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 [...]