I reason I decided to publish the bio writing piece again is because of a collaboration I had with a new client who wanted a more interesting bio than the one she’d written.
She had seen examples of at least six other bio and about pages that I had written for other clients, and she wanted something as riveting and compelling as they were.
The problem/challenge was that I knew nothing else about her other than what was on the draft of the bio she had, which was just about as white bread and non-nutritious as a bio can be.
So, I sent her my Content Questionnaire and had her fill that out.
But it came back with the same bland talking points. (Yawn… Ho-hum.) No USP suggested itself to me.
All I got was a sense of “Nice gal. Works hard. Does right by her clients.” Claims every realtor and other service provider claims.) Nothing she provided helped her stand out.
So, then I figured, “I think I know what’s going on, here. Women aren’t encouraged or taught how to tout themselves in the same way men are. Women are raised to become homemakers and/or crucial-but-quiet support staff, not high-profile entrepreneurs, bosses and visionaries.”
I decided her problem wasn’t a decent history or background;her problem was a lack of ability to tout herself without feeling embarrassed, pushy or arrogant. (Most women get “Impostor Syndrome” every time they try to stand up for themselves or stand out in any positive way. They feel they should be seen but not heard, that they should not taken seriously because they get treated as second-class support staff most of the time.)
She has the background history, the chops and the ability to stand out; she just didn’t know how to make that happen (in writing) on her own.
So, then I asked her to try another draft but to write it it in third person, as if she had met and was writing about someone who was really good at what she did but didn’t have the audacity to name it and proclaim it. She agreed to do that, to write the way a reporter would, and sent me the result the next day.
BINGO!
In the new draft, she provided more of what I needed to reorganize, massage and finesse what she had.
Within an hour, with one minor change after she reviewed it, I had a bio that did what it needed to do. She wrote, “LOVE IT!”, paid me, and she’s on her way!
That’s what happens when you look in on yourself as an interested observer would, or as a cub reporter: you look for, and find, the things about yourself that would stand out if you were observing someone else. Your “humility” takes a back seat and you’re freed to name and proclaim what it is you bring to the table without feeling like a braggart.
A good bio is crucial. Writing it in third person helps you get out of your own way so you can “report” your assets and abilities without feeling as if an egotistical mental state has taken control of your mind.
To stand out in a crowded field, you have to know how to crow about yourself without coming across like Donald Trump, because people who do what he does (self-congratulate, over-promise and under-deliver, bloviate, etc.) usually don’t fare even as well as he has managed to do, and he’s a master of bluster and trumpery.
Empty claims of greatness are just that: empty claims.
But people with solid chops and great results for their clients should have bios that showcase their abilities.
That’s not trumpery; it’s legitimate, fact-based, rock solid evidence.
If you’re having trouble drafting your own final bio after reading these two back-to-back posts, send me an email. I’ll take a look at what you have and see what I can suggest that will make it better. If I think it’s fine as is, I’ll let you know that, too!
