Over the past weekend most of us in the USA gathered with family and friends to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of our nation. And I’m willing to bet a question you asked or were asked was some version of “What do you do?” I am also willing to bet the answer did not lead to a deeper conversation.

Every time you or someone on your team says "we do a little bit of everything" or "it's hard to explain," you aren't being humble, you're ending a conversation before it even starts. That’s money walking out the door. You don’t need a five-minute commercial at a graduation party. You need enough clarity to make someone think, "I know someone who needs that" or "Tell me more."

"Comfortable" is the enemy of "Effective."

Each week I receive a newsletter from James Clear and in the most recent edition he introduced the concept of "gentle elimination." He argued that growth isn't just about stacking new habits; it's about having the courage to shed those familiar, safe patterns that are quietly holding you back from your next level.

That insight hit home because it's exactly how I’ve seen people describe their business. “We’re a service company.” And how employees talk about the place they work. “I’m just an engineer.” or “I work in customer service.” None of those answers are wrong, they are, however, expensive. Because every time you, or someone connected to your business gives a vague answer, a potential conversation ends before it has a chance to begin.

We stick to fuzzy answers because they’re familiar and safe. But "good enough" is exactly where opportunity dies. It’s time for some "gentle elimination" of the habits that no longer serve your growth.

Here’s a True Story

A networking colleague told me about a company he worked for that had a very specific niche. This was not a business everyone immediately understood. It took a little explanation. The owner knew that if only the sales team understood the message, opportunities would be missed.

So they trained everyone. Everyone from senior leadership to the janitor, each person understood what the company produced, who it helped, and why it mattered. One day, the staff accountant was talking with her neighbor. She could explain what the company did in a clear and specific way. And her neighbor was looking to solve the problem this company solved. That conversation led to a large order for the staff accountants employer.

Think about that for a moment. This deal occurred because of a conversation between neighbors and an employee who had the language to represent the business clearly. Had that accountant only said, “I work in accounting,” the opportunity likely would have ended right there. Stop leaving those conversations to chance. If only your sales team knows the message, you're missing 90% of your opportunities.

Every Employee Does Not Need a Sales Script

Let’s be careful here. I am not suggesting every employee needs to become a salesperson. They do not. And I am definitely not suggesting you hand everyone a canned elevator pitch and tell them to memorize it. That usually creates the opposite of confidence. People sound stiff. They stumble over words they would never naturally use. They feel awkward. The conversation becomes performative instead of genuine.

Equip your team with understanding, language and a simple structure they can adapt to their own role and personality. They need to know how to answer a few basic questions:

• What does our company do?

• Who do we serve?

• What problem do we solve?

• Why do clients choose us?

• What kind of referral is valuable?

When employees can answer those questions clearly, they stop hiding behind their job titles. They stop saying, “It’s hard to explain.” They stop leaving conversations to chance.

“I Just Work Here” Is a Missed Opportunity

One of the most expensive answers an employee can give is “I just work there.” That word “just” does a lot of damage because It minimizes their role, the company and the value of the work.

And most of the time, it is not even intentional. People use “just” when they have not connected their role to the bigger story of the business. The staff accountant in the story could have said, “I just work in accounting.” Instead, because she understood the company message, she could speak about the business in a way that created a real opportunity.

That is not luck. That is preparation.

Here’s My Recommendation

Train your team to replace generic answers with something more specific.

Instead of: “We’re a service company.” Try: “We work with [specific type of client] who need [specific outcome].”

Instead of: “I just work in operations.” Try: “I help make sure our clients get [specific result] without [specific frustration].”

Instead of: “It’s hard to explain.” Try: “The simple version is…” That phrase alone can change the energy of the conversation. “The simple version is…” It gives the speaker a starting point. It tells the listener, “I can make this clear.” It creates confidence on both sides.

Your Team’s Words Are Part of Your Brand

Your marketing materials; website, brochure, logo, promo iteams are all designed to get someone’s attention. It is your people make the brand real.

When they can explain the company clearly, they extend the reach of your marketing into everyday conversation. When they cannot, your brand stops at the brochure, the website, or the business card. That is a waste.

You have worked too hard to build a business with value to let the most common question be answered with vague, comfortable language that no longer serves you.

Sometimes the next stage of growth requires gentle elimination. Retire the old answer. Replace “good enough” with clear. Give your team the language to represent the business well. Because the most expensive answer to “What do you do?” is the one that ends the conversation.