Practice Marketing: How to Answer What Do You Do? to Increase Prospects, Publicity and Profits

"What do you do?"

"I'm a CPA. What do you do?"

"I'm a stockbroker."

End of conversation.

And the end of an opportunity to promote you and what you do in a way that will increase your prospects, publicity and profits.

Some like to call it The Elevator Speech" as in something you can say in the time it takes to ride on an elevator.

What I found is that many many people never ride on elevators. So the term Laser Speech really gets at what you want to do - communicate what you do in a focused and compelling way.

What I Said Before

I came across this technique out of desperation. In the past, when someone would ask what I did, I would answer with "I'm a marriage and family therapist."

I thought it was a pretty good thing to say, I am proud of what I do and have worked hard to get here.

The problem was when I said I was a marriage and family therapist, I would get one of three reactions:

1)"Oh, that's nice." And then turn and walk away as if I am dangerous or something.

2)"Oh, so have you been analyzing me?" Not until right now is what I was tempted to say.

3) The person would begin to tell me, in detail, all about their horrible husband or wife.

What I Do Now

Contrast that with waht I use now in response to "What do you do?"

"Do you know how so often in relationships couples will drift apart and end up room mates instead of soul mates?"

"Well what I do is empower couples to create passionate and loving relationships that will last."

The minimum response I usually get is "Wow, do you have a business card?"

The best, and typical response I get is either want to schedule an appointment right away or know someone that does.

Create Your Own Laser Speech

Notice the specifics of this model:

1) "Do you know how.........followed by the naming of a common problem that you see in your area of expertise.

2) Followe by "Well what I do is...........a benefit rich compelling statement about what you do.

So simply fill in the following blanks:

"Do you know how.............................?

"Well what I do is...........................

And you will be on your way to a compelling laser speech that will increase your prospects, publicity and profits.

Practice building coach Jeff Herring, MS, LMFT is the President of BuildingYourIdealPractice.com, empowering private practice professionals to build, market and live the practice of their dreams. You are invited to subscribe to the f'ree Getting Clients Newsletter and our f'ree monthly Practice Building Tele-Seminar

---

Standards for Dry Washing and Pressure Washing in Mobile Car Care

The industry standard for mobile washing is completing the car... Read More

25 Ways To Get More Business

Special Requirements for Reprint: we ask only that... Read More

Sales and Marketing: Can One Exist Without the Other?

Simply put the marketing people and the sales people depend... Read More

Ten Tips for Creating a Winning Proposal ? Part 1

If you want your business to grow and attract new... Read More

Advertising Your Private Practice: 6 Tips for Maximizing Your Results-Part 2

As discussed in part 1 of this article, "Your Private... Read More

The Power Of A Story

If you want your marketing to be effective, you absolutely... Read More

5 Reasons Your Marketing Communication is Falling Flat

One of my associates sent me a promotional email she'd... Read More

Telemarketers Dont Like Them? Heres An Idea For Ya!

Telemarketers... ooohhh... I'll bet we've all got a nice story... Read More

Notable News - Its Not About You!

You enjoy what you do. In fact, you love your... Read More

People Pleasing Postcards

Why are more businesses turning to full-color postcards as a... Read More

Are Keywords Destroying the Flow of Your SEO Copy?

With all the shuffling that's been seen in the search... Read More

How To Create Urgency So People Buy Now

..products or services now. They may not revisit your web... Read More

Ditch Coupons Before Customers Ditch You

Everyone wants to feel like they're getting a good deal.... Read More

Leverage The Power Of Using Flyers To Advertise Your Online Product or Service Offline

One commonly overlooked method of advertising offline is flyers. Flyers... Read More

Ready, Fire, Aim!

You probably read my headline and thought, wait a minute,... Read More

Focus...a Marketing Strategy

The secret to increasing sales doesn't lie in choosing just... Read More

10 Powerful Marketing Tips

1. Print your best small ad on a postcard and... Read More

Do You Know Where Your Email Address is Today?

Having people go to your website is not always easy:... Read More

Nice Guys Finish First

Volunteering your services can be an excellent way to form... Read More

Five Cheap Tricks for Promoting Your Business

If you're like me, you're always looking for ways to... Read More

The Exiler

THE EXILER (your search for true brand attributes ends here!)With... Read More

Is Your Marketing Working...

That is the question, you should be asking yourself. Many... Read More

Meaning and Marketing - The Hurricane

I step outside my back door and look at some... Read More

Forward Thinkers Stay Ahead of the Curve

What is it like from a marketing perspective to be... Read More

Ten Tips for Creating a Winning Proposal ? Part 2

Part 1 of this series described five critical components for... Read More

5 Ways To Entice Your Parallel Market to Trade Links

Lots of people get confounded when attempting to exchange links,... Read More

Get Results: Start with Your Marketing Message and Objective

Recently I was talking with a very bright traditional marketer... Read More

Do this One Thing and Beat 85% of Your Competition!

Maybe you don't want to work that hard, or maybe... Read More

Sell Big Ticket Items Now! - 1 Simple Step To Keep Your Fears From Holding YOU Back

First, some background on today's topic. I've had a terrible... Read More

Four Simple Ways to Cut Your Trade Show Marketing Budget in Half

Many times when a trade show is planned for there... Read More

A Point in Every Direction is the Same As No Point At All

Ever try to be something for everyone and find no... Read More

Key Marketing Questions - Planning Your Marketing Campaign

So you started a business. How's it going? Did you... Read More

Secret Marketing Plan

Many people have asked me what was the secret to... Read More