Mind Mint: "What do you do?"

Whether we’re speaking for ourselves, our company, or our product, we need to be able to provide a simple answer to that question.

Coming up with a simple answer isn’t easy. It means doing the hard work needed to encapsulate your story in a few words. I suggest using the following questions to guide the creation of your answer:

• Is it clear and understandable?
• Is it short and simple enough for people to remember?
• Does it invite people to ask more questions?

Your initial answer doesn’t need to be complete; you can fill in the blanks if the other party wants to know more. But having a strong one-line response helps open up conversations, and conversations can lead to opportunities.

I’m a communications consultant who helps people and companies create better stories. What do you do?