You’ve written an article. Or you are working on a website. Or you are giving a talk or presentation. In any case, you know you need to write a bio of yourself.
Argh! Now you are really up against it- you can either write about yourself in a dry, boring, uninteresting way that tells people very little about who you are, and, if they even read it, certainly won’t attract them to your business. Or, you can trumpet yourself to the heavens, and disgust yourself and everyone else with boasting.
Not a very comfortable, situation, eh? I hated writing bios, and most of my clients have, too. Until you know why you are writing the bio, and the three things that you need to put in.
Why you write the bio.
When does someone read a bio? Most things in life don’t exist in a vacuum, except for maybe the dust that used to be on your floor. 🙂 Your bio doesn’t live in a vacuum, either. It plays an important part in how people gain trust.
Think of yourself: when do you turn to read the bio? Generally, I’ve found that people take in marketing information in this order: First, the headline- what’s this about? Second, give me a little more detail- the amount of detail someone reads is a combination of the needs of the person and the skill and completeness with which the information is presented.
And then, at some point, people begin to wonder: Who is it who is offering this information? Do I trust them? Can they really deliver this widget? Do I like them?
Ahhh.. they are beginning to ask themselves questions. So, you need to answer those questions. If you include three things, you’ll have answered all or most of what they want to know about you, so they can easily get back to their decision- “do I really want to buy this widget or service?”
What are those three things? Read them below:
The Three Parts of a Bio
Here are the three parts of a powerful bio. You don’t need them in any particular order, just make sure they are all there.
• Certifications/Training/Proof of Expertise
Remember that people buy when they feel safe. By providing proof of certifications and training, you are offering third-party verification of your expertise, and this allows people to breathe a little more deeply. And, don’t think all the certifications need to be 100% relevant to your business.
Example: I was helping someone create marketing for a class they wanted to teach, on a topic related to spiritual healing. I asked what kind of certifications they have, and they mentioned their spiritual training. I asked if there was anything else- they said no, except “J.D.” That means they are a lawyer.
Here’s one of the biggest questions people have about spiritual work: Is it grounded and practical, or is it woo-woo? Do you think that if people knew this gentleman was a lawyer, it might create more confidence in the practical and grounded nature of the workshop? You bet it would.
• Experience
There is a huge difference between training and experience. Letting people know how long you’ve been in business, how many people, organizations, etc have been helped, how many have been sold, all help to lend credence to the fact that you aren’t a fly-by-night operation, and that you know what you are doing.
Example: Someone in The Oasis just mentioned that they had worked with “hundreds” of clients, and yet had been in their business for nearly 30 years! I did the simple math, and I think they could easily list “thousands” of clients, not hundreds.
Even if you are newer in business, you still have related experience that you can count, even if it didn’t happen in the context of your current business.
• Passion and humanity
You need to show your passion and your humanity. Why are you providing your product or service. What’s your larger vision? It’s here that you capture your prospective customer’s imagination, and the trust that you are really looking out for them.
Example: I had a client years ago who was a realtor, as well as a two-time survivor of breast cancer. She had a passion to help people get into their dream home NOW, because you never know what might happen to you. Think you are going to trust her to help you find your dream home, quickly, and not let anything get in the way?
Your bio helps to create an important foundation of safety for your customers. Don’t hide, but toot your horn, in service to your customers.
