The wrong answer for service professionals is your professional category, in my case "headhunter".

It is the wrong answer because people have preconceived notions about headhunters and what they do, and it is often not a notion that sets you up for success.

Some of those preconceived notions:

• A CV collector and/or distributor
• Someone who will find you a job
• A secretive operator stealing employees from companies, including yours
• A scantly dressed tribesman dancing around a vat with boiling oil containing an unfortunate discoverer (the preconceived notion of my 4 year old niece).

The right answer addresses what a potential client would really want. The client does not want you to search someone. He wants the tangible and intangible benefits of what you do: more profit, more revenue, more growth, more recognition, more prestige, and so on...

The right answer provides a great opportunity for personal branding: what you do, how you do it, and why you do it. In my case, I would answer:  I help companies achieve higher performance, by attracting great talent for them.

Why I do it ? There are many reasons: I like to learn in many ways, I like to help people, I am fascinated with business dynamics, I love to see my client surge after i delivered my service, etc... The personal catch phrase that summarizes somehow all the above, must also link the "what's in it for me" of the listener. Ask why a client likes you, find out why peers and candidates respect you, all provide great material for a catch phrase that makes a powerful emotional statement.

The "why I do it" will then attract those people who will resonate with you. It is not about pleasing as many people as possible, but to connect with those that are waiting to hear your unique message. Don't water you message down to a generic professional category that represents anything to everybody, but make it reflect the unique you and make it your brand. It will make you show passion and excitement, and there is nothing more appealing and convincing about someone speaking from his  or her heart.