How to Answer ‘What Do You Do?’ Without Using Your Job Title. Your job title says a lot — just not anything people care about.

People tend to be wrapped up in themselves, both personally and professionally. That’s not selfish or Machiavellian. It’s just human nature. While that’s ok, it’s not effective when it comes to communicating how you view your role or the value of the enterprise you’ve worked so hard to create.

The problem with labeling yourself based on your title 

As individuals and as entrepreneurs, often you must explain the role you or your company plays. Everyone has a go-to line they use to respond to the natural question, “So, what do you do?” Chances are your knee-jerk response to that question focuses on your place in the hierarchy of your organization.

You might say, “I’m the assistant vice president of marketing for e-channels at Acme” or “I’m the director of sustainability for the Northeast region for Big Bank.” There’s also the vague and unhelpful, “I’m in private equity.”

Many professionals introduce themselves based on their job title, which usually offers little insight into what the person does. You fall into the same trap when you explain the nature of your newly formed company. You default to using the description you put on your Certificate of Incorporation application with the Delaware Division of Corporations, which, again, doesn’t engage or inspire anyone.

Like the examples above, you are likely to use the “to be” verb. “I am…” or “We are….”

When you introduce yourself using the “to be” verb, you communicate that you view yourself based on a status you have achieved.

For example, you might respond, “I am the executive director of Mid-West Central,” or “I am the deputy associate general counsel of ABC Corp.”  Introducing yourself based on your title suggests that you view yourself based on status, which is inherently less inviting and interesting. It can also create distance rather than understanding.

Introduce yourself based on your contribution, not status. 

Instead of using the “to be” verb, use the verb “help.” I was the managing partner of my firm for 12 years. I never once introduced myself by saying, “I’m the managing partner of Exec|Comm.” It was a small company so it would be presumptuous to assume anyone is familiar with it. Also, the title “managing partner” conveys nothing substantive and smacks of ego. Instead, I would say, “I help people communicate better,” which is a more accurate explanation of what I do.

When you structure your introduction as “I help [who] do [what]” you convey to your listener that you view yourself not in terms of status, but in terms of contribution. That focus on your impact rather than your achievement is inherently more interesting to other people.

Of course, if you teach second grade at the local elementary school, don’t introduce yourself by saying, “I help young minds explore and experience the world.” That’s obnoxious. Just say you teach second grade. Everyone understands that.

In corporate settings, however, many people have job titles meant to impress rather than convey context. Instead of thinking about your job title as it is perceived within your organization, think about how your daily activities impact the world beyond yourself. How is the world better off because of what you do?

For example, you’re not a “financial planner.” Instead, say that you “help people make sure they can retire in comfort.” You’re not the “assistant art director” for a home goods website. Instead, you “help people picture the living space they always wanted.” You’re not the “OSHA compliance manager for Acme.” You “help colleagues stay safe on the job.”

Connect your work with your audience 

The closer you can connect your statement to the person with whom you are speaking, the more it will resonate with them. If I don’t have context for someone else’s role, I just say, “I help people communicate better.” However, if the other person was just talking about a presentation they gave at work, I’ll say, “That presentation you were just talking about, I help people hone their content and delivery when they’re preparing for those events.”

Because people are almost always more interested in talking about themselves than someone else, I’ll then immediately flip the conversation back to the other person. “In that presentation you just delivered, what was the one sentence you wanted people to remember at the end?” The same approach works regardless of your role in the business world.

If you buy ingredients for a pet food company, instead of saying, “I’m a sourcing manager for Ace Pet Foods,” say, “I love animals. I help make sure people can buy healthy food for their pets.”

The same approach applies when discussing your business. Most people have searched for services online. Sometimes, you are directed to a company website that, when you read the firm’s description, you think, “It sounds impressive, but I have no idea what that means.”

What to consider before responding to, “So, what do you do?”  

1. Can you say it aloud without reading it? Read your explanation of your firm on your website. Then, look away from the screen and try to repeat it. If you can’t say it without reading it, that means that no one in your organization says that line when someone asks them what the company does. It needs some work.

2. Would a 10-year-old understand it? Picture a kid you know – your child, a niece, a nephew, or a neighbor’s kid. If you had to explain what your company does to that child, what would you say? Chances are, at a minimum, you would instinctively replace any industry jargon with simple language that anyone would comprehend. To explain what your company does, imagine everyone outside your industry is a 10-year-old. Make it easy for them.

3. Is it about you or the audience you serve? If it’s about you, reframe it to focus on the benefit of your services to your target audience. Assume that when someone asks you about what your company does, they are just polite. When you respond by talking about those you serve rather than talking about yourself, it’s like a breath of fresh air. Follow the same pattern as if you are talking about yourself.  “We help ______ do ________.”

So, with all that in mind, what do you do?

Originally published on Inc. Magazine.