You’re at a friend’s BBQ, hot dog in one hand, cold beverage in the other. And just as you take a bite of your (questionably cooked) sausage, the inevitable happens: someone asks, ‘So what do you do for a living?’

You could mumble your standard answer and make polite small talk. Or you could treat this time-honoured question as the incredible opportunity it is. Let us introduce you to the ‘BBQ pitch’…

What’s a BBQ pitch?
You’ve heard of the elevator pitch, the old sales technique of pitching an idea (or yourself) in 30 seconds or less. Well, the BBQ pitch is its more relaxed, hot dog-wielding cousin. Designed for the average social gathering – you know, like a BBQ – it’s your answer to the question, ‘What do you do?’ It’s basically a brief, interesting description of your business (or product or service).

It’s worth really thinking about how you answer this question. Because if you answer it well, it could lead to exciting new possibilities for you and your business.

What makes a good BBQ pitch?
The immediate goal of a BBQ pitch is to engage the other person with what you do. But looking at the bigger picture, it’s about unearthing mutual opportunities – leads, referrals, new contacts, introductions, etc.

Therefore, a good BBQ pitch is:

• Just a sentence or two long – your elevator pitch
• Persuasive, but not hard sell
• Clear enough to explain what you do and what you have to offer, without giving everything away – you want them to ‘get it’, but still want to know more.

So rather than answering, ‘Oh, I work in marketing,’ the BBQ pitch version would be, ‘I use marketing magic to help businesses get noticed.’ Or something like that. Something that succinctly explains what you do, but in a way that sparks curiosity and keeps the conversation going.

Think about your own BBQ pitch
This summer we invite you to think about the question ‘What do you do for a living?’ How can you elevate your answer to get people’s attention? And don’t forget to ask others, ‘What do you do?’ Because maybe there are opportunities to work together, or pass useful contacts their way.

Of course, this isn’t just restricted to BBQs. Give this simple technique a try with folks at the gym, fellow parents at the playground, and so on. The more you get to know people, the more opportunities you’ll discover.

Want to connect with business owners like you? Give OCTOPUS a shout and ask about our networking events. And in the meantime, happy BBQ season. Pass the ketchup!

(Friends drinking photo created by rawpixel.com – www.freepik.com)