As a sales professional, you probably have personality and enthusiasm to burn. These traits will serve you well if you’ve been asked to write a short sales bio, which your company may need for its marketing materials. While your thoughts may instantly turn to your resume, make it a quick trip; a bio may allude to your years of experience, but unlike a resume, it should not include a comprehensive list of your qualifications. Think in terms of crafting an anecdote or a pithy summary of how you approach your work or clients. A sales bio requires you to do what you do best: sell--and in this case, sell yourself by exhibiting your personality and enthusiasm.

Ask for the maximum word count of your bio and write this number at the top of the page. Most likely, you will be working with a limited, allotted space. Moreover, you will be far happier with the result if you edit your bio to the correct word count than if you allow someone else to do it for you.

Write down your ideas – all of them – and edit later. This process is called brainstorming and should help inspire your creativity. Do not count every word as you ascribe it to the page; write freely for now and concern yourself with counting and editing later.

Adopt a conversational tone right from the start, as if you were sitting with a client in a coffee shop. Don’t abandon your sense of professionalism; use the same words and expressions that make you approachable and likable to your clients.

Connect with your reader by sharing a revealing anecdote, such as why you chose sales as a profession. Maybe a college professor inspired you; perhaps a best-selling book helped shape your perspective; or maybe a riveting sales seminar set you on your career path. Whatever it is, provide some insight that will help you build lasting client relationships, which is part of the reason you’re writing the bio in the first place.

Describe your special skills or qualities or how you work with your clients. Without invoking the word “philosophy,” explain in precise terms how you treat clients or the scope of the services you provide.

Establish your credibility by alluding to your professional experience and/or the number of years you have worked as a sales professional. If you’ve worked for recognizable, “big-name” employers, be sure to mention them. It may be tempting to cite a professional award or accolade, but remember that people outside your industry probably will not be able to assess its significance.

Put your bio aside for a day and return to it with a fresh set of eyes. It's a basic truism of expository writing that “the critic shows up only after the writer has left the room.” Also, you may think of other, more compelling ideas after letting the bio grow cold after a session of brainstorming and intensive writing.

Tip

Give yourself a few days to edit and finesse your bio. You also may wish to use the time to elicit the opinion of a trusted colleague, whose feedback may strengthen your work. No matter what medium it will appear in, a sales bio is too important to be rushed to completion.

Remember that your sales bio may be used in multiple marketing mediums and, ideally, people may contact you because of the flair you displayed in writing it. Your bio, in other words, is out there in the public domain, and you should be proud enough of it to use it as a springboard or talking point with prospective clients.