I recently attended the annual conference of AIIP, the Association of Independent Information Professionals. As always, I came home with some great ideas on new marketing strategies, different ways of viewing my business, and a fresh perspective on work.

One of the traditions of the AIIP conference is for everyone to give a 30-second introduction. I was struck by the difference in how people introduced themselves. Some people focused on describing what they do and other described why their clients would call them.

When you're asked "so, what do you do?" do you answer that literally, but telling someone what you do? Is your answer some version of "I find the best, most reliable information for business marketers" - something that tells the listener what actions you take? Or does your answer focus on why your clients use you?

The intros I heard that focused on what clients value rather than what their business does all started out the same:

"I help my clients..."

• increase market share
• gain insights to assess their market
• minimize risk
• know who they are dealing with
• make better decisions