WEBVTT - How to say what you do

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is to think about how to explain what you do.

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<v Speaker 1>A very simple formula works for a great many people

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<v Speaker 1>and can quickly show others the value that you add.

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<v Speaker 1>In her book LinkedIn Profile Optimization for Dummies, author Donna

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<v Speaker 1>Serdula has a great template for the about section of

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<v Speaker 1>your LinkedIn profile. Basically, you say I help individuals or

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<v Speaker 1>businesses or whoever your target audience is do x so

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<v Speaker 1>they can achieve Why as in I help homeowners make

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<v Speaker 1>their homes more energy efficient so they can save money

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<v Speaker 1>and help the planet. I help biotech companies figure out

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<v Speaker 1>the regulatory process so they can bring new drugs to market.

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<v Speaker 1>I help make sure the employees of our construction company

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<v Speaker 1>have everything they need so they can focus on their jobs.

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<v Speaker 1>I love this. You get specific about who you help,

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<v Speaker 1>and you emphasize how you are helping them achieve their goals.

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<v Speaker 1>You say why your work matters. This is really powerful. Indeed,

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<v Speaker 1>it might be worth hopping over to LinkedIn to update

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<v Speaker 1>your about section right now. But you don't have to

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<v Speaker 1>reserve this formula for an about section. It works in

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<v Speaker 1>general conversation too. I am sure we have all been

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<v Speaker 1>asked at one point or another what it is that

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<v Speaker 1>we do. I might say I'm a writer, and then

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<v Speaker 1>people say, oh, well, what do you write about? Or

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<v Speaker 1>they quickly drift off if they don't actually want to

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<v Speaker 1>hear about it. I haven't conveyed really much of interest

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<v Speaker 1>either way. But how about this, I help busy people

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<v Speaker 1>learn to manage their time so they can live happy

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<v Speaker 1>and productive lives. I do this through writing, but also speaking, podcasting,

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<v Speaker 1>and so forth. That's a more informative answer, more accurate,

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<v Speaker 1>and helps people continue the conversation if they want to.

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<v Speaker 1>A lot of other work can fit this template, too,

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<v Speaker 1>So think about who your work helps. I can think

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<v Speaker 1>of all sorts of different audiences someone might talk about, like, oh, well,

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<v Speaker 1>I help single moms pursuing a college degree, or I

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<v Speaker 1>help businesses aiming to scale. Whoever your audience is, naming them,

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<v Speaker 1>lets you convey who your work matters for. I also

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<v Speaker 1>appreciate the way this template emphasizes the value that you add.

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<v Speaker 1>The last clause about how they can achieve their goals

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<v Speaker 1>is key. Why does what you do matter? You can

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<v Speaker 1>use this template in conversation with colleagues you don't work

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<v Speaker 1>with too closely. It will help them recognize the value

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<v Speaker 1>that you add to your company. Practically speaking, it also

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<v Speaker 1>lets them know if there's an occasion when they should

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<v Speaker 1>come to you and take advantage of whatever it is

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<v Speaker 1>that you do. Even outside of professional contexts, Capturing the

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<v Speaker 1>impact of what you do makes your work more understandable

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<v Speaker 1>to other people. Saying you are a supply chain analyst

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<v Speaker 1>could be a bit of a conversation stopper at a party,

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<v Speaker 1>because well, what on earth is that? But what if

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<v Speaker 1>you say I help businesses keep track of how food

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<v Speaker 1>products are getting to grocery stores so you can always

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<v Speaker 1>find the gram crackers, Well, then your work is more concrete.

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<v Speaker 1>I am sure you can think of somebody your work

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<v Speaker 1>as helpful for and something it helps them achieve. So

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<v Speaker 1>why not give this template a try. I mean, maybe

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<v Speaker 1>this format doesn't quite fit for everything, but in general,

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<v Speaker 1>much of our work is helping people achieve their goals

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<v Speaker 1>in some way. Keeping the focus on that can make

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<v Speaker 1>work make a lot more sense. In the meantime, this

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<v Speaker 1>is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making the

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<v Speaker 1>most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.

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<v Speaker 1>If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach

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<v Speaker 1>me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,

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<v Speaker 1>please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

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