Biographies are an important part of marketing and very vital. They are quick snapshots into what your business is and how much experience you have in your field. More often than not, they are the first impression of what potential clients and contacts have of you and it is very hard, and often impossible, to rework a first impression. Indeed, when you get right down to it, the one thing that almost “everyone” will do when they hear your name or are going to work with is to look at your bio.
So it would make sense that your biography needs to be top notch.
When I see most biographies they tend to read as such (for a real estate lawyer):
“Ms. Smith has experience in all aspects of commercial real estate and has handled complex mezzanine financings, construction financings, bridge loans, joint ventures, platform investments, hospitality transactions, [and every doggone thing she has ever done in a long and extraordinarily comprehensive list]…”
The list goes on and on and on and by the time anyone reads it they have forgotten everything you listed. To be even more blunt, no one will actually read it as it sounds like this to the reader …. “real estate lawyer blah blah blah….”
Service providers typically feel that they need to list “every single” piece of expertise that they have because if they leave out that one thing then they will lose all of that “huge” business they “would have gotten” since that specific client will not realize that she can do this work.
Bottom line — this is the exact wrong way to do a bio.
I have learned over years of marketing that potential clients and contacts will take away “one” message that you give them – and only “one” message. Not two or three or more. If you give them one message – strongly – they will remember it. If you give them two or more they will remember nothing and hardly remember you at all.
This needs to be reflected in your bio. How about this for Ms. Smith
“Ms. Smith is known as one of the top lawyers nationwide in the area of real estate joint ventures. Although she routinely handles all aspects of her real estate law practice, clients consistently turn to her for their most complicated and intricate joint venture transactions. Her strong focus in this area gives her a major competitive advantage over those less skilled in this area, which consistently inures to the benefit of her clients.”
Dare I say that this is Ms. Smith’s Power Niche?
To make the same point I make again and again in my writings: Once you determine your Power Niche you should be drilling that message into your biography and every other place that mentions your name.
So, it might make sense for you to take a quick look at your bio….
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Note – My Marketing Book If You Want to Get Rich Build a Power Niche now has a target publication date of late third quarter this year. This book will contain “all” of my marketing secrets, which I have developed over ten years of relentless focus. I hope I am not being too much of a humbug in saying I wish I had this book when I was starting my career. Where would I be now? Sigh….
Bruce Stachenfeld 