I once had a client who helped a couple, who immigrated to the US with nothing but the clothes on their backs, purchase a stunning 4,500-square-foot home. As a child of immigrants, she knew just how important fulfilling the American dream of homeownership was for them.

They couldn’t have told that from her one-paragraph bio at the time, which matter-of-factly summed up her professional experience.

I worked with her to weave in the missing pieces—what she loves most about her job, who she likes to help and why, and how she’s equipped to do so—all in a way that holds a potential client’s attention to the last word.

Here’s what she said about the finished product:

“Melanie isn’t just a great writer, she’s also a tremendous listener. The write-up she did for me was professional and personal and far beyond what I could have put together to represent myself.”

I hear that last part all the time. Business owners hate selling themselves. They would much rather let their work do the talking for them.

But, here’s the thing: The work can only do the talking for them if they’re attracting the clients they want by relating to their needs. Business owners daring enough to write their bios miss the mark by making it all about their qualifications instead of identifying the pain point they solve and why they are passionate about solving it.

In journalism school, they call this “burying the lede,” or tucking down the crucial details. With two degrees in journalism and 10-plus years of writing and editing experience, I know which parts to pull to the surface in a business owner’s bio. I love using my zone of genius to magnify what makes my clients unique so they can spend more time in theirs.

It’s tempting for small business owners to do it all themselves, even if writing is a pain. But bios are just as crucial of an investment as headshots (and they’re often cheaper). It’s a one-time cost that continuously gives to your website, social media profiles, newsletter introductions and more. And you can distill it down to whatever word count you need for a specific platform. (Or I can do it for you.)