In honor of Mother’s Day… Knowing who exactly you help and what problems you solve can be used to “mom-proof” your networking spiel. These points apply equally to your presentations.

Would your mom, or any given relative, understand what you do? Does your family understand it? If your answer is “well, it’s much too technical,” brush up on features vs. benefits. Keep pushing until you find the real-world reason underlying the technicalities. Express it well enough that you and the people who know you can get it out briefly and easily.

I’m not suggesting you enlist the family for bus. dev., BUT since opportunity can arise anywhere, you need to keep your network conversant in “just what it is that you do”. Make it easy for the connectors in your life to think of you when they meet someone potentially interesting. Don’t make them do the figuring out.

If you can’t articulate what your contribution is, who will be able to repeat it on your behalf? If your audience can’t connect with your ideas, are they going to remember or pass them along?