Chapter 11. "What Do You Do?"

In New Zealand, they might ask it this way: "Wot do ye do fer a crust, mate?" In the United States, it's the inevitable second big question that always comes up in every networking encounter: "What do you do?"

How you answer this often-asked question is crucial. It's another one of those Million-Dollar Moments. You should be prepared to answer this question in a way that will move the conversation along. But all too often, as was the case with "Who are you?" the rituals of meeting and greeting that we have learned so well, and practice so effortlessly, get in the way of building relationships.