“What You Do” Statement

Written by Julie McMahon. Posted in Canadian Marketing

Dear IBBC Readers,

When it comes to creating a successful career or business in Canada, it is so important the way that you communicate with the public. As you are participating in Canadian culture and attending networking events in various communities, what you want to have is what we call a “What You Do” statement. That’s right, in 30 words or less, you want to convey the passion you have and the work that you do in simple terms that everybody can understand.

There are 4 criteria for developing an effective “What You Do” Statement, and they are:

1) CLEAR PROBLEM

“Does what you do clearly state the pain that you help alleviate?” You need to ensure that whatever the problem you are solving is one that people actually have. And that you are saying it the same way that your customers say it to themselves late at night when they can’t sleep because they have this problem (ie. “my kitchen sink is leaking and getting worse and I need to call a plumber tomorrow or we may have a flooded house”). In this case, you would say “Hello, I am ___ plumber, when you have a leaky sink, it causes stress and frustration for the whole family, it’s not fun and it keeps you up at night worrrying about other potential hazards that can occur in addition to any initial leak”.

2) CLEAR SOLUTION

“Does it push the pleasure button?

“Does your solution push the pleasure button?” In this case, you would say, “We are plumbers that specialize in permanently fixing chronically leaky sinks for good. You and your family will never have to worry about additional costs and hazards when it comes to using your kitchen sink once we’ve completed upgrading your equipment.”

3) IS IT COMPELLING?

“Does it push the intrigue button?

You want to position your “What You Do” statement with a call to action that is intriguing. For instance, you could say something like “Our plumbing technology is designed with copper medal conduction which lasts longer and saves you money in the longterm. ” This shows that there’s something special about the work you do, as opposed to others doing the same thing.

4) CREATE CONNECTIONS

“Does it push the help a friend button?” Selling yourself or your business is about creating connections with others. If your message can go beyond the “one time sale” to reach other people in the community, if someone feels confident about recommending you, this is where the gold is. And so the plumber would say “We have started a “leaky sink fix-it” campaign and as community outreach for our organization, we regularly go into low-income houses and fix their sinks free of charge, it’s our way of giving back”.

Follow these techniques with every interaction you have in Canada. And you will make friends, influence others, and grow a very prosperous future for yourself and your family.

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