Here’s how to explain what you do in a way that inspires people to care and motivates them to want to learn more.
Storytime.
Several months ago, I had a conversation with Ryan Reisert, Phone Ready Leads™️.
I asked Ryan what he did.
Here’s Ryan:
Job to be Done
“Do you or does anyone you know manage a sales team that makes cold calls?”
Me: “Yes, I work with teams that have SDRs.”
The Before Story
Ryan: “You know how SDRs make 50 dials and only talk to 1 or 2 people even if they have direct dials? Most people don’t pick up the phone.”
Me: “Is it that many -:)?”
The After Story
Ryan: “With Phone Ready Leads, you give me a list of people you want to connect with and have 12-15 conversations for every 50 dials, instead of 1 or 2, without adding new technology or signing long-term contracts.”
Me: “How do you do that?”
See the structure?
The before a story is about the problem. (You know how . . )
Then after a story is about what changes for the better. The formula? You do X (give me a list), and Y happens (desired result – 12-15 conversations compared to 1-2).
The word “without” explains what’s meaningfully different (without new tech or long term contracts).
Notice how Ryan isn’t talking about “how” his service works.
Instead, he’s creating a cliffhanger which piques curiosity. Brains crave closure. It’s called an open loop.
The takeaway?
When people ask what you do, they’re secretly asking, “What can you do for me?”
Solutions have no value without a problem.
Context matters.
Ditch the pitch.