Just as “one size fits all” does not work for pantyhose and screwdrivers, it does not work for professional speakers on their biography or website.
Have you ever been asked to write a biography for a group or association that you belong to – that works to actually sell your services?
Traditional biographies are great for your website (see my post on writing a professional biography for your speaker website). But when you are writing something to be featured in a networking group, you need to focus on the experience you provide, not on your education and experience.
What if your biography was designed solely to get people to want to get to know you. That’s it—a biography designed to make your target market say “Here’s someone interesting. I think I’d like her. We should have a coffee.” That was my task when I set out to write my biography for H.U.B Inc. Toronto, a networking group of high-powered, influential women in the Toronto area. I figured, they are all powerhouses in their own right, so they don’t need to have my credibility waved like a flag. We are all at the same level in business.
What do they want more than anything? A smart friend and confidante who understands their desires and struggles and knows what she is doing. And someone they can turn to when they have a need I can fulfill. That’s it.
So I wrote this biography with that one customer need in mind.
A branding and marketing superstar for professional speakers with an amazing message and great delivery? Yes!
Someone who utilizes a team of experts to help speakers teetering on the edge of greatness to implement their vision? Yes!
But who is Lauren Pibworth?
Described as genuine, positive and possessing “an amazing energy” Lauren leaps into life with a unique mixture of passion, abandon and professionalism. She’s the friend you turn to, and the marketing expert and business confidante you trust. She knows the pain involved when the desire to change the world is burning a hole through your soul because no one is listening – and she knows the pure joy of making her (and your) dreams come true.
Can you spot the key elements?
- Pinpointed my target market immediately – professional speakers with an amazing message and great delivery
- Identified their struggles and concerns – teetering on the edge of greatness, struggling to be heard
- I told them how I would help – branding and marketing superstar with a team of experts
- I told them who I was – a friend you like and trust because she’s been there
Now, on your website, this is not likely going to be the bio you choose. But don’t be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to using your biography differently.
