Recently I heard what has become my favourite business related quote…

“Marketing is the tax we pay for being ordinary” ~ author unknown.

It’s not the most motivating or inspiring quote around but it does hit the nail on the head in terms of the primary goal of marketing…and that is to draw attention to your product or service as “the” best choice for your target market AND, to be remembered for it.

Ordinary just isn’t noticeable nor is it memorable. Not only that, who wants to pay a lot of tax – even if it is just metaphorically speaking?

So the goal then is to be EXTRAordinary… noticeable, relevant and memorable to your target audience and potential referral sources.

When it comes to networking, the very best way to gain more mileage and return for your investment of time is to develop an extraordinary verbal logo.

A verbal logo is what you say in response to the most commonly asked question… “So, what is it that you do?” HOW you respond to this inevitable question will determine how noticeable and memorable you are.

The most common error people make is to say what they do by way of industry labels… i.e. “I’m a (fill in the blank)”… or, in regard to their company name i.e. “I work for (fill in the blank)” or “I own (fill in the blank)”. Now, these statements may be true but they are boring with a capital “B”, it doesn’t mean much to the person you’re speaking with and worse yet, they may have had a negative experience with the industry or company.

So how do you respond in an extraordinary way? Try focusing your response on the clients you serve and the results you deliver. The easiest way to do this is to describe your ideal client and why they work with you.

But there’s a bit of a catch. When asked “So, what is it that you do?” your initial response will ultimately depend on who asked the question first. Here’s what I mean…

If the other person asked first, I’ll keep my response very simple and then I’ll toss the question back to them… “I’m in marketing… What do you do?” I do this for two reasons…

1) Being interested in them is memorable for THEM
2) By listening to their response and probing with some additional questions; when they finally ask me what I do, I can customize my response to be more meaningful to THEM. (P.S. It’s ALWAYS about THEM).

To give you an example, here’s my standard response to the inevitable question:

“My clients are motivated entrepreneurs who want to promote themselves in a way that is comfortable not salesy. Together we find strategies that feel right, boost confidence and most importantly attract more of their perfect clients.”

The goal is to get them to respond back with “Oh, how do you do that?” or “Wow! Tell me more”… and even better “That sounds like exactly what I need, can I have your card?”.

So challenge yourself to create an extraordinary verbal logo that leaves your new contacts begging to know more about you and what you do.

Did you know, there are countless ways that you can improve the overall results of your networking efforts? You’ll find a variety of tips and ideas in “The Networking Masters Checklist for Business Networking Success” eBook. It’s just one of many FREE business boosting resources you’ll gain access to when you register at the www.thenetworkingmasters.com. Go there now; you’ll be glad you did.

Author's Bio: 

Affectionately labeled a “marketing smarty-pants” by those who know her best; Gina’s passion is to work with motivated entrepreneurs who are ready to identify and eliminate their resistance to self-promotion and success. Magnetic self-marketing principles; creative no and low cost marketing strategies and success planning from the inside out serve to create an authentic marketing focus that motivates both the entrepreneur and their prospects to take action.

Gina is the President and Founder/co-Founder of three entrepreneurial organizations: The Divapreneurs; The Networking Masters and SOHO Success Network; co-Host of the weekly SOHO Radio Show; creator of the transformational SMART Marketing Makeovers for Daring Divapreneurs coaching program and contributing author to the newest book in the wildly popular Power of Mentorship series called “The Power of Mentorship for the Home Based Business”.

An advocate of life-long learning and mentorship, Gina’s personal mantra is “Get Inspired, Be Inspiring!”

Are you’re ready to turn your business around? Gain instant access to additional FREE tips and advice at The Networking Masters” where Gina is giving away – for FREE – her newest audio CD called “Self-Marketing Demystified”. Get ready to bust common personal marketing myths that may be holding you back from the results you want and the success you deserve!