“So, what do you do?”
Five words.
One innocent question.
And the start of a thousand boring conversations.
You know the drill.
“I’m the Head of Strategic Business Development at…”
“I’ve been in the industry for 15 years…”
“I used to work…”
“Before that, I was responsible for…”
Congratulations.
You’ve just turned a conversation into a LinkedIn profile with legs.
Nobody asked for your CV.
They asked what you do, but instead of giving them a reason to care, you give them a guided tour of your past.
Your job title.
Your experience.
Your credentials.
All useful stuff.
But you've told them where you've been without giving them a clue where you're going.
When I help people prepare for conferences or big events, they usually want to work on the same things.
The pitch deck.
The slides.
The Q&A.
Fair enough.
But I always remind them of something.
“We're people who meet people.”
Before the speech, after the panel, over a cup of coffee.
You can spend weeks preparing to speak to a room and still blow the first ten seconds with one person.
That's why we work on their introductions, too.
I've written about why most introductions fall flat and how to make yours stick before.
Because a few words can open a door.
I came across another dead-simple framework that's stuck with me.
It's called VGPS.
Four letters.
Four ways to stop telling your story backwards.
V is for Vision.
What are you trying to change?
Forget “passionate about innovation.”
Tell me what you believe should be better.
G is for Gratitude.
Why does this work matter to you?
Not “I'm thrilled to leverage my expertise.”
Please.
Think of a teacher who loves seeing the penny drop.
P is for Profile.
Now tell me what you do and what gives your story weight.
Your CV finally gets a turn.
S is for Service.
Who gets something out of your work?
What changes for them?
Take my own introduction.
“I'm Marian, a strategic messaging partner and I work with different companies.”
True.
Clear.
About as exciting as elevator music.
Now flip it.
“I believe smart ideas die in boring words.
I love the moment a messy thought finally clicks.
I'm a strategic messaging partner.
I help leaders turn complex ideas into plain, bold messages that buyers get, teams repeat, and people remember.”
Same bloke.
Same work.
But now there's something to agree with, challenge or ask about.
Great.
Now we're talking.
Of course, you don't need to squeeze all four letters into every hello.
Even two can do the job.
Nobody wants a three-minute TED Talk when they've asked you to pass the salt.
The goal isn't to recite your whole life.
It's to make someone want to hear the rest.
So the next time someone asks what you do, don't hand them your CV.
Give them a reason to ask the next question.
PS. If you don’t know jewellery, know your jeweller. That’s Buffett’s rule. It’s the same with messaging. Smart ideas die in boring words. If you don’t know the game, find a partner who does, because your reputation is on the line. I help thinkers, rebels, and disruptors say what they mean and make it stick. Step up. Bring your message. I’ll bring the punch. You’ve got one shot to say it right. I’ll help you take it.