How do you tell people what it is you do?

4 replies
Without giving speeches. Like, when I tell people that I work from home, set my own schedule and work when I feel like it they look at me as if I am some sort of a genius (I have a genius level IQ, but that's another topic for another thread lol).

Without being an ass, how do you explain it to friends and family?

When I first started I needed a small investment ($400) from my family members. I told them what I was going to be marketing products online. I just got a blank stare from all of them.

It took me a few days to come back with a plan to get the startup money I needed.

How do you explain to people what it is you actually do without them looking at you like you're in special ed?
#people
  • Profile picture of the author Kenster
    I completely understand, somehow people think if you work online you are a fraud or doing porn. Online marketing is certainly not legitmate in many peoples eyes.

    If I dont know the people well, I make up something I do like...my family is independently wealthy so I'm a bum that gets an allowance every week haha

    In all seriousness, I try and explain to people by giving example. I tell them I own an internet marketing company and I work with Netflix. Netflix gives me $28 for every person I can get to sign up for their free 2 week trial. My company goes out and tries to get as many leads as possible on the internet for netflix and thats what I do and how I make money.

    Whenever I try and explain any more specific than that, just blank stares haha
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      when I tell people that I work from home, set my own schedule and work when I feel like it
      Why do you feel a need to explain it?

      Kudos to your family for requiring you to develop a business plan before giving you startup money.

      New marketers seem to have a need to be recognized for their online activities. Recently I had a conversation with someone who doesn't know what I do but knows me only through my very part-time offline job.

      I kept a straight face but it was hard. His entire focus was on his online dream of what he is going to do, how rich he is going to be...and then went on with the standard IM prattle of how superior working online was to having a "job". He makes his own schedule and works only when he wants to and makes money when he sleeps, etc. blah, blah, blah

      Later I realized he said nothing. He didn't mention building websites or blogs, creating a product or making sales - just talked about the wonders of being an internet marketer.

      Truth is, he lives with his mother (he's in his 30's), drives a rattletrap car and never has any money. Maybe he should reconsider the "work only when I want to"?

      When friends and family see you are doing well and working online, you will be taken seriously. Until then, just tell them you build sites or sell products and let it go at that. Work at impressing yourself with what you accomplish and let others think what they will.

      kay
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  • Profile picture of the author devilishsaint
    I usually say them that i make websites. :-S and thats what i don't do most of the time but its always hard to make people understand about it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kenster
    Similar to Kay, I hear newbies telling me about their dreams online all the time, but then dont have a means of getting to those dreams. Yes, you can make it huge online, every day many people are doing it. But it takes work, it takes a plan, it takes a business.

    Their dreams...those dreams of working 2 hour days, of working in pjs, they are all very real and achievable, but you have to put in your work in the beginning to get to that point. Thats what the salesletters dont tell you!
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