Can You Tell Me in Eight Seconds What You Do for a Living?

If people can’t understand what you do, they can’t remember why you matter.

It sounds easy, but it’s not. It’s especially hard when you need to say it to people who don’t live in your world.

If you can’t tell someone in eight seconds what you do for a living, there’s a good chance that person can’t tell someone else what you do at all.

Eight seconds is a test of clarity

Eight seconds is not a scientific number. It’s a test of clarity.

I’m not suggesting you time yourself with a stopwatch. I am urging you to speak with such clarity that people can know exactly what you do quickly.

That’s important. You want people to remember and repeat your value proposition. It explains why people should retain you.

And your value proposition isn’t clear because you understand it. It’s clear when your clients understand it and can repeat it.

What do you do, who do you do it for and why does it matter?

Ideally, you should be able to explain, in a few sentences, what you do, who you do it for and why that matters.

It’s one thing to say, “I’m a Financial Advisor.”

It’s another thing to say, “I help successful business owners turn what they’ve built into enough money to live the rest of their lives without worrying about running out.”

Keep it simple

Here are some suggestions for creating an effective and hard-hitting message

Don’t try to be sophisticated. Keep it simple.

Don’t try to explain everything you do. You can do that later.

Try to be somewhat specific. “I’m a Financial Advisor” is too broad.

Take out all the words that are not necessary. All that’s left is what’s necessary. It’s the necessary that people find compelling.

And practice saying this message out loud until it sounds conversational. You do not want to sound like a marketing brochure.

Don’t try to impress me

Keep it simple.

Don’t tell me everything.

Be specific.

Don’t use industry language.

Tell me what you do for people.

Use ordinary words.

Practice saying it out loud.

Can you do it in eight seconds?

Can you do that in eight seconds, and can your clients repeat it?

This is how referrals are born.