Getting ready to launch your speaking business? If it’s not already there, add “writing a speaker bio” to the top of your priority list. That’s right–writing a good speaker bio comes before you publish your speaker website or send a proposal to a client. Your speaker bio has the power to make or break your first impression with a client, audience member, or professional connection. So we’re making it easy for you by providing a speaker bio template for every occasion!
In the past, we’ve covered why your speaker bio is so important on our podcast and our blog. Ultimately, a successful speaker bio comes down to communicating credibility and targeting your audience.
Establishing your expertise and credibility is an indispensable step to building a strong speaking business. Naturally, your speaker bio naturally should reflect that. Communicating credibility through a strong speaker bio is the first step to a relationship of trust with your client or audience member.
Event planners, board members, budget managers, conference attendees, and future audience members will all encounter your personal brand through your speaker bio. Where possible, you should tailor your bio to the reader as specifically as possible, maximizing your chances of a good first impression. This is why it’s so important to know your niche and narrow down your audience before you try to get booked and paid to speak.
Today, we’re focusing on the four main contexts for which a professional speaker will need to provide a bio. They are:
- Your speaker website.
- A speaker proposal/one sheet.
- An event program.
- Your social media.
For each situation, we’ll provide a template as a roadmap to writing your own professional speaker bio. These templates can be used by keynote speakers, workshop facilitators, and seminar leaders. New speakers, seasoned speakers…you name it!
1. Your Speaker Website Bio
What’s the most important digital asset of your speaking business in addition to your demo video? Your speaker website. This website exists primarily to attract clients, not audience members. It’s all too easy to slip into writing a bio you would share with audience members from the stage. For this bio, get in the mindset of showing why you should be on that stage in the first place.
On your speaker website, write your bio in the first person. If you run a business that isn’t all “you,” create a separate speaker page where you can write your speaker bio. The speaker bio on your website should provide not only a clear picture of your speaking business, but also of who you are as a person. Speakers aren’t all hired by AI (yet!) so appealing to the human element matters quite a lot here!
Your speaker website is (hopefully) what shows up first when people google your name. Ideally, it will also top the results page when people google “[your field] speaker,” so make sure you include keywords for your industry if they are relevant. If you speak to two or three different subsets of one niche, try to mention all of them. This will likely be the longest and most robust of your speaker bios, so aim to be comprehensive without being over-wordy.
Speaker Bio Template – Website:
- Begin with a positioning statement.
I am [name], a [describe the various things you do – speaker, parent, teacher, academic, therapist, entrepreneur, business owner, etc.] who helps [describe how you help people through speaking].
- List your experience and career highlights with credibility–building statements.
I have [X years, decades] of experience doing [career paths that have shaped you into who you are as a speaker], and I have [career accomplishments, awards, memberships, certifications].
- Provide one or two testimonials and/or examples of client transformation.
In [year], I helped [clients] overcome [problems your speaking business offers solutions to]. [Past client] describes me as [testimonial].
- End with some personal fun facts to add human connection.
I enjoy [hobbies]. I love spending time with my [kids, dogs, spouse, antique cars, etc.]. You’d never guess, but [cool, unique fact about you].
If you’re looking for inspiration, TSL coach and program alum Erick Rheam’s website has a great bio with just the right balance of professional and personal.
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2. Speaker Proposal/One Sheet Bio
Your speaker one sheet is a short document that summarizes your speaking business. It is often part of the proposal you send to a client or a standalone document your agent or bureau provides before a client contacts you directly. The bio you include is likely the one that decides whether or not you get hired for a particular speaking engagement.
This client-oriented text will have many similarities to what you put on your speaker website. The key difference is that a specific client is reading this bio. As a result, whenever possible, you should tailor the text to the event or industry for which it is being used. We also recommend using the third person to maximize professionalism.
Mention credentials and experience that are most related to this particular client. If you speak to a couple different niches, pare out anything too specific to your other audience(s). For example, if you speak to both students and professionals and you’re sending your bio to a college administrator, don’t emphasize the workshops you’ve run for CEOs.
Speaker Bio Template – Proposal/One Sheet.
- Begin with a positioning statement that hones in on your proposed topic for this event.
[Name] effects [transformation/change that you offer] by [what you do in the keynote, workshop, or seminar you are proposing.]
- List your experience and career highlights with credibility–building statements emphasizing expertise in the area of
[Name] has [X years, decades] of experience doing [career paths that contribute to your expertise for this speaking gig]. During that time, [Name] [career accomplishments, awards]. [Name] is a member of [professional speaking organizations] and has completed [certifications].
- Provide one or two testimonials and/or examples of client transformation.
