When People Ask You What You Do, What Do You Say?

Have you ever been to a networking event and made the serious error of asking someone in Direct Sales what they do?

Oh my! That could lead to a melt down of your patience as you try to discretely develop a ploy for your grand escape!

Maybe you are guilty of being that super-excited, I-can’t-let-a-live-one-get-away person! The more disinterested they look the more excited you get! You can feel your Golden Retriever--I'm desperate-for-a-walk-syndrome leaping out in you! I’ve been guilty! Have you?

I recently listened to a conference call between a top income earner in our company and our corporate interviewer. I loved her first answers and then added a follow-up technique that I learned from Jillian Middleton, head coach at SavvySponsoring.com. You may want to add a bit more—operative word—“a bit” more to the content. Here’s how it goes—

“So, Diane, tell me, what do you do?”

“I have the best job in the world and I absolutely love what I do.”

Oh my—doesn’t that just make you drool with curiosity.

“Really, tell me about that.”

“I work with a great international company. I work from home and I don’t work very many hours a week, but I make fabulous money.”

How coy! How very effective—I await her next words.

“Wow! That sounds great! What do you do?”

“So you’d be interested in learning more?”

“Absolutely!”

“I know there are lots of other people wanting to connect with you this morning, so let’s exchange numbers and I’ll call you this week. How does that sound?

“Great!”

Which day is better this week—Tuesday or Wednesday?

“Tuesday”

“Afternoon or evening.”

Evening would be better.

“Seven or eight?”

“Seven”

“When your phone rings on Tuesday at seven, I’ll be on the line. I’ll write our appointment in my book right now. (Offer pen) Would you care to write it on your calendar as well?”

“Oh sure.”

“It was my pleasure to meet you. (Shake hands) I really look forward to learning more about you on the phone Tuesday at 7. By the way, we have more opportunities to do what I do.”

QUESTION—how many appointments can you set during one networking event when you spend less than 2 minutes getting their curiosity aroused and booking a telephone appointment to learn about them?