For many people, when asked what they’re up to in a business setting, it’s a natural reaction to say, “I’m busy” or “I’m keeping busy.” If you’re in business development or a leadership role in your company, the word “busy” sends the wrong message because it implies you are not open to new opportunities or that new business or referrals will take a backseat to your current workload.
I learned this first-hand years ago when I asked a client for a referral. She said, “Oh, I thought you were so busy you didn’t want any more clients.” Wow. For someone who had wrongly equated “busy” with “productive,” that was a gut check. I started working to remove “I’m busy” from my vocabulary in both business and personal conversations.
It’s a hard habit to break, but if you can make the switch, being asked a “What are you up to?” question provides an opening to tactfully engage the person in your growth strategy.
How does it work? Reframe your answer to emphasize that you want to grow rather than that you are busy with your current workload. Consider replies like:
- “We’re in growth mode, and I’m excited about the new opportunities we’re finding.”
- “I’m being super productive and working on expanding our client list.”
- “It’s an exciting time – our clients/customers are experiencing success, and we are actively looking for similar opportunities.”
If you catch yourself saying, “I’m busy,” you can recover by clarifying:
- “I’m busy, but it’s a productive busy as we’re working to bring on additional clients/work/customers/partners.”
- “I’m busy. We’re growing, but we’re never too busy to talk about new business opportunities.”
The more you reframe your response, the easier it gets. For some high-energy salespeople, the challenge is to ensure that your response doesn’t sound like a sales pitch. Find wording that is natural for your style yet doesn’t close the door to future introductions, referrals, or recurring work.
