What should your bio say about you?

Everyone needs a written bio at some point. You’ve probably submitted one for a profile or networking event, or created one for your marketing materials. And like many advisors, you may have found it difficult to write about yourself.

But from what we’ve found, there are a few important points to include in these write-ups, and little reason to venture beyond them.

The Highlights

Every prospect and referral wants to know about your practice and what they can expect from it, but they also want to know about the person giving them advice.

So start with the high-level, need-to-know items: your role in the firm, what you do better than anyone else and what makes you qualified. If you’ve been in the business a long time, it’s a good idea to mention your experience here as well. But be concise and try not to recycle phrases you’ve seen or heard elsewhere.

If someone reads only the first paragraph of your bio, they should get a good sense of the entire piece.

The Plain Facts

Lay out your credentials. This should cover relevant educational qualifications, licenses and certifications, as well as industry recognition and major accomplishments.

This section does not need to be particularly dressed up. In fact, you may opt for bullet points here instead of paragraphs, so that readers can easily scan the items that speak to your credibility and expertise. If you have a unique process, worldview or approach that differentiates you, take a sentence or two to explain it here.

The Personal Side

Finally, leave some space to mention things like family, community involvement and hobbies. This might not be the most important section of the write-up, but sometimes it’s the part that starts the conversation.

As for the bio as a whole, we skew toward brevity. It’s best to include enough detail to be convincing, without losing the reader in indulgent tangents. You will have lots of other opportunities to share your core beliefs and guiding principles, but in most contexts your bio serves as a general introduction and a gateway to new relationships.