Session Description: Almost every business talk or networking starts with this question, “What do you do?” And, in almost every case, the answer is a missed opportunity. Because people rattle off titles, facts, and stats - when the person, on the other hand, wants to get a sense of:
- Who you really are
- What you really want
- Whether or not you are trustworthy
Because they want to “feel comfortable” with the idea of hiring your services and buying from you. So, how exactly should you answer this question? Come and find out in this workshop, as part of which you’ll learn:
- Why Elevator Pitches DON’T Work
- The Three Step Simple Process to Answering the “What do you do?” Question
- The Three Deadly Mistakes to Avoid When Answering the “What do you do?” Question
ATD Competency Model - Area of Expertise This Session Supports: Performance Improvement, Instructional Design, Training Delivery, Learning Technologies, Managing Learning Programs, Coaching, Knowledge Management, Change Management
Speaker: Sharmeen Akbani Gangat
Sharmeen Akbani Gangat is the Founder and CEO of The Glocul Group and the Vice President of Branding at Columbia University’s Club of South Texas.
She will show you exactly how and what to say and write to get prospects to pause and pay attention to your message, becoming intensely interested and desiring to work with you or buy from you – in her workshop on How to Answer the Dreaded, “What Do You Do?” Question. She has mastered the ping pong game of words and emotions in red hot, high stake situation – thanks to her education and experience. She studied film from New York University and specialized in media writing as part of her master’s degree from Columbia University. Alongside, Sharmeen learned dramatic writing from world-renown script consultant, Mick Casale, and short story writing from S. Kirk Walsh, who has worked on staff at The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Details, Entertainment Weekly, and Self. And professionally, she has advised and coached leaders of several organizations, ranging from United Nations and Google to The Boston Consulting Group and Ernst & Young. And has taught branding and content creation at the City University of New York, New York University, and University of Houston’s Small Business Development Center. In her past life, she was a radio and video producer in New York City.
Do you know she got her first assignment through a cold call? Yes, a cold call to the Head of TV Production, Enrique Yeves, at the United Nations in NYC. She managed to achieve what only 3 percent of people in the world can i.e. make a cold call work.