People like to read about people. It’s only human nature and it feeds on our curiosity about ourselves and others.

It’s easy to bypass the “fluff” when you’re trying to sell your services, but it’s something you mustn’t skip entirely. The “fluff” actually allows potential and existing clients to connect with, empathise with, and relate to the people that they are placing their trust in.

From a financial services perspective, clients want to learn about your background and see the person behind the service. Quite often, waiting until the initial meeting isn’t enough. People want to know who you are before they make that initial enquiry.

That’s why the content on your website is so powerful. It allows prospective clients to build a rapport without even speaking to you and it’s why we pay so much attention to team member profiles here at The Yardstick Agency.

Before we go any further, let’s take a step back and look at the main ingredients for the perfect individual team page:

• Your full name
• Your job title
• Your professional headshot
• Important information such as a link to your FCA register profile and SPS
• Any financial services qualifications
• Details about what you do in your role
• And finally, the purpose of this blog; a dash of personality!

Now, you could show your personality in the form of a short paragraph talking about what you like to do out of office hours, but there are plenty of other ways you can inject some personality into your team pages without it feeling like a dating profile. Let’s delve into your options…

Spotlight questions

Let’s start with something I find most financial planners/advisers are comfortable with. Spotlight questions are a series of, you guessed it, questions that can either be about what you do at work or on a more personal level.

A few examples of spotlight questions could be:

If you could be any fictional character, who would you be?

When the dessert menu arrives, what are you looking for?

What are the three things you love most about your job?

Spotlight questions are a nice little touch and a welcome surprise as you scroll through the page.

Likes and dislikes

Displaying your likes and dislikes side by side makes the copy easy to digest and helps to break up large amounts of text.

Similar to spotlight questions, they are a good option if your team doesn’t feel totally comfortable with providing too much personal information.

We’ve also heard advisers say that having likes and dislikes on their website has made for a good talking point during initial meetings with clients.

To see examples of spotlight questions and likes and dislikes in action, take a look at Black Swan Financial Planning’s team profiles.

Show off your pets

Remember I said people like to read about people? Well, people also like to read about pets! One thing that will never fail to stop me in my tracks is when I see a picture of a pet on a website.

Whether it’s an office pup or your friendly feline, take a website-worthy photograph of them and upload it to your team page. Even better, why not give them their own chance to shine and have a team page dedicated to them?

Non-professional photos

Even though you need to keep things professional when you work in financial services, you can still have a bit of fun from time to time.

Show people who you really are outside of work by sharing a photo that leans into your fun side. It could be a picture of you enjoying a round of golf, on holiday with your family, or letting your hair down (but not too much!) at a Christmas party.

If you need some inspiration, look at the personal photographs used on the Smith and Wardle website (hint: you can see them when you hover over the team’s photos).

Testimonials

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to show who you really are, then testimonials could be up your street. Rather than including firm-specific testimonials, ask your clients for reviews that are specific to you, the service you provide, and what you’re like to work with.

Testimonials give brilliant glimpses into who you are as a person and how you treat your clients.

Team videos

Lights, camera, action! If you’re up for the challenge of talking to a camera for a few minutes, then you will definitely want to consider adding a video to your profile. Even before getting in touch, potential clients will have heard you speak and start to feel like they have built a connection with you.

Want to see it in action? Lloyd French at Delaunay Wealth Management has included a brilliant two-minute video on his profile page.

The possibilities are endless. It all depends on what you and your team are most comfortable with. Even the smallest insight into who you are away from the profession allows prospective clients to connect with the person they are placing their trust in. However, what matters most is that you stay authentic to your true self.

If you’d like help adding some personality to your website, get in touch with a member of our team by email at hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call at 0115 8965 300.