Somebody asks what you do. You answer, and before 10 seconds are up they say, oh my god, I need to introduce you to someone. That reaction is the test. Your answer was clear enough for them to picture a person who needs you, and appealing enough for them to want to make the connection.

When somebody asks what I do, I say I help experts get known for their work , through my software company, Coachvox . There’s an extended version, of course, but that sentence says who I help and what changes for them. People lean in and introduce me to their friends. That’s exactly what you want to happen.

The other reaction is a polite nod and a change of subject. The introduction you never knew about goes to someone easier to explain. You will never know how many introductions an unclear answer has cost you. Here are 5 ways to make sure your answer gets the first reaction every time.

How to pass the 10-second positioning test

Describe your dream client so clearly they can picture them

You say you help business owners, and the person listening pictures nobody. A broad answer gives them nobody to think of. Instead, describe your dream client in such a way that someone can picture the exact person you could help. Their role, their stage of business, even the personality trait that means it could only be one specific type of person.

If the listener already knows someone who represents your dream client, it becomes so clear that you are the person for them. They think of that person before you finish the sentence. That is the introduction. The more specific your description, the faster it happens. Try it on a friend and ask who came to mind while you were talking. If nobody did, your description is still too broad.

Describe the moment they need you

Your dream client needs you at a particular point in their life or business. The moment they need you is the transition they are going through, the problem they are having right now, or the very specific before and after. A founder about to hire for the first time. A consultant whose referrals have stopped coming in. Each one is a moment that makes it clear you’re the person for them.

Put that moment into your answer. Describe the very specific scenario you take people through, from where they start to where they end up. Leave the process for the call. The listener only has to recognize the before and picture the after. When they do, they recognize it straight away. Somebody they know is in it right now.

Give a result they would pay for

Your answer has one job. Create desire. The result should be something that is appealing to the listener, something they would pay for, or something they can picture their friend paying for. A result they would pay for has a clear after, a change they can see. Vague results get vague reactions.

In a few seconds, they know whether or not you have successfully created desire. A result that sounds nice gets a “sounds good”. A result somebody would pay for gets an introduction. The listener can see the value to the person they are thinking of. Choose the result your best clients describe when they tell other people about working with you. Use their words.

Lots of people waffle when someone asks what they do. They start with their background and work slowly towards how they spend their day, but your background comes after they are interested, not before. You have 10 seconds to make your first impression, and that’s not a long time. Don’t waste a moment.

Get straight into it in the most compelling way. Lead with who you help. Follow with what changes for them. Stop there, and let the listener ask the next question. If your answer needs a deep breath halfway through, it is too long. Every word you add before the useful part makes the useful part harder to hear.

Practice your answer until it rolls off your tongue

Practice your answer. Practice it in a mirror. Say it everywhere, at events, on calls and in your messages. You might feel silly. The first few times, the words will feel unfamiliar, and you will want to add a qualifier or a joke to soften them.

Keep going. The more you can practice it, the more it will roll off your tongue, and you will never be caught short. Notice which version gets the biggest reaction, and keep that one. Somebody will ask what you do when you least expect it. The answer comes out the same way every time, clear and confident.

Pass the 10-second positioning test and win the work

Somebody will ask you what you do this week. Answer in 10 seconds, then watch their face. If they start thinking of a name, you passed. If they nod and change the subject, rewrite the answer and try it on the next person. Keep the version that gets people opening their phone to make the introduction. Count the introductions. That number is your score.

Join my free workshop to become in-demand as an expert and make winning clients easy.