HOW TO WRITE AND USE YOUR BIO AS A SELLING TOOL
- By Joyce Hansen

One of the most difficult tasks people encounter is writing their bio. People often ask me for tips about how to write about themselves. They do not know what information they should include. They are uncomfortable and unsure about how to word their experience, expertise and character traits in order to sell what they have to offer.

I hope these tips will help you formulate a story about yourself that will compel others to want to contact you immediately or be introduced to you through other avenues.

1. Make your bio short. You want people to be enticed enough by your expertise to be immediately motivated to find out more about you.
   
   
2. Write your bio in the third person. In other words write it as if someone else is talking about you. This also makes it easier when you are drafting it, as it takes the focus away from “I” and “me” and helps you write from a different perspective.
   
   
3. Use your full name initially and then you can use your first name only in the remainder of the bio. Some like to refer to themselves by their last name, however I find this impersonal and recommend writing on a first name basis. By all means use a title in front of your name if you are a professional, such as a Doctor.
   
   
4. Briefly highlight your key accomplishments. Through your words demonstrate your professional credibility. If you have little experience in the market that you want to reach, highlight areas that demonstrate your expertise, such as volunteer positions that you have held.
   
   
5. Sell yourself. Weave in words that are subtle to advertise yourself, your products and services. Position the words in the bio so that they also solve a problem the readers may have. Excite them, entice them and wow them with who you are and what you can do for them, but make sure you can back up your words with true sales figures, actual case studies, etc.
   
   
6. Limit personal information. You may choose to include information about where you grew up, live now, what you do in your spare time and your marital status, however I suggest that if you choose to include this type of information, that you limit it. Save the details for relationship building purposes when you meet your target market face-to-face.
   
   
7. Include social media links only if you intend to connect regularly. It will reflect poorly on you if you include your Twitter, Linked In, and other types of social media interface contact information and then not respond to messages consistently.
   
   
8. Break your bio into shorter paragraphs if you prefer to include more than three or four. Each paragraph should contain no more than three sentences. When people look at a large section of text, they normally scan over it quickly or do not read it at all. Your goal is to have them read every word, so keep it short and intense.
   
   
9. Ask for the opinion of others before finalizing. Ask a colleague, friend, relative, client, or a communication professional to review what you have written and provide you with feedback. Receiving comments from a variety of sources helps you to reflect whether you are adequately telling your target market about you, and how you can provide a solution for their needs.
   
   
10. Do not use glamour photographs. People want to know what the “real you” looks like. They want to trust individuals and companies before they enter into business relationships with them. They do not want to view photographs that portray a different image than what the person looks like most of the time.
    
    
11. Summarize key information in your by-line. Include contact information and your specialty in the by-line at the bottom of your bio. The information should basically summarize who you are and how to contact you. Include “call to action” words.

Writing a bio does not have to be intimidating if you gather the different types of information you need first; write it step-by-step with an open mind and obtain a variety of opinions before distributing it. Be honest with yourself as to who you really are and how your unique expertise can help others.

Finally, be proud to send your bio to everyone you know and those with whom you would like to do business with, knowing that the right people and situations will come to you.

Copyright Class Act Connections. All rights reserved. Contact Class Act Connections to receive your complimentary copy of the "PR Activities Checklist" and to arrange an "Attraction, Marketing & PR" consultation. Joyce Hansen, President of Class Act Connections would be pleased to meet with you personally. She can be reached at 905-278-0952 or by e-mail at joyceh@classactconnections.com.