In [year], [Name] helped [clients] overcome [problems similar to what this client wants you to solve]. [Past client, similar to the client you are targeting] describes [Name] as [testimonial].
- End with one or two fun facts that shed light on your personality on stage. The options here are endless–be creative and intentional!
[Name]’s life motto is [humorous quote]. [Name] was a [singer, dancer, actor, ventriloquist, magician] and carries that energy to the stage. You won’t catch [Name] dead doing [inside joke within your niche].
For inspiration, look no further than the speaker one sheet of Aussie phenomenon Neen James. Her speaker bio is extremely experience and credential-driven, including fun facts that give an idea of the jokes she makes and her onstage persona.
If you’re not sure what a one sheet is or whether you should have one, read this article first. And if you want the deets on how to develop your speaking proposal, check out this podcast episode. Our team can help you develop these important assets for your speaking business–get in touch here.
3. Event Program/Conference Speaker Bio
So your client finds your speaker bio on your website. Then your proposal wows their board of directors. Congratulations–they book you for a paid speaking engagement! Now, a week before go time, they’re asking for a headshot and bio…and there’s a word limit! How can you put everything wonderful about yourself and your speaking platform into just 150 words?
Once again, it’s time to be intentional and craft a compelling speaker bio tailored to a new audience–your actual audience. That’s right–finally you’re writing a bio aimed for the people hearing you deliver your talk.
As you appear alongside dozens of other speakers, your readers will have a short attention span. If you’re leading a workshop, your bio will likely be the deciding factor as to whether people attend. You have to convince attendees that your workshop will transform their life in one short paragraph. If you’re delivering a keynote, your task is likewise daunting–you have to convince them to listen. You can be the most interesting, motivational speaker in the world and struggle to engage someone who decides beforehand that they aren’t interested.
Your client might post your bio in an online program or even use it in promotional materials leading up to the event. If you craft your speaker bio appropriately, you might play a role in bringing in new attendees. When those attendees credit the stellar speaker lineup, your event planner will remember that you are an asset to have on the program and recommend you as such to other event planners. Maintaining these kinds of positive reputations in the event planning world is a huge part of building your network as a speaker.
Speaker Bio Template – Event Program.
- Open with a positioning statement aligned with the conference theme that establishes your expertise.
[Name] is a [seasoned expert] who [does interesting and important things in your industry].
- List the career highlights that are relevant to your talk.
[Name] has [X years, decades] of experience doing [what your audience does or wants to do].
- Include a taste of your mission and vision–your “why”–to pique the audience’s interest.
During [life or career experience], [Name] realized that [thing that made you decide to speak]. Now, [Name] does [what you do for a living] to [transformation you hope to achieve].
- If relevant: end with a personal fact relatable to your audience. (Leave this out if the conference atmosphere is particularly academic, data-driven, or otherwise impersonal).
[Name] enjoys trying new foods, like [signature dish of the city hosting the conference].
This keynote speaker bio for Dominique Luster, an alum of The Speaker Lab, is an incredible example of a bio in an event program. She communicates her expertise and her passion for Black history in under 100 words, letting her personality and love of her work shine through every sentence!
4. Social Media Bio
While it might not come to mind alongside the other contexts we’ve covered, your tagline on social media is an important speaker bio too. The shortest of all, it will also likely be the one read by the most people. It should be a simple positioning statement consistent across all platforms and capture who you are, what you do, and whom you help.
Speaker Bio Template – Social Media
- I am a _____ who helps _____ do ____.
Yup, it’s that simple! Is it obvious that you should fill space #1 with the word “speaker?” Well, while that’s a sound, fool-proof choice, you may want to reference other parts of your personal brand. In fact, if the rest of your social media profile loudly and proudly proclaims that you offer speaking services, feel free to call yourself an entrepreneur/transformation expert/wizard or leave the first blank off all together. Our friend Mike Pacchione has a concise and compelling social media tagline across all platforms–check out his LinkedIn and Instagram to see why!
For longer social media bios, such the body of your LinkedIn profile, we recommend adapting your website bio.
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Conclusion
While writing multiple different bios sounds like a lot of work, you can expedite the process by writing a “master bio” document with every fact, credential, and fun fact you might possibly use. Then, each time you’re asked for a bio, you can use one of our speaker bio templates to edit your master bio. For a general overview of writing a good speaker bio regardless of the context, you can always check out our previous article here.
And one final note: We’ve arranged the sections of these templates in the most conventional order, but feel free to mix it up if it feels right. Some sections will be longer and some will be shorter depending on your niche, personal brand, and how long you’ve been speaking. Many speakers struggle with knowing how much relatable “fun” stuff to include without overshadowing their credentials. Think of it this way–what kind of person is your ideal client? What about you will they find most interesting?
