This article is addressing a very common problem that I am seeing way too often, especially in short reports that people are giving away in order to build their list. The problem I’m talking about is what I call the “Life Story Syndrome” and it’s one that can kill your marketing. Nobody cares about your life story. Keep reading and you’ll understand why.

First of all, the reason most marketers include their bio in short reports or even in full blown ebooks is because they think that by telling their life story, the prospect or customer is going to identify with them. They’ll be able to say, “Hey yeah…I did that too.” The problem is, these people are usually at a stage where they just want to get to the meat of what you’re offering so that they can get some knowledge that will get them out of the hole they’re in. Going on for pages and pages about how you lost your job and how your cat died on New Years Eve is NOT going to score any points with them.

Ultimately, what’s going to happen is this. The prospect is going to get through three or four pages of your boring story, get fed up with not receiving any useful information, and put the book away. They won’t make it to the end of the thing where you have your affiliate link to some great product that will solve their problem or your own product for that matter. The prospect is long gone because you bored them to tears with your life story. You may find your life interesting, but nobody else will.

Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t make a casual mention of something you did that is relevant to what you’re explaining in the report. I do this all the time. It reinforces the material that you’re trying to get across. But don’t turn the mention into the main thing. It has to be an addition, and a minor one at that. People have short attention spans these days and don’t want to do anymore reading than what is necessary. So make it short and to the point.

If you’re wondering why I’m bringing this up, it’s because somebody sent a report for me to look at the other day. It was only 7 pages, but the first 3 pages were a life story that, quite honestly, had nothing to do with the material that the person was trying to teach in the report itself. It was just background information leading up to why they did what they did. Guess what? Who cares? Just tell me what I need to know. This is something way too many marketers don’t get because they get wrapped up in their own egos. “My life is important and you better listen to it.” Um, news flash…no it’s not and I don’t have to listen to it.

So please, make it short and to the point. Tell me what I need to know and then get out.

You’ll keep more prospects that way if you do.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Tired of spinning your wheels trying to get your marketing off the ground? Haven’t got a clue what you’re doing and sick of being dead broke? Why not get some solid mentoring from somebody who has been EXACTLY where you are today? Check out my mentoring program at http://www.stevewagenheim.com/mentoring/mentoring.html and finally get yourself the one on one education that can FINALLY give you the success that you’ve been looking for.