Micro Mailing Canada
White Paper: What Do You Do?
Most people can answer 'what do you do' in a way that's technically true and still walks away leaving money on the table. This free white paper explains why vague answers cost sales, then walks through three simple steps for building a statement that gets a prospect to lean in instead of nodding politely and moving on.
The Real Cost of a Vague Answer
Ask ten business owners what they do and most will describe their industry, not the outcome a customer gets. A roofer says 'I do roofing.' A bookkeeper says 'I do the books.' Neither answer gives a prospect a reason to ask a second question, and that second question is usually where the sale starts. The white paper opens by showing exactly how this vague answer habit shows up in everyday conversations, on networking floors, on the phone, and in the opening line of a sales letter.
The same problem shows up in print. If the headline of your postcard or the opening sentence of your letter doesn't answer 'what do you do' in plain language, the piece gets set aside before the offer is even read. Businesses running a postcard campaign often spend more time on layout and paper stock than on the one sentence that decides whether the recipient keeps reading.
Three Steps to a Statement That Actually Sells
Rather than leaving your pitch to whatever comes out under pressure, the white paper breaks the process into three simple steps you can work through in order. The goal isn't a clever tagline, it's a plain sentence you can say the same way every time, whether you're on a sales call, at a trade show, or writing the intro line of a mailer.
Working through the steps once isn't the point. The paper frames the exercise as something you test and adjust until the statement is repeatable, not rehearsed, something that sounds natural coming from you or from anyone else on your sales team, and holds up whether it's spoken out loud or printed on a page.
Leaving Money on the Table
A vague answer to 'what do you do' lets a prospect nod and move on instead of asking the question that leads to a sale, and it quietly costs you the sale more often than most business owners realize.
A Three-Step Framework
The white paper breaks the process into a three-step framework you can work through once and then repeat, rather than relying on whatever comes out under pressure.
Beyond the Sales Pitch
Once your statement is set, the paper covers where to carry it next, from your website to every brand touchpoint in a mail campaign.
Where Else the Statement Belongs
Once the statement is built, the white paper turns to where else it can work for you beyond the initial pitch. A good 'what do you do' line isn't limited to sales calls, it belongs on every touchpoint a prospect sees before they decide to call you back, including your website, your email signature and your mail campaigns.
For businesses that mail regularly, that same wording should carry through from the outer envelope to the letter inside. Canada Post calls this format Personalized Mail (formerly Addressed Admail), and a personalized mail piece that opens with your statement, word for word, reinforces the message instead of introducing a second, competing version of it.
Putting the Statement to Work in Your Next Campaign
A finished statement is only useful once it shows up somewhere a prospect can see it. Before you plan your next direct mail campaign, lock the wording down and use it as the opening line of the piece, rather than saving your strongest sentence for the sales call that follows a response.
The 'what do you do' paper pairs well with the other guides in Micro Mailing Canada's white paper series. If your statement is solid but your proof points are thin, the papers on writing a case study and boosting sales with referrals cover the material that typically comes right after it in a sales conversation.
What makes a mailing work
- Write one plain-language sentence that answers what you do
- Say it out loud to someone outside your industry and ask what they understood
- Use that exact sentence in sales calls, on your website and in your mail copy
- Reread the opening line of your next mail piece before it goes to print
- Compare your current statement against the one you used a year ago
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean to leave money on the table when explaining what you do?
It means a prospect hears your answer, can't quite picture what you actually deliver, and doesn't ask the follow-up question that would have moved the conversation toward a sale. This white paper walks through why that happens and how a clearer statement changes the outcome of that first conversation.
What are the three steps to building a what do you do statement?
The white paper breaks the process into three simple, sequential steps designed to take you from a vague industry description to a plain sentence you can repeat consistently. It's built to be worked through in order, so download the paper for the full breakdown of each step.
Where should I use this statement besides sales conversations?
The paper includes ideas for carrying the phrase into your broader brand messaging, not just spoken pitches. That covers your website, your email signature, and the opening line of your direct mail, so the same message reaches a prospect no matter which touchpoint they see first.
Does a clearer statement actually change my direct mail results?
A mail piece only gets a few seconds to make its point, so if a reader can't tell what you do from the opening line, the rest of the piece often goes unread. Using the same statement across your sales calls and your mail copy, once you understand how direct mail works as a channel, keeps that message consistent from first contact through follow-up. See how direct mail works for more on that channel.
Is this white paper actually free?
Yes. It's part of Micro Mailing Canada's free white paper library, which also covers networking, rebranding, content creation and other sales and marketing topics.
Is a what do you do statement the same as a tagline?
No. A tagline is short and often abstract, meant to be memorable. A 'what do you do' statement is a plain-language sentence built to directly answer a prospect's question, and it's meant to be said the same way in a sales call, on the phone, or printed at the top of a mailer.
Can Micro Mailing Canada help apply this to an actual mail campaign?
Yes. Once your statement is finalized, request a print and mailing quote to put it to work on your next postcard, letter or personalized mail run.
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