Why I Can’t Tell You What I Do For A Living
Or How to Talk Creative With Small Biz Owners
Did you know research has confirmed that the reaction you get from small business owners when you tell them you are a Freelance Brand Strategist & Creative Director is identical to the reaction you get when you say nothing? It’s true. Silence is as informative as my job title at explaining to people what I do.
Granted, there are quite a few career titles that gloss people’s eyes over, but the Marketing/Advertising vertical is one that has been uniquely impacted as we transition away from business models of the industrial era into a more collaborative and technology driven economy. Hence the rise in popularity of the Marketing-PR-Advertising-Social Media-Interactive-Design-Video-Firm-Shop-Boutique-Agency. Ironic an industry deft enough to come up with “Native Advertising” hasn’t been able to iron this out, but I digress.
“People don’t buy what you do they buy why you do it.”
- Simon Sinek, Start With The Why
Simon Sinek’s concept of the Golden Circle, which he describes in this video, is something I utilize when working with clients. The idea is to shift the emphasis away from what you do, because your why and how are your differentiators. Below is an example of the Why, How, What messaging hierarchy using myself as an example.
“Why do you do what you do?”
Because I like helping people grow their businesses.
“How do you do what you do?”
I collaborate with them to identify and clarify their core business objectives and brand attributes, then craft executive marketing/advertising initiatives that help them achieve those objectives.
“What do you do?”
Advertising
One of the interesting aspects of going through this process is how simple it reads once you get it on the page. However, arriving at it can take considerable effort because it is counter-intuitive to our natural inclination to focus on finding ways to make what we do sound more interesting.
Once a company has established their Why, How & What, the next step is to apply it to their marketing materials — website content, collateral materials, or in my case, incorporate it into conversations with small business owners.
What do you do for a living?
I’m a Freelance Brand Strategist and Creative Director, which is really a fancy way of saying I help people get more business.
What do you mean?
Well, there are so many touch points between businesses and their potential customers — logos, websites, social media, traditional advertising, etc — I find it more effective to start by focusing on what the client wants to accomplish. It keeps all options on the table ensuring they get the most bang for their buck.
Interesting.
The conversation plays out pretty well on the page (it helps when you write for both characters) but the main thing to remember is to keep it loose and let it flow naturally. The last thing you want to do is come across like you are reciting the Why, How, What verbatim.
The important takeaway is that effective Branding and Brand Management encompass every aspect of a business and if it is something you would like to improve, I can get you there.
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