When I first made the decision to go out on my own and started my Virtual Assistant business I dreaded meeting anyone new and being asked THAT question.  So Kristie – WHAT DO YOU DO?

My usual response was I’m a Virtual Assistant.  This usually got me the blank stare, no response – utter silence.  I’d be stammering for something else to say to keep the conversation going.  Um well I provide admin support for businesses but I work from home.  More often than not within 30 seconds I got the standard response – It was nice to meet you Kristie; I might catch up with you later.

I would always go home asking myself why don’t I meet any business contacts that are interested in what I do.  Eventually it dawned on me.  It was my response.  That first response is crucial as it’s their first impression of what you do and here I am giving them a 2 word answer they probably have NO idea what it is, nor what it means and immediately they are thinking to them-self – “how can I get away politely”.

It was like a light bulb moment.  I needed to portray what I did in a way that people would understand and more importantly want to know more.

So, it was back to the drawing board for me to really think about what I did as a Virtual Assistant, how our admin support can help business reach their potential and more importantly why use us. It was that simple – three key things:

  • WHAT is it you do;
  • HOW your services can help; and
  • WHY use your organisation.

So based on these three key points my brief 30 sec “commercial” was born.  No longer am I nervous about the dreaded question and more importantly I found if you are confident in your answer, you will usually be asked more questions about your business and you have also planted seeds in their head about how your business can help them.

A powerful impression leads to successful networking which in turn engages you with more potential clients.

So next time you are heading off to a networking event, my advice is prepare first.  Think about your What, How, Why and create your own 30 sec commercial and really make the most of every networking opportunity.