What do you tell people you do?

[Scott Shepherd]

I've had a lot of opportunity to meet people in the last few weeks. I've probably met more people in the last few weeks than I met all of last year (I'm actively trying to branch out).

What I'm finding very confusing is trying to figure out what I'm going to tell people when they say "So, what do you do?". When I say "Laser Engraving", their eyes glaze over and you can see them check out because they have no idea what I'm talking about. If I say "Make signs", then they think about coroplast signs and the likes, leaving the possibility of laser engraving out. I'm finding that what I need to say varies greatly on the person I'm talking to.

If I'm talking to someone in real estate, then I need to tell them I make signs that are relevant to their industry. When I'm talking to an electrician, I need to speak in terms he can understand. Some are clear cut like the two above, but what do you say when you're speaking to an insurance salesman? An accountant?

Add to that, if you just tell them one area, then you leave out other opportunities. For example, I had an electrician stop by and we talked for a while, and before he left, I popped a keychain in and burned his company name and phone number on it and handed it to him. His eyes got wide and he asked if I could do pens and keychains as promotional items to hand out to his customers. So if I hadn't mentioned or shown that to him, he probably would have only thought we could do the things related to his electrical trade.

I'm really struggling with this because I want everyone I meet to know EVERYTHING we can do, but you rarely get that much time.

I'm just curious on what you tell people you do when you meet someone new. Laser Engraving? Signs? Engraving?

[Marc Myer]

Seriously, I usually say "I do all kinds of cool stuff" and give a short list, like 'make custom gizmos cut with a laser,' wood items, signs, etc. I also always carry a raster+vector sample, like a wooden business card and a precise little keychain to show them. You don't have to give stuff away, but once they can see something real, their eyes usually clear up and they come back to earth :)

[Frank Corker]

I wondered about that. Most of the time I tell them that I'm a neurological surgeon. Then when they finished laughing I tell them I do laser engraving. Most people don't know what it is about so you can really open up and let them have it.

[Joe Pelonio]

I don't get out much, I'm trying to handle my existing customers while adding
some more local ones and internet customers, so I don't have to drive into Bellevue or Seattle as much.

Signs, Laser Engraving & Cutting, and advertising specialties. Depending on who I talk to I may emphasize one of those but mention them all in one
sentence.

I am adding keywords to my google adwords all the time as things come up, but I am on the 2nd page of them now.

[Mike Null]

You might consider "personal and commercial identification".

[Joe Pelonio]

Another good one is "wayfinding."

[Dan Hintz]

It might help if you kept your own keys on an engraved keychain, an engraved pen in your pocket and on your desk, some uniquely engraved business cards in your wallet, etc. so they can see what you do rather than being told. A picture truly is worth a thousand words. Show them multiple items, but since they have your keys and your name on them, they won't want to take them permanently (though a pen with your company name on it so they can take with them is still a good idea) and it won't cost you too much in freebies.

[Lee DeRaud]

"Light-saber sculpture." :cool:

[Scott Shepherd]

I just had a meeting with a guy and I went a little better prepared. I showed up with several catalogs, Laserbits to Commercial Sign Systems. I flipped through a couple pages of each while describing how wide the range of things we could do. It got him asking more and more questions about various things, so having those catalogs really helped. We also spoke about this exact issue and how to get the word across. He even picked up on the pet tags and said "You don't want to do those, do you? I mean how many people want more than 1 for each pet". So he was picking up from my words that I wasn't looking for retail customers (he was right).

I'm now thinking a several page brochure with a wide variety of items is in order in the near future. Probably easier to put it all on paper and hand it to someone than try and explain it all to them.

[Phyllis Meyer]

Light-Saber Sculpter...that's my new title thanks to Lee! It does depend on who you are talking to. A lot of folks don't respond to: "Laser Engraving". A picture is worth a thousand words, always bring samples if you are going to your customer, and if they are coming to you, laser something for them...business card, key ring,...

Always have a photo album of all your work!

Sincerely,
Phyllis:)

[Glenn Clabo]

Light-Saber Sculpter...that's my new title thanks to Lee! Phyllis:)

Ya killing me Phyllis...ya killing me.

[Larry Bratton]

Light-Saber Sculpter...that's my new title thanks to Lee! It does depend on who you are talking to. A lot of folks don't respond to: "Laser Engraving". A picture is worth a thousand words, always bring samples if you are going to your customer, and if they are coming to you, laser something for them...business card, key ring,...

Always have a photo album of all your work!

Sincerely,
Phyllis:)
Ha! I love it Phyllis! Very cool. I'm gonna change my business cards tomorrow.

[Bill Cunningham]

Advertising specialties, and promotional products.. Gets me a lot fewer "YA Right" stares then when I taught underwater electric arc welding and practical explosives.. :eek:

[Micheal Donnellan]

practical explosives.. :eek:

Where do I sign up:)

sounds a lot of fun

[Bill Cunningham]

Ahh My friend, they say there is not a single problem in life that 'cannot' be solved with the suitable application of high explosives :D

[Greg Busch]

Bill,

"Gets me a lot fewer "YA Right" stares then when I taught underwater electric arc welding and practical explosives.. "

i hears ya, certainly when i try to tell people i drive a 200 ton tractor on the bottom of the ocean burying pipelines!

[Garry McKinney]

I just tell them "I use my imagination to unlock the world." It either starts a indepth conversation or ends one. ;)

[Anna Linn]

Graphic Designer/Laser Artist (and then I describe in detail)

Is that too fancy? :rolleyes:

[Vicky Orsini]

Ahh My friend, they say there is not a single problem in life that 'cannot' be solved with the suitable application of high explosives :D
I believe that's the mantra of the fellas over at MythBusters. :D

Pick up (on E-bay or wherever) a relatively inexpensive PDA. Load it up with photos of everything you do. A portfolio that fits into your pocket. ;) A great supplement to those few, smaller samples we should all have on-hand at all times.