She Enjoys Long Walks On the Beach and Bud Lite
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“Bob loves spending time with his family, participating in all types of sports and enjoying the outdoors.”
“Rachael is an avid crafter and gourmet cook, and enjoys family time and the Green Bay Packers.”
“When not spending time with his family, Rich enjoys nature and running, both long and short distances.”
(I know without meeting them that I don’t like Bob, Rachael or Rich. And I bet Rachael’s idea of “gourmet” isn’t what you’d typically associate with the term.)
When you’re creating bios of your team members, forget trying to make them into perfect citizens who like nothing more than to take part in wholesome activities. Don’t say that your doctor or vice-president or administrative assistant “likes spending time with her family,” “loves to read,” or “enjoys the outdoors.” It’s corny and dull (and phoney; most of us, if we’re being honest, prefer watching TV with a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos over sweaty athletic endeavors.)
The “personal” segment of a professional bio is important in creating a more human side of the people in your company, but there are ways to do it without it sounding like a backwater personal ad.
• First, be realistic. We all suspect that Bob loves his family – he’s stayed with them all this time and even bought his wife a minivan. So leave that out. Instead, take a good, hard look at Bob – what (if anything) makes him unique? How would you describe him in casual conversation? Focus on things that define his personality, like "He lives close to downtown in the historic district of the city with his wife, a nutritionist, and two young kids. He spends much of his free time renovating his Victorian-era house, though he admits that restoring an old house is far more costly and not nearly as fun as he thought it would be.”
Here’s an example of how I tried to work some personality into a client’s bio (bio used with permission; name changed):
Original – Tom enjoys competing in Ironman® competitions, biking, boating and skiing. He has a wife and 3 children and lives in Appleton.
Revised – Tom is competitive in nature, though he competes primarily with himself, trying to break personal bests in running, biking, and both downhill and cross-country skiing. His kids have inherited many of the same interests; all three ski with Tom and his wife, though none of them has yet to embrace the thrill (or agony) of the Ironman®.
• Second, don’t make Bob have one of those stiff, pose-y studio shots taken. They make most people look plastic. Instead have a casual, non-posed photo taken by a good photographer – one known to be able to capture personality (Image Studios in Appleton, by the way, is remarkably good at this). And if it’s appropriate to your business, don’t use a professional photo at all; use a family photo. Your subject undoubtedly has a picture at home of himself doing what he loves most – skiing, gardening, yelling at his dog…whatever. “Real” photos will generate a stronger, more emotional connection than a posed one ever could.
Tip: take a few shots with the subject looking away from the camera. People are more comfortable looking at photos of people who aren’t looking directly at the camera (and, in turn, looking directly at the viewer).
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