Most people feel anxious when they’re asked: “What business are you in?” That is perfectly understandable.

Don’t ever forget the following when you start a presentation or conversation: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” And the way you answer the question, “What do you do for a living?” usually determines whether or not people will want to listen to what you have to say.

That’s why you want to get your audience engaged immediately. You do that through creating a So What Positioning Statement, which is designed to cause your listener to want to know more about you and what you can do for them. To be effective, your So What Positioning Statement must be clear, compelling, and relevant to your listener.

Unfortunately, very ...

Get Grab Your Audience’s Attention: First Impressions Set the Presentation On—or Off—Course now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.