My cousin asked what our company does and I said...

A family member asks what you do for a living and there's an awkward silence as your mind races to find the right words to describe your job and get the message across. I think we've all been there.

I used to work for Porsche in Toronto and when someone asked what I did it was easy to answer - I sell cars (dramatic pause) Porsches. You can imagine how the conversation went from there, did they give you one? Did you get to take them home? It's always stimulated conversation and could be explained in 3 words (or less).

Now, I work in communications, well internal communications...well digital signage, no wait - it's large screen communications...

Here's part of the gmail chat with my sixth form cousin who asked what it is we do (complete with typos!):

Cousin: where are you working?

 me:  www.sabercom.co.uk

 Cousin:  what's digital signage?

 me:  displaying messaging on LCD/plasma/TV screens e.g. like in waiting areas

 Cousin:  oh okay

like adverts?

 me:  But we mostly sell to companies who use them to communicate to employees

 Cousin:  or like train times?

 me:  Kind of, but we don't sell for that application (the software would work for that though)

You know when you go to a company and they have a screen in reception?

 Cousin:  like a cinema?

or a uni open day

playing a video?

 me:  We sell the software so they can put messaging around TV e.g. reception screen would have messaging for visitors and maybe BBC news playing

And in an employee cafe it might have the menu

 Cousin:  ok

 me:  Depends where the screen is and who the audience is

 me:  It works as a screensaver too

 Cousin:  ok

so... what is it that one can't do without you?

couldn't one just set up an old laptop to display whatever ?

 me: 

Sure they could - some use PowerPoint

But ours can schedule, show video with other mixed media

Plus you can update it easily and over the internet

Also, you can control multiple screens so they each show different info

We also use it in colleges to inform students of certain things

 Cousin:  we have one1

 me:  E.g. during registration there will be appropriate info on the screens

 Cousin:  !

at our sixthform

it sounds good you explain it better than the website

____________________________________________

That last line hit home, "you explain it better than the website". Not only is it hard to explain what internal communications is to the uninitiated, imagine working as a niche supplier to the industry. You really have to focus on your "elevator pitch". Communicating clearly and transferring knowledge and understanding is a very special skill.

You really need to consider the audience so carefully, it's so easy to overestimate what people know and how they interpret the information you present. Communicating well can't be rushed so make sure you stop before hitting send, publish, share and think about things from the potential recipient's point of view. 

Now, about that website...