Bye-Bye Boring Bio
By Paulette Ensign (used with permission)Are you a bore?
Probably not, since people who are attracted to creating tips booklets, nonfiction books, and other info products tend to be among the most interesting people on the planet. However, what your bio says about you could be leaving the impression that you are, in fact, a total (or at least partial) bore. Your bio could be misrepresenting you without it ever occurring to you.
People do want to know something about the real you.
Consider the process you’ve gone through or are about to go through to develop your products and services. With your tips booklet, you give a lot of thought to the words in your booklet, the professional presentation of those words through the graphic design of the insides and the cover, how you’re going to price it, and who your market will be. While it’s always about how the booklet will benefit the reader and/or buyer, those people do want to know something about the real you – who you are and what gives you the credibility to create the booklet.
Laundry lists be gone.
The same is true with any of your other products or your coaching, consulting, or speaking services. “Who are you, why do I care, how can you improve my life, and will I enjoy working with you in some way?” Remember the last time you heard a long laundry list introduction of every degree and award a keynote speaker ever won, every publication that ever interviewed her, every corporate and association client who ever hired him to speak.
A real yawner, wasn’t it?
Spice it up.
Yes, even in the brief introduction of a tips booklet or the “resource box” at the end of an article you can add some spice to an otherwise ho-hum backgrounder about who you are. There is something about you that shows you as a real and interesting person who happens to have certain useful expertise, a person who is anything but boring.
A few of my own tidbits
Besides personally selling well over a million copies of one tips booklet in various languages and formats without spending a penny on advertising, I made a cross-country move in 1996 from NY to a mile from the beach in San Diego without missing a beat in my business. My cat lets me live with her. I moved here because it doesn’t snow in San Diego. I love eating sushi.
Now you know a little about my business and who I am as a humanoid.
You can surpass my results with your own tips booklet, either solo or in collaboration, through the products and services at www.tipsbooklets.com and www.CollectionOfExperts.com Not sure of your first step? Call 858-481-0890 during Pacific time zone business hours and we can discuss that.
Barbara’s Note: I recently worked with Paulette on a Tips Booklet, Communicating for Profits. Great experience. Paulette makes it easy and fun. Request a PDF copy of this booklet at editor@barbaramcnichol.com
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Having written bios for hundreds of independent business owners across the nation, one thing I know for sure is that many struggle with telling their stories so the right people will listen and act. What most people want is to stand out, connect and shine with their ideal customers in a Google search and beyond so they can get on with their life’s work fast. Instead, many find themselves with snoozer-fuddy-duddy bios that put their ideal clients to sleep.
To help people out, I created the Bye-Bye Boring Bio Action Guide. People tell me this guide is like having a PR fairy godmother on their shoulders, guiding their storytelling to magical results in attracting clients, media attention or both.. Please check it out at http://www.byebyeboringbio.com. And, if you just want your bio written for you, the solution to that challenge is just one Extreme Bio Makeover (www.extremebiomakeover.com) away!
Here’s to remarkable, memorable and compelling bios for one and all!