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How to Meet Marketing's Moment of Fear
5 Steps to Answer the World's Most Dreaded Question

You can prolong it, you can protract the process, and you may profusely delay your answer. Or you can be proactive and learn how to answer the question in a way that moves you forward.

It is often referred to as Marketing's Moment of Truth. I prefer to refer to it as Marketing's Moment of Fear the question that you dread is the, "so what do you do" question. You get the question at networking events, your child's soccer game, from the passenger next to you on the ever-shrinking airplane seat. You can even get the question from someone in your own organization. Isn't it especially interesting when an executive in your own company asks you the

"So what do you do", question?

This question is similar to objections in the sales process. If you know you are going to be asked specific questions, how can you not be prepared? How can you not work to own the answer? Do you spend your time putting off answering this question rather than spending your time to answer it in a way that you can lay claim to the answer?

Grow this phrase and you'll always have a quick, focused response to

This Moment of Fear.

Following is a five-step process to help you answer this question in an effective 21st century manner:

1. Stop - Analyze How You Currently Answer the Question

Do you talk about what you do, or the result of what you do?

Listen to how you answer the, "what do you do question". It will be helpful for you to write down your answer. Do you talk about how long your company has been in business, or how long you have been in your company or in the industry? Do you talk about what you do?

2. Study the Best

Listen to how others answer the same question. Which answers do you think are more effective, which answers move the process forward? Study those companies who have crafted 30 seconds for their product or service that meet this question in a way that kills their competition.

Coca Cola: To refresh a thirsty world

Sony: To make dreams come true

McDonald's: To be the world's leading food service organization

And my favorite Revlon: We sell hope

These companies have spent millions of dollars on this process, and we can all learn from them. Do you see how these sound bites talk about the end result of the product not the features?

Revlon does not talk about the quality of the make-up, how long it lasts, what it is or is not made of, nor the price. This sentence talks about the benefit of the product: Hope. If

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