Professional Organizer? No Way!

How do people react when they find out what you do for a living?

I’ve found that I generally get one of the following three responses, after I’ve answered the famous question, “So, what do you do?”

A) “Oooh, I really need you!”

B) “Yikes, you would just die if you saw my office….but I can find anything when I need it.”

C) “Can you organize my wife/husband/teenager/boss, etc?”

In the beginning, I wasn’t sure how to respond to these statements, but after years of office organizing and marketing my business, I’ve established a few set responses.

When people exclaim that they “need my services,” I now realize that they are often just making friendly conversation. I ask them, “What makes you say that?” and I’ll get a 2-3 minute description of their crazy busy life, of the chaos that entangles them, and how they just think being organized is some sort of pipe dream. (Not so!)

For response B, I delicately explain that I really dont’ care if their space is a complete mess, as long as it doesn’t bother them. But, if  it becomes a source of pain, and they acknowledge that pain….that’s when I have something to offer.  That’s when I can truly connect with them.  But until then?  We’re cool. Really.

Oh, but do note: recent studies show that another person’s opinion of one’s messy desk can create a perception of decreased credibility.  But like I said: I’m not bothered by general disorganization of a space, as long as it’s not my own!

And the humorous last response – example C - requires me to ask the next important question: “Does your wife/husband/teenage child/boss think they need to be organized?”

When the person replies “No, they think they’re fine…” then I share the wisdom that there’s limited success I can create with the wife/husband/teenager/boss if they aren’t the ones experiencing the pain. You know- like the first step to recovery is admitting there’s a problem.  I have unknowingly been brought in to situations where the ‘client’ was completely perplexed as to why their boss/spouse, etc thought they needed my services, and oh my goodness, it was interesting!

So I’m curious, what kind of responses do you typically receive when you share what you do for a living?  Of all the different professions out there, I’m sure you have a story to share… and of course, the wackier the better!