Do you dread the question, “What do you do?” We often say the boring and typical response of what our profession is.  For instance, you would say, “I am an accountant.”

The problem with this is that it really doesn’t tell the person you are meeting much about who you are or give them any information to ask a follow-up question.  Usually, you will get awkward silence because they don’t completely understand what it is you do. Or even worse, the person you are meeting already has a preconceived idea of what your profession is and relate that to you now (accountants are so boring!).

How to Introduce Yourself & Start a Conversation

According to the book, Book Yourself Solid, we are so much more than your one-word professions. We need to toss out the generic labels of teacher, designer, etc.  Instead set yourself apart from everyone else and make yourself unique during introductions.  The secret is two easy steps:

1. “You know how” – Here you state the problem or issue that is in the world that the other person should be aware of.
2. “Well, what I do is” – Here you state how you solve the problem or issue you mentioned previously.

[Related Post: 3 Reasons Why IRL (In Real Life) Networking Still Kicks Butt]

For example:

“You know how when a business creates a website they want to show up when someone searches for something related into Google? Well, what I do is help businesses create websites that tell Google what their brand is about. I am an SEO.”

“You know how small businesses owners often don’t have time or the knowledge to handle their taxes and business expenses? Well, what I do is help them stay organized throughout the year so once tax time hits they don’t have to spend weeks sorting through boxes of receipts. I am an accountant focused on helping small businesses. “

An easy way to introduce yourself, right!?

Do you enjoy meeting new people?  What’s your new introduction?