you it can be a difficult enough question to answer.
  
  Gary, thanks for your comments.
  
  The problem with "Internet Publishing Company"
  is that the next question in their minds is this:
  
  "And what do you publish?"
  
  This gets the "never ending" or "back to back"
  replies into the conversation.
  
  Regards,
  
  Frederico Vila Verde
  
  Thanks
  
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Dan C. Rinnert 15 years ago

Options:

1) Marketer or Product Marketer
2) Online Salesperson or Internet Salesperson
3) Product Representative
4) Online Sales Manager or Internet Sales Manager
5) Director of Online Marketing or Director of Internet Marketing
6) CEO (You run your own IM business, right?)
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CDarklock 15 years ago

Originally Posted by FredericoVilaVerde

Many time my friends and family have asked me this question: "What do you do Frederico?"

"I run my own company."

Simple as that. You have business cards, right?
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- FredericoVilaVerde 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by CDarklock
  
  "I run my own company."
  
  CDarklock, thanks for your comments.
  
  The problem with that answer is that the next
  question in their minds is this:
  
  "And what do you sell?"
  
  Again, this gets the "never ending" or
  "back to back" replies into the conversation.
  
  .......
  
  I agree with you and Dan C. Rinnert (on the
  "CEO" answer) in the sense that these answers
  should be the more approximate replies as for
  the main CONCEPT. Even "entrepreneur" can be
  a good answer in some cases.
  
  The thing is I was looking for the ONE answer
  that can "kill the cat" without the "back-to-back"
  annoying replies...
  
  You know... when you say to yourself:
  "Oh Gosh, here we go again!" and then
  you are forced to explain in more detail
  what you do... and dozens of TIMES!
  
  Regards,
  
  Frederico Vila Verde
  
  Thanks
  
  2 replies
  
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  Dan C. Rinnert 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by FredericoVilaVerde
  
  The thing is I was looking for the ONE answer
  that can "kill the cat" without the "back-to-back"
  annoying replies...
  
  Pitchman? Or online pitchman?
  
  Thanks
  
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  Dan's content is irregularly read by handfuls of people. Join the elite few by reading his blog: dcrBlogs.com, following him on Twitter: dcrTweets.com or reading his fiction: dcrWrites.com but NOT by Clicking Here!
  
  Dan also writes content for hire, but you can't afford him anyway.
  
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  CDarklock 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by FredericoVilaVerde
  
  The problem with that answer is that the next question in their minds is this: "And what do you sell?"
  
  And your answer should be "What do you need?"
  
  This is a prospecting opportunity! Why are you complaining?!
  
  [ 1 ] Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
  Signature
  
  "The Golden Town is the Golden Town no longer. They have sold their pillars for brass and their temples for money, they have made coins out of their golden doors. It is become a dark town full of trouble, there is no ease in its streets, beauty has left it and the old songs are gone." - Lord Dunsany, The Messengers
  
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  FredericoVilaVerde 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by CDarklock
  
  And your answer should be "What do you need?"
  
  This is a prospecting opportunity! Why are you complaining?!
  
  Great point of view CDarklock.
  
  Now I think that makes perfect sense when doing business
  or having any kind of social meetings outside your "friends
  inner circle".
  
  For prospecting giving the most complex, bizzare and
  curiosity driven answer... I know that's the best approach.
  For example, you can say... in the case of doing PPC for
  other companies:
  
  Q: What do you do?
  A: "I burn the fat from online advertising campaigns".
  
  Q: You do WHAT?
  A: I mean I optimize advertising for Google.
  
  Q: And how do you burn the fat?
  A: I splt-test ads and landing pages to the point
  where the ads "milk themselves" in perpetual profits.
  
  Q: Split-testing? What's that?
  A: That's what any business needs to optimze their
  ads and landing pages. Do you have a business?
  
  ... and by now if you get a "Yes"...
  
  ... you can START prospecting. I agree 100%!
  
  Anyways, I was saying... my question was not
  towards the prospecting part or "business factor"
  associated with the question.
  
  What really kills me is the context of "family"
  and "friends" really. I was looking more into the
  "friendship factor" associated with the question.
  
  I mean I can not even tell what I do to my
  best friend in simple fashion. If I need 2-3
  sentences... that's not an a simple answer!
  
  That's a TESTAMENT!
  
  And I am not over killing myself with this topic really.
  I just want to know what you guys think about it and
  if anyone has come up already with a...
  
  - Distinct, easy and 100% to the point answer.
  
  That's it!
  
  Regards,
  
  Frederico Vila Verde
  
  Thanks
  
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deanfz 15 years ago

I just say that: I find a hungry crowd of people, create a prdouct for them or choose an exisitng product, and then finally I give them what they want and need.

So as simple as that: I am a business man (:

greetings
D.
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Slyknight 15 years ago

Just say something like "I am an online seller for w/e company."
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- JohnMcCabe 15 years ago
  
  I don't get into what "I" do. My answer?
  
  "One of my companies markets a variety of products for other companies on the Internet - kind of like a sales rep. My other company helps small real-world businesses market themselves on the Internet."
  
  Thanks
  
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- dave830 15 years ago
  
  I love this WF family. Because only here can I find people who have this exact same issue I have.
  
  I'm gotten to the point where I say "I own an internet consulting company."
  
  Prestigious enough to elicit an "mmmm" and a nod, and all words they have at least heard of before.
  
  If they ask more, it's usually "what do you consult about?" I can get into more of my elevator speech...
  
