Have you heard that women base their first impression of a man on his shoes? I didn’t believe it until the first time I caught myself glancing at the shoes of a speaker. He was articulate and well-dressed, and I was curious if his shoes were as polished as the rest of him. (They were.)
Your biography is the proverbial shoes of your brand. It is the fine detail that prospective clients use to gauge the quality and personality of your organization. This is why so many executives invest in a professional writer. A writer weaves your experiences, strengths, recognitions, client testimonials, and more into a tight selling package. And when prospects glance at your story, they’ll notice polish in the details.
But communicating quality isn’t the only benefit to a well-crafted biography. The best part is the incredible opportunity to leverage your investment. Just a handful of nips and tucks can adjust your biography into many different formats and purposes that all tie together. Here are some ways you can use your executive summary with a few tweaks:
- website biography page
- print materials
- boilerplates at the bottom of online or print publications
- personal or corporate LinkedIn profiles
- Facebook business page
- introductions to speeches
- media kit
- email introductions
- email announcements or ads
- resume
Take a look at your biography. How can you leverage it to add value to your corporate materials?
Ella Hearrean Ritchie is the owner of Stellar Communications, a Houston-based editing and writing company that delivers quality content on time to business leaders, nonprofit organizations, and federal government agencies. She is also the director of publishing at Chart House Press, which publishes and promotes books and business brands with purpose. Connect with her on LinkedIn or check out her website for more information.