Talk to grandma in an elevator

It can happen in an elevator or at a networking event or at the weekend barbecue. Most often these days it happens when you write a prospecting email. You need to say what you do.
Unfortunately what most people say, especially if they work for tech companies, does not mean much to the listener, or it sends the other person into a mild snooze.
Here are some tips to change that.
How do you help people?
I think Aaron Ross nailed it here. Change your mind set from answering the question from “what do you do?” to “how do you help people?”
It doesn’t matter that people ask you “what do you do?” answer as if they said “how do you help people”.
Most people answer “what do you do?” in a really boring way. “I’m an accountant”. “I’m a sales person for a network security software company”. [Editor’s note: I’m already getting sleepy.]
If