How Many "I's" are in Your Bio?

Barack Obama’s inauguration speech captivated America, boldly declared his mission, made clear the problems that need to be solved, instilled confidence, and invited action — all within about 19 minutes.    And he said “I” maybe three times during the full length of his speech.  What he accomplished in a short time is pretty darn remarkable. When you have that length of time — or much less — to deliver the same information about your business and your mission, what do you say?   And, if you only have a half-page of text or the length of an elevator ride to tell the same story, what then? That said, take this challenge.  Read your bio.  Count how many times you say “I” within the text.  Then, change the “I” to “you” and see how much better it reads and how much more inviting the message becomes. If you like the impact making this simple and powerful change makes, consider these essential elements of an engaging bio and see how yours measures up. 1) State what you are committed to. 2) Identify your ideal customer in very specific terms so they know immediately they’ve come to the right place. 3) Share the kinds of problems you help solve and the pain you ease for your ideal customers. 4) Demonstrate your credibility in a powerful, compelling way with stories that put meaning behind your decades of experience. 5) Share what valuable clients have said about the contribution you’ve made to solving their problems and making their lives easier in clear, compelling, descriptive terms.  Use first and last names, and offer backlinks to their websites to lend additional credibility to these comments. 6) Say something that showcases you are someone the reader can like, trust, and respect.  For example, don't just say you know how to keep a secret.  Rather, say that you know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a  Tootsie Pop, and you'll never tell.  One approach is straightforward.  The other is memorable.  Memorable is always better. The emphasis of these action steps is not to talk about yourself.  It is to make clear the mission you are on, how you serve, what you do, and who you are relevant to your ideal customer and to invite their action. Consider this.  If your ideal customer lands on your biography page of your website before reading the text on your home page, would the message on that page be compelling enough to invite that reader to learn more?  Or, would it be so generic and boring that folks would check out before they check in? If you want to get your bio in great shape to invite perfect opportunities to deliver your mission and be of service, follow these steps and you’ll be in much better shape to invite perfect engagements with the right people.   Obama just enlisted the hearts and minds of our nation with his fabulous oratory.  What can you do with your bio that can enlist the hearts, minds, and action of your ideal customers to benefit from how you serve with immediacy and impact?  You need a great bio in your marketing tool chest, now more than ever -- especially if earning favorable and free publicity and speaking engagements in 2009 is high on your priority list.   It’s just a matter of getting into inspired action. How about today?   2009-01-22T19:20:11Z

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2009-01-23T14:12:37Z

If your ideal customer lands on your biography page before reading the home page, would the message invite the reader to learn more? Or, would it be so generic that folks check out before they check in?