What happens when I get asked to edit content on a web page?
One thing I’ve learned is this: I get more questions, comments and requests for review about the About Page than all the other pages put together.
I’ll bet you’re not surprised to hear that!
What is the purpose of your About Page?
It’s to answer the question: “Why should I hire you?”
Not, “What are you REALLY like?”
This is especially challenging if you have a business where YOU are the brand. You’re the one who’ll be supplying the service, not some faceless company. You are selling yourself.
So let’s cut to the chase.
“How will you make me more successful and more joyful?”
“What are the pains you will take away?”
Like staying up late to finish something, like your taxes or your website? Something physical, like carrying around extra pounds?
Make your point by telling a story. So begin your About Page by telling a story.
But … not the usual “How I won the third-grade spelling contest.” Or, “My biggest failure in life.” Or, “How I triumphed over an obstacle.”
Instead, tell a story that responds to your audience. Why should they hire you?
Hiring a service professional can be a scary decision. Your audience comes to you with three fears:
They’ve got fears around the problem itself — the reason they’re hiring you.
They’re afraid of hiring the wrong person: imagine hiring an interior decorator who paints the walls purple.
And they’re afraid they’ll look dumb: “Shouldn’t I be able to do this myself?”
I cover these fears in more detail in my ebook on Build Your Standout Personal Brand One Story At A Time.
So your About Page needs to
… ease the fears of clients who are scared to death of hiring anybody
… show them you’re worthy of their trust (without boasting obnoxiously)
… keep the focus on them and their needs
3 tips:
Tip #1: Understand the know, like, and trust factor.
“Like” doesn’t mean you’re a potential friend. People want to know (a) you’re competent, (b) you’re easy to work with and (c) you won’t run off to Fiji with their fees.
The best way to make this happen is to tell a true story about how you handled a particular situation, especially related to your business.
For instance, an immigration lawyer shares stories of how he spent days tracking down a client who’d been arrested, gained access to his client after hours, and had his witnesses ready for a last-minute hearing. This story not only had all the elements of suspense: it showed the kind of advocacy he offers.
The worst way to make this happen is to share a cringe-worthy story about how you made a fool of yourself at the last office party you attended … or a story about your latest illness, complete with lab reports and photos of you in your hospital bed, covered in tubes.
Tip #2: “Don’t share your life story. Show you understand their back story.”
Every client comes with baggage, a/k/a backstory. These backstories turn into the client’s hidden objections.
A lawyer’s client might remember the vicious attacks from her ex’s divorce lawyer … or a compassionate bankruptcy lawyer who suggested resources to get back on his feet.
A life coach’s client comes with stories of her best friend’s crazy life coach who said, “Just quit your job and travel. You’ll be fine!” and now the friend is turning fifty, with no career, no direction, and a mountain of debt.
When you do share something about yourself, tie it directly to your clients.
Here’s a good example from Melissa Galt:
My business has taken me around the globe to destinations including Australia, New Zealand, China, Bali, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, and Nepal. Like my mom, I have an insatiable curiosity about other countries, cultures, and customs and it shows up in my eagerness to learn about your business and find creative ways to generate that irresistible combination of bliss and bucks. [Italics and emphasis added.]
Increasingly we’re even seeing a trend to eliminate biography from this page altogether.
Tip #3: Focus on inspiring your clients rather than sharing your mission.
If you do include a mission statement, be clear on how your mission statement helps customers make a decision about you. For instance, Jonathan Adler is a lifestyle furniture store in Philadelphia and elsewhere. Their mission statement, posted in every store and on their website includes:
“We believe in rustic modernism…”
“We believe celebrities should pay full price.”
“We believe dogs should be allowed in stores.”
Since my dog was with me when I first saw this manifesto, I resonated immediately. The complete manifesto shows the owner’s personality as much as the store’s philosophy.
Kim Garst’s About Page includes (at the time this was written):
We believe in transparency and free-flowing information and we have followed our own advice to build one of the largest, comprehensive, and most successful digital platforms anywhere.”
I can help you create an impactful About Page in three ways.
First, I have a low-cost course you can take to DIY your About Page. The price includes another course — sell yourself without bragging.
If you have an About Page but would like some feedback, check out the Copywriting Review. You’ll get a video review of your page plus a free copy of the course if you mention this article.
Finally, let’s dig in and make serious marketing moves. Sign up for the Strategic Intensive. Get the course free plus a mini-copywriting review after you’ve rewritten the page. Just mention this article.
