How to tell people what you do without confusing them

I had an interesting conversation with my neighbour today which got me thinking. They wanted to know what I do for a living. The question was simple. "What do you do?" But I failed the question.

I didn't fail because I couldn't answer the question correctly. I failed because they were lost in my explanation. They were confused. And then I got thinking. Is there a way to communicate what I do clearly to anyone irrespective of what they do without confusing them and at the same time keep my head high?

It doesn't matter if they are my target audience or not. It doesn't matter if they are my prospects or not. I just want to communicate what I do with anyone without causing confusion.

In the past, when I tell people that I'm a writer, the look on their face is not dignifying. Today, I told my neighbour that I'm an expert in digital marketing and they were like "I.T???"

One word can't communicate clearly what I do. I write. I optimize web pages. I do SEO for big businesses. I do keyword research. I generate content ideas. I proofread and edit contents.

I create websites for different purposes both for myself and others. I use analytics and search console tools to optimize websites and increase conversion rates.

I use email marketing tools. I do video marketing. I know about search engine marketing. I'm working on starting a podcast series soon in the form of EPs.

I write for big publications. I write copies that sells for my clients. I do consulting for small business and in the process of scaling this up. All in all, I'm learning and developing myself every day.

As it stands, I've about 10 expert courses I'm taking to boost my skills and knowledge. I read and write every day. I learn selectively from everything and everyone.

I'm not taking all these courses just to stroke my ego. No. I'm doing all these to better understand my clients and how to solve their problems better. Technology is changing very fast and by developing myself, I will be able to serve my clients better.

It's all about solutions and results. And if I'm not solving problems or getting results for my clients, then I'm irrelevant. And this is why I have to constantly improve myself every day. It's not just about me but about my services to others.

My work is a mixture of fun, boring, and interesting. I can hardly distinguish between work and play because they blend perfectly together. Sometimes, it seems like I'm working. Other times, it feels like I'm playing. That's just how it works for me.

As an expert digital marketer and a feature writer, I can always choose to describe myself further with any of the things I do. I only give specific description of what I do with my prospects, ideal clients or even my network. They understand what I do clearly without any form of ambiguity. It's easy for me to speak to them using terms that will solve their problems. No stress. No hassles.

But, if you're not my prospect or ideal client -- maybe you're someone like my neighbour--, how I describe what I do to you depends on my perception of how well you understand what I do. This can be stressful. Most times, I struggle to look for the perfect word that will describe what I do without passing across the wrong information about me.

To some people, I'm a writer. To others, I'm a blogger. To another set, I design websites. And to some other set, I'm a content strategist. My mum knows me as a CEO. All these descriptions are right to some extent. At the same time, they don't fully describe what I do.

It's like touching the tail of an elephant and assuming that it's a snake. But we all know that an elephant is not a snake.

So, my description of what I do to you -- so far you're not my ideal client -- depends on your understanding of what I do, my relationship with you, and also on my mood at that point in time.

For example, if you ask me what I do, and I tell you that I'm a digital marketing expert and consultant who writes for large publications. And you give me a confused look, I will quickly add that I'm a writer to bring you back to reality.

Life shouldn't be complicated. The world has changed. To change the world, I've learnt that you've to start with yourself. Change begins with me. If I'm not true to myself, I can't be true to others.

I made a promise to myself several years ago that I will always be true to myself no matter what. It's is one of the best promises I've made to myself. This is me upholding that promise even now.

I'm not perfect. I'm human. I make mistakes. But I always choose to learn from them every time. I will never confuse any one with what I do. Never. This is what I do and I'm proud of what I do.

Adeyemi Adetilewa is a digital marketing expert and consultant who writes for large publications. You can connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.