By bbr

Having a mini-biography of yourself on the company website makes you feel grownup and professional, but it’s not something that actually gets read, is it?

Actually, it does – a lot. In fact, the bio pages are some of the most-read on the sites of professional services firms. In a LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell study of international law firm websites conducted last year, 85% of those surveyed said the bios were the single most popular spot on their sites! Your bio is definitely not an ‘extra’ and shouldn’t be treated as an afterthought.

It makes sense, really. Think about a person in need of professional services. He or she has a somewhat defined need that’s driving the search for a provider. Finding your site might be the result of a simple internet search or, if you’re lucky, the visitor may have come to you via a referral from one of your current clients. In either case, this prospect will want to know something about you before risking a call or email to talk about anxiety-provoking issues like finances or legal needs.

Or it could be someone considering you as a speaker, an employer, a new partner or in some other capacity. The common theme in all of these situations is the legitimate desire to know more about who you are as a person and how it feels to know or work with you. Your bio is out there representing you, greeting all these interested parties. Since the bio you create is going represent you to so many viewers who have nothing else to go on, it behooves you to make a great one that meets and greets politely, professionally and graciously. And if it can convey the fact that you’re a fun yet responsible person, so much the better.

Too much to ask from a short biography? Not at all. Try these tips to make your bio something you’re proud to have speaking for you in your absence:

Hit the high points. Start by identifying your current role and describing what you do. You don’t have to list every duty, naturally. The goal is to convey an idea of what makes you particularly valuable to the firm. Include past experience as it relates to your current services or shows complementary skill acquisition. Mention professional memberships that strengthen your ability to provide service. List professional awards you’ve won and honors you’ve received, picking and choosing if space becomes an issue. Focus on the most recent, most relevant and those that mean the most to you.

Broaden the scope. Expand beyond your current work to share pertinent details like your educational background, your home town and your community involvement. You can also describe what you love about your profession, if you do, and what inspired you to pursue it as a career. Letting readers see how you got where you are today helps them feel confident in your ability to help them.

Get personal. In whatever way you are comfortable, share things about you that are unique and personal. Not “I like to drink alone in my underwear and watch a lot of reality TV” personal, but “I’m crazy about home-brewing and love coaching little league for my grandson’s team” personal. Do you love sewing and Edward Gorey? Perfect! Do you have family you’re close to or a Black Belt you’re proud of? What is it you prefer to do when you don’t have to work? Do you still thank your lucky stars you got fired from that college job as a telemarketer, or did it help you discover what you really wanted to do? Have you always resented the color orange, hated spiders with an irrational passion or dreamed about becoming an astronaut for your next career? This is what makes you you, and it makes your bio interesting to read. It also helps show you as a human being, and everyone prefers working with humans they can relate to rather than generic “service providers” if given a choice. Besides, it’s only polite to volunteer information like this to those whom you’ll be asking for very personal details about their own lives.

Reading your bio should feel like picking up a beautiful but very short novel. When readers come away from it, they should be smiling and feeling that in some way, they can relate to the person you are. Not necessarily as a twin spirit or a bosom buddy, but as a fellow human who shares the same kinds of joys, struggles and quirks that they do.

Writing a bio that hits that perfect blend of professionalism and personality takes some time and care, but it’s so, so worth the effort. I encourage you to take as much time and ask as many questions as necessary when creating the bios for your firm website. And if you run into trouble, we’re here to help.