What To Include in Your Biography
The following is an excerpt from the CoachStart Manual.
Here is a list of things you might consider including in your biography:
- Your passion to help people
- The way in which you have already been helping people (e.g., unofficial coaching, mentoring, shoulder to lean on, teaching, training, managing)
- Specifically WHAT you provide for people
- Your successes (e.g., promotion, career, financially, health, relationship/marriage)
- Your adventures (e.g., climbing a mountain, travel to different countries)
- Challenges that you have overcome (e.g. divorce, a death, bankruptcy, health issue)
- Anything unique or interesting (e.g., scuba dive)
- What you love; what you hate (e.g., kids, flowery e-mail signatures, poetry)
- Your training (e.g., communication, corporate experience, people skills, self-study such as books and courses, business, any diplomas or degrees or certificates that are relevant or show you have accomplished something, or on-the-job training)
- Membership of any relevant associations e.g., National Speakers Association, International Coach Federation, Toastmasters, Chamber of Commerce, any volunteer positions on industry committees
- Any current coach training course you are undertaking.
Two to three paragraphs should suffice. Don’t include anything that does not give you credibility or a reason why you might be a good coach for them i.e., keep every word relevant. Two powerful lines are better than half a page of waffle. Oh – and of course keep it honest! For example, no saying “Gina coaches executives from major organisations” until you have at least one, or “Bill is a professional speaker” if you’re not yet. As always, you decide what is authentic and what isn’t.
Tags: biography, coaching, CoachStart, Tips
