It’s a crisp winter day and I’m driving circles downtown looking for parking (no surprise) before heading into Beanz for a coffee and a client meeting.  I have been looking forward to meeting with this new client since he excitedly explained his new business venture to me on the phone.

Ten minutes early, I walk up to the counter, order my usual and begin to scan the shop for a man who looks as though he’s waiting for someone. I find him sitting in a corner table, as though he had been there a while. That’s one thing I’ve come to notice about entrepreneurs, they’re rarely late.

 After a handshake and a few informalities, I ask him to tell me about his business.  The excitement and passion that illuminates from him as he talks is contagious. He tells me what inspired him to begin the business and where he sees its future. He talks so fast about all his fantastic ideas (which they are) and plans for the future, it’s almost hard to keep up!

It’s only when he quiets and looks at me with expectant eyes that it hits me…I have no idea what he does. Embarrassed, I politely explain that I must have missed something and ask him to, in as few words as possible, tell me what exactly what it is he does. Again he launches into a wonderful talk about the business but still at the end, I’m left confused about what he does.

Since then, I have faced this challenge with many new clients and for a time, struggled with it myself. You need to be able to tell people what you do in a quick and clear manner. From your employees, to reporters to potential customers, the first step in success in business is deciding (and then relaying) what it is you do. If you were a marketing consultant you might say “I provide practical, affordable and effective marketing services to small businesses and non profit groups” (which is me) as opposed to “I do marketing”. If you were a print company “I provide high quality print materials for great prices” instead of “I do printing”.

I can relate. As a new business owner it’s sometimes scary to think about putting “what you do” into words for fear of limiting yourself and possibly losing customers. At the beginning you’ll do just about anything to pay the bills! You need to trust me here, the best thing you can do for your business is to narrow your focus. With so many marketing messages floating around out there you can’t afford to send mixed signals.

Whatever the case may be, you need to wrap your head around what you want to do, who you want to serve and what makes you different. The cardinal rule of marketing. If you can’t tell me what you do, who will?