Do you ever struggle to explain what your business does? You’re not alone. Many people find it difficult to articulate their message effectively. Whether you’re writing content for your website or speaking to someone directly, there are three simple ways you can avoid getting tongue-tied.
3 Simple Ways to Discuss Your Business
It’s common to struggle when explaining your business to others. When asked about your work, it’s easy to:
- Overcomplicate things
- Get tongue-tied
- Make it sound boring
If you’re not prepared, you might stammer or struggle to keep the conversation flowing. Ideally, you want your listener to say things like “tell me more” or “that sounds interesting.” But if you’re getting a blank stare instead, it’s likely that you’ve either bored or confused them.
Tip #1: Keep It Simple
I’ve actually found that the most common issue is people not understanding what the heck you’re talking about.
See, we understand our own subject matter really closely. So we quite often talk in terms that we know but other people don’t.
So, my first tip is to simplify. Imagine you’re talking about your business to a kid, like you’re explaining what you do to your child or someone under the age of 10.
They’ve got a really short attention span, they don’t know industry jargon, and it needs to be simple.
So do it as if you’re explaining to a child. Rather than giving them four paragraphs of what you do – make it three short sentences.
Practice doing that and you’ll find it’s a really easy way to make talking about your business simple and effective.
Tip #2: Use Metaphors
An easy way to help people understand your business is by using relatable metaphors – which is tip number 2.
Metaphors activate the emotional part of our brain and help us visualize what we’re hearing.
For example, if you’re offering branding or marketing services, you could say, “It’s like building a house – you need a strong foundation before you can start decorating.”
This creates a visual image that’s easy to understand. You can come up with your own metaphors based on experiences that your audience can relate to.
For instance, “creating a website without a clear message is like driving without a map – you’ll end up lost and confused.”
Using relatable metaphors helps people see themselves in your story, engage with your message, and remember your brand.
So think up different ways you can describe what you do with metaphors, which will:
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make it more visual
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engage emotions
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and help them see themselves in your story
Tip #3: Use the ‘Have You Ever’ Strategy
My third tip is to use the ‘Have You Ever’ strategy.
For example:
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Have you ever struggled to find the motivation to exercise?
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Have you ever felt like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done?
And so on.
You can start using one of a ‘have you ever’ and then go on to explain why your solution is the answer.
So for example:
“Have you ever struggled to lose weight? Well, I have a solution that …”
If you phrase it in a “have you ever” format, it asks a question that immediately causes two things to happen:
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Their brain wants to answer the question
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It gets people to engage with you
When we hear that “have you ever” question, our brain will automatically start to think about whether we have or not and will want to answer that question.
And then it all becomes a two-way dialogue instead of you just running off at the mouth all about your business and your job.
Three Tips for How to Talk About Your Business
So those are my three quick tips to help you share your business with others. Whether you are talking in person or writing, try these three simple techniques:
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Keep It Simple – 3 sentences as if you are explaining to a kid
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Use Metaphors – engage the subconscious brain and help them visualise
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Use The ‘Have You Ever’ Strategy– creates a 2-way dialogue
Hopefully, these tips have shown you how to talk about your business in an easy and effective way that doesn’t bore, confuse, or overcomplicate things. Do you need help? Don’t hesitate to contact me; I’m looking forward to helping you achieve your goals!
