“Nobody wants the authentic version of me.”

That was one of my favourite lines from a recent conversation with someone in financial planning.

We were chatting about authenticity – a word that gets thrown around quite a lot in marketing – when they made a fair point: their clients probably don’t need to see the version of them who’s hungover and losing patience with the kids.

Which is absolutely fair enough.

It did get me thinking, though. When it comes to your website, how much of you should you really show? Where’s the line between being professional and being personal? And does anyone actually care what your favourite colour is?

Well, actually…

Team profiles are often among the most visited pages on a financial planning website. And it makes sense when you think about it.

Someone has found your website, explored your services, and decided you might be able to help. But before they get in touch, they want to know a little more about the person they could be trusting with their finances.

What experience do you have? What’s your approach? And will they feel comfortable talking to you about their money, their future, and the things that are genuinely important to them?

Your qualifications and experience go some way towards answering those questions. But choosing a financial planner is personal, too. People aren’t just choosing a service; they’re choosing someone to have conversations with about some pretty important parts of their lives.

The professional bit

Let’s start with what prospective clients will probably look for first: your experience and expertise.

When we build team profiles for our clients, we include a dedicated professional section covering qualifications, experience, specialist areas, and the types of clients each team member works with. If you specialise in retirement planning, business owners’ finances, or later-life planning, this is the place to say so.

Previous roles can be worth mentioning, too, particularly if you’ve worked for a well-known company or gained experience that’s relevant to the people you want to help. But there’s a difference between showcasing your career and giving someone your entire CV.

Instead, think about what a prospective client would actually find useful. What can you help them with? What experience do you bring? And what might they value about working with you?

The aim isn’t to tell people everything you’ve ever done. It’s to help them understand what you’re good at, who you can help, and why your experience might be relevant to their situation.

The out-of-office bit

No, you don’t need to tell prospective clients what you’re like after three hours of sleep and a disagreement with the kids(!). But a little about life outside work can definitely be worth sharing.

Maybe you’re training for a marathon, restoring a questionable old car, exploring the coast with your dog, or spending your weekends cheering on your local rugby team. These details help people picture the person behind the professional credentials.

And you never know what might strike a chord. A shared hobby, a favourite holiday destination, or a mutual love of terrible puns could be just the thing that breaks the ice at a first meeting.

Of course, not everyone has a particularly unusual hobby or an exciting anecdote up their sleeve. And that’s fine. There’s no need to manufacture an interesting personality or pretend you’ve climbed Everest if your idea of a perfect weekend is a takeaway and a box set (relatable content is still content).

A sprinkle of personality

If writing about yourself still feels a little tricky, try answering a few questions instead of attempting to write your entire bio from scratch.

It’s often easier to talk about yourself when someone gives you a starting point. You might discover a detail you’d never have thought to include or find a more natural way to express something that sounds awkward when you try to write it from scratch.

Spotlight questions can be a great way to do this. They could be quick-fire questions, fun facts, a scrolling Q&A, or even a few unexpected stats.

Here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling.

You don’t need to use every question, and there’s no need to make everyone answer the same set if a different approach suits them better. Pick the ones that bring out a bit of character and mix in a question or two that reflects your firm’s values or the way you work with clients.

Getting the balance right

We’ve worked with plenty of financial planning firms to bring their websites and team profiles to life. And because no two firms – or teams – are quite the same, there’s no single formula for getting them right. 

What matters is giving people a rounded picture of your team. Your qualifications and experience show them what you bring professionally. The more personal details help them imagine what it might be like to work with you.

That doesn’t mean sharing everything about yourself. It means choosing a few details that feel true to you, rather than trying to write the perfect bio or second-guessing what people might want to hear.

If your team profiles could do with a little more personality, we have a wonderful team on hand to help. Simply reach out to Abi at abi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call us on 0115 896 5300.

And in case you were wondering, my favourite colour is purple. 💜