  Thanks
  
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  I don't have anything to offer, but have a great day anyway!
  
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ChrisByrns 15 years ago

"I develop websites".. Or: "I design Websites" (which can also be applied if you're not designing sites for customers - even if you do ppc marketing you still set up and, well.. design websites.)
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- Ray Erdmann 15 years ago
  
  They: "So, what do you do?"
  You: I own & operate my business...
  
  They: Wow! Really? What type of business is it?
  You: "Internet Marketing"
  
  They: "How does that work?"
  You: "I produce or procure informational 'how to' products and sell them through various sales channels"
  
  Once you get that far, start asking them about what THEY DO and THEIR jog and get the conversation back on them quickly. This technique has worked wonders for me when I've been asked what "I do".
  
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Raiel Schwartz 15 years ago

"I wrestle bums on the street for change."

No wonder nobody asks me what I do anymore
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- dave830 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Craig.Michaels
  
  "I wrestle bums on the street for change."
  
  Dude.... that's hilarious...
  
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Cerberus 15 years ago

I just tell them I run a series of information websites.

However the ususl response to that is ooohhhh??????

That is usually followed by so how do you do that?

Sometimes I have a bit of fun and tell them I run some adult website (which I don't). That is always fun to see the looks on their face.
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- Anita Ashland 15 years ago
  
  I have the same problem as a copywriter. People think I mean "copyright" and assume I do legal work with copyrights. No one seems to know what a copywriter is, unless they watch Mad Men. So I just say I'm a writer for businesses.
  
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hugeaffiliatecash 15 years ago

I've always ran into this too, running my own business from home. New to affiliate/cpa marketing so I'll have to get a new answer now ;-)
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- Lawrh 15 years ago
  
  "What do you do?"
  
  Webmaster
  
  "What kind of websites?"
  
  What kind do you want?
  
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Randy Bheites

15 years ago

"i run my own online marketing business'.

I generally don't get many more questions after that.

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FredericoVilaVerde

15 years ago

Originally Posted by dave830

I'm gotten to the point where I say "I own an internet consulting company."

Dave, I like your reply.

It just but does not accurately represent doing,
for example, affiliate marketing.

That's a great reply when creating PPC campaigns
for other companies though (or even for SEO).

Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert

Pitchman? Or online pitchman?

Would that "kill the cat" or "stir the cat"?

In all cases that was a very entertaining answer!

Originally Posted by Ray Erdmann

They: "So, what do you do?"
You: I own & operate my business...

They: Wow! Really? What type of business is it?
You: "Internet Marketing"

They: "How does that work?"
You: "I produce or procure informational 'how to' products and sell them through various sales channels"

Ray, that's a 3 strike answer.

That's my problem. I want a simple one
that can kill it after "strike 1".

Cause that's a workable answer for
one friend. Than comes the next friend
and you have 3*2 = 6 answers, etc...

It just grows and grows!

Originally Posted by Craig.Michaels

"I wrestle bums on the street for change."

No wonder nobody asks me what I do anymore

Great sense of humour Craig.

I loved it! LOL!

Originally Posted by Megaseller

How abt telling them ur Self-employed?

I've tried "freelancer" a couple of times (and
I know it does not coin 100% to the concept)

Next question people ask is...

"What do you do as a freelancer?"

And I am back to ground zero!

Originally Posted by Lawrh

"What do you do?"

Webmaster

"What kind of websites?"

What kind do you want?

This a good 2-strike approach. Just the first answer
is not tied with the concept 100%. But still got to love
the second question Lawrh!

Originally Posted by Randy Bheites

"i run my own online marketing business'.

I generally don't get many more questions after that.

Randy, I think that's the best answer so far and the
one I will start probably using. It makes a lot of sense
because people know the words well when isolated:

a) Online
b) Marketing
c) Business

I will stick with your reply for now.

While it's not 1-2 words... It's the best one I've
seen coming personally so far. THANKS!

Regards,

Frederico Vila Verde

P.S. And THANKS to everyone for all the posts with
these many ideas so far.

Thanks

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artwebster 15 years ago

If anybody was to ask me what I do I would apologise for being so boring that we have run out of conversation.

I have been asked this question only once and my response was a simple 'Why?'

If you are being asked this question in a social setting, you are doing something wrong. Social and business should never share the same time.
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iwisuccess 15 years ago

And most of the time when I try to explain what I do - manage online projects - my family and couple of friends get the wrong idea anyway, and pass it further. Then I discover that those whom they told about me think I am a programmer or their favorite "computer person"
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Profnet

15 years ago

After reading this thread, I was confused by what "purpose" you have for your WDYD answer - do you want to use it as a prospecting tool - and therefore want to say something that causes people to ask you more questions? Or do you want the answer to end all questions about what you do (which if I read this thread right, is what you want)? Most people are looking for the first option - I have written some material on that option. I'm kinda new here so I don't know if posting stuff like that is allowed.

But if you are looking for the later, I have found the following to be quite effective in ending all questions about what I do:

You wouldn't believe me if I told you.

or

It's hard to explain

or

I haven't really figured that out myself yet.

I know those answers don't "say" anything but they end all questions.

Respectfully,

Nancy Roebke

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JohnMcCabe 15 years ago

A long-lost friend of mine used to be a salesman for a big pharmaceutical company. His stock answer, whaen asked what he did was, "I sell drugs..."
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FredericoVilaVerde

15 years